IN- PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR STORING AND BURNING PETROLEUM AND OTHER INFLAMMABLE OILS FOR HEATING STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Verstract, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin,
Paris, in the French Empire, Chemist, for the Invention of "IN-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR STORING AND BURNING
PETROLEUM AND OTHER INFLAMMABLE OILS FOR HEATING STEAM BOILERS
AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 2nd October 1868, and dated the 9th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Verstract
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th April 1868.
I, LOUIS VERSTRAET, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, in the
French Empire, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR STORING
AND BURNING PETROLEUM AND OTHER INFLAMMABLE OILS FOR HEATING STEAM
BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The immense supplies of petroleum and other mineral oils now at
disposal and the heating power of these oils have led to many
endeavours being made for their utilization in the heating of steam

page_text: boilers of locomotive, and more especially of marine engine boilers.
The purely mechancal question of the combustion of the oils has
been successfully solved, but many and serious reasons have prevented
the employment of these oils on board ship, among which I will mention
four principal ones:-The first is based on the great dangers incurred
by the use of the oil, which are the more imminent on board ship in
the case of an engagement when the shot might at once ignite the
resci voirs containing the oil and so produce explosions endangering the
safety of the vessel. The second objection is based on the composition
of the oils, which constantly emit gases at the ordinary temperature
and pressure of the atmosphere that are capable when mixed with
air of forming explosive mixtures, which by contact with a flame,
however small, will ignite and produce an explosion. The 3rd objection
. to their use is taken from an hygienic point of view, as the disagreeable
suffocating odour of the oil is likely to injuriously effect the health
of the sailors and also penetrates throughout the compartments of a
ship. Lastly, if the combustion be imperfect the oils will deposit a
considerable amount of carbon in the flucs or smoke tubes so that in
less than 48 hours it will be impossible to work without cleaning them.
My Invention relates to the means of remedying the above
disadvantages so as to permit of all kinds of mineral oils being
used without danger. In order to protect the oil reservoirs from
the action of shot I enclose them in a double casing, leaving a space
between to be filled with some suitable incombustible material of a
light nature so as to stay the force of the shot and deaden its effect;
the product I prefer to use on account of its cheapness is wocd
sawdust highly impregnated with a concentrated solution of some
incombustible salt of a cheap nature, such of chloride of calcium
for example; after this salt has been absorbed by the sawdust
I calcine the latter in closed vessels so as to increase its incom-
bustible properties, by which means I obtain charcoal to be packed
tightly in the space between the double casing of the reservoirs so
as to deaden the force of the shot, or in case of its penetrating the
reservoir so as to absorb the oil and prevent its exploding. In order
to overcome the remaining objections I use the following arrangement
of apparatus: I take a sheet iron tube of sufficient diameter, though
which I pass the air for feeding the furnaces over the petroleum
contained in the reservoirs; this air being thus brought in contact
with the surface of the oils carries away or absorbs all the inflam-

page_text: cylinaal furnace for cutting off or affording a supply of oil, while
each cylinder is further provided with a sufficient umber of truncated
cones for effecting the entire combustion of the oils without leaving
any residue. In this manner the combustion of the oils in the furnaces
may be regulated to a nicety without tasking the stoker who can easily
rintend from 40 to 50 furnaces on this principle. As the gases
the oils produce on combustion an average of about 300 lbs. of
er to 225 lbs. of oil. I collect this water which is condensed in
smoke tubes in a common reservoir and by the aid of a G
jer other apparatus transfer it therefrom to the boilers.
its great purity this water may be had at a temperature of from 140
to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, and thus aid in economizing fuel. By, this
ll kinds
improved mode of effecting the combustion of petroleum oils all
of mineral oils may be utilized for the same purpose whether crude
or purified, and oils obtained from scapist, peat wood, resin, and tar`o
various kinds, and all those unsuitable for lighting purposes.
DESCRIPTION OF
Figure 1 shows a transverse vertical section of the apparatus; and
Figure 2 a horizontal section of same. The same letters apply to the
same parts in the first three Figures.
. A, A, indicates the point at which the engines are placed; B, B,
steam boiler casing; B', B', smoke boxes communicating with the
central chimney; B", B", space occupied by the water between the
smoke tubes C, C; D, D, cylindrical furnaces for the combustion of
the oils; E, E, oil reservoirs; E¹, E', double casing of the reservoirs;
the intervening space R being filled with an incombustible material,
as before mentioned; F, F, supply pipe of the oils for feeding tho
furnaces; ff, cocks for opening or cutting off communication between
the reservoirs E, E, and pipe F; G, G, cocks for supplying the oil to
cach furnace; H, main pipe for the supply of air to the furnaces, which
before this takes place as before mentioned is caused to pass over the
surface of the petroleum oils, and become charged with the gases or
vapors therefrom, and is afterwards conveyed to the furnace by the
pipe H. The large oil reservoirs contained in the hold may also be
placed in communication with the pipes H; I, I, truncated cones, the
purpose of which has been herein-before referred to in Figures 1, 2,
and 3 of the Drawing, the letter Q represents the hollow tube; P, the
-2

