IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING STEAM OR VAPOUR ALONE OR MIXED WITH HOT AIR, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR HOT VAPOUR BATHS, FOR REFRESHING STALE BREAD AND FOR CULINARY PURPOSES PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johan Millén of Queen Victoria Street in the City
of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PRODUCING STEAM OR VAPOUR ALONE OR MIXED WITH HOT AIR, ESPECIALLY
APPLICABLE FOR HOT VAPOUR BATHS, FOR REFRESHING STALE BREAD AND
FOR CULINARY PURPOSES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johan Millén at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1883.
"IMPROVE
JOHAN MILLÉN of Queen Victoria Street in the City of London
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING STEAM OR VAPOUR ALONE OR MIXED WITH
HOT AIR, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR HOT VAPOUR BATHS, FOR REFRESHING
STALE BREAD, AND FOR CULINARY PURPOSES
"
According to this invention I produce a simple and cheap apparatus for
producing steam or vapour alone or mixed with hot air all as hereinafter described.
I provide a closed vessel for containing the water required for the steam or
vapour, this vessel has a filling hole and stopper. It is placed over the burner or
burners for heating it, and surrounded by a mantle provided with apertures at the
top for the escape of the hot fumes from the burner or it may there have a pipe for
leading the fumes into a flue or out into the open. The mantle is provided with
an outer hot air jacket having a vertical row of perforations to the outer air which
can be admitted to the interior. of the jacket by means of a slide with corresponding
holes. On the opposite side the hot air jacket communicates with a pipe leading
to the vapour bath or other place of application. The air is heated by passing
through the jacket from one side thereof to the other, and it is drawn in by a
steam or vapour jet from the upper part of the inner vessel containing the water
and which at starting is filled to about two thirds of its height.
According to a modified arrangement the steam or vapour jet is caused to enter
the hot air jacket by preference at or near the top and into a kind of cock or
thimble or valve which admits the cold air to the jacket or to a passage provided
on it and communicating therewith by a row of holes.

page_text: The required heat for evaporating or vapourising the water and heating the air
is produced by a burner arranged underneath the water vessel and made to burn
the vapour of petroleum, or other hydrocarbon or spirits. The latter is supplied
from a container provided with perforated recessed top having a cover with
corresponding holes through which the oil is supplied, whereupon the cover is
turned so as to close the openings. This container is also fitted with a kind of
piston. This latter is made of leather covered with a sheet metal disc below.
When the piston in the first instance is raised by a rod with handle the oil
bulges the leather down and flows down past it, and when the piston is next
depressed the leather fits the interior of the vessel and acts like a piston forcing
the oil through a slide valve or cock at the bottom into the outer jacket and
through a retort containing pieces of wire for better dividing the heat and having
a small outlet nipple for the exit of the oil vapour which at first starting is produced
by a spirit or other lamp placed beneath the retort but subsequently is produced
by heat convection and radiation from the legs or bracket of a burner attached to
the retort at this place and which may be in the form of a hollow cone or cylinder
with apertures through for air admission and with hinged deflector plate on the
top for spreading the flame. Two or more such burners may be arranged in
combination each supplied from an oil vessel provided with admission slide valve
or cock and communicating with a common oil supply vessel fitted with a piston
as described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Johan Millén in the Patent Office on the 29th April 1884.
Johan Millén of Queen Victoria Street in the City of London "IMPROVE
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING STEAM OR VAPOUR, ALONE OR MIXED WITH
HOT AIR, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR HOT VAPOUR BATHS FOR REFRESHING
STALE BREAD AND FOR CULINARY PURPOSES."
According to this invention I produce a simple and cheap apparatus for
producing steam or vapour alone or mixed with hot air, all as hereinafter
described.
And in order that this invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a vertical section, Figure 2 a plan section, and Figure 3 a plan of
the apparatus for producing the steam and for commingling it with hot air.
I provide a closed vessel such for instance as shown at B for containing the
water required for the steam or vapour, this vessel has a filling hole and stopper o.
It is placed over the burner or burners for heating it, and is surrounded by a
mantle A provided with apertures a at the top for the escape of the hot fumes
from the burner or it may there have a pipe for leading the fumes into a flue or
out into the open. The mantle A is provided with an outer hot air jacket E
having a vertical row of perforations b to the outer air which latter can be
admitted to the interior of the jacket E by means of a slide ƒ with corresponding
holes. On the opposite side the hot air jacket communicates with a pipe F with
continuation & leading to the vapour bath or other place of application. The air
is heated by passing through the jacket E from one side thereof to the other, and
it is drawn in by a steam or vapour jet C from the upper part of the inner vessel B
containing the water and which vessel B at starting is filled to about two thirds of
its height.
Figure 4 is a vertical section, Figure 5 a plan and Figure 6 a horizontal section
of a modification.
According to this modified arrangement (which however is not so effectual
because the mixture of air and steam does not become so highly heated or
superheated as in the previous arrangement) the steam or vapour jet C is caused to
enter the hot air jacket by preference at or near the top and into a kind of cock
or thimble or valve f which admits the cold air to the jacket or to a passage D
provided on it and communicating therewith by a row of holes b.
