IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING STEAM, SMRAM AND TV ADDADATING EMPLOYED MURDRIN
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Binks, of Gray's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING STEAM,
SMRAM AND TV ADDADATING EMPLOYED MURDRIN
Sealed the 15th July 1862, and dated the 21st January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPE
ICATION en
the sa
Christopher
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st January 1862.
I, CHRISTOPHER BINKS, of Gray's Inn, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GENE-
BATING STEAM, IN SUPERHEATING STEAM, & IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to economise the operation of raising water
into steam for its application as a motive power and for other uses, and it
consists, firstly, in the direct application (and in the methods of effecting this
application) to water for its vaporization or conversion into steam when such
steam is to be generated in close vessels or boilers for its application as a
motive power and to other uses of the products. of the combustion in atmo-

page_text: spheric air or carbonaceous fuel, namely, the gaseous and volatile products of
such combustion, consisting chiefly of carbonic acid or carbonic oxide or of
both (according to the relative proportions used of the air and fuel) along with
the nitrogen of the air, and whilst these products are at or about the high tempe-
rature evolved in combustion I apply these highly heated products directly to
or cause them by any convenient contrivance to be brought into actual
contact with water, as contradistinguished from the usual method of effecting
the evaporization of water by applying the heat of combustion of fuel
externally to vessels or tubes or other apparatus in which it is contained. The
kind of contact may be either that obtained by projecting the heated products
of the combustion into the mass of the water, or by causing them to impinge
upon its surface or to be mingled with it when in a state of minute division, or
otherwise. I pass atmospheric air through ignited fuel held in any convenient
receptacle or apparatus as a close retort or furnace (called the combustion
chamber) furnished with suitable contrivances for recharging it with fuel and
for forcing or conveying the highly heated products of the combustion into,
through, upon, or otherwise into contact with the water to be converted into
steam, and held in any convenient reservoir or boiler or other apparatus
attached to or connected with the combustion chamber, and furnished with
suitable contrivances for keeping up the supply of water regulating the opera-
tions, and applying or disposing of the steam and its accompanying products
from the fuel.
+
I
vary this operation at pleasure by so regulating the relative proportions of
air and of ignited fuel that the gaseous products therefrom shall consist chiefly
or entirely of.carbonic oxide along with the nitrogen from the air. I then.by
any suitable contrivances effect the combustion in fresh atmospheric air of the
carbonic oxide, and cause the highly heated products therefrom (namely
mixture chiefly of carbonic acid gas and nitrogen) to be brought, as above,
into actual contact with the water for its vapourization.
8
I further, at pleasure, vary this method by superadding to the operation or
'to the atmospheric air used in the first instance, to burn the solid carbonaceous
fuel, some water or steam. This water so added furnishes, on combustion, in
addition to carbonic acid or carbonic oxide, hydrogen or carburetted hydrogen
and some other compounds, and this mixture is, in like manner as above,
thrown in its highly heated condition directly into or upon the water, or it
is used (as just described) along with fresh atmospheric air as gaseous fuel
and the highly.heated products of the combustion therefrom.applied directly
to the water to be vapourized..
.

