IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING LIQUIDS AND HEATING AIR
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
October 1859.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING LIQUIDS
AND HEATING AIR," (a communication from Mess". Gargan and Co., of Villette,
France, Builders.) to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to the heating and vaporisation of liquids, and to
the heating of air or aeriform fluids, and have for their objects the reduction of
size, weight, and cost of the apparatus, the decrease of liability to accident,
and also of danger in case of accident, and economy of the fuel employed.
These objects are effected in the following manner:-In the lower part of a
vessel of suitable form and strength is to be introduced a bath of metal or alloy
Price Adl

page_text: of metal fusible at a moderate temperature, and below this vessel a fire is to be
kept at a sufficient temperature to keep the metal in the vessel always in a
state of fusion. By the aid of a pump provided with a finely-perforated pipe,
the water is to be injected into the lower part of this bath of fused metal in
an extremely divided state, and will penetrate in fine streams through the
whole of the metal, and being rapidly heated by contact therewith will imme-
diately be converted into steam, which after traversing the bath issues there-
from in the form of dry steam; and at a pressure corresponding with the
temperature employed, and is conveyed from the upper part of the vessel to
the steam engine or other purpose, for which it is to be employed. Each stroke
of the piston of the pump injects a certain, quantity of water into the
generator, which is instantaneously converted into steam, and it will readily
be perceived that if the stroke of the piston be not repeated this quantity of
steain being exhausted or used,there remains nothing in the generator but the
bath of fused metal, there is neither water nor steam. If on the contrary,
the movement of the piston be continued, at each stroke of the same there
results the same phenomenon of a certain definite quantity of water injected,
vaporized and utilized simultaneously. It will be evident that the same process
and apparatus, with modifications, may be employed for heating or vaporizing
any other liquid, and for heating air or other aeriform or gaseous fluids.
Analogous results may be obtained by substituting for the fused metal or
alloy any liquid not vaporizable, or a bath of metal in an extreme state of
division, but not in fusion (such as minute grains or filings) or a mineral
bath, such as fine sand or comminuted fire-clay,, or a number of discs of
wire cloth, provided always that the water or other fluid be introduced at
the lower part, and caused to traverse through the same.
F
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer
and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Davies, Her special licence that I, the said
George Davies, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Davies, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING LIQUIDS AND
HEATING AIR," being a communication to me from abroad by Messieurs Gargon
& Co., of Vilette, France, Builders, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Davies, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my or their, or one of their hands and scals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Davies, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say:-
These improvements relate to the heating and vaporisation of liquids and
to the heating of air or aeriform fluids, and have for their objects the reduction
of size, weight, and cost of the apparatus, the decrease of liability to accident,
and also of danger in case of accident, and economy of the fuel employed.
These objects are effected in the following manner :-In the lower part of
a vessel of suitable form and strength is to be introduced a bath of metal, or
alloy of metal, fusible at a moderate temperature, and below this vessel a fire
is to be kept at a sufficient temperature to keep the metal in the vessel always
in a state of fusion. By the aid of a pump, provided with a finely-perforated
pipe, the water is to be injected into the lower part of this bath of fused metal
in an extremely divided state. and will penetrate in fine streams through the
whole of the metal, and being rapidly heated by contact therewith, will
immediately be converted into steam, which after traversing the bath issues
therefrom in the form of dry steam, and at a pressure correspon ling with the
temperature employed, and is conveyed from the upper part of the vessel to
the steam engine, or other purpose for which it is to be employed. Each
stroke of the piston of the pump injects a certain quantity of water into the

page_text: generator, which is instantaneously converted into steam, and it will readily
be perceived that if the stroke of the piston be not repeated, this quantity of
steam being exhausted or used, there remains nothing in the generator but the
bath of fused metal, there is neither water nor steam. If, on the contrary, the
movement of the piston be continued, at each stroke of the same there results
the same phenomenon of a certain definite quantity of water injected, vaporized,
and utilized simultaneously. It will be evident that the same process and
apparatus, with modifications, may be employed for heating of vaporizing
any other liquid, and for heating air or other aeriform or gaseous fluids.
Analogous results may be obtained by substituting for the fused metal or
alloy any liquid not vaporizable, or a bath of metal in an extreme state of
division, but not in fusion (such as minute grains or filings) or a mineral
bath, such as fine sand or comminuted fire-clay, or a number of discs of
wire cloth (such medium being kept at the requisite temperature) pro-
vided always, that the water or other fluid be introduced at the lower
part,
and caused to traverse through the same.
The practical construction and application of the apparatus to be em-
ployed for effecting the above objects will be readily understood on reference
to the annexed Drawing, which is made to scale of about one-fifth the actual
size, and is marked with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof:-
3
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the apparatus complete, mounted
on a furnace; Figure 2 represents in plan view the extremity of the injection
tube, which is placed under the metallic bath, and which terminates in the
spiral K, pierced with numerous holes of a very small diameter; Figure 3
represents in plan view another kind of termination for the injection
tube, namely, a shallow rose, pierced beneath with numerous fine holes.
G (Figure 1) is a generator, made in two parts, of wrought or cast iron.
The upper part is furnished with three tubes, the first to receive a safety
valve I, the second to contain a stuffing box, through which the rod of the
float H passes, and the third to be provided with a cock J, for the transmission
of steam; H is a metallic float,indicating externally the height of the fused
metal or alloy contained in the generator G. The lower part of the generator
G is furnished with a discharge pipe, provided with a cock F, for drawing off
the metal forming the bath. E is an injection tube passing through the side of
the generator, at the interior of which it is held by a flange, and fixed at
the exterior by the pipe D proceeding from the feed pump, which pipe is
screwed ou to the tube E. The cock B, for regulating the injection of the
water, can be acted on by the governor of the steam engine (which may be

