CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS RETORTS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, E. C., for the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS RETORTS."-A communication.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of. Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 16th January 1858, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 39,
Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, and of .4, South Street,
Finsbury, London, E. C., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS RETORTS," 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 Drawing hereto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in an improved construction of retort for the
manufacture of gas.. This retort is applicable to furnaces in general. In order
that the Invention may be better understood, I will now refer to the annexed
Drawing, in which Figure 1 represents an elevation of the retort applied to a
furnace for producing gas for domestic purposes; Figure 2 is a vertical section
of the same, taken through the line A, B; Figure 3, plan in section through

page_text: detail of the apparatus; the same letters in the Drawing refer to the same
parts.
A..
DESCRIPTION, OF THE DRAWING.
a, furnace; b, retort, for the production of gas, and which may be of any
suitable shape; c, cover, placed in a vessel c¹ containing water to form an
hydraulic cover or closing; d, pipe, for conducting the gas from the retort to
the condensing and purifying apparatus; e, lower hydraulic cover or vessel;
f, chimney; 9, passage for the escape of the excess of gas; h, double metallic
safety gauze; i, small spout, by which water is supplied to the vessel c¹; j
ash-pit; k, grate of the furnace; 1, valve, closing by its own weight the orifice
of the pipe d, and kept open by the pressure of the cover.c on the extremity
of the valve;m, m; small rollers, on, which the lower hydraulic cover or vessel
e slides. The retort.b.is/placed vertically in the grate or furnace a; as shewn
in Figures 2, 3, 4. The retort contains the substances for the production of
gas, which is
conducted through the pipe d into the condensing and purifying
apparatus, which are separate and placed according to circumstances, taking
care, however, that the pressure of gas does not exceed that of the hydraulic
closing vessels. If it were otherwise, it would be necessary to raise the cover c
by a counterweight nearly equal to the weight of the cover, which weight
should be removed when pressure is to be applied to the gas; the fuel for the
production of the gas should be reduced to small pieces, to prevent any
obstruction and to render its removal from the lower hydraulic vessel or cover
e more easy. The substances before being introduced into the retort should
be dried as much as possible, in order to obtain more gas from 'them, and of a
purer quality. The retort 'may be applied to domestic furnaces, in which case
I employ indifferently either the two hydraulic closing vessel's 'or the upper
hydraulic vessel only; the lower vessel being replaced by an iron bottom cast
with the retort. In the latter case the following arrangements are necessary.
The lower vessel or cover
cover 'e'is suppressed' as well as the passage g. The retort;
instead of being permanently fixed to the furnace may be raised 'or lowered
in the openings" p; '1, r, s, in the upper part the furnace grate.
1
It
also be removed if required. A pawl placed at p, and gearing with a
Pack fitted to the part p, r, of the retort prevents it from descending. To
present all the parts of the retort to the furnace a it is raised slightly; the
pawl is then disengaged, which allows the retort to descend, and is fixed again
by 'the pawl. In this arrangement the retort is emptied like an ordinary boiler

page_text: by removing it from the top of the furnace, and its contents may be placed in
the furnace and serve for heating the furnace again.. It is advantageous to
have two retorts, in order to replace the one removed. The passage g. is
replaced by the cylinder or vessel 9', Figure 6, arranged as follows:-
A small tube g from the hydraulic cover c of the retort rises with the
cover c and dips into the vessel or cylinder g containing water. The inner
tube g communicates with the pipe if of the chimney, and is provided with a
double safety wire gauze h. It will be easily understood that if the pressure
increases in the retort, the water will be depressed in the vessel c', and when.
the water sinks to the orifice the gas will escape through that opening into
the chimney passing through; the double safety wire gauze.
The gas
escape pipe d is fitted where it' egresses from the retort with an hydraulic
groove, so as to allow the retort to ascend and descend at will, whilst the two
gas pipes with which it is provided always remain closed by the hydraulic
arrangement. The chief advantages resulting from the above arrangement of
apparatus are facility of working, safety from explosion, and an abundant
supply of
gas. The fuel, consisting of coal, lignite, turf, nut or almond shells,"
wood, or sawdust, for producing gas, is fed into the retort by raising the upper
hydraulic cover; after, the introduction of the fuel the cover is lowered, and
it is not necessary to bolt or wedge the cover down. The residues deprived
of gas are withdrawn by means of a rake or hook through the lower mouth of
the retort, which dips in the lower hydraulic vessel, and which is sufficiently
large at the bottom for that purpose. The excess of gas being allowed to
escape to the chimney f by the hydraulic cover adjusting itself to the pressure
of the gas the danger of explosion is prevented. The apparatus is constructed
in such a manner that if any gas escapes from one of the hydraulic closing
vessels it enters the chimney, passing through the double metallic safety
gauze, and is thus carried off. By the peculiar arrangement of the retort it
becomes unequally heated, thus causing the fuel which produces the gas to
descend gradually to the part of the retort where the heat is at a maximum.
The gas produced rises to the parts less heated and becomes partly condensed
by contact with the unconsumed fuel, for which the oils and tar have an
affinity; the fuel thus impregnated produces more gas when it descends to
the point of maximum heat than the first. The above-described apparatus
may be rendered portable.
Having now described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I observe in conclusion that I do not confine myself
to the precise proportions or details of construction, so long as the peculiar
character of the Invention be retained; what I claim is,-

page_text: First, the general arrangement and construction of apparatus for producing
gas for lighting towns, private and public establishments, as herein-before
described, and shewn in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, the employment and construction of the hydraulic covers or
vessels for closing the top and bottom of the retort, as herein-before described,
and referred to in the Drawing.
Thirdly, the arrangement of apparatus whereby the lower hydraulic vessel •
is dispensed with at option for domestic grates or furnaces, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
H. BONNEVILLE.
M. F. MENNONS. (L.s.)