IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF GAS FOR ILLU- MINATING OR HEATING PURPOSES, AND FOR ACTUATING GAS ENGINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Speir, of Greenock, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Chemist, and John Mather, of Gateshead-
.on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF GAS FOR ILLU-
MINATING OR HEATING PURPOSES, AND FOR ACTUATING GAS ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Speir and John
Mather at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 20th February 1875.
We, ROBERT SPEIR, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Chemist, and JOHN MATHER, of Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the
County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OP GAS
FOR ILLUMINATING OR HEATING PURPOSES, AND FOR ACTUATING GAS ENGINES," to
be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention, which relates to improvements in the production or
manufacture of gas for illuminating or heating purposes, and for

page_text: actuating gas engines, is a development of the Invention set forth in the
Provisional Specification of the said Robert Speir and John Mather,
No. 4386, A.D. 1874.
According to the present Invention one or more jets of air or gas are
passed across the orifice or orifices of a pipe or pipes, which communicate 5
with a reservoir containing oil or spirit capable of being burned, such as
paraffin oil, petroleum, or the spirits of these oils, or other inflammable
oils or spirits. In this manner a spray of air or gas, highly charged
with inflammable oils or spirits, is produced, which may be used at once
for lighting or heating by forcing it through pipes to the point where it 1
is to be utilized. It is however preferred to pass the spray or gas so
produced through pipes or retorts heated to redness, and then to
utilize it.
By means of the spray producing apparatus, and by the regulation of
the quantity of air used in the production of the spray, hydrogen or 1
compounds of hydrogen, or other substances, may be made so as to
produce a gaseous compound of highly explosive qualities which may be
used for actuating motive power engines.
The illuminating power of a gas is also improved under this Inven-
tion by forcing into it with the spray apparatus a gas of a higher 2
illuminating power.
When using this Invention for heating boilers or other furnaces the
Jets of oil, spray, gas, or carburetted air are either thrown upon a layer
of slowly burning coals, or a series of nozzles or pipes are carried over
or through the furnace, into which, by the action of compressed air,
jets of spray or gas are discharged and carried over the surface or
surfaces of the boiler, being allowed to escape at intervals where the
gas is burned, thereby imparting its heat to the boiler.
By means of the present Invention carbonic oxide or hydrogen have a
high illuminating power imparted to them by forcing them through the
spray producing apparatus, the tank or reservoir of which is charged
with oils or spirits of the classes herein-before set forth.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Speir and John Mather in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
SPEIR, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Chemist,
and JOHN MATHER, of Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
38th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Robert Speir and John Mather, Her
special license that we, the said Robert Speir and John Mather, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Robert Speir and John Mather, our executors, administrators, or
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 OR
PRODUCTION OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING OR HEATING PURPOSES, AND FOR ACTUATING
GAS ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Robert Speir and John Mather, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Robert Speir and John Mather,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :—
Our said Invention relates to improvements in the production or
manufacture of gas for illuminating or heating purposes, and for

page_text: t
The Invention consists of one or more jets of air or gas issuing from
one or more nozzles, and passed across the orifice or orifices of a pipe or
pipes which dip into a reservoir containing oil or spirit capable of being
burned, such as paraffin oil, petroleum, or the spirits of these oils or
other inflammable oils or spirits. In this manner a spray of air or gas, 1
highly charged with inflammable oils or spirits in a finely divided state
is produced, which may be used at once for lighting or heating purposes
by burning it directly as it issues from the nozzles or by forcing it
through pipes to the point where it is to be utilized, or the air or gas
thus charged with oils or spirits may be passed through a retort or pipes
highly heated, so that the hydrocarbons are revolatilized therein and the
mixture converted into a permanent gas.
By means of the spray producing apparatus and by the regulation of
the quantity of air used in the production of the spray, hydrogen or
compounds of hydrogen or other substances may be made so as to
produce a gaseous compound of highly explosive qualities, which may
be used for actuating motive power engines.
The illuminating power of a gas is also improved under this Invention
by using it to produce the spray.
When using this Invention for heating boilers or for firing, puddling,
or other furnaces the jets of oil or spirit, spray, gas, or carburetted air
may either be thrown upon a layer of slowly burning coals, or a nozzle
or pipe or series of nozzles or pipes is or are directed into or carried over
or through the furnace, whereby one or more jets of flame are caused to
play upon the surface of the boiler or within the furnace so as to impart
heat thereto and to the materials thereon.
The air employed in practising the Invention may be cold or it may
, be heated if desired by heat from the furnace or other apparatus in
conjunction with which the Invention is used, or by other equivalent
means.
By means of the present Invention carbonic oxide or hydrogen have a
"high illuminating power imparted to them by forcing them through the
spray-producing apparatus, the tank or reservoir of which is charged
with oils or spirits of the classes herein-before set forth.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood we
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner

