IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE CARBURATION OF GAS AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cassell; of La Belle Sauvage Yard, in the City
of London, Publisher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR THE CARBURATION OF GAS AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR."-A communication
from abroad by Jean Best, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 13th April 1865, and dated the 17th October 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cassell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th October
*1864.
I, JOHN CASSELL, of La Belle Sauvage Yard, in the City of London,
Publisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE CARBURATION OF GAS AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR," to be
as follows:-
This apparatus is composed of two superposed vessels, or of a vessel divided
by a horizontal partition. The upper vessel is intended to contain the volatile
liquid, which is supplied as hereafter described to the lower vessel, in which it
becomes vaporized. A tube, soldered or luted to the bottom of the upper
vessel, extends to the level in the lower vessel at which it is desired to maintain

page_text: the liquid therein; the upper vessel and the tube thus form a sort of inverted
bottle, of which the tube forms the neck.
The lower vessel is divided by vertical partitions forming a labyrinth in
order to cause the gas or air which is to be carburetted to traverse an extended
surface, and thereby become mixed with a greater proportion of vapour. The
outer partitions, or those more distant from the centre, are by preference placed
nearer together than the inner partitions. The partitions are soldered or luted
to each other and to the body of the apparatus; they are connected both at
top and bottom by metal cloth, which occupies the whole breadth of the
vessel. In order to increase the vaporizing surface, the chambers formed by
the vertical partitions are supplied with cotton wicks mixed or interwoven
with metal cloth, or instead of cotton wicks I sometimes employ sponge,
charcoal, or other material capable of absorbing or raising the liquid in which
it is inserted. The top of the partitions and the upper layer of metal cloth
are covered with felt, the pressure of which against the lower surface of the
upper vessel completely insulates the chambers formed by the vertical
partitions therefrom; the vertical partitions do not extend to the bottom of
the lower vessel. At the bottom and by,preference in the centre of the lower
vessel there is a recess, the object of which is to receive the water which is
generally held in suspension in lighting gas on its exit from tlie ineter, and
which by becoming condensed in the apparatus, would in time if the apparatus
were flat at bottom, replace the volatile liquid, 'and prevent the proper working
of the apparatus. This recess is furnished with, a tap for emptying it, con-
structed by preference of three parts, viz., 1st., the body of the tap soldered
or luted to the apparatus, and extending to the outside of a hollow stand or
support of the apparatus ; 2nd., a stopper; and, 3rd., a cap which screws
on to the outer end of the body of the tap and. to the head of the Stopper.
The hydrocarbon liquid is introduced into the upper vessel by an orifice at top
closed by a stopper, which is screwed into a socket surrounding the orifice ;
to insure hermetic closing a second threaded stopper or block-is-screwed into
the socket over the first stopper, and both stoppers are furnished with a
leather or caoutchouc washer. A float-surmounted by a vertical rod-is placed
in the upper vessel to indicate approximately the quantity of liquid in that
vessel. The float carries rings or lugs free to slide on vertical guides: T
"
::
In order to prevent the liquid in the upper vessel passing down through the
tube before referred to, and filling the lower vessel when the supply orifice. of
the upper vessel is open, I close the upper end of the tube by a stopper
constructed by preference of a metal washer formed with a threaded hole in

page_text: the centre-to receive the upper end of a pin carried by a conical block; the
pin before entering, the hole in the metal washer passes through and com
presses several washers of felt, cork, or other suitable yielding material; the
metal washer has fixed to its upper surface a piece with an under-cut hole in
the centre to receive a projection on the lower end of a vertical rod, which is
free to turn therein, and which is screw-threaded near its upper end, and passes
through a stopper which closes another orifice at the top of the upper vessel;
the top of the vertical rod is formed square in order that it may be easily
turned to open or close the tube as required. The stopper last mentioned is
threaded to screw into the threaded sides of the orifice, and a second threaded
.stopper or block is then screwed, on to the first stopper, to make the closing
hermetic; both stoppers are furnished with leather or caoutchouc washers..
Two, orifices for the entrance and exit of the gas to be carburetted are
formed in the lower vessel above the level of the liquid therein; the gas
5.enters by one orifice, and after traversing the passages, formed by the vertical
spartitions, and becoming charged or mixed with hydrocarbon vapour, issues
from the, apparatus by the other orifice..
It may be found necessary in some cases to fit the upper and lower vessels
at some distance from each other; the tube should then be soldered or luted
Oto the top of the lower vessel, and put in communication with the vessel
upper
by a metal pipe...
This apparatus. is also applicable to the carburation of atmospheric air
.introduced in regulated quantities, whereby lighting and heating properties
are imparted to it,, which allow of its being advantageously employed as a
substitute for gas. This object is effected either by employing a single
apparatus: supplied with a hydrocarbon sufficiently volatile and carbonated to
produce the quantity of inflammable vapour, necessary for the number of
burners to be fed, or by employing two apparatuses, the first supplied with a
very volatile bydrocarbon, whatever, be its lighting powers, and the second
-with a less volatile hydrocarbon, but very rich in carbon, so that the vapours
from the first forced into the second by the current of air become assimilated
by dissolving the heavier vapours of greater lighting properties, and a good
result is thereby obtained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by Mary Cassell, as Executrix, of, the late: John Cassell, deceased, in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARY
CASSELL, of Avenue Road, Regent's Park, London, Widow, sole Executrix
of the late John Cassell, of La Belle Sauvage Yard, in the City of London,
Publisher, deceased, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto the said John Cassell, Her special licence that he, the said
John Cassell, his executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as he, the said John Cassell, his 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 APPARATUS FOR THE CARBURATION OF GAS AND ATMOSPHERIC
AIR," (communicated to him from abroad by Jean Best, of Paris, France,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that he, the said John Cassell, bis
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under his, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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 Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Mary Cassell, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
.
This apparatus is represented in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a section
through. E, F, of Figure 2; and Figure 2 a section through B, A, C, of
Figure 1.
The apparatus is composed of two superposed vessels 2, 4, or a vessel
divided by a horizontal partition. The upper vessel 2 is intended to contain

