Improvements in and Connected with the Burning of Oils. or other Hydrocarbon Fluids as Fuel in Furnaces,
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1887
Complete Left, 9th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
Improvements in and Connected with the Burning of Oils. or
other Hydrocarbon Fluids as Fuel in Furnaces,
I, JAMES LYLE of 29 Causeyside Street, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follow:-
My Invention has reference to improved arrangements and combinations of mecha-
nism or appliances for the burning of oil or other hydrocarbon fluids in ordinary forms
or constructions of steam boiler and other furnaces, specially applicable to the furnaces
of marine flue boilers, or cornish flue and other boilers, by merely removing the furnace
bars, and thus be able to heat the furnaces and boilers either by the hydrocarbon liquid
fuel, or by coals, by changing the appliances within a few minutes when required;
besides having other advantages over other oil burning appliances heretofore in use.
The liquid fuel is by these improvements atomised and dispersed with a very low pres-
sure of air or steam so as to produce a flame under perfect combustion filling the whole
furnace, the oil being heated in the furnace before passing through the jet flame
apparatus, and the compressed air when that is used is also preferably heated on its
way to the nozzle apparatus, by the waste heat of the furnace in superheaters placed in
the uptake flues, smoke box or chimney leading off the waste gases from the furnace ;
and in like manner the steam may be superheated within the furnace when it is used
as the spray flame producing medium.
The nature and novelty of the Invention or combination of mechanism or apparatus
embodying these improvements consists:-First as applied to the usual cylindrical or
corrugated flue furnaces of marine return flame tubular boilers, the ordinary furnace
bars would be removed and the furnace charging doors securely closed, then a new
close plate would be fitted over the entrance to the ashpit, below the furnace plate and
doors, secured portably for ease of removal with the main new or improved fittings
secured to it for producing the oil spray liquid fuel flame all as follows :- -When com-
pressed air is to be used, (as is preferred) for forcing the oil in a combined inflammable
spray of oil and air for combustion in the furnace, the pressure air would be conveyed
from a Root's Blower or other air forcing appliance, preferably driven by a small
auxiliary engine for the purpose, through a main pipe led below the front of the boiler
and furnaces, with a vertical branch leading up into an air service box for each

page_text: furnace secured by studs and screws to and projecting out from the closing-in plate of
the ordinary ashpit, now forming a part of the whole combustion chamber. The upper
ends of these vertical air branches would preferably pass up through stuffing glands in
the lower central part of these air supply boxes, and the boxes would preferably be
fitted with two cocks and knee branches near the centre, with couplings each leading
into a spray jet burner on each side.
A corresponding but small general oil supply pipe would also be led along and below
the front of the boiler and furnaces, preferably over the air pipe and closer to the
boiler, also fitted with vertical branches and screw couplings leading up one to the
centre of each furnace; and by a knee and coupling led through the said lower spray
furnace plate, into a T branch in the inside of the plate and furnace, so as to be heated,
and thus heat the oil passing through this internal T tube, which would each be led
out at their extreme ends through coupling knee branches on the outside of the plate, and
on the opposite side of the spray nozzle apparatus, to those of the air branches; where
these branches would be similarly coupled on the opposite side to the air branches, so
that each spray nozzle apparatus can be swivelled up on these double sets of couplings
for cleaning their nozzles and orifices, preferably fitted with a hand in front for
swivelling them up two being fitted to each furnace, each vertical oil branch leading
to the apparatus being also fitted with hand regulating taps or valves.