page_text: in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
-effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
Figure 1 on the annexed Sheet of Drawings is partly a section and
partly an elevation of one form of the apparatus whereby our Invention
is carried into effect; Figure 2 being a part section and part elevation
of the same at right angles to Figure 1.
J
AT piece coupling A is screwed or otherwise fixed upon or to the
end of the air pipe B, and another pipe C is screwed or otherwise fixed
into the coupling A at right angles to the air pipe B. The air pipe B is
contracted at its end, as shewn on the Drawings, so as to concentrate
the air blast at that point. The pipe C is preferably placed at an angle
with a horizontal plane, as shewn at Figure 2, and its lower orifice is
bevilled, as shewn, so as to dip partly or completely into a reservoir
.containing paraffin oil, petroleum, or other inflammable oils or spirits x.
It is also preferred to enlarge the interior of the T piece coupling A, as
shewn at Figure 1, but it may be made of an equal diameter throughout,
as illustrated at Figure 3. Air or gas under pressure is forced through
the pipe B in the direction of the arrow, and in passing above the orifice
of the pipe C by its inducing a lateral action produces an inducid
current up through the pipe C which has the effect of lifting the oil or
spirit from a reservoir with which the lower end of the pipe communi-
cates, and to mix it with the jet of air or gas forced through the pipe B.
The spray of oil or spirit so produced may be at once utilized for heating
or illuminating purposes by igniting and cousuming it as it issues from
the T piece A, or, if preferred, another pipe may be attached to the
T piece A and the spray led to any convenient or required place for
being burned. In place of admitting the air through the spray-
producing jet B a portion of it may be admitted through holes or
O perforations formed in the chamber A in which the air nozzle terminates,
the air being either forced or drawn in through such holes or per-
forations.
Figure 4 represents an arrangement of the apparatus provided with
spindles for regulating the admission of air or gas charged with oil or
spirits to the flues of a boiler or interior of a furnace; Figure 5 is a side
elevation of the same. The air or gas is forced through the pipe A in
the direction of the arrows and passes through the contracted nozzles of

page_text: -
the pipes B where it meets the oil or spirit spray drawn up through
the pipe C (shewn more particularly at Figure 5). The velocity and
volume of the air or gas is governed by raising or lowering the spindles D,
whereby the area of the nozzles on the pipes B is increased or diminished
as desired. The oil or spirit spray may be ignited upon leaving the
nozzles of the pipes B, and a jet of flame blown into the furnace or
boiler flues, or the spray may be blown through pipes and ignited and
consumed at other suitable nozzles or perforations.
The application of both of these methods of burning the gas or spray
for heating an ordinary "Cornish" boiler are shewn more particularly
at Figures 6, 7, and 8 of the Drawings.
Figure 6 is a cross vertical section of a "Cornish" boiler in a brick
setting, and illustrates the heating action of the air or gas spray
when it
is blown through pipes A and ignited at perforations therein. Three
such pipes A are shewn on the Drawing, but it is to be understood that
a greater or less number may be employed, and that in lieu of per-
forations nozzles or burners may be arranged along the pipes A.
Figuro 7 is a longitudinal section of a boiler similar to that shewn at
Figure 6, but heated by jets of flame thrown from one end of the flue to
the other from the nozzles A in the manner shewn on the Drawings.
As shewn at Figure 8 (which is an end elevation of Figure 7) the air
or gas is forced along the pipe B whereon are placed three or any greater
or less number of valves C similar to those herein-before described and
shewn at D, Figures 4 and 5, which valves C are arranged opposite the
- boiler flue. The current of air or gas blown through the pipe B, and a
thence through the valves C, induces up through the pipes D a spray of
oil or spirits from the reservoir E which changes the currents of air or
gas blown through the several valves C so as to render the said gas or
- air highly inflammable.
Instead of having the jets of flame playing horizontally, as shewn at
Figure 7, they may be made to cross one another at different angles, so
as to impinge upon the heating surface of the boiler. In order to
preserve a constant level in the oil or spirit reservoir E another
reservoir F is placed in communication therewith, and provided with an
ordinary ball valve G, or an equivalent arrangement, so that any
diminution of the liquid in the reservoir E immediately opens the valve G,
and supplies the deficiency from the reservoir F.

