Improvements in High Temperature Oil and Spirit Burners with Accessories for use therewith.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1893-Accept:1. 23rd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in High Temperature Oil and Spirit Burners with
Accessories for use therewith.
I ROBERT SKENE, Engineer, Wickham Street, Lambeth, London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention for hydrocarbon oils and spirits burner &c. to
be as follows:-
A hydrocarbon oil and spirit burner, which converts the oil or spirit into
vapour, and mixes with it air sufficient for complet combustion, giving intense heat
but little flame.
When used for giving light the air is restricted, which gives more flame and
less heat.
No air blast, or steam, is required the oil or spirit is put into a reservoir, having
an air pump for compression, unless the pressure is by gravity.
A novel stop and regulating valve with joint for moving burner to any
position.-
A combination of asbestos with alumina and silica to which sulphate of alumia
and sulphate of lime may be added for making furnaces for melting metals.
My high temperature combustion burner is made of small copper, iron (or other
suitable metal) tube, twisted round a mandrel to be in the form of a short tube,
when a sufficient number of coils has been twisted round the mandrel, the tube is
turned back beyond the first coil, and a piece of metal having a small orifice in it, is
screwed on to it in such a manner that the vapour issuing from the orifice is directed
through the coil.
When used for giving light with hydrocarbon oil, creosote, naphtha &c. the small
tube may be formed on a taper mandrel, the vapour passing from the smaller to the
larger end.
The oil or spirit is burned under pressure, maintained either by gravity or
compressed air, which causes the vapour to pass through the coil with such forse
that it draws air with it sufficient for complet combustion when the pressure is
high.
Combustion begins within the tube, or coils, and heats the oil or spirit to such an
extent that it issues as a gasus vapour, but should the pressure be high and the
coil heated to nearly redness either from the heat of combustion, or contact with
the furnace, combustion may not take place untill the vapour and air have passed
into the furnace.
For giving light less pressure is required, and can be regulated untill the best
result is obtained.
When the high temperature combustion burner is used for forging, where a
welding heat is required (for economy tar oil, creosote, or low priced Russian
petroleum may be used), the flame is caused to impinge on or through coke, retort
carbon, or small squares of asbestos.
In a melting furnace Russian petroleum alone will give heat sufficient to melt
copper, should a higher temperature be required, this can be obtained by puting
under and around the crucibles, coke, retort carbon or small squares of asbestos, and
by using petroleum spirit, naphtha, or methylated spirit.
The burner before being used must be heated, which can be done with a little
petroleum, methylated or other spirit.
I do not restrict myself to making the burner of tube, as the same principle can
be carried out by shrinking a tube over a screw threaded tube, and bringing the

page_text: The
vapour back from the hoter end to the colder, where the oil first enters.
vapour may be brought back either inside or outside the combined, tubes, to
the piece of metal with small orifice for directing the vapour through the burner.
The advantages gained by causing the oil or spirit to flow in a spiral course,
are, that the pasage is not liable to be cloged up, and a higher temperature in the
vapour is obtained by causing the oil to flow from the colder to the hoter end of
burner.
I find that the intense heat from the flame is liable to crack the melting furnace,
and crucibles, made of fire clay, to prevent this, I make a composite of asbestos
alumina and silica, to which may be added sulphate of alumina, and sulphate of
lime.
I find that petroleum under pressure is very liable to leak through cocks and
valves of ordinary construction. My stop, and regulating valve, with joint, by
which the burner can be moved to any point in a circle, is of T shape, opposite the
inlet is a packing gland into which the valve spindle is screwed; near the centre
of the T is the valve seat, the valve spindle is turned a true fit to the inlet end
and in the centre of the valve spindle is the fluid inlet, and the outlet from valve
spindle is near the seat, at a right angle to its inlet, so that the flow can be
regulated as the port is more or less uncovered, the fluid then enters the other part
of the T, and comes out at a right angle in the centre of a revolving joint fitted on
it,.and to which the outlet tube is connected. The passage for the fluid in the joint
may be for only a part of the revolution, so that the burner can be instantly stoped
or started independently of the valve.
For a main cock instead of having the conduit through the plug, I make
the plug solid, and fixes it loosly on a spindle, which screws it into or out of the
conduit, the spindle being screwed into the packing gland, as the plug does not
revolve on its seat there is no liability to wear or to become leaky.
My high temperature combustion burner, is intended to make hydro-carbon oil
take the place of gas, for heating and it will give as much heat at less than half the
cost of gas, and make a liquid fuel more economical for many purposes than solid
fuel.
November 7th 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in High Temperature Oil and Spirit Burners with
Accessories for use therewith.
