IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MIXING AIR WITH THE VAPOUR OF LIQUID HYDROCARBONS, TO BE USED FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING, OR FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, ALSO IN THE TREATMENT OF SUCH HYDROCARBONS, WITH A VIEW TO PURIFYING THE SAME, AND OBTAINING A USEFUL PRODUCT THEREFROM.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Malam, of Forest Hill, in the County of
Kent, and Thomas Graves, of Lavender Hill, in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MIXING
AIR WITH THE VAPOUR OF LIQUID HYDROCARBONS, TO BE USED FOR LIGHTING
AND HEATING, OR FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, ALSO IN THE TREATMENT OF SUCH
HYDROCARBONS, WITH A VIEW TO PURIFYING THE SAME, AND OBTAINING A
USEFUL PRODUCT THEREFROM.
"
Sealed the 16th March 1875, and dated the 22nd September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Malam and
Thomas Graves at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 22nd September 1874.
We, WILLIAM MALAM, of Forest Hill, in the County of Kent, and
5 THOMAS GRAVES, of Lavender Hill, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR MIXING AIR WITH THE VAPOUR OF LIQUID HYDROCARBONS, TO BE USED FOR
LIGHTING AND HEATING, OR FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, ALSO IN THE TREATMENT OF

page_text: SUCH HYDROCARBONS, WITH A VIEW TO PURIFYING THE SAME, AND OBTAINING A
USEFUL PRODUCT THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates partly to a peculiar construction and arrange-
ment of self-acting apparatus for mixing or incorporating atmospheric
air with the vapour of liquid hydrocarbons for heating and illuminating
or for other purposes, also to a mode of heating liquid hydrocarbons,
such for example as natural petroleum, with a view to the purification
of the same, and to the obtainment of a useful product therefrom.
The improved apparatus consists of a closed metallic vessel or holder
of any convenient form and size, according as the apparatus is intended
for domestic use alone or for a large supply. Around and across the
middle or other convenient part of this holder there is fitted a reservoir
capable of containing a given quantity of liquid hydrocarbon, which is
regulated according to the capacity of the vessel and the number of
cubic feet of air introduced therein in a given time, which is accom-
plished by one or more air pumps of silk or other flexible material placed
at the top or other convenient part of the said vessel or holder, and
worked. vertically by means of a rotary shaft overhead, on which is a
crank or cranks in connection with the said pump or pumps, and driven
By this means air is
by springs and clockwork or by other means.
blown into and amongst the ascending vapour from the hydrocarbon
contained in the reservoir before mentioned, so as to become thoroughly
mixed therewith. This mixture of air and vapour then descends through
a perforated screen or cover of wool or other suitable material placed
across the upper ends or openings of a series of tubes, which are fixed
vertically in and through the said reservoir. The mixture then descends
through these tubes (the air meanwhile taking up more vapour, and being
more thoroughly mixed therewith) and passes into the lower portion of
the closed metallic vessel or holder before mentioned, or into the mixing
chamber, where it is preserved at a uniform pressure or density by
flexible pump or diaphragm or other regulating device in connection
with the said pump and gear overhead. When required for use the
combined gas passes off by an outlet pipe to the burners or otherwise, as
required.
In large apparatus the vessel is fitted with a man-hole and cover plate
for affording easy access to the interior thereof. We have found that a
better result as regards purity of the vapour is obtained if the liquid hydro-

page_text: carbon be first subjected to a distillatory process by passing steam
through it by the aid of perforated pipes or coils. The vapour when
condensed will be found to be much purer, and to be more suitable for
use in the before-mentioned apparatus by reason of its greater purity.
The residue will be found to constitute an excellent substitute for
turpentine, and may be sold as such, thus reducing the cost of the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Malam and. Thomas Graves in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, WILLIAM
MALAM, of Forest Hill, in the County of Kent, and THOMAS GRAVES,
of Lavender Hill, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.¨¨
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the 38th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said William Malam and Thomas Graves, Her
special license that we, the said William Malam and Thomas Graves, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Malam and Thomas Graves, 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 Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MIXING AIR
WITH THE VAPOURS OF LIQUID HYDROCARBONS, TO BE USED FOR LIGHTING AND
HEATING, OF FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, ALSO IN THE TREATMENT OF SUCH HYDRO-
CARBONS, WITH A VIEW TO PURIFYING THE SAME, AND OBTAINING A USEFUL PRODUCT
THEBEPROM," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Malam and Thomas Graves, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: 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 William Malam and Thomas
Graves, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 partly to a peculiar construction and arrange-
ment of self-acting apparatus for mixing or incorporating atmospheric
air (oxygen being the basis) with the vapor of liquid hydrocarbons of
sufficient tension for heating and illuminating or for other purposes,
also to a mode of treating liquid hydrocarbons, such for example as
natural petroleum, with a view to the purification of the same and to
the obtainment of a useful product therefrom.
The improved apparatus consists of a closed metallic vessel or holder
of any convenient form and size, according as the apparatus is intended
for domestic use alone or for a large supply. Around and across the
middle or other convenient part of this holder there is fitted a reservoir
capable of containing a given quantity of liquid hydrocarbon, which is
regulated according to the capacity of the vessel and the number of
cubic feet of air or oxygen introduced therein in a given time. The air
is supplied by one or more air pumps of silk or other flexible material,
or by equivalent apparatus placed at the top or other convenient part of
the said vessel or holder or at any suitable distance therefrom, and
worked by means of a rotary shaft, on which is a crank or cranks in
connection with the said pump or pumps or equivalent apparatus, and
driven by springs and clockwork or by other suitable means. Air is
thus blown into and amongst the ascending or tension vapor of the
hydrocarbon contained in the reservoir before mentioned so as to become
thoroughly mixed therewith in an area varying according to the number
of lights required. This mixture of air and vapour then descends through
a perforated screen or screens or perforated plates and covers of wool or
other suitable material placed across the upper ends or openings of a
series of tubes, which are fixed vertically in and through the said
reservoir. The mixture then descends through the said tubes (the air

