Improvements relating to the Burning of Liquid Hydrocarbons for Heating and Lighting Purposes, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Burning of Liquid Hydrocarbons for
Heating and Lighting Purposes, and to Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD SMITH, of 43, Compton Avenue, Brighton, in the
County of Sussex, Engineer; do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
My invention relates to the burning of crude petroleum and other liquid hydro-
carbons for heating and lighting purposes, and to apparatus therefor.
In the vapor-burners or what are termed "industrial lamps" hitherto devised
for burning heavy crude oils or tar, the liquid hydrocarbon is projected from the
burner in the form of spray by means of a jet of steam or air under pressure.
But as far as I am aware, no apparatus has heretofore been constructed or devised
whereby such heavy crude oils or tar can be properly utilized for heating or
lighting purposes, without the use of steam or air in this manner.
Now the object of my present invention is to provide for the use of the said
heavy crude oils or tar, in addition to lighter or more volatile oils, in a very
efficient and economical manner for heating and lighting purposes, without the
necessity of employing a jet of steam or air under pressure for the purpose above
mentioned. I accomplish this result by supplying or feeding the heavy oil or tar
to an ignited jet of hydrocarbon vapor, in such a manner that the heat generated
by the combustion of such vapor will effect the vaporization and burning of the
heavy oil or tar.
For this purpose I combine, with a vapor-burner or "industrial lamp
of any
convenient construction for use with paraffin or other light or volatile oil, suitable
means whereby a constant or regular flow of the heavy oil or tar to the jet from
the said burner may be maintained by gravitation or by pressure or in any other
convenient manner.
"
By these means I can produce a light of much higher candle-power than that
produced by the industrial lamps hitherto constructed, without augmenting the
consumption of the lighter and more expensive oil, as the combustion of the
cheaper crude oil or tar considerably increases the length of the flame and greatly
intensifies the light afforded thereby.
My said invention can, moreover, be very advantageously employed in steam-
boiler and other furnaces adapted for the consumption of liquid-fuel; and, in
employing my invention in this manner, I can dispense with the use of steam for
starting the heating apparatus, thus obviating the necessity of employing coal or
other solid fuel for first generating the steam.
In carrying my said invention into practice, I provide a vapor-burner or
"industrial lamp" of any suitable construction, and I combine therewith, according
to one form of my said invention, a chamber or receptacle surrounding the burner.
I connect this chamber, by a pipe provided with a cock or valve, with a tank or
reservoir for containing the heavy crude oil or tar; this tank or reservoir is placed
at a higher level than the burner so as to obtain the required head or pressure for
effecting the discharge of the heavy oil or tar as required; or the said heavy oil
or tar is caused to flow from the said tank or reservoir by pressure, for instance'
by means of compressed air.
According to another form or modification of my said invention, I arrange
above one or more vapor-burners or "industrial lamps" of any suitable description,
a row of pipes or channels or an inclined plate, through or down which the heavy
oil or tar is permitted or caused to flow so that it will fall upon the jet of hydro-
äarbon vapor issuing from the burner, and will be carried along with the said

page_text: vapor in the form of spray and then vaporized and ignited by the heat generated
by the combustion of the said vapor.
In applying my invention to a steam-boiler or other furnace, I provide such
furnace with one or more sets of heating apparatus constructed as above mentioned,
and I arrange these sets of heating apparatus in the furnace in the manner best
calculated to utilize the heat produced thereby.
It is obvious that the construction of my improved apparatus can, if desired,
be somewhat further modified without departing from the nature of my said
invention.
1
1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Burning of Liquid Hydrocarbons for
Heating and Lighting Purposes, and to Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD SMITH, of 43, Compton Avenue, Brighton, in the
County of Sussex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the burning of crude petroleum and other liquid hydro-
carbons for heating and lighting purposes, and to apparatus therefor.
In the vapor or spray burners, or what are termed "industrial lamps," hitherto
devised for burning either refined light oils or heavy crude oils or tar, the oil is
projected or forced from a small aperture in the burner in the form of vapor or
spray, by means of air under pressure, or by means of a jet of compressed air or
steam. But, so far as I am aware, no apparatus has heretofore been constructed
or devised whereby a further independent supply of heavy crude oil or tar can be
properly utilized in addition to or in combination with the vapor or spray thus
emitted from such burners, for the purpose of increasing the volume and intensity
of the light and at the same time greatly augmenting the heating power of the
flame.
Now the main object of my present invention is to provide for the use of the
said heavy crude oils or tar in addition to or in combination with the lighter or
more volatile oils, in a very efficient and economical manner, for heating and
lighting purposes. By my said invention, however, I am also enabled to augment
the lighting and heating power of vapor or spray burners such as are now used with
heavy oils.
My said invention comprises a method of producing light and heat by feeding
to an ignited jet of oil vapor or spray, an independent or additional supply of
heavy crude oil or tar, in such manner that this heavy oil or tar will be drawn or
sucked towards the flame and atomized and projected into the flame in the form of
vapor or spray, and the heat generated by the combustion of the said ignited jet
will effect the burning of this atomized or vaporized heavy oil or tar.
By the utilization of heavy crude oil or tar in this manner in combination with a
lighter or more volatile oil, I can produce a light of much higher candle-power
than that produced by the vapor or spray burners or industrial lamps hitherto
constructed, without augmenting the consumption of the lighter and more expensive
oil, as the combustion of the cheaper crude oil or tar considerably increases the
volume of the flame and greatly intensifies the light afforded thereby. And the
flame produced by my improved method will have a far greater heating power than
that produced by vapor or spray burners or industrial lamps of equal size as hitherto
constructed.
My said invention, moreover, comprises the combination, with a vapor or spray