1, ROBERT SKENE, of Wickham Street, Lambeth, London, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that
is to say:
This invention relates to a hydro-carbon oil and spirit burner wherein the oil or
spirit is first converted into vapour and then mixed with a sufficient quantity of
air to effect complete combustion whereby intense heat is obtained with little flame,
or with only a sufficient quantity of air to give an illuminating flame with less
heat.
The invention relates further to a novel stop valve for use in connection with
hydrocarbon oils or spirits, and to a valve for regulating the supply of hydrocarbon
oil or spirit to the burners in combination with a joint for enabling the burner to be
moved into any required position in a circular plane.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I will now
proceed to describe the same with the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings
in which
Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of certain forms of my improved burners,

page_text: Figure 3 a sectional elevation of a modified form of same,
Figure 3 a sectional plan corresponding to Figure 3,
Figure 4 a section of my improved stop valve and
Figure 5 a section of my improved regulating valve and joint.
My improved burner consists of a tube A of iron, copper or other suitable metal
wound round a mandril so as to form a short cylindrical coil as shown in Figure 1,
the said tube is then turned back to beyond the first coil as shown at A¹ and is
provided near its extreme end with a small orifice C (or with several such orifices
if preferred) which may be formed in the pipe itself, (the end of which is closed)
or preferably in a hollow piece of metal B screwed or otherwise secured on to the
end of the tube A¹. The orifice or orifices is or are so placed that vapour issuing
from it or them is directed through the centre of the coil of tube A which coil forms
a generator or converter for converting the hydrocarbon oil or spirit into vapour,
said generator or converter being heated by the burning jet of vapour issuing from
the orifice or orifices C.
the
The cylindrical form of coil shown in Figure 1 is suitable for a burner intended
for heating purposes but when the burner is to be used for giving light I prefer to
wind the tube A round a taper mandril so as to form a conical coil as shown in
Figure 2, the end A¹ of the tube being brought back to the smaller end of the coil
and provided with one or more orifices C as in Figure 1.
In Figure 2 the end A¹ of the tube A. is shown passed back through the conical
coil, and it is obvious that it may be passed in a similar way through the cylindrical
coil shown in Figure 1 instead of outside the same.
the arrows.
The oil or spirit is supplied under pressure which may be maintained by gravity,
compressed air, a pump or otherwise, and passes into the coil A in the direction of
When it is desired to start the burner, the generator coil A is heated
by means of a hand lamp or otherwise, the oil or spirit therein is thereby vapourized
and the vapour issues with great velocity from the orifice C.drawing air with it
into the interior of the generator coil. This mixture of vapour and air being
ignited. combustion begins within the coil and heats the latter so as to continue
the vaporization of the oil or spirit, the hand lamp or other temporary source of
heat may then be removed and the burner continues to generate vapour and to
draw in the requisite quantity of air, such quantity being regulated by the pressure
of the hydrocarbon liquid and this pressure may be varied according to the effect
required, for example, if the greatest possible heat is required, the pressure should
be raised until all white flame disappears, if, on the other hand, light, rather
than heat, is required, the pressure is reduced until a bright white flame is
obtained.
When the burner is used for raising metal to a welding heat the flame is prefer-
ably caused to impinge on coke, retort carbon or pieces of asbestos placed around
the article to be heated the burner being so arranged that the burning vapour and
air impinge upon such coke or other material.
Instead of making the burner of a coil of tube as shown in Figures 1 and 2 it
may be made as shown in Figures 3 and 3 of a tube D having a spiral thread E
formed on the exterior thereof with an outer tube F fitted or shrunk on over the
same, or the spiral passage for the oil or spirit may be formed in any other
suitable way, the hydrocarbon oil or spirit is introduced into the spiral passage E
through the pipe A and the vapour is brought back from the hotter to the colder
end (where the oil or spirit first enters) by means of a passage E' which has the
orifice C near its end as in the examples illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
The cylindrical form of generator shown in Figures 1, 3 and 3ª is best suited
for producing high temperatures as the wide opening of the generator at the end
where the hydrocarbon enters enables the jet of vapour escaping from the orifice C.
to draw into such opening along with itself sufficient atmospheric air to produce
complete combustion. But the conical form of generator shown in Figure 2 is
best suited for producing light, because the comparatively narrow opening of the
generator at the end where the hydrocarbon enters restricts the quantity of air

page_text: drawn in by the vapour escaping from the orifice C so that that quantity is not
sufficient to produce complete combustion. The consequence is that the combustion
is completed beyond the generator by the further quantity of air which is there
mixed with the vapour; and this mixture of additional air is facilitated by the
reduction of the velocity of the jet due to the larger diameter of the generator at
the outer end, so that a long white illuminating flame is produced at the outer end
of the generator. In some cases I have found it advantageous to leave a slight
opening between the coils at the outer end of the generator.
