IMPROVE- THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBURETTED HYDROGEN OR LUMINOUS GAS
Year: 1868

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Charles Hengst, of Fulham Road, in the Parish
of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, Henry Watson,
of the same Place, Gasfitter, John Bell Muschamp, of 68, Upper
Thames Street, in the City of London, Paper Manufacturer, and
Newton Wilson, of 144, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Sewing Machine Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBURETTED HYDROGEN OR LUMINOUS
GAS."
Sealed the 19th March 1869, and dated the 24th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Hengst, Henry
Watson, John Bell Muschamp, and Newton Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 24th
September 1868.
We, CHARLES HENGST, of Fulham Road, in the Parish of Chelsea,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, HENRY WATSON, of the same
Place, Gasfitter, JOHN BELL MUSCHAMP, of 68, Upper Thames Street,
in the City of London, Paper Manufacturer, and NEWTON WILSON, of

page_text: 144, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBURETTED HYDROGEN OR LUMINOUS
GAS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consist of certain improvements in the manufacture
of luminous gas, generally known under the name of carburetted
hydrogen, and in producing such luminous gas from the revolatalising
of hydrocarbonaceous fluids known under the name of dead oils, gas
tar, petroleum, or even common tallow, or olic acid in any form.
In the process of revolatalisation we take the hydrocarbon or dead
oil as before mentioned, and place them in a tank so as to obtain a
necessary head or fall to ensure them flowing freely into and combining
with superheated steam, where they comingle and combine together,
the heat of the steam revolatalising the hydrocarbon; this is passed into
a condenser of any form, but the one we at present prefer is a coil of
pipe surrounded with water, at the bottom of which there is a receiver
and syphon. That part of the hydrocarbonacious vapour which is
chemically vapourised and will not again separate and become fluid
passes into a gasometer and is then retained for use as a luminous gas;
but that portion which condenses in the coil and falls down again in the
receiver is passed up to be used over again, so that by this process
the whole of the dead oils or fluid hydrocarbon is utilised and converted
into gas.
In passing the luminous gas from the condenser coil to the
gasometer or receiver we combine and unite if necessary this gas with
another dose of carbon by passing it through spongy matter saturated
with the volatile hydrocarbons of commerce, which are distilled over at
a low temperature. This is only when the gas has an overdue amount
of hydrogen from the superheated steam. Then the proper equivalent
of carbon is supplied in the manner proposed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 30
filed by the said Charles Hengst, Henry Watson, John Bell
Muschamp, and Newton Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th March 1869,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
HENGST, of Fulham Road, in the Parish of Chelsea, in the County of 35

page_text: Middlesex, Engineer, HENRY WATSON, of the same Place, Gasfitter,
JOHN BELL MUSCHAMP, of 68, Upper Thames Street, in the City of
London, Paper Manufacturer, and NEWTON WILSON, of 144, High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Sewing Machine Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Charles Hengst, Henry
Watson, John Bell Muschamp, and Newton Wilson, Her special licence
that we, the said Charles Hengst, Henry Watson, John Bell Muschamp,
and Newton Wilson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Charles Hengst, Henry Watson, John Bell
Muschamp, and Newton Wilson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CARBURETTED HYDROGEN OR LUMINOUS GAS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Charles Hengst, Henry Watson, John Bell
Muschamp, and Newton Wilson, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Charles Hengst, Henry Watson,
John Bell Muschamp, and Newton Wilson, do hereby declare the nature
of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The main elements of this Invention consist in improvements in the
manufacture of luminous gas generally known under the name of
carburetted hydrogen, and in producing such luminous gas from the

page_text: volatalization of hydrocarbonaceous fluids known under the name of
dead oils, gas tars, petroleum, vegetable tar, common fat, or oelic acid
in any form.
In the process of volatalization we take hydrocarbon or dead oil in
any of the forms as before mentioned and place them in a receiver or
tank so as to obtain the. necessary head or fall to insure them flowing
freely into the retort, and combine with superheated steam; the heat
of the superheated steam thus volatalizing the hydrocarbon in the
retort when it passes off through the exit pipe on its way to the gas-
holder. Intervening between the gasholder and the retort we have a
condenser of any known form, but generally constructed of a series of
pipes surrounded with water, at the bottom of which there is a receiver
and siphon to catch the condensed steam as well as that portion of the
hydrocarbonaceous fluid that has not passed into a gaseous state, and
is condensable, while that part of the hydrocarbon which has been
converted into a gaseous state will pass off through the exit pipe and
into the gasholder where it is retained for use. That portion of the
crude material which has been condensed is used over again in the
retorts so that the whole of the dead oils or other fluid hydrocarbons
are utilized. In passing the luminous gas from the condenser coil to
the gasholder or receiver we combine and unite this gas (if necessary) so
made with another dose of carbon by passing it through spongy matter
saturated with any of the light hydrocarbonaceous spirit of commerce,
which recarbonises the gas, making it more luminous.
Chapter 1.-Figure 1 represents a general elevation of the apparatus;
Figure 2, a plan of the same.
A, the steam boiler in which steam is generated at a pressure of from
40 to 50 lbs. to the square inch. The steam is taken from this boiler
through the stop valve B and steam pipe C to one or both of the super-
heaters D and E, a valve or tap C₁ being placed between each, so as to
be able to use either one at a time or both in combination. Each of
these are so placed in the furnace that the heat transmitted to them may
be regulated at pleasure. The steam passes through these superheaters
from back to front, and is there dilated and superheated; some of which
is decomposed and supplies an additional amount of hydrogen to the
hydrocarbon if necessary, this being regulated by the degree of heat
transmitted through the superheaters. After the steam has passed
through these superheaters, it passes off by the egress pipes F and F¹,

