IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HEAVY OILS TO ILLUMINATING PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joshua Kidd and James Kidd, both of Eglantine Road,
Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HEAVY OILS TO ILLUMINATING
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th October 1877, and dated the 26th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joshua Kidd and James
Kidd at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th July 1877.
JOSHUA KIDD and JAMES KIDD, both of Eglantine Road, Wandsworth, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING
HEAVY OILS TO ILLUMINATING PURPOSES."
Oils or hydrocarbons of the kind known as heavy oils, distilling at a high
temperature, produce vapours which are superior in illuminating power to those of
the lighter oils, whether they are used alone or for enriching inflammable gas; they
are also less expensive than light oils and can be employed with greater safety.
It is however difficult to generate their vapours with regularity, and when they.
are generated, to maintain them without condensation in the pipes which conduct
them to burners.
Our Invention relates to means of overcoming those difficulties, and to the con-
struction of apparatus to be used in combination with burners, whereby oils of the
heavy class can be employed for purposes of illumination.
The apparatus which we use is necessarily modified in form and arrangement to
suit different cases, as for single burners or small groups of burners, or for large
chandeliers, lustres, or sunlights, for open air or portable lights, but in all such cases
we provide regulated heat to generate the oil vapour, and means of superheating
it or maintaining it at sufficient heat to prevent its condensation on its way to the
Price 6dl

page_text: burner, as will be understood by a description of some of the arrangements which
we adopt.
For enriching gas supplied to a single burner or to a group of a few burners, we
provide a closed reservoir for the oil, and lead the gas supply pipe into the upper
part of the reservoir, near one side or edge thereof; and very near to this pipe we
lead off a branch and bend it downwards, fixing at its lower end the jet or jets.
From the reservoir we make a piece or blade of metal project so as to be over the
flame and to be heated by it. The heat conducted by this metal to the reservoir
generates vapour from the oil, which vapour mingles with the gas and descends
with it along the branch to the jets which heat the descending branch sufficiently
to prevent condensation of the vapour.
For considerable groups of burners, as in chandeliers or lustres, we place the
reservoir above a group of jets interposing a shield, by which the heat ascending to
the reservoir can be regulated by more or less opening or closing passages through
it, for which purpose it is conveniently made in the form of a turning ventilator
valve. The gas supply pipe enters the top of the reservoir and close to it the
branch for supplying the jets issues from the reservoir and descends to the jets,
being kept warn by the ascending current of heated air.
The reservoir instead of being heated by the flame of the enriched gas may, in
many cases, be heated by a separate flame led to it by a branch from the gas main,
but in such cases, the pipe which leads the vapour from the reservoir to the jets is
conducted through or along the channel provided for the issue of the products of
combustion so as to be kept hot.
When a row of burners supplied from a long pipe is used for illumination, the
oil reservoir may be placed at one end of the pipe and heated by a separate flame,
and in this case we arrange the jets from the pipe so that their flames are somewhat
under to the one side of it, heating the pipe, and thereby preventing condensation
of the oil vapour.
When it is inconvenient or unsafe to employ a separate flame for vaporising the
oil, as, for example, when the oil reservoir, in order to be near a ceiling light, is
placed in the roof of a building, we conduct heat to it by pipes circulating hot
water or supplying steam from a boiler below; and where the oil vapour or the
gas enriched by it has to be led some distance to the burner, we enclose the pipe by
which it is led within the steam or hot water pipe, or pass the steam or hot water
pipe through it, so as to maintain the heat of the vapour up to the place of its
combustion.
In some cases the steam may be generated or the water may be heated by the
heat of the illuminating flames.
One construction which we use for this purpose is to place partly in the flue or
channel which leads off the products of combustion, a closed pipe partly charged
with water, and leading to or into the oil reservoir. The water, being heated,
produces steam, which gives its heat to the oil in the reservoir, becoming itself
condensed. The water of condensation flowing back to the heated part of the pipe
is again vaporised, and so on, the same water and its vapour continuing to form the
vehicle for heat to the oil.
For open air portable lights where the oil vapour is used alone, we employ the
following construction:-We provide the oil reservoir in the form of a pedestal,
from which a pipe extends upwards and spreads out into branches. At various
points along the upper side of each branch we provide small jet branches which
bend downwards and terminate in jets below the branch.
We, by means of a small pump or air syringe, condense air into the reservoir to
such pressure as is necessary to maintain a flow of the oil up the ascending pipe
and along its branches.
Having in the first place heated the branches, the oil forced up to them is partly
vaporised, the vapour issuing by the jets is ignited, and the flames thereafter keep
the branches hot so as to main the supply of vapour to the jets.

