IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck,
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF GAS." A communication from abroad by Adolphus Riebeck,
of Halle-on-the-Saale, Prussia.
Sealed the 2nd April 1880, and dated the 4th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1879.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birbeck, Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS." A communication
from abroad by Adolphus Riebeck, of Halle-on-the-Saale, Prussia.
This Invention relates to new or improved means for the production of mixed
gases in such a manner that the gas oil employed is combined with saw dust,
and put into the retort at the same time as the sea or other coal, and is thus
made into gas.
Sea coal, and what is known as gas coal, has heretofore been chiefly employed
for the production of gas, the large development of the mineral oil industry, as
well as the manufacture of paraffin, has led to the production of materials suitable
for the production of gas from paraffin oils.
By this means a gas of four fold more lighting power is obtained from paraffin
oil than is obtained from sea or other coal gases, so that the light obtained is in the
end cheaper than the gas made from sea coal.
Thus a profitable result is obtained from the production of the so called mixed
gases, which is made either by putting sea coal and oil in different retorts, each
producing its own gas, which is then mixed, or by pouring gas oil by drops on the
sea coal from which the gas has been already partly drawn. In both cases an
improvement of the gas is obtained, but the quantities of the gases so produced was
small, the management was complicated, and by the second process dangerous, for
owing to the rapid development of the gas which takes place when the oil is
poured on the glowing coals explosions and fires easily take place.
F

page_text: The improved method to be described here is so arranged as to be readily applied
to the gas retorts of existing gas-works, whereby such a production of mixed gases
will result that the working power of the gas-works would be largely increased
without enlarging the works.
According to this improved method of making gas the paraffin or other gas oil,
combined with an absorbent material, is put into a retort already brought to a red
heat together with the sea or other coal.
The
Saw dust is a material which is peculiarly suitable for this purpose.
qualities of the saw dust which make it so suitable for this purpose are that it
takes up twice its own weight of gas oil without letting it run or drop away, and 1
that it does not increase the ash contents of the coke, and does not impair the gas
in any way, but on the other hand, by its own dry distillation, increases still more
the quantity of the gas produced.
The saw dust is spread out in a dry condition in thin layers, and by means of
the rose of a watering pot or such like contrivance the gas-oil to be employed is 1
poured over it, and the saw dust saturated with oil is then, together with the sen
or other coal, put into the retort by means of an ordinary trough, the trough
being first prepared with about 40 per cent. or thereabout of the usual charge of
sea or other coal, then spread over with the saw dust, saturated with oil to the
extent of 30 per cent. or thereabout of the ordinary weight of sea coal, and covered?
with 30 per cent. or thereabout of sea coal. The trough is then pushed into the
retort, turned into it, and worked further, as in the ordinary management of sca
coal.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Garrett Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd April 1880.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS." A communication
from abroad by Adolphus Riebeck, of Halle on the Saale, Prussia.
This Invention relates to an improved process for the manufacture of gas in such
manner that paraffin, mineral, or gas oil, combined with a porous material or gas
oil which absorbs a liquid is put into a retort at the same time as sea or other gas
coal, and is thus couverted into gas.
According to this improved method or process for making gas, the paraffin or
other gas, or mineral oil, combined with a porous body absorbing this liquid to a
great extent, is put into a retort already brought to a red heat together with sea or
other gas coal, and is inade into gas.
Saw dust, coal dust, and spent tan or bark, are very advantageous for use as such
porous material.
In most places saw dust is of very little value; it absorbs or retains more than
double its own weight of mineral or gas oil without allowing it to run or drop
away. Coal dust, a material that is likewise very little used, absorbs or retains
about 30 per cent. of its own weight of oil. The coal dust, and spent tan or bark
may be advantageously used in a granulated form.
The material to be used is spread out in a dry condition in layers of from 3 to 5
inches, and by means of the rose of a watering pot for the proportionate quantity of
gas or mineral oil is poured over it.
The charging of the retort must in the case of saw dust be accomplished by
means of an ordinary trough, as hereinafter described.
Into this trough sea or other suitable coal is first placed to the amount of nearly
half of the usual charging of the retort, and the saw dust or other absorbent
material saturated with oil is spread over it. The result of this is that the
foremost part (that nearest the door), or about a third of the retort, contains no
material saturated with oil. By this means the combustion of gas into flames on
the closing of the door is lessened or prevented. The quantity of saw dust to be
used is regulated by the strength of light required, and may be from 8 to 20 pounds
of saw dust or other absorbent material, with 15 to 40 pounds of oil, or about
24 to 60 pounds of material saturated with oil, to two hundred weight of sea or
other gas coal.
When coal dust saturated with oil is used, the charging of the retort can either
be done by means of a trough, as hereinafter described, or by simply throwing it in
with a shovel. In either case care must be taken that the material saturated with
oil is kept in the two back third portions of the retort, and enclosed between dry
sea or other gas coal.
To two hundred weight of the contents of the retort 60 to 120 pounds of dry
sea coal, and about 6 to 12 pounds of gas or mineral oil may be used.
The result of the charging of the retort is that the contents are arranged in the
following order, as illustrated in the Drawings annexed :-
Dry sea coal dust
-
-
14 to 16 per cent.

page_text: The remaining process is conducted in exactly the same manner as when sea or
other gas coal alone is used. By this peculiar process in the charging of the
retorts, the production of oil and sea or other coal gas not separate from each
other, and not a really mixed gas is obtained, but the gas produced is completely
homogeneous, and possesses a greater proportion of bicarburet of hydrogen and
other hydro carbon materials capable of giving a strong light. In consequence of
this every obstruction in the pipes is lessened and removed by thick tar preci-
pitates. By the proportion of the materials saturated, with oil added, it is possible
to increase the strength of light required according as the necessity for it occurs
without its requiring the addition of coal of more expensive quality; lastly, by
this means useful coke is made out of coal dust, which would otherwise never be
used.
As an essential difference from the old well known process, it is to be remarked
that the oil is not dropped on glowing materials, nor does it come in contact
with the glowing sides of the retort, but it is absorbed or retained by the porous
materials to a certain degree in a firm form, and surrounded everywhere by non
saturated materials exposed to the gas producing temperature.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention communicated to me from
abroad, and the manner of carrying the same into practice, I do not claim any part
rf the process or apparatus which is well known and in common use, but what I
claim on behalf of the said Adolphus Riebeck is,―
The improved process for the manufacture of gas by combining mineral or or other
gas oil with a porous or absorbent material placed in a retort with sea or other
gas coal, and converted into gas, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.