AN IMPROVED METHOD OF GENERATING HEAT, AND APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME.” PROAL SP
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Barff, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, and Elizabeth Lochart Sim, of No. 1, Brougham Terrace,
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Sister and Executrix of the late
William Sim, deceased, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
GENERATING HEAT, AND APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Sim and
Arthur Barff at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 7th June 1865.
We, WILLIAM SIM and ARTHUR BARFF, both of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF GENERATING HEAT, AND APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR
EFFECTING THE SAME," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention, which relates to a new method for generating heat capable
of producing steam, and for raising other substances, fluids, or other bodies to
very high temperatures, and to the apparatus or means for effecting the same,
consists as follows, that is to say, when employed for generating steam within
the fire-box or furnace of an ordinary locomotive, marine, land, or other boiler,
there is placed a generator, into which petroleum oil, shale oil, paraffine oil, or
other mineral, hydrocarbon, animal, or vegetable oil is admitted. The generator
is raised to a high temperature by a fire below or at the sides, and when

page_text: thoroughly heated the oil is admitted in a small continuous stream, or it may
be dropped in quantities as required. As soon as the oil comes into contact
with the hot retort it is converted into gas in a state fit to be burnt through
burners at the places where it issues from the generator, but as all the oils
contain carbon in excess, that is, the carbon which is left unburnt after the
hydrogen has united with its combining quantity in burning, the surplus carbon
if not mixed with another body so as to burn would be deposited. The chief
part of this Invention, therefore, refers to the addition to the surplus carbon of a
quantity of hydrogen and oxygen so that the former may be entirely consumed.
One method under which the hydrogen and oxygen are added consists in
running or dropping water into the generator, when the latter is at a high
temperature; the oil and water are thus simultaneously decomposed or con-
verted into gas. The hydrogen and a portion of the carbon of the oils combine
in their burning proportion, whilst the surplus carbon is mixed with the-hydro-
gen and oxygen of the water and is thus consumed; the two gases with the
carbon producing burning mixtures. Instead of admitting a mixture of
hydrogen and oxygen to mix with the surplus carbon, the requisite quantity to
take it up may be admitted of either gas singly.
Another modification of this Invention consists in placing within a (or the)
generator a quantity of carbonaceous mineral, animal or vegetable substances,
and in utilizing their hydrocarbon products of destructive distillation by con-
veying the gas thus produced into the decomposing vessel for the production
of heat by mixing the surplus carbon with hydrogen and oxygen gases,
combined or separately as in the former modification.
Another part of this Invention consists in admitting a stream of hydrogen
gas into a vessel raised to a very high temperature. The hydrogen may be
mixed with a portion of carbonaceous gas sufficient to induce combustion, and
in some cases the hydrogen is burnt unmixed with carbon.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Arthur Barff and s
Elizabeth Lochart Sim in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS' SHALL COME, We, "ARTHUR
BARFF, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and ELIZABETH
LOCHART SIM, of No. 1, Brougham Terrace, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, 3.
Sister and Executrix of the late William Sim, deceased, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Arthur Barff and the said Elizabeth Lochart Sim, as Executrix
aforesaid, Her special license that we, the said Arthur Barff and Elizabeth
Lochart Sim, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Arthur Barff and Elizabeth Lochart Sin, our executors,
administrators, or 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 "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF GENERATING
HEAT, AND APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Arthur Barff and Elizabeth Lochart Sim,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the band
and seal of one of us, 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 seven
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Arthur Barff and Elizabeth Lochart
Sim, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and.in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Invention, which relates to a new process for generating heat capable
of producing steam and for raising other substances, fluids, or other bodies
to very high temperatures (and to the apparatus or means for effecting
the same), consists as follows, that is to say, when employed for generating
steam within the fire-box or furnace of an ordinary locomotive, marine, land,
or other boiler, there is placed a generator or vessel, into which petroleum oil,
shale oil, paraffin oil, or other mineral, hydrocarbon, animal, or vegetable oil is
admitted. The generator is raised to a high temperature by a fire below or at
the sides, and when thoroughly beated the oil is admitted in a small continuous
stream, or it may be dropped in quantities as required. As soon as the oil
comes into contact with the hot retort it is converted into gas in a state fit to
be burnt through burners at the places where it issues from the generator, but
as all the oils contain carbon in excess, that is, the carbon which is left
.. 11