1884
Each spray nozzle apparatus consists. of an internal central tube with conoidal jet
nozzle in front, and close back end, with lateral supply oil branch on the outside as
stated; while the compressed air is supplied to the burner by an outer annular tube
close at the back end, led in by its outer swivelling branch on the inside of the
apparatus, and forward to a conoidal nozzle in front of the internal tubular nozzle,
fitted with screws to regulate the distance of the two nozzles and the consequent lateral
action of the air in drawing and forcing out the oil in a combined fine spray of oil and
air through the outer nozzle, which might be in the form of a central jet or of a broad
thin jet, according to the formation of the nozzle orifice and might be otherwise
constructed substantially in accordance with the Specification of my former Patent
No. 4795 April 5
This nozzle apparatus would be fitted with a short widening out
entrance part of a combustion chamber projecting a little beyond the nozzles, so as to rest
on a checked large widening out main combustion and air supply chamber, preferably
with perforations or small air inlet ducts secured by a flange to the front plate of the
boiler; which flange might further be formed with radial recesses in it, and in the plate
beyond to which it is secured, that by turning the flange of the combustion chamber,
or a special flange between it and the main carrying front plate, any desired supply of
the outer air might be regulated to enter round the combustion chamber and support
the complete combustion of the gases produced by the combined spray jet of forced oil
and compressed air. These flame combustion chambers in front of the nozzles might
be made in two or more parts and of various shapes, and with liquid containing chambers
for lighting them all as described and claimed in the Specification of my former
Patent No. 5715 April 27
1886
A further improvement consists in fitting an angular platform, preferably of fire-
clay slabs or bricks right across the whole furnace carried on brackets projecting
inwards within each furnace flue from the said main supporting plate, some distance
in front of the flame combustion chamber, and so as to deflect the flame upwards across
and fill the whole furnace flue, and act on its corrugated or other circumferential heat-
ing surface before passing out over the flame bridge of each furnace into the common
back uptake flame chamber from all the furnaces, to pass back through the whole set
of return heating tubes above, into to smoke box in front over the furnace mouths, and
said spray apparatus of each furnace, of which there might be two, three or more
according to the diameter of the boiler."
It will be seen that these improvements are equally applicable to the flue furnaces
of Cornish and Lancashire boilers by merely fitting the said portable vertical front
plate over the ashpit, and removing the furnace bars to form the whole into a flame

page_text: combustion chamber in front of the flame bridge; in which case the cross plates carry-
ing the flame bridge might be completely protected by firebrick to prevent these from
bending or melting. Although two sets of jet nozzle apparatus are described as fitted
to these furnaces as suitable for ordinary sized flues, it will be understood that one only
need be fitted in like manner to small furnaces, and that three or more might be fitted
in each large furnace; and further that although air has been described as led into the
lower pipe for forcing the oil into each nozzle apparatus, that in like manner, steam
might be used, preferably superheated before being led into the supply box by being
carried through undulating tubes in the furnace.
This arrangement of apparatus although only hereinbefore described as applied to
cylindrical furnaces, might also be applied to square and other forms of furnaces of
locomotive and other portable and semi-portable steam boilers, by fitting a portable
bottom in the furnace, instead of and below the present position of the furnace bars;
and the improvements might be similarly applied to the front plates fitted to close in
the ordinary ashpits of other furnaces than steam boiler furnaces, to make the whole a
combustion flaine chamber for heating the furnace by oil spray fuel; all as herein
described in reference to marine boiler furnaces.

page_text: other Hydrocarbon- Fluids as Fuel in Furnaces.
I, JAMES LYLE, of 29 Causeyside Street, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
reference being had to the accompanying Two Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention has reference to improved arrangements and combinations of
mechanism or appliances for the burning of oil or other hydrocarbon fluids in ordinary
forms or constructions of steam boiler and other furnaces, specially applicable to the
furnaces of marine flue boilers, or Cornish flue and other boilers, by merely removing
the furnace bars, and thus be able to heat the furnaces and boilers either by the hydro-
carbon liquid fuel, or by coals, by changing the appliances within a few minutes when
required besides having other advantages over other oil burning appliances heretofore
The liquid fuel is by these improvements atomised and dispersed with a very
low pressure of air or steam so as to produce a flame under perfect combustion filling
the whole furnace, the oil being heated in the furnace before passing through the jet
flame apparatus, and the compressed air, when that is used, is also preferably heated on
its way to the nozzle apparatus, by the waste heat of the furnace in superheaters placed
in the uptake flues, smoke box or chimney leading off the waste gases from the
furnaces; and in like manner the steam may be superheated within the furnace when
it is used as the spray flame producing medium.
