IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF GENERATING CARBONIC ACID GAS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We, JOHN MANGNALL of Manchester in the County of Lancaster Civil
Engineer and ROBERT SAMUEL LLOYD of the firm of Hayward Tyler & Co of
Whitecross Street in the County of Middlesex Engineers do hereby declare the
nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF GENERATING
CARBONIC ACID GAS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR to be as follows:-
According to this invention we generate carbonic acid gas in a continuous and
regular manner in such a way that the sulphuric acid and the whiting or other
suitable carbonate and the water are continuously separately but. simultaneously
delivered in the requisite equivalent proportions of strength and quantities or
nearly so for chemically decomposing and combining and thereby producing the
gas, also by preference in such manner that the waste products are continuously
passed away. By this means an important economy is effected in the amount of
materials used because the chemical action between the materials is more complete
throughout and in the amount of time and labour expended and in the size and
cost of the apparatus because smaller quantities of materials and products are dealt
with at any one time.
For the purposes of our invention we prefer to use an apparatus of the following
description and we shall now proceed to describe the invention with reference
thereto.
We provide a generator or closed vessel into which are delivered the water the
whiting or other suitable carbonate and the acid by preference however we deliver
the whiting diluted with water to the required strength by one inlet pipe and the
acid diluted with water to the required strength by another inlet pipe. These pipes
have their exits opposite to and close to one another so as to ensure proper intimate
mixture of the materials which are thence delivered onto a plate dish tray or other
vessel. The gas evolved passes off by a pipe to the gasholder but on its way it is
made to actuate a turbine or other suitable motor from which motion is obtained.
for driving an appliance such as a screw for delivering the required quantity of
whiting into a pipe where it is commingled suitably with the water and for driving
other appliances (such as reciprocating or rotary pumps or revolving measuring
cocks) which deliver the diluted whiting and the diluted sulphuric acid into the

page_text: generator in the aforesaid required relative proportions. Or the measuring
appliances may be driven by any other available power. Means may be provided
for adjusting the speed or supply, but we prefer to effect it automatically from the
rising and falling action of the gasometer bell. Sometimes where great accuracy is
not requisite and for smaller and cheaper plant we may effect the measuring
approximately by cocks on the inlet pipes regulated by hand the said pipes being
in connection with supply vessels above, but in such case we.also prefer to use the
aforesaid automatic regulation of cocks on the supply pipes by connection from the
gasometer bell in order to prevent accidents from overproduction of gas or over-
charge of the generator especially in case of stoppage of the use of the gas.
The liquid mixture or products overflowing the aforesaid plate or dish in the
generator fall to the bottom of same. In order to prevent the gas from escaping
with this mixture we provide a trap at the outlet or we may let it accumulate
until it releases itself by opening a ball or other suitable valve.
The mixture or waste products pass off into a drain or otherwise. In order to
prevent sediment in these lower parts of the apparatus we may provide it with a
stirring appliance or scraper to be worked by hand or power.

