Improvements in Burners for Mineral Oils.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 29th 'ec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec.. 1893-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1894
Improvements in Burners for Mineral Oils.
I, JACQUES AIMÉ VAGNER, Engineer, of 42 Boulevard Magenta, Paris, in the
Republic of France, 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 :-
This invention relates to oil burners of the class described in the Specification
of my prior Patent No. 21924 dated 8th October 1891, having flat or slightly
curved wicks and characterised by the combination of an arrangement of parts
allowing the regulation in an entirely novel manner of the currents of air acting
on each of the surfaces of the wick so as to obtain a much more perfect mixture of
the air with the combustible gases, and consequently a more active combustion,
that is to say, a much larger number of heat units.
This invention has for its object various improvements in the abovementioned
system of burner consisting particularly in the combination of a special throttling
arrangement situated at a predetermined point in the space where the gases rise
to the lower part of the chimney, with limited inlets of air, sufficient however to
produce at this point a forced current of air compressing the air, gases, and flame
at the point where the latter produces a bulge or enlargement; thus allowing
finer flame to be obtained, not increasing appreciably in volume by the increasing
heat resulting from the starting of the apparatus, that is to say, of a better
regulation being obtained.
8
It consists also in the perfect performance of the air distributors and in very
precise methods of fixing the distributors, allowing of an absolutely exact position
being given them at once by which a much more regular action of the apparatus
is obtained.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
―
Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section of a burner constructed according to this
invention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, on the line A-B
of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the diaphragin which forms the base of the chimney.
Figs. 4 and 5 are front view and section of the cheek producing the extinction
of the wick at its extremities.
The burner represented on the drawing constitutes an application of the before-
mentioned methods consisting in bringing into proximity with the different surfaces
of the wick at the point where it projects from the burner air taken at atmospheric
pressure but having different speeds; this air which flows through A serves to
prevent the combustion of the gases on the surfaces c and d, it has adjacent to
these surfaces a higher speed than that of the air flowing through B from the

page_text: other side of the wick close to the surface e of this wick, so that the gases emitted
at c and d of the wick do not immediately burn but are drawn by the current of
air, whilst the gases emitted on the surface e burn at once on the surface of the
wick, to keep up the distillation of the gases. The speed of the air in movement
is greater close to the surfaces c and d of the wick because the extremity of the
diaphragm H, throttling the air, is situated at a short distance from the point
where the wick projects above the tube on this side of the burner whilst the
extremity of the diaphragm G is further removed (in the direction of height)
from the point where the wick projects from the tube on this side. It is easily
understood that the further the extremity of the air throttling diaphragm is raised
above the level of the burner the slower will be the current of air at this level.
Consequently by raising the diaphragm G sufficiently above the point where the
wick rises above the burner on this side, the combustion of the gases will take
place. directly on the surface e of the wick and inversely by sufficiently lowering
the diaphragin H towards the point where the wick projects from the tube on this
side the commencement and maintenance of combustion is prevented both on the
top d and the surface c.
To prevent the flame increasing in volume after it is first alight as is generally
the case two flat or dome metallic plates K are arranged at a level above that of
the lower diaphragms G and H which regulate the currents of air necessary for the
distillation and the combustion of the gases and perforations J made in the
diaphragm H permit the passage of a certain quantity of air which follows
the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.
These plates K which throttle the space through which the flame and the gases
pass to the lower part of the chimney, serves in addition to the current of air
entering through the perforations J to keep the air, flame, and gases, in a very
confined space and to compress these elements close to the point where the flame
produces a bulge L under such conditions that the flame cannot increase, enlarge,
or incline further towards the surface of the chimney and uselessly increase the
temperature in the latter, in spite of the progressive heating of the stove when
starting and although it be surmounted by a large vessel.
A fixed flame is thus obtained which does not sensibly increase in height or
volume but remains at about the same level as that given to it at the moment of
starting the apparatus.
This is a considerable advantage and allows, contrary to what takes place in
most burners acting with the aid of wicks of a sufficient height of flame being
fixed at the time of lighting it, without the fear of this flame increasing in volume
proportionately to the progressing heat of the stove and finally rising above the
top level of the chimney, producing smoke under the vessels and in the atmosphere.
This arrrangement also allows strong flames to be obtained, resisting draughts
of air, and in which the latter only produce a momentary slight rise with little
smoke.
Methods of fixing the air distributing parts:-'
-The cheeks g¹ Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5
receive the diaphragm G in a notch cut in the centre of their upper part and are
of a convenient height so that the diaphragm is in its proper position when the
checks g are simply placed on the lamp. The upper part Ŕ of the cheek g
Fig. 4 enters into the opening made in the centre of the diaphragm H and allows
the extremities of the said opening to be rigidly fixed at the same distance from
each wick in order to cool them in the same way.
Shoulders or rests M, Fig. 4, are made in the material of each check gl and
act as a rest for the diaphragm H which rests on these shoulders and is then in its
proper position at a suitable height and at the desired distance from the wicks
without any special trouble in adjusting.
Metallic projecting pieces N, Fig. 5, attached to the checks g' allow of their
being fixed exactly in position on the lamp.
This method of fitting insures a great reduction in the cost price of the
burners.

page_text: The diaphragm H is attached to the cheeks g' by means of two metallic plates
Figs. 2 and 3 which allow it to be held in proper position whilst still maintaining
between this diaphragm and the upper part of the cheeks g¹ a space in which a
current of air is established, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. This avoids
too great a heating of the upper part of the cheeks.
The tube P passing through the lamp and bringing to the burners the air
utilised in the combustion extends beyond the point at which the burner tubes are
soldered, in order to prevent the petroleum which moistens the burner tubes being
able to fall through the lamp and on to the floor.
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 mineral oil burner having flat or slightly curved wicks burning on one
of their lateral surfaces only whilst the other surfaces are extinguished, applying
in proximity to the point where the flame produces a bulge or expansion, metallio
plates throttling the space where the flame and gases rise to the lower part of the
chimney and providing air inlets made by perforations in the lower part of the
chimney for the object specified, substantially as described and shown as an
example on the annexed drawings.
2. The method of automatically fixing the air distributors in their proper
places by means of metallic cheeks having projections or shoulders to carry these
parts, substantially as described and shown as an example in the annexed
drawings.
3. The improvements in burners for mineral oils substantially as described and
shown on the annexed drawings.
Dated this 29th day of December 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agenta.