Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for the Manufacture of Water Gas, applicable for Gas Engines and other purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1890-Accepted, 9th Aug., 1890
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for the Manufacture
of Water Gas, applicable for Gas Engines and other purposes.
I JOHN READ PAISLEY of Poyle Mills near Colnbrook in the County of Buckingham
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce gas by the action of steam and air upon
incandescent fuel of a more uniform quality than at present obtained with Dowson's
or other similar apparatus.
According to this invention I construct the producer of wrought iron or other
suitable material having a fire grate at the bottom thereof, above the fire grate' is a
lining of firebrick or other suitable blocks which when in position. leave a conical
orifice with the base downwards in the centre of the producer, above these blocks is a
firebrick or other suitable lining rather smaller than the body of the producer the
space between the iron and the fire brick I fill with sand or other suitable non
conductor.
.
.
The fuel is fed into the top of the producer through a hopper the openings in
which are closed by ball valves opening upwards of sufficient weight to remain closed
against the pressure of gas in the producer. Inside the firebrick lining is a series of
tubes inserted at their lower extremity in the fire brick blocks above mentioned their
upper ends passing through holes in the top of the producer. To avoid injury to the
top of the producer from the heat of the fire I construct a suitable flange or ring
round the edge thereof a few inches deep and quite watertight and fill the dish or
tray thus formed with water. I also provide in the top of the producer suitable
manholes for pricking or stirring the fire and for cleansing the tubes each manhole
being provided with a pipe reaching above the level of the water in the dish and
closed by suitable plugs or lids.
I force a mixture of steam and air into the bottom of the producer and upwards
through the incandescent fuel by means of a suitable blower or injector the air being,
previously passed through a pipe built in the lining of the producer and so arranged
that I may use hot or partially heated air by this means I dry the steam if it should
contain an excess of moisture.
The gas produced by the action of the heated carbon on the jet of steam and air
rises to the top of the producer and escapes through the holes for the tubes, then
down the tubes being dried or superheated therein and finally escapes from the
producer through channels made in the firebrick blocks and through pipes to the
hydraulic main and thence to the boiler or scrubber and gas holder.
J
Instead of the tubes mentioned above I may use a single central tube fuel being
prevented from falling down the tube by a cone above the orifice thereof or by other
suitable means or in some cases I provide a firebrick cylinder or chamber made gas
tight at the bottom where it rests on the blocks, of such dimensions as to leave a
space between the outside of the cylinder or chamber and the inside of the producer
lining, the annular space thus formed communicating with the outlet pipe.
It has been found that such gas made by ordinary apparatus gives great trouble
when used for driving gas engines owing to the excess of moisture or irregularity of
temperature, the pipes I have described effectually do away with the first objection
and the second I propose to overcome by passing the gas as it comes from the producer.
through coils of pipes arranged in a tank of water, the water in the tank being kept at
an even temperature by suitable means.
The outlet pipes from the coils in the tank are carried down through the top of a
horizontal pipe of suitable diameter kept partially filled with water and the extremity

page_text: of each outlet pipe dips below the surface of the water so as to make an hydraulic
seal between the producer and the scrubber.
To each end of this pipe I 'attachi a'box with an open top communicating with the
horizontal pipe and in these boxes I place adjustable overflow pipes to regulate the
depth of seal the water being suitably trapped between the pipe and the overflow
boxes.
The supply of water to this horizontal pipe is brought by means of a suitable pipe
from the bottom of the scrubber. The pipe conveying the gas from the hydraulic
main to the scrubber I carry upwards a short distance above the bottom of the scrubber
'so that the water running from 'the scrubber will not pass' down the gas main but
through the special' water pipe 'above mentioned.'
This cooling apparatus' may be placed between theṛgas" bolder and the engine
instead of between 'the producer and the scrubber as above stated or more-than-one
cooling apparatus may be employed.
In order to facilitate the cleaning of the fire and the removal of clinkers from the
fire bars of the producer without cooling down the 'apparatus I provide a door on either
side of the furnace thereof and make the firebars in small sections so as to be easily
reinoved and replaced. When the firebars are to be cleaned. I remove the doors and
fix across the upper part of each opening a perforated horizontal-bar and insert-iron.
rods through the perforations therein to serve as temporary firebars while the grate-
bars proper are removed and cleaned.
.
"
When the gas is required for heating. purposes only, dispense with the cooling
Japparatus and take the gas direct from the producer by a' suitable main fitted. with a
stop valve between which and the producer I fit artest pipe to the main. The gas is
'conveyed to the steam boiler or other apparatus to be heated by means of a descending
pipe to enable the tar and other bye' products to drain out.
