IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Spencer, of Brooklyn, in the
State of New York, United States of America, for the Invention
A
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Spencer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition,
on the 13th September 1875.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SPENCER, of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING
GAS," to be as follows :—
I employ a retort, preferably of iron lined with lime, and I introduce.
near one end a jet of oxyhydrogen gas, and regulate the relative quan-
tities of gas so that the flame will be similar to the oxyhydrogen blow
pipe, and the result the production of watery vapor. Into this retort
I introduce hydrocarbon, either in the form of petroleum oil or olefianţ

page_text: gas rich in carbon, and the great heat produces a decomposition and
recomposition, resulting in the production of illuminating gas or a
diluent therefor. Aqueous vapors may also be admitted, which in addi-
tion to the aqueous vapors from the combustion of oxygen and
hydrogen serve to dilute the hydrocarbon gas generated by supplying
hydrogen from the decomposition of the water. By this improvement
the gas generating apparatus is rendered almost automatic, because so
long as the respective gases and the hydrocarbon are supplied in regu-
lated quantities, the process will continue and the gas produced will
require little purifying, and the pressure in the retort can be maintained
sufficient to force the gas into the holder, thereby dispensing with a
considerable part of the intermediate apparatus now usually employed,
so that the apparatus for this improved mode of manufacture occupies
very little space, and is adapted especially to manufactories or small
towns, but may be used wherever available.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Spencer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY SPENCER, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States
of America, send greeting.
'
WHEREAS-Her--most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the-Thirteenth 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 suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Henry-Spencer,-Her
special licence that I, the said William Henry Spencer, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said: William
Henry Spencer, 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 ILLUMINating Gas,”

page_text: upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Henry
Spencer, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 William Henry Spencer, 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 :-
:-
I employ a retort, preferably of iron lined with lime, and I introduce
near one end a jet of oxyhydrogen gas, and regulate the relative quan-
tities of gas so that the flame will be similar to the oxyhydrogen blow
pipe, and the result the production of watery vapor. Into this retort
I introduce hydrocarbon, either in the form of petroleum oil or olefiant
gas rich in carbon, and the great heat produces a decomposition and
recomposition resulting in the production of illuminating gas or a
diluent therefor. Aqueous vapors may also be admitted, which in
addition to the aqueous vapors from the combustion of oxygen and
hydrogen serve to dilute the hydrocarbon gas generated by supplying
hydrogen from the decomposition of the water. By this improvement
the gas generating apparatus is rendered almost automatic, because' so
long as the respective gases and the hydrocarbon are supplied in regu-
lated quantities, the process will continue and the gas produced will
require but little purifying, and the pressure in the retort can be main-
tained sufficient to force the gas into the holder, thereby dispensing
with considerable of the intermediate apparatus now usually employed,
so that the apparatus for this improved mode of manufacture occupies
very little space and is adapted especially to manufactories or small
towns, but may be used wherever available.
The oxygen and hydrogen employed are to be obtained in any desired
manner, and burned together in the proper proportions as usual.
According to the well defined figures of analysis the combustion (approxi-
mately) of 1,000 cubic feet of oxygen with 2,000 cubic feet of hydrogen is
equivalent to the production of 100 lbs. of water which would require
the carbon of about six gallons of oil for its decomposition, returning

page_text: the 2,000 cubic feet of hydrogen originally employed, plus 1,000 feet
due to the hydrocarbon, and 1,000 feet of carbonic acid, while the excess
of heat over and above that necessary to effect the above decomposition
is left applicable to the decomposition of an additional quantity of
hydrocarbon and steam introduced by the same jet as the orignal hydro-
carbon, additional heat at the same time being generated by the com-
bination-of-the-oxygen and carbon, the total heat of the flame therefore
used-in-raising-the-material-from-atmospheric-temperature_to_a_
point at which dissociation takes place.
-being
What I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is, the method herein specified of decomposing hydrocarbons
and aqueous vapors by the direct application of an [oxyhydrogen flame
within a retort, substantially as set forth.
Witnesses,
THOMAS MONK,
P. H. FOWLER.
W. H. SPENCER. (L.S.)