The required heat for evaporating or vapourizing the water and heating the air
is produced by a burner arranged underneath the water vessel B and which may
be an ordinary gas burner or any ordinary oil lamp (or for larger purposes an
ordinary coal fire) or it may be made to burn the vapour of petroleum or other
hydrocarbon or spirits. Figure 7 is a vertical section and Figure a plan of the
burner with its supply vessel and other parts. The burner h in the form of a
hinged plate is supplied from a container A provided with perforated recessed top e
having a cover with corresponding holes through which the oil is supplied,
whereupon the cover is turned so as to close the openings. This container A is
also fitted with a kind of piston c. This latter is made of leather covered with a
sheet metal disc d below and a similar disc above. When the piston c in the first
instance is raised by a rod C with handle the oil bulges the leather down and flows
down past it, and when the piston is next depressed the leather fits the interior of
the vessel and acts like a piston forcing the oil through a slide valve or cock at
the bottom such as the screw plug b into the outer jacket B and through a retort D

page_text: containing pieces i of wire for better dividing the heat and having a small outlet
nipple for the exit of the oil vapour which at first starting is produced by a
spirit or other lamp placed beneath the retort, but subsequently is produced by
heat convection and radiation from the legs or bracket h¹ of a burner attached to
the retort at this place and which may be in the form of a hollow cone or cylinder
with apertures g through for air admission and with hinged deflector plate h on
the top forming the burner proper for spreading the flame.
Two or more such burners may be arranged in combination each supplied from
an oil vessel provided with admission slide valve or cock and communicating with
a common oil supply vessel fitted with a piston as described.
Figure 9 is a vertical section and Figure 10 a plan of an arrangement of two
burners supplied from one common supply vessel A with piston c the liquid
being admitted therefrom by screw plugs b b to the two vessels B which
communicate with the burners h by two retorts D.
The action of the burner appliance is as follows:- -When the apparatus is to be
used the cover f is turned round until the holes therein correspond with those in
the recessed top e. The liquid fuel can then be poured in. The cover f is then
closed again. The piston rod C with piston is now pulled up whereby the liquid
above the piston causes the leather c of the piston to bulge downwards allowing
the liquid to descend past it. When the piston rod C is next depressed, the
leather c of the piston will act as a piston, and the liquid will thereby be driven
down and into the vessel or vessels B and compress the air in the latter so that
it forms an elastic cushion which gradually and at the rate determined by the
position of the valve or valves 6 will feed the liquid into and through the retort D,
and cause it to flow out through 'the small hole . A small spirit or other lamp
placed under the retort at this place is lighted which will cause the liquid fuel to
give off some vapour as is well understood and the retort having thus become
warm enough for the purpose the aforesaid small lamp is put out and the vapour
arising from the hole and issuing all round the burner plate h will continue to
burn because the legs h¹ of the burner become hot and the heat therefrom is
conveyed to the retort, and this heat and the radiated heat will keep the retort D
hot. The fuel is in this manner burnt very completely.
30
For the purpose of refreshing stale bread or for a hot vapour bath or inhaling
apparatus the aforesaid apparatus operates or may be applied as follows:-The
vessel B. Figures 1 to 6 is charged with water to which may be- advantageously
added a small proportion of German yeast and sal volatile for producing an
incipient fermentation if the apparatus is to be used for refreshing stale bread;
or any other suitable medical or disinfecting material or materials, if the apparatus
is to be used for hot vapour bath or inhaling purposes. The apparatus is thus
for instance particularly suitable for hospitals and sick rooms. It is also applicable
for refreshing and reviving baked and otherwise cooked or prepared or dried food in
general. The steam or vapour is produced from the heat of the aforesaid burner
appliance Figures 7 to 10 or any other burner or burners, supplied with liquid or
gaseous fuel or any other source of heat such as a coal fire. The vapour or steam
issuing by the jet pipe C-will draw in cold air by the openings b regulated by the
slide or thimble for in any other suitable manner, and the air as it is drawn
through the jacket E becomes heated and will in this condition and commingling.
with the vapour or steam from the jet pipe C (which vapour or steam may be
medicated or not as stated) be forced into the pipe G and led to a closed vessel
(which may be made of tin or galvanized iron) containing the bread to be refreshed,
or as the case might be to a vapour bath. In the former case I may add that
I find about a quarter of an hour a sufficient time to expose the stale bread to
the heat, and I prefer first to expose the bread for about ten minutes to hot vapour
alone (for which purpose I keep the slide or thimble closed) and then to expose
the bread for about five minutes to vapour and hot air-commingled (for which
purpose I-open the slide or thimble f). The bread is then taken out of the closed
vessel and is as fresh and palatable and good as newly.baked bread.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect I declare that I Claim
First: A hot air and vapour producing apparatus consisting essentially of the
following parts: viz an inner closed vessel or boiler to be charged with water and
to be heated so that vapour or steam is produced from the water an outer enclosing
mantle open below for the heat from the source of heat and having a jacket, means
for regulating the inlet of air to the jacket and a pipe from the steam or vapour
in the boiler which pipe may be used as a jet pipe for drawing in the air through
the jacket and for carrying it off in a heated state commingled with the vapour or
steam all operating and applied substantially as set forth.
Second: The vessel or boiler B having an outer enclosing mantle A with
jacket E which is provided with apertures 6 and with a slide f with corresponding
apertures for regulating the inlet of air to the jacket and with an outlet pipe F
into which enters the jet pipe C from the steam or vapour in the boiler B
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Third A burner appliance adapted for burning the vapour of petroleum or
other hydrocarbon oil or spirit fuel and consisting essentially of a liquid fuel
supply vessel provided with flexible piston a second vessel to be supplied with
the liquid fuel from the supply vessel and containing an upper layer or cushion
of air, means for regulating the feed from the supply vessel to the second vessel,
a retort for receiving the liquid fuel from the second vessel and containing
material for diffusing the heat and provided with exit hole for the fuel vapour,
and a burner for burning liquid vapour, substantially as set forth.
Fourth: The burner appliance consisting of the vessel A having flexible piston c
and perforated top e with perforated cover f and having a regulating valve 6 in
combination with a second vessel B and with a retort D containing material to
diffuse the beat and provided with exit hole and with a burner h h¹, substantially
as set forth.
In Witness whereof I the said Johan Millén have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty second day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
TAUAAT MILIN
JOHAN MILLEN (S.)