IMPROVEMENTS IN VAPOR OR GAS BURNERS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Horace Brandon, of 13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VAPOR OR GAS BURNERS."-A communication from
John Charles Love, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania,
one of the United States of America.
Sealed the 17th March 1871, and dated the 19th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Horace
Brandon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th September 1870.
I, ALEXANDER HORACE BRANDON, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, in the
Empire of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VAPOR OR GAS BURNERS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention is designed mainly for consuming benzine or other
volatile hydrocarbons, either for producing light or heat, which material,

page_text: though supplied in its normal liquid form, is changed by the action of
the burner, first, into vapor, and then into gas, before ignition.
Though the Invention is designed to consume suitable liquid material
it improves and economizes the consumption of common illuminating
gas when that is supplied to the burner.
The burner is generally made with a metal base which can be attached
to a tube through which the liquid or gas to be consumed enters. Con-
nected with this base are one or more retorts, preferably made each of
one central tube surrounded with an outer tube, so that the liquid or
gas can flow from the base through the inner tube, which is open at
both ends into the space between the inner and outer tubes, the outer
tubes being closed at its salient end, and, the inner ends of both tubes
being secured in the base. The space between the inner and the outer
tubes is connected with any suitable form of gas burner or tip, so as to
deliver thereunto, and the tip or some part of the burner supporting the
tip is pierced with fine holes, which will deliver fine jets of gas directed
upon the retorts. The tube leading to the burner may be filled with
wick or other suitable packing to regulate the amount of flow to the
burner, which flow will be still further controlled by suitably manipu-
lating a cock in the tube. Suppose the tube to be connected with
an elevated reservoir containing benzine, then the operation will be as
follows:-
By opening the cock the benzine will flow into the base,
thence through the inner tubes of the retorts into the spaces between
the inner and outer retort tubes, thence into the space below the tip
and out of the small perforations mentioned, and will spread on the
surface of the burner and the tube supporting it, so that it can be
ignited. The combustion of this overflowing benzine will heat the
burner and its supporting tube, and will vaporize the supply coming
to take the place of that which has escaped, so that immediately the
vapor will ignite, and the flame being directed upon the retorts will so
highly heat them as to change any liquid and vapor passing through
them into a gaseous form, in which form it will pass to the orifice in
the tip which gives the main flame, and through the perforations which
supply the flames which heat the retorts. This heating and rarifying
the vapor and gas has the effect of increasing its volume, so as to cause
the gas to pass from the escape openings under a considerable degree
of pressure, extended flames of great brilliancy being consequently pro-
duced. Preferably I extend the retorts upwards as well as outwards,

page_text: and use one or more as may be preferred, and where I use several
retorts the flames projected upon them are usually sufficient to give
light or heat enough without a special aperture for producing a flame
from the tip. The retorts may be variously made, but so long as
they serve the purpose of conveying heat to the incoming current
to volatalize it they will be but the equivalents of the retorts described.
In some cases the perforations mentioned may be dispensed with, in
which case the form of the orifice in the tip for producing a flame
must be such as will direct the flame upon the retorts to heat them.