IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN APPARATUS EM. PLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cartwright Holmes and William Hollinshead,
of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Gas Engineers, for the. Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN APPARATUS EM.
PLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 30th July 1858, and dated the 2nd February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cartwright
Holmes and William Hollinshead at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 2nd February 1858.
We, WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT HOLMES and WILLIAM HOLLINSHEAD, . of. Hud-,
dersfield, in the County of York, Gas Engineers, do hereby declare. the nature
of the said. Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND
IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of further improvements in the mode or method of.
manufacturing or producing gas, as patented by the. Said William: Cartwright;
Holmes, dated June 20th, 1855, in the Specification of. which he describes a
peculiar construction of retort for the purpose of gaining additional. heating.
surface, with a combination of other improvements in the apparatus, and dis-
tilling certain products by means of superheated steam; and afterwards
subjecting them to the action of heat, &c.
Our present improvements on the said Patent consist in conducting the

page_text: vapours or gases thus produced or obtained from the retort or vessel to another
vessel or receiver, where they are still further subjected to the action of super-
heated steam, so that the temperature of such vapours or gases being raised,
the formation of tar to some extent is prevented, and a greater amount of
illuminating gas is obtained thereby.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Cartwright Holmes and William Hollinshead in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
CARTWRIGHT HOLMES and WILLIAM HOLLINSHEAD, of Huddersfield, in the
County of York, Gas Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Cartwright Holmes and William Hollinshead, Her
special licence that we, the said William Cartwright Holmes and William
Hollinshead, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said William Cartwright Holmes and William Hollinshead, 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
GAS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the conditions (amongst
others) that we, the said William Cartwright Holmes and William Hollins-
head, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us, 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 William Hollinshead, for and on
behalf of myself and the said William Cartwright Holmes, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
Our Invention consists of further improvements in the mode or method of
manufacturing or producing gas, as patented by the said William Cartwright
Holmes, dated the Twentieth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-five, No. 1405, in the Specification of which he describes a peculiar con-
struction of retort, for the purpose of gaining additional heating surface, with
a combination of other improvements in the apparains, and distilling certain
products by means of superheated steam.
Our present improvements on the said Patent consist in conducting the
vapours or gases thus produced or obtained from the retort or vessel to another
vessel or receiver, where they are still further subjected to the action of super-
heated steam, so that the temperature of such vapours or gases being raised,
the formation of tar is prevented, and a greater amount of illuminating gas is
obtained thereby.
The manner in which this Invention is to be performed will be readily
understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which repre-
sents a vertical section of a retort, in which the vapours or gases are pro-
duced, according to the former Patent above referred to, with our present
improvements attached, which are also in vertical section. A is the retort,
in which is a perforated diaphragm a for distributing the steam as it enters
at the pipe b; B, the receiver or regenerator," attached by a branch pipe
to the retort; C is a steam pipe, with a funnel-formed end, attached to the
regenerator, through which and the perforations or holes in the side of the
regenerator superheater steam is forced, which mixes and commingles with
the vapours or gases as they ascend from the retort, thereby raising the
temperature of such vapours or gases, and prevent the formation of tar,
whereby the said gases are "regenerated," and a greater amount of illuminating
gas is obtained, which passes through the perforations in the diaphragm D
placed in the top of the regenerator and through the pipe E to the con-
denser, &c.
Having thus fully described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we would have it distinctly
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details of con-
struction or arrangement of the apparatus we have herein set forth; but we
claim,-
Firstly, the treating or subjecting to the action of superheated steam
the vapours or gases obtained by the distillation of bituminous or other gas-
producing substances.

page_text: Secondly, the general arrangement and combination of parts or apparatus
for the purposes herein named, as described and illustrated in the accompany-
ing Sheet of Drawings, or any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, for and on behalf of the said William Cartwright
Holmes and myself, I, William Hollinshead, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year, of our Lord One
thousand eight. hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named William Hollinshead,
in the presence of
GEO. HAMBLY, Clerk,
Shrewsbury.
WILLIAM HOLLINSHEAD. (L.S.)