Improved Apparatus for Supplying Air to Carburetters and to the Outlet Pipes thereof.
Year: 1889

page_text: 1
Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Supplying Air to Carburetters and to the
Outlet Pipes thereof.
I, EDGAR BURGESS BADLAM, residing at No. 1024 Franklin Street, in the City and
County of San Francisco, and State of California, one of the United States of America,
Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in' and
by the following statement:-
";
My Invention relates to a machine for proportioning the mixture of air and hydro-
carbon gases. It is employed in connection with gasoline gas machines (so called). in
which an inflamable vapor or gas is produced by passing air through the light gasoline
or naphtha; this vapor, when properly mixed with atmospheric air, being suitable for
illuminating purposes.
.It is a well known fact that vapor produced from the liquid, when air is first passed
through it, is very much richer and stronger than it is after a considerable amount of
vapor has been taken away, and that in order to properly burn this vapor and make
an equable and steady light it is necessary to mix a suitable proportion of air with the
vapor, this proportion of air being greater as the vapor is richer, and being reduced
as the vapor becomes more impoverished.
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus by which this variable amount
of air may be accurately supplied to the carburetor and simultaneously mixed with
the vapor after it has been produced from the carburetor, the amount being increased
in one instance in proportion as it is decreased in the other.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, etc.
Figure 1 is a plan view, showing its connection with the carburetor and house
pipes.
Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through the air-pumping mechanism in the line
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end view of one of the pumping wheels.
My air-pumping mechanism consists of a number of wheels, known as meter-
wheels A, A, which are arranged to revolve together in a hermetically-sealed case B,
turning upon a stationary central pipe C, which extends longitudinally into the case,
as shown, and which also serves as a common inlet or supply-pipe for the air, by
means of the vertical pipes D, which extend upwardly from this central supply-pipe,
their upper ends being above the surface of the water in which the wheels revolve.
These wheels are separated by partitions or diaphragms E, which are fixed in the
upper part of the exterior case, and extend downward between each of the wheels-to a
point below the surface of the water, so as to hermetically seal the air-spaces or com-
partments surrounding each wheel.
The wheels are driven by means of the shaft F, passing through the head of the
case opposite the ends through which the supply-pipe enters, this shaft being con-
nected with the flange G, upon the end of the first wheel A, so as to cause it to
revolve. The following wheel A' is driven from the wheel A, by means of a double
flange H, one head of which is fastened to the adjacent end of each of the
wheels A, A¹.
1
The succeeding wheels A¹, are in a similar manner driven by flanges fastened
to them as shown, so that the whole of the wheels are caused to rotate simul-
taneously, and when rotating will draw the air in through the supply-pipe, above
described, and will discharge it at the opposite face from which it enters, each
wheel drawing in its own supply of air and discharging it within its own
enclosing compartment, and thence through pipes to be hereinafter described:
These wheels are made of sheet metal, and may be of any suitable design; but,

