US429675A - Apparatus for generating oil-gas - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

M. 0. BURT.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OIL GAs.

No. 429,675. Patented June 10, 1890.

Witn sses. a 6, 6m Inventor.

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MARTIN C. BURT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OIL-GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,675, dated June 10, 1890.

Applicationfiled December 23,1889. Serial No. 334,728. (No model.) A

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN O. BURT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Oil- Gas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in an apparatus for the manufacture of gas by electricity, whereby the same is rendered automatic in its operation, so that the manufacture of gas goes on only when it is being used or consumed, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompa nying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation representing the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the apparatus, the counter-weight and its connecting parts being omitted. Fig. 3 is a detached front elevation of the arm for regulating the flow of 01 The object of my invention is to render every step in the manufacture of gas by electricity automatic in its operation, the bringing of the battery elements into action, the forming and breaking the electric circuit, the admission of oil to the retort, each and all of these steps being automatic in their action, so that when the consumption of gas stops the expense of the battery and everything appertaining to the manufacture of the gas stops also.

111 said drawings, in which I have represented a suitable apparatus for carrying out 'my invention, the battery cell or vessel is designated by the numeral 1 and is made in the usual way. It is provided with two apartments 2 and 3, for holding the separate elements composing the battery. To each side, preferably, are connected the bars 4, which pass up through the platform 5 and are connected by a cross-piece 6 audits connectingframe 7. To the frame 7 is connected a chain or cable 8,which passes over the grooved pulleys 9 and 10, and is then connected to a counter-weight 11. The object of this construction is to counterbalancetheweight of the battery-vessel, so that it can be easily raised or lowered. Near the cable 8 is connected to the frame 7 another cable or cord 12,which runs up over the grooved pulley 13, and from thence to and down over the grooved pulley 14., and is connected to the top of the gas- .omete'r 15 in any well-known way. From this'construction it will be seen that as the gasometer rises the battery cell or vessel 1 falls.

' To the under sideof the platform 5 is securely fastened a zinc cylinder 16, and within it is the carbon bar or cylinder 17, both being permanent-1y fixed in place, as shown in Fig. 1, sothat as the battery-vessel is alternately raised and lowered, as before mentioned, the zinc and carbon forming aportion of the battery are alternately immersed in the liquids in the vessel 1 or removed therefrom, and are thus automatically brought into or entirely out of action. The oil-vessel 18 rests upon the platform 5 and is provided with a cover 19. It is secured to the vessel 18 by the bolts 20.

Directly below the oil-vessel 18 is the gasretort-holding vessel 21; but as this position is merely a matter of arrangement it may be placed in any suitable position without changing the nature of the invention. This vessel 21 is also provided with a removable cover 22, which is kept to its place by bolts 23, and is connected With the oil-vessel 18 by a small vertical pipe 24, which communicates between the two vessels, The lower end of the pipe 24 is madesmall enough, so thatthe oil passes very slowly through it and falls down in drops upon the retort 25, which is preferably made of platinum as the most suitable material; but any other material adapted for the purpose may be used. 43 is a transparent portion of glass or other similar material, through which the interior maybe seen when required. This retort is connected with the opposite poles of the battery by the wire 26, connecting with the carbon and with the retort at the point 27, and the wire 28 connects with a pivoted connecting-bar 29, and through that with the wire 30, which connects with the opposite side of the retort at the point 31. From the side of the retort, as shown in the drawings, in this instance, is a pipe 32, which passes into the water-vessel 33, and then up through and above the surface of the water, so that the gas as it is formed goes into the gasometer.

To one side of the gasomcter is an arm 34, projecting therefrom and then downward,

having at its lower end a forwardly-projecting or awider portion 35. The object of this construction is to provide the means for breaking the electric circuit when the gasometer rises high enough by raising the end of the pivoted connecting-bar 29, as shown by the dotted lines 36.

Projecting from the arm 34, substantially at right angles to it, is a bar 37, which projects into or through the slot 11 in the stopcock arm 38 for the purpose of operating the stop-cock 39 to control the flow of oilinto the retort. The construction of this stop-cock arm 38 is more clearly shown in Fig. 3, where its upper position is represented, and its lower position, which opens the stop-cock, is designated by the dotted lines 38. From this construction it will be noticed that as the arm 37 rises with the gasometer it will close the stop-cock, and it may then continue its movement in the same direction and pass out of the slot or opening 41 without disturbing it; but in its downward movement it will pass in again and open the stop-cock by bringing it into the position shown by the dotted lines 38', and may then pass down still farther and out of the slot. By this means the flow of oil is stopped when the gasometer is filled with gas, and as the gas passes out and the gasometer falls the flow of gas is started again and the battery is put in action, and thus all the different portions of the apparatus act automatically as the gas is made and used.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The gasometer being at its lowest point or position, and consequently the battery-vessel 1 in its upper position, the oilpipe 2t being opened so that the oil drops into the retort, and the electric current being let on, gas is formed in the heated retort, and the gasometer begins to rise as it fills with gas. This movement causes the batteryvessel 1 to move down, which operation weak ens the battery and finally stops its action entirely. It also shuts off the flow of oil, as hereinbefore mentioned, and breaks the electric circuit. In this condition the apparatus will remain and all action and expense will stop until a suificient amount of gas is taken from the gasometer through the outlet-pipe 42 to permit it to come down low enough to bring everything into action again, when the same operation will be repeated.

In the drawings I have shown for illustration an ordinary electric battery; but any battery or any dynamo-electric machine of sutfieient power for the purpose may be used. In some cases, where a different battery is used, for instance, the cable 12, connecting with the gasometer, may be omitted and the battery raised by hand when desirable. Under such conditions the automatic devices for operating the pivoted connecting-bar 29 or switch and the means for operating the oilfeeding device could be used alone with the gas making and receiving mechanism.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an electrical apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination of an oil-vessel, a retort-holding case located below it, a communicating pipe between them, means for controlling the passage of oil through said pipe, a platinum retort located within the retort-holding ease and having one side connected with one pole of an electric battery and the other side connected with a switch which is connected with the other pole of the battery, a gasometer connected with the retort-case, and mechanism, substantially as set forth, connected with the bell of the gasometer, constructed and arranged to open and close the switch and operate the mechanism for controlling the supply of oil, substantially as described.

2. In an electrical apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination of an oil-holding vessel, a retort-holding vessel located below it, a vertical pipe connecting the two together, a stop-cock for controlling the flow of oil in said pipe, and a retort located below the pipe within the retort-holdin g vessel, having its opposite sides connected with opposite poles of an electric battery, a switch located in the battery-circuit, a gasometer connected with the retort-holding vessel, and means connected with the bell of the gasometor for operating the switch, substantially as described.

MARTIN C. BURT.

\Vitnesses:

JAMEs SANGSTER, ALLAN T. BENNETT.

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