Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan., 1900
I, NARCISSE ALEXANDRE GUILLAUME, of 15, Rue du Louvre, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of gas generators which work by suction,
that is to say to that class of gas generators, in which a mixture of steam and
air, drawn in either by a pump, or directly by a motor, is caused to traverse an
appropriate fireplace or furnace.
My improved gas generator comprises a fuel-charging-device which prevents
undesirable admission to the generator of air; which generator does not require
a grate for the fuel, but which is provided with a sloping fire place in front of
which is introduced the air and vapour mixture.
The lower end
A feed hopper for the fuel is provided, having a wide mouth or opening which
is normally closed by a pivotted cover provided with a counter weight for the
purpose of facilitating the opening and closing of the said cover.
of this hopper is provided with closing plate which can be slidden horizontally to
open and close the bottom of the hopper. The pivotted cover is secured in its
closed position by
a screw bolt hinged or pivotted to the body of the hopper
and capable of being turned into position between ears on the cover, a thumb nut
being screwed onto the bolt firmly against these ears so as to tightly secure the
cover in its closed position. The pivotted screw bolt by which the cover is secured
is so connected to a bolt for locking the sliding door at the lower end of the
hopper in its closed position that the said sliding door cannot be moved to open
the bottom of the hopper unless the screw boit raised into position between the
ears on the cover of the hopper. When the cover is closed and secured by the
screw bolt the sliding door can be opened by acting upon a hand wheel, which
by the intermediary of a pinion acts upon a rack on the sliding door so as to
completely uncover the bottom of the hopper to allow any fuel that had been
placed in the hopper, to drop into a tube, and thence into the gas generator
proper with which the said tube communicates. The movement of the sliding
door to open the bottom of the hopper is not possible so long as the screw bolt is
not in the position to secure the cover of the hopper in its closed position so that
the direct communication between the interior of the generator and the external
atmosphere is prevented. Springs are provided having the tendency to force the
slide-plate or door upwards. The said door slides between two grooves in the
table, under which it slides into its closed position, in which position it remains
motionless in spite of the draught caused by the suction.
In order to ensure this immobility and to avoid the springs becoming bent by
the effect of the suction, and under the weight of the fuel placed upon the slide
plate or door and thus cause undesirable admission of air, I provide above the
steam chamber a number of fixed wedges to which correspond an equal number
of similar wedges fixed to the lower face of the sliding door so that when the
door is moved into its closing position, the wedges on the door become wedged up

page_text: against the fixed wedges and the door will be forced against the base of the feed
hopper; as the springs only continue to work in a very slight measure they do
not become bent, and any return of air will be thus prevented. The fuel passed
from time to time into the gas generator, drops gradually in a sloping direction
in front of the furnace door.
The mixture of air and vapour is supplied to the furnace under the action of
the draught the suction taking place through the conduit at the upper end of
the generator. The air and the vapour is mixed by regulation cocks in a propor-
tion suitable to ensure the proper function of the gas generator, & pass through
a tubular nozzle into a cast metal box, which extends round one half of the
circumference of the generator. The upper part of this curved conduit forms by
an upwardly bent flange a gutter the object of which is to permit of the reception
of a thin sheet of water, by the aid of which it would be possible to immediately
discover any return of air in case of any defect in the joint between the gas
generator proper and the apparatus placed at its upper part. The mixture of
air and vapour drawn by suction into the curved box or chest descends at both
sides along the gas generator by suitable conduits which discharge the gaseous
mixture through suitable orifices at both sides of the furnace.
Under the effect of the suction, the gases are transformed as they pass through
the column of fuel and they spread out in a chamber above the fuel which
surrounds the tube in communication with the hopper, through which the fuel
enters the generator. The suction produced by the pump, extracts the gas from
the generator by the intermediary of a bell shaped or arched passage separated
from the main gas chamber by means of an annular plate provided with orifices
of variable diameters, in such a manner that the resistance opposed to the
traversing of the annular or bell shaped passage and irregularly perforated plate
be nearly the same throughout the circumference. The effect of this arrange-
ment is to produce an absolutely regular draught across the whole mass or bulk
of the contents of the generator.
