IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING GASES AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE-, MENT OF THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, THE WHOLE OF WHICH IMPROVE- MENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATION, AND PART. THEREOF MAY BE APPLIED FOR OBTAINING GAS FOR HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Parlby at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
April 1873.
I, WILLIAM PARLBY, of Aylesbury, in the County of Bucks, Gas
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING GASES AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE-,
MENT OF THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, THE WHOLE OF WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATION, AND PART.
THEREOF MAY BE APPLIED FOR OBTAINING GAS FOR HEATING PURPOSES,” to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the production of gases from coal, or
from any other substance holding hydrogen and carbon, or hydrogen
and oxygen, or carbon and oxygen in combination; and consists in sub-
jecting any of the substances from which the gases are to be obtained,
separately or together, or mixed to a high temperature in suitable retorts,
and thereby effecting various chemical decompositions of the same. The
products of distillation are then brought into contact with and are.
thoroughly impregnated by hydrogen and oxygen gases generated by the

page_text: decomposition of steam at a mign temperature auringon
the coal or other substances, and the whole of these gases are conveyed
simultaneously and together into one or more highly heated retorts
charged with coke or charcoal, and sometimes coal or other substances
containing hydrocarbon, and caused to pass over or through the material
whereby illuminating or heating gases in much greater quantity than
has heretofore been obtained are produced.
The retorts may be made of fire-clay or fire-brick and cast iron. For
the purposes of this Invention they are placed longitudinally in properly
constructed chambers, and heated by suitable furnaces.
The number of retorts erected in each chamber may be varied
according to the quantity of gas required.
If three retorts are employed, two of them are placed a short distance
apart upon a bed of fire-tiles or bricks, and the other one is fixed above
them over the opening separating the two retorts. The two lower retorts
are made of fire-clay in any approved shape, and in one or more peices.
The other retort is made of cast iron and provided with suitable com-
partments on its exterior for the admission of steam, which becoming
decomposed by the action of the heat to which it is subjected is con-
verted into hydrogen and oxygen gases.
The gases produced in the two lower retorts from the coal or other
substances containing hydrocarbon are conducted through any con-
venient pipe or chamber, and admitted to the cast-iron retort containing
coke or charcoal, and by the simultaneous admission of the hydrogen
and oxygen gases from the exterior compartments of the iron retort a
chemical action takes place, whereby some of the gaseous but con-
densible vapours of the coal, or of such other substances as are being
subjected to destructive distillation, for the most part become converted
into permanent gas which may be carried off from the mouth-piece and
then purified for use.
:
When gas for illuminating purposes is required particular care must
be taken in regulating the manufacture of bydrogen and oxygen gases,
from the decomposition of the steam, otherwise the quality of the gas
will be liable to variation. If very rich illuminating gas is required the
whole of the gases as produced in the three retorts may be conducted
into another. retort.containing coal or such other substances as hold
hydrogen and carbon in their composition, where under the action of heat
they become enriched.

page_text: When gas for heating purposes is required the admission of the
hydrogen and oxygen of the decomposed steam should be in excess of
that necessary to convert and fix the vapours generated in the two lower
retorts into permanent illuminating gas.