IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROCARBON VAPOUR, AND. FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME TO ILLUMI- NATING OR HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Wilkins, of 254, Oxford Street, and
287, Regent Street, both in the County of Middlesex, Gas Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF
HYDROCARBON VAPOUR, AND. FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME TO ILLUMI-
NATING OR HEATING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 7th April 1865, and dated the 11th October 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Wilkins at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th October 1864.
I, FREDERICK WILKINS, of 254, Oxford Street, and 287, Regent Street,
both in the County of Middlesex, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRO-
DUCTION OF HYDROCARBON VAPOUR, AND FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME TO
ILLUMINATING OR HEATING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the production of
bydrocarbon, such as photogene, petroleum, or paraffine, benzole, benzine,
or naptha, and for the application of the same to illuminating or heating
purposes. I make use of an ordinary wet gas méter, or the cylinder or drum
thereof, or two or more in combination, and supply the same with hydro-
carbon liquid in substitution for water, or in conjunction with a portion of
water, oil, or any other compound fluid. I then cause the said drum to
revolve by means of weighted cords or spiral springs acting on the axis of

page_text: the drum, with or without the interposition of multiplying wheels or any
other gear for regulating the speed of rotation, and the quantity of air or
gas-thereby-caused-to-pass-through the apparatus. I also apply revolving
brushes on horizontal axes in such manner that their lower parts-shall be
immersed in the liquid, and their upper parts shall touch, strike, and spring
from numerous points or stops, so that the points of the bristles or other
-material of the brush shall perpetually throw off showers or sprays of liquid
forming a mist or vapour, thereby loading or saturating the air or gas passed
through it with hydrocarbon vapour.
I also apply dry gas meters to the same purpose moved by similar means,
but in such cases the hydrocarbon liquid must be placed in the upper
chamber of the meter, and be agitated by revolving brushes.
I also apply the ordinary.gasometer or air holder as a receptacle of the said
hydrocarbon liquid, with water or other suitable liquid in combination, and
with or without the use of brushes, moved as aforesaid, and with or without
the application of extra warmth for the purpose of increasing the evaporation
in any of the apparatus. I also make use of revolving brushes (in all cases
kept in motion by weighted cords or springs) in a separate vessel containing
hydrocarbon liquid, to be supplied with a current of air or gas. The air or
gas thus impregnated with the vapour of hydrocarbon may then be conveyed
by suitable pipes to burners or stoves for illuminating or heating purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent; filed
by the said Frederick Wilkins in the Great Seal Patent Office-on the
11th April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
WILKINS, of 254, Oxford Street, and 287, Regent Street, both in the County.
of Middlesex, Gas Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Frederick Wilkins, Her special licence that I, the said:
Frederick Wilkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Frederick Wilkins; 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:

page_text: 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 FOR THE PRODUCTION. OP HYDROCARBON VAPOUR,.
AND FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME TO ILLUMINATING OR HEATING PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick. Wilkins, my..
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Frederick Wilkins, 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 fol-
lowing statement :-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the production of
hydrocarbon vapour, such as that from photogene, petroleum, or paraffine,
benzole, benzine, or naptha, and for the application of the same to illumi-,
nating or heating purposes.
The principal objects of the Invention consist in saturating atmospheric air
with hydrocarbon vapour for lighting or heating purposes as a substitute for
common coal gas, also in enriching common coal gas to increase its.
illuminating power.
⚫ I now proceed to describe my Invention by aid of the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In Fig. 1, a, a, represents the outside view of a complete apparatus; it
contains a cylinder or drum like that of an ordinary wet gas meter; it may
be made of tin, zinc, or other suitable material; mis its foot or stand;, n is a
valve for drawing off the water, &c.; e is a toothed wheel or sheave, which is
moved by the weight g on the chain f, or by bands or springs or other motive
power; ff, is an endless chain, the links of which fit on to the toothed
sheave e, which rotates by the action of the weight g, which has a hole through.
its centre, through which the chain can be freely passed in one direction
downwards, and it is provided with clips or catches g', which bite and hold.
the chain so as to prevent the weight sliding down. The action of this weight
causes the sheave and the intermediate wheels within and the drum or
cylinder to rotate, thereby, drawing in a current of atmospheric air or gas at h,
and forcing it out at i, the case a, a, having been previously charged with
water or volatile bydrocarbon liquid, or partly with each, or other liquid, as