page_text: and is regulated by the valves F, F, where it is combined with the
hydrocarbon or dead oils before mentioned, which is to be converted into
carburetted hydrogen gas by the following process:-These dead oils
or hydrocarbons are placed into a cistern or receiver G, where it is
kept in a fluid state and under pressure by steam from the boiler
through the pipe H which is regulated by the tap, or valve h. The
dead oils or hydrocarbon is conveyed down through the pipe I to the
retort J, and is united at the juncture K. It is here where a union
takes place with the superheated steam from the one or both of the
superheaters D and E and the hydrocarbonaceous material from the
receiver or cistern G; the quantities of each are regulated by the taps
or valves L, and F, F, which combine in the injector tube N, and
is injected into the retort in a spray, as shewn more fully in sectional
Drawing, Figure 3. This retort J has a slight inclination from front to
back. The sectional Drawing referred to shews in the interior of the
retort a partition O dividing the retort into two compartments up to the
point O', where the partition terminates. When the superheated steam
and fluid hydrocarbon are injected into the lower half P of the retort, it
is immediately evolved into a "gaseous" and "vapourous" combination;
it passes in the direction of the arrows around the end partition O, and
up in the upper half Q of the retort, and out through the exit pipe
R, R, R, to and through the condenser coil S, S, shewn in plan and
elevation. This coil is placed in a proper cistern S¹, S¹, and surrounded
with water at a low temperature at all times. In the condenser coil
the "vapourous" portion is divided from the " gascous " portion, the
"gaseous" portion passing away freely into the gasholder T through
the pipe U, U. This pipe deposits the condensed dead oils into the
condenser box V, where it is drawn off by the cock W, and is returned
again into the receiver or cistern G, to be used over again until it is
rendered all gaseous, thereby using up all the hydrocarbonaceous fluid
(or nearly so), and converting it into carburetted hydrogen gas.
We would here remark that we do not confine ourselves to the precise
arrangements herein specified, as the steam boiler may be united and be
a part of the same apparatus, and heated by one and the same fire as the
retort and superheaters; nor do we confine ourselves to the precise form
of the superheaters or retorts, as they may be varied in their con-
formation, and constructed to suit circumstances and convenience; or

page_text: we can dispense with the superheaters and unite the dead oils or hydro-
carbons in their passage to the retort by mixing the steam at the
ordinary pressure (say 40 to 100 lbs. per square inch), when the steam
in combination with the oil will be instantly superheated by the heat
transmitted through the red hot retort. Or we fill the lower half of the
retort with "pumic stone" or any spongy material which will stand heat,
so as to increase the surface for the vapourous and gaseous matters to
pass through, thereby doing away with the necessity of superheaters.
Chapter 2. Another method of construction in the apparatus is shewn
in Figure 4, where the steam from the boiler unites with the dead oils or
hydrocarbonaceous fluids, as before described, and is then passed through
a superheater and decomposing coil, and thence to the condenser.
a, a, the ingress pipe through which the steam and hydrocarbonaceous
fluid is injected in combination into the coil b, b, b, when it passes the
whole range of the convolute pipes, and finally makes its exit through
the pipe c, c, c, into the condenser coil d, d, d, and is there condensed,
dividing the "
gaseous" portion from the "vapourous" portion; the
former passing into the gasholder, while the latter condensed matter
falls down into a condenser box, is there drawn off to be again returned
to the retort, and so on until the whole of the hydrocarbonaceous fluid
is converted into carburetted hydrogen gas.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we
consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The combination and means through which carburetted hydrogen gas
is generated by the combining of hydrocarbonaceous fluids with highly
attenuated or superheated steam, and passing the steam and hydro-
carbonaceous fluids (thus comingled) through a compound jet pipe in
a red hot retort, thus volatalizing and attenuating them in combination,
so that a given amount of carburetted hydrogen gas is formed therefrom
out of the hydrocarbonaceous fluid; it is then passed through a
condenser placed between the retort and the gasholder, thereby
separating the "vapourous' or condensable matter from the "gaseous"
or non-condensable matter, and returning the condensed hydrocarbon
again to the retort, thereby using up and converting into carburetted
"

page_text: hydrogen gas all hydrocarbonaceous fluids, by the manner and appliances
herein fully set forth and shewn in the Drawings referred to.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Hengst, Henry Watson,
John Bell Muschamp, and Newton Wilson, have hereunto set our
hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.
C. HENGST.
(L.B.)
H. WATSON.
(L.S.)
J. B. MUSCHAMP.
(L.S.)
NEWTON WILSON. (L.s.)