page_text: 2ndly, my Invention consists in heating (and in the methods of effecting
such heating) water for its vapourization or conversion into steam by means of
the direct application to it of the heat developed by the combustion of certain
gases when their combustion is made to take place whilst in actual contact
with the water, and thereby made to impart to it directly the heat evolved in
the act of combustion. And my Invention otherwise consists in effecting the
vapourization of the water by the direct application to it of the heat evolved
on the combustion of these said gases when such combustion is made to take
place separately from or out of immediate contact with the water, but whilst
in proximate contact with it, and under such conditions that the products of
combustion shall in their highly heated state be applied directly to the water.
The gases I employ under this part of my Invention are one or other or
mixtures thereof of the following, namely oxygen and hydrogen, in the
relative proportions or thereabouts, that on, combustion yield water as the
product. These I cause to be mixed & ignited or heated up to the point of
combination by any convenient means, combining them in such quantities at a
time or under such conditions as shall secure safety from injurious explosions
on their combustion. I cause this mixture to be projected in small quantities
at a time into the water, and then by any suitable contrivance to be there
ignited, as, for instance, by the electric spark, and thence to give out, whilst in
such actual contact with the water the great heat of such a combination, or
otherwise. I cause the mixtures to be heated and chemically combined when
out of actual contact with the water, and the product thereof, namely, the highly
heated steam, to be projected into or upon the water. I prefer to effect the
ignition of the said gases by the external application of heat to any vessel, tube,
or other apparatus in which the gases are contained, or through which they are
made to flow. But their ignition and combustion can be effected by other
well-known means, as, by the agency of common, or of magneto, or of voltaic
electricity, that is, by exposing the mixture to the action of the spark from
the two former, or to that of a platinum or other wire heated by the latter.
For the undiluted oxygen and bydrogen gases I sometimes prefer to substitute
for the hydrogen one or other of the carburetted. hydrogen gases or carbonic.
oxide or mixtures thereof, and for the oxygen atmospheric air or mixtures
thereof, with oxygen. When undiluted oxygen and hydrogen gases are used
the product of their combustion is water only, and that on the form of highly
heated steam, in which heated state it is brought in contact with the water
for its vapourization. When it is hydrogen mixed with atmospheric air that
is used, then also water in the form of highly heated steam is produced, but

page_text: this is accompanied by the nitrogen from the air, and in this mixed condition
these heated products are brought into contact with the water. When carbonic
oxide or any of the carburetted hydrogens along with oxygen or atmospheric
air are the gaseous agents used, then, the products, of course, differ accord-
ingly, but in every case the highly heated products are brought into direct
contact with. the water, such contact being of one or other of the kinds
described above under the first part of my Invention.
Thirdly, my Invention consists in the use or application and in the methods
of effecting such application of superheated steam, that is, of the vapour of
water possessing a sensible heat higher than that of 212° Fahrenheit as the
source of the heat or the heat-giving agent for effecting the conversion of water
into steam; such superheated steam being by any suitable contrivances applied
directly to or brought into actual contact with the water to be vapourized.
The superheated steam to be so applied I obtain by any of the ordinary methods
of superheating, that is, by applying heat externally to vessels or tubes or other
apparatus containing. ordinary steam. Or otherwise, I obtain it by heating
internally any vessel or apparatus in which the superheating is to be effected,
or by heating any material or media through which steam is made to pass, that
is, by first raising the interior of any vessel or raising any material or media to a
high temperature and then bringing ordinary steam in contact therewith, or in
other words by alternately heating such vessel or apparatus or material or
media, and applying to the hot surface thereof the steam to be superheated.
Or, otherwise, I effect the superheating of ordinary steam by mixing directly
with it the highly heated products of the combustion of fuel in atmospheric air
or in oxygen gas, or in both combined, and I prefer for this purpose to project
into the ignited fuel in the combustion chamber (described above under the
first part of my Invention) or to mix among the heated gaseous products of that
operation the water or steam to be superheated, in which case the superheated
steam so obtained is obtained intermixed with the gaseous products of the
combustion of the fuel, and is in this mixed condition applied to the water for
its vapourization. Or otherwise, I accomplish the superheating of the steam
by mixing along with ordinary steam oxygen gas and hydrogen gas in such
relative proportions one to the other and to the steam, that on, applying heat
to such a mixture the gases shall combine and impart to the accompanying and
contingent steam the high temperature evolved on such combination. I at
pleasure vary this method by substituting for the hydrogen gas any carbu-
retted bydrogen gas or carbonic oxide or mixtures thereof, and by substituting
for the oxygen gas atmospheric air or mixtures thereof with oxygen. I further