page_text: Figure 9 is an illustration of one mode of applying the gas or spray
produced by our Invention to the heating of a puddling furnace. The
saturated or carburetted air or gas is forced into the pipe A, which
encircles the crown of the puddling furnace. Nozzles or burners B are
formed upon the pipe A, and arranged so as to point at an angle into
the interior of the furnace. The gas or spray is ignited as it issues from
these nozzles or burners B, and the jets of flame are thrown downwards
upon the molten iron undergoing the process of puddling, or the jets
may be introduced through the sides or ports and back of the furnace.
In the foregoing parts of this Specification our Invention has been
described as employed for merely heating purposes. When it is desired
to use the same as an illuminant the charged gas or air spray is subjected
to further treatment in heated pipes or in a retort, as now to be described
with reference to Figures 10 and 11.
Figure 10 is a vertical section of one form of apparatus; and Figure 11
is partly a section and partly an elevation of the same. It consists, as
shewn, of a retort A mounted in a brick setting, and maintained at a
red heat by means of the furnace B. The gas or air is blown through
the pipe C, and after becoming charged or saturated with oil or spirit
spray from the reservoir D enters the retort A, and being therein greatly
raised in temperature is rendered a permanent gas. The gas thus formed
passes from the retort A by the pipe E, and is conducted by two branch
pipes a and b to opposite ends of the vessel F. The gas inlet pipes a
and are arranged opposite to one another, and are prolonged into the
interior of the vessel F until their extremities are but a short distance
apart; this arrangement is employed in order to remove from the gas
such particles of oil or spirit as have not become volatilized in the
retort A, but remain mechanically suspended in the gas. The opposing
blasts of gas rushing against one another in the vessel F act the part of
a scrubber or filter, since by their mutual friction the mechanically
suspended oil or spirit is rubbed out of the gas, and falls to the bottom
of the vessel F, from which it may be removed from time to time through
any suitable cock. This scrubbing or cleansing action may be repeated
any number of times by the gas being led from one chamber or vessel to
another, and introduced at opposite ends thereof, so as to come into
collision with each other. On the Drawing one other such vessel G is
shewn, after passing through which the gas is led away by the pipe H to
be further cleansed in suitable purifiers or to be stored in a gas-holder.

page_text: Although it is preferred to employ vessels similar to F and G for the
purposes of purification of the gas it is to be understood that they may
be dispensed with, and the permanent gas led direct from the retort to a
hydraulic main or to a gas holder. The gas thus formed may bè
strengthened or diluted by mixing with it gases of a higher or lower
illuminating power, and by regulating the quantity of air used in the
production of the oil or spirit spray. Hydrogen or compounds of hydrogen
or other substances may be made to produce a gaseous compound of
highly explosive qualities, which may be used in lieu of coal gas for
actuating motive-power engines.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, we would
observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is, rendering air or gases heating or illumi-
nating agents by causing jets of air or gases to charge themselves with
oils or spirits, thereby producing one or more sprays, which may be
burnt at once on issuing from nozzles, or be led through pipes for any
required distance previous to being utilized for the several purposes set
forth, and also the process of volatilizing and so rendering permanent the
said charged air or gases by passing them into or through a highly
heated retort, as described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Speir, on behalf of myself
and the said John Mather, havo hereunto set my hand and scal,
this Twelfth day of August, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.