IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, of the Firm of
Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Patent Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS."-A communication
from abroad by Pierre Emile Martin, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 2nd October 1869, and dated the 14th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Clinton Edgcumbe
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th April 1869.
I, CLINTON EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman,
and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the spontaneous combustion of hydro-
carbons while in a state of suspension in a medium or current of
superheated air, steam, or gas, at a high temperature (say, from about

page_text: 3200° to 3600° Fahrenheit) in order to immediately decompose these oils
and to develop in this manner an immense heat of great service in many
industrial processes.
The Invention is chiefly founded on the following double combination,
viz., 1st, increasing the calorific power of the combustible gases pro-
ceeding from any furnace, gas generator, blast furnace, or other apparatus
by the injection of hydrocarbons inflaming in the vesicular state without
contact with any grate or slab, and, secondly, producing the spontaneous
combustion of the mixture of nitrogenized combustible gases and non-
nitrogenized hydrocarbons by means of air or steam superheated, either
without or within the apparatus itself.
I proceed to describe several applications of this Invention.
In one application there is a reverberatory regenerating furnace with a
concave sole plate, the combustion in which is caused by hydrocarbons
decomposed while in a state of suspension immediately upon coming
in contact with combustible gases and superheated air across the
chambers of the furnace. The combustible gases arrive through an air
opening, and are superheated while passing through the partitions of the
regenerating chambers. At each side of or above the furnace a reservoir
is placed containing the liquid hydrocarbon which falls drop by drop
through a cock into a bent pipe with a funnel-shaped mouth which
proceeds from a hole formed in each side of the furnace. The sole plate
of the furnace is concave. When the current of superheated air or
gas from the generators enter the furnace alternately through passages
formed through the brickwork at either end of the sole plate they
immediately inflame the hydrocarbon dropping from the reservoir, and
this decomposition in the superheated medium developes a very great
calorific power. The hydrocarbon does not fall upon any grate. A jet
of superheated steam may also be introduced at each side of the furnace
by means of pipes passing through the same holes as those by which the
hydrocarbon enters.
In another application there is a reverberatory furnace for high tempe.
ratures in which the heat is caused by the spontaneous combustion of a
liquid hydrocarbon in the presence of superheated steam and hot air.
The furnace is provided with a grate. The sole plate is concave, and at
the end of the sole plate is a steam generator. Above the furnace is the
reservoir for the hydrocarbon furnished with a cock which allows the

page_text: hydrocarbon to drop into the funnel-mouthed bent pipe proceeding
through the side orifice of the furnace as does also the pipe for the super-
heated steam. The hydrocarbon immediately upon its entrance into the
furnace is inflamed by contact with the superheated steam and hot air,
and the hot air rising through the grate gives rise to great heat to
the advantage of the sole plate of the furnace and the generator at
its end.
Another application consists of a reverberatory furnace with a gas
generator in which the heating is caused by liquid hydrocarbons also
burning in the state of suspension and without falling upon any grate or
slab. The gas generator is fed with fuel upon an inclined grate through
a hole at the upper part of the furnace, which is usually closed. Between
the gas generator and the sole plate is a fire upon a grate upon which
fuel is placed. Into the ash-pit of this grate air enters; its entrance is
regulated by a clack valve. The air is heated while passing through the
burning fuel upon the grate and inflames the gas from the gas generator
and the hydrocarbon in proportion to its arrival. The sole plate contains
the steel or other substance to be treated. Above the furnace is placed
the reservoir containing the hydrocarbon which falls drop by drop from
a cock into a funnel-mouthed pipe which is bent into the interior of the
furnace through the orifice. Immediately upon its arrival within the
furnace the hydrocarbon is inflamed by its contact with the combustible
gases from the gas generator and the hot air rising through the grate;
the hydrocarbon is decomposed while suspended in the vesicular state
developing a very great heat.
In another arrangement applicable to blast furnaces the hydrocarbon
falls drop by drop from the reservoir through tubes proceeding into
blast openings in the furnace so as to be introduced within the furnace
by the current of air. The hydrocarbon feeding pipe may communicate
in the interior with the nozzle of the air pipe, or the other pipe may have
its nozzle in advance of that of the other air pipe.
This system of heating with hydrocarbons may be applied to all kinds.
of blast furnaces, its characteristic feature being the burning of the
hydrocarbons without a grate.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CLINTON
EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company,
of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, Her special licence
that I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe
Brooman, 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 APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS," (a com-
munication from abroad by Pierre Emile Martin, of Paris, France,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe
Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the spontaneous combustion of
hydrocarbons whilst in a state of suspension in a medium or current

