Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing and Distributing Gas from Mineral or other Oils.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1889-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing
and Distributing Gas from Mineral or other Oils.
We, HUGH DONALD FITZPATRICK of 17 Hope Street, Glasgow, Patent Agent, and
GEORGE ROSE of 3 Avenue Place, Springburn, Glasgow Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of manufacturing gas for
lighting or heating purposes from mineral or other oils and in the apparatus for
manufacturing the same, and it has mainly for its object to enable gas to be
manufactured on a small scale for private or dwelling houses although the invention
can be used with equal facility for supplying gas to large towns or villages.
Under this invention the oil is pumped from a tank or reservoir, or it may be
supplied by gravitation, into a circular ring shaped retort where it is vapourized and
the vapour therein generated is passed into a second ring retort situated preferably
below the first, and in which the vapour by the great heat is converted into a
permanent gas. In some cases three or more ring retorts may be used although two
would generally be sufficient. These retorts which are provided in their outer
circumferences with screw plugs for the purpose of easily cleaning out carbon which
may accumulate in them, are supported in and by a segmentally constructed
cylindrical shaped casing, the segments being secured together preferably by snugs
and bolts or by passing bolts right through from top to bottom. In the cylindrical
casing the fire, which may be a coal, coke or charcoal one, necessary to generate the
heat for converting the oil into gas is contained, a fire door and grate being provided
at the bottom and a funnel to carry off the products of combustion at top.
The gas
generated in the ring shaped retorts or series of retorts is passed through piping into
a filter tank containing water, through which the gas passes and being clarified in its
passage to an outlet pipe, this outlet pipe is connected to a gasometer of any suitable
construction wherein the gas accumulates. The gasometer has an india-rubber.or
other pipe connection, provided with a stop valve, fitted to it, and when it is desired
to use the gas, gas is pumped from the gasometer through the connection into a
small tank preferably provided with a pressure gauge of any convenient shape and
therein compressed. The pipes to convey the gas to the burners are connected to
this gas tank or receiver and by turning on a cock gas can be supplied when
required. In some cases the compressed gas tank may be done away with and the
gas drawn direct from the gasometer.
The whole apparatus or the retort cylinder only can be mounted portably on wheels
or feet if required.
When lighting up a large town a number of retort cylinders could be used, or a
number of ring retorts fitted up in one large furnace, the retorts in either case
discharging the gas into a gasometer from whence it would be distributed in the usual
manner.
The apparatus hereinbefore described could be used for maufacturing the gas
necessary for lighting trains under the Pintsch, Pope or other systems.
Dated this Eleventh day of October 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing
and Distributing Gas from Mineral or other Oils.
We, HUGH DONALD FITZPATRICK formerly of Hope Street now of 70 Wellington
Street, Glasgow, Patent Agent and GEORGE ROSE of 3 Avenue Place, Springburn,
Glasgow Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of manufacturing gas for
lighting or heating purposes from mineral or other oils, and in the apparatus for
manufacturing and distributing the same, and it has mainly for its object to enable
gas to be manufactured on a small scale for private or dwelling houses, although
the invention can be used with equal facility for supplying gas to large towns or
villages.
Under this invention the oil is pumped from a tank or reservoir or it may be
supplied by gravitation, into a circular ring shaped retort where it is vapourized and
the vapour therein generated is passed into a second ring or equivalent retort situated
preferably below the first and in which the vapour by the great heat converted
into a permanent gas. In some cases three or more ring retorts may be used,
although two would generally be sufficient. These retorts which are or may be
provided in their outer circumferences with screw plugs for the purpose of easily
cleaning out carbon which may accumulate in them are supported in and by a
segmentally constructed cylindrical shaped casing, the segments being secured
together preferably by snugs and bolts or by passing bolts right through from
top to bottom. In this cylindrical casing the fire which may be a coal, coke or
charcoal one, necessary to generate the heat for converting the oil into gas is
contained, a fire door and grate being provided at the bottom and a funnel to carry
off the products of combustion at top. The gas generated in the ring shaped
retorts or series of retorts is passed through piping into a filter tank containing water,
through which the gas passes, being, clarified in its passage to an outlet pipe, this
outlet pipe is connected to a gasometer of any suitable construction wherein the gas
accumulates. The gasometer has or may have an india-rubber or other pipe connection
provided with a stop valve, fitted to it and when it is desired to use the gas, gas is
pumped from the gasometer through the connection into a small tank peferably
provided with a pressure gauge of any convenient shape and therein compressed.
The pipes to convey the gas to the burners may be connected to this gas tank or
receiver and by turning on a cock, gas can be supplied when required.
cases the compressed gas tank may be done away with and the gas drawn direct
from the gasometer.
In some
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood we have
hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings whereon
Fig. 1 shows the gas manufacturing apparatus.
Figs. 2 and 3 show in vertical section and plan respectively the form of .our gas
retort chamber.
Fig. 4 shows in vertical section another form of gas retort chamber.
Fig. 5 shows the cleaning apparatus or scrubber in longitudinal section.
Fig. 6 shows one form of compressed gas tank with burner on top.
Fig. 7 is a plan view of the ring chamber, fig. 4, whilst, Figs. 8 and 9 show
respectively a plan and part section of the ring chamber fig. 2.