page_text: In order to facilitate the cleansing of the branches of deposit from the vaporised
oil, we stuff them with asbestos or silicate fibre which becomes soaked with the
oil supplied.
When it is desired to cleanse the apparatus, the asbestos or fibre is taken out and
can be washed clear of the deposited matter, and when dried can be replaced in the
branch pipes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joshua Kidd and James Kidd in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th January 1878.
JOSHUA KIDD and JAMES KIDD, both of Eglantine Road, Wandsworth, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING
HEAVY OILS TO ILLUMINATING PURPOSES."
Oils or hydrocarbons of the kind known as heavy oils, distilling at a high
temperature, produce vapours which are superior in illuminating power to those of
the lighter oils, whether they are used alone or for enriching inflammable gas; they
are also less expensive than light oils and can be employed with greater safety.
It is however difficult to generate their vapours with regularity, and when they
are generated, to maintain them without condensation in the pipes which conduct
them to burners.
Our Invention relates to means of overcoming those difficulties, and to the con-
struction of apparatus to be used in combination with burners, whereby oils of the
heavy class can be employed for purposes of illumination.
The apparatus which we use is necessarily modified in form and arrangement to
suit different cases, as for single burners or small groups of burners, or for large
chandeliers, lustres, or sunlights, for open air or portable lights, but in all such cases
we provide regulated heat to generate the oil vapour and means of superheating it
or maintaining it at sufficient heat to prevent its condensation on its way to the
burner, as will be understood by a description of some of the arrangements which
we adopt.
For enriching gas supplied to a single burner or to a group of a few burners, we
provide a closed reservoir for the oil, and lead the gas supply pipe into the upper
part of the reservoir, near one side or edge thereof; and very near to this pipe we
fead off a branch and bend it downwards, fixing at its lower end the jet or jets.
From the reservoir we make a piece or blade of metal project so as to be over the
flame and to be heated by it. The heat conducted by this metal to the reservoir
generates vapour from the oil, which vapour mingles with the gas and descends
with it along the branch to the jets which heat the descending branch sufficiently
to prevent condensation of the vapour.
For considerable groups of burners, as in chandeliers or lustres, we place the
reservoir above a group of jets, interposing a shield, by which the heat ascending
to the reservoir can be regulated by more or less opening or closing passages through
it, for which purpose it is conveniently made in the form of a turning ventilator

page_text: valve. The gas supply pipe enters the top of the reservoir, and close to it the
branch for supplying the jets issues from the reservoir and descends to the jets,
being kept warm by the ascending current of heated air.
The reservoir, instead of being heated by the flame of the enriched gas, may, in
many cases, be heated by a separate flame led to it by a branch from the gas main,
but in such cases, the pipe which leads the vapour from the reservoir to the jets is
conducted through or along the channel provided for the issue of the products of
combustion so as to be kept hot.
•
When a row of burners supplied from a long pipe is used for illumination, the
oil reservoir may be placed at one end of the pipe and heated by a separate flame,
and in this case we arrange the jets from the pipe so that their flames are somewhat
under to the one side of it, heating the pipe, and thereby preventing condensation
of the oil vapour.
When it is inconvenient or unsafe to employ a separate flame for vaporising the
oil, as, for example, when the oil reservoir, in order to be near a ceiling light, is
placed in the roof of a building, we conduct heat to it by pipes circulating hot
water or supplying steam from a boiler below; and where the oil vapour or the
gas enriched by it has to be led some distance to the burner, we enclose the pipe
by which it is led within the steam or hot water pipe, or pass the steam or hot
water pipe through it so as to maintain the heat of the vapour up to the place of its
combustion.
In some cases the steam may be generated or the water may be heated by the
heat of the illuminating flames.
One construction which we use for this purpose is to place partly in theflue or
channel which leads off the products of combustion, a closed pipe partly charged
with water, and leading to or into this oil reservoir. The water, being heated,
produces steam, which gives its heat to the oil in the reservoir, becoming itself
condensed. The water of condensation flowing back to the heated part of the pipe
is again vaporized, and so on, the same water and its vapour continuing to form the
vehicle for heat to the oil.
For open air portable lights where the oil vapour is used alone, we employ the
following construction:-We provide the oil reservoir in the form of a pedestal,
from which a pipe extends upwards and spreads out into branches. At various
points along the upper side of each branch we provide small jet branches which
bend downwards and terminate in jets below the branch.
We, by means of a small pump or air syringe, condense air into the reservoir to
such pressure as is necessary to maintain a flow of the oil up the ascending pipe
and along its branches.
Having in the first place heated the branches, the oil forced up to them is partly
vaporized, the vapour issuing by the jets is ignited and the flames thereafter keep
the branches hot so as to maintain the supply of vapour to the jets.
