IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH INCREASING THE ILLUMINATING POWER OF COAL GAS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Weston, of 3, Albert Square, Clapham
Road, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH INCREASING THE ILLUMINATING POWER OF
COAL GAS."
Scaled the 17th March 1876, and dated the 21st September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Weston at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st September 1875.
I, FREDERICK WESTON, of 3, Albert Square, Clapham Road, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH INCREASING THE ILLUMINATING
POWER OF COAL GAS," to be as follows:-
:―
The object of this Invention is to carburet and increase the illumi-
nating power of coal gas, by which means the gas to be acted upon is
caused to come into contact with and absorb hydrocarbon fluids or other
liquids, and for this result I employ a chamber provided with a series of

page_text: columns of sponge or other fibrous matter, which take up or absorb
and hold in suspension the liquid taken off in vapour by the gas in its
passage through the chamber from the inlet pipe to the outlet, which is
placed at the opposite side. The bottom of the chamber to a required
depth is supplied and replenished with liquid from an upper chamber or
reservoir to the level required to be maintained in the bottom or carburet-
ting chamber. For this purpose, viz., to secure the constant level and
prevent the liquid from overflowing and flooding the carburetting
chamber, I fix an air chamber, which when the liquid has arrived at its
_required level it seals this air chamber, and creates a pressure sufficient
to counteract and prevent a further supply from above, and thus
maintains its level until the whole of the liquid in the reservoir has
been exhausted.
An important part of my improvements relates to the means for supply-
ing or replenishing the reservoir with the necessary liquid. For this pur-
pose I employ a cock, which opens and shuts by means of a key or lever,
one end of which passes over the top of a funnel or cylinder, which is
attached to the cock, and indexes when it is either on or off. This cock
is so arranged that when it is turned on for filling by one simple action
the whole of the apparatus is controlled, viz., as it is turned on for the
purpose of replenishing the reservoir it immediately closes the supply to
the bottom chamber, so as to prevent the flooding of same while the top
is open, and at the same time it opens an air vent, by which means the
air in the chamber escapes so as to allow the liquid to take up its place,
and again by the same simple action of turning off the apparatus is in
working order and perfectly anti-pneumatic.
.
I also adjust a float so as to indicate if the liquid is at its proper level
in the carburetting chamber, or whether it requires replonishing.

page_text: •
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Frederick Weston, Her special
license, that I, the said Frederick Weston, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Weston, 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 APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH INCREASING THE ILLUMINATING
POWER OF COAL GAS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Frederick Weston, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 Frederick Weston, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
ว
-
The object of my Invention is to carburet and increase the illumi-
nating power of coal gas by leading the gas into a chamber and causing
it to come into contact with and absorb the vapour of hydrocarbon or
other volatile liquids from, say, sponge. For this purpose I employ a
chamber a provided with a series or number of sponges or other ab-
sorbents b, b, suspended by pins.c from the top of the lower casing,
which sponges attract, pick up, and hold in suspension the liquid, which
is afterwards taken off in vapour by the gas as it (the gas) passes
through this lower chamber a from the gas inlet pipe e to the outlet
pipef, which is placed at the opposite side of the chamber a.
chamber is supplied and replenished with liquid g to a required height
from an upper chamber or reservoir / by means hereafter explained, the
This

page_text: main feature being to ensure an equal level of the liquid in the bottom
or carburetting chamber a while the apparatus is in action by main-
taining a constant and automatic supply within it from the upper.
chamber or reservoir h, and for this purpose I fix a supply tube i to the
bottom of the upper chamber or reservoir 7, which leads down to the
required liquid level in the bottom or carburetting chamber a. This
tube i is always open while the apparatus is in action. But to prevent
more of the liquid entering and overflowing or flooding the lower or
carburetting chamber a I fix a vertical cylinder j within it, to form an
-air-chamber-k-between-the-top-of-the-lower or carburetting chamber a
and the level of the liquid. This chamber & is open at the bottom, and
its edge is on the same level as the supply tube, which is adjusted
according to the level of the liquid required. Thus when the liquid
passes down from the reservoir h into the carburetting chamber a to
reach the level of the supply tube it immediately seals the air chamber k,
which then creates a pressure sufficient to counteract the weight of
liquid in the upper chamber or reservoir and hold it in check, while a
never-ceasing supply is maintained as fast as the liquid is consumed
until the upper chamber or reservoir is exhausted.
Another important part of my Invention relates to the method and
means I employ to facilitate the replenishing of the upper chamber or
reservoir with the necessary liquid when required. For this purpose I
employ a cock 1, capable of being opened and shut by a key or lever m,
one end of which key passes over the top of the funnel n of cylinder
form, which funnel is attached to the cover p, and the key m indicates
when it is either on or off. This cock is so arranged that by one
simple movement of the lever m a passage q is opened, through which
the liquid passes for the purpose of the liquid flowing into the reservoir.
This turning of the key m in one direction closes the passages r, r, leading
from the upper chamber / into the bottom or carburetting chamber a by
means of a spindle or shafts, which is firmly fitted to the plug of the
cock 2, and reaches to the bottom of the reservoir, where it fits into and
acts upon another cock attached to the supply tube of the bottom..
chamber; thus the movement-of-opening the top cock / closes. the
supply to the bottom or carburetting chamber, and at the same time
opens a vent hole u, so as to allow the air in the reservoir ½ to escape
which the liquid as it enters displaces. By the same simple movement
back again of the key the reservoir h is again sealed, the vent hole closed,

page_text: and the supply to the bottom or carburetting chamber opened in order
to put the apparatus again into working order.
I also adjust a float win the bottom or carburetting chamber a, which
is make to index, by means of a wire x attached, when the level is
below the required height, and to show when the reservoir / requires
refilling.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
The improvements in apparatus connected with increasing the illumi-
nating power of coal gas, as set forth, and as shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly. I claim specially fitting two cock plugs, one to upper
chamber and one to the lower chamber of a gas apparatus, as set forth,
both plugs being under the control of one key, as and for the purposes
described and as shown.
Thirdly. I claim fitting an air chamber within the lower chamber of a
gas apparatus, as set forth, for the purpose of controlling the height of
liquid in the lower chamber, and for establishing an automatic feed of
liquid thereto from an upper reservoir, as described and as shown in the
annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Weston, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.