IMPROVEMENTS IN APparatus for CarBURETTING AIR OR GAS FOR ILLUMINATING OR HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jeremiah William Gidney, of West Ham, in the County of
Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APparatus for CarBURETTING
AIR OR GAS FOR ILLUMINATING OR HEATING PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jeremiah William Gidney
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th September 1876.
JEREMIAH WILLIAM GIDNEY, of West Ham, in the County of Essex. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR OR GAS FOR ILLUMINATING OR
HEATING PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to apparatus for carburetting air or gas in which such air
or gas is passed through or over hydrocarbon spirit, or through or amongst cotton,
wool, or other fibrous material impregnated with such spirit, and has for its
principal object the production of greater regularity of action and uniformity of
Hame than can be obtained in the apparatus now in use, in which the arrangements
are such that the more volatile portions of the spirit are first absorbed producing a
light of high illuminating power, and then the less volatile portions producing a
light decreasing in intensity in proportion to the reduced volatility of the spirit
being absorbed.
My Invention consists, firstly, in arrangements and adaptations of apparatus,
whereby not more than a certain pre-arranged quantity of spirit can be present in
the carburetting chamber, and the supply of spirit thereto is kept up automatically
in proportion as it is absorbed by the air or gas, whereby the spirit is used up as
supplied to the carburetting chamber, and the flame remains of uniform intensity at
all times when the apparatus is in action In order to effect this I employ a cistern
or reservoir for the spirit so connected by tubes or otherwise with the carburetting
chamber, as to form with it what is known as a bird fountain arrangement.
According to one arrangement I propose to employ between the reservoir and the
carburetter a valve, which when the apparatus is adapted for action is held open by
suitable mechanical means to allow of the spirit flowing as required from the
reservoir to the carburetter, but when it is required to refill the reservoir with
spirit the said valve is closed automatically, whereby the overflow of spirit from the
reservoir into the carburetter at the time of filling the latter is prevented without
-

page_text: the necessity of inverting the apparatus in order to effect the filling which would
be necessary without such an arrangement. The flow of spirit through the afore-
said valve is regulated by a pipe or passage, the lower end of which dips into or is
sealed by the spirit in the carburetter, the upper end opening into the upper part of
the spirit reservoir. As the spirit is evaporated in the carburetter the lower end of
the said pipe becomes unsealed, and air or gas will pass from the carburetter up the
said pipe into the reservoir, allowing spirit to flow from the reservoir through the
before-mentioned valve into the caburetter until the lower end of the pipe or
passage is again sealed and the further supply from the reservoir prevented. Å tap
or valve is adapted to allow the air in the reservoir to escape during the process of
filling or refilling the reservoir, and I sometimes prefer to arrange the mechanism
for operating the said tap or valve, and the valve herein-before described as con-
necting the reservoir with the carburetter in such manner that the last-named valvo
cannot be opened without first closing the first-named tap or valve, whereby
undue overflowing of the contents of the reservoir into the carburetter is
prevented.
Secondly. In an improved arrangement of governor or regulator for regulating
and equalizing the pressure of the air or gas entering the apparatus, - or of the
carburetted air or gas leaving the same For this purpose I employ in connexion
with the air inlet or gas outlet a valve governed by a float resting on the surface of
a liquid, and preferably I employ this arrangement in connexion with a collapsible
governor chamber adapted with adjustable weights or springs, whereby the pressure
can be regulated as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jeremiah William Gidney in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th March 1877.
"
JEREMIAH WILLIAM GIDNEY, of West Ham, in the County of Essex. 'IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR OR GAS FOR ILLUMINATING OR
HEATING PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to apparatus for carburetting air or gas in which such air
or gas is passed through or over hydrocarbon spirit, or through or amongst cotton,
wool, or other fibrous material impregnated with such spirit, and has for its
principal object the production of greater regularity of action and uniformity of
flame than can be obtained in the apparatus now in use, in which the arrangements
are such that the more volatile portions of the spirit are first absorbed, producing a
light of high illuminating power, and then the less volatile portions producing a
light decreasing in intensity in proportion to the reduced volatility of the spirit
then being absorbed.
My Invention consists in arrangements and adaptations of apparatus, whereby
not more than a certain pre-arranged quantity of spirit can be present in the
carburetting chamber when at work, and the supply of spirit thereto is kept up
automatically in proportion as it is absorbed by the air or gas, whereby the spirit is
used up as supplied to the carburetting chamber, and the flame remains of uniform
intensity at all times when the apparatus is in action.
In the Drawing Figure 1 represents a vertical section, and Figure 2, a plan of an
apparatus constructed in accordance with my Invention.
A is an air-tight cistern or reservoir for the spirit; B, a carburotting.chamber
arranged by preference with a spiral or other circuitous passage filled by preference
with cotton wool, forming the evaporating surface from which the air or gas
absorbs the spirit in the manner now well understood; C is a tube or other suitable
passage connecting the cistern or reservoir A with the carburetting chamber B, so
as to form with it what is known as a bird fountain arrangement; D is a valve so
arranged that when the apparatus is adapted for action the said valve is held open

