[65] A practical treatise on gas light.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES.

Wavey line
PLATE I.
  PAGE.
Elevation of the Revolving Gas Holder at the Westminster Gas Works 181
PLATE II.
Gas Light Apparatus at the Royal Mint.  
Fig. 1, Perpendicular Section of one of the Horizontal Rotary Retorts with its Furnace 112
Fig. 2, The Purifying Apparatus 150
Fig. 3, The Tar Cistern 117
Fig. 4, The Gas Metre 214
The roof of the building surrounding the Gas Works is furnished with a projecting Louver to let out the smoke.  
PLATE III.
Fig. 1, Represents a perspective view of a Portable Gas Metre 219
Fig. 2, Perpendicular Section of the Horizontal Rotary Retorts at the Royal Mint Gas Works—at Chester—Birmingham, &c. 112
Fig. 3, Perpendicular Section of the Gas Holder Valve and Siphon, or Water Reservoir 222
Fig. 4, Perspective View of the Governor, or Regulating Guage, for maintaining the Flames of Gas Lamps and Burners of an uniform intensity 225
Fig. 5, Plan of the Horizontal Rotary Retorts at the Royal Mint—Chester—Bristol—Birmingham—Kidderminster, &c. 115
Fig. 6, Transverse Section of the Gas Metre at the Royal Mint—Chester—Birmingham, &c. 219
Fig. 7, Perpendicular Section of the Gas Holder Valve 221
Fig. 8, Front elevation of the Gas Metre, at the Royal Mint, shewing the registering train of Wheel Work 218
Fig. 9, Perpendicular Section of the Gas Holder, Governor, or Regulating Guage, at the Bristol—Birmingham—and Chester Gas Works 171
Fig. 10, Transverse Section of the Air-Box, and Lime Trough, See purifying apparatus 152
Fig. 11, Perspective View of a Portable Governor or Regulating Guage 232
Fig. 12, Coal Tray of Horizontal Rotary Retort 116
Fig. 13, A jointed swing Bracket Lamp 257
Fig. 14, A Mercurial Universal Joint for Pendent Gas Lamps 256
PLATE IV.
Fig. 1, Transverse Section of the Retort Ovens, at the Westminster and City of London Gas Works, showing the mode of setting and arranging Cylindrical Retorts 69
Fig. 2, Longitudinal Section of the same 69
PLATE V.
Fig. 1, Front elevation of the Retort Ovens at the Westminster and City of London Gas Works 69
Fig. 2, Perpendicular Section of the Gas Holder, without Specific Gravity Apparatus, at the Birmingham Gas Works 177
Fig. 3, Plan of the same 177
Fig. 4, Perpendicular Section of Mr. Malam’s Lime Machine 143
Fig. 5, Plan of the same 146
Fig. 6 and 7, Mouth Piece and Cover of cylindrical, parallelopipedal and semi-cylindrical Retorts, (exhibited fig. 1, plate IV,) drawn to a larger scale 71
Fig. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, Gas Lamps and Burners 253
Fig. 14 and 15, Profile View and Section of Gas Mains, and mode of connecting them 240
Fig. 16, 17, and 18, Perpendicular Section of the parallelopipedal, ellipsoidal, and semi-cylindrical Retorts 53
Fig. 19, 20, 21, and 22, Union Joint, and circular bends for connecting Gas Pipes 266
Fig. 23, Test Apparatus for certifying the proper manner of working the Lime Machine 157
PLATE VI.
Fig. 1, Plan, showing the Fire Place and Flues, of the Horizontal Rotary Retorts 113
Fig. 2, Longitudinal Section of the Collapsing Gas Holder, and the Tank of ditto 189
Fig. 3, Transverse Section of the same 189
Fig. 4, End View of the same 189
Fig. 5 and 6, Horizontal plan shewing the mode of connecting the end plates of the Collapsing Gas Holder 192
Fig. 7, Perpendicular Section of the Gas Holder, without specific gravity Apparatus, at the Chester Gas Works 175
Fig. 8, Perspective View of the Revolving Gas Holder, at the Westminster Gas Works 181
Fig. 9, Perspective View of the Reciprocating Safety Valve 196
Fig. 10, Plan of the Purifying Apparatus, or Lime Machine, shewing the Air Trough of the Apparatus, with its axis and claws 152
Fig. 11, Sliding part of a Pendent Gas Lamp, which may be raised or depressed 257
PLATE VII.
Exhibits an economical arrangement of a Gas Apparatus, for lighting a town, or large districts. The central building exhibits the Retort House. The roof is furnished with a projecting Louver to let out the smoke. The gable ends, and one side of the building, are of brick-work, the other side of the house is open, and supported on iron columns. The building to the right hand side of the Retorts, is the Purifying House, it contains the Lime Machine, page 149. The trap door, marked A, indicates the Cistern or Reservoir for receiving the Waste Lime. The third and smallest building in the design, serves for an Office of the Director of the Works. The front wall is represented as taken away, to show the position of the Gas Metre, the axis of which drives the agitating shaft of the Lime Machine. The axis of the Metre and the shaft of the Lime Machine, are for that purpose connected by a strap, (page 213.) The small building-on the left hand side of the Retort House, is a Smith’s Shop. T, shows the situation of the Main Gas Holder Valve (page 221.)  