page_text: abe vapours and conveys them to the furnace. In this mer there
will never be any pressure or gases existing in the reservoins. In order
to obtain this result I make use of the apparatus represented in Figure 4
of the accompanying Drawing, which consists of a truncated cone
formed of a hollow bronze tube A, in which is received a tube B-clo
at both ends. There is a space C of several inches left between the t
A and B, while one end G of the tube A is closed and the other en
pen and provided with holes for dividing the air currents; a s
provided for the introduction of air at a pressure of two or th
pheres, which enters perpendicular to the axis of the holoube
A into the space C near the end G, said air then escaning with force
through the holes in F, another tube E is alsa ionnted at right angles
to the tube A near the open end F, and communicating with the air
channel before mentioned as placed above the surface of the oils the
draft determined by the current of compressed air draws in atmospheric
air at pipe E and also all the gases or vapours from the oils which are
conveyed to the furnaces. This apparatus or others based on the same
principle will act uniforinly to prevent any vapour or inflammable gas
cscaping either into the interior of the ship or otherwise, consequently
there will be no fear of explosion or bad odour escaping, neither will
there be any loss of oil by evaporation. Lastly, as the amount of
air injected into the furnace may be ascertained by an anemometer,
it will be easy to supply a more than suflicient quantity of air to
the oil to transform all the carbon into carbonic acid and hydrogen in
the form of water.
"Mode of Producing the Direct Combustion of Mineral Oils
generally."The principal apparatus employed for this purpose consists
of a semi-cylindical boiler with a double casing, some inclics space
being left between them. Inside this boiler and throughout its length is
placed a series of furnace chambers, each of which contains a layer of
calcined and purified pumice stone of about 12 inches in depth. The
oil only occupies a depth of from 3 to 4 inches in these furnace
chambers, a layer of about 8 inches of pumice stone being left exposed
for absorbing the vapcurs of the oil in course of combustion as they
are produced and subjecting them to the action of the oxidizing current
of air injected by the aid of the engine. The depth of oil in the
furnaces always remains the same, the supply being constant and
regulated by a reservoir of suitable form. A cock is provided for each

page_text: closed tube; and T, the space; J, pipe for conducting the compressed
air from the air pump to the truncated cone; O, O, branch pipes of
the large pipe H', for supplying the air to the several furnaces after it
has been charged with the light vapors of the oils; K, K, doors at the
5 lower part of the furnaces for affording access thereto when desired;
M, M, air holes made in the ash-pit doors K for supplying cold air
underneath the cylindrical furnaces, which may be closed if desired
by means of slides or in other suitable manner; L, L, pipes for
regulating the flow of the oils in reservoirs E, E; S, S, floats for
indicating the level of the oil in said reservoirs; U, Figure 2, receptacle
for the water becoming condensed in the smoke tubes; Z, level of the
oil in the furnaces which is always kept at the same point; X, central
chimney.
The chief features of improvement in the apparatus herein described
arc,-
1st. The employment of chimneys of any kind for introducing
atmospheric air into, the petroleum reservoirs for the purpose of con-
veying to the furnaces all the gases and light vapors and preventing
the escape of any smell from said oil, as also obviating the dangers
attendant on the presence of the gases and for preventing any pressure
accumulating in the reservoirs or loss of oil by evaporation of said
gases.
2ndly. The employment of a truncated conc or other apparatus on
the same principle and producing the same result.
3rdly. The employment of any suitable incombustible materials for
deadening the force of shot and absorbing any oil that may escape
ou the penetration of the reservoirs.
4thly. The employment of cylindrical furnaces or similar apparatus
for producing the combustion of all kinds of mineral oils.
5thly. The employment of pumicestone or other incombustible
material for producing the results herein described.
Gthly. The employment of reservoirs constructed on the principle of
obtaining a constant flow of the oils.
7thly. The means employed for collecting the condensed water of the
gases which are afterwards fed into the boiler.

