IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF. GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Amos Peirce Chamberlain of Finsbury in the County
of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF.
GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING AND OTHER PURPOSES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Amos Peirce Chamberlain ab
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1880.
AMOS PEIRCE CHAMBERLAIN, of Finsbury in the County of Middlesex,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING
AND OTHER PURPOSES,"
Q. ::
This invention relates to the production of gas for illuminating and heating and
other purposes such as for gas engines and the like the invention having special
reference to improvements in or connected with the process of generating a fixed
gas from refined petroleum or other hydrocarbon oils or from other suitable liquid
material or from powdery substances such for example as very minutely divided
sawdust, my improvements having for their object the economic production of a
fixed gas of the best quality without the liability of clogging the generating
apparatus with any solid residue of the material employed.
The principle of my invention consists in introducing or projecting the refined
petroleum or other gas-producing medium into the retort in a vaporized condition,
and together with air, with gas, or with steam, or in combination with either or
with any two or more thereof.
The gas producing medium upon entering the retort in this vaporized and
admixed condition is instantly converted into a rich fixed or permanent gas suitable
for illuminating heating or other purposes, and there is not the loss of time in the
conversion required in all existing apparatus for the manufacture of gas from
petroleum oil or other suitable liquid material and there is therefore no liability
of the generating apparatus becoming clogged with any solid residue of the oil.
The gas thus produced may be led direct to the gas holder or may be passed firstly
through a washer or purifier depending upon its purity and its intended use.
I adopt any suitable means of vaporizing or iniuutely dividing into very fine
spray the gas producing medium before it is injected into the retort, but an arrange-
ment I have found to be very suitable for the purpose consists of two or more pipes
arranged at right angles to each other, and the nozzles of which are contracted and

page_text: meet or nearly so. The smaller one of these pipes leads from the vessel containing the
petroleum oil which I prefer to use refined-or the other gas producing medium-and
the larger one leads from a steam generator or air or gas forcing apparatus a third
pipe leads from the junction of the nozzles to the retort, and the steam air or gas in
forcibly issuing from its pipe is directed into the third pipe and immediately across
the nozzle of the oil-pipe-and consequently tends to induce a partial vacuum in the
latter and a consequent rising therein and overflow of the oil which is vaporized
or reduced to very fine spray by its forcible contact and passage with the steam
air or gas, and consequently enters the retort in the form inost advantageous for
its complete diffusion and conversion into a rich permanent gas with a minimum
if any of residual product this of course depending upon the quality of the oil or
other gas producing medium employed.
"
The steam may be generated in any convenient boiler or the air may be supplied
by any suitable air forcing apparatus and the gas to be forced in may be ordinary
coal or other gas or the air gas or steam may be combined with each other and
with the vaporized oil by induction by the use of any suitable means such as a
trumpet mouthed pipe encircling the steam or forcing pipe in such a manner that
the current, within the latter induces an inḍrawing of the air or gas and an
admixture therewith and a combined further admixture with the vaporized
petroleum or other gas producing medium and causes a forcible introduction of such
combined admixture into. the retort where as above mentioned it is in the most
favourable condition for instant conversion into a rich permanent gas.
According to another modification I cause a forcible injection of the vaporized
petroleum into the retort and a subsequent combination therewith of steam or
atmospheric air or of gas or of any two or more of these combined to augment its
volume and reduce its illuminating power to ordinary requirements.
. By the' application and use of these improvements I am enabled to provide for
towns or to place within the reach of owners or proprietors of railway-stations,
churches, theatres, mansions, and buildings generally-ships-and engines, a means
of producing a rich permanent gas for general illuminating or heating or other
purposes at a minimum of cost, and which for all such purposes will be found
invaluable