page_text: of superheated air, steam, or gas at a high temperature (say from about
3200° to 3600° Fahrenheit), in order to immediately decompose these
oils and to develop in this manner an immense heat of great service
in many industrial processes.
The Invention is chiefly founded on the following double combination,
viz., 1st, increasing the calorific power of the combustible gases pro-
ceeding from any furnace, gas generator, blast furnace, or other appa-
ratus by the injection of hydrocarbons inflaming in the vesicular
state without contact with any grate or slab; 2nd, producing the
spontaneous combustion of the mixture of nitrogenized combustible
gases and non-nitrogenized hydrocarbons by means of air or steam
superheated either without or within the apparatus itself.
I proceed to describe several applications of this Invention with
reference to the annexed Drawings.
Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section a reverberatory regenerating
furnace with a concave sole plate, the combustion in which is caused
by hydrocarbons decomposed while in a state of suspension immediately
upon coming in contact with combustible gases and superheated air
across the chambers of the furnace. A is the furnace, and B, B, the
chambers of the regenerator. The combustible gases arrive through an
air opening C, and are superheated while passing through the partitions
of the regenerator chambers B, B. At each side of or above the
furnace A a reservoir D, D', is placed containing the liquid hydrocarbon,
which falls drop by drop through a cocks a, a, into bent pipes b, b', with
funnel-shaped mouths, which proceed from a hole formed in each side
of the furnace. E is the concave sole plate for the manufacture of steel
or any other metallurgical or ceramic operation. When the currents.of
superheated air or gas from the generators enter the furnace alternately
through passages G, G, formed through the brickwork at either end of
the sole plate they immediately inflame the hydrocarbon dropping from
the reservoirs D, D', and this decomposition in the superheated medium
develops a very great calorific power. It will be perceived that the
hydrocarbon does not fall upon any grate. A jet of superheated steam
may also be introduced at each side of the furnace by means of
pipes e, e, Figure 1, passing through the same holes d, d', as those by
which the hydrocarbon enters.
Figure 2 shows in longitudinal section a reverberatory furnace for
high temperatures in which the heat is caused by the spontaneous

page_text: combustion of a liquid hydrocarbon in the presence of superheated steam
and hot air. A is the furnace, which is provided with a grate H; E is
the concave sole plate, and at the end of the plate is a steam generator I.
Above the furnace is the reservoir D for the hydrocarbon, furnished with
a cock a, which allows the hydrocarbon to drop into the funnel-mouthed
bent pipe b, proceeding through the side orifice d of the furnace, as does
also the pipe e for the superheated steam. The hydrocarbon imme-
diately upon its entrance into the furnace is inflamed by contact with
the superheated steam and hot air, and the hot air rising through the
grate H gives rise to great heat to the advantage of the sole plate of
the furnace and the generator at its end.
Figure 3 represents in longitudinal section a reverberatory furnace
with a gas generator, in which the heat is caused by liquid hydrocarbons,
also burning in the state of suspension and without fall upon any grate
or slab.
At J is a gas generator fed with fuel upon an inclined grate L,
through a hole K at the upper part of the furnace, which is usually
closed. At H is a fire upon a grate upon which fuel is placed. Into
the ash-pit of this grate the air enters at f, its entrance is regulated by
a clack valve. The air is heated while passing through the burning
fuel upon the grate H, and inflames the gas from the gas generator and
the hydrocarbon in proportion to its arrival. The sole plate E contains
the steel or other substance to be treated. Above the furnace A is
placed the reservoir D containing the hydrocarbon, which falls drop by
drop from a cock a into a funnel-mouthed pipe b, which is bent into
the interior of the furnace through the orifice d. Immediately upon its
arrival within the furnace the hydrocarbon is inflamed by its contact
with the combustible gases from the gas generator, and the hot air
rising through the grate H and is decomposed while suspended in the
vesicular state developping a very great heat.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of a blast or high furnace A, the heating
of which is produced by hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbon falls drop
by drop from the reservoir through the tubes 6, 6', proceeding into the
blast openings d, d', in the furnace, so as to be introduced within the
furnace by the current of air by the pipes g, g'. The hydrocarbon feeding
pipe may communicate in the interior with the nozzle of the air pipe g,
or the other pipe 'may have its nozzle in advance of that of the other
air pipe g¹.

page_text: This system of heating with hydrocarbons may be applied to all kinds
of blast furnaces, its characteristic feature being the burning of the
hydrocarbons without a grate.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. The construction or arrangement of apparatus, substantially
as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings, whereby the combustion of hydrocarbons is effected whilst
they are suspended in a current or medium of air, steam, or gas,
at an elevated temperature.
And, secondly. The combustion of hydrocarbons whilst in a state of
suspension, in a medium or current of superheated air, steam, or
gas, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.