Dated this 8th day of October 1889
BROWNE & Co.,
9 & 10, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for the Manufacture
of Water Gas; applicable for Gas Engines and other purposes.
· I JOHN READ PAISLEY of Poyle Mills, near Colubrook in the County of Bucking-
hamshire, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of 'this invention and in what
manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement
-
The object of this invention is to produce gas by the action of steam and air upon
incandescent fuel of a more uniform quality than at present obtained with Dowsons
or other similar apparatus.
According to this invention I construct the producer of wrought iron or other
suitable material having a fire grate at the bottom thereof, above the fire grate is a
lining of fire brick or other suitable blocks which when in position leave a conical
orifice with the base downwards 'in the centre of the producer, above these blocks is
a firebrick or other suitable lining rather smaller-than-the body-of the-producer the
space between the iron and the firebrick fill with sand or other suitable. non-
conductor.
.
· The fuel is fed into the top of the-producer through a hopper- the openings in which
are closed by ball valves opening upwards of-sufficient weight to remain closed
against the pressure of gas in the producer.
Inside the firebrick lining is a series of-tubes inserted at their lower extremity.in
the firebrick blocks above mentioned their upper-ends passing through-holes in..the
top of the producer. To avoid 'injury to the top of the producer-from-the-heat of the
fire I-construct a suitable flange or ring, round-the-edge thereof a few inches-deep
and quite watertight and fill the dish or tray thus formed with water.. I'also-provide

page_text: in the top of the producer suitable manholes for pricking or stirring 'the fire and for
cleaning the tubes each manhole being provided with a pipe reaching above the level
of the water in the dish and 'closed by suitable plugs or lids.
I force a mixture of steam and air into the bottom of the producer and upwards
through the incandescent fuel by means of a suitable blower or injector.
"The gas produced by the action of the heated carbon on the jet of steam and air
rises to the top of the producer and escapes through the holes for 'the tubes, then down
the tubes, being dried or superheated therein and finally escapes from the producer
through. 'channels made in the firebrick blocks and through pipes to the hydraulic
main and thence to the boiler or scrubber and gas holder.
Instead of the tubes mentioned above I may use a single central tube fuel-being
prevented from falling down the tube by a cone above the orifice thereof or by other
suitable means, or in some cases I provide a firebrick cylinder or chamber made gas
tight at the bottom where it rests on the blocks; of such dimensions as to leave, a
Space between the outside of the cylinder or chamber and the inside of the producer
lining the annular space thus formed communicating with the outlet pipe.
It has been found that such gas made by ordinary apparatus gives great trouble
when used for driving gas engines owing to excess of moisture or irregularity of
temperature, the pipes I have described effectually do away with the first objection
and the second I propose to overcome by passing the gas as it comes from the
producer through coils of pipes arranged in a tank of water, the water in the tank
being kept at an even temperature by suitable means.
'
The outlet pipes from the coils in the tank are carried down through the top of a
horizontal pipe of suitable diameter kept partially filled with water and the extremity
of each outlet pipe dips below'the surface of the water so as to make an hydraulić seal
between the producer and the scrubber. To each end of this pipe I attach a box with
an open top communicating with the horizontal pipe and in these hoxes' I place
adjustable overflow pipes to regulate the depth of seal the water being suitably
trapped between the pipe and the overflow boxes.
The supply of water to this horizontal pipe is brought by means of a suitable pipe
from the bottom of the scrubber. The pipe conveying the gas from the hydraulic
main to the scrubber I carry upwards a short distance above the bottom of the
scrubber so that the water running from'the scrubber will not pass down the gas main
but through the special water pipe above mentioned.
This cooling apparatus inay be placed between the gas holder and the engine instead
of.between the producer and the: scrubber as.above stated,or.more than one,cooling
apparatus may be employed.
In order to facilitate the cleaning of the fire and the removal of clinkers from.the
fire bars of the producer without cooling down the apparatus I provide a door on
either side of the furnace thereof and I make the firebars-in small sections so as to be
easily removed and replaced. When the fire. bars are to be cleaned I- remove 'the
doors and fix across the upper part of each opening a perforated horizontal bar, and
insert iron rods through the perforations therein to serve as temporary fire bars while
the grate bars proper are removed and cleaned.
When the gas is required for heating purposes only, I dispense with the cooling
apparatus and take the gas direct from the producer by a suitable inain fitted with
a stop valve between which and the producer; I:fit a test pipe to the main.