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Amos Peirce Chamberlain in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd August 1880.
L
AMOS PEIRCE CHAMBERLAIN of Finsbury in the County of Middlesex
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING
AND OTHER PURPOSES
"
This invention relates to the production or manufacture of gas suitable for
illuminating, heating, and other purposes, the Invention having especial reference
to improvements in or connected with the process of generating a fixed gas from
petroleum or other hydrocarbon oils, or from other suitable liquids, in combination
with various auxiliary agents, the improvements having for their object the
economic production of a fixed gas of superior quality without the liability to clog
the generating apparatus with solid residue of the material employed.
The principle of the invention consists in introducing or injecting the petroleum
or other gas producing oil or liquid, into retorts arranged within a furnace chamber,
in a molecular or spray-like condition, in combination with air, gas, and steam, or
also with water in a similar spray-like condition, or with any two or more of such
auxiliary agents.
The gas-producing medium upon entering the retorts in this molecular and
admixed condition is instantly converted into a rich fixed or permanent gas
especially suitable for illuminating and heating purposes,, and the usual liability to
clog the generating apparatus with solid residue of the oil is avoided. The gas
thus produced may be led direct to a gas-holder, or may be passed firstly through a
washer or cooler, depending upon its purity and intended use.
I am aware that it has formerly been proposed to inject gas producing oils or
liquids into retorts in a spray like condition with or by the agency of steam, or of
compressed gas, or of air, and that the two elements thus combined have been
converted into gas in such retorts. I therefore wish it to be understood that I lay
no claim to the admixture of any gas-producing oil or liquid with any one of such
auxiliary agents, but in all cases combine the oil or liquid with two or more thereof,
whereby obtain a richer gas than has been hitherto attained, and more
economically than has been hitherto attainable.
I do not confine myself to the use of any particular apparatus for thus dividing
and admixing the gas producing agents before being injected into the retorts, but
I adopt any suitable means:-various arrangements however which I have found
to be very suitable for the purpose, are illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of
drawings in Figures 1 to 5.
One of such arrangements is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, as adapted to a
generator of an ordinary construction, being composed of five retorts 1, surrounded
by a furnace chamber 2. This arrangement is illustrated as composed of a series.
of pipes 3. 4. 5, 6, and 7, to each retort, and respectively conveying the steam, oil,.
water, air, and gas, from their respective mains 8, 9. 10. 11, and 12, in which any, or
all of them, may be under pressure, the pipes 4. 5. 6. and 7 being arranged in a line,
and at, or at about, right angles to the pipe 3, the nozzles of all the pipes being
preferably contracted. A sixth pipe 13, leads from the adjuncture of the nozzles of
the pipes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, to within the retort, and the steam (or it may be the air,
or gas, if used as the injecting agent,) in forcibly issuing from the pipe 3, is directed
into the pipe 13, and immediately across the nozzles of the pipes 4, 5, 6, and 7, and
consequently tends to induce a partial vacuum therein, and a consequent rising
and overflow or following of the oil, water, air, and gas, resulting in an intimate
admixture of the whole of such agents in the condition to which they are reduced
by their forcible contact and passage with the injecting current, and which
admixture consequently enters the retort in the form most advantageous for its
10102. 4 Wt. 18310,

page_text: complete diffusion, and instant conversion into a rich permanent gas, with a
minimum, if any, of residual product, depending upon the quality of the oil or
other gas-producing liquid employed.
According to another of such arrangements which is illustrated in Figure 3, the
steam or other 'forcing pipe 3, is provided with two nozzles, and the nozzles of the
pipes 4. 5. 6. and 7. are grouped together immediately in front thereof.
According to another of such arrangements which is illustrated in Figure 4, the
nozzles of the pipes 4, 5. 6. and 7. are arranged in opposite pairs, immediately in
front of the nozzle of the steam or forcing pipe.
Or according to the arrangement illustrated in Figure 5, air, or gas, or air and
gas, may be combined with steam, and with the minutely divided oil, by the use of
a trumpet mouthed pipe 13, encircling the steam or forcing pipe 3, (and leading
from a chamber 14, to which the air and gas are respectively fed by their pipes 6,7,)
in such a manner that the current within the latter induces an indrawing of the
air, or gas, or air and gas, and an admixture therewith, and a combined further
admixture with the minutely divided pertoleum or other gas producing liquid, and
causes a forcible introduction of such combined admixture into the retorts, where,
as above mentioned, it is in the most favorable.condition for instant conversion into
a rich permanent gas.
Various other arrangements of a similar nature may be used for combining the
oil with any two or more of the above referred to auxiliary gas producing agents,
but as above referred to-in no case do I combine the oil with any one thereof.
The various pipes, and mains, are provided with suitable stopcocks, as shown, so
that any desired admixture of the gas producing agents may be obtained, and in
any required proportions, depending upon the quality of gas required, and so
that any retort, or retorts, may be at once put into or out of action, and the
generation of gas be instantly increased or diminished.
According to another modification, I cause by the agency of steam, air, or gas, a
forcible injection in a spray-like condition, of the petroleum or other oil or gas-
producing liquid, into the retorts, and a subsequent combination therewith in the
hydraulic or other main 15. (into which all the gas generated within the retorts.
passes through outlet pipes 16,) of any one or more of the other auxiliary agents,
being proferably of about the same or an approximate temperature with the issuing
gas, to augment the volume thereof, and reduce its illuminating power to ordinary:
requirements, as without such an admixture it would be too rich and therefore not
sufficiently economical for such a purpose."
Having now described the nature and object of my said invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into:
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that what I claim as the Invention
secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent, is:
The manufacture or production of a permanent gas suitable for illuminating,
heating, and other purposes, by injecting petroleum or other gas-producing oil or
liquid, into retorts arranged within a furnace chamber, in a molecular or spray-like
condition, in combination with air, gas, and steam, or also with water in a similar
spray-like condition, or with any any two or more of such auxiliary agents, sub-
stantially as herciubefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Amos Peirce Chamberlain, have hereunto set my.
hand, and seal, this eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
n