page_text: preferably, with an interior arrangement of wings which form a spiral or helix, so
that when properly immersed in the liquid and revolved in the proper direction,
they will create a partial vacuum in the interior space, drawing air in through
the supply-pipes.
By the spiral arrangement of the wings within the wheels, the air is confined
above the surface of the water, and is forced along and discharged into the con-
partments of the case, whence it escapes through pipes at I, I.
Connected with these pipes are the three-way cocks J, of the usual or any
suitable construction, whereby the air may be passed through the same and
discharged into either the pipe K, or into the pipe L, as may be desired.
.
The pipe L receives the air from the larger air-forcing wheel A, and leads it directly
to the carburetor, which may be at any suitable or convenient distance from the house,
and is, usually, buried in the ground. The carburetor being no part of my present
invention, I have only indicated its existence.
The air discharged from the main wheel A, passes through this pipe L, and is
charged with vapor within the carburetor, being thence brought back by another
pipe or main M, to the house or place where the vapor-gas is to be used.
The pipe K opens into this supply-main which leads to the burners, and it will be
manifest that the cocks .controlling, any number of the air-forcing wheels A, may be
set so as to discharge air from this pipe K, and into the supply-pipe M, from the car-
buretor, or the vapor and air may be mixed in the larger chamber and afterward
passed through the supply-pipe to the burners.
By means of the three-way cocks or equivalent controlling device, the air from
each of the wheels A¹ can be turned into the pipe L, joining air from the wheel A,
and all being conveyed to the carburetor or the air from each or all of the wheels A',
may he discharged into the pipe K, to be mixed with the vapor which arrives
from the careburetor, in any desired proportion.
The operation of the machine will then be as follows:-When the liquid is new and
strong, the air which is forced through, the carburetor will carry a large proportion
of the vapor for some time. Suppose that two feet of air, will carry one foot of
the vapor from the carburetor. This foot of vapor may be burned so as to produce
a good and clear light through any burner, such as a six, eight, or ten foot burner,
but in order to do this, it must be mixed with such a proportion of air in each case as
to fill the burner that is to say, for an eight foot burner, six feet of air must be
added, for a ten foot burner, eight feet of air, and so on.
If it were burned in a burner without this proportion of air, it would make a smoky
flame, which would not be desirable.
It is, therefore, necessary to add a proportion, as say for an eight foot burner of six
feet of air to the vapor which has been taken up by the two feet of air forced through
the carburetor by the wheel A.
0
This proportion is supplied by turning the cocks of as many of the wheels A¹, as
will be necessary to give the proportion desired, and this air is then introduced into
the pipe or chamber which is receiving the carbureted air from the carburetor.
As the vapor-bearing liquid becomes less volatile, it will require more air to take
up one foot of vapor in the carburetor, and, at the same time, a correspondingly less
amount of air must be supplied to mix with the vapor after it has been carried off
through the carburetor, in order to maintain the proper proportion at the burner.
It will be seen that this proportion is readily maintained by adding the air of one
or more of the wheels A', to that which is being forced into the carburetor from the
wheels A, by turning the three-way cocks connecting with the chambers of these
wheels so as to discharge therefrom into the pipe L, which conveys it to the
carburetor, and a corresponding amount of air is thus shut off from the pipe K, which
leads to the burner-supply main."
In this manner the proportion of vapor and air is always maintained exactly for any
number of burners, and the proper candle-power and illuminating qualities are satis-
factorily maintained until the vapor-bearing liquid has been exhausted.

page_text: It will be manifest that various forms of air-forcing and pumping mechanism may
be employed in place of the wheels herein described, but these are simple, easily
operated, and not liable to get out of order.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is
1. In a gas machine, the combination with the carburetor, pipes leading into said
carburetor to bring air thereto, and a pipe leading from the carburetor to the burners,
of a series of air-forcing devices operating in separate chambers, pipes leading from
said chambers to the carburetor and to the burner-main, three-way cocks or valves
connected with said discharge-pipes, and opening into the carburetor and into the
main through which the carbureted air or gas is conveyed to the burners, substan-
tially as described.
2. In a gas machine, a series of air-forcing devices with their separate and indepen-
dent reservoirs and pipes leading therefrom, three-way cocks connected with said
pipes and also with the pipes K, and L, a carburetor into which the pipe L discharges,
and a main through which the carbureted air is conveyed to its point of consumption,
the pipe K being cut off from or connected with said main, substantially as and for
the purpose herein described.
3. In a gas machine, the carburetor, the supply-pipe through which air is delivered
into said carburetor, and a main through which the enriched or carbureted air is con-
veyed to the point of consumption, in combination with a series of air-forcing wheels
or mechanisms operated simultaneously and in independent air-receiving chambers,
three-way cocks connected with each of said independent chambers and also with a
supply-pipe leading to the carburetor, and with a pipe which leads directly to the
main from the carburetor, whereby the proportion of air supplied to the carburetor
and the main may be regulated, substantially as described.
Dated this Fifth day of November 1889.