Improvements in or relating to Gas for Illuminating and Heating Purposes
Year: 1899

page_text: t
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"Improvements in or relating to Gas for Illuminating and Heating
Purposes".
I, HERMANN HEINRICH BOEHNDEL, Merchant, of 274 Kennington Park Road,
London S.E. in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to gas for illuminating and heating purposes, and has
for its object to produce a substance which when air is passed through or over it
will produce a gas having good heating and illuminating properties, or which will
enhance these properties in coal or other gas if the latter is passed over or through
the substance.
According to this invention I mix some infusorial earth such as kieselguhr with
a substance which will cause the earth to bind and hold together in a porous
mass. For this purpose I prefer to employ magnesium oxide but
may use
various kinds of gum or other like material. The mixture is worked up with
water into a dough or paste, which is rubbed through a sieve so as to divide it
into small lumps, which are dried in the air and then calcined in an oven or
burnt, after the manner of ordinary clay bricks. The lumps or stones thus formed
are impregnated with some liquid hydrocarbon spirit or other volatile substance
of a like nature.
If
The prepared stones are placed in a chamber of convenient form connected with
one or more burners, and also with a reservoir containing air, coal or other gas
under pressure, or with some device for forcing gas through the chamber.
air is used after passing over or through the impregnated stones it forms a gas
having valuable illuminating and heating properties. If some other gas, such
as coal gas. is employed, the result of passing it over or through the prepared
substance is to materially increase the illuminating and heating properties of
the gas.
Improvements in or relating to Gas for Illuminating and Heating
Purposes.
I HERMANN HEINRICH BOEHNDEL Merchant of 274 Kennington Park-Road
London S.E. in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
Price 8dr

page_text: tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:--
My invention relates to the production of a highly purified gas for illuminating
& heating purposes from any suitable hydrocarbon, and has for its object to
produce such gas economically and in a purified state.
For carrying out my invention I first mix chalk, or lime, or peat moss, or
kieselguhr (infusorial earth) with a substance which will cause the material to
bind together in a porous mass, such as magnesium-oxyde or silicate of soda.
To this mixture I add water until the mixture is turned into a paste, this I
divide into small pieces or lumps, which when dry are afterwards burnt or
calcined.
This forming a highly absorbent body, this absorbent mass I then impregnate
with a liquid hydrocarbon or other volatile substance or substances of a like
nature until the different pieces are fully saturated.
The impregnated mass so obtained is then placed into a closed receptable pro-
vided with an inlet and outlet tube.
To obtain gas a current of atmospheric air is passed through the receptable
from which a sufficient quantity of hydrocarbon is forced with the air through the
outlet to the burners: giving a highly luminiferous and combustible gas suitable
for heating and lighting purposes for which combustible gas is applicable.
The effect of the hydrocarbon being absorbed by the calcined paste as described
above is to purify the gas obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be
understood that it has already been proposed to manufacture a porous absorbent
body from infusorial earth and magnesia by forming these substances into solid
masses by mixing them with water, and then drying, and burning them, and I
make no general claim to such invention but I declare that what I claim is :
1) The manufacture of a highly absorbent bedy, by mixing chalk, or lime, or
peat moss, or kieselguhr with a substance, such as magnesium-oxyde or silicate of
soda causing such absorbent materials to hold together in a porous mass, which
mixture is, by the addition of water formed into a paste, which when divided
into small lumps or pieces is dried and afterwards calcined for use in the produc-
tion of gas for illuminating and heating purposes.
2) The improvement in the production of combustible gas consisting in passing
a blast of air through a sealed vessel containing the highly absorbent materials
herein before described impregnated with a suitable bydrocarbon substantially
as described.
London the 25 day of September 1900. SE 274 Kennington-Park-Road