page_text: Sthly. The employment of all kinds of mineral oils for feeding
steam boilers of all kinds by the means and apparatus herein described.
9thly. The employment of the apparatus herein described and
illustrated in the Drawings or any part thereof for the above purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Louis Verstract in the Great Seal Patent Oflice
on the 2nd October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LOUIS
VERSTRAET, of 29, Boulevart, St. Martin, Paris, in the French Empire,
Chemist, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Louis Verstract, Her special licence that I,
the said Louis Verstraet, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Louis Verstraet, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS
OF AND APPARATUS FOR STORING AND BURNING PETROLEUM AND OTHER INFLAM-
MABLE OILS FOR HEATING STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Louis Verstract, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Oflice within six calendar months next and inne-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Louis Verstract, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by

page_text: the following statement, reference being had to the three Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say):-
The immense supplies of petroleum and other mineral oils now at
disposal and the heating power of these oils have led to many
endeavours being made for their utilization in the heating of steam
boilers of locomotives, and more especially of marine engine boilers.
The purely mechanical question of the combustion of the oils has been
successfully solved, but many and serious reasons have prevented the
employment of these oils on board ships, among which I will mention
the four principal ones:-The first is based on the great dangers incurred
by the use of the oil, which are the more imminent on board ship in the
case of an engagement, when the shot might at once ignite the
reservoirs containing the oil and so produce explosions endangering
the safety of the vessel. The second objection is based on the composi-
tion of the oils which constantly emit gases at the ordinary temperature,
and pressure of the atmosphere, that are capable when mixed with air
of forming explosive mixtures, which by contact with the flame, however
small, will ignite and produce an explosion. The third objection to
their use is taken from an hygienic point of view, as the disagreable
suffocating odour of the oils is likely to injuriously affect the health of
the sailors, and also penetrates throughout the compartments of a ship.
Lastly, if the combustion be imperfect, the oils will deposit a con-
siderable amount of carbon in the flues or smoke tubes, so that in less
than forty-eight hours it will be impossible to work without cleaning
them.
0 A
disadvantages
vithout danger.
shot I enclose
My Invention relates to means of re
so as to permit of all kinds of minera
In order to protect the oil reservoirs from ...
them in a double casing leaving a space between to be filled with some
suitable incombustible material of a light nature so as to stay the force
of the shot and deaden its effect. The product I prefer to use on
account of its cheapness is wood sawdust highly impregnated with a
concentrated solution of some incombustible salt of a cheap nature,
such as chloride of calcium for example. After this salt has been
absorbed by the sawdust I calcine the latter in closed vessels so as to
increase its incombustible properties, by means of which I obtain a light

page_text: of the reservoirs so as to deaden the force of the shot, or in case of its
penetrating the reservoir to absorb the oil and prevent its exploding.
In order to overcome the remaining objections I use the following
arrangement of apparatus:-I take a sheet-iron tube of sufficient
diameter through which I pass tho air for feeding the furnaces over the.
petroleum contained in the reservoirs, this air being thus brought in
contact with the surface of the oils carries away or absorbs all
the inflammable vapors and conveys them to the furnace. In this
manner there will never be any pressure or gases existing in the
reservoirs.
In order to obtain this result I make use of the apparatus represented
in Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawing, which consists of a truncated
cone formed of a hollow bronze tube A in which is received a tube B
closed at both ends. There is a space C of several inches left between
the tubes A and B, while one end G of the tube A is closed and the
other end open and provided with holes for dividing the air currents.
A small tube D is provided for the introduction of air at a pressure of
two or three atmospheres, which enters perpendicular to the axis of the
hollow tube A into the space C near the end G, said air then escaping
with force through the holes in F; another tube E is also mounted at
right angles to the tube A near the open end F and communicating with
the air channels before mentioned as placed above the surface of the
oils. The draft determined by the current of compressed air draws in
atmospheric air at pipe E, and also all the gases or vapors from the
oils which are conveyed to the furnaces.
This apparatus or others based on the same principle will act
uniformly to prevent any vapor or inflammable gas escaping either
into the interior of the ship or otherwise, consequently there will bo
no fear of explosion or bad odour escaping, neither will there be any
loss of oil by evaporation.
The same results may be obtained by the aid of a pipe, Figure 5,
forming a substitute for the truncated cones. I connect this pipe Q
to the large pipe H', Figure 1, cominunicating with either a force
pump or ventilator by means of a tap, said pipe Q encloses a smaller
pipe q terminating in a cone which conducts the air charged with the
light vapors of the oils contained in reservoir E. Openings c', c', are
made in pipe Q' for the free admission of air which will be drawn in
by that supplied by the small pipe q and conducted therewith to the