page_text: by the rod E which is pressed down against the spring F on to the outer end of the
valve lever G, by the under side of the handle H of the tap H³ of the inlet pipe L,
or by other suitable mechanical means, the said handle H being held down
against the spring F when the tap H¹ is open by a hook, or catch H².
If preferred the rod E may be made to act direct upon the valve D, as shewn in
dotted lines in Figure 1, and instead of the tube C for connecting the cistern or
reservoir A with the carburetting chamber B, the tube C¹, passage C³, and pipe C³,
may be employed, and this arrangement will be found more convenient when it is
required to effect repairs or to cleanse the pipes or valve The flow of spirit from
the cistern or reservoir A through the valve D to the carburetting chamber B is
regulated by a pipe or passage J, the lower end of which dips into and is sealed by
the spirit in the bottom of the carburetter, the upper end opening into the upper
part of the spirit cistern or reservoir A. As the spirit is evaporated in the
carburetter the lower end of the said pipe or passage J becomes unsealed, and air or
gas will pass from the carburetter up the said pipe into the cistern or reservoir A,
allowing spirit to flow from the cistern or reservoir through the before-mentioned
valve D into the carburetter, until the lower end of the pipe or passage is again
sealed and the further supply from the reservoir prevented, the quantity of spirit
in the carburetter being limited to that which is sufficient to seal the lower end of
the pipe J. When it is required to refill the reservoir A. with spirit the valve D is
closed automatically by the spring F and rod E on shutting the inlet tap H¹ by the
handle H, whereby the overflow of spirit from the reservoir into the carburetter
when the apparatus is not in action is prevented, and the necessity of inverting the
apparatus in order to effect the filling (which would be necessary without such an
arrangement) is obviated. On removing the plug and pouring spirit into the
charging pipe I (the lower end of which is open and terminates near the bottom of
the reservoir A), the air or gas in the reservoir is driven out through the pipe or
passage J into the carburetter, from whence it is allowed to escape into the
atmosphere or otherwise by a tap K This latter may be fitted to the bottom of the
carburetter if preferred, as seen in dotted lines at K₁, and adapted with a pipe
extending above the bottom of the carburetter to the level of the spirit therein.
By this means any superfluous spirit may be drawn from the carburetter if
required; L is the inlet for air or gas to the carburetter, and M is the outlet for the
carburetted air or gas therefrom.
In the event of the air tap K being opened before the valve D is closed when
filling the cistern or reservoir A, the spirit is liable to overflow from the said cistern
or reservoir into the carburettor, filling the latter to an improper depth. In order
to obviate this contingency I sometimes arrange the lever or other handle of the
air tap K so as to be governed by the handle H of the inlet tap H¹, as shown in
dotted lines, Figure 1 and 14, or otherwise arrange the said handle of the air tap K
in relation to the valve D in such manner that the said air tap K cannot be opened
until the valve D is closed, nor can the latter be again opened until the former is
closed. By these means the overflow of spirit from the cistern or reservoir to the
carburetter is obviated, both at the time of filling and when the apparatus is not
in use.
It is sometimes found that the current of air passing through the carburetter
raises the level of the spirit therein towards the outlet. To obviate this I some-
times employ a small pipe N, shewn in dotted lines Figure 2, extending from the
inner to the outer coil for the purpose of allowing any excess of liquid at the centre
to flow back to the outer coil.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner in which
the same is to or may be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangements and dispositions of parts shewn in the
Drawings, as they may be varied without departing from my Invention, but what
I do claim is,—-
First. The apparatus consisting of the closed cistern or reservoir A. and
carburetting chamber B connected together by the air pipe or passage J, and the

page_text: supply pipe C with the valve D and charging pipe I, arranged, combined, and
acting, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 14,
and 2 of the Drawing and for the purposes set forth.
Second. Combining the inlet tap with the valve D; the air tap K with the
valve D; or the inlet tap, valve D, and air tap K in such manner that the valve D
shall always be closed whenever the air tap K is opened or the inlet tap shut, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the
Drawing and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jeremiah William Gidney, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. W. GIDNEY. (L.S.)
Patentee.