IMPROVE- OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE PURPOSES.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isham Baggs, of High Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Practical Chemist, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
PURPOSES.'
"
AND OTHER
Sealed the 22nd August 1873, and dated the 20th March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isham Baggs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th March 1873.
I, ISHAM BAGGS, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Practical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in passing mixtures of hydrogen and carbonic
acid gases, or of hydrogen and carbonic acid gases and carbonic oxide,
however the same may have been produced or eliminated, through a
red hot or highly heated "scrubber," the same being placed vertically

page_text: and filled with pieces of charcoal, coke, iron, or other suitable substances
and in such a manner that the carbonic acid which passes by filtration
through the heated mass is converted into carbonic oxide, as well known
and understood, whilst the hydrogen and carbonic oxide (when the
latter is contained in the mixture) are at the same time suffered to pass
by unaffected in their chemical character. In order to ensure the
requisite degree of purity care should be taken that no undecomposed
water should be present for some distance from the point of final egress,
as such presence of water would cause a continual generation of carbonic
acid as a per-centage of the product of decomposition. Water if present
may be condensed by any of the known methods, and the mixed gases
then passed through the heated scrubber.
Instead of merely purifying the gas as above described I prefer to
generate and purify the same in one process. For this purpose two
or more vertical scrubbers charged with suitable carbonaceous materials
are arranged as a series and the whole heated to a high degree. Steam
is admitted to the bottom of the first of the series of scrubbers, up
which it ascends, and is then conducted by means of suitable pipes
or channels to the top of the second of the series, through which it
descends, and so on, consecutively through the whole series, or the
progress of the steam may be reversed, the same being introduced into
the top of the first scrubber of the series, down which it will descend
and then pass to the bottom of the second of the series, and so on, or a
longitudinal diaphragm may be placed in each single scrubber so as to
convert it into two vertical chambers, the upward and downward flow
of the steam being caused to take place in the manner before mentioned,
and the result being the production of gas suitable for illuminating and
other purposes as already known.
The scrubbers may be flat, or conical, or hemispherical at their lower
ends, and the same are heated by preference by means of the hot blast.
The issuing hot air and products of combustion are directed consecutively
into the heating chambers, and alternately with them the cold air on its
way to the furnace is brought to a high temperature, as well understood.
The moving power employed is the steam blast or in some cases a fan
may be used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Isham Baggs in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
20th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISHAM
BAGGS, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Practical Chemist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Isham Baggs, Her special licence that I,
the said Isham Baggs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Isham Baggs, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURe of
GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Isham Baggs, mỹ executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Isham Baggs, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention consists in passing mixtures of hydrogen and

page_text: carbonic acid which passes by filtration through the heated mass is
converted into carbonic oxide, as well known and understood; whilst
the hydrogen and carbonic oxide (when the latter is contained in the
mixture) are at the same time suffered to pass by unaffected in their
chemical character. In order to ensure the requisite degree of purity
care should be taken that no undecomposed water should be present for
some distance from the point of final egress, as such presence of water
would cause a continual generation of carbonic acid gas as a per-centage
of the product of decomposition. In the event of any water or moisture
being present it may be condensed or absorbed by any of the known
methods, and the mixed gases passed through the heated scrubber or
scrubbers.
Instead of merely purifying the gas in the manner above described,
I prefer to generate and purify the same in one process. For this
purpose two
or more vertical scrubbers charged with suitable car-
bonaceous materials are arranged in a series, and the whole heated to
a high degree. Steam is admitted to the bottom of the first of the series
of scrubbers, up which it ascends, and is then conducted by means of
suitable pipes or channels to the top of the second of the series, through
which it descends, and so on consecutively through the whole series, or
the progress of the steam may be reversed, the same being introduced
into the top of the first scrubber of the series, down which it will descend
and then pass to the bottom of the second of the series, and so on; or,
a longitudinal diaphragm may be placed in each single scrubber so as
to convert it into two vertical chambers, the upward and downward
flow of the steam being caused to take place in the manner before
mentioned, and the result of the processes and methods above described
being the production of gas suitable for illuminating and other known
purposes to which the same is applicable.
The scrubbers may be flat, or conical, or hemispherical at their lower
ends, and the same are heated by preference by means of the hot blast.
The hot air and products of combustion as they issue are directed con-
secutively into brick heating chambers, and alternately with them the
cold air on its way to the furnace is brought to a high temperature, as
already well understood.
The motive power which I prefer to use for impelling the gases, when
such power is necessary, is the steam blast, or in some cases a fan may
ho amploved

page_text: Having thus declared and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe in
conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim
as constituting the Invention secured to me by the said herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent are, the methods or processes of purifying
hydrogen gas and carbonic oxide or mixtures thereof, and of manu-
facturing the same in a state of purity, substantially as and for the
purposes herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isham Baggs, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.