IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR AND UTILIZING THE SAME FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
& Co Patent Agents Southampton Buildings London for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR AND UTILIZING THE
SAME FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES communicated to him from abroad by
Louis Francois Albert Lascols, of Paris, France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th October 1882.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake and Co, Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CARBURETTING AIR AND UTILIZING THE SAME FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES
"
[A communication to him from abroad by Louis Francois Albert Lascols, of Paris,
France]
This invention relates partly to an improved carburetor extremely simple in
construction and supplied by means of a reservoir of volatile oil arranged at any
suitable height above the apparatus; the carburetor is immersed in a receptacle
containing a large volume of water which maintains the temperature sensibly
constant throughout the operation of the apparatus; I employ, by preference, as a
receptacle for the water, a vessel in which is immersed a gasometer for containing
the air which it is desired to carburet or simply a receptacle communicating with
the said vessel.
The said invention also relates to improved apparatus for utilizing the
carbureted air for lighting purposes which apparatus furnishes a powerful flame,
avoids the falling of any drops of inflamed liquid, and is very economical.
The apparatus consists essentially of a carburetor containing a volatile mineral
oil of any kind, which carburetor is surrounded by a tube of suitable form and
provided with an air-vessel and with an air-receiver of india-rubber.
The carburetor proper consists essentially of a metal cylinder which is closed
at both ends, and in which is inserted laterally a conduit or pipe for supplying

page_text: atmospheric air from a suitable gasometer; the lower part of this pipe is terminated
by a disc or inverted cup the circumference of which is formed with oblique teeth
and which is entirely immersed in the liquid which penetrates into this part of the
carburetor. These teeth are arranged in such a manner that under the action of
the circulation of air, all the liquid contained in the carburetor has a movement of a
rotation imparted to it the effect of which is to maintain the uniformity of the
composition of the liquid by keeping the whole of it in motion, and to facilitate
the saturation of the air before it passes into the outlet pipe of the apparatus.
Above the said disc are placed horizontally a number of gratings or pieces of
wire gauze the meshes of which are sufficiently large to allow free passage to the
air while dividing it into bubbles sufficiently small to accelerate the carbureting of
the same. The upper part of the carburetor is provided with a pipe which conducts
the carbureted air into the channel leading to the burners. Another pipe terminated
by a blow off cock permits of completely emptying the carburetor when necessary.
The carburetor is arranged in the interior of a vessel or receptacle filled with
water and of sufficient capacity to enable the quantity of water to prevent the
carburetor from being cooled by the rapid volatilization of the oil which it
contains.
I sometimes put the said receptacle in communication with the vessel of an air
bell, the large volume of water contained in the said vessel counteracting any
sensible lowering of the temperature of the carburetor.
This apparatus is supplied with volatile oil from a bottle or reservoir placed at
any suitable height above the carburetor and divided into two or more compartments
one above another in order to avoid too great variations in the pressure within the
carburetor resulting from the variable height of the layer of liquid contained in
the said reservoir. This reservoir is constructed at its upper part with an opening
around which is a cup or basin and which is closed by a screw plug; the volatile
oil poured in through the said aperture falls directly into the upper compartment
and-when--the latter is full_passes by a communication pipe into_the_lower
compartment which in its turn is filled a test cock being fitted to the lower
compartment to permit of ascertaining when the same is filled.
The number of compartments may be varied according to whether it is desired
to have more or less pressure in the gasometer; for example when the gas is to be
used for lighting purposes there can be four or six of the said compartments. Each
of these compartments has an aperture at its lower part which is closed by a screw-
plug and which allows of completely emptying the compartment when necessary.
The supply reservoir is connected to the carburetor by a system of communication
pipes which permit of ensuring uniformity of the level of the volatile oil in the
carbureter; one of these pipes serves to conduct the volatile oil from the reservoir
into the carburetor; another of the said pipes serves as a communication under
pressure between the interior of the reservoir and the interior of the carburetor;
the last named pipe is surmounted with a cock which permits the escape into the
atmosphere of any excess of pressure which may be accidentally produced in the
apparatus by reason of the spontaneous evaporation of the volatile oil contained
therein. Other pipes serve to place the supply pipe in communication with the
compartments of the reservoir containing the volatile oil. Some of the said pipes
are terminated by apertures of about two millimetres in diameter which are
sufficient to permit free communication between the different parts of the apparatus
while avoiding the shocks which would result from the sudden removal of the
liquid from one part to another.