page_text: unburnt after the hydrogen has united with its combining quantity in burning,
the surplus carbon if not united with another body so as to burn would be
deposited. A very important part of this Invention, therefore, refers to the
addition to the surplus carbon of a quantity of hydrogen and oxygen gas, so
that the former may be entirely consumed..
.
One method under which the hydrogen and oxygen are added consists in
running or dropping water into the generator when the latter is at a high
temperature; the oil and water are thus simultaneously decomposed or con-
verted into gas. The hydrogen and a portion of the carbon of the oils combine
in their burning proportion, whilst the surplus carbon is mixed with the
hydrogen and oxygen of the water and thus consumed, the two when
commingled with the carbon producing burning mixtures. Instead of admit-
ting a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen to commingle with the surplus carbon
the requisite quantity to take it up may be admitted of either gas singly.
Another modification of this Invention consists in placing within a (or the)
generator a quantity of carbonaceous mineral, animal, or vegetable substances,
and in utilizing their oleaginous and gasified hydrocarbon products of destruc-
tive distillation; by conveying the gas thus produced into the decomposing
vessel for the production of heat by mixing the surplus carbon with bydrogen
and oxygen gases, combined or separately as in the former modification.
Another part of this Invention consists in admitting a stream of hydrogen
gas into a vessel raised to a very high temperature. The bydrogen may be
mixed with a portion of carbonaceous gas sufficient to induce combustion, and
in some cases the hydrogen is burnt unmixed with carbon.
It is obvious that not only is this Invention applicable to the raising of
steam; but it may be advantageously used for nearly every purpose where heat
is required.
And in order that the said Invention may be properly understood, we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the system, mode, or manner, in or
under which the same is or may be used, or practically carried into effect,
reference being had to the several Figures upon the explanatory Sheet of
Drawings, which we have hereunto appended, in all of which similar parts are
indicated by corresponding letters of reference, that is to say:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, Figure 2 a transverse section, and
Figure 3 à front elevation of an ordinary tubular land boiler fitted with
apparatus or means for raising steam in the same under the present Invention
'In all the Figures the furnace is marked A, and in the lower part of each of
its sides are fixed brackets carrying the slabs of fire-bricks B, which form the
sides of the fuel chamber C, and carry at their upper sides the retort, or more

page_text: correctly the gas receiver D; the brackets are formed so that the fire-grate E;
can be completely drawn out; in the under side of the retort D two tubes F
áre screwed which carry by means of a mitre joint F' the horizontal or
slightly inclined tubes or gasifiers G, these extend completely through the
furnace to the doors, and are then coupled each one to the branch of a forked
feeding pipe H, Figures 1 and 3. A straight pipe I is led upward in front of
the smoke box K, and at a suitable position in this upright pipe a bend or
syphon (not shown in the Drawings) is placed, so that a column of the oil, or
oil and water, for being converted into gas may be maintained therein against
which the pressure of the gas acts. Each branch of the forked pipe H is fitted
with a cock or tap L, so that by turning one of these taps or cocks L, open and
shutting the other, the liquid or mixture of liquids for being converted into
gas may be diverted into one or other of the two tubes or gasifiers G. The
use of this last-mentioned arrangement of pipes and gasifiers is that as the
conversion of the liquid or liquids into gas robs the pipe in which the con-
version takes place of a large portion of its heat, which if continued for a
sufficient length of time would lower the temperature so much as to render
the pipe inoperative as a gasifier. In order to prevent this entire absorption
of heat from taking place, when the one pipe or gasifier G is in the act of
converting the liquid or liquids into gas, the other gasifier is inoperative, and
being continually exposed to the heat of the fire on the grate below its tem-
perature is rapidly raised, whereby it is ready to be put in action as soon as
the other gasifier is exhausted; thus it will be seen that the two gasifiers G
work alternately, so that while one is being exhausted by the action of
gasifying the oil, the other is being heated to continue the process of gasifica-
tion immediately that the other is exhausted. The gas as soon as formed
rushes into the holder or receiver D, whence it issues to be burnt through the
several burners a, a, a, etc. As soon as steam is raised in the boiler, instead
of continuing a separate fire of coals, wood, or other inflammable material
upon the grate E, the grate E, and fire are removed, the latter being arranged
so as to slide in and out of two grooves formed either in the fire-clay blocks
or in the brackets carrying these blocks as seen at Figures 1 and 2. As soon
as the fire-grate E is withdrawn its place is supplied with a covered chamber
which is held in place in the same manner as the fire-grate; orifices are formed
in the upper part or cover of the chamber, and a pipe is led from the gas-
holder or receiver to this chamber by which steam is conveyed therein, and
the mixture or partial compound of steam and gas issues against the gasifiers
G, by which means these are maintained in a heated state. Thus it is obvious
that as soon as the steam is raised the entire operation of continuing the

page_text: supply of heat becomes automatic. An arrangement of clockwork may be
attached by which the opening and shutting of the two small cocks is re-
gulated to take place at regular intervals, or apparatus may be driven from the
steam engine by which their alternate action would be secured. The supply
of oil, or mixture of oil and water, is maintained from a tank or cistern placed
above the vertical pipe. The other modes of producing inflammable gases
and compounds as well as inflammable mixtures are specified with sufficient
distinctness in the early part of this Specification, and need not be again
referred to as enough information is previously given to enable a practical
engineer of ordinary ability to put the same into practice.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, we would
observe in conclusion that what we consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
First, the means of raising steam and producing heat generally as herein-
before described, or any mere modification thereof.
Second, the arrangement of gasifiers by which their alternate action is
insured às herein-before described, or any mere modification thereof.
Third, the use of a mixture or partial compound of hydrocarbon oils or
gases, and water, or water in the form of steam, substantially as herein-before
described, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Barff, on behalf of the said
Elizabeth Lochart Sim and of myself, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-six.
ARTHUR BARFF. (L.S.)