Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which
has been communicated to me from abroad by Russell Perkins Ambler of Medford,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, and Henry Deitz of Albany,
New York, United States of America, Gentleman, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention consists as a whole in the combination of an external heater
whereby uniform and continuous heat is supplied, steam generating and super-
heating devices made operative by said heater and means for sub-dividing oil and
holding it thinly spread until vaporized by the heat employed to superheat the
steam, the superheated steam and vaporized oil being mingled with a suitable
quantity of air and consumed at suitable burners with which the apparatus is
provided.
The invention also consists in certain improvements in the means for generating
steam, in the means for raising the vaporized oil to a mixing chamber, and in the
means for supplying air to the mingled 'steam and vaporized oil, as I will now
proceed to describe.
Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1
represents a bottom view of the improved apparatus. Figure 2 represents a longi-
tudinal section of the same. Figure 3 represents a section on line x, x. Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a bottom view of the steam superheating compartments.
Figure 5 represents a section on line y, y, Figure 2. The same letters indicate the
same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings a represents the generator which consists of an oblong metal
casing having in its lower portion the series of steam superheating compartments p,
communicating with each other by minute perforations 6 through which steain
passes until it has passed through each compartment in succession. The steam
enters the compartment p from the steam generating device hereinafter described.

page_text: and after passing through all the compartments passes out through apertures cinto
spaces d, d, extending partly around the chamber e which contains the oil supplying
and vaporizing device, and the combining chamber e¹ which is separated from the
chamber e by a perforated partition f, the steam passing into the said chamber e¹
through orifices g.
h represents the pipe which receives oil from a reservoir i, conducts it into the
chamber e and discharges it through a number of small perforations upon inclined
diaphragms j, j, of wire gauze or other suitable material, which hold the oil thinly
spread until it is vaporized by the heat applied by an external heater k, below the
steam superheating compartments.
Within the pipe h, running through its entire horizontal length, is a rod h³, the
use of which is two fold, first, to diminish the space in the pipe so as to prevent
the necessity of introducing a large quantity of oil, and, secondly to distribute the
oil evenly through the perforations in the pipe h. The diaphragms j, j, are
preferably inclined as shown in Figure 3, so as to permit the oil to flow down-
wardly from the pipe h, supplemental diaphragms 1, 1, being provided below the
diaphragms j, j, to receive and spread the surplus oil dropping from the latter.
I provide means for supplying steam independently to the oil vaporizing
apparatus, to lift the carbon of the vaporized oil more or less rapidly and regulate
the amount of carbon supplied to the flame resulting from the combustion of the
mingled elements, the carbon being heavier than oil naturally settles and therefore
has to be raised. I also provide improved devices for generating the steam supplied
both to the superheating compartments and the oil vaporizing apparatus.
I pass the water which is to be converted into steam into generators composed of
tubes or cylinders m, extending horizontally across the bottom of the casing a, and
over the heater k, so as to be heated thereby. Each cylinder contains first a central
metal rod 2, secondly a roll 3 of asbestos cloth wound closely around said rod,
thirdly, a covering of fine wire gauze 4 surrounding the asbestos, said parts about
filling the interior of the cylinder m, and fourthly a disc 5, of wire gauze or other
like material placed across the delivery end of the cylinder; the central rod
compels the water to circulate outwardly toward the surface of the cylinder where
the heat is greatest. The asbestos cloth serves to hold the water in check so that
it shall not pass through the cylinder too rapidly and at the same time it spreads
and divides the water drops into minute parts, so that it may be more readily
acted upon by the heat and more easily converted into steam; the wire gauze
serving to convey the heat to the saturated asbestos cloth and also to receive into
its interstices the generated steam and convey the same to the conducting pipes;
and the disc in the end serves to keep the steam under a slight pressure, giving
evenness to the flow and exerting a backward force on the water so as to prevent
it from entering the cylinder too rapidly. In these cylinders, or steam generators
as I prefer to call them, the steam is formed as fast as the water is supplied and a
great advantage is realized in the spreading and dividing of the water whereby &
larger surface is presented to the heat than would be if the water were in an
undivided body.
•
Any desirable number of generators may be employed, three being shown in
the present instance two of which are connected by a pipo n, and receive water
from a reservoir t, through a pipe po entering one generator, and deliver steam, to
the chamber e under the oil pipe h, through a pipe o, connected to the other
generator. The third generator is connected by a piper with the reservoir and
supplies steam to the steam super heating apparatus through a pipe u, which enters
the first compartment p. The steam supplied to the chamber and by the pipe o
carries the vaporized oil upwardly to the combining. chamber e¹ the quantity of
vapor raised depending on the quantity of steam supplied, so that by increasing or
diminishing the quantity of steam the height and intensity of the flame can be
increased or diminished. The pipes r and p are provided with cocks v whereby
the amount of water supplied to the generator and the quantity of steam generated
may be regulated,