in use.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
two explanatory Sheets of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1
are a longitudinal sectional elevation, and a front end view, respectively, to a small
scale, both broken away, of a short flue marine torpedo boat steam boiler, as fitted with
and illustrative of one modification of my improvements for firing the furnaces of such
boilers with liquid spray oil fuel. Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 show a sectional eleva-
tion and plan of the front furnace part of a vertical circular boiler, or it might be the
furnace part of a locomotive or other vertical furnace boiler, showing my new or
improved jet apparatus as applied thereto, to a larger scale than in Figures 1 and 2,
and partly in section, to show the details of construction more clearly. Figures 5 and 6
show a sectional plan and end view respectively, and Figure 7 a side elevation cor-
responding to Figure 5, of one construction of the nozzle apparatus, and its separate
combustion chamber, as applied to the front plate of any boiler furnace, and
to a large scale in section in Figure 5, to show the details of construction more clearly
of a central jet nozzle arrangement; and Figures 8 and 9 show a corresponding
section and end view of the nozzles to a similar scale, showing a broad thin or flat fan
jet construction of the nozzles,

page_text: Referring to Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1 of these Drawings :-the nature and
novelty of the invention or combination of mechanism or apparatus embodying these
improvements consist:-First, as applied to the usual cylindrical or corrugated flue
furnaces A A, of marine boilers with return flame tubes above at A", the ordinary
furnace bars A, indicated in dotted lines, are removed and the furnace charging doors A³
securely closed, then a new close plate B is fitted over the entrance to the ashpit B',
below the furnace plate A' and doors A³, secured portably for ease of removal with the
main new or improved spray jet and other fittings secured to it at C for producing the
oil spray liquid fuel flame all as follows:-When compressed air is used, (as is pre-
ferred) for forcing the oil in a combined inflammable spray of oil and air for combustion
in the furnace A, the pressure air is conveyed from a Root's Blower or other air forcing
appliance, preferably driven by a small auxiliary engine for the purpose, through a
main pipe D, led below the front of the boiler and furnaces A, with a vertical branch D',
leading up into an air service box E, for each furnace secured by studs and
screws e to and projecting out from the closing-in plate B, of the ordinary ashpit B¹
now forming a part of the whole combustion chamber A, of the nozzle apparatus. The
upper ends of these vertical air branches D₁ preferably pass up through stuffing
glands E' in the lower central part of these air supply boxes E, and these boxes are
preferably fitted with two cocks and knee branches d d near the centre, with swivelling
couplings d, each leading into the socket chamber F of a spray jet burner on each
side. A corresponding but small general oil supply pipe G is also led along and below
the front of the boiler and furnaces A, preferably over the air pipe D, and closer to the
boiler, also fitted with vertical branches and screw couplings Gleading up, one to the
centre of each furnace A; and by a knee and coupling G2, led through the said lower
spray furnace plate B, into a T branch G³, in the inside of the plate and furnace, so as
to be heated, and thus heat the oil passing through these internal T tubes G', which
are each led out at their extreme ends through coupling knee branches g¹, 92, with
cocks g on the outside of the plate B, and on the opposite side of the spray nozzle
apparatus, to those of the air branches d, d', where these branches would be similarly
coupled on the opposite side to the air branches, so that each spray nozzle apparatus F,
can be swivelled up on these double sets of couplings d², 93, in line opposite each other,
as seen more particularly in the enlarged views Figures 3 to 7, and as dotted-in in the
swivelied position in Figures 3 and 7, for cleaning their jet nozzle and orifices prefer-
ably fitted with a handle F1, in front for swivelling them up, two such swivelling
nozzles F, being shown fitted to each furnace in Figures 1 and 2, each vertical oil
branch g, leading to the apparatus being also fitted with hand regulating taps or
valves g.