page_text: driven by this generator) in the same manner as the throttle valves now in
use, or by special piston 6 placed on the generator, which, being acted on
more or less by the steam contained in the generator will, by its rod b' (passing
through a stuffing box) actuate an exterior lever c, which will control the
cock B, and only allow the quantity of water necessary for the production
of the steain required to enter the generator G by the injection tube E.
M is a tank, containing a pipe, A, to which the feed pump is attached,
which pipe is provided at its lower part with an escape valve C. N is a
furnace for heating the lower part of the generator G.
The action of the apparatus is as follows: A certain amount of metallic
alloy, fusible at about one hundred and fifty degrees centigrade (lead and
tin) is introduced into the generator G; the safety valve pipe will serve for
this purpose. The fire being lighted, this metal fuses, which is known by the
rod of the float H, which then becomes moveable, or by the application of a
pyrometer or other instrument capable of indicating the temperature. The
cock B is then opened, and the feed pump put in action, which introduces
a streain of water into the tube E and its spiral K, each of the perforations in
which allow of the escape of a fiue jet of water, which is transformed into
steam in a proportionate ratio to the fineness of the streams. The stream of
water injected is instantaneously converted into steam, owing to the multitude
of jets and the very divided state in which they encounter the fused metal.
The steam which is formed traverses the mass of fused metal, and reaches the
upper part of the generator in the state of dry steam, the elastic force of
which is in proportiou to the temperature employed and the volume of water
injected. This volume of steam is proportionate to the expenditure of the
engine or machine to be moved; anotlier stroke of the piston of the feed pump
produces the same result. If all the steam produced has not been expended,
there results an increased pressure, which will lift the piston b. ciosing the
cock B, and intercepting a portion of the water, which then escapes by the
valve C into the tank M; the same effect would be produced by the governor.
If the engine accelerate its speed by reason of excessive pressure or deficient
resistance, in order to stop the production of steam it is only necessary to
arrest the movement of the feed pump. When the supply of steam is again
required, the pump must be again put in action; the effects are certain and
instantaneous. "It will be readily perceived that, inasmuch as the mass of
fused metal transinits incessantly to the water injected the amount of caloric
necessary to vaporize the same, if this same quantity of caloric be incessantly
restored thereto by the action of the furnace the equilibrium will be main-
tained and the movement continuous. I may also here remark, that the

page_text: apparatus may be arranged in a horizontal position, if desired. Excepting
that the conditions of elasticity are different, it will also be perceived that
this principle of calorific transmission is equally applicable to heating and
expanding air as to vaporizing water, and, as before mentioned, the same
results may be produced by substituting other media not in fusion, but heated
to the required degree, instead of the bath of fused metal or metallic alloy.
Some of the principal advantages of this system are as follows:-A great
reduction in the weight and size of the apparatus requisite to produce a
given amount of steam, and a corresponding economy in cost, and also economy
in the consumption of fuel, consequent on the reduction of the loss by sur-
face radiation and the better transmission of caloric. Another advantage is,
that there are no magazines or reservoirs filled with hot water or steam, all
being expended at each stroke of the piston, and consequently there is less
danger of explosions, and such explosions, should they by any possibility
occur, will be less dangerous than those of generators of the ordinary con-
struction, wherein an immense volume of steam and boiling water is suddenly
liberated.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Vaporizing Liquids
and Heating Air," together with the manner of carrying the same into
practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I claim as the Invention
communicated to me by the aforesaid Messieurs Gargan & Co.,
Firstly, the system or mode above described of heating and vaporizing
liquids, and of heating air or aeriform fluids.
And, secondly, the employment or use for such purposes of the apparatus
exhibited in the Drawings, and above described, or any mere modification
thereof, whatever may be the alloy or other medium employed for the
transmission of the caloric required.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
GEORGE DAVIES. (L..s.)