The length of the generator may be varied according to circumstances, for
example if the burner is to be used in a furnace four or five coils of the tube A is
sufficient because these coils in that case receive a certain amount of heat from the
furnace; but if it is to be used ontside in the open air, as for brazing for
instance, eight or nine coils may be used with advantage.
The novel results attained by my improved burners are that no artificial air or
steam blast is required but that the air drawn in by the vapour issuing at a
great velocity and high temperature from the burner orifice is heated by such
vapour and forms a natural hot blast which is conducive to the production of a very
much higher temperature than has heretofore been produced from the vapour of
hydrocarbon oil or spirit.
I find that petroleum under pressure is very liable to leak through cocks and
valves of ordinary constructions. To obviate this defect I employ the main cock
shown in section in Figure 4 in which G is the body of the cock and H H the
passage through it. I is a conical plug which, instead of having a passage
through it which can be brought to coincide with the passage H H as usual, is
made solid so that when pressed down into its seat it closes the inner ends of the
passages H H whatever part of the circumference of the plug may happen to be
opposite such passages. The lower end of the spindle J passes loosely through a
hole in the centre of the plug I so as to be free to turn therein. A washer K
secured on the lower end of the spindle J by a nut or otherwise prevents the latter
from being drawn out of the plug but forces the plug to move upwards with the
spindle, while a shoulder L on the latter forces the plug to descend with the spindle.
The spindle is screw-threaded at J' and passes through a correspondingly threaded
nut M screwed or otherwise secured in the body of the cock, and packing N,
pressed by the gland P, prevents escape of oil or vapour round the spindle J. On
turning the spindle J in one direction the plug I is drawn up into the position
shown in dotted lines in the figure so as to give a clear passage way through the
cock, and on turning the spindle in the other direction the plug I is forced down
into the position shown in full lines closing the ends of passages H H, and as the
plug I does not revolve on its seat those parts are not liable to wear or to become
leaky.
My regulating valve and joint is shown in Figure 5. Qis the body of the valve.
R is the inlet pipe for oil or spirit. S is the valve spindle which is screw-threaded
at S¹ and passes through the internally threaded packing gland T. U is a conical
branch from the body of the valve, and V is a corresponding shell fitting accurately
on the conical part of the branch U and secured thereon by a nut and washer in
the usual way. It has screwed into it the end of the tube A of the burner. U₁ is a
circumferential groove on the branch U and U2 is a hole connecting the passage U³
with the groove U which latter is always in communication with the tube A by
the passage U. W is the valve seat, the shoulder S2 of the valve spindle forming
the valve surface that closes liquid and vapour tight against the said seat. S³ is a
prolongation of the spindle S which fits accurately into the inlet passage of the
valve, and S' is a passage drilled into the said prolongation while S' is a small
outlet passage or port at right angles to and communicating with the passage S₁.
When the spindle S is screwed down against the seat W as shown in the drawing
the valve is closed, but when the spindle S is withdrawn, more or less of the
port S is drawn out clear of the seat W and the flow of liquid can thereby be
adjusted with great accuracy. The liquid then enters the passage U³ passes by the

page_text: hole U to the groove U¹ and thence by the passage U* to the tube A leading to
the burner whatever position the latter may be placed in.
In some cases the groove U₁ may be carried partly round the branch U only, so
that by bringing the passage U opposite the part of the branch where the groove
does or does not exist the burner can be started or stopped instantly independently
of the valve spindle S.
The use of my improved burner enables me to employ hydrocarbon oil or spirit
instead of gas for heating and illuminating purposes, and by its means I am able to
obtain much greater heat than with gas and at less than half the cost, and to make
a liquid fuel more economical for many purposes than solid fuel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The apparatus for burning hydrocarbon oil or spirit which consists of a
vapour generator or converter in combination with a jet or jets from which the
vapour issues at such a velocity as causes it to draw along with itself into the interior
of the generator or converter a sufficient quantity of atmospheric air to produce
complete combustion of the vapour for heating purposes, substantially as described,
with reference to Figures 1, 3 and 34 of the drawings.
Second. The apparatus forming the subject of the first claiming clause hereof
modified for illuminating purposes substantially as described, with reference to
Figure 2 of the drawings.
Third. The improved construction of stop valve or cock for hydrocarbon oils
or spirits which consists of a conical seating having the usual lateral passages
opening into it, a conical plug fitting into such seating but having no lateral passage
through it, and means for moving the said plug to and from the seating without
necessarily turning the said plug on its axis, substantially as described with reference
to Figure 4 of the drawings.
Fourth. The improved regulating valve and joint for hydrocarbon oils or spirits
constructed, combined and operating substantially as described, with reference to
Figure 5 of the drawings.
•
Dated this 3rd day of August. 1893