page_text: vary this method by effecting the superheating by the conjoint agency of the
addition to the steam of the said gases to be combined when mixed with it
and the application externally of heat to the vessel or apparatus containing
these.
The several sources and methods of applying heat as herein-before
described I apply principally to the generating of steam from water held in
close vessels or boilers working under pressure, and for application as a motive
power; but I apply the same sources and methods for the evaporating of
water held in open vessels, and in chemical and other operations in which is
required to expel water from other substances.
2
Fourthly, my Invention for the same object consists in effecting the
conversion of the water into steam by first producing the two gases, oxygen
and hydrogen, within and from a portion of the mass of the water itself that is
intended to be vapourized, and then by effecting, whilst they are in actual or
próximate contact with the water, the combustion or recombination of these
gases, with the consequent reformation of water from them, and the evolution
of the high temperature that follows or accompanies that combination. These
actions I prefer to induce by the agency, first, of voltaic electricity so applied
as to result in the decomposition of a portion of the mass of the water to be
vapourized, that is, through the action of voltaic electricity applied to the
water I produce gaseous hydrogen gases, and then by a further application of
the same agency, and effect the combustion or recombination of these gases
with the reformation of water from them, and the evolution of the great heat
that results from their combination. By any convenient contrivances I
accomplish this alternate successive or simultaneous decomposition of the water
and combustion of the resulting gases in direct and actual or proximate
contact with the mass of the water to be vapourized and in this manner pro-
gressively convert the whole mass into steam. I cause the decomposing-
electrodes of any voltaic arrangement or battery to be immersed in the
body of the water, or to be otherwise directly connected with it, and these
electrodes to be connected with receptacles for the eliminated gases, through
which receptacles are made to pass electric sparks, or they are furnished with
platinum or other wires capable of being heated by voltaic electricity for
igniting at intervals the gases as they accumulate, or for igniting them simul-
taneously with their production.
I do not confine this part of my Invention to the exclusive use of voltaic
electricity for magneto-electricity, and some other modifications of electric
power or action may be resorted to for effecting either the decomposition of

page_text: the water or the recombination of its elements; or voltaic electricity may
be, used for decomposing the water, and common or magneto-electricity for
firing or effecting the recombination, of the resulting gases.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Christopher Binks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st July 1862.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRIS-
TOPHER BINKS, of Gray's Inn, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Christopher Binks, Her special licence that I, the said Christopher
Binks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Christopher Binks, 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 " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GENERATING STEAM, IN SUPERHEATING STEAM, AND IN APPARATUSES
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Christopher Binks, 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 Christopher Binks, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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) :-
The object of my Invention is to economise the operation of raising water
into steam for its application as a motive power, and for other uses; and it
consists, firstly, in the direct application (and in the methods of effecting this
application) to water for its vapourization or conversion into steam when such

page_text: steam is to be generated, in close vessels or boilers for its application as a
motive power and to other uses, of the products of the combustion in atmo-
spheric air. of carbonaceous fuel, namely, the gaseous and volatile products of
such combustion, consisting chiefly of carbonic acid, or carbonic oxide, or of
both, (according to the relative proportions used of the air and fuel,) along
with the nitrogen of the air, and whilst these products are at or about the
high temperature evolved on combustion, I apply these highly heated pro-
ducts directly to, or cause them by any convenient contrivances to be brought
into actual contact with the water, as contradistinguished from the usual
method of effecting the vapourization of water by applying the heat of com-
bustion of fuel externally to vessels, or tubes, or other apparatus in which it
is contained. The kind of contact may be either that obtained by projecting
the heated products of the combustion into the mass of the water, or by
causing them to impinge upon its surface, or to be mingled with it, when in a
state of minute division, or otherwise. I pass atmospheric' air through ignited
fuel held in any convenient receptacle or apparatus, as a close retort or
furnace, (called the combustion chamber,) furnished with suitable contrivances
for recharging it with fuel, and for forcing or conveying the highly. heated
products of the combustion into, through, upon, or otherwise bringing them
into contact with the water to be converted into steam, and held in any con-
venient reservoir or boiler, or other apparatus attached to or connected with
the combustion chamber, and furnished with suitable contrivances for keeping
up the supply of water, regulating the operations, and applying or disposing of
the steam and its accompanying products from the fuel.
I vary this operation at pleasure, by so regulating the relative proportions
of air and of ignited fuel that the gaseous products therefrom shall consist
chiefly or entirely of carbonic oxide, along with the nitrogen from the air. I.
then, by any suitable contrivances, effect the combustion in fresh atmospheric
air of the carbonic oxide, and cause the highly heated products therefrom
(namely, a mixture chiefly of carbonic acid gas and nitrogen,) to be brought, as
above, into actual contact with the water for its vapourization.
I further, at pleasure, vary this method by superadding to the operation or
to the atmospheric.air used in the first instance to burn the solid carbonaceous
fuel, some water or steam. This water, so added, furnishes on combustion, in
addition to carbonic acid or carbonic oxide, hydrogen or carburetted hydrogen,
and some other compounds; and ; this mixture is, in like manner, as above,
thrown in its highly heated condition directly into or upon the water; or,.itis.
used (as just described) along with fresh atmospheric air as gaseous fuel, and