Each spray nozzle apparatus F, as shown more particularly in the enlarged views
Figures 3 to 7, consists of an internal central oil tube a with conoidal jet nozzle a¹ in
front of an annular outer air nozzle b, the former with close screwed back end a³, in
the seat chamber F, and lateral supply oil swivelling coupling branch a³, on the
outside as stated. The supply of oil to the central nozzle a, a¹, may be regulated by
means of the hand screw spindle f, F1, which can be removed for cleaning the
nozzles out from the back end of the swivelling socket piece F. While the compressed
air is supplied to the burner by the outer annular tube b, with close screwed back
end 63 in socket seat 6 concentric to the seat of the former, led in by its outer lateral
swivelling branch 63 formed in line on the opposite side of the apparatus to the oil
swivelling branch a³, and forward to the conoidal nozzle b' concentrically in front of
the nozzle a', of the internal oil tube a, the distance between these nozzles a¹, 61, being
regulated at their screw sockets a², 63, or by their cocks d, g, for giving the best supply
of air and action, and the consequent lateral action of the air in drawing and forcing
out the oil in a combined fine spray of oil and air through the outer nozzle b, b¹, which
inight be in the form of a central jet as shown. in Figure 5, or of a thin slit form as
shown in Figures 8 and 9, to give a broad thin jet and flame, according to the forma-
tion of the nozzle orifice b, 61, and might otherwise be constructed to give a circular or
annular form of jet substantially in accordance with the jet nozzles a, b, described and
shown in the Specification of my former Patent No. 610
This nozzle.
Jan. 14
1887 1

page_text: 1886
•
apparatus Fis fitted in front with a short combustion chamber I, projecting beyond the
nozzles a b, and may be secured by a flange at I¹ to the plate B of the furnace, as
shown in Figures 1 and 2 and 5 to 7, and of a hollow conoidal shape widening out into
the furnace, so that the nozzles rest on the checked part I, of this large widening out
main combustion and air supply chamber I, preferably formed with perforations or
small air inlet ducts i and secured by the flange to the front plate B of the boiler;
which flange I might further be formed with radial recesses I" in it, and in the
plate B beyond, to which it is secured, that by turning the flange I', of the combustion
chamber, or a special flange between it and the main carrying front plate, secured by
a hand screw and slot I' in the flange I', any desired supply of the outer air might be
regulated to enter at these holes I, round the combustion chamber and support the
complete combustion of the gases produced by the combined spray jet of forced oil and
compressed air at the entrance of the combustion chamber to the furnace and as seen
more particularly in the end view Figure 6. These flame combustion chambers I in.
front of the nozzle apparatus F, a, b, might be made in two or more parts and of
various shapes, and with liquid containing chambers for lighting them all as described
and claimed in the specification of my former Patent No. 5715 April 27 Referring to
Figures 3 and 4, in this arrangement the air is led in on the one side, and the oil on
the other, through the controlling taps and tubes d d¹ and g, g', to the respective
central pipes d³, 9³, and pass up through the outer tubes d, g, in a heated state to the
branches 3, as, of the swivelling couplings d'g', where they enter the_conoidal
nozzles b, a. A further improvement consists in fitting an angular platform H, prefer-
ably of fireclay slabs or bricks which would preferably project nearly across the whole
furnace A, shown in Figure 1 as carried on brackets H, projecting inwards within
each furnace flue A, from the said main supporting front closing in plate B, some
distance in front of the flame combustion chamber I, and so as to deflect and spread
the flame upwards across and fill the whole furnace flue A, as indicated by the dotted
lines at H2, and act on its corrugated or other circumferential heating surface before
passing out over the flame bridge J, of each furnace into the common back uptake flame
chamber J¹ from all the furnaces, when applied to a horizontal marine boiler with
several furnaces leading into the same uptake chamber J¹, to pass back through the
whole set of return heating tubes above indicated at A", into the smoke box in front
indicated at J' in Figure 2 over the furnace mouths and over the said spray apparatus F,
of each furnace and up into the chimney as usual, and there might be one, two,
three or more furnaces A, with their spray apparatus F, according to the diameter of
the boiler, three being in the boiler shown in Figures 1 and 2.