page_text: the volatile liquid, which is supplied as hereafter described to the lower vessel 4
in which it becomes vaporized. A tube 3 is soldered or luted to the bottom
of the vessel 2 extends to the level 'i in the vessel 4, at which it is desired
to maintain the liquid therein; the vessel 2 and the tube 3 thus form as
it were a sort of inverted bottle, of which the tube forms the neck. The
-vessel 4 is divided by vertical partitions a, a, forming a labyrinth in order to
cause the gas or air which is to be carburetted to traverse an extended surface
and thereby become mixed with a greater proportion of vapor. The outer
partitions, or those more distant from the centre, are by preference placed
nearer together than the inner partitions, so that the outer chambers b, b, b,
are narrower than the chambers c, d. The partitions a are soldered or luted
to each other at e, and to the body of the apparatus at f, they are connected
both at top and bottom by metal cloth g, which occupies the whole breadth of
the vessel. In order to increase the vaporizing surface the chambers b, c, d,
are supplied with cotton wicks h, mixed or interwoven with metal. cloth, or
instead of cotton wicks I sometimes employ sponge, charcoal, or other material
capable of absorbing or raising the liquid in which it is inserted. ** The top of
the partitions a and the upper layer of metal cloth 9 are covered with felt j,
the pressure of which against the lower surface of the vessel 2 completely
insulates the chambers b, c, d, therefrom, the vertical partitions a do not
extend to the bottom of the vessel 4. At the bottom; and by preference in the
centre of the vessel 4, there is a recess, the object of which is to receive the
water, which is generally held in suspension in lighting gas on its exit from
the meter, and which by becoming condensed in the apparatus would in time,
if the apparatus were flat at bottom, replace the volatile liquid, and prevent the
proper working of the apparatus. This recess is furnished with a tap 9 (seen
in Figure 3, which is a section through A, D, Figure 1) for emptying it,
constructed by preference of three parts, viz., 1st; the body of the tap x,
soldered or luted to the apparatus, and extending to the outside of a hollow
stand 11 or support of the apparatus; 2nd, a stopper ; and, 3rd, a cap ",
which screws on to the outer end of the body x, and to the head of the
stopper. The hydrocarbon liquid is introduced into the vessel 2 by an
orifice 7 at top, closed by a stopper 1, which is screwed into a socket' q',
surrounding the orifice; to ensure hermetic closing a second threaded stopper
or block s' is screwed into the socket 9. over the stopper r¹, and both-stoppers
are furnished with a leather or caoutchouc washer t. A float 8 surmounted
by a vertical rod u is placed in the vessel 2 to indicate approximately the
quantity of liquid in that vessel, the float carries rings or lugs vi free to slide

page_text: on vertical guides v. In order to prevent the liquid in the vessel 2 passing
down through the tube 3 and filling the vessel 4 when the orifice 7 is open, I
close the upper end of the tube 3 by a stopper 5, constructed by preference of
a metal washer k formed with a thread hole in the centre to receive the upper
end of a pin carried by a conical block ; the pin before entering the hole in
the washer,k, passes through and compresses several washers m of felt, cork,
or other suitable yielding material; the washer k has fixed to its upper surface
a piece n, with an undercut hole in the centre to receive a projection on the
lower end of a vertical rod p, which is free to turn therein, and which is screw-
threaded near its upper end, and passes through a stopper ?, which closes
another orifice-6 at-the-top of the vessel 2; the top of the rod p is formed
square. in order that it may be easily turned to open or close the tube-3-as.
required. The stopper r is threaded to screw into the threaded sides 9 of the
orifice, and a second threaded stopper, or block s is then screwed on to the
stopper r; to make the closing hermetic both stoppers are furnished with
leather or caoutchouc washers t. Two orifices ¹ for the entrance and exit of
the gas to be carburetted are formed in the vessel 4 above the level i of the
liquid therein, the gas enters by one orifice, and after traversing the passages
or chambers b, c, d, and becoming charged or mixed with bydrocarbon vapor
issues from the apparatus by the other orifice.
Figure 4 is a section through A, G, Figure 1, showing one of the orifices
It may be found necessary in some cases to fit the upper and lower vessels ?
and 4 at some distance from each other; the tube 3 should then be soldered.
or luted to the top of the vessel 4, and put in communication with the vessel 2
by a metal pipe.
This apparatus is also applicable to the carburation of atmospheric air,
introduced in regulated quantities, whereby lighting and heating properties are
imparted to it, which allow of its being advantageously employed as a
substitute for gas. This object is effected either by employing a single appa-
ratus supplied with a hydrocarbon sufficiently volatile and carbonated to
produce the quantity, of inflammable vapour necessary for the number of
burners to be fed; or by employing two apparatuses, the first supplied with
a very volatile hydrocarbon whatever, be its lighting powers, and the second
with a less volatile hydrocarbon, but very rich in carbon, so that the vapours
from the first forced into the second by the current of air become assimilated
by dissolving the heavier vapours of greater lighting properties,.and a good
result is thereby obtained.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention. of, and

page_text: in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim
constructing apparatus for the carburation of gas and atmospheric air,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Mary Cassell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.