The gas is conveyed to the steam boiler or other apparatus to be heated by means
of a 'descending pipe to enable the star and other bye products to drain ont
'
And in order that my invention may be the better understood I will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which at sheet 1
Fig. 1 represents elevation of an apparatus (partly in-section) constructed according
tomy invention Fig. 2 plan of same. At sheet 2; Fig. 3 shews sectional elevation
of my apparatus adapted for the heating of steam boilers, Fig. 4 plan of same:
The same letters denote: the same-parts invall the figures. is the producer
grate bars c bearers for samej d.firebrick blocks, efirebrick lining ff: tubestin
irebox g. space between firebrick lining e. and body of producer a. filled with sand

page_text: ..or other nonconducting material h. waterdish or tray i. i manholes provided with
lids j. j. for. cleaning tubes f. f. and pricking the fire,. k hopper for feeding fire pro-
vided with ball valves 1. m. n. is counterbalance weight to enable ball . to be easily
lifted, o. lever. pivoted to standard p. q. valve spindle, ». gas exit tube from producer
each tube r. is connected to a coil s. formed of wrought iron or other tubes con-
nected together by means of crosses t. provided with plugs u. to enable the tubes & to
be cleaned each coil s. passes through a tank v. containing water, w. inlet pipe for
.water to tank x. overflow pipe for same y. pipes from coil to hydraulic main .
main from hydraulic main . to scrubber B. C. water supply from scrubber to main z.
D. gas pipe from scrubber B. to gasholder E. F. outlet main from holder E. to
engine or other apparatus G. drain, pipe fitted with cock H. to run off tar and other
bye products, I also fit a drain cock or valve to the lower portion of ench coil 8. for
the same purpose.
A. gas
The hydraulic main c. has at either end thereof an open box I. fitted with an over-
flow pipe J. to maintain the water in the main at a constant level the gas in the
main being prevented from entering the boxes by means of the trap K. shewn in
detail at Fig. 5. Sheet 2.
The pipe A. terminates some distance above the bottom of the serubber B. to pre-
vent the water which is introduced into the scrubber B. through a pipe or pipes fitted
with a rose or roses and accumulates in the bottom of the scrubber from passing down
the pipe A.
When the gas is used for heating purposes the cooling apparatus may be dispensed
with as shewn Figs. 3 and 4 sheet. 2. in which the gas is taken direct from the
producer through a descending pipe K. to the furnace L of the boiler M. a testing
pipe N. being fitted to the pipe K. The pipe K. is made to gradually descend or a
suitable trap or syphon may be attached thereto to catch any far or other liquid which
may be condensed in the pipe which liquid is drained off by suitable cocks or other
apparatus, (). is the burner.
In this producer the pipes shewn in Fig. 1. are dispensed with and a cylinder P.
of firebrick or other material (luted to the blocks d. or otherwise made gas tight at the
bottom) is employed in their place.
When fresh fuel has to be introduced into the producer the ball valve m. is removed
and the hopper k. filled with fuel the valve m. replaced and the valve 7. raised by
means of the lever o. when the fuel will fall by gravity into the producer the valve l.
is then lowered and closes the feeding orifice.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
I. In an apparatus for the manufacture of water gas the vertical tubes f. f. placed
in the fire box of the producer substantially as described for the purpose stated.
II. In an apparatus for the manufacture of water gas the hopper k. fitted with ball
valves l. and m. substantially as and for the purpose stated.
III. In an apparatus for the manufacture of water gas the cooling apparatus con-
structed of coils of tubes immersed in a tank of water each tube being provided with a
cleaning plug or plugs substantially as described and shewn.
IV. In an apparatus for the manufacture of water gas the hydraulic main pro-
vided with open topped water boxes such boxes being insulated from the gas in the
main by suitable traps and provided with overflow pipes substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
V. In an apparatus for the manufacture of water gas the combination of a gas pipe
from hydraulic, main to scrubber terminating at some distance above the bottom, of
the same with a feed pipe from scrubber to bydraulic main substantially as described
and shewn.
VI. In draining the liquid bye products from the cooling apparatus by means of
suitable cocks or. valves placed at the lowest portion of each coil substantially as

page_text: VII. The improved producer substantially as described and shewn at Figure 1. of
the accompanying drawings.
VIII. The modified forin of producer substantially as described and shewn at Fig. 3.
of the accompanying drawings.
BROWNE & Co.,
59 & 60, Chancery Lane, Agents for the Applicant.