IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF Gas
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FREDERICK DANIELL, of Gower Street, Bedford Square, in the.. County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the First day of February, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-seven, in the eighth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Frederick Daniell, His
especial licence, that I, the said John Frederick Daniell, my exors, admors,
and assigns, or such others, as I, the said John Frederick Daniell, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise; and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF Gas;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said John Frederick Daniell, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in-part- recited. Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: .
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Jolin Frederick Daniell, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in improvements in the process of manufacturing
gas from rosin, tar, coal tar, pitch, turpentine, or any other resinous or bitu-
minous substance, except coal, by preventing the volatile oils or spirits which arise
with the gas in a heated retort from returning after their condensation into
the said retort, whereby the choking or obstruction of the retort or pipes
therewith immediately connected is provented, and the volatile oils or spirits
are preserved for the solution of the resinous or bituminous substances, in
the manner herein-after set forth; and I do declare that this purpose may
be effected by causing the leading pipe along which the gas must pass from
the retort into the hydraulic main or condenser to proceed downwards from
the bottom of the retort or mouthpiece, or if the leading pipe opens from the
top, sides, or ends of the retort or mouthpiece, by bending or turning it
downwards as close as possible to its exit from the retort or mouthpiece, into
an hydraulic main or condensor, conveniently placed to receive the condensed
spirits or oils; but in all cases where the same can be applied I do prefer
effecting the aforesaid purpose by means of the apparatus described as follows,
and of which a Drawing and scale is annexed. A is an oil gas retort set in
brickwork in the usual manner. B is a mouthpiece connected to the end of
the retort by flanges, the whole of which mouthpiece is placed outside of the
brickwork and framing; and although I prefer to have this mouthpiece and
retort in two parts, for the convenience of casting the same, yet the two may
be cast together where circumstances render it preferable. C is an hydraulic
main or cistern placed upon the ground line. a is an opening at the end of
b is a
the mouthpiece, furnished with the usual bonnet, cross bar, and screw.
pipe leading out from the under side of the mouthpiece, and through which
the gas and vapours are conveyed into the hydraulic main, through the dip
pipe c. d is an opening in the upper part of the mouthpiece, and opposite to
the pipe or opening b, furnished with a bonnet or plug. By means of this
opening an instrument can be passed into the hydraulic main, to remove any
obstruction which may take place in the pipes b and c. e is a plate fixed at
the end of the retort, and filling up about two thirds of the lower area of the
same, the gas and vapours escaping at the upper part into the mouthpiece,
while the thick and carbonaceous matter is by this means kept back in the
retort. This plate may be permanently fixed in any convenient mode; but I

