Improvements in Regenerative Hydro-carbon Lamps.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regenerative Hydro-carbon Lamps.
I, JULIUS SCHUELKE, of No. 11 Booth Strasse, Gross, Lichtefelde, near Berlin, in
the German Empire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my 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
sheet of drawings and to the letters and Figures marked thereon that is to say :-
My invention relates to improvements in regenerative hydro-carbon lamps and
especially to that class of lamps in which the hydro-carbon reservoir is located
above the lamp and an inverted flame is employed, said flame being fed with air for
combustion which has been previously heated to the requisite extent before it reaches
the flame or flames by means of a novel form of heater. The hydro-carbon employed
is first converted into vapour and this vapour then subjected to a still greater heat and
thoroughly gasified before it leaves the flame tubes or the openings in the burner.
The hydro-carbon is vaporised in one chamber or retort, flows from thence and is
gasified in a second retort, from whence it flows through a series of small tubes or
a hollow annular space and issues from the lower ends of the tubes or the burner
when the gas is ignited and burns with an intense white flame around the flange of a
ring, so that the flame which is first deflected outwards is drawn by the upward current
of air in the chimney inwards, the products of combustion will then flow along the
folds of the metallic heater and communicate their heat to the same and the gasifying
and evaporating retorts, thus not only the gasification of the hydro-carbon, but a
heating of the air entering the lamp, and caused to flow down the outside of the highly
heated folds of the heater, is attained.
Instead of employing the small tubes leading from the gasifying retort to the point
of combustion the gasified hydro-carbon can be allowed to flow from the said retort
into a space enclosed by conical or other walls of appropriate metal or material either
provided at the lower end with an appropriate annular burner or the lower end of the
said space can be closed by a perforated plate or the walls of the said gas space can
be brought so near to each other that only a very fine annular slot is left through
which the gas for producing the flame can issue.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved
lamp,
Figure 2 is an elevation of the folded metal heater attached to the upper and lower
rings,
Figure 3 is a section on the line x-x in Figures 1 and 2,
Figure 4 is a top view of the folded heating mantle,
Figure 5 is an elevation of the upper ring with the conical prongs o¹,
Figure 6 is a section of a part of the ring h¹,
Figure 7 is a section of a part of the lower portion of the lamp,
Figures 8 and 9 represent a modified form of burner.
A is the hydro-carbon reservoir which is arranged at appropriate height, and in
suitable manner above the lamp, said reservoir being in communication with a cup
like vessel or cylinder B' (closed at one end) by means of a bent tube k, which passes
air-tight through the wall thereof as shewn and is, at its lower end, filled loosely with
asbestos or other porous material in order that the petroleum can only flow drop by
drop into the vaporizing chamber B', and to prevent the petroleum vapour from being
driven back into the reservoir A.
The chamber B is filled with a sponge-like porous material which absorbs the
hydro-carbon flowing into the chamber B₁, distributes the same uniformly and in
this manner regulates the evaporation of the same. The porous material comes
only partially in contact with the interior surface of the chamber B¹, so that smal

page_text: ▸
interstices are formed which permit the petroleum vapour to escape unhindered to the
burner tubes. The vaporizing chamber B¹ is in communication with the gasifying
chamber or retort B2 by means of a boring or small tube which can be closed by
means of a suitable regulating screw f, and the connection between the two chambers B¹
and B cut off.
The regulating screw fis arranged to turn in a stuffing box e in the lower end of
a tube fitted into the bottom of the gasifying chamber B2, the said tube opening
into the said chamber tubes for the igniting flames. The tube is, near its upper
end, provided with an appropriate interior collar or ring, through which the stem fl
of the regulating screw runs freely, so that when the communication between the
two chambers B1, B2 is opened at by turning back the screw, only a small quantity
of hydro-carbon can penetrate into the tube . The parts can furthermore be so
arranged that the stem of the screw fits snugly into the collar or stuffing ring 1,
the latter being provided with a small vertical groove which forms the connection
between the gasifying chamber B and the tube . The ring or collar ³, can, if
desired, be made of an incombustible fibrous or other appropriate material.
The small igniting tubes are fitted with asbestos or other fibrous or porous material
which, in consequence of its capillary powers, will allow petroleum or other hydro-
carbon to pass through the same but will not permit the passage of the vapour or gas
produced in the vaporizing chamber B' or gasifying chamber B². The vaporizing and
gasifying chambers or retorts B1, B2 are incased in an air heating device
corrugated sheet metal, the corrugations or folds of which are crimped or folded
together at both at the upper and lower ends, as can be readily discerned by referring
to Figures 2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
of
The upper and lower parts h, of the casing are provided with dents, which gear
under the sharp folds of the corrugated sheet metal heating mantle g, the lower
part of the casing carrying the ring, whilst the upper part 1 of the said casing
is attached to the chimney E. The surfaces x, x, of the corrugated or folded sheet
metal heater are snugly folded onto the dents of the upper and lower parts h, h²
of the casing, so that the interior and exterior folds of the corrugated heater g are
fully separated from each other. The projecting edges a¹ formed by compressing or
crimping the ends of the folds of the heater g can remain standing upright and radial,
(Figures 2 and 4, right side,) or can be bent round, (as shown on the left side of
Figure 4,) or in other appropriate positions.
The peculiar form of the corrugated sheet metal heating device has been chosen in
order to produce a very large contact surface and to utilize the space to the greatest
possible extent, the products of combustion being brought into contact with so largo
an extent of surface, (but without in any way hindering their escape into the chimney,)
tliat they are compelled to give off the greater part of their warmth, which is utilized
for gasifying the hydro-carbon and simultaneously heating the air admitted into the
lamp for promoting the combustion of the hydro-carbon gas before the said air reaches
the flame or flames.
I is an annular, preferably somewhat conical, ring with rebatted lower part, composed
of or provided with an appropriate non conducting material and surrounding the
folded sheet metal heater g but leaving spaces free at the upper end of the folds to
allow the air to enter and descend in the folds of the heater so that the same subse-
quently reaches the flame in highly heated condition. In the annular space between
the ring and the lower end of the casing an angularly formed ring p is arranged,
the upper edge of which is provided with suitable borings or openings into which the
lower ends of the flame or burner tubes d are inserted, whilst their upper ends are
in communication with the gasifying chamber B².
.:
Both surfaces of the ring p are provided with openings pl opposite the lower ends
of the burner tubes through which the heated air flows in such manner that the two
currents of air impinge against each other and widen the single flames to such an
extent that they form a closed ring of flame. By giving the openings various
forms, and by varying the size of the same, one is able to feed such a quantity of air
to the flame that even the heaviest hydro-carbons can be burnt. The widening of
.

