CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING, HEATING, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Lancaster, of No. 1, Peach Place,
Brownlow Hill, and James Smith, Timber Merchant, Sefton Street,
Toxteth Park, both of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the
Invention of “CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR
ILLUMINATING, HEATING, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 11th December 1855, and dated the 10th August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Lancaster
and James Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 10th August 1855.
We, WILLIAM HENRY LANCASTER, of No. 1, Peach Place, Brownlow Hill,
and JAMES SMITH, Timber Merchant, Sefton Street, Toxteth Park, both of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR
ILLUMINATING, HEATING, AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in introducing into an ordinary gas retort a
certain quantity of charcoal along with the coal therein, and in pouring water
or admitting steam into such said retort during the process of distillation, by
which decomposition of the coal and water is effected simultaneously, and by

page_text: these means gas is produced of better quality and in larger quantity than could
be obtained from the same quantity of coal by the means heretofore employed
for manufacturing gas.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Lancaster and James Smith in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HENRY LANCASTER, of No. 1, Peach Place, Brownlow Hill, and JAMES SMITH,
Timber Merchant, Sefton Street, Toxteth Park, both of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Henry Lancaster and James Smith, Her special licence that we, the
said William Henry Lancaster and James Smith, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Henry Lancaster and
James Smith, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING, HEATING, AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Henry Lancaster
and James Smith, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, 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 per-
formed, 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 we, the said William Henry Lancaster and James
Smith, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our improvements consist in introducing into an ordinary gas retort a

page_text: certain quantity of charcoal along with the coal therein, and in pouring water
or admitting steam into such said retort during the process of distillation, by
which decomposition of the coal and water is effected simultaneously in such
said retort, and by these means gas is produced of better quality and in larger
quantity than could be obtained from the same quantity of coal by the means
heretofore employed for manufacturing gas.
Having thus explained the nature of our Invention, we proceed to describe
the manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the
Plans or Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
Figure 1.of the Plans or Drawings is a longitudinal and vertical section of
an ordinary gas retort and furnace adapted for the purposes of our said in-
provements; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same, the mouth of the
retort being removed. On each of the foregoing Figures similar letters of
reference are employed to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts
appear or can be represented on the said Figures respectively.
A, A, is a gas retort of the ordinary kind set in brickwork B in the ordinary
manner; C, a pipe for conveying the gases from the retort to the gasometer;
D, a pipe furnished with a cock d, communicating either with a steam boiler
or a tank containing water. The pipe D extends nearly the whole length of
the retort, as shewn in Figure 1. About half the entire length of this pipe
is perforated with small holes, the perforated portion being near or towards
the back part of the retort, as exhibited. In using the above apparatus in
and for the manufacture of illuminating gas, we proceed as follows:-
The retort A being first heated is charged about two-thirds full with coal
of the quality commonly used for manufacturing gas, but we prefer, for the
purposes of our said Invention, the coal known and distinguished as cannel
or parrot coal, either with or without the addition of a small quantity of char-
coal. The mouth of the retort is then closed and luted in the usual manner,
and the coal subjected to the heat from the furnace until it has attained a
red heat, and until all the olefiant gases and carbonaceous vapours are as
far as possible disengaged. The length of time necessary for this part of the
process we have found to be about three hours for a retort containing one
hundredweight of coal, and in the same ratio when a larger or smaller retort
is to be used, or a larger or smaller quantity of coal is to be operated on.
After the olefiant and-carburetted gases have been disengaged, steam or
water is admitted by the pipe D and cock d upon the heated fuel remaining
in the retort, and the water or steam being thereby decomposed, an excess
of hydrogen gas is produced, which passes off into the gasometer, and there

page_text: enters into combination with the carburetted gases given off from the coal
during the earlier stages of the process of distillation.
The quantity of steam or water to be admitted into the retort must be
ascertained by testing the illuminating power of the gas in the gasometer,
which may be done in the manner usually practised by gas manufacturers.
Should the olefiant or carburetted gases be in excess the gas will burn with
a strong smoky flame, while, if the gas generated by the decomposition of water
or steam be in excess, the gas will burn with a pale white flame, comparatively
deficient in illuminating power.
The gases in their passage from the retort to the gasometer are passed
through water contained in any convenient vessel, for the purpose of sepa-
rating the ammonia and tar therefrom, and then through lime water or milk
of lime, for separating the carbonic acid and sulphur therefrom, in the manner
usually practised. In manufacturing gas applicable to heating purposes, the
apparatus already described may be employed, or an apparatus differing to
some extent from that used for the illuminating gas, and arranged as next
herein-after described, may be employed with advantage: The retort, instend
of being set in brickwork, as represented in the Drawing, may be fixed in the
furnace, in the flues of which the heat is required to be generated. The retort
being previously heated, as in the case of the illuminating gas, is charged
ábout two-thirds full with coal slack or screenings of coal. It is then closed
and luted at the mouth in the usual manner, and subjected to the action of
the heat from the furnace, until the coal therein has attained a bright red heat,
which in practice we find to occupy from ten to fifteen minutes for a retort
containing one hundredweight of coal. Steam or water is then thrown upon
the heated fuel in the retort through a pipe similar to pipe D, and this process
is continued until the coal is exhausted of its gases, and the double and simul-
taneous decomposition of coal and water in one vessel or retort is thus effected.
The quantity of water or steam to be thrown into the retort must always
depend on the kind of coal which may be employed; and in order that the
supply of water or steam may in all cases be duly regulated, it is necessary
that a jet be attached to the stand pipe, and that the gas issuing from this
jet 'be tested from time to time as the operation proceeds. The gas will be
found most efficient for the purposes of heating when it burns with a pale
bluish flame, indicating only a slight admixture of carbon.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we hereby declare that we do not claim any of
processes herein-before referred to for the generation of carburet of hydro-
the

page_text: gen or its compounds from water, coal, or other substances when distilled or
decomposed in separate vessels or retorts; but what we do claim as our Inven-
tion is, the manufacture of carburetted hydrogen gas or its compounds by the
simultaneous decomposition of coal and of water, with or without charcoal, in
one vessel or retort, as above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Henry Lancaster and James
Smith, have hereunto set our hand and seal, this Fourth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six.
Witness,
W. NICHOL
WILLIAM HENRY LANCASTER.
(L.S.)
JAMES SMITH.
(L.B.)
7, Castle Street, Liverpool.