page_text: the highly heated products of the combustion therefrom applied directly to
the water to be vapourized.
..
Secondly, my Invention consists in heating (and in the methods of effecting
such heating) water for its vapourization or conversion into steam by means
of the direct application to it of the heat developed by the combustion of
certain gases when their combustion is made to take place whilst in actual
contact with the water, and thereby made to impart to it directly the heat
evolved in the act of combustion. And my Invention otherwise consists in
effecting the vapourization of the water by the direct application to it of the
heat evolved on the combustion of these said gases, when such combustion is
made to take place separately from or out of immediate contact with the
water, but whilst in proximate contact with it, and under such conditions that
the products of combustion shall, in their highly 'heated state; be applied
directly to the water.
The gases I employ under this part of my Invention are one or other or
mixtures thereof of the following, namely, oxygen and hydrogen gases in the
relative proportions, or thereabouts, that on combination yield water as the
product. These I cause to be mixed and ignited, or heated up to the point
of combination by any convenient means, combining them in such quan-
tities at a time or under such conditions as shall secure safety from injurious
explosions on their combustion. I cause this mixture to be projected in small
quantities at a time into the water, and then by any suitable contrivance to
be there ignited; as, for instance, by the electric spark, and thence to give
out, whilst in such actual contact with the water, the great heat of such a
combination. Or, otherwise, I cause the mixture to be heated and chemically
combined when out of actual contact with the water and the product thereof,
namely, the highly heated steam to be projected into or upon the water. I
prefer to effect the ignition by the external application of heat to any vessel,
tube, or other apparatus in which the gases are contained, or through which
they are made to flow; but their ignition and combustion can be effected by
other well known. means; as by the agency of common electricity, or of mag-
neto, or of voltaic electricity, that is, by exposing the mixture to the action of
the spark from the two former, or to that of a platinum or other wire heated
by the latter. For the undiluted oxygen and hydrogen gases, I sometimes
prefer to substitute for the hydrogen one or other of the carburetted hydrogen
gases, or carbonic oxide, or mixtures thereof; and for the oxygen, atmospheric
air, or mixtures thereof with oxygen. When undiluted oxygen and hydrogen
gases are used the product of their combustion is water only, and that in the

