IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID HYDROCARBON.
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID HYDROCARBON.". A communi-
cation from abroad by Reuben Lighthall, of Brooklyn, New York, United
States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID
HYDROCARBON." A communication from abroad by Reuben Lighthall, of Brooklyn,
New York, United States of America.
The object of my Invention is to produce an active and complete combustion of
petroleum and other hydrocarbons for heating purposes in steam-boiler and other
furnaces or fire-places, and it consists in the devices and combination of parts
hereinafter described and claimed.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing in which,―
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a top face view of a false bottom of the fire-place of the apparatus
removed from its place therein, and
'
Figure 3 is a perspective view of an air-deflector forming part of the said
apparatus.
A represents a tank or vessel for holding water, and B the fire-pot that extends
down into the said tank A, the two being secured together at the top, so that when
the tank A is filled with water the water will surround the fire-pot B and will be
in contact with its walls and bottom.
C is a second closed tank or receptacle elevated above the tank A, and D indi-
cates pipes, of which there may be four or more communicating between the
pans C and A.
E is the fire-flue which runs up through the centre of the tank C,
thus making the said tank an annular receptacle. F is the water-inlet pipe for
conducting the water into the tank A at or near the bottom, and F¹ is an exhaust
pipe from which steam may escape from the tank C. I place in the fire-pot B a
Cómine

page_text: false bottom G, which is a metal disc loosely fitting the said fire-pot, and in this
disc I set a number of metal pins that project upward from the said false bottom
and are of a length equal to about one third of the depth of the fire pot. I then
cover the said false bottom with a layer of some coarse incombustible material,
preferably asbestos, the said material reaching to nearly the upper end of the said
pins. H is an air-pipe or conductor through which air is to be forced into the
fire-pot through the opening a, from which an air-pipe leads to a blower or other
apparatus for producing a current of air. This pipe H extends up into the fire-pot
slightly above the upper surface of the asbestos, and nearly to the level of the
upper end of the aforesaid pins. Over this tube HI place a deflector b, which is a
metal disc somewhat larger in diameter than the open end of the said tube H, and
preferably concave on the underside as shewn. It is raised slightly above the
open end of the pipe H, being supported on legs or pins, the lower ends of which
rest on the false bottom G. I preferably place loosely in the fire-pot a metal
cylinder I, which rests upon the false bottom G and extends upward to the top. of
the fire-pot. It may be of a diameter equal or nearly equal to that of the fire pot,
so that it will be nearly or quite in contact with the inner surface of the sides of
the fire-pot. J is a pipe leading into the fire-pot and opening therein at or slightly
above the level of the asbestos. This pipe is for- the introduction of the hydro-
carbon into the fire-pot. I form an air-chamber K underneath the tank A by
attaching thereto a second bottom c at a distance from the true bottom of about
one sixth or one eighth of the entire depth of the tank A. The side wall of this
chamber is perforated with holes or openings d for the admission of air, and e
designates a number of pipes leading from the said air-chamber upward into the
fire-pot B and opening therein slightly above the level of the asbestos.
I preferably place in the pipe H a diaphragm f, through the centre of which I
make an aperture of considerably smaller diameter than the said pipe, whereby the
air may be forced in through the pipe under considerable pressure and yet caused
to enter the fire-pot with less velocity than if forced unobstructedly through the
pipe H.
In using this apparatus the hydrocarbon is introduced into the fire-pot until it
rises to the level of the upper surface of the asbestos and is then ignited. The
flame will fill the fire pot and heat the tops of the pins that are set in the false
bottom G so as to vaporize the hydrocarbon and thus increase and intensify the
flame: The fire-pot is protected against injury. from the intense heat by the
water surrounding it in the tank A, and the aforesaid pins, while they will become
sufficiently heated to cause the vaporization of the hydrocarbon (being in contact
with the false bottom G, and the latter being in contact with the bottom of
the fire-pot B, which is in contact with the water in the tank A) are also protected
from the destructive action of the fire upon their upper ends. The cylinder I
becomes greatly heated and contributes to the vaporization of the hydrocarbon,
while it is likewise protected from the destructive action of the flame by its
proximity to or contact with the sides of the fire-pot.
Air to support combustion is to be forced in through the pipe H, which air as it
enters the fire pot is deflected by the deflector b, and distributed into the flame.
Air is also supplied through the pipes e, being heated in some degree in the
chamber K, and thereby a circulation of air is established through the said pipes.
The circulation of water will take place in the water tanks or receptacles through
the pipes D; the water as it is heated in the tank A'rising through the said pipes D
into the tank C, and the colder water in C at the same time passing down through
said pipes into A.
If desired the upper tank C and the pipes D may be dispensed with and the fire-
Blue E made to rise directly from the fire-pot B.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. In an apparatus for burning bydrocarbon-fluid and containing the water-

page_text: tank A, fire-pot B, pipes F and J, as described, the combination therewith of the
false bottom G provided with upward projecting pins, and covered on its upper
surface with asbestos, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination of the tank A, the fire-pot B, the false bottom G,
provided with the metal pins and the incombustible material, the pipes F and J,
the air-chamber K, and air-pipes e, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination of the tank A, the fire-pot B, the false bottom G
provided with the metal pins and incombustible material, the pipes Fand J,
pipe H and the deflector b, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
the
Fourth. The combination of the tank A, the fire-pot B, the false bottom G
provided with the metal pins and incombustible material, the air-pipe H, the
pipe J, the tank C, the pipes e, and the fire-flue E, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
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