page_text: We, JOHN MANGNALL of Manchester in the County of Lancaster Civil Engineer
and ROBERT SAMUEL LLOYD of the firm of Hayward Tyler & Co of Whitecross
Street in the County of Middlesex Engineers do hereby declare the nature of
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF GENERATING CARBONIC
ACID GAS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to a method of generating Carbonic acid gas by the action
of acids upon Basic Carbonates-usually that forin of Calcic Carbonate commercially
known as "Whiting" and sulphuric acid respectively.
Instead of charging the vessel usually called the generator with a quantity of
whiting and gradually decomposing it with the introduction of the acid, wo
according to this our invention generate carbonic acid gas in a continuous and
regular manner and introduce both the acid and carbonate into the generator in
chemically equivalent proportions or thereabouts, continuously, separately but
simultaneously or alternately each respectively diluted to an extent hereinafter
defined also by preference in such manner that the waste products are continuously
passed away. By this means an important economy is effected in the amount of
materials used because the chemical action between the materials is more complete
throughout and in the amount of time and labour expended and in the size and cost
of the apparatus because smaller quantities of materials and products are dealt with
at any one time.
For the purposes of our Invention we prefer to use an apparatus of the following
description and we shall now first proceed to describe the invention with reference
to Figure 1 which is a vertical section through the generator and parts connected
therewith. We provide a generator or closed vessel such as G into which are
delivered the whiting or other suitable carbonate diluted with water and the acid
also diluted with water, A is the carbonate container, and B the acid container.
The pipe C with cock C¹ delivers the whiting and the pipe D with cock D
delivers the neid, both having their exits close together to ensure proper intimate
mixture of the materials which are thence delivered into a plate tray dish or other
vessel K. Connected with the generator G by means of an overflow pipe H there
is a second vessel I which we will hereinafter term the "waste container" which
receives the spent products of the mutual decomposition of the aforesaid materials,
This waste container has an outlet either of a ball and valve character such for
instance as the ball cock I¹ or that of an inverted syphon or trap with a “seal”
exceeding the pressure it is required to maintain to generate the gas under and
thus providing for the automatic discharge of the waste products as soon as spent.
The gas evolved passes off by a pipe E provided with back pressure valve E¹ and
entering the lower perforated strainer A¹ it passes up through the whiting in the
container A. The gas is then by the pipe F which is also connected with the acid
Vessel B conducted to the ordinary Bell of a gasholder.
It is an essential feature in this system when whiting and sulphuric acid are the
materials employed that sufficient water shall be used in connection therewith to
dilute the respective materials to a specific gravity of 1050 as compared with water
as unity at normal temperatures. It is however not necessary that each material
shall be diluted to this strength but should one of the materials be used stronger
the other material must be diluted to such a further extent that the same quantity
of water shall be employed as would be required to dilute each of the materials to
the specific gravity above defined and stipulated.
;

page_text: The apparatus described generates the gas without mechanical aid other than
what is generated by the release of the gas for this purpose. Into the separate
vessels A and B are introduced the respective materials in definite and known
quantities and in proportions in accordance with their chemical equivalents and
diluted with water to the requisite and specified strength. The vessels A and B are
closed by air tight covers. From the lower portions of these vessels A and B the
pipes C and D furnished with their stop cocks C¹ and D' communicate separately
with the generator G and in such a manner that there is no tendency for the
respective mixtures discharged therefrom to interfere with each other or the outlets
of the same to dip into the effervescing mixture in the generator, otherwise the
equal flow from each is liable to be interfered with in a serious degree by the
generation of the gas in the conduit pipes and destroying the equality of flow-It
is obviously equally essential that the respective pipes C and D with their cocks C²
and D' shall be so constructed or adjusted as to give equal volumes in flow in equal
timos.
The gas may as shown in Figure 1 and as already stated be conducted direct
into the carbonate receiver A and by its constant passage through the mixture thus
keep the insoluble Carbonate in suspension through the water; in this case the
conducting pipe C carrying the carbonate mixture to the generator passes through
the bottom of the vessel A. and extends some distance perpendicularly within it,
this portion being pierced by a number of small holes as shown to prevent the
insoluble Carbonate from choking up the pipe when the apparatus is at rest. It
is also essential in this instance that the two vessels A and B shall be connected at
the upper portion above the fluid surface say by the pipe F to equalize the
pneumatic pressure upon their respective fluid surfaces of their contents and thus
preserve an equality of flow from their respective outlets.
This form of apparatus is more particularly designed for use where it is required
to dispense with the outside aid of mechanical power in manufacturing aërated
waters as it may be worked up to any pressures desired and dispenses with the
necessity of a gas holder by attaching it direct to a saturator where the gas is
introduced to the liquid to be saturated in the former manner of a spray and of
which "Howards patent" tubular saturator may be instanced as a type.
The resultant liberated gas may on its way to the gasholder be passed to any
dynamical contrivance already well known for converting pneumatic pressure into
motion such as a turbine of which the drum of an ordinary wet gasometer may be
taken as the type, or of reciprocating cylinder as commonly used in steam engines
this power is utilized and employed to actuate a mechanical stirrer in the carbonate
receiver when carbonates are employed which are insoluble in water and thus
maintain an uniformity of mixture throughout the discharge.
Another form of apparatus employed to work this system of manufacturing
carbonic acid is illustrated by the sectional elevation Figure 2 This apparatus is
more particularly useful where a constant quantity of the gas is required to be
constantly maintained and employs power other than that generated by the release
of the gas in itself. For this purpose we no longer maintain the equality of
strength of the various or respective materials employed as in the former described
apparatus but supply the whiting to the generator in the form of a paste similar
in consistency to what is known as "Glaziers putty" or stiff mortar the acid being
correspondingly extra diluted to make up the average hereinbefore mentioned.
The system of delivery of the respective materials into the generator in corresponding
relative chemical proportions to mutually decompose each other or thereabouts is
however strictly maintained, these conditions being realized by means of this
machine.
The crude whiting is mixed with about 20 per cent of water and introduced
into the cylindrical hopper or vessel A. which is provided centrally with a per-
pendicular shaft S carrying upon it a number of mixer arms such for instance as
the radial arms S¹ fixed helically or spirally upon it and the blades of which arms
are set at an angle from the horizontal This Shaft S with its radial arms is caused