It will be seen that these improvements are equally applicable to the flue furnaces of
Cornish, Lancashire, and other such like boiler furnaces, by merely fitting the said
portable vertical front plate B over the respective ashpits B' and removing the furnace
bars to form the whole into a flame combustion chamber in front of the flame bridge J
as shown in Figures 1 and 2; in which case the cross plates J' carrying the flame
bridge J, might be completely protected by fire-brick to prevent these from bending or
melting as indicated in dotted lines at Jif in Figure 1. Although two sets of these
swivelling jet nozzle apparatus F, a, b, are described as fitted to these furnaces A, as
suitable for ordinary sized flues, it will be understood that three or more might be fitted
in larger furnaces and that one only need be fitted, in like manner, to small furnaces,
as shown in Figures 3 to 7, in which case the air boxes E would not be required,
and the air and oil might be led by pipes from their sources of supply to the
tubes d and g direct, controlled by their taps d¹, g', as shown in the several Figures.
And further, although air has been described as led into the lower supply pipe D for
forcing the oil into each nozzle apparatus F, that in like manner, steam might be used,
preferably superheated before being led into the supply box E by being carried through
undulating tubes in the furnace.
This arrangement of apparatus although only hereinbefore described and shown so
far in reference to Figures 1 and 2, as applied to horizontal cylindrical boiler furnaces,
might also be applied to square and other forms of upright furnaces of locomotive and
other portable and semi-portable steam boilers, or of vertical cylindrical boilers, by

page_text: fitting a portable bottom at H2, with flame deflecting surface and with front closing-in
plate B in the furnace, Figures 3 and 4 under the fire bars at A2 which would be
removed, instead of and below the present position of the furnace bars; and the
improvements might be similarly applied to the front plates fitted to close in the
ordinary ashpits of other furnaces than steam boiler furnaces, to make the whole a
combustion flame chamber for heating the furnace by oil spray fuel; all as herein
described in reference to marine boiler furnaces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is —
First. The construction, or general arrangement and combination of the parts of
Boiler furnaces and oil and compressed air or steam spray jet nozzle apparatus and
flame chamber, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and distinguished,
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The general arrangement of compressed air or steam and spray oil nozzle
apparatus and mode of heating the oil and air, and injecting it through swivelling
central flat or annular jet nozzles into the combustion chamber and deflecting the flame
into and up through the furnace flue, with close ashpit, all substantially as herein
described and distinguished in reference to and shown in the several Figures of the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. The constructing of nozzle apparatus with combined central and annular
nozzles, for supplying and heating oil, and compressed air or steam, respectively, on
each side of and to a central uniting nozzle, and combustion chamber for producing a
cylindrical, flat, or annular oil spray liquid fuel flame for heating purposes in furnaces,
substantially as herein described and distinguished in reference to and shown in the
several Figures of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The constructing of nozzle apparatus for supplying oil and compressed air
or steam on each side of and to a central uniting nozzle, with swivelling or
oscillating couplings, substantially as and for the purposes herein. described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth. In boiler furnaces heated by liquid oil spray fuel, the fitting of an angular
platform, carried on brackets or equivalent supports within the furnace flue, for the
purpose of deflecting the flame jets upward, substantially as and for the advantages
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
D L 1 11. out 1
Tahmo 1000