INDEX.

Blocked line
A.
  PAGE
Advantages of the art of procuring light by means of coal gas 1
Air box of lime machine 153
Ammoniacal liquor, quantity obtainable from a given quantity of coal 303
Ammoniacal liquor, quantity of sulphuric acid, required for saturating a given quantity 303
Ammoniacal liquor, conversion of, into carbonate of ammonia 303
Ammoniacal liquor, conversion of, into muriate of ammonia 303
Apparatus for obtaining carburetted hydrogen gas from coal tar 285
Apparatus for purifying coal gas 141
Apparatus for certifying the proper mode of working the lime machine 157
Argand gas lamp 253
Argand gas lamp, quantity of gas consumed by different kinds 275
Art of procuring coal gas, theory of 33
B.
Bat’s wing gas burner 255
Bends, for connecting gas pipes 267
Burner, argand 253
Burner, bat’s wing 255
Burner, cockspur 255
Branch pipes 239
Branch pipes, dip of 243
Branch pipes, mode of connecting 263
Branch pipes, mode of proving 265
Branch pipes, corrosion of 260
C.
Carbonate of ammonia, preparation of, from ammoniacal liquor of coal 303
Cement, for connecting gas mains 241
Chandelier, sliding, for burning gas 257
Chester gas holder, description of 175
Coal, analysis of, by destructive distillation 35
Coal, chemical constitution of 42
Coal, classification of 41
Coal, comparative facility with which different species are decomposed 106
Coal, chiefly composed of bitumen only, varieties of 42
Coal, chiefly composed of bitumen, maximum quantity of gas obtainable from them 43
Coal, containing more carbon than bitumen 45
Coal, containing more carbon than bitumen, maximum quantity of gas obtainable from them 48
Coal, destitute of bitumen 42
Coal, maximum quantity of gas obtainable from them 44
Coal, Gloucestershire 49
Coal, Kilkenny 44
Coal, Lancashire 44
Coal, Newcastle 47
Coal, Scotch 109
Coal, Warwickshire 109
Coal, Welch Stone 48
Coal, Yorkshire 44
Coal oil 300
Coal oil, quantity obtainable from a given quantity of coal tar 302
Coal tar 298
Coal tar, quantity obtainable from a given quantity of coal 122
Coke, quantity obtained in the gas light process from a given quantity of coal, by means of cylindrical retorts 132
Coke, quantity obtained by means of horizontal rotary retorts 132
F.
Flue plan of setting cast iron retorts 59
Flue plan, report on a series of operations, made with retorts worked on the flue plan 61
Fuel, minimum quantity required for the complete decomposition of coal, by means of cylindrical retorts 61
G.
Gas, average cost of manufacturing it upon a large scale, in London 106
Gas, apparatus for lighting a town, best situation of, as far as it regards the most economical distribution of the pipes 249
Gas, apparatus for lighting a town, arrangement of 319
Gas, apparatus for lighting a town, at the Royal Mint 112
Gas, burners, different kinds of 253
Gas, quantity of, evolved during different periods of the distillatory process employed for decomposing coal, in cylindrical retorts 77
Gas, observations on the progressive evolution of, during different periods of the distillatory process with cylindrical retorts 79
Gas flame, mode of regulating the magnitude of 234
Gas holder, construction of, originally employed 164
Gas holder, sheet iron, best adapted for it 180
Gas holder, sheet iron, best adapted for it, cost of 164
Gas holder, sheet iron, lately adopted without specific gravity apparatus 169
Gas holder, at Birmingham without specific gravity apparatus 177
Gas holder, at Bristol without specific gravity apparatus 175
Gas holder, at Chester without specific gravity apparatus 175
Gas holder, collapsing 185
Gas holder, collapsing, rule for finding its capacity 195
Gas holder, revolving at the Westminster gas works 181
Gas holder, collapsing, rule for calculating its capacity 185
Gas holder, valve 221
Gas from coal tar 286
Gas from coal tar, average quantity obtainable from a given quantity of tar 286
Gas from oil 289
Gas from oil, quantity obtainable from a given quantity of oil 297
Gas from vegetable tar 284
Gas from vegetable tar, average quantity obtainable from a given quantity of tar 284
Gas illuminating power of 271
Gas lamps 253
Gas lamps, diameter of the pipes for supplying them with gas 261
Gas mains 239
Gas mains, mode of proving them when laid 245
Gas mains, observations on 247
Gas mains, cost of a mile, laid under ground in London 252
Gas mains, of pewter, lead, and tin, why unfit for distributing gas 260
Gas mains, weight of different lengths, of a given bore 251
Gas metre, construction of 214
Gas metre, construction of, at the Royal Mint Gas Works 214
Gas metre, directions to workmen for fixing it 229
Gas metre, rule for calculating its power 220
Gas metre, at the Birmingham Gas Works, registering capacity of 220
Gas metre, at the Bristol Gas Works, registering capacity of 220
Gas metre, at the Chester Gas Works, registering capacity of 220
Gas pipes, directions to workmen for adapting them to the interior of houses 258
Gasometer house, of sheet iron, of a given size, cost of 178
Gasometer, tank of cast iron, of a given size, cost of 178
Gasometer, tank of brick work, of a given size, cost of 178
Gasometer, tank of wood, of a given size, cost of 178
Governor, or regulating guage 261
Governor, its application and efficacy 171
Governor, directions to workmen for fixing it 229
H.