In order to facilitate the cleansing of the branches of deposit from the vapourised
oil, we stuff them with asbestos or silicate fibre which becomes soaked with the
oil supplied.
When it is desired to cleanse the apparatus, the asbestos or fibre is taken out and
can be washed clear of the deposited matter, and when dried can be replaced in the
branch pipes.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section; Fig. 2, a plan; and Fig. 3, a front
view of apparatus, according to our Invention, for carburetting gas supplied to a 50
single burner.
A is the reservoir charged with heavy oil, and having a small compartment a
projecting at the side next the gas flame. On the front of this compartment we
fix above the flame a projecting blade B which conducts heat to the oil, thereby
generating inflammable vapour. Gas enters the reservoir by the pipe C, and, mixed 55

page_text: with the oil vapour, flows by the pipe D to the burner E, the heat of the flame
preventing condensation of the vapour in its passage to the burner.
We prefer to make the plate B in two parts, the one pivotted on the other, so that
the heat conducted to the oil can be regulated by turning the one plate more or less
over the flame.
Fig. 4 represents a vertical section of a larger apparatus suited for a number of
burners.
The oil in the reservoir A is vaporised by the heat of products of combustion
ascending from the lights E which is regulated by means of the plates B, these plates
being made with openings through them that can be more or less closed by turning
or sliding the one plate over the other. The oil reservoir A is enclosed within a
casing F, giving an annular channel for products of combustion passing through the
openings in the plate B. The reservoir A being necessarily of considerable size for
the supply of a number of burners, the heating of its whole contents would occupy
some time. We therefore make it with a pipe or small compartment a at the side
communicating at top and bottom with the reservoir, so that the small portion of
oil contained in the pipe or compartment begins to give off vapour shortly after the
burners are lighted. The gas enters the reservoir by the pipe C, and, mixed with
the oil vapour descends to the burners by the pipe D, which is kept hot.
For a lustre of considerable size, such as is shewn in Fig. 5, the general arrange-
ment is the same as above described, but additional burners e are supplied from the
pipe D by branch pipes, kept heated by the flames below them.
Fig. 6 shews an arrangement, according to which, separate burners I are applied
to heat the oil reservoir A, the heat being in this case regulated by the adjustment
of the gas cock J.
Fig. 7 shews an arrangement for conveying heat to the oil in the reservoir A by
means of a closed pipe K, containing a little water. This pipe is partly enclosed
in a chimney tube L, provided with a throttle valve or other suitable damper, for
the regulation of the heat.
Steam generated in the lower part of the pipe K ascends to the upper part
thereof to heat the oil in the reservoir A, and the water of condensation, returning
to the lower part of the pipe, is again vaporised. The pipe K may be empty, or
instead of it, a solid bar or rod of metal may be used to convey heat to the oil by
conduction.
Fig. 8 illustrates an arrangement whereby the carburetted gas may be conveyed
to considerable distances without condensation of the oil vapour. For this purpose,
steam or hot water circulating pipes M are inserted into the gas supply pipe. Such
pipes instead of passing along the interior of the gas pipe might obviously enclose it
or be laid in close contact with it.
Fig. 9 is a side view of apparatus whereby heavy hydrocarbon oils are applied for
outside illumination, Fig. 10 shewing to an enlarged scale an end view of the jets
and their supply pipe. The oil reservoir A is partially filled with oil.
By means of a small pump or syringe P, air is forced into the reservoir to a
pressure sufficient to cause the oil to ascend to the burners Q, which branch off from
a triangular pipe R.
Before lighting, the pipe R and burners Q arc heated by any convenient means,
and the stop-cock S, being then opened, the oil ascends and issuing from the jets Q,
impinges on the hot sides of the pipe R, whereupon it is kindled, the heat of the
combustion afterwards keeping the pipe hot.
We prefer to stuff the pipe R with fibrous material for facilitating cleansing, as
herein-before described.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and in what manne rhe
same is to be performed, we claim,—
First. Carburetting gas by admixture of the vapour of heavy oil generated in a
reservoir, to which heat is conducted from the gas flame, substantially as herein
described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Second. In apparatus for burning gas carburetted by the vapour of heavy oil,
regulating the heat applied to the carburetting vessel by means of intercepting
plates, substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. In carburetted gas apparatus, vaporising heavy oil, and heating the
carburetted gas pipes by means of steam or hot water circulating pipes, substantially
as herein described with reference to Fig. 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The use of portable external lighting apparatus burning heavy oil, con-
structed and operating substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 9
and 10 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Kidd, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOSHUA KIDD. (L.S.)