Improvements in and relating to Lighting and Heating by Means of Gas, Mineral Oil, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Lighting and Heating by Means of
Gas, Mineral Oil, and the like.
..
I, PAUL GREYSON DE SCHODT, of 144, Boulevard du Nord, Brussels, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, Engineer, 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:-
•
My invention relates to an improved system of lighting and heating and to
apparatus whereby the said system may be carried into effect. I will proceed to
describe my said invention first as applied to lighting and heating by means of gas
and secondly as applied to lighting and heating by means of mineral oils and
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
The problem of obtaining high temperatures by means of gas is solved in the
case of the blow pipe by (1) bringing together five volumes of air and one volume
of gas. (2) Intimately mixing the air and gas. (33) Imparting to the mixture a
certain momentum which is preserved until such mixture arrives at the point of
combustion.
My invention is designed to effect the before-mentioned conditions in a simpler
and more practical manner than in the case of the blow pipe. Its starting point
has been the observation made of the large amount of force lost in the blow pipe
in bringing together and mixing the air and gas which force may be almost entirely
I have also
saved if care be taken to effect the intimate mixing beforehand.
observed that the momentum which the mixture must possess at the moment of the
combustion may be imparted thereto by placing the air or gas under pressure.
Moreover I have noticed that it is not necessary, with a special construction of
apparatus, to give to the gas a great increase of pressure for obtaining the suction
of the air necessary for their mixture. I can thus produce a flame giving a high
temperature, by merely increasing the pressure in the pipes to a head of water of
from 100 to 150 millimetres or in some cases by utilizing the ordinary pressure of
the gas whilst facilitating the introduction of the air for forming the combustible
mixture.
The flames thus obtained are used for heating mantles for lighting purposes, and
large refractory surfaces for heating purposes. Generally speaking the apparatus
for carrying this system into effect comprises
(1) The compressing apparatus or device for producing the necessary pressure
(2) the suction and mixing device, and (3) the burner.
The compressing apparatus is designed to ensure in the suction and mixing device
the bringing together of the constituent elements in the desired proportions at a
pressure which permits of their intimate mixture and allows them when mixed to
pass to the burner with the force necessary for perfect combustion. Thus the com-

page_text: ՆԱՄԱ and mixing device ALIKI the Durner together make up a
combination which forms
(1) THE GAS COMPRESSING APPARATUS.
I may, if desired, employ for giving the necessary pressure to the gas any known
compressors, either rotary compressors (of the Beale class) or counter-weight com-
pressors (of the suction meter class).
My object, in constructing a special type of compressor is to enable me to apply
directly any small force which may be at hand such as that derived from the water
main, obtained from liquefied carbonic acid, compressed air, or steam. I am also
enabled to place the compressing apparatus directly in connection with the interior
pipes of dwellings without undue trouble. The invention is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, the figures of which are hereinafter referred to.
The apparatus shown in front and side elevation and partly in section in Figure 1
is composed of a cylinder A held at some distance from a reservoir R in which the
compressing apparatus or bellows S operate, the latter being in communication
alternately with the inlet and the outlet of the gas through the admission
valves P P and discharge valves PI p.
In the cylinder A moves a piston the two sides or faces of which are alternately
acted upon by the water, carbonic acid, compressed air or steam, coming from a
distributing cock B through suitable pipes C, C. The movement of this piston is
communicated by a rod D) on the one hand to a rack E for regulating the movement,
and on the other hand to the compressor: The rack E gears with a pinion F loose
upon its shaft and having two projecting stops ffi. Upon the said shaft is
mounted a lever H a weighted rod G and a lever L provided with a projecting
finger at its outer extremity. As the pinion F is caused to rotate in either direction
by the rack E one or other of the stops ff is brought into contact with the lever H
whereby the said lever together with the lever L and the weighted rod G is raised
to a vertical position. Upon passing beyond such position the weighted rod G falls
imparting its downward motion to the lever L the projecting finger whereof actuates
the operating lever M of the fourway cock B in one and the other direction alter-
nately and thereby reverses the stroke of the piston in the cylinder A.
The lower end of the rod D) is fixed to the wooden block K which is rigidly attached
to the central part of the bellows the said bellows S being strengthened by the
rings Z. The two parts of the bellows act separately, and alternately as a suction
device and as a compressor. The admission gas stored up in the chamber Q is a
first drawn into one or other compartment of the bellows and then forced into the
chambers V or V₁ connected by the tubes T.
