Improvements in or relating to the Vaporization of Petroleum and other Liquids.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Vaporization of Petroleum and
other Liquids.
A communication from STANLEY COOPER PEUCHEN, Manufacturer, of 393, Sack-
ville Street, in the City of Toronto, County of York, Province of Ontario.
Canada, and PETER CLARKE, Gentleman, of No. 11, Washington Avenue,
Toronto, aforesaid.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The object of the invention is to vaporize petroleum and other liquids with
rapidity and economy of heat, and it consists, essentially, of an adjustable float
sustaining plates of carbon or other resisting media below and near the surface of
the oil or other liquid to be vaporized and at a suitable distance apart and
connected by wires to the positive and negative poles of a battery, as hereinafter
particularly described.
Figure 1, is a sectional view of the apparatus.
Figure 2, is a perspective detail showing the float supporting the carbon
plates.
Figure 3, is a plan view showing an alternative form of heater in which the
carbon plates are replaced by a resistance coil of wire completing the circuit
between the conducting wires.
In Fig. 1-A is the still, preferably of metal, containing the petroleum; B, is a
draming or outlet pipe at the bottom provided with a cock ; C, is a vapor pipe
through which the petroleum vapor may pass ; D, is the petroleum or other liquid
which is to be vaporized, and E, is the float, and F, and G, are the carbon plates,
the carbon plate F, being connected with the positive pole of the battery by the
wire II, and the carbon plate G, with the negative pole by the wire I. These
wires are sufficiently slack to permit the float E, to rise on the oil to the top of the
still when it is full of oil and to sink towards the bottom as the petroleum becomes
vaporized. The wires H, and I, are passed through the still A, by means of the
plugs K, and L, through a core of celluloid or some other insulating material.
In Fig. 2, the float E, is shown preferably as a hollow metal ball with a sleeve M,
through which a stem N, passes. This stem may be threaded and provided with a
nut n, so as to render the float adjustable and regulate the distance of the carbon
plates from the surface of the oil; this stem is attached to a plate O, preferably of
porcelain, to which the carbon plates F, and G, are also attached. The wire H, is
shown attached to the bottom of plate F, and the wire 1, to the top of the plate G,
so as to cause the carbon plates to be better heated. When the battery is in
operation, the carbon plates become intensely heated, causing the top of the
petroleum to throw off vapor which is conveyed away by the pipe C, to the filter
or condenser.
Q, is an inlet pipe, through which the still may be replenished with the oil or
other liquid which is being vaporized.
On account of the heated plates being kept near the top of the still by means of
the float, only the upper portion of the petroleum or other liquid is heated, the
remainder of the petroleum or other liquid remaining comparatively cool, thus
effecting a great economy of heat, and rendering vaporization casier, all the heat
being concentrated in the upper portion of the liquid, which alone is heated to the

page_text: boiling point; whereas if heat were applied at the bottom portion of the still, as
in the usual method, the whole of the liquid must be heated to the boiling point
before vapor is thrown off.
A man-hole P, is provided to get access to the interior of the still so as to get at
the float and carbon plates, and to remove the viscous matter which may gather at
the bottom of the still.
This method of vaporizing is of course applicable to a variety of liquids. The
size and distance of the plates apart from each other also varies according to the
nature of the fluid in which they are immersed and the strength of the battery.
Instead of employing carbon plates, other resisting media may be employed, or
resistance coils of wire (see Fig. 3), or any other electric beating apparatus may
be substituted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method of vaporizing petroleum or other liquids contained in a still by
means of an electric-heating apparatus held in suspension below and near the surface
of the liquid to be vaporized, substantially as specified.
2. The method of vaporizing petroleum or other liquids contained in a still by
means of the heat generated by carbon plates or other resisting media connected
with the positive and negative poles of a battery and held in suspension below and
near the surface of the liquid to be vaporized, substantially as specified.
3. The method of and apparatus for vaporizing petroleum or other liquids
contained in a still by means of an electric-heating apparatus held in suspension
below and near the surface of the liquid to be vaporized, substantially as described
and specified.
4. The method of and apparatus for vaporizing petroleum and other liquids
contained in a still by means of carbon plates or other resisting media suspended
from a float below and near the surface of the oil to be vaporized, the carbon
plates or other resisting media being connected by wires to the positive and
negative poles of a battery, so that only the upper portion of the oil or other
liquid in proximity to the carbon plates or other resisting media is sufficiently
heated to throw off the vapor which is conveyed away by the vapor pipe,
substantially as described and specified.
5. The adjustable float E, provided with sleeve M and adapted to float on the
surface of the liquid to be vaporized in combination with the stem N plate O and
carbon plates F and G or other resisting media connected with the poles of a battery
substantially as specified.
6. The apparatus for vaporizing petroleum consisting of an electric-heating
apparatus held in suspension below and near the surface of the liquid to be
vaporized by means of a float substantially as specified.
Dated this 5th day of January 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.