Horizontal rotary retort. (See rotary retort horizontal) 110
L.
Lamps for burning coal gas 253
Lamps for burning coal gas, quantity of gas consumed by different kinds, in a given time 275
Lime machine originally employed, defects, and dangerous consequences to which it gave rise 141
Lime machine, lately adopted 149
Lime machine, at Birmingham gas works 149
Lime machine, at Chester gas works 149
Lime machine, at Royal Mint gas works 150
Lime machine, capacity requisite for purifying a given volume of gas in a given time 157
M.
Mains for conveying gas 245
Mains, average cost of a mile when laid in London 252
Mains, manner of proving them when laid 245
Mains, kind of, most economical for conveying gas 251
Mains, which do not supply branch pipes or lamps, observations on 250
Mains, faulty, how distinguished 240
Mercurial joint for pendent gas lamps 256
Muriate of ammonia, preparation of, from the ammoniacal liquor of coal 303
N.
Newcastle coal, maximum quantity of gas obtainable from different kinds 47
O.
Oven, for heating retorts, (See retort oven)  
Oil, from coal tar 300
Oil gas 289
Oil gas, quantity obtainable from a given quantity of whale oil 296
Oven plan, of setting cast iron retorts 67
P.
Pendent gas lamp 257
Pipes, directions to workmen for adapting them to the interior of houses 258
Pitch from coal tar 302
Pitch, quantity obtainable from a given quantity of tar 302
Purifying apparatus, (See lime machine) 150
Q.
Quicklime, best method of preserving it for the purification of coal gas 160
Quicklime, quantity required for purifying a given volume of coal gas 162
R.
Reciprocating safety valve 196
Regulating guage, regulator, or governor 171 220
Regulating guage, at Birmingham Gas Works 177
Regulating guage, at Bristol Gas Works 177
Regulating guage, at Chester Gas Works 177
Retorts, cylindrical cast iron 52
Retorts, cylindrical, method of heating them by flues 59
Retorts, cylindrical, experiments on setting three to one fire place 61
Retorts, cylindrical, experiments on setting four to one fire place 53
Retorts, cylindrical, cost of erecting them 99
Retorts, cylindrical, best mode of working them 94
Retorts, cylindrical, minimum quantity of fuel required for working them 61
Retorts, cylindrical, temperature best adapted for working them 94
Retorts, cylindrical, conical 52
Retorts, cylindrical, conical, comparative power of 55
Retorts, cylindrical, ellipsoidal 53
Retorts, horizontal rotary 110
Retorts, horizontal rotary, at the Royal Mint Gas Works 112
Retorts, horizontal rotary, at Birmingham 111
Retorts, horizontal rotary, at Chester 111
Retorts, horizontal rotary, at Kidderminster 111
Retorts, horizontal rotary, action and management of 121
Retorts, horizontal rotary, advantages of 124
Retorts, horizontal rotary, directions to workmen with regard to working them 134
Retorts, parallelopipedal 52
Retorts, parallelopipedal, comparative power of 55
Retorts, parallelopipedal, best mode of working them 93
Retorts, semi-cylindrical 53
Retorts, oven, description of, at the Westminster and City of London Gas Works 69
Retorts, oven, experiments on 84
Revolving gas holder, at the Westminster Gas Works 181
Revolving gas holder, rule for calculating its capacity 185
S.
Safety valve, reciprocating 196
Self-acting guage, (see governor) 171
Siphon 221
Sliding chandelier 257
South London Gas Works 69
Spigot and faucit pipes 241
Staffordshire coal 44
Swing bracket gas burner 257
T.
Tar, quantity obtainable from a given quantity of coal 130
Tar gas, quantity obtainable from a given quantity of coal tar 287
Tar gas, from vegetable tar 284
Tar, retort 285
Temperature for working cast iron retorts, remarks on 94
Test apparatus, for certifying the proper manner of working the lime machine 157
Theory of the production of gas lights 39
Towns lighted with gas 149
V.
Valve of gas holder 221
Valve, hydraulic 116
Valve, of horizontal rotary retort 116 124
Valve, lime machine 156
Valve, reciprocating 196
Ventilation of rooms lighted by gas 276
W.
Water reservoir, (See Siphon) 221
Wheel work, registering of gas metre 218