The apparatus for utilizing the gas for lighting purposes has a vertical tube closed
at its lower end and near the top and furnished at intervals between the two points
of closure with a pipe and two apertures; the said pipe receives the vessel
designed to draw in the air that is required to supply the apparatus, the drawing in
being effected by simple pressure, the air after it has entered the vessel is retained
therein by a valve placed upon the inlet pipe of the said vessel. The air enters
the vertical tube and accumulates in an air receiver of india rubber by means of

page_text: apertures formed in a small tube the upper end of which is nearly level with the
apertures in the said vertical tube and which is soldered in the plate forming the
bottom of the said vertical tube through which it passes downward; the said small
tube is bent several times and its end is caused to dip into the volatile oil contained
in the carburetor. The latter is soldered to the vertical tube and encloses the
lower end of the same, and it is completely closed but is provided with a screw-
plug to permit the introduction of the liquid; the carburetor is moreover, arranged
to serve as a means for regulating the lighting apparatus which can be shaken or
moved in any direction without fear of the volatile oil entering the upper
part of the said small tube into which it penetrates by reason of the bent form
given to the said tube.
A second small tube leads from the upper part of the carburetor through the
aforesaid vertical tube to a pressure regulator at the top of the vertical tube and
surmounted by a pipe of small diameter bent or not bent at its extremity from
which sufficient carbureted air escapes to produce a powerful and continuous flame,
sustained by the pressure of the air accumulated in the india-rubber receiver.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th April 1883.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & C°, Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CARBURETING AIR AND UTILIZING THE SAME FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES
a communication to me from abroad by Louis Francois Albert Lascols of Paris
France
This invention relates partly to an improved carburetor extremely simple in con-
struction and supplied by means of a reservoir of volatile oil arranged at any
suitable height above the apparatus; the carburetor is immersed in a receptacle
containing a large volume of water which maintains the temperature sensibly
constant throughout the operation of the apparatus; I employ, by preference, as a
receptacle for the water, a vessel in which is immersed either a gasometer for
containing the air which it is desired to carburet or simply a receptacle coin-
municating with the said vessel.
The said invention also relates to improved apparatus for utilizing the carbureted
air for lighting-purposes, which apparatus furnishes a powerful flaine equal to that
of oil, spirit, gas or other lamps; and moreover avoids the falling of any drops of
inflamed liquid, and is very economical. This apparatus consists essentially of a
carburetor containing a volatile mineral oil of any kind, which carburetor is
surmounted by a tube of suitable form and provided with an air-vessel and with an
-air-receiver-of-india-rubber..
In Figures 1. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings I have illustrated, by way
of example, a carburetor immersed in a considerable volume of water and an oil
reservoir having compartments arranged one above another, and serving for
supplying the said carburetor.
Figures 4 and 5 represent apparatus for utilizing carbureted air for lighting
purposes.
The carburetor proper consists essentially of a metal cylinder A which is closed
at both ends, and in which is inserted laterally a conduit or pipe D for supplying
atmospheric air from a suitable gasometer or air-holder; the lower part of this
pipe is terminated by a disc F or inverted cup the circumference of which is formed
with oblique teeth as shown in Figure 2, and which is entirely immersed in the
liquid in this part of the carburetor. These teeth are arranged in such a manner
that, under the action of the circulation of air, all the liquid contained in the
carburetor has a movement of rotation imparted to it the effect of which is to
maintain the uniformity of the composition of the liquid, by keeping the whole of
it in motion, and to facilitate the saturation of the air before it passes into the
outlet pipe E of the apparatus.
Above the disc Faro placed horizontally a number of gratings or pieces of wire
gauze N the meshes of which are sufficiently large to allow free passage to the air
while dividing it into bubbles sufficiently small to accelerate the carbureting of the
Bame. The upper part of the carburetor is provided with a pipe E which conducts
the carbureted air into the channel leading to the burners. Another pipe ter-
minated by a blow off cock M permits of completely emptying the carburetor when
necessary.
The carburetor is arranged in the interior of a vessel or receptacle B filled with
water and of such capacity that the temperature of the volume of water will
prevent the carburetor from being cooled by the rapid volatilization of the oil
which it contains,

page_text: I sometimes put the receptacle B in communication with the vessel of an air-bell
or air-holder, the large volume of water contained in the said vessel counteracting
any sensible lowering of the temperature of the carburetor
This apparatus is supplied with volatile oil from a bottle or reservoir C placed at
any suitable height above the carburetor and divided into two or more compart-
ments placed one above another in order to avoid too great variations in the
pressure within the carburetor resulting from the variable height of the layer of
liquid contained in the said reservoir. This reservoir C is constructed at its upper
part with a cup or basin V having an aperture which is closed by a screw-plug P;
the volatile oil poured in through the said aperture falls directly into the upper
compartment and, when the latter is full, passes by the communication pipe L into
the lower compartment which in its turn is filled, a test cock I being fitted to the
lower compartiment to permit of ascertaining when the same is filled to the desired
extent.
