US39480A

US39480A - Improvement in the manufacture of water-gas

Info

Publication number: US39480A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1863-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 1880-08-11

Description

w, H., GWYNNE. Manufacture of Water Gas Patented Aug. 11, 1863.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. GWYNNE, OF WVHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WATER-GAS.

Specific-a1 ion forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,480, dated August 11,1863.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, W. H. GWYNNE, of the town of White Plains, county of Westchester, State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Method of Decomposing Water; and Ihereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providing a retort of suitable form and size, heated to redness, and filled to a proper depth with metal of any kind capable of absorbing oxygen, and then passing jets of steam through and over the melted material, which steam is thereby decomposed, the oxygen combining with the metal, forming oxides of the metals used. When iron is used, black oxide is formed. If the metal is zinc, White oxide is produced, and like operations take place varyin g with the decomposing materials employed, and it is well known that many of the oxides are commercially valuable. The hydrogen is set free at the same time the oxygen is absorbed, thereby producing hydrogen gas, which may be used for heating, lighting, or other purposes, either alone or in com .)ination with other gases, hydrocarbons, or by means of materials heated to incandescence, thereby producing heat or light at reasonable expense.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I use aretort, of metal, clay, or other suitable material, of any form desired. I place on the bottom of retort a coil of pipe or a box or casting with a circulating-passage therein, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, for the purpose of heating the steam before it enters the decomposing material. The circulation has at its extreme end a number of fine holes, (shown in Fig. 2, marked B 13,) for the purpose of delivering the steam in fine jets through the decomposing matter.

Figure 1 shows aretort which may be varied, according to circumstances, in shape or size.

To operate the apparatus it is necessary to heat retort, Fig. 1, to redness, and fill the retort with a proper quantity of decomposing material-say, sufficient when melted to cover retort about four inches in depth over the circulating-pipe, Figs. 2 and 3, or a suitable stream of melted metal may be run directly into retort by pipe A, Fig. 8. When snficient decomposing matter is in retort, the valve (D, Fig. 3, is opened, when the steam is admitted into circulating pipe, Figs. 2 and 3, where it is superheated and distributed through the red-hot material, and is decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen gases, the former gas combining with the metal and the latter, being set free, passes out the stand-pipe I) into the washer end, purifies, and thence to the gasometer, where it may be stored for use; or, it so desired, it may, before being purified, pass into another retort containing hydrocarbons, and made into illuminating-gas. If oxides of lead orzinc or other metals, which sublime at high temperatures, be wanted, it will be advisable to attach a subliming-chamber to retort for that purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Passing steam, superheated or otherwise, through melted metal or ores, for the purposes described and shown.

W. H. GWVYNNE.

YVitnesses:

H. HOLDREGE, THOMAS DONOHUE.