Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the Burning of Fluid Hydrocarbons for Lighting and Heating Purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the Burning of
Fluid Hydrocarbons for Lighting and Heating Purposes.
We, JOHN MCLEOWNAN MCMURTRIE, Engineer, of No. 21, Prince's Street,
Pollokshields, Glasgow, and LUCAL LIMITED, of No. 121, West George Street,
Glasgow, both in the County of Lanark, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
Our invention relates to improvements in industrial lamps or apparatus for the
burning of fluid hydrocarbons for lighting and heating purposes, and is chiefly
designed to provide for the automatic lifting or raising of the oil from the supply
tank or reservoir to the burner, without the necessity for producing an air-pressure
in such tank or reservoir, and to enable the oil tank or reservoir to be refilled with
oil without the necessity for the release of the compressed air from such tank or
reservoir, and the consequent extinction of the light.
Our improvements are more especially applicable to the apparatus described in
the Specification of former Letters Patent, granted to the said J. M. McMurtrie,
and dated 5th September, 1893, No. 16701.
In lamps of the kind or class referred to in the said former specification, working
with oil and steam, or with a crude or heavy hydrocarbon oil, and a lighter or more
volatile hydrocarbon oil, and wherein the heavy oil is sprayed by means of the
steam or by the vapour of the lighter oil, the said steam or vapour is -projected
through a central jet or nozzle, surrounded by an annular trough or chamber into
which the oil is raised by the pressure of air which has been previously forced, by
pumping, into the tank containing such oil, the oil being carried from the said trough
into the flame in a finely divided condition, by the steam or vapour issuing from
the said central jet or nozzle.
air
It is evident that with industrial lamps so constructed, it is necessary to pump
into two tanks or reservoirs in order to provide the pressure requisite for forcing or
lifting the oil and water or the heavy and light oils from such reservoirs, and that,
in order to refill the oil-tank, all the air under pressure must be let off, and conse-
quently the light will go out.
Now, according to our said invention, instead of forcing the oil to be sprayed, up
to the burner by the pressure of air in the oil-tank or reservoir, we so construct the
apparatus that the oil to be sprayed will be drawn up to the burner by the injector
action of the jet of steam or vapour, thus obviating the necessity of maintaining a
pressure of air in the said oil tank or reservoir, and enabling additional oil to be
introduced into the same without extinguishing the flame or otherwise interfering
with the action of the lamp.
For this purpose we find it advantageous to connect the oil supply pipe from the
tank or reservoir with apertures or-passages in the walls of a tube extending from
and concentric with the central nozzle through which the steam or hydrocarbon
vapour issues, so that the rush of steam or vapour past the said apertures or passages
will cause a reduction of pressure or partial vacuum in the lower end of the said
tube, thereby drawing up the oil from the tank or reservoir into the said tube whence
it will be projected into the flame in the form of spray by means of the said jet.
According to one arrangement, we provide a plug or cap which is fitted into a
cup or annular chamber, surrounding the said central jet or nozzle, and in commu-
Dication with the oil-tank; this plug or cap is formed with a central passage or

page_text: tube, the lower end of which closely fits upon or against the upper end of the said
central jet or nozzle. The said plug or cap is, norcover, made with passages
extending from the said annular chamber or cup, and opening into the said central
passage or tube a short distance above the said jet or nozzle."
In our improved apparatus the air is pumped only into the tank or reservoir
containing the water or the lighter hydrocarbon oil as the case may be. As only a
very small quantity of water, such as one-quarter of a gallon per hour, is used, very
little pumping is required, and the oil-tank can, as above stated, be refilled while
the light is burning.
The burning of crude oil is sometimes attended with difficulties owing to the
presence of tar or other deleterious substances; our improved method of burning
the crude oil by the arrangement above mentioned obviates these difficulties.
In this manner we are enabled to attain the object above mentioned very simply
and effectively, without rendering it necessary to force the heavy hydrocarbon oil
into the tank by means of a pump or the like, which method is not satisfactory since
the pump is continually getting out of order by reason of the action of the oil on
the feather valves and other parts.
Dated the 7th day of November 1895.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the Burning of
Fluid Hydrocarbons for Lighting and Heating Purposes.
We, JOHN MCLEOWNAN MCMURTRIE, Engineer, of No. 21 Prince's Street,
Pollokshields, Glasgow, and LUCAL LIMITED, of No. 121 West George Street,
Glasgow, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in industrial lamps or apparatus for the
burning of fluid hydrocarbons for lighting and heating purposes, and is chiefly
designed to provide for the automatic lifting or raising of the oil from the supply
tank or reservoir to the burner, without the necessity for producing a pressure in
such tank or reservoir, the further advantage being obtained that the oil tank or
reservoir can be refilled with oil without the necessity for the release of the
'compressed air or other pressure from such tank or reservoir, and the consequent
extinction of the flame, or the necessity of pumping or otherwise introducing the
oil into the tank against an internal pressure.
:
Our improvements are more especially applicable to apparatus of the kind or
class described in the Specification of former Letters Patent, granted to the said
J. M. McMurtrie, and dated 5th September 1893, No. 16701. In lamps of the
kind or class therein referred to, working with oil and steam, or with a crude or
heavy hydrocarbon oil, and a lighter or more volatile hydrocarbon oil, and wherein
the heavy oil is sprayed by means of the steam or by the vapour of the lighter oil,
the said steam or vapour is projected through a central jet or nozzle, surrounded
by an annular trough or chamber into which the oil is raised by the pressure of air
previously forced, by pumping or gravitation into the tank containing such oil, the
oil being carried from the said trough into the flame in a finely divided condition,
by the steam or vapour issuing from the said central jet or nozzle.
It is evident that with industrial lamps or oil heating appliances so constructed,
it is necessary, when compressed air is used for raising the heavy oil to the
burner, to pump air into two tanks or reservoirs in order to provide the pressure