When it becomes necessary to stoke the fire and to remove cinders and
residues from the furnace the furnace door is opened which door is provided with
a counter weight, the rotary pivot of which is connected in a suitable manner to
the seat of a cock, placed on a secondary steam conduit, forming a branch of the
main conduit. By opening the furnace door, the steam cock is at the same time
opened and in this manner a considerable influx of air momentarily imparted to
the furnace through the opening of the door is accompanied by a quantity of
vapour which preserves to the gaseous mixture the proportions required for
obtaining a good effect of the gas generator.
The entrance to the furnace may present the shape of a vault and the capacity
of the gas generator increased by dispensing with the conical reduced portion at
its lower part.
Above the steam chamber a pressure regulating valve may be arranged which
valve may comprise two differential pistons, one of which covers the entrance of
the exhaust pipe, whilst the other is enabled to fully enter the chamber placed at
The upper part of the valve and provided with a series of small orifices.
When the pressure in the steam chamber increases, the vapour acting on the
pistons will lift them until one of the pistons uncovers the entrance of the
exhaust port. When the decrease in the pressure resulting from the loss of
vapour is sufficient, the pistons will descend; in the opposite case, the vapour,
acting upon the other piston, will continue to lift the latter until it touches the
cover of the chamber. At this moment the vapour will be enabled to freely pass
under this piston in the said chamber, and thence into the atmosphere through
suitable orifices.

page_text: improvements in Gas Generators.
I, NARCISSE ALEXANDRE GUILLAUME, of 15, Rue du Louvre, Paris, in the
Republic of France, 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 that class of gas generators which work by suction,
that is to say that class of gas generators, in which a mixture of steam and
air drawn in either by a pump, or directly by a motor, is caused to traverse an
appropriate fire place or furnace.
My improved gas generator comprises a fuel-charging-device which prevents
undesirable admission of air to the generator, which generator does not require
a grate for the fuel, but which is provided with a sloping fire place in front of
which is introduced the air and vapour mixture.
And in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood I will describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a transverse section through a gas generator to which my improve-
ments are applied.
Figure 2 is a vertical section at right angles to Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 represent a modification in the form of the furnace.
Figures 5 and 6 shew in section and plan the closed position of the slide.
A feed hopper a for the fuel is provided, having a wide mouth or opening b
which is normally closed by a cover c pivotted at and provided with a counter
weight or counter weights e for the purpose of facilitating the opening and
closing of the said cover. The lower end of this hopper is provided with a
closing plate which can be slidden horizontally to open and close the bottom
of the hopper. The pivotted cover c is secured in its closed position by screw
bolts carried on a spindle g pivotted to the body of the hopper the said bolts
being capable of being turned into position between ears on the cover c, thumb
nuts being screwed onto the bolts firmly against these ears so as to tightly
secure the cover in its closed position. The pivotted screw-bolts f are connected
by arms and links q as at r to levers s on a spindlet mounted in bearings on
the hopper a the said spindle having other arms connected to a bolt W for
locking the sliding door i at the lower end of the hopper, in its closed position,
so that the said sliding door cannot be moved to open the bottom of the hopper,
unless the screw bolts are raised into position between the ears on the cover of
the hopper. When the cover is closed and secured by the screw bolts f the sliding
door can be opened by means of a hand wheel ; on a spindle carrying pinions k
in gear with racks m on the sliding door i. The sliding door can by this means
be opened so as to completely uncover the bottom of the hopper a and thus allow
any fuel that had been placed in the hopper to drop into a tube n and thence
into the gas generator proper o. The movement of the sliding door i to open the
bottom of the hopper is not possible so long as the screw bolts are not in the
position to secure the cover of the hopper in the closed position so
that the direct communication between the interior of the generator
and the external atmosphere is prevented. Springs X are provided having the
tendency to force the slide plate or door upwards. The said door slides between
two grooves in the table, under which it slides and when in its closed position
it remains motionless in spite of the draught caused by the suction.
In order to ensure this immobility and rigidity of the plate i and to avoid the
springs becoming bent by the effect of the suction, and under the weight of the

page_text: fuel placed upon the said slide plate or door i and thus cause undesirable admis-
sion of air, I provide above the steam chamber 14 a number of fixed wedges 22
and a corresponding number of similar wedges fixed to the lower face of the
sliding door so that when the door is moved into its closing position, the
wedges 23 on the door become wedged up against the fixed wedges and the
door will be forced against the base of the feed hopper a, as the springs X only
work in a very slight measure they do not become bent, and any return of air
will be thus prevented. The fuel passed from time to time into the gas generator
drops gradually in a sloping direction as shewn at y Figure 1 in front of the
furnace door Z.