page_text: far as the valve and pipe at i, which may be used as an overflow valve, also as
a feed pipe, which may also be fitted with a floating ball-cock for regulating
the supply and level of the liquid, to supply the hydrocarbon, &c.-k-is a-guage-
or bent glass tube, with both ends opening within the case a, a, and shews the
respective levels of the water or other liquid; it must be very strong and have
its ends firmly connected and cemented into the side of the case, as shewn in
the Drawing. 1, 1, is the case containing the intermediate wheels, which are
moved by the sheave e. It is principally by motion that the air or gas
becomes saturated with the vapour of the liquid placed in the apparatus; the.
vapour may also be increased by the application of moderate warmth, but
high temperatures, say, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, are not recommended
Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1. a, a, is the outer case; b, b, is the revolving
cylinder or drum, shewing four fans c, c, c, c, but any other number may be
used; d, d, d, d, are small cups like the seed cups on a corn drill or grain
elevator; or there may be floats like the float boards of an overshot water
wheel (but very small), which being turned in an opposite direction by the
moving power of the apparatus, have the effect of lifting up small quantities
of the liquid so as to keep the upper parts of the drum more effectually
wetted with the liquid than would otherwise be the case, thereby causing the
air or gas to be more perfectly saturated with particles of moisture or vapour
than it would be without such motion. These cups or floats should be so
placed as not to follow each other in the same track or line of motion, because
their being in intermediate positions will create various currents of the air or
gas, thus increasing the effect by bringing it more intimately in contact with
the liquid to be absorbed. These cups should lift only a very small quantity
of the liquid, and must be so arranged as to pour it out gradually over the
other parts of the drum. They are not to be considered as absolutely
necessary, but as only tending to increase the efficiency of the apparatus. I
recommend that the greater portion of fluid used should be water, and that a
inoderate quantity of volatile hydrocarbon liquid should be added. This
floating on the surface of the water and mixing its vapour with the air or gas
passing through the apparatus will render it available for illuminating or
heating purposes similar to common coal gas. The dotted lines e, e, e, e, shew
the relative surfaces of the water or compound fluid, and of the hydrocarbon
liquid on its surface. By compound fluid I mean any mixture of a saline
saccharine, or other nature, such as will increase the specific gravity of the
water, such as salt or sugar, the object of which is to prevent the said wate
from becoming so readily mixed with the supernatant liquid. And as a furthe
means of increasing-the efficacy of the said apparatus (though perfect withou
'

page_text: this addition), circular brushes may be placed on the axis of the said drum, or
otherwise, as shewn at n, Fig. 3, so as to sprinkle the liquid about in showers
or fountains of spray or mist, thereby more effectually saturating the said air
or gas, the brush or brushes, if one is on the opposite side, revolving by
contact with the driving wheel o, having its lower part dipping in the liquid,'
and the upper part striking against various points p, and springing from them,
thereby producing the vapour or mist required; the brushes may be of
bristles, whalebone, steel wire, or otherwise. The uniform quantity of liquid
required may be maintained by connecting the apparatus with a cam or
cistern by means of a very small pipe, the mouth of which opens, within the
outer case of the apparatus a, a, Fig. 1, by the pipe j, the supply being
regulated by a ball-cock or other means similar to that used in water
cisterns.
pose
Another arrangement for maintaining a proper working level of the surface
of the liquid is by placing a' can or tank, which may be at a distance, on the
same level as the apparatus, and connected therewith by a small pipe; as the
liquid becomes used up it can be supplied from the can by pouring.in water,
which sinking to the bottom will raise the surface of the hydrocarbon, and
thereby cause à flow of liquid from the can into the apparatus; for this pur-
the can may be furnished with a tube extending nearly to the bottom
for pouring water; the lower end of this tube being under water there
could be no escape or waste of vapour from the other liquid even without.a
cock to turn off when not in use, all communication with external air
being cut off by the interposition of water. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of
same Figure. 9, q, is the inlet air or gas piper is a valve for waste water
accumulating in the neck of the inlet pipe; s, s, the revolving drum; t, the axis
of drum; w, the driving sheave; u is a multiplying wheel; is a pinion
wheel on axis of drum; x is a cistern or tank; and y, a feed pipe with unions
to connect the cistern with the apparatus at pipe j. Fig. 4 is an enlarged
section of the weight g, shewing the palls or catches g¹.
With reference to dry gas meters or other forms of the same principle, I
use the
upper chamber thereof as a receiver of the hydrocarbon liquids. In
this case I place long circular brushes parallel with the surface of the liquid,
and cause them to revolve by any. motive power, and pass the air or gas
through this chamber on its way to the outlet pipe, thereby saturating it with
vapour.
In gasometers or air holders I place a certain portion of the volatile hydro-
carbon liquid in the inside only of the holder, water being on the outside, and
the bottom part of the inside; this is to be agitated and sprinkled by brushes

page_text: to be moved as aforesaid, or otherwise, as described in my Provisional
Specification.
Two or more of my rotating apparatus or one double drum arrangement
may be worked in concert, in such manner as when one set of fans are leaving
the liquor another set are half-way down therein, so as to effect a more
regular light.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark that I do not limit myself
to the precise details and configuration of parts I have expressed and shewn,
nor to any particular dimensions of the apparatus, as the same may evidently
be varied or modified without in any way departing from the principles on
which my Invention is based; but what I claim and desire to be secured to
me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent are, the general arrangement
and combination of parts of each of the apparatus as receptacles for the
volatile hydrocarbon liquid, the combination of the endless chain (or band)
and sheave in connection with the weight furnished with palls, the effect of
this arrangement being to enable the constant action of the apparatus capable
of renewal without ever extinguishing the lights; the use of the cups or floats
as described; the application of the circular or other brushes; the use of two
or more such apparatus or one double drum arrangement working together,
the effect of which is to correct any irregularity which may exist in any single
apparatus; and the use of brushes moved in a separate vessel to be supplied
with air or gas by any other means, all substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Wilkins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal; this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
ALEX³. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
FREDERICK WILKINS. (L.S.)