IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING THE HEATING PROPERTIES OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER LIQUID HYDROCARBONS AND OILS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Barff, of the Junior Atheneum Club,
Gentleman, and Joshua Kidd, of 6, Great Newport Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN UTILIZING THE HEATING PROPERTIES OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER LIQUID
HYDROCARBONS AND OILS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Sealed the 10th September 1867, and dated the 29th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Barff and Joshua
Kidd at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 29th March 1867.
We, ARTHUR BARFF, of the Junior Atheneum Club, Gentleman, and.
JOSHUA KIDD, of 6, Great Newport Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN UTILIZING THE HEATING PROPERTIES OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER LIQUID
HYDROCARBONS AND OILS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a mode of and apparatus for utilizing the heating
properties of petroleum and other liquid bydrocarbons as well as vegetable and.
animal oils.
In carrying out our Invention with a view to the generation of steam we
employ a closed retort which is situate in what would be the ordinary furnace
or fire-box of the steam generator, and this retort we maintain at or near a

page_text: low red heat. Into the interior of the heated retort we inject, by the aid of
saturated or superheated steam, petroleum or other mineral oil or liquid
hydrocarbon, or any vegetable or animal oil, taking care that the oil so injected
shall enter the retort in the form of spray or mist mingled with the steam
which has been employed in injecting it. The small particles of oil are thus
held mechanically suspended by the steam in the retort until they are
vaporized, the heat of the retort being only just sufficient to vaporize the oil
without decomposing it, which would have the effect of producing a permanent
gas; or the oil may be simply dropped into the retort with a view to
vaporising it; this vapour is then carried by the steam through a pipe or
pipes to a burner or burners situate beneath the retort, where it is ignited and
burned as fuel, the heat obtained serving not only to maintain the retort at
the required temperature but also to generate steam in the boiler, or the
mixed vapours may escape into the fire-box or furnace through suitable
perforations made either in the retort itself or in an outer case or jacket
surrounding and communicating with the interior of the retort.
The peculiar apparatus which we have found to answer best in carrying out
our Invention consists of a cylindrical retort, from which leads a branch pipe
communicating with another pipe carrying the burners, which may be situate
in any convenient position; an air supply pipe provided with a regulating
valve is made to enclose the burner pipe so as to enable the exact amount of
air to be induced by and mingle with the jets of vapour to produce the flame
required. Through the centre of a hollow cap or socket secured to the end
of the retort passes a pipe which extends inside the retort nearly to the
further end thereof, such pipe being connected by a stop-cock and branch
with the oil reservoir; outside of and surrounding this oil pipe, but inside the
retort, there is fitted another pipe of larger bore, so as to leave a free aunular
passage for steam between the exterior of the oil pipe and the interior of the
steam pipe; this steam pipe communicates through a branch and stop-cock
with the steam generator, and the end of the steam pipe should project slightly
beyond the end of the oil pipe. If preferred this arrangement may be
reversed the steam being admitted through the inner or central pipe and the
oil through the outer pipe. On turning on the steam a current of oil is
induced which is forcibly directed by the jet of steam against a dash plate
just in front of the end of the steam pipe, and is thereby instantly broken
up into spray or mist inside the retort. If desired a finely perforated
rose may be fitted on to the end of the steam pipe. The spray thus produced,
before it can make its exit from the retort becomes vaporised and is burned
in the form of a condensible inflammable vapour mixed with steam and a