page_text: meanwhile taking up more vapor, and being more thoroughly mixed
therewith) at an uniform pressure upon the whole area, and passes into the
lower portion or chamber of the closed metallic vessel or holder before
mentioned, or into the mixing chamber, where it is preserved at a
› uniform pressure or density, or with a natural tension by a flexible pump
or diaphragm or other regulating device in connection with the said
pumps or forcing apparatus. When required for use the combined gases
pass off by an outlet pipe to the burners or otherwise, as required.
In large apparatus the vessel is fitted with a man-hole and cover
plate for affording easy access to the interior thereof when necessary.
And in order that our 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 on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents a vertical section of a car-
buretting apparatus intended more particularly for domestic use,
constructed according to our Invention; Figure 2 represents a vertical
section; and Figure 3 is an elevation of a modified arrangement of
apparatus adapted for a large supply.
Figure 4 is a vertical section, and Figures 5 and 6 are horizontal
sections of further modifications which we shall herein-after refer to.
Referring to Figure 1 of our Drawings A is the closed metallic vessel
or holder fitted with a reservoir B containing the hydrocarbon, with the
vapor of which the atmospheric air is to be mixed or incorporated. In
this reservoir there is placed a series of vertical tubes a, a, which extend
through the bottom b into the conical concentrating or mixing chamber C,.
and open at their upper end into a chamber c formed of perforated plates,
and filled with wool or other suitable material. The air to be carburetted
is supplied by means of a pump or bellows D worked by the crank and
connecting rod d from the rotary shaft e, which is driven by a spring
barrel f, rollers g adapted to suitable guides being provided for the
purpose of facilitating the motion of the bellows D. E is a flexible
diaphragm or vessel situate beneath the bellows D, and communicating
therewith by means of a pipe h, which conducts into the vessel E the air
forced by the bellows D.

page_text: The vessel E is fitted with rollers i capable of moving along suitable
guides so as to admit of the upper part of the vessel E rising when the
latter is expanded under the action of the air introduced into its interior,
and it is also provided with a valve opening outwards, which allows of
the escape of the air therefrom when a certain pressure has been
exceeded into the reservoir B. The air supplied is thus brought into
contact with the ascending or tension vapor of the hydrocarbon
contained. in the reservoir B, and becomes thoroughly mixed or saturated
therewith. The mixture of air and vapor thus produced first passes
through the perforated plates forming the top and bottom of the
chamber c, and through the interstices of the wool contained therein,
and then descends through the tubes a, a, (the air taking up more
vapor, and becoming increasingly saturated therewith) into the concen-
trating or mixing chamber C communicating with the lower part F of
the vessel or holder A, whence it may be conducted by a pipe m to
burners or to any place where it is required to be used.
.
It will be obvious that by means of the arrangement of tubes and
perforated plates the air to be carburetted is finely divided or comminuted,
and a more perfect mixture and incorporation of the vapor therewith is
effected than is the case when the air and vapor are simply brought into
contact without being forced to pass together through minute orifices or
passages in the manner herein-before described.
In order to maintain a uniform pressure or density of the combined
gases in the chamber F we employ in addition to the vessel E before
mentioned a flexible vessel G (of a somewhat similar construction to the
former) open at its lower end so as to be in communication with the
upper part of the reservoir B, and provided with rollers n capable of
traversing along suitable guides, so as to admit of the vessel expanding
and collapsing under the variations in the pressure. o is a rod fitted in
guides p so as to be capable of vertical motion, which rod rests at its
lower end upon the upper surface of the vessel G, whilst its upper end
is fitted with a projection or stop q; r is a flyer connected by gearing s
with the spring barrel f of the bellows D, and provided with arms, with
one or other of which the projection or stop 2 comes into contact, so as
to arrest the motion of the flyer, and consequently that of the bellows.
When the vessel G is elevated to a given height by reason of the required
maximum pressure having been attained the supply of air being then

