An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Making and Storing a Mixture of Inflammable Gas and Air.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1892-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by BENJA DE LISSA, of 454, Collins Street,
Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Australia, Gentleman.]
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Making and Storing a
Mixture of Inflammable Gas and Air.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists of an improved method of mixing atmospheric air with
any inflammable gas thereby increasing its bulk and efficiency and the employment
of novel appliances to obtain the desired result and in the mechanism being so
arranged as to automatically govern the motive power employed to work the
apparatus.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have shewn my
apparatus in sectional elevation in the accompanying drawings (Figs. 1 to 5)
which with the Specification hereunder will serve to describe the manner in which
my invention is to be performed, that is to say,-
From the source of gas supply I lead a pipe "A" said pipe terminating in an
automatically worked governor valve "A" from whence the gas is allowed to
proceed into a small water sealed chamber "A." From this chamber a small
pipe "A" proceeds and meets a larger air supply pipe "Be." This pipe "B"
comes from an apparatus constructed as follows.(see Fig. 1).
In an upright tank "B" is a floating pontoon "B" made somewhat of a gaso-
meter shape and weighted at its upper end with weights "B," set on a spindle "B3",
and on which is also affixed a hanging valve "B" placed in an upright pipe "B"
and so arranged that when the pontoon rises or falls the valve correspondingly
shuts or opens. The interior of the tank "B" is filled to a convenient height
with water thus forming a scal. The pipe "B" after being joined with "A³"
terminates in a retention valve box "C" in which is set a lift valve "C" arranged
to prevent any return of fluid. This said valve box is connected in its turn by
means of a pipe bend "B" with a vertical water blast tube "D" through which
a jet or shower of water is made to fall and which terminates at its bottom in a
tank "D" Near the bottom of this tank "D" is provided a small escape
pipe "D" and air tube "D" arranged to allow the water at the bottom of tank
to retain a constant level and thus prevent escape of gas. From the top of this
tank "D" the mixed gas and air is led away by a tube "D" into a larger
receptacle "D" in the interior of which is a balanced water gasometer "D""
shaped at the top with a hood "D'," to cover the inlet and exit pipes "D""
and "D" respectively, and so designed as to obviate as far as possible any large
quantity of gas from collecting therein. To the top of the hood "D" is affixed a
bifurcated rod or equivalent "D" centred at "D10" to a rocking lever "D" "
at the far end "D" of which controlling gear is arranged in such a manner
that when the water gasometer "D" rises or falls the rocking lever acts recipro-
cally on the valve gear of the water supply or engine operating the blast "D"
before mentioned.
*
"
Referring now to Figure 4 the pipe "DB" before mentioned enters another
pontoon gasometer "E" and "E" somewhat similar to the former ("B¹" see
Fig. 1) and from the hood "E" of which another pipe "E" descends and
terminates outside the tank "E." The bottom end of this pipe "E" is closed in
with wire gauze
"E" and is surrounded with an enlarged closed chamber "E"."
From this latter chamber the gas is again led away through a pipe "E"," either

page_text: direct to the point. of consumption or first (and preferably by a pipe "F1")
through a small water tank "F" (see Fig. 5). In this tank the gas enters at the
bottom and after bubbling up through the water in same escapes into a lead away
pipe "F" to be consumed. On the top. of tank "F" is a weighted safety
valve "G" which can be set to any predetermined resistance.
I will now proceed to describe the method of mixing the air with the gas and the
working of the apparatus herein before specified.
The water blast in "D" is set going thus causing a rush of air to take place in
pipes "B" and "B" and causing a vacuum in the small pipe "A" and
chamber "A" thus bringing down the cover "A" of same. The cover in its
turn opens the valve "A" thus permitting a rich gas to flow into the chamber "A"
thence down by pipe "A" into and to mingle with the air in pipe "B" aforesaid.
The mixture of air and gas which I will now term "mixed gas" proceeds under
the lift valve "C" thence onward by pipe "B" and thence downward through
tube "D" into the tank "D¹." Here the water falls to the bottom and runs away
from a predetermined height by the pipe "D" (the small air supply tube "Ds"
preventing it acting as a syphon). The mixed gas on the other hand rises to the
top of the chamber "D1" and proceeds through pipe "D" (see Fig. 3) into the
governing gasometer "D" and "D" and fills in the space in the hood "D" and
proceeds down along and up the pipe "D" into the gasometer
$5 E" and "E"
(Fig. 4) and makes its exit through the valve "E" into the hood "E." From
thence it again escapes through pipe "E3" and through the wire gauze mouth "E4"
into the chamber "E." From there it can be led by pipe "E" to be consumed
or it can enter by tube "F1" (see Fig. 5) into and through the water in tank "F"
and be led away by "F" to wherever desired. Should an undesirable pressure of
gas accumulate in the tank "F" from any unforeseen cause the safety valve "G"
will come into operation and permit its escape.
The hood "E" (Fig. 4) can be weighted to any required pressure at "E"" and
the same remark applies to "B" (in Fig. 1).
Referring to Fig. 5 the water is placed in the tank "F" for the dual purpose of
bathing and cleansing the mixed gas and preventing any flame or sparks finding
their way through "F" into the gasometer and for a similar purpose the wire
gauze is placed at "E"
Referring again to Fig. 2, at "A" I place a floating ring of glycerine on top of
the water seal. If it is found that too much gas accumulates in the gasometer "D"
(Fig. 3) the rocking lever "D"" will be actuated and slacken or cut off altogether
the motive power working the blast.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.―
1. In the manufacture and storage of inflammable gas. The method of mixing
atmospheric air with gas by means of a water blast or spray to produce a vacuum
which said vacuum draws the air and gas together in predetermined proportions
and the displacement of the fall of the water forcing the gaseous mixture forward
into holding receptacles substantially as herein before described and explained.
2. In the manufacture and storage of inflammable gas. A tank as "D1" for
receiving water from an aqueous blast in combination with a lead away pipe as "D³"
on which is mounted an air tube as "D" substantially as explained and as illus-
trated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In the manufacture and storage of inflammable gas. A pontoon gasometer
as "B" and "E" provided with a hood from which depends an inverted valve
said valve being so arranged in the mouth of an inlet pipe that it shuts or opens
synchronously with the rising or falling of the said hood the latter being
weighted to any predetermined pressure, substantially as hereinbefore declared
and explained and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 of the accompanying drawings..
4. In the manufacture and storage of inflammable gas. The combination of a

page_text: wire gauze cover at the end of a pipe as "E" with a chamber as "E" and lead
away pipe "E" substantially as explained and illustrated.
5. In the manufacture and storage of inflammable gas. The combination with a
tank as "F" in which water is placed and on which is mounted a safety valve
as "G" of inlet and outlet pipes as "F1" and "F"" substantially as explained
and illustrated.
6. In the manufacture and storage of inflammable gas. The combination with a
gasometer hood as "D" and a bifurcated rod as "D" of a rocking lever as "D""
the whole being so arranged as to reciprocally operate the actuating valve of a
water blast or other motor substantially for the purposes explained and as illustrated
in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In the manufacture and storage of inflammable gas. The peculiar con-
struction, arrangement and combination of all the parts as shewn in Figs. 1 to 5 in
the accompanying drawings.
Dadh 11
1000
W. H. BECK,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Applicant.