page_text: requisite for forcing or lifting the oil and the water or the heavy and light oils
from such reservoirs; and it is also evident that, in order to refill the oil-tauk, all
the air under pressure must be let off, and consequently the flame will go out, that
is to say, unless arrangements are made for delivering the oil against the pressure
as previously stated.
Now according to our present invention, instead of forcing the oil to be sprayed,
up to the burner by the pressure of air in the oil-tank or reservoir, we so construct
the apparatus that the oil to be sprayed will be drawn up to the burner by the
injector action of the jet of steam, air or vapour, thus obviating the necessity of
maintaining a pressure of air in the said oil-tank or reservoir, and enabling additional
oil to be introduced into the same without extinguishing the flame or otherwise
interfering with the action of the lamp.
For this purpose we find it advantageous to connect the oil supply pipe from the
tank or reservoir with a tube extending from and concentric with the central nozzle
through which the steam, air or bydrocarbon vapour issues, so that the rush of
steam, air or vapour causes a reduction of pressure or partial vacuum in the lower
end of the said tube, thereby drawing up the oil from the tank or reservoir into the
said tube whence it will be projected into the flame in the form of spray or vapour
by means of the said jet.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice:
Figure 1 is a vertical central section, and
:-
Figure 2 a horizontal section on the line -, Figure 1, illustrating our improved
burner.
a is the base of the burner through which extend passages b, c for the oil and
steam respectively; d is a cup or annular chamber into which the oil passage
opens. The chamber d is provided with a central jet or nozzle e which is in
communication' with the steam-passage c. Into the chamber d is fitted a plug or
cap which is provided with a central passage or tube f¹ the lower end of which
closely fits over the upper end of the jet or nozzle e, Figures 1 and 2. In order to
ensure a tight joint between the cap and the nozzle e, the two engaging surfaces are
made conical as shown. In the said plug fare also formed passages f' extending
from the annular chamber d and opening into the central passage f¹.
In this manner the oil from the oil-tank is drawn up through the passage b,
chamber d and passages by the inductive action of the steam-jet issuing from
the nozzle e and on entering the central passage f¹ is sprayed or atomized by the
action of the said jet.
It is obvious that, if desired, air or hydrocarbon vapour may be supplied to the
nozzle e through the passage c instead of steam as above mentioned.
In the burner shown in Figure 3, the cap f is formed with a curved internal
surface which corresponds in form with the outer surface e of the nozzle e, a
space di being left between the two so as to form an annular passage connecting
the chamber d with the central passage f¹ above the nozzle e.. It will be seen that
the rush of steam, air or vapour through the nozzle e will produce a partial
vacuum in the annular passages d, d and so cause the oil to be drawn up into the
central passage f¹ where it is sprayed by the jet issuing from the nozzle e.
It will be seen that in this case the nozzle e extends up to or beyond the annular
passage d¹.
In some cases, moreover, I make the walls of the annular passage d' conical
instead of curved as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 4 shows another form of my improved burner in which the plug or cap f
is made with passages or branches 6' in communication with two oil-reservoirs so as
to permit the employment of a mixture of oils. In this case we make the capf
with an aperture fa fitting over the nozzle e so as to enable the position of the
opening of the said nozzle to be varied relatively to the central passage fl as
desired, suitable packing g being provided to prevent leakage of the oil.
The branches are provided with screw-threads b³ to permit the attachment of

page_text: suitable pipe-connections or the like leading to the oil-reservoirs. Other suitable
unions or devices may however be employed for this purpose.
Our improved burner can be fitted on the lamp shown in the said former
specification, No. 16701, in which case the oil-tank is preferably provided with an
aperture or air-inlet valve to permit the entrance of air into the oil-tank as the oil
is drawn up to the burner.
By our improved burner we are enabled to attain the object above mentioned
very simply and effectively, without rendering it necessary to force the heavy
hydrocarbon oil into the tank by means of a pump or the like and with the
advantages that, besides the great saving of time and labour by reason of the oil
being automatically lifted, the pump is not continually getting out of order by
reason of the action of the oil on the leather valves and other parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. An apparatus for burning hydrocarbons for lighting or heating. purposes,
wherein provision is made substantially as herein before described whereby the oil
will be raised to the burner from a reservoir below the same by the steam, air or
vapour used for spraying the said oil.
1
}
Second. The improved burner constructed substantially as described..with
reference to Figures 1 and 2, or to Figure 3 or to Figure 4 of the drawing so that
the injector action of the jet of steam, air or vapour for spraying-the oil will create
a partial vacuum in the oil passage or passages sufficient to raise the oil from a
reservoir below.
Dated this 7th day of August 1896
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton. Buildings, Loudon, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.