page_text: suspended until the vessel G having been partially collapsed by a
diminution in the pressure the flyer is again liberated.
In the modification of apparatus, Figures 2 and 3, which is adapted
for a large consumption, the hydrocarbon reservoir is formed of two
parts or chambers B, B', the latter B' of which surrounds the former B
with which it communicates by means of apertures t, t. The upper
portion of the part B' forms a vacuum chamber, and the oil which is
introduced into the said chamber B₁ passes through the apertures t, t,
into the inner chamber B, in which it is maintained at a constant level
on the principle of the bird fountain. As is well understood a glass
guage u may be provided for the purpose of indicating the height of the
liquid in the reservoir B¹ so as to insure its being replenished when
required. When the apparatus is intended for a large supply, as in the
arrangement Figures 2 and 3, we prefer to substitute for the pump or
bellows (Figure 1) a fan or blower D, a flyer similar to that herein-
before described being employed, on the arms of which acts the projec-
tion or stop q formed on a hinged rod or bar o¹, to which is connected
the rod o operated by the vessel G.
In Figure 4 we have shewn the blowing apparatus D as arranged in
the lower part of the vessel or holder A, the concentrating or mixing
chamber C, and the gas receiving chamber F being placed between the
blowing apparatus and the reservoir B, B. In this case the flexible
diaphragm or vessel E is dispensed with, the vessel G alone being
employed, into which the air is conducted directly by the pipe h, such
vessel acting upon the flyer through the intervention of the rod o
passing through a' tube v, so as to arrest the motion of the bellows D
when the vessel G is expanded by reason of the required maximum
internal pressure having been attained. The chamber c is also con-
structed across the reservoir B above the tubes a, a, in lieu or the tubes
opening directly thereinto. The tubes a, a, may be either arranged
separately or independently of each other, as shewn in Figure 5, which
is a horizontal section taken along the line 1-2, Figure 4, or they may
consist of a series of concentric rings, as shown in Figure 6, the plate b:
being in the latter case provided with a suitable number of perforations.
for the passage of the combined gases into the mixing or concentrating
chamber and the receiving-chamber F.
suitable
In supplying towns or villages we propose to erect in any
position a holder or reservoir to be constantly charged with atmospheric

page_text: air, which with a regulated pressure will be forced through pipes of
suitable dimensions, according to the quantity of gas required, laid
through the streets and roads in a similar manner to the present gas
pipes, with service pipes branching from the same to cach house or
building to be supplied, a main or regulating cock being employed for
conducting the air into and through the carburetting apparatus, so that
cach consumer will have his own apparatus, the size of which will be in
accordance with the number of lights required, in a position similar to
that of the present gas meters. By means of this arrangement all
inconvenience from a leakage of gas from the pipes or disagreeable
smells occuring in effecting alterations or enlarging the plant, as well
as the risk of explosion, are obviated, as the main pipes and services are
charged simply with air to supply each consumer directly to his gas
machine, instead of with the unhealthy and destructive sulphuretted
hydrogen coal gas now supplied to the public for illuminating and
heating purposes.
We have found that a better result as regards purity and cost of the
vapour is obtained if the liquid hydrocarbon be first subjected to a
distillatory process by passing steam through it by the aid of perforated
pipes or coils. The vapour when condensed is more suitable for use in
the before-mentioned apparatus by reason of its greater purity and greater
tension at a certain specific gravity.
The residue will be found to constitute an excellent substitute for
turpentine and oils for paints, and may be sold as such, thus reducing
the cost of the hydrocarbon to be employed as the vaporing agent.
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,―
First. Carburetting atmospheric air by forcing or conducting the same
into and amongst the ascending or tension vapour of hydrocarbons, and
then causing such air partially mixed with the vapour to descend or pass
through a series of tubes arranged in such a manner as to divide or
comminute the current of air for the purpose of effecting its more
complete saturation or incorporation with the hydrocarbon vapour, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated by our Drawings.

page_text: Second. The application and use of flexible vessels or diaphragms for
regulating the supply of atmospheric air to be carburetted, in order to
maintain a uniform pressure or density of the combined gases in the
interior of the apparatus, substantially in the manner herein-before
described and illustrated by our Drawings.
Third. The combination of the pump or bellows or of equivalent
apparatus for supplying atmospheric air to be carburetted and the
flexible vessels or diaphragms for regulating the introduction of such
atmospheric air with the reservoir containing the hydrocarbon, such
reservoir being fitted with tubes for dividing or comminuting the
current of atmospheric air and vapour, substantially as and for the
purposes hercin-before described and as illustrated by our Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Malam and Thomas
Graves, have to this our Specification set our hands and seals,
the Twelfth day of March One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
WM. MALAM.
(L.S.)
THOS. GRAVES. (L.S.)
W. MALAM.
(L.S.)
THOS. GRAVES. (L.S.)