page_text: small proportion of air at the burners, such air being admitted either through
the ordinary furnace door or grate, or mixed with the vapour by the induced
current produced by its escape through the burners. In order to disperse the
flame as much as possible in the fire-box or furnace we construct across the
same a species of fire bridge or wall of fire-brick in front of the burner or
burners, and in some cases with a view to spreading the flame evenly
throughout the furnace we employ as a burner a pipe having one or more
slits made longitudinally therein, through which slit or slits the vapour issues
and is burned in the form of a vast sheet of flame.
According to another arrangement we employ an injector wherein the
steam jet passes over or across the orifice of the oil pipe, thereby inducing the
oil along the pipe and blowing it into spray as fast as it issues; or separate oil
and steam pipes may be employed, each perforated and placed parallel and
near to each other, the oil pipe being a little above the steam pipe. As the
oil issues in the form of drops from the perforations those drops are instantly
disintegrated or blown into spray by the jets of steam issuing from the
corresponding or opposite perforations in the steam pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur Barff and Joshua Kidd in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ARTHUR
BARFF, of the Junior Atheneum Club, Gentleman, and JOSHUA KIDD, of
6, Great Newport Street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Arthur Barff and Joshua Kidd, Her special license that we,
the said Arthur Barff and Joshua Kidd, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Arthur Barff and Joshua Kidd,
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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING THE
HEATING PROPERTIES OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER LIQUID HYDROCARBONS AND OILS,
AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Arthur Barff and Joshua Kidd, our executors or adminis-
hand and seal, should par-
trators, by an instrument in writing under
ticularly 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 we, the said Arthur Barff and Joshua Kidd, do
hereby declare the nature of 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 :-
Our said Invention relates to a mode of and apparatus for utilizing the
heating properties of petroleum and other liquids, hydrocarbons as well as
vegetable and animal oils.
In carrying out our Invention with a view to the generation of steam we
employ a closed or in some cases a perforated retort or chamber which is
situate in what would be the ordinary furnace or fire-box of the steam gene-
rator, and this retort we maintain at or near a low red heat. Into the
interior of the heated retort we inject, by the aid of saturated or superheated
steam, petroleum or other mineral oil, or liquid hydrocarbon, or any vegetablo
or animal oil, taking care that the oil so injected shall enter the retort in the
form of spray or mist mingled with the steam which has been employed in
injecting it. The small particles of oil are thus held mechanically suspended
by the steam in the retort until they are vaporised, the heat of the retort
being only just sufficient to vaporise the oil without decomposing it, which
would have the effect of producing a permanent gas; or the oil may be
simply dropped into the retort with a view to vaporising it; this vapour is
then carried by the steam through a pipe or pipes to a burner or burners
Situate beneath the retort, where it is ignited and burnt as fuel, the heat
obtained serving not only to maintain the retort at the required temperature
but also to generate steam in the boiler; or the mixed vapours may escape
into the fire-box or furnace through suitable perforations made either in the
retort itself or through an outer case or jacket surrounding or communicating
with the interior of the retort.
One form of apparatus which we have found to answer well in practice
consists of a cylindrical retort from which leads a branch pipe communicating

page_text: with another pipe carrying the burners, which may be situate in any con-
venient position. An air pipe provided with a regulating valve is made to
supply the exact amount of air which is induced by and mingled with the jets
of vapour which produce the flame required. Through the centre of a hollow
cap or socket secured to the end of the retort passes a pipe which is connected
by a stop-cock and brauch with the oil reservoir; outside of and surrounding
this oil pipe, but inside the retort, there is fitted another pipe of larger bore,
so as to leave a free annular passage for steam between the exterior of the
oil pipe and the interior of the steam pipe; this steam pipe communicates
through a branch and stop-cock with the steam generator. If preferred this
arrangement may be reversed, the steam being admitted through the inner or
central pipe and the oil through the outer pipe. On turning on the steam a
current of oil is induced which is forcibly directed into the retort by the jet
of steam, and is instantly broken up into spray or mist inside the retort. If
desired a finely perforated rose may be fitted on to the end of the steam pipe.
The spray thus produced before it can make its escape from the retort becomes
vaporised and is burned in the form of a condensible inflammable vapour
mixed with steam and a small proportion of air at the burners, such air being
admitted either through the ordinary furnace door or grate, or mixed with the
vapour by the induced current produced by its escape through the burners.
In order to disperse the flame as much as possible in the fire-box or furnace
we construct across the same a species of fire bridge or baffle or wall of fire-
brick in front of the burner or burners, and in some cases with a view to
spreading the flame evenly throughout the furnace we employ as a burner a
pipe having one or more slits made longitudinally therein, through which
slit or slits the vapour issues and is burned in the form of a vast sheet of
flame.
According to another arrangement we employ an injector wherein the
steam jet passes over or across the orifice of the oil pipe, thereby inducing the
oil along the pipe and blowing it into spray as fast as it issues; or separate
oil and steam pipes may be employed, each perforated and placed parallel
and near to each other, the oil pipe being a little above the steam pipe. As the
oil issues in the form of drops from the perforations these drops are instantly
disintegrated or blown into spray by the jets of steam issuing from the
corresponding or opposite perforations in the steam pipe.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer
to the several Figures in the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.

