IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF GENERATING STEAM, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED. THEREIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Prince, of the Office for Patents, 4,
Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF GENERATING STEAM, AND IN
THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED. THEREIN."-A communication from abroad
by John Livingstone Linton, residing at Burlington County, State of New
Jersey, United States of America.
Sealed the 30th September 1864, and dated the 1st April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Prince at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st April 1864.
I, ALEXANDER PRINCE, of the Office for Patents, 4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF GENERATING STEAM,
AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication to me from
abroad by John Livingstone Linton, resident at Burlington County, State of
New Jersey, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, in the application of ignitable fluids, such as
petroleum and other mineral oils, or hydrocarbons, to the purpose of generating
steam for steam boilers.
And, secondly, in the apparatus to be employed in the combustion and
utilization of the said fluids in order to obtain and apply the resulting heat to

page_text: such steam boilers, the object being to mix air with the vapours of the oil or
ignitable fluid for the purpose of thoroughly consuming the same.
At a situation near the boiler, and at the requisite elevation a reservoir of
iron or other suitable material is to be fixed, which reservoir is to contain the
iguitable fluid to be used; a pipe conducts the fluid from the reservoir to a
large open vertical tube placed in front of the boiler, and above the level of
the top of the fire-box; at the bottom of this tube is a horizontal plate, forming
with its two sides and a corresponding under plate a projection into the upper
part of the fire-box. The lower plate should, by preference, be made semi-
circular at its rear end, and a circular aperture should be made therein to
admit of the fixing therein of a vertical and conical pipe descending towards
the lower part of the fire-box; a projection to the centre of this aperture serves
to carry a small tube descending a short distance within the centre of the
conical pipe. The fluid descends into the open tube in front of the boiler, and
on to the lower plate, whence it runs to the projection, and down the small
pipe through the conical tube to the lower portion of the furnace or fire-box,
the bottom of which is provided with a flat metal plate supporting two semi-
cylindrical vessels or pans, so placed and fixed in contact that their line of
juuction is in a line through the centre of the small tube down which the fluid
falls on to their edges. These edges are serrated, or cut into channels, for the
purpose of retaining portions of the fluid or oil, in order to vaporize the same.
In order to guide the fluid to the central projection of the plate and down the
small pipe, two oblique ridges are placed across the rear end of the plate, so
as to oppose the passage of the fluid in the direction of the rear end of the
plate itself. There is first to be introduced into the semi-cylindrical vessels
by means of tlie fire-door some ignitable matter, which is to be ignited after
turning on an artificial draft produced by donkey engine, or by hand
power. The oil or fluid is then allowed to flow from the reservoir into the
open tube, whence it falls directly upon the bottom plate, and thence down
the small tube in the conical pipe upon the semi-cylindrical vessels. at the
bottom of the fire-box. The plate being heated by the flame during the
passage of the fluid, the said oil or fluid is thereby heated sufficiently to drive
off a portion of its vapors, and mix or commingle them with the air during
its passage over the said plate. A syphon pipe is placed at the top and front
end of the boiler, and descends into the open tube, whereby a rush of steam
and air results, and drives or forces the air and vapours of the fluid along the
plate and into the fire-box. This vapour charged with air next comes in
contact with the vapours generated upon the surface of the semi-cylindrical
open vessels or pans, which charge the air with vapour to the point of com-
a

page_text: bustion; it ignites and burns in the vessels, and continues as long as the same
are supplied with oil or fluid. The flames fill the fire-box surrounding the
upper and lower plates and sides forming the horizontal casing, conducting air,
oil, and vapour into the furnace, and the flames also fill the tubes of the boiler
with fire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Prince in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
PRINCE, of the Office for Patents, 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexander Prince, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Prince, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alexander Prince, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF GENERATING STEAM, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO
BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication to me from abroad by John Livingstone
Linton, resident at Burlington County, State of New Jersey, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Prince, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-.
tain 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 Alexander Prince, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-

page_text: This Invention consists, firstly, in the application of ignitable fluids, such as
petroleum, and other mineral oils or hydrocarbons to the purpose of generating
steam for steam boilers.
And, secondly, in the apparatus to be employed in the combustion and
utilization of the said fluids, in order to obtain and apply the resulting
heat to such steam boilers, the object being to mix air with the vapours of the
oil or ignitable fluid, for the purpose of thoroughly consuming the same.
I now proceed to describe the Invention with reference to the Drawings
annexed.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, through the centre, of an ordinary
locomotive boiler; Fig. 2 is a transverse view of Fig. 1 across the line 1
and 2 in the direction of arrow ; Fig. 3, a transverse view of plate F,
Fig. 1, across the line 3 and 4, in the direction of arrow i; Fig. 4, the tank
for containing the oil. Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the
several views.
A is the cylinder of an ordinary locomotive boiler; B, the smoke stack;
C, the fire-box; D, the tubes; W, a plate covering the bottom of the fire-
box F; Fig. 1, is a cast-iron plate of the form represented at Fig. 3; said
plate forms the bottom of an air passage way E and 9 (as indicated by
the arrows), and for the further purpose of conducting the oil to its place of
exit K, and for the purpose of converting a portion of said oils into vapour
during its passage to the pipe K, said pipe K being a short piece of tube screwed
into plate F, for the purpose of conducting the oil directly upon the apex of
the cone forming the centre of disk m. The apex of said cone is for a con-
siderable distance towards its base corrugated, as represented at P, Fig. 1, for
the purpose of retaining portions of the oil, in order to vaporize the same, the
whole to operate as hereafter described. S, S, are strips of metal upon
plate F, Fig. 3, for the purpose of conducting the oil to the passage leading
to pipe K; E, a pipe intended to lead from a blower or other suitable
arrangement, for the purpose of creating a draft in the direction indicated by
the arrows. The draft is increased in this instance by means of a steam jet J
blowing forcibly down the pipe Ę; n, a sheet-iron pipe leading from plate F,
Fig. 1, for the purpose of conducting the air directly upon the central portion
of cast-iron disk m. The object of which is to mix air with the vapors of
the oil generated upon the apex of the conic section of said disk, as before
described. o, a door for the introduction of shavings, &c. for kindling the
fire, as hereafter described; G, the tank containing the oil, placed in any
suitable position above the boiler; H, a pipe for the purpose of conducting air
(as a vent) to said tank; I, a pipe for conducting the oil from the tank to

page_text: pipe E; said pipe may be intercepted by any suitable stop-cock, for the
purpose of regulating the flow of said oil. The apparatus is put in operation
in this wise:-There is introduced upon the disk m, Fig. 1, a lot of kindling
matter, which is ignited after turning on the artificial draft (said draft may be
produced by a donkey engine). The oil is allowed to flow from pipe I into
pipe E, falling directly upon plate F, from thence it flows through pipe K
upon the centre of disk m, as before described. The plate F being heated by
the flame during the passage of the oil, said oil is heated sufficiently hot to
drive off a portion of its vapours, mix or commingle with the air during its
passage over said plate F. This vapor-charged air next comes in contact
with the vapors generated upon the conic section of disk m, which charges the
air with vapor to the point of combustion; it ignites and burns in the annular
space of disk m (as represented in Fig. 1), and continues so doing as long as
the same be supplied with oil.
It is evident that these several parts could be considerably modified in shape
without altering the result, I therefore do not wish to confine myself to the
exact shape described. What I claim is, first, the heating of the oil upon a
plate over which the air passes, for the purpose set forth; second, the intro-
duction of the oil upon the disk m in the manner set forth, and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Prince, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
ALEX. PRINCE. (L.S.)