page_text: refer to have the means of removing it with facility, in order to obtain
better access to the retort during the operation of cleansing the same. In
order to effect this I cause the mouth piece to be made about two inches
larger in diameter than the retort, in order to leave a facing at the end of
the same, against which facing the plate may be secured by luting, and removed
at pleasure through the large opening of the mouthpiece. f is a pipe to
convey the volatile oil which condenses in the hydraulic main into an under-
ground cistern or reservoir, from which cistern the said oil may be raised by a
pump, as it may be required for future operations. This pipe must be con-
nected to the hydraulic main about an inch and an half above the bottom of the
dip pipe, and the other end of the said pipe, conveying the volatile oil into the
underground cistern, must be turned up in the form of a syphon, to prevent
the escape of gas. 9 is a pipe conveying the gas to the wash vessel, from
whence it passes into the gasometer, as is usual in oil gas works. D is a
cistern, to contain the resinous, tarry, and bituminous matters or mixtures, so
placed on the brickwork of the retorts that it commands, by means of cocks
leading therefrom, the funnels of the syphons attached to the front part of the
retort, and through which the before-mentioned substances pass into the same,
to be converted into gas. The cistern D should be heated by means of a flue
passing under it, and regulated by dampers, so as more completely to mix the
resinous, tarry, and bituminous substances with the volatile oils or spirits, and
to render the same more fluid; and I do declare that the rosin, tar, coal tar,
pitch, turpentine, or other resinous or bituminous substance (except coal)
from which it is intended to procure the gas, may be melted by heat, and
allowed to flow or drop into the retort thro' the syphon, which may be
kept hot by inclosing it in the flue, or by other well-known means; but in all
cases I do prefer working in the following manner:-First, I do dissolve or
mix a quantity of rosin, tar, coal tar, pitch, turpentine, or other resinous or
bituminous substance (except coal) in or with a proper quantity of spirits of
turpentine, spirits of coal tar, alcohol, or other volatile oil or spirit capable of
dissolving or mixing with the same, either with or without the assistance of
heat, as the case may require; and such volatile oil or spirit may be at once
obtained by the destructive distillation or otherwise of such resinous or bitu-
minous substances, or of animal or vegetable oils, by well-known methods
and operations which it is unnecessary to describe; and I do declare that the
said solution or mixture may be made in many different proportions, but that
the proportions which I do prefer are 8lbs. of rosin or other resinous or bitu-
minous substance to four quarts of spirits of turpentine, alcohol, or other
spirit or volatile oil capable of dissolving or mixing with the same, or ono

page_text: gallon of tar, turpentine, coal-tar, or other fluid or semi-fluid resinous or bitu-
minous substance to one gallon of the said spirits or volatile oil; and I do
declare that the said solution or mixture may most conveniently be made in
any suitable vessel, by previously pounding or breaking the solid rosin or
bitumen, and with the assistance of a moderate heat. Secondly, I do cause
the said solution or mixture to flow or drop gradually through the syphon into
the retort, previously filled with chips or turnings of iron or other metal, or
coke or bricks, or other convenient substance for exposing a large surface,
and kept continually heated in a proper furnace to about the temperature
'commonly known by the designation cherry red. Thirdly, I do collect_
together all the spirits, volatile oils, or other condensed vapours, separated from
the gas in the hydraulic main and wash vessel, and do make use of them for
the solution and dilution of farther portions of the rosin or tar, or other
resinous or bituminous substances, instead of the spirits of turpentine or other
volatile spirit or oil originally employed in the manner and proportions
described, and with this solution or mixture I do proceed in making gas, as
with the original solution or mixture; and I do declare that if the process be
properly conducted at or about the temperature described, there is no diminu-
tion of the volatile spirit or oil necessary for dissolving or diluting the rosin,
tar, or other resinous substances employed, but that if by improperly raising the
heat to too great a degree, by which a larger quantity of gas may be obtained,
a smaller quantity of volatile spirit or oil should be collected than is sufficient
to effect the said solution or mixture, the same may be recovered or augmented
by reducing the temperature of the retort below the proper working degree,
or the degree known by the designation cherry red, under which circumstances
a smaller quantity of gas will be produced. And whereas the said volatile
oils or spirits so worked as aforesaid are apt to become mixed with portions
of water or acetic or other acids, I declare that it is expedient to throw
into them a small portion of fresh slacked lime, in the proportion of about
1 lb. to a gallon, which, after being agitated with them, is to be suffered to
subside, and the clear oil or spirit is to be drawn off from the settlement, and
used for the solution of the resinous or bituminous substance, as before directed.
Although I have described the whole of the apparatus, as well as the
mode of working the same, yet I do not claim an exclusive right to any
part thereof, save and except the construction and arrangement of the leading
pipe, whereby the volatile oils or spirits generated with the gas are prevented
from returning into the retort in the manner herein-before mentioned, together
with the plate marked e in the Drawing so placed at the end of the retort as
to allow a free passage for the gas and vapours, while the thick and carbon-

page_text: aceous matter in the retort is prevented from falling into and choking up the
pipe coveying the gas and vapour into the hydraulic main.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Frederick Daniell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.