IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS OR APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LIGHT AND HEAT BY THE COMBUSTION OF GASEOUS FLUIDS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Cooper at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 25th January 1883.
THOMAS COOPER of Great Ryburgh in the County of Norfolk, Engineer,
IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS OR APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LIGHT AND HEAT BY
THE COMBUSTION OF GASEOUS FLUIDS,"
My invention relates to an improved construction of lamps or apparatus for
producing light and heat by the combustion of gaseous fluids, such as air
impregnated with hydrocarbon, either in the presence of refractory material which
is raised to incandescence, or without the same, the production of the combustible
vapour and its admixture with the requisite quantity of air being effected by the
action of the lamp itself.
For this purpose, there is arranged above a burner which may be of the
Bunsen" form, a small coil of pipes, or a vessel having a small spiral or tortuous
passage, one end of which, according to one arrangement, is connected by a pipe to
a vessel raised somewhat above the coil, while the other end is connected by a
descending pipe to a nozzle at the lower open end of the Bunsen's burner. In
operating with this lamp, the raised vessel being filled with liquid hydro-carbon
such as paraffin, and its communication with the coil being closed by a small tap,
the coil is in the first instance heated in any convenient manner, by preference by
burning a small quantity of spirits in a shallow cup surrounding the burner, after
which, the before mentioned tap being more or less opened, a portion of the liquid
from the reservoir will enter the coil and becoming vaporised by the heat thereof,
such vapour will issue from the nozzle into the burner with sufficient force to draw
air with it, and in mixing therewith will burn at the top of the burner, giving out
light and heat and at the same time keeping up the heat of the coil so as to
maintain the volatilization of the hydrocarbon as it enters from the reservoir, the
pressure of such vapour within the coil being sufficient to prevent the liquid from
entering it too freely. When required to produce light by incandescence,
cap of
platinum or iridium wire gauze or other suitable refractory material is placed over
the top of the burner, and this may, if required also be supplied with a current of
air under pressure. The burner may be surrounded by a transparent or translucent
chimney or globe the upper end of which may be connected to any convenient

page_text: draught or mechanical suction for drawing off the products of combustion and
increasing the draught of the air supply.
When used as a sun light, the burner may be made of large size, or there may
be a group of separate burners, either supplied from one large coil or each provided
with a separate coil, and the burners may be arranged in an inverted position, but
with the coil above them.
According to another modification, applicable more particularly to portable
lamps, the hydrocarbon liquid may be contained in a vessel below the burner, and
forming the pedestal of the lamp, and the liquid may be forced up into the coil
situated above the burner, by compressed air forced into the vessel from time to
time, or by a piston acted upon by a spring, as in a "Moderator" lamp.
My invention also relates to the construction of burners for use with the
above described construction of lamps, or with other lamps for producing light by
incandescence.
According to one arrangement of such burners, the coal gas or other combustible
gaseous fluid is employed under pressure in combination with a supply of air
which is not under pressure. For this purpose, I employ a metal tube or chamber
to one end of which is attached a cone or cap of platinum or iridium wire gauze
or other perforated or permeable refractory material, while, centrally beneath the
other end of the tube is arranged a nozzle through which combustible gas or
vapour is delivered under pressure: Surrounding this nozzle, are one or more
cones, which may be adjustable, and are so arranged that as the gas issues from
the nozzle, it passes through the said cones on its way upward through the tube,
carrying with it sufficient air from the lower open end of the cones, with which air
it becomes intimately mixed, so that, on entering into combustion within the
refractory cone or cap, the combustible mixture raises this to incandescence so as
to give out light and heat.
In order to insure that in the above described arrangements the current of gas
or gaseous fluid under pressure shall cause a sufficient supply of air at ordinary
pressure to enter the burner in order to effect the requisite complete combustion,
various arrangements may be employed whereby the current of gas under pressure
is made to impart motion to a small exhaust fan, turbine or other suitable
mechanism by which air is drawn into the burner. Thus according to one
arrangement, the current of gas is made to enter a chamber containing vanes
fixed on a spindle, to which rotation is imparted by the gas current. The spindle
passes up into a second chamber where it carries a vortex fan or turbine, the
rotation of which draws the air in at the periphery of the casing and propels it
through a central opening into the burner, the lower end of which may be formed
in one with the casing of the fan. The current of gas, after having acted upon the
vanes as described, also issues centrally into the fan casing where it mixes with
the air as it passes into the burner.
.
If desired, other inlet openings for air may be arranged round the central
orifice through which the gas current passes, so as to draw in a further quantity
of air thereby.
When the combustible gas cannot be supplied at a sufficient pressure from the
gas works or source of its production, I compress it to the requisite degree, by
means of a pump, fan or other suitable known contrivance.
According to another arrangement of such burners, the coal gas or other
combustible gas or vapour is employed at ordinary pressure, while the requisite
velocity of the air supply is produced by the draught of a chimney or flue or by
suction produced mechanically.
For this purpose, the burner or apparatus may be similar in construction to
that previously described, or it may consist of a plain tube or chamber with a wire
gauze or other refractory cap at the upper end, while at the lower end is an
aperture for the admission of combustible gas from a supply pipe and a second
aperture or apertures for the supply of atmospheric air. On the tube, between the
cone or cap and the orifice for the admission of air, I fix a flange or gallery to

page_text: receive a chimney or globe of glass or other suitable transparent or semi-transparent
material, which forms an air-tight joint with the sides of the tube, so that any
draught or suction produced in the chimney or globe causes the air and gas to be
drawn up through the tube and through the cone or cap, while the products of
combustion are drawn away from the top of the chimney or globe. The chimney
or globe may be connected by a pipe to a ventilating flue or house chimney or it
may be connected to a mechanical exhauster of any suitable known construction
for producing the requisite draught or suction.
In any of the above described constructions of burners the apertures through
which the air is admitted may be provided with slides, by which the supply of air
can be regulated.