page_text: form of highly heated steam, in, which heated state it is. brought in contact
with the water for its vapourization. When it is. hydrogen mixed with
atmospheric air that is used, then also water in the form of highly heated
steam is produced, but this is accompanied by the nitrogen from the air, and
in this mixed condition these heated products are brought into contact with the
water. When carbonic oxide, or any of the carburetted hydrogens, along with
oxygen or atmospheric air are the gaseous agents used, then the products.of
course differ accordingly; but in every case the highly heated products are
brought into direct contact with the water; such contact being of one or other,
of the kinds described above under the first part of my Invention.
Thirdly, my Invention consists in the use, or application, and in the methods;
of effecting such application of superheated steam, that is, of the vapour. of
water possessing a sensible heat higher than that of 212° Fahrenheit, as the
source of the heat, or the heat-giving agent, for effecting the conversion. of
water into steam; such superheated steam being, by any suitable contrivances
applied directly to, or brought into actual contact with,. the water to be.
vapourized. The superheated steam to be so applied I obtain by any of the
ordinary methods of superheating, that is, by applying heat externally to
vessels or tubes, or other apparatus containing ordinary steam; or, otherwise,
I obtain it by beating internally any vessel or apparatus in which the super-
heating is to be effected; or by heating any material or media through
which steam is made to pass, that is, by first raising the interior of any
vessel, or raising any material or media to a high temperature, and then.
bringing ordinary steam in contact therewith; or, in other words, by alternately
heating such vessel or apparatus, or material, or media, and applying to the
hot surface thereof the steam to be superheated; or, otherwise, I effect the
superheating of ordinary steam by mixing directly with it the highly heated.
products of the combustion of fuel in atmospheric air, or in oxygen gas, or in
both combined; and I prefer for this purpose to project into the ignited fuel in
the combustion chamber (described above under the first part of my Invention)
or to mix among the heated gaseous products of that operation the water or
steam to be superheated; in which case the superheated steam so obtained-is-
obtained intermixed with the gaseous products of the combustion of the fuel, and
is in this mixed condition applied to the water for its vapourization; or, other-
wise, I accomplish the superheating of the steam by mixing along with ordinary
steam oxygen gas and hydrogen gas in such relative proportions one to the
other and to the steam, that on applying heat to such a mixture the
gases shall
combine, and impart to the accompanying and contingent steam the high

page_text: temperature evolved on such combination. I, at pleasure, vary this method
by substituting for the hydrogen gas any carburetted hydrogen gas, or carbonic
oxide, or mixtures thereof; and by substituting for the oxygen gas atmospherc
air, or mixtures thereof,' with oxygen I further vary this method by effecting
the superheating by the, conjoint agency of the addition to the steam of the
said gases to be combined when mixed with it, and the application externally
of heat to the vessel' or apparatus containing these.
:
The several sources and methods of applying heat, as herein-before
described, I apply principally to the generating of steam from water held in
close vessels or boilers working under pressure, and for application as a motive
power; but I apply the same sources and methods for the evaporating of
water held in open vessels, and to chemical and other operations in which it
is required to expel water from other substances by heat, or to evaporate it.
.. Fourthly, my Invention for the same object, consists in effecting the con-
version of the water into steam by first producing the two gases, oxygen' and
hydrogen, within and from a portion of the mass of the water itself that is
intended to be vapourized; and then by effecting whilst they are in actual
or proximate contact with the water, the combustion or recombination of
these gases with the consequent reformation of water from them, and the
evolution of the high temperature that follows or accompanies that com-
bination. These actions I prefer to induce by the agency, first, of voltaic
electricity, so applied as to result in the decomposition of a portion of the mass
of the water to be vapourized, that is, through the action of voltaic electricity
applied to the water I produce gaseous hydrogen and oxygen gases; and then
by a further application of the same agency I effect the combustion or recom-
bination of these gases with the reformation of water from them, and the
evolution of the great heat that results from their combination. By any con-
venient contrivances I accomplish this alternate, successive, or simultaneous
decomposition of the water and combustion or recombination of the resulting
gases, in direct and actual or proximate contact with the mass of the water
to be vapourized, and in this manner. progressively convert the whole mass
into steam. I cause the decomposing electrodes of any voltaic arrangement
or battery to be immersed in the body of the water, or to be otherwise
directly connected with it, and these electrodes. to be connected with re-
ceptacles for the eliminated gases, through which receptacles are made to pass
electric sparks; or they are furnished with platinum or other wires capable
of being heated by voltaic electricity for igniting at intervals the gases as they'
accumulate, or for igniting them simultaneously with their production.

page_text: I do not confine this part of my Invention to the exclusive use of voltaic
electricity for magneto-electricity, and some other modifications of electric
power or action may be resorted to for effecting either the decomposition of
the water, or the recombination of its elements; or, voltaic electricity may
be used for decomposing the water, and common or magneto-electricity for
firing or effecting the recombination of the resulting gases.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Binks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
E. T. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
London.
CHRISTOPHER BINKS. (L.S.)