page_text: Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal section of a retort and
burner constructed and arranged according to our Invention, and Figure 2
is a transverse section of the same looking towards the front end of the
retort.
A is the retort, one or more of which is or are to be placed in the furnace
or fire-box of a steam boiler when employed for the generation of steam.
This retort may be of cast or wrought iron or clay of any convenient form
and dimensions, but we prefer to make it D-shaped or flat so as to get as
much heating surface as possible. Into the front end of the retort there is
fitted an injector for blowing, by the aid of steam, liquid hydrocarbon or other
oil in the form of spray into and along the interior of the retort. This
injector may consist of a nozzle B, screwed or otherwise secured to the front
end or removeable cap C of the retort. Within this nozzle B there is situate
a smaller nozzle or steam jet pipe D, which communicates by the pipe and
stop-cock E with the steam generator; F is a pipe communicating with the
nozzle B, and leading to an oil or liquid hydrocarbon reservoir, a cock G
being also provided for shutting off or regulating the supply of oil. The
inner or further end of the retort A is made to dip as shewn at A', where it
communicates with the tube H, the front end of which is connected by an
elbow bend with the short vertical tube I leading direct into the long perforated
or slotted burner K.
Figure 3 shews a detail of this burner formed with a long slit a therein in
lieu of with a series of perforations as shewn in Figure 1. The burner K
when the apparatus is first applied is enclosed in a jacket or case L, the two
sides of which are inclined so as to contract the open mouth at b. In this
jacket we place coke or other suitable porous material disposed on each side
of the burner K, and we make a number of air holes c, c, along the lower
part of the jacket just above the surface of the coke for the purpose which we
shall presently explain. Before starting the apparatus we pour a small
quantity of oil or liquid hydrocarbon upon the coke and ignite it with a view
to raising the retort to the desired temperature for vaporising the liquid
hydrocarbon. During this period, that is to say before the steam has been
raised in the boiler, we inject air into the retort, using a suitable attachment or
pipe for that purpose. The air jet supplies the necessary oxygen to burn the
hydrocarbon in the case or jacket. So soon as steam has been generated
the air jet is shut off and a jet of steam is introduced through the nozzle or
steam jet pipe D, which induces the hydrocarbon and blows it in the form of
spray into and along the retort. This mixture of steam and hydrocarbon
vapour thus generated passes along the tube H and enters the burner K,

page_text: whence it issues through the orifices in such burner and is ignited by the
flame from the saturated coke on each side of the burner, when the apparatus
thus continues in operation so long as steam and oil are supplied. In con-
junction with the burner K are two argand burners K', K', communicating
with the retort by the branch pipes I, I, and pipes I and II, the air being
induced through the central opening k in these burners by the passage of the
inflammable vapour through the annular space or opening of the burner.
Any number of burners may obviously be used in connection with one retort,
according to the capacity of such retort. When once properly started the
case or jacket L with the porous material has fulfilled its function, but as its
removal would in most cases be inconvenient it may be allowed to remain.
Its chief use is to generate sufficient heat on first starting the apparatus to
heat the retort and generate steam.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a slightly modified arrangement
wherein in lieu of using a separate retort and burners, as in Figures 1 and 2,
we combine the retort and burner in one apparatus. Figure 5 is a transverse
section of this arrangement.
A is the retort, which in this modification we perforate as shewn at a, a, in
order that the inflammable vapour may issue therefrom and be burned direct
in the furnace or fire-box, the retort not only serving for the vaporization of
the liquid hydrocarbon injected or otherwise introduced therein, but also as
the burner for the same. The injector consists, as before described, of a
nozzle B, within which is situate a steam jet pipe D. B' is a pipe surrounding
the nozzle B, its object being to allow a regulated quantity of air to be
induced into the retort through the regulating orifice at D. This form of
injector may be also applied to the retort shewn in Figures 1 and 2. The
retort is enclosed in a jacket or case L provided with coke or porous material
as herein-before described, which coke is maintained more or less constantly
saturated with that portion of the oil which is not completely vapourised, and
which escapes from the bottom of the retort A into and amongst the coke
through holes d, d, made in the retort for that purpose; or the oil may be
dropped or separately supplied by a pipe to the porous material in the outer
case or jacket L. The case or jacket L is provided with air holes c, c, and
serves to direct the air to that part of the flame where its admixture will
produce the most perfect combustion.
Figures 6 and 7 represent respectively a sectional elevation and plan of
another modified form of apparatus which may be used for many purposes
where a power heat is required.

page_text: A is a small circular retort or chamber enclosed in a jacket or case L, of a
truncated conical form, such case being provided with porous material round
the retort, and having air apertures formed therein just above the level of the
coke. Small openings are made in the lower portion of the chamber A to
allow any non-vaporized oil to pass into and amongst the coke and be there
burned, thus keeping up the heat of the retort or chamber to the required
temperature for vaporizing the oil which is blown in the form of spray by a
steam or air jet into the interior of the retort, the jet pipe being shewn at B,
and the steam and oil pipes at E and F respectively. The spray which
becomes vaporized and mized with steam in the retort or chamber issues
therefrom by the perforations a, a, in the top of the chamber A, and is
immediately ignited by the surrounding flame from the saturated coke or
porous material.
Figure 8 shews a mode of blowing the oil into spray by allowing the oil to
drop from one or more holes in a pipe a into corresponding jets of steam or
air issuing from a slit or holes in a pipe b, the drop being instantly scattered
into spray or mist on coming in contact with the jets."]
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction and
arrangement of apparatus for facilitating the utilization of the heating properties
of petroleum and other liquid hydrocarbons and oils, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Kidd, on behalf of myself and
the said Arthur Barff, have to this our Specification set my hand and
seal, the Twenty-eighth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
JOSHUA KIDD.
(L.S.)