The number of compartments may be varied according to whether it is desired
to have more or less pressure in the gasometer, for example when the gas is to be
used for lighting purposes there can be four or six of the said compartiments.
Each of these compartments has an aperture at its lower part which aperture is
closed by a screw-plug R or R¹ and permits of completely emptying the
compartiment when necessary.
The supply reservoir is connected to the carburetor by a system of communication
pipes which ensure uniformity of the level S of the volatile oil in the carburetor;
one of these pipes J serves to conduct the volatile oil from the reservoir into the
carburetor; the other pipe H serves as a communication under pressure between
the interior of the reservoir and the interior of the carburetor; the pipe H is
surmounted by a cock T which permits the escape into the atinosphere of any
excess of pressure which may be accidentally produced in the apparatus by reason
of the spontaneous evaporation of the volatile oil contained therein. Other pipes
K, K' serve to place the supply pipe J in communication with the compartments
of the reservoir C containing the volatile oil. O indicates the point of junction of
the pipes G, H, which determine the level of the volatile oil in the carburetor. The
pipes G, H, J, K are terminated in apertures a of about two millimetres in
diameter which are sufficient to pormit free cominunication between the different
parts of the apparatus while avoiding the shocks which would result from the
sudden removal of part of the liquid.
I have represented in Figures 4 and 5 a carbureting apparatus intended to be
used for lighting purposes; the employment of carbureted air in this manner
permits of obtaining a flame equal to that of an oil or gas lamp, and avoids the
dropping of inflammable material common to lamps supplied with oil or other
liquid material.
As shown in these Figures this apparatus has a vertical tube a closed at b and c
and furnished at intervals between the two points of closure with a pipe d and
two apertures c. To the pipe d is fitted the air-bulb f designed to draw in the air
that is required to supply the apparatus, the drawing in being effected by the
expansion of the said bulb, the air after it has entered the bulb is retained therein
by a valve g placed upon the inlet pipe h of the said vessel. The air enters the
vertical tube a and accumulates in the India-rubber air receiver i by means of the
apertures e and is caused to enter the small tubej the upper end of which is
nearly level with the apertures e and is soldered in the plate c forming the
bottom of the tube a through which it passes downward; the said small tube is
bent several times and its end is caused to dip into the volatile oil contained in the
carburetor k. The carburetor is soldered to the lower part of the vertical tube a
and encloses the lower end of the same; it is completely closed but is provided
with a screw-plug to permit the introduction of the liquid; the carburetor is,
moreover, arranged to serve as a handle for the apparatus, which can be shaken or
moved in any direction without fear of the volatile oil entering the upper part of
the said small tubej by reason of the bent form given to the said tube.

page_text: A second small tube m leads from the upper part of the carburetor through the
aforesaid vertical tube a to a pressure regulator n at the top of the tube a and
surmounted by a pipe o of small diameter, bent or not bent at its extremity as
shown in Figure 5 from which sufficient carbureted air escapes to produce a
powerful and continuous flame, sustained by the pressure of the air accumulated in
the India-rubber receiver i
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. The above described improved carburetor for converting air into illumi-
nating gas by its passage through mineral volatile oils, which carburetor consists
essentially of a closed vessel in which the level of the oil is maintained constant
by the means above described, and which the air enters by means of an
inverted cup or the like, having oblique teeth at its circumference and surmounted
by a horizontal metal grating, all substantially, as and for the purposes, setforth.
Second. The said carburetor completely immersed in a vessel filled with water
or communicating with the water contained in a gasometer or air-holder, to prevent
the cooling of the carburetor and avoid any over henting of the samo and to obviate
all risk of accident arising from leakage which might occur in the apparatus,
substantially as setforth.
Third. The pipes G, H, J, K formed with capillary holes at their extremities for
ensuring uniformity of the level of the oil in the carburetor, while avoiding shocks
which might otherwise be produced in the apparatus by reason of the sudden
movement of the liquid in the said pipes.
Fourth. The improved apparatus for utilizing-carbureted_air for lighting
purposes, which apparatus consists essentially in the combination of an oil reservoir,
an air-bulb and an air-vessel or chamber having clastic sides, and a pressure
regulator, all substantially as setforth.
In witness whereof-I-the-said Henry_Harris Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty-sixth day of April in the year-of-our-Lord-One-
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
TENDY IT TAKE