Figure 1 shows sufficiently the operation of the apparatus. A pressure regulator
placed at the outlet for the gas and the arrangement of the valves permits the
apparatus to operate without danger in case of the driving force being applied when 4
the outlet is closed.
When the motive power is derived from water under pressure I may also employ
a compressor of the kind wherein the gas is drawn into a suitable receiver by a jet
of water under pressure passing into the said receiver at the point at which the gas
is admitted thereto. The apparatus comprises a chamber with suitable inlets and 1
outlets for the gas and for water. The water under pressure in the form of a jet or
spray is introduced into the upper part of the chamber at a point adjacent to the
gas inlet or into the tube whereby the gas is admitted to the said chamber so as to
draw in and to a certain extent compress the gas. The water which falls to the
lower part of the chamber is allowed to run off through a suitable discharge pipe.
2. THE SUCTION AND MIXING DEVICE.
This second part of the combination, must when supplied with gas under pressure
fulfil a double object. (a) With a minimum of force it must inject the quantity
of air necessary for the complete combustion viz: (five volumes of air for one volume
of gas); (b) it must effect the intimate mixing of the air and gas.
5
5

page_text: SUCTION OF THE AIR.
The first condition for enabling me to operate with the minimum of pressure is to
avoid as far as possible any loss of force due to the employment or construction of
the injector. We therefore employ a single injector of conical form as shown in
the drawings.
After leaving the injector at a higher pressure the gas passes into a mixing
chamber where it produces a partial vacuum. This vacuum will of course vary
according to the volume and the velocity of the gas by which it is produced. This
mixing chamber which is hereinafter more particularly described is surmounted by
a convergent divergent cone which performs the function of accelerating the
velocity of the mixture, and also of facilitating the admission of the air necessary
for perfect combustion.
In mixing the air and gas, it is necessary to produce eddies or whirls so as to
cause a thorough and intimate mixture. Figure 2 of the drawings shows in eleva-
tion and section an injector, mixing chamber and burner constructed according to
my invention.
The lower part of Figure 2 shows the arrangement of the suction and mixing.
device. Around the injection or nozzle A' which as above stated has an aperture
sufficiently wide to minimize loss of pressure are provided air inlets B¹. The axes
of the said air inlets are parallel to the surface of the cone so as to obtain a
maximum draught. The cone terminates in the chamber C2 above which is arranged
a divergent convergent cone designed to exert upon the mixture an upward suction
capable of compensating for the loss of pressure caused by the eddies or whirls.
The suction and mixing device operates in the following manner:
The gas issuing from the injector nozzle A¹ draws the air through the inlets B¹
into the mixing chamber a short distance, the air drawn in surrounds the
gas. It
then encounters the parabolic surface Q₁ and is thrown back to the focus of
the parabola, the said focus being centrally situated within the gaseous column
issuing from the injector. At this point the air and gas will be mixed and will
give rise to eddies and whirls which are immediately carried away by the suction
produced by means of the convergent divergent cone Z'.
3. BURNER.
The combustion of mixtures which are very rich in air give rise to very hot and
very short flames. If the combustible mixture producing these flames were moving
with a very slight momentum it is evident that the heat of the flame would be com-
municated to the wire gauze which covers the burner and thence to the injector.
If however the momentum be sufficiently increased the point at which combustion
takes place will be carried some little distance above the wire gauze, thus forming
a zone in which combustion does not take place and which acts as a protecting
screen for the wire gauze.
But it is necessary, in order to ensure this result that the injector shall not receive
any heat from the burner. For this purpose the burner is provided at its lower
part with a non-conducting ring E. The said burner is composed of a divergent
cone at the top of which is provided a wire gauze cover K. It must be constructed
so as to be as little as possible in contact with the body or mantle to be heated to
incandescence. For this purpose I provide the burner with a washer G composed of
asbestos or other non-conducting material.
Below a certain limit the pressure of the gas supplied directly from the pipes is
too feeble to obtain the desired result without the assistance of some form of com-
pressing apparatus. Where additional pressure is required however it is not always
possible to impart the necessary momentum to the gas by any of the means above
indicated. For instance in the case of public lighting the use of a motor for pro-
lucing the required pressure would not be convenient.
Without departing from the nature of my invention however I have sought a
means of dispensing with a motor for these special cases. In such cases where it

page_text: is necessary, I utilize the properties of hot air for :conducting the desired volume
of air to the suction and mixing device.
