Iм- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS, AND IN APPARATUS זוז
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hammond, Watchmaker, of the City of
Manchester, and James William Kemp, Manufacturing Chemist, of
Salford, both in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS, AND IN APPARATUS
זוזתר
"
Sealed the 26th July 1864, and dated the 2nd February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hammond at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
February 1864.
We, GEORGE HAMMOND, Watchmaker, of the City of Manchester, and
JAMES WILLIAM KEMP, Manufacturing Chemist, of Salford, both in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS, AND IN APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to produce permanent illuminating gas at
small cost, and by means of simple apparatus, and our Invention consists in
taking rectified or purified volatile hydrocarbons, and in causing them to pass
through a sufficiently heated pipe or retort, so that such hydrocarbons will be
converted into permanent gas without leaving any deposit (such as graphite)
in the retort or generator. The gas thus produced is conveyed to a gas
holder or directly to the burners, as it does not require to be purified before
being used.

page_text: The apparatus by which we carry out our Invention consists of a cistern to
contain the hydrocarbon, which cistern is provided with a tap to regulate
the quantity of hydrocarbon. to be passed to the pipe, retort, or generator,
which generator is made of fire-clay, or is protected by fire-clay. The gas
after passing through the generator is conducted to a small gas holder, the
rise or fall of which is made to adjust the tap regulating the supply of hydro-
carbon material according to the consumption of the gas. Our improved gas
apparatus can be used to supply railway trains, steamboats, and other vessels,
and also dwelling-houses and other places. And the fires employed for
generating steam, or for other heating purposes, may be arranged to give the
required temperature to the generator which we employ.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Hammond in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
HAMMOND, Watchmaker, of the City of Manchester, and JAMES WILLIAM
KEMP, Manufacturing Chemist, of Salford, both in the County of Lancaster,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said George Hammond and James William Kemp, Her special
license that we, the said George Hammond and James William Kemp, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
George Hammond and James William Kemp, our 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 OP ILLUMINATING
GAS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said George Hammond and James William Kemp, by
an instrument in writing under our hand and seal, (or under the hand and
seal of one of us), should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and

page_text: 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 we, the said George Hammond and James William
Kemp, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that
is to say):-
The object of our Invention is to produce permanent illuminating gas at
small cost, and by means of simple apparatus, and our Invention consists in
taking rectified or purified volatile hydrocarbons of a specific gravity of 630
and upwards, (water being 1000,) and in causing them to pass through a
sufficiently heated pipe or retort, so that such hydrocarbons will be converted
into a permanent gas without leaving any deposit (such as graphite) in the
retort or generator. The gas thus produced is conveyed to a gasholder or
directly to the burners, as it does not require to be purified before being
used.
The apparatus by which we carry out our Invention consists of a cistern to
contain the bydrocarbon, which cistern is provided with a tap to regulate the
quantity of hydrocarbon to be passed to the pipe, retort, or generator, which
is made of metal and protected by fire-clay. Our improved gas apparatus
can be used to supply railway trains, steamboats, and other vessels, and also
dwelling-bouses and other places. And the fires employed for generating
steam or for other heating purposes may be arranged to give the required
temperature to the worm, retort, or generator which we employ.
The apparatus we prefer to use for carrying our Invention into effect is
illustrated by the accompanying Drawing, in which our improved apparatus
is supposed to be combined with a common stove, but by the following
explanation it may be readily adapted to suit other fire-places.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 a sectional elevation
through the stove; and Fig. 3 a detached view of the worm, retort, or
generator with the outside casing in section.
a is a cistern or vessel to contain the hydrocarbon, it may be made with
a funnel and tap, or with a screw plug (a'), so that it can be filled when
required. The vessel (a) may be placed in any convenient position, so that
it is sufficiently high that the liquid from it will descend to the generator,
and it may also be placed in any convenient place outside the room if required.
The liquid descends a pipe (a²), and upon this pipe in any convenient position
a tap (3) is placed for regulating or cutting off the supply of liquid to the

page_text: retort or generator, and this tap is arranged to discharge into a short glass"
tube forming a part of the supply pipe, by which means the quantity of fluid
passing to the generator can be readily observed. The pipe (a2) supplying the
liquid discharges it into a vapourising box or chamber (6), which is so
arranged as to be subjected to a moderate temperature, say not less than 120
degrees Fah.
c, the
And the bottom of this vapourising box or chamber is some
inches below the entrance to the worm or generator, or it is so arranged that
the liquid cannot leave the chamber and enter the worm or generator except
in the form of vapour. The vapourising box or chamber 6 is provided with a
screw plug or tap (61), so that any impurities from the hydrocarbon which
are left in the chamber may be removed at intervals. This box is also
provided with a funnel (62) and tap, so that a small quantity of water may be
admitted into the turned up end of the pipe leading to the worm or retort.
This water will be turned into steam in the retort, and will tend to clear out
the worm, if obstructed, or free it from oxid should any be formed. The
vapour generated in the chamber (6) passes from it through the generator or
worm (c), which is a metal pipe in an iron casing, the worm being protected
with fire-clay. We have found that the generator, whether in the form of a
pipe or retort, should be made of copper, so as to withstand the action of the
vapour of hydrocarbon liquids, and that it should be protected with fire-clay,
and enclosed in an iron casing. This is shown best by Figs. 2 and 3.
copper worm or generator; c', the iron casing made in two halves, when the
spaces of the worm are filled with fire-clay these halves of the casing are held
together by a hoop (c) at each end. The exterior of the casing is kept when
making gas at a red heat. The gas after it has left the generator is made to
pass to a small box (d) filled with water up to a certain level, which box has
a division (d') descending from its top side a short distance below the surface
of the water, so that the gas when going from one end of the box to the other
will have to pass through the water. This arrangement prevents the gas
from returning from the gasholder to the generator. After passing this box
the gas enters an ordinary gasholder (e). The vessel (a) containing the
hydrocarbon liquid will have to be left open to the atmosphere to allow the
liquid to be discharged from it, but in this case there will be loss by evapo-
ration and offensive smells, to prevent which we close the cistern (a), and
connect it by a pipe (a) with the gasholder or the gas pipe (e¹) leading to
the gasholder, or the pipe conveying it away for consumption. This pipe is
provided with a small tap (as) to prevent escape of gas when filling the
cistern. The apparatus will have to be varied in size in proportion to the
quantity of gas required. The generator shown by Figures 2 and 3 will supply

page_text: gas having illuminating power equal to about 60 common coal gaslights,
each consuming four cubic feet per hour.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention, and the
manner in which it is to be carried into effect, and claim as our Invention,-
Firstly, the system or mode of manufacturing permanent illuminating gas
from volatile hydrocarbons by apparatus arranged and acting in the manner
substantially as herein-before described.
Secondly, we claim when manufacturing permanent illuminating gas from
volatile hydrocarbons, the use of a vapourising chamber acted upon by a low
temperature separate from the retort or worm as herein-before described.
Thirdly, we claim the making of retorts, worms, or generators for making
permanent illuminating gas from bydrocarbons of copper, and the protection
of such retorts, worms, or generators with fire-clay, as herein-before
described.
Fourthly, we claim the bringing of the interior of the cistern for volatile
hydrocarbon liquid, when closed from the atmosphere, in communication with
the gas generated as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Hammond and James William
Kemp, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirtieth day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four.
GEORGE HAMMOND. (L.S.)
J. W. KEMP.
(L.B.)
GEORGE HAMMOND. (L.S.)
J. W. KEMP.
(L.B.)