IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MANUFACTURING THE COMBUSTIBLE GASES RESULTING FROM.. THE DECOMPOSITION OF WATER .OR STEAM, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1853

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gilbert
Ginty at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th November 1853.
I, WILLIAM GILBERT. GINTY, do, hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MANUFACTURING THE
COMBUSTIBLE GASES RESULTING FROM.. THE DECOMPOSITION OF WATER .OR
STEAM, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to
be as follows:-
ཨཀ) !g,
My said Invention, consists of new, and useful improvements in the
mode of producing, or in the treatment of the materials for producing.

page_text: and in the arrangement, construction, or formation of apparatus for pro-
ducing, hydrogen, carbonic oxide, and other gas or gases, or the gas
generally or sometimes known as "water gas," by exposing carbonaceous
or other materials, such as coals or cannel, coke, wood, or peat charcoal,
anthracite, iron, and other materials, or a combination of any two or more
of the same, to high temperatures in close vessels or retorts made of iron
or fire clay, and passing steam or water over, into, or through the same,
in such manner as to avoid, if not entirely, to a very great extent, the
formation of the impurity or incombustible gas known as carbonic acid
gas, and in such manner as to effect other and great economic improve-
ments in the mode of working, and in the matters and articles of fuel,
wear and tear, producing power, purification, and labour hitherto used
in and for the working of retorts and apparatus for producing the said
gas or gases.
I accomplish the foregoing improvements, or some or one of them,
by the use of retorts of all or any such shapes or sizes, that no part
of the carbonaceous or other materials placed in them for deoxidizing
or any other purposes shall be at a greater distance than 3 inches
from the iron or fire clay or other material which form the sides
or heating surfaces or other parts of the said retorts; the said retorts,
whether constructed with one or more chambers or compartments,
to have a passage or compartment of not less than 9 feet long, or one
or more passages or compartments measuring in the aggregate not
less than 9 feet long, for the reception of the carbonaceous or other
materials over or through which the steam or water, or gas or gases,
passes or is intended to pass during decomposition or generation,
whereby the internal temperature is more readily maintained and more
uniformly distributed both as regards space and time, and the forma
tion of the non-combustible gas known as carbonic acid gas is to a
very great extent, if not entirely, avoided, and an increase in the volume
of the combustible gas known as carbonic oxide gas effected, and
whereby also the excess of steam or watery vapour usually intermingled
with the above-mentioned gases on leaving the retort or retorts is
greatly diminished, if not entirely removed, and a corresponding increase

page_text: in heat maintained, which is a source of great economy and utility
both as regards fuel and the uses to which the gas or gases may be
applied. By the use of the retorts as described, that is, retorts of
small transverse sectional area or areas, and of sufficient lengths, and
as described, I am enabled to get a greater number of retorts into an
oven of the ordinary dimensions than has heretofore been used, and as
I heat them from one or more fires or furnaces in the usual way I
effect a great saving of fuel. The narrow dimensions of the retorts
described also enables me to effect a great saving in the quantity of
material used in their construction, and from their more compact shape
and form their strength and durability is also encreased, and they are
also the better able to resist high temperatures and ruptures from
expansion or contraction. By the use of retorts as described I am
also enabled to greatly increase the gas producing power per ton of
metal used in their construction as compared with the retorts hitherto
used for the purpose of producing such gas or gases, inasmuch as
all internal parts of the retorts as described are sufficiently near the
sensible heat of the furnace to be easily maintained at a suitable
deoxidizing temperature without excess of fireing; whereas in retorts
of greater sectional area hitherto used the central parts or portions
of the carbonaceous or other materials with which they are charged
are generally at too low a temperature for producing combustible
gas, and usually has the injurious effect of allowing steam to pass
away undecomposed, carrying with it heat, which by the retorts I
have described is avoided, if not entirely, to a very large extent.
The small proportion or per-centage of carbonic acid gas (if any)
which is intermingled with the gas or gases made in retorts as
described, enables me to effect a great saving in purification, if it does
not entirely do away with the necessity for the same.
I also accomplish the foregoing improvements, or some or one of
them, by introducing steam or water into the retorts in such manner
as to proportion or adjust the supply of the same to the varying
temperature of the retorts, and of the deoxidizing substance or sub-
stances which they contain, by gradually closing the supply. tap pipe,

page_text: opening an aperture through which the steam or water passes into the
retort by means of a revolving shaft or 'shafts, worm or bevil wheels,
levers, racks, pinions, pullies, and betts, or any other suitable mecha-
nical contrivance or contrivances, the motive power for which may
be obtained in the usual way; the steain or water being got in the
usual way, and being maintained at a suitable pressure. The grádual
closing of the tap or other aperture as the temperature diminishes
during the workings renders the retorts less liable to be damaged by a
rapid change of temperature, the workings are longer, more uniform
'and continuous, than heretofore, and there is little or no loss in heat
and. producing power by the steam or water being supplied in
advance of, or out of proportion with the deoxidizing power of the
temperature, retorts, and materials used; and the due adjustment of
such contrivance to size and temperature of "water gas" retorts as
regular as if they were charged with coal or cannel, which is a great
desideratum in some of the very important purposes to which this gas
or these gases may be applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Gilbert Ginty in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd April 1854.
ΤΟ
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM GILBERT GINTY, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Civil Engineer, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Gilbert Ginty,
"Her special licence that I, the said William Gilbert Ginty, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Gilbert Ginty, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any