The mixture of air and vapour is supplied to the furnace under the action of
the draught, the suction taking place through the conduit 1 at the upper end
of the generator. The air and the vapour is mixed by regulation cocks in a
proportion suitable to ensure the proper function of the gas generator and pass
through a tubular nozzle 2 into a cast metal box 3 which extends round one half
of the circumference of the generator. The upper part 4 of this curved conduit
forms a gutter 5 the object of which is to permit of the reception of a thin
sheet of water, by the aid of which it would be possible to immediately discover
any return of air in case of any defect in the joint between the gas generator
proper and the apparatus placed at its upper part. The mixture of air and vapour
drawn in by suction at 1 into the curved box or chest 3 descends at both sides along
the gas generator by the conduits 6 Figure 2 which discharge the gaseous mixture
through suitable orifices 7 at both sides of the furnace.
Under the effect of the suction through the conduit 1 the gases are transformed
as they pass through the column of fuel yo and they spread out in a chamber 8
above the fuel which surrounds the tube in communication with the hopper
through which the fuel enters the generator. The suction produced in the
conduit 1 by the pump extracts the gas from the generator by the intermediary
of a bell shaped or arched passage 9 separated from the main gas chamber 8 by
means of an annular plate 10 provided with orifices of variable diameters, in
such a manner that the resistance opposed to the traversing of the annular or
bell shaped passage and irregularly perforated plate 10 be nearly the same
throughout the circumference. The effect of this arrangement is to produce an
absolutely regular draught across the whole mass or bulk of the contents of the
generator and consequently to prevent the drawn up gases from traversing the
column of fuel, by following all the same course, namely that offering the least
resistance, whereby gases unsuitable for efficient use would be obtained.
When it becomes necessary to stoke the fire and to remove cinders and residues
from the furnace, the furnace door Z is opened which door is provided with a
counter weight, the pivot 11 of which is connected in a suitable manner to the
seat of a cock 12 placed on a secondary steam conduit 13 forming a branch of
the main conduit. By opening the furnace door Z the steam cock 12 is at the
same time opened and in this manner a considerable influx of air momentarily
imparted to the furnace through the opening of the door is accompanied by a
quantity of vapour which preserves to the gaseous mixture the proportions
required for obtaining a good effect of the gas generator.
Figures 3 and 4 represent by way of example a modification in the arrangement
of the gas generator, according to which the entrance to the furnace presents the
shape of a vault and the capacity of the gas generator is increased by dispensing
with the conical reduced portion at the lower part.
Above the steam chamber 14 a pressure regulating valve 15 is provided which
valve comprises two differential pistons 16, 17, one of which 16 covers the
entrance of the exhaust pipe 18, whilst the other 17 allows steam to enter the
chamber 20 placed at the upper part of the valve and provided with a series of
small orifices 19.
When the pressure in the steam chamber 14 increases, the vapour acting on
the pistons 16 and 17 will lift them until the piston 16 uncovers the entrance of

page_text: the exhaust port 18. When the decrease in the pressure resulting from the loss
of vapour is sufficient, the pistons will descend; in the opposite case, the vapour,
acting upon the other piston 17, will continue to lift the latter until it touches
the cover of the chamber 20. At this moment the vapour will be enabled to
freely pass under this piston in the said chamber, and thence into the atmosphere
through the orifices 19.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. In a gas generator operating by suction, a fuel charging hopper closed at
its upper end by a cover secured in its closed position by hinged bolts and nuts,
or by a hinged bolt and nut; a sliding plate for closing the lower end of the
hopper and a bolt or retaining device for securing the said plate in its closed
position and means whereby the top of the hopper is prevented from being
opened before the lower end of the said hopper is closed by the sliding plate
substantially as herein before described.
2. In a gas generator operating by suction a fuel charging device comprising
a hopper closed at its upper end by a hinged lid or cover secured in its closed
position by hinged bolts and nuts, a sliding plate for closing the bottom of the
hopper and a bolt or retaining device for securing the said plate in its closed
position, a system of levers connecting the securing bolts for the top cover to
the bolt or retaining device for the sliding plate or button cover so that both
covers cannot be open at the same time and springs arranged beneath the sliding
plate to press it against the bottom of the hopper to prevent vibrations of the
plate by the action of the suction pump or motor substantially as herein before
described.
3. The combination of parts constituting the improvements in gas generators
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.