AN IMPROVED MEANS OF APPARATUS FOR THE COMBUSTION OF VARIOUS OILS FOR STEAM
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gadd, of 1, Corporation Street, Man-
chester, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of “AN IMPROVED
MEANS OF APPARATUS FOR THE COMBUSTION OF VARIOUS OILS FOR STEAM
Sealed the 11th November 1873, and dated the 14th May 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gadd at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th May 1873.
I, WILLIAM GADD, of 1, Corporation Street, Manchester, Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE COMBUSTION OF VARIOUS OILS FOR
STEAM GENERATION AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The methods that have been employed hitherto for the combustion of
oils of various kinds for the generation of steam and other purposse
have for the most part either conveyed the oil to the furnace on fluted
bars, have converted it firstly into gas in retorts, or have projected it

page_text: into the furnace by means of a jet of steam or air acting as a blow pipe,
by means of which the oil is carried in a spray form along the flues,
and by combustion converted into flame. Of the various and other
methods the last seems to offer the best chances of success; but by this
means great waste results when the oil pipe is inserted into the nose of
the blow pipe near its orifice as great quantities of oil becomes blown
through the furnace without having been burnt, or goes off in smoke;
and when this is sought to be remedied by allowing the oil pipe to run
inside the steam pipe some distance, say beyond a few inches, for the
purpose of volatilizing the oil in some measure, it is found that the more
solid portions of the oil sought to be used choke up the passages and so
stop the working.
The object of my improvements is to remedy these defects, for which
purpose I allow the oil not only to enter the steam pipe or chamber, but
to mix or become in suspension with the steam at a convenient distance
from the orifice or orifices opening into the furnace or flue; and along
which furnace or flue I fix by preference in connection with the steam
pipe a perforated pipe or pipes or chamber, from which perforations the
oil-charged steam will be emitted in various directions, so causing a
number of jets to impinge upon the boiler flue or bottom (according to
construction) or the furnace crown, by which means a greater separation
or diffusing of the oil takes place than when a single jet carries the oil
along the length of the furnace or flue. Or the steam may be charged
with oil by allowing the steam to pass through a vessel or pipes con-
taining the oil.
"
-
To provide further against the waste of any portion of oil that may
escape combustion in the first instance I adopt the following methods :-
Either to cover the bottom of the furnace with
" asbestos or with a
vessel or tank of water, which will catch the unconsumed oil when it
falls and retain it until it has time for proper combustion. The oil may
also be burnt by projecting the same into, through, or onto the water or
" asbestos direct, or in combination with steam, by any suitable
means
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Gadd in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th November 1878.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GADD, of 1, Corporation Street, Manchester, Consulting Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Gadd, Her special licenco
that I, the said William Gadd, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Gadd, my executors,
administrators, 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 "AN IMPROVED
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE COMBUSTION OF VARIOUS OILS FOR STEAM GENERATION
AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Gadd, 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 Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Gadd, 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 the
following statement :-
The means that have hitherto been employed for the combustion of
oils of various kinds (more particularly hydrocarbons) for the generation
of steam and other purposes have for the most part either conveyed the
oil to the furnace on fluted bars, converted it firstly into gas, or projected
it into the furnace by means of a jet of steam or air acting as a blow
pipe, by means of which the oil is carried in a spray form along the

page_text: flues, and by combustion converted into flame. Of these and various
other methods the last is perhaps the most successful, but still far from
satisfactory on account of the imperfect combustion and waste which
under most arrangements hitherto adopted takes place.
To effect my improvements I cause the oil to mix or be in suspension
with steam at a convenient distance from the furnace; or by preference
I employ a tray or open vessel capable of containing liquid, which open
vessel is placed on the bars of the furnace or otherwise conveniently
fixed within the flues. This open vessel has two feed pipes attached
thereto, one for the supply of water and one for the supply of oil; or it
may be only one for the supply of oil, or both supplies might be made
through one feed pipe, according to the kind of oil being used. A
certain amount of water is supplied to this open vessel, through or on to
which the oil is projected or fed at the rate it is desired to be consumed,
which rate may be regulated by a stop-tap or may be made self-regulating
by means of cisterns and ball taps. On the bottom of this tray or open
vessel a range of steam pipes is laid and having communication with the
boiler, which pipes have a series of small perforations from which the
steam is emitted in various directions, so causing a number of jets to
impinge upon the boiler, by which means greater separation or diffusion
of the oil in flame takes place than when a single jet carries the oil
along the length of the furnace or flue.
To insure a more equable supply of air for the purpose of combustion
I provide in the bottom of the before mentioned tray or open vessel
projections that rise above the level of the liquid, and which projections
are perforated to allow of currents of air passing through them to
provide all that is required for whatever rate of combustion may be
desired.
I would here observe that in those cases where the steam is charged
with the oil before entering the furnace the same apparatus inside the
furnace will be applicable as above described with the exception of the
feed pipes, as the oil and steam bodily will in such cases pass through
the perforated range of pipes before mentioned, the tray or open vessel
simply catching those portions of the oil that were unconsumed in the
first instance.
Either water, asbestos, or neither may be used, according to the kind
of oil under treatment; or the tray may be dispensed with, and asbestos
placed on the furnace or other bars in lieu thereof.

page_text: In the treatment of heavy hydrocarbons I prefer the tray to contain
water and oil, fed separately, and the range of steam pipe perforated and
laid on the bottom or nearly so in such a manner that the perforations
will not be covered with the liquid, as by this arrangement the oil is
lifted by the action of the steam as it is burnt, and with the aid of the
air currents before mentioned very perfect combustion ensues. But
various alterations in detail may be made without departing from the
peculiar character of my Invention.
plan view of apparatus arranged according to my Invention. In each
of these Figures the same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever
they occur.
a, a, is the tray or open vessel to contain the liquid to be burnt; a¹, a¹,
are the projections thereon through perforations, in which air is allowed
to pass for providing the various parts of the flame with the means of
combustion; b, b, is the range of perforated steam pipes fed by a
junction pipe 6¹ from the boiler, the steam from which may pass directly
to the pipes b, b, or may be charged with oil at any convenient point
between and distance therefrom as may be most desirable; c is the feed
pipe for oil, and d is the feed pipe for water; or these may be reversed,
or one or neither may be used according to the arrangement selected,
that is, whether the steam is charged with oil or the two are fed to the
furnace separately. The feed through these two pipes c and d may be
regulated either by stop taps or be made self-regulating by the employ-
ment of cisterns and ball taps or other suitable means, as will be well
understood. In those cases where the use of asbestos is adopted it will
be readily seen that it can be used with the same or with similar
apparatus, or the asbestos may be placed on the ordinary or other furnace
bars in lieu of a tray or open vessel.
Having thus described my improvements and means I adopt in
carrying same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shown and described, as these may
be varied without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention,

page_text: but what I do claim is so arranging an apparatus for the combustion of
oil in furnaces for the generation of steam and other purposes, that a
number of jets of steam shall be used within the furnace or flue, such
steam to be either charged with oil at a convenient distance from the
furnace, or the action of the jets of steam employed for the better com- 5
bustion of oil contained in an open vessel or tray, fed or supplied in any
suitable manner, and such tray or open vessel being fed with water or
not as may be desired, substantially as described.
Also the projecting or feeding of oil for purposes of combustion in a
furnace or fire-place through or on to water or asbestos in such tray or 1
open vessel; and in the case of asbestos (in conjunction with oil) on the
ordinary or other bars in lieu of such tray or open vessel, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Gadd, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of November, in the year of 1
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
RICHD. W. THOMPSON.
WILLIAM GADD. (L.B.)