It is well known that if a vertical tube communicating at its two ends with the
atmosphere be heated, an upward current is produced the intensity of which
depends on the height of the tube and the degree of heat applied. utilize this
principle for public lighting by heating in the lower part of a street lamp a pipe
terminating in the suction and mixing device so as to conduct into the latter a
quantity of hot air under a certain upward pressure which will facilitate the suction
caused by the injector and give the proportion of air required.
This principle of the intervention of hot currents of air may even be applied to
private lighting by utilizing in an analogous manner the heat from chimneys or fire-
places, or the hot air from any suitable heat-generating apparatus. It will be seen
that in certain cases for the purpose of obtaining the necessary degree of momentum,
I substitute for the various forms of compressor above described an arrangement
whereby I am enabled to utilize heat which under ordinary circumstances would
be wasted.
I will now describe the apparatus employed for public lighting with reference
to Figure 3 of the drawings which shows a side elevation thereof. The said appa-
ratus may be arranged as shown in the lower portion of the lamp post it may also
be applied to lanterns upon brackets or arms by adding at the foot a special regener-
ating box and a tube for conducting the hot air upward to the suction and mixing
device.
The apparatus shown in Figure 3 is composed of a tubular heater A" which is
placed in the lower part of the street lamp. The products of combustion may com-
pletely surround the tubes of the heater and passing upward are discharged through
suitable apertures Z. The air is drawn through the tubes of the heater which are
heated by the independent burner P mounted upon the pipe T, flows upward
through the tube Z and passes at Zaround the injector of the suction and mixing
device herein before described. By reason of the movement of the hot air I obtain
even for the smallest street lamps a sufficient momentum to ensure the intimate
mixing of air and gas in the desired proportions and the perfect combustion of the
mixture.
II. MINERAL OILS.
The application of the principles herein before set forth can be effected with the
employment of mineral oils. The current of gas can be replaced by a draught of
air saturated in the cold state with mineral oil. The draught of air through
mineral oil under certain conditions divides the oil into infinitely small particles
which are carried away and which passing through a series of very fine wire gauzes
arranged as baffles, leaves the same in nearly a gaseous state. This gaseous product
may be employed in the same manner as gas and with the apparatus herein before
described will give temperatures at least as high as those obtained by coal gas.
Whatever gas may be used the means above set forth may be employed to obtain
high temperatures for illuminating and heating purposes. My invention may be
advantageously substituted for the blow pipe operated with forced air for industrial
purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim iś:
1. In this system of lighting and heating and in combination with the suction
and mixing device and the burner described a double acting compressor comprising
double, bellows provided with inlet and outlet valves the said bellows receiving
their movement from a piston upon the opposite sides of which through the medium
of a fourway cock, the operating fluid successively acts; each compartment of the
bellows drawing and compressing the gas alternately as herein before described and
shown in the accompanying drawing, and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 2. In a gas compressor the combination with an oscillating weighted arm of the
means for operating the distributing cock substantially as described with reference
to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings and for the purpose specified.
3. In a system of lighting and heating the combination of the mixing device
and the burner with an air injector terminating in a gas chamber forcing and com-
pressing a quantity of gas to the desired pressure as hereinbefore described and
shown in the accompanying drawing and for the purpose specified.
4. In a system of lighting and heating, wherein the gas is at its normal pressure
the combination of the suction and mixing device and the burner, with an air
compressor consisting of a tubular regenerator heated by the products of com-
bustion from an independent flame as hereinbefore described and shown in the
accompanying drawing, and for the purpose specified.
5. In a system of lighting and heating the combination with a compressor and a
burner of a conical injector terminating in a chamber formed at its lower part with
air openings and having at its upper part a parabolic surface the said chamber being
surmounted by a convergent divergent cone all as herein before described and shown
in the accompanying drawing, and for the purposes specified.
6. In a system of lighting and heating with the object of imparting to the com-
bustible mixture the force necessary for intense combustion, and in combination
with the compressor and the mixing device, a burner in the form of an inverted
truncated cone surmounted by a wire gauze cap or cover the said burner being
furnished at its upper part with an asbestos washer and at its lower part with a
non-conducting ring as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying
drawing, and for the purposes specified.
7. In a system of lighting and heating the combination of the suction and
mixing device and of the burner described and claimed whether this combination
be utilized for the production of a high temperature with coal gas, or with diffused
mineral or vegetable oils as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.