IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAS FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAS FOR LIGHTING AND
HEATING PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad by Raphaël
D L
Montin Paris
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th December 1871.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAS FOR
LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for the production of
gas for lighting and heating purposes:-1st, from residues of the dis-
tillation of mineral or vegetable oils, or residues of the manufacture of

page_text: carburetted liquid or liquifiable matters. For this purpose a small
boiler is placed behind the furnace for generating steam, which is caused
to pass into the 1st retort.
The apparatus occupy but little space, and produce a highly illumina-
tive gas at very low cost.
The apparatus may also be made with a
single retort, either of semi-cylindrical or parallelopiped form, divided
into four compartments, the gas generating liquid being contained in
the 1st compartment of the retort, and the gases are carried off from the
last compartment by a suitable pipe. When made in the form of a
parallelopiped the retort would be disposed in an inclined position in the
furnace, behind which may be placed a calorifère for heating the space
around the gas generating apparatus, the said calorifère receiving the
waste products of combustion from the furnace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAS FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING
PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by Raphaël Colacicchi,

page_text: of 13, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for the production of
gas for lighting and heating purposes:-1st, from the residues of the
distillation of mineral or vegetable oils, or residues of of the manufacture
of fats and fatty matters of various kinds; and, 2ndly, from raw
materials, such as those from which essences, mineral oils, fats,
paraffine, or tar are obtained.
The distinctive feature of the apparatus consists in the use for
generating the gas of a series of chambers or retorts arranged as
hereafter described. The liquid generating matters, such as petroleum
or schist residues, are placed (for example) in the first retort (or com-
partment of a retort) and by the action of heat become transformed
into vapors, which pass into a second and it may be into a third and
fourth retort, wherein the vapors are converted into carburetted
hydrogen gas.
The course of the vapors and gas through the apparatus varies
according to the nature of the materials acted on, the object being to
produce a gas having high illuminating properties.
One example of the improved apparatus of this Invention is illus-
trated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings; Figure 1
being a front elevation of the apparatus, Figure 2 a section of same
through the centre of the 2nd and 3rd retorts, while Figure 3 shows a
part sectional elevation of the apparatus taken on line 1, 2, Figure 2.
The same reference letters apply to these three Figures.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a furnace in which the retorts are placed.
a, brick setting; b, fire-bars; c, ash-pit; d, opening at which the
temperature of the retorts may be ascertained. The products of com-
bustion after heating the retorts pass out at flues e, f. g, h, i, j, are
four bent tubular retorts having communication with each other placed
athwart the furnace over the fire-bars. The liquid serving to generate
the gas is introduced into the 1st and 3rd retorts in the form of drops
or fine jets from a reservoir above by syphon tubes k, l, at the top of
the retorts, which latter are moreover nearly filled with coke or ceramic
refuse to retain the heat and produce the vaporization of the carburetted
liquid trickling through the same. The syphon tubes k, l, serve as
safety valves in the case of any accidental obstruction causing pressure
in the apparatus.
The 1st and 3rd retorts serve as before mentioned to vaporize the
generating liquid, while the 2nd and 4th retorts are used to convert the
vapors into gas. The 1st retort g communicates with the 2nd retort h
by a pipe at the lower part, the 2nd retort h communicates with the
3rd retort i at the upper part, as shown in Figure 2, and the 3rd
retort i with the 4th retort j by a pipe at the lower part. The gas
passes from the 4th retort to a condenser and washing apparatus, and
thence if desired to a purifier, before being stored in a gas holder for
supplying the burners. The upper ends of the retorts project through
the top of the furnace, and are closed by suitable covers, as shown.
If desired steam may be introduced into the 1st retort in suitable
amount for forming a water gas as well as a carburetted gas from
carburetted liquid or liquifiable matters. For this purpose a small
boiler m is placed behind the furnace for generating steam, which is
caused to pass into the 1st retort.
The apparatus occupies but little space, and produces a highly illumi-
native gas at very low cost.
Another arrangement of the apparatus is shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7,
8, and 9, of which Figure 4 is an elevation, Figure 5 a top plan,
Figure 6 a vertical section on line 1-2, Figures 4 and 5; Figure 7 a
longitudinal section on line 3-4, Figure 6; Figure 8 a vertical section
on line 5-6, Figure 5; lastly, Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken
through the ash-pit. The same letters of reference are used to

page_text: designate the same parts as in the first four Figures, which consequently
need no further description.
A single retort is used made either of semi-cylindrical or parallel
form, and divided into four compartments. The gas generating liquid
is contained in the 1st compartment of the retort, and the gases are
carried off from the last compartment by a suitable pipe n.
In Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13, which are respectively an elevation,
plan, vertical and horizontal sections of another arrangement, a single
retort is shown, made in the form of a parallelopiped and having four
compartments. The retort is disposed in an inclined position in the
furnace, behind which may be placed a calorifère for heating the space
around the gas generating apparatus, the said calorifère receiving the
waste products of combustion from the furnace flues o, p.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, pro-
ducing gas for lighting and heating purposes from the various matters
specified by the aid of apparatus consisting of a series of chambers,
retorts, or compartments, in which the generating liquid is first vapo-
rized by the action of heat and then converted into carburetted hydrogen 1
gas during its passage through the apparatus, all as herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and a
seventy-two.