IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES FROM TAN AND SIMILAR MATERIALS.
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lorberg, of No. 4, Wyld's Rents, Ber-
mondsey, in the County of Surrey, Analytical Chemist, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
FROM TAN AND SIMILAR MATERIALS.".
Sealed the 1st March 1864, and dated the 5th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lorberg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
September 1863.
I, WILLIAM LORBERG, of No. 4, Wyld's Rents, Bermondsey, in the County
of Surrey, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inveñ-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
FROM TAN AND SIMILAR MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to the mode of carbonizing tan, spent dyewoods,
spent hops, sawdust, and similar materials, and have for their object to over-
come the difficulties ordinarily experienced in the carbonization of such
substances, and to improve the quality of the gas obtained therefrom.
My process is as follows:-I employ the usual D-shaped retort about sixteen
feet long, and open at both .ends, which openings for the sake of clearness
I will call A and B, the exit pipe being at the end or opening B. I introduce
at A a charge of raw material, either alone or mixed with tar, as described in
Patent No. 650, dated the Fifteenth of March, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one. When this charge is about half carbonized, I open the lid at A,
my

page_text: and by means of a kind of partition loosely fitting in the interior of the retort,
push forward the mass of charcoal and undecomposed matter towards B, so as
to leave empty about two-thirds of the length of the retort from A, and
introduce a fresh charge of raw material. By the time that this charge is
balf done and ready to be moved forward, the former charge will be completely
carbonized, and the charcoal is withdrawn at B, while another charge of raw
material is introduced at A, and so on continually, the object being always to
have two charges in the retort in different stages of carbonization. When the
tan is introduced into the retort it rapidly carbonizes externally where it is in
contact with the retort, but resists for a considerable time in the interior of the
mass; moreover the gas so produced is little illuminative unless the heat be
raised very high or the tan have been previously dried. Now, by my present
process I attain two principal advantages, videlicet, first, by pushing forward
the externally carbonized charge the mass is partially stirred up, and thus
presenting fresh surfaces to the action of the heat its further decomposition is
much accelerated; second, the gas and vapours arising from the raw charge at
A being obliged to pass over and through the mass at B consisting to a great
extent of incandescent charcoal, and mingling with the vapours devolved there-
from, become partially decomposed, and enter into new combinations or are
"carburetted." The result is a highly illuminative gas.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Lorberg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LORBERG, of No. 4, Wyld's Rents, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey,
Analytical Chemist, send greeting,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Lorberg, Her special licence that I, the said
William Lorberg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Lorberg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use,. exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES FROM TAN AND SIMILAR
MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Lorberg, 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 William Lorberg, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
My improvements relate to the mode of carbonizing tan, spent dye woods,
spent hops, sawdust, and similar materials, and have for their object to over-
come the difficulties ordinarily experienced in the carbonization of such
substances, and to improve the quality of the gas obtained therefrom.
My process is as follows:-I employ the usual D-shaped retort, about sixteen
feet long, and open at both ends, which openings for the sake of clearness.
I will call A and B, the exit pipe being at the opening B. I introduce at A
a charge of raw material, either alone or mixed with tar, as described in my
Patent No. 650, dated the Fifteenth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one. When this charge is about half carbonized, I open
the lid at A, and by means of a kind of partition or slide loosely fitting into
the interior of the retort push forward the mass of charcoal and undecomposed
matter towards B, so as to leave empty about two-thirds of the length of the
retort from A, and introduce a fresh charge of raw material. By the time
that this charge is half done and ready to be moved forward, the former charge
will be completely carbonized, and the charcoal is withdrawn at B, while
another charge of raw material is introduced at A, and so on continuously, the-
object being always to have two charges in the retort in different stages of
carbonization. When the tan or similar material is introduced into the retort
it rapidly carbonizes externally where it is in contact with the retort, but
resists for a considerable time in the interior of the mass. Moreover the gas
so produced is little illuminative unless the heat be raised very high, or the
tan have been previously dried. Now by my present process I obtain two
principal advantages, videlicit, first, by pushing forward the externally car-
bonized charge the mass is partially stirred up, and thus presenting fresh
surfaces to the action of the heat its further decomposition is much accelerated;

page_text: second, the gas and vapours arising from the raw charge at A being obliged to
pass over and through the mass at B consisting to a great extent of incan-
descent charcoal, and mingling with the vapours devolved therefrom, become
partially decomposed, and enter into new combinations or are "carburretted."
The result is a highly illuminative gas.
It is hardly necessary to observe that the material of which the retort is
composed, and its shape and dimensions, are immaterial to my process, but it'
may be advisable for the purpose of guarding against the consequences of
unequal expansion to construct a retort of two pieces, the one from six to eight
feet long, and the other from four to six feet long, joined together by fire-clay
or other suitable means.
When the gas is to be used for illumination it should be passed through
lime or caustic alkali, in order to free it from the admixture of carbonic acid.
The other products of the process, as charcoal, tar, acetic acid, ammonia,
napththa, I treat and utilise in the usual manner.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim, as secured.
to me by the herein-before mentioned Letters Patent is, the mode of carboniza-
tion as above described.
. In witness whereof, I, the said William Lorberg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of March, One thousand eight hundred'
and sixty-four.
WILLIAM LORBERG. (L.s.)
Witness,
FRA. STUNT,
Clerk to Messrs. George & Armstrong,
Solrs., 5, Sise Lane,
City.