page_text: I do not limit myself to the use of steam as the means for raising the vaporized
oil. If desired the pipe o may be connected to a blower or other air forcing device,
so as to introduce air into the chamber e, the air (which should be heated) serving
the same purpose as the steam.
For mingling air with the steam and vaporized oil, I provide a series of delivery
tubes in the top of the combining chamber through which the steam and vaporized
oil escape. Over the casing a I place a chamber a¹ which is wider than the casing
and is open at its wider side so that it will receive the heated air rising from the
external heater k. Said chamber has in its top an opening through which pass
tubes c¹ from the combining chamber e, said openings being wider than the tubes c¹,
so as to permit the upward passage of air around said tubes into a chamber di
above the chamber a¹; the top of the chamber d¹ is pointed or of an inverted
V shape and has in each of its inclined sides a series of burners or openings f¹.
The heated currents of air ascending by the sides of the casing pass through a
perforated partition g¹ in the chamber a¹ and through the opening b¹ into the
chamber d where they come in contact with the mixed gases which issue from
the delivery tube c¹. The mingled gases and air rising to the pointed roof of the
chamber, are thence spread in opposite directions, toward the side opening f¹. In
this manner the air introduced into the chamber beneath is compelled to rise with
the gases previously generated, having an escape only by the same openings through
which those gases must pass; and as the oxygen thus supplied enters into. chemical
combination with the hydrogen and carbon generated in the main machine, they
rise together through the openings referred to into the open chamber and when
once ignited, appear in continuous flame. The advantage of this device for intro-
ducing air is that it changes the character of the flame, takes away the smoke and
adds greatly to the heat. It can be used either with or without a chimney. The
latter however serves to increase the force of the air draft, and adds proportionately
to the heat of the flaine.
The pipes p, r, which conduct water to the generators m are preferably provided
with bends p, r, which conduct the water first downwardly and then upwardly
before it enters the generators thereby securing a uniform pressure of water in the
generator and subjecting the water to the action of the heater before it enters the
generators the bends being close to the heater.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. In a machine for making and burning gaseous fuel, the combination of
an external heater, whereby uniform and continuous heat is supplied, connected
water and steam receptacles over said heater, constituting. with the heater a steam
generating and superheating apparatus, a chamber continuously heated by said
heater and receiving the superheated steam, a diaphragm in said heated chamber,
whereby oil is divided and held thinly spread until vaporized by the heat in said
chamber and mingled with the superheated steam, and a burner or burners com-
municating with said chamber, where the mingled elements are consumed as
set forth.
Second. The steam superheating device composed of the series of compartiments
connected by orifices in their lower portions, in such manner as to cause the steam
to pass through each in succession, combined with a pipe for the admission of
steam and a heater under said compartiments, as set forth.
Third. The combination of the chamber e having the perforated oil supplying
pipe, and the oil subdividing diaphragm, the combining chamber el separated from
chamber e by a perforated partition, and the side space d, d, which receive super-
heated steam and communicate with the chamber e¹ as set forth.
Fourth. The combination with an external heater of the oil supplying and
subdividing apparatus composed of the pipe h connected with an oil reservoir, and
having numerous perforations which deliver the oil in drops, and the wire gauze

page_text: diaphragms under the perforations of said pipe whereby the oil is held thinly
spread for the action of the heat as set forth.
Fifth. In an apparatus for making gaseous fuel the oil supplying pipe ŉ con-
taining the rod 2 whereby the oil is caused to flow in a thin annular stream and
provided with numerous perforations communicating with the annular oil con-
taining space in the pipe, said rod and perforations causing the oil to escape in
drops along the entire length of the perforated portion as set forth.
Sixth. A generating chamber having oil spreading devices therein, an oil pipe
above the spreader, and a pipe (for air or steam) entering the chamber below the
spreader, and a mixing chamber above said generating chamber having apertures
communicating with, and for the ingress of external air, all combined substantially
as stated.
•
Seventh. The combination with the vaporizing chamber having the oil spreading
devices, the steam superheating devices and the mixing compartment for the steam
and vaporized oil, of means substantially as described for supplying steam indė-
pendently to the superheating devices and to the chamber below the oil spreading
device, and a chamber in which air is mixed with the steam and vaporized oil as
set forth.
Eighth. The steam generating cylinder or casing having a central metallic core
and surrounding layers of material previous to water or steam, substantially as
described.
Ninth. The steam generating cylinder or casing having a central metallic core
and water subdividing layers of asbestos cloth and wire gauze around said core and
within the water containing space, as set forth.
Tenth. The steam generating cylinder or casing having a central metallic core
and a disc of wire gauze at the delivery of said cylinder, as set forth.