page_text: the flame has further the object to bring a plentiful supply of air into contact with
the burning hydro-carbon. The retorts B1, B3 are provided with ribs Z which
increase the heating power. mis a glass globe which is carried by a spring and is
pressed air tight against the lower edge of the broader part of the insulated mantle.
The operation of the lamp is as follows:-
The receptacle A having been filled with hydro-carbon, a quantity of the latter
will flow down the tube k into the chamber B. If the lamp is to be lit the regulating
screw is opened a trifle and again closed as soon as the wick or porous matter in
the igniting tubes are saturated with hydro-carbon. The glass globo m is now
removed or lowered, the hydro-carbon in the wicks ignited and the glass globe again
fixed in position. The flames from the hydro-carbons in the asbestos or other wicks el
will now heat the hydro-carbon in the chamber B₁ and retort 32 and convert the same
into vapour. If the screw f is now operated, the vapour in the chamber B₁ will flow
into the retort B2, and from here through the tubes d'and burns at p. The vapour or
gas mixes with the inflowing air, and Howing around the ring becomes ignited by
the flames from the wicks e and flows from thence upwards into the folds of the heating
device g, communicates its heat to the folded walls of the same, and escapes subse-
quently through the chimney H. The air heating device g and the chambers or
retorts B, B are strongly heated and the petroleum energetically vaporized and
gasified.
The requisite air for the consumption of the hydro-carbon gas enters at in the
exterior folds of the beater g, passes downwards in the folds of the same, becomes
heated by its contact with the glowing folds and flows in heated condition through the
openings p, p in the conically formed ring to the flame, and on its way plays around
the burner tubes d which pass at g (Figures 1 and 2,) through the metal of the
heating device. The play of the air around the tubes d'has the object to prevent
an excessive heating of the hydro-carbon gas and the consequent deposit of carbon.
As immediately after igniting the igniting flames only a small quantity of hydro-
carbon vapour is produced which will flow so slowly from the lamp tubes that the same
will not become ignited but flow off unburnt through the chimney and thus produce
an unpleasant odour, one or more small openings are made in the tube through
which the vapour, produced in the said tube l'escapes with vehemence and is ignited
by the igniting flame.
The streams of gas flowing from the burner tubes d can be spread when the ring P
is omitted and instead of the same the lower ends of the burner tubes are provided
with spoon-like inclined surfaces n, against which the hydro-carbon gas impinges, is
spread and in this way a flat flame is produced, (Figure 7).
Figures 8 and 9 represent a simple burner in which the gas flows out between two
oppositely arranged currents of air which impinge on each other and produce a flat
flame. d is the gas supply pipe, p is a casing with chimney, and p₁ are suitably
formed slots through which the air flows to the flame. The burning flame is
flattened and spread out, (Figure 9,) by the two currents of air impinging on each
other.
It will be evident from the foregoing that my improved lamp can be altered in
various ways without departing from the nature of my said invention.
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
1:-The general construction and arrangement of the parts of my improved lamp,
substantially as set forth in the foregoing specification, and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
2: A regenerative lamp with folded sheet metal heating device, characterised by
the original folding of the ends of the folds as afore described and represented in
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 whereby the inclined dents of the upper and lower parts h, h
of the casing gear into the inner folds of the corrugated sheet metal which are snugly

page_text: folded over the said projecting inclined dents, substantially as set forth and
illustrated.
3-In regenerative lamps, the heating and igniting flames, characterised by the
tubes filled with wick or suitable porous material, which, by means of its capillary
power will attract and allow hydro-carbon to reach the end of the tubes but will not
permit the passage of the hydro-carbon gas produced in the lamp, substantially as set
forth and shown.
4: A burner consisting of tubes, to the lower end of which an inclined surface is
so attached that the gas issuing from the said tubes is caused to spread, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth and shown.
5: The arrangement and employment of a spongy or porous body in the vaporizing
chamber B which absorbs the hydro-carbon in order to produce a uniform vaporizing
of the same and attain a steady flame, substantially as set forth and shown.
6 The arrangement and employment of a double retort consisting of the vaporizing
chamber B and the gasifying chamber B2, the heating and igniting flames, the
tubes and the regulating serew f, substantially as described and illustrated.
7-In regenerative lamps, the novel air feed to the outflowing gas, according to
which two oppositely directed currents of air impinge against each other and the out-
flowing gas, thus causing the flame from the burner tube or tubes to be spread,
substantially as set forth and represented in Figures 1, 8 and 9 of the accompanying
drawings.
8-The application of a tubular burner, the tubes of which pass through the folds
of the heating device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth in the foregoing
specification, and shown in the drawings.
J. SCHUELKE.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
J. SCHUELKE.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.