page_text: use with paraffin, kerosine or other light or volatile oil, or with heavy oil, of means
whereby a constant or regular independent or additional flow of heavy crude oil or
tar to a chamber, cup or other receptacle of any convenient construction adjacent
to or concentric with the burner, may be maintained by gravitation or by pressure
or in any other convenient manner.
My said invention further comprises the employment, in a steam-boiler or other
furnace adapted for the consumption of liquid-fuel, of means for burning heavy
crude oils or tar by means of one or more ignited jets of hydrocarbon vapor or
spray by these means I am enabled to dispense with the use of steam for starting
or working the heating apparatus, thus obviating the necessity of employing coal
or other solid fuel for first generating the steam.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice; but I wish it understood
that I do not confine myself to the use of apparatus constructed as therein shown,
as various other forms or modifications of such apparatus will serve with more or
less advantage for carrying into effect my improved method of utilizing liquid
hydrocarbons for lighting and heating purposes.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical central section, showing one form
of a well-known vapor or spray burner, with my improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a section on the line a, a, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical central section showing a modified form of the chamber
around the burner.
Figure 4 is a side elevation showing another arrangement of my improved
apparatus.
Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal central section, showing my
improved apparatus adapted for use in a steam-boiler or other furnace.
Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in vertical central section, and
Figure 7 a front elevation showing another form or modification of my improved
apparatus.
For convenience in describing my invention, I have taken one of the numerous
well-known forms of industrial lamps, the vapor or spray burner of which is
illustrated in Figure 1 and comprises a coil a, the upper end of which is con-
nected by a pipe b, with a closed vessel or tank c, for containing paraffin or
other light or volatile oil (or heavy oil as the case may be), the supply of which
to the said coil is effected in a well-known manner, by means of compressed air,
the flow of the oil being regulated or controlled by a cock or valve ¹. The
lower end of the coil a is connected with a burner d which is so arranged that
the flame will pass through the space surrounded by the coil a and will heat
the said coil and vaporize the oil as it flows through the same, in the well-
known manner. The said coil a and burner d are enclosed in a casing e, which
is open at the top, and which is provided near its lower end with a series of
openings for the admission of air for supporting combustion. The admission
of the air is controlled by an adjustable perforated ring f' surrounding the said
series of openings.
I combine, with this vapor or spray burner, a chamber or receptacle g which
surrounds the burner d; and I connect this chamber, by means of a pipe h
provided with a cock or valve ', with a tank or reservoir j for containing the
independent supply of heavy crude oil or tar; this tank or reservoir is placed
at a higher level than the burner d, as shown in Figure 1, so as to obtain the
required head or pressure for effecting the discharge of the heavy oil or tar from
the tank into the said chamber g as required; or the said tank or reservoir j is
placed in any convenient position either on a level with or above or below the
burner, as shown, for example, in Figure 4, and the heavy oil or tar is caused to
flow from the said tank or reservoir by gravitation or by pressure or force, for
instance, by means of compressed air or by means of a force-pump.
.
The heavy crude oil or tar supplied from the tank to the chamber is drawn
out of or projected from the said chamber and carried upward by the jet of vapor

page_text: or spray from the burner d, and is atomized or sprayed and vaