JULY 27.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1823

gas being substantially removed prior to the reaction, substantially as described. (3.) The manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes by mixing coal-gas with Dowson gas, producer gas, Siemens gas, or equivalent combustible gas, and passing such mixture, with or without addition of hydrogen for the purpose specified, over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature to effect the more or less complete conversion into methane and water of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide or dioxide, or both, the hydrocarbons other than methane of the coal-gas being substantially removed prior to the reaction, substantially as described. (4.) The method of conducting the process specified in claims 1, 2, and 3 for converting both oxides of carbon into methane, which method consists in first passing said gas or mixture, after substantial removal of the hydrocarbons other than methane, and with or without addition of hydrogen to bring up the quantity to that theoretically required for the conversion, over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature to convert some of the hydrogen and carbon-monoxide present into methane and water and then passing the resulting gas over a further quantity of nickel at a suitable temperature to effect more or less complete conversion of the remaining hydrogen and carbon-dioxide, substantially as described. (5.) The process of making a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes which consists in removing carbon-dioxide or alternatively carbon-monoxide from coal-gas, and passing the resulting gas, mixed or not with water-gas, Dowson gas, producer gas, Siemens gas, or equivalent combustible gas, and with or without addition of sufficient hydrogen for the purpose specified, over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature to effect more or less complete conversion into methane and water of the hydrogen and oxide of carbon present, the hydrocarbons other than methane of the coal-gas being substantially removed prior to the reaction, substantially as described. (6.) In the manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes from coal-gas, collecting the coal-gas evolved at earlier and later stages of the distillation process separately, and passing the second portion, with or without addition of water-gas, Dowson gas, producer gas, Siemens gas, or equivalent combustible gas, and with or without addition of hydrogen for the purpose specified, over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature to effect more or less complete conversion into methane and water of the hydrogen and oxide or oxides of carbon, the hydrocarbons other than methane of the coal-gas being substantially removed prior to the reaction, substantially as described. (7.) The modified form of the process specified in claims 1 to 6 respectively, and which consists in the employment, in place of coal-gas, of a combined coal and water gas obtained by producing a water-gas, superheating the same, and passing the superheated water-gas through a kiln or producer charged with gas coal, whereby the latter is subjected to destructive distillation and the coal-gas formed is blended with the water-gas, substantially as described. (8.) In the manufacture of a gas as specified in the preceding claims respectively, enriching the gas after the conversion by restoring thereto the hydrocarbons extracted prior to the reaction or by means of other suitable hydrocarbons, substantially as described. (9.) In the manufacture of a gas as specified in claims 1 to 8 respectively, passing the gas, before it is brought into contact with the nickel, through a scrubber or vessel containing a suitable solvent such as hydrocarbon oil, whereby the whole or part of the hydrocarbons other than methane are removed from the gas, with or without recovery of such hydrocarbons from the solvent by distillation or other suitable means, and with or without restoration of said hydrocarbons to the gas after its passage in contact with the nickel, substantially as and for the purpose described. (10.) A combined apparatus for the manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes comprising (a) a coal-distillation plant, coke-oven plant, or equivalent plant for producing coal-gas as herein defined; (b) a conversion chamber or chambers furnished with nickel in finely divided form, and suitable connections and means for regulating and working, arranged and operating substantially as described. (11.) A combined apparatus for the manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes comprising (a) a coal-distillation plant, coke-oven plant, or equivalent plant for producing coal-gas as herein defined; (b) scrubber containing a solvent for hydrocarbons other than methane; and (c) a conversion chamber or chambers furnished with nickel in finely divided form, and suitable connections and means for regulation and working, arranged and and operating substantially as described. (12) A combined apparatus for the manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes comprising (a) a coal-gas distillation plant, coke-oven plant, or equivalent plant for producing coal-gas as herein defined; (b) plant for producing water-gas, producer gas, Dowson, Siemens, or equivalent combustible gas; (c) a conversion chamber or chambers furnished with nickel in finely divided form, and suitable connections and means for regulation and working, arranged and operating substantially as described. (13) A combined apparatus for the manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes comprising (a) a coal-gas distillation plant, coke-oven plant, or equivalent plant for producing coal-gas as herein defined; (b) a scrubber containing a solvent for hydrocarbons other than methane; (c) plant for producing water-gas, producer, Siemens, Dowson, or equivalent combustible gas; (d) a conversion chamber or chambers furnished with nickel in finely divided form, and suitable connections and means for regulation and working, arranged and operating substantially as described. (14.) The substitution for the element (a) in claims 10 to 13 respectively of a combined coal-and water-gas producer, substantially as described. (15.) In apparatus for the manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes as herein described, the combination with a conversion-chamber furnished with nickel in finely divided form of a hot-blast stove or a heater through which the gas or mixture to be treated can be passed before entering the conversion-chamber, said stove or heater being provided with pipes or passages for the gas, and being combined with a by-pass whereby any desired quantity of the gas to be treated may be sent round the heater to the conversion-chamber with the object of regulating the temperature of the gas entering the conversion-chamber, substantially as described. (16.) In apparatus for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes as herein described, a conversion-chamber comprising a refractory structure containing a series of pipes or like containers closed at their ends and adapted to be filled with nickel in divided form, said pipes communicating at one end with a common inlet-pipe for the gas to be treated and at the other end with a common outlet-pipe therefor whereby the gas to be treated is caused to pass through said pipes or containers in intimate contact with the nickel, substantially as described. (17.) In apparatus for the manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes as herein described, a scrubber provided with means for passing or circulating hydrocarbon oil or other solvent therethrough, said scrubber being fitted in its upper portion with a series of baffles to cause the gas to take a sinuous course through the scrubber, and a brush adapted to be rotated in the base of the scrubber at a speed sufficient to spray the solvent into the gas passing through the spaces between said baffles, substantially as described. (18.) In apparatus for the manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes as herein described, a combined coal-and water-gas producer comprising three chambers or furnaces each adapted to be worked in rotation as a water-gas producer, superheater, and coal-gas producer respectively, the chambers communicating with each other by suitable flues or passages, and means being provided whereby such communication can be so adjusted that the water-gas produced in the chamber, which for the time being serves as the water-gas generator, can be directed through the chamber serving as the superheater and thence through that serving for the production of the coal-gas, substantially as described. (19.) The modified form of the combination coal-and water-gas producer as specified in claim 18, wherein one of the three chambers or furnaces is provided with a chequer brick filling and serves permanently as the superheater, substantially as described. (20.) Apparatus for the manufacture of a gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes arranged, combined, and adapted for operation substantially as described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2. (21.) The improved combined coal-and water-gas producer constructed, arranged, and adapted for operation substantially as and for the purpose described with reference to Fig. 3.

(Specification, 22s. 6d.; drawings, 3s.)

No. 19631.-27th June, 1905.--HERBERT SAMUEL ELWORTHY, of Battlefield Road, St. Albans, Herts, England, Consulting Chemical Engineer. Manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes.

Claims.--(1.) A process for the manufacture of a gas for lighting, heating, or power purposes, and based on the converting action of metallic nickel upon oxide or oxides of carbon and hydrogen to form methane characterized in that water-gas of any kind (with or without previous removal of carbon monoxide or dioxide if required), is subjected to the action of the nickel in the presence of a considerable excess of hydrogen above that theoretically required for the conversion of the oxide or oxides of carbon present, and at a suitable temperature or temperatures for such conversion. (2.) Modified form of the process of claim 1, characterized in that coal-gas of any kind, mixed or not with water-gas, Dowson gas, producer gas, Siemens gas, or equivalent gas, and deprived of hydrocarbons other than methane, is employed for the conversion in presence of the excess hydrogen, with or without previous removal of carbon monoxide or dioxide if required. (3.) Modified form of the process of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that methane is employed in place of or partly in place of the excess of hydrogen in the