page_text: furnaces. The same result may also be obtained by employing the
rectangular case, Figures 8, 9, and 10 herein-after described.
Lastly, as the amount of air injected into the furnace may be
ascertained by an anemometer it will be easy to supply a more than
sufficient quantity of air to the oil to transform all the carbon into
carbonic acid and hydrogen in the form of water.
"Mode of Producing the Direct Combustion of Mineral Oils generally."
-The principal apparatus employed for this purpose consists of a semi-
cylindrical boiler with a double casing, some inches space being left
between them. This semi-cylindrical or rectangular boiler may also be
made in a single piece and of fire-clay in order to obtain the greatest
amount of resistance to the action of the high temperature developed by
the oils. Inside this boiler and throughout its length are placed a series
of furnace chambers cach of which contains a layer of calcined and
purified pumice stone of about twelve inches in depth. This layer
of pumice stone, the thickness of which is regulated according to
requirements is intended more especially for uniformly distributing
the oils over the whole surface of the furnace and to prevent any
flaming oil being projected by a sudden current of air or from other
cause and so as to subject only the necessary quantity to the oxydizing
action of the air for obtaining perfect combustion. The oil only
occupies a depth of from 3 to 4 inches in these furnace chambers,
a layer of about eight inches of pumice stone being left exposed for
absorbing the vapors of the oil in course of combustion as they are
produced and subjecting them to the action of the oxidizing current
of air injected by the aid of the engine. The depth of oil in the
furnaces always remains the same, the supply being constant and
regulated by a reservoir of suitable form. A cock is provided for each
cylindrical furnace for cutting off or affording a supply of oil, while
cach cylinder is further provided with a sufficient number of truncated
cones for effecting the entire combustion of the oils without leaving
any residue. In this manner the combustion of the oils in the furnaces
may be regulated to a nicety without tasking the stoker, who can
easily superintend from 40 to 50 furnaces on this principle, there
being but one cock for each furnace to attend to, which arrangement
I particularly claim. The stoking is also considerably facilitated by
disposing the furnace feed pipe in the manner shown in Figures 6
and 7. As the gases from the oils produce on combustion an average

page_text: of about three hundred pounds of water to two hundred and twenty-five
pounds of oil I collect this water, which is condensed in the smoke
tubes in a common reservoir, and by the aid of a Giflard's injector or
other apparatus transfer it therefrom to the boilers. Besides its great
purity this water may be had at a temperature of from 140 to 180
degrees Fahrenheit and thus aid in economizing fuel. By this improved
mode of effecting the combustion of petroleum oils all kinds of mineral
oils may be utilized for the same purpose, whether crude or purified,
and oils obtained from schist, peat wood, resin, and tar of various kinds,
and all those unsuitable for lighting purposes.
Figure 1 shows a transverse vertical section of the apparatus, and
Figure 2 a horizontal section of same. The same letters apply to the
same parts in these two Figures.
A, A, indicates the point at which the engines are placed; B, B,
steam boiler casing; B', B', smoke boxes communicating with the
central chimney; B, B, space occupied by the water between the
smoke tubes C, C; D, D, cylindrical furnaces for the combustion of
the oils; E, E, oil reservoirs; E', E, double casing of the reservoirs,
the intervening space R being filled with an incombustible material as
before mentioned; F, F, supply pipe of the oils for feeding the furnaces;
cocks for opening or cutting off communication between the
reservoirs E, E, and pipe F; G, G, cocks for supplying the oil to cach
furnace; H, main pipe for the supply of air to the furnaces, which
before this takes place, as before mentioned, is caused to pass over the
surface of the petroleum oils and become charged with gases or vapors
therefrom and is afterwards conveyed to the furnace by the pipe H'.
The large oil reservoirs contained in the hold may also be placed in
communication with the pipes H; I, I, truncated concs, the purpose of
which has been herein-before referred to in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the
Drawing; the letter Q represents the hollow tube; P, the closed tube;
and T, the space; J, pipe for conducting the compressed air from the
air pump to the truncated cone; O, O, branch pipes of the large
pipe for supplying the air to the several furnaces after it has been
charged with the light vapors of the oils; K, K, door at the lower part
of the furnaces for affording access thereto when desired; M, M, air
holes made in the ash-pit doors K for supplying cold air underneath the

page_text: Ninthly. I claim the employment of the apparatus herein described
and illustrated in the Drawings or any part thereof for the above
purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Verstract, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
LOUIS VERSTRAET. (L.S.)