page_text: to revolve for instance by means of a pair of bevil wheels T which causes the
whiting and water to be homogeneously mixed into a plastic consistency the
angular inclination of the radial arms together with their spiral setting pressing
the whiting mixture downwards. Communicating with the bottom of this vessel
is an opening B through which the whiting paste emerges into the generator E
and might be assisted in its transference to the generator by means of a recipro-
cating piston.
By these means a definite and known quantity of the carbonate is introduced
into the generator bearing a direct relation to the number of revolutions of the
perpendicular shaft S or arins S¹ (or those of the strokes of the reciprocating piston.)
The acid mixture which in the case of whiting and sulphuric acid must not be of
a greater strength than Specific gravity 1040 is pumped into the generator E
in volume sufficiently to thoroughly decompose the whiting introduced within
equal times, or thereabouts, this acid mixture may be previously made and stored
of the requisite strength in a tank provided for the purpose or it may be made by
pumping separately and simultaneously the requisite proportions of the strong
acid and of the water to make the mixture of the requisite strength or they may
as shown in Figure 2 be both drawn by the one pump D from their respective
reservoirs that is to say the acid carboy J and the water tank K and by regu-
lating by cocks or other known contrivances the relative quantities of each
drawn in the said pump are obtained. The mixture enters the generator E by
the pipe C.
The generator E in this machine is cylindrical and preferentially horizontal as
shown inside of which are revolving vanes or arms such for instance as G¹ on
the shaft G for constantly agitating the materials introduced. The generator E
is also preferentially divided by internal partitions such for instance as F about
in height one half the diameter of the generator so as to confine the mutual action
of the materials used within as narrow limits as practicable. From this generator
the spent materials emerge by means of an overflow pipe H into the waste
container I. This container is likewise cylindrical in form and, preferentially
horizontally fixed within it, is also a revolving shaft N with radial arins N' affixed
so that any further action of the materials employed may become completely
exhausted and the insoluble bye-product may be kept in thorough suspension until
its final expulsion by means of the syphon trays or ball valve previously alluded
to. M is the waste discharge pipe.
The resultant liberated gas is conducted from the generator by piping to the
purifier and then to the bell of the gasholder. Figure 3 shows an arrangement of
gasholder. The bell O, of the gasholder P is usually counterpoised by a weight O¹
attached to a rope and passing over pulleys the ascent or descent of of this
weight O¹ causes it to come in contact with a system of levers such as Q and Q¹
which are connected by a rod Q' communicate with the strap shifting mechanisın
or "striking gear" of the generating machine for shifting the strap from pulley L
to pulley L fig 2 and alternately stop and start the machine according to the
conditions of the quantity of gas stored within the holder. The spindle of the
lever Q is provided with a toothed sector R which gears with the striking gear
or strap shifting rod R'. Where the gasholder is of such a size that the counter-
poise weight is not necessary a rod or other attachment to the bell is made to
actuate the before mentioned levers instead of the weight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed We declare that what
we claim is
First: The system or method of introducing continuously separately_but
simultaneously or alternately the carbonates and the acids in such proportions
that they shall mutually decompose each other or thereabouts.
Second: In the system or method firstly claimed and when Calcic Carbonate
and sulphuric acids are employed as materials the use of their aqueous mixtures
not exceeding the strengths herein specified.

page_text: Third: The employment of the generated gas to actuate mechanism to keep
suspended the insoluble Carbonates employed in the water used in connection
therewith as well as for the passing through the same mixture for a similar
purpose substantially as set forth.
Fourth-The automatic discharge of the waste products by means of either
inverted syphon or valves.
Fifth The construction and arrangement of the apparatus described with
reference to Figure 1 substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Sixth The construction and arrangment of the machine and apparatus
described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
T