page_text: 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MANUFACTURING THE COMBUSTIBLE
GASES RESULTING FROM THE DECOMPOSITION OF WATER OR STEAM, AND IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Gilbert. Ginty, by and
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Gilbert Ginty, 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 (that is to say):
My said Invention consists of new and useful improvements in the
mode of producing, or in the treatment of the materials for producing,
and in the arrangement, construction, or formation of apparatus for pro-
ducing, hydrogen, carbonic oxide, and other gas or gases, or the gas
generally known as "water gas," by exposing carbonaceous or other
materials, such as coal or cannel, coke, wood; or peat charcoal, anthra-
cite, iron, and other materials, or a combination of any two or more of
the same, to high temperatures in close vessels or retorts made of iron
or fire clay, and passing steam or water over, into, or througli the same,
in such manner as to avoid, if not entirely, to a very great extent, the
formation of the impurity or incombustible gas known as carbonic acid
gas, and in such manner as to effect other and great economic improve-
ments in the mode of working, and in the matters and articles of fuel,
wear and tear, producing power, purification, and labour hitherto used
in and for the working of retorts and apparatus for producing the said
gas or gases.
I accomplish the foregoing improvements, or some or one of them,

page_text: by the use of retorts of all or any such shapes or sizes, that no part of
the carbonaceous or other materials placed in them for deoxidizing or
any other purposes shall be at a greater distance than three inches from
the iron or fire clay or other material which form the sides or heating
surfaces, or other parts of the said retorts; the said retorts, whether
constructed with one or more chambers or compartments, to have a pas-
sage or compartment of not less than six feet long, or one or more
passages or compartments measuring in the aggregate not less than
six feet long, for the reception of the carbonaceous or other materials
over or through which the steam or water, or gas or gases, passes or
is intended to pass during decomposition or generation, whereby the
internal temperature is more readily maintained and more uniformly
distributed both as regards space and time, and the formation of the
non-combustible gas known as carbonic acid gas is to a very great
extent, if not entirely, avoided, and an increase in the volume of the
combustible gas known as carbonic oxide gas or some other gas or
gases effected, and whereby also the excess of steam or watery vapour
usually intermingled with the above-mentioned gases on leaving the
retort or retorts is greatly diminished, if not entirely removed, and a
corresponding increase in heat maintained, which is a source of great
economy and utility both as regards fuel and the uses to which the gas
or gases may be applied. By the use of the retorts as described, that
is, retorts of small transverse sectional area or areas, and of sufficient
lengths (as described), I am enabled to get a greater number of retorts
into an oven of the ordinary or any other dimensions than has here-
tofore been used, placed, or set therein for the production of the gas or
gases herein-before mentioned, and as I heat them from one or more
fires or furnaces in the usual way I effect a great saving in fuel. The
narrow dimensions of the retorts described also enables me to effect a
great saving in the quantity of material used in their construction, and
from their more compact shape and form their strength and dura-
bility is also encreased, and they are also the better able to resist high
temperatures and ruptures from expansion or contraction. By the use
of retorts as described I am also enabled to greatly increase the gas

page_text: producing power per ton of metal used in their construction as com-
pared with the retorts hitherto used for the purpose of producing such
gas or gases, inasmuch as all internal parts of the retorts as described
are sufficiently near the sensible heat of the furnace to be easily main-
tained at a suitable: deoxidizing temperature without excessive firing;
whereas in retorts of greater sectional area hitherto used the centre
parts or portions of the carbonaceous or other materials with which
they are charged are generally at too low a temperature for producing
combustible gas, and usually have the injurious effect of allowing steam
to pass away undecomposed, carrying with it heat, which by the retorts
I have described is avoided, if not entirely,. to a very large extent. The
small proportion or per-centage of carbonic acid gas (if any) which
is intermingled with the gas or gases made in retorts as described
enables me to effect a great saving in purification, if it does not entirely
do away with the necessity of the same.
I also accomplish the foregoing improvements, or some or one of
them, by introducing steam or water into the retorts in such manner
as to proportion or adjust the supply of the same to the varying
temperature of the retorts, and of the deoxidizing substance or sub-
stances which they contain, by gradually closing the supply tap pipe,
opening an aperture through which the steam or water passes into
the retort by means of a revolving shaft or shafts, worm or bevil
wheels, levers, racks, pinions, pulleys, and belts, or any other suitable
mechanical contrivance or contrivances, the motive power for which
may be obtained in the usual way; the steam or water being got in
the usual way, and being maintained at a suitable pressure. The
gradual closing of the tap or other aperture as the temperature dimi-
nishes during the workings renders the retorts less liable to be damaged
by rapid change of temperature, the workings are longer, more
uniform and continuous, than heretofore, and there is little or no loss
in heat and producing power by the steam or water being supplied
in advance of or out of proportion with the deoxidizing power of the
temperature, retorts, and materials used; and the due adjustment of
such contrivance to size and temperature renders the workings of any

page_text: description of "water gas" retorts as regular as if they were charged
with coal or cannel, which is a great desideratum in some of the very
important purposes to which this gas or these gases may be applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Gilbert Ginty, have
hereunto set my hand- and seal, this Fifth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four...
W. G. GINTY. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named. William Gilbert
Ginty in the presence of.
E. J.. HUGHES,
Patent Agent, --
Manchester.
LONDON:
Printed by GEORGE EDWARD EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE,
Printers, to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty... 1854.
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