In these drawings―
.
A is a small gravitation oil tank from which the oil is allowed to flow into the
syphon tube B and so into a ring shaped retort C mounted on the top of the
furnace D (see figs. 2 and 4). The oil flow to the retort C is regulated by the cock a.
The oil as it flows into the retort or chamber C is vapourized by the heat of the
furnace fire and the vapour so generated passes downwards by vertical connections b
into a larger retort or converter wherein the vapour is converted in a permanent

page_text: gas. This retort or converter may be of ring shape as shown at F figures 2, 8
and 9 or it may be of circular box shape as shown is soction at fig. 4 or the retort
may be of any other equivalent shape. The ring retorts may be made of a split
ring formation as shown at figs. 4 and 7 and have screw plugs fitted around the
circumference for the purpose of easily cleaning out carbon. When the retorts are
of this shape the oil has to circulate completely round the ring and is thus thoroughly
vapourized before escaping to the converter. Or the ring retorts may be made in two
halves or parts having flanges and joined together by bolts so as to be easily taken
apart to enable the carbon to be cleaned out. In order to keep the retort gas
tight, a male and female joint & filled with asbestos packing may be provided round
the flanges. This form of retort is shown at figs. 2, 8 and 9.
In some cases the furnace may be made higher and a number of retorts fitted
therein one above the other.
From the converter the gas is conducted by a pipe G, preferably provided with a
small test cock,c to a scrubber or cleaning apparatus H. The scrubber consists of a
box or trough partially filled with water as shown at fig. 5 and has fitted on it a pipe
or cleansing tube I in which a spray jet of water continually runs from a small
rose d fitte at its upper end. Water to the rose is supplied from any convenient
source through the tubo e having a cut off cock in it. The lower end of the tube I
may be filled with refractory material, such as lime, broken brick or stones through
which the gas filters. The refractory material is supported on a small grating at the
lower end of the tube I. An overflow tube J is fitted to the scrubber.
The gas
passing down the tube G bubbles up through the water in the scrubber, collects on
its surface and then ascends up the cleansing tube I. From the cleansing tube I the gas
may be led to a small gasometer K and there stored for use or it may be led direct to
the place where required for uso.
In some cases it inay be found desirable to pump the gas either from the gasometer
or from the scrubber into a gas tank and there compress it for use. In fig. 6 an
arrangement of compressed gas tank L having a gas burner mounted on it is shown.
The gas from the gasometer or scrubber is conducted by an india rubber or other
pipe connection c which, where fitted to the gasometer or scrubber pipe may be
provided with a stop valve, to the inlet nozzle of a pump f fitted on top of the
tank. By means of the pump the gas is forced into and compressed in the tank L.
A small pressure gauge g is fitted on the tank. A gas burner may if desired he
mounted on the tank the supply of gas thereto being regulated by a valve i. The
tank which may be without the burner would preferably be made portable so that the
compressed gas therein could be taken to any point where desired to supply gas to
existing gas burners or for other purposes. Pipes to convey gas to burners may if
desired be connected permanently to the compressed gas tank or reservoir.
The furnace D may be made in vertical segments as shown in figs. 1, 2 and 3, the
segments being connected together by snugs and bolts or by flanges / bolted together
or be divided into horizontal segments placed one above the other and jointed together
by bolts passing through from top to bottom. A fire door m is provided at the lower
joint of the casing and a funnel n above.
The fire may be a coal or char one.
The retorts would he preferably supported on brackets o in the furnace.
The pipe G is preferably jointed to the scrubber by a lead joint p, the pipe fitting
mouth downwards into a cup filled with lead which by the heat of the gas in the pipe
is kept molten and so prevents gas escaping. With this arrangement of joint the
furnace can be taken away at any time for cleaning or repairs without disturbing
the scrubber.
The whole apparatus may be mounted portably on a platform supported on wheels
or feet.
When lighting up a large town a number of retort cylinders could be used, or a
number of ring retorts fitted up in one large furnace the retorts in either case
discharging the gas into a gasometer from whence it would be distributed in the
usual manner.

page_text: The apparatus hereinbefore described could be used. for manufacturing the gas
necessary for lighting trains under the Pintsch, Pope or other systems.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my. said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is -
1. The method of manufacturing oil gas wherein the oil is first vapourized in one
or more ring shaped retorts and is then converted into gas in a second retort or series
of retorts the gas being subsequently passed through a filter tank for clarification,
substantially as herein before described.
2. The combination with a ring chamber or retort wherein the oil is vapourized of
a second ring chamber or retort wherein the vapour is converted into gas, substantially
as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings annexed.
3. In oil gas manufacturing apparatus the application and use of one or more ring
chambers or retorts for vapourizing the oil before it is converted into gas, substantially
as set forth.
4. The combination with the vapourizing chamber C and the converter F of a
water trough or scrubber H for purifying the gas, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown on the drawings annexed.
5. The combination with an oil gas manufacturing apparatus having a vapour
chamber and a gas converter, of a compressed gas tank fitted with a pump for
compressing the gas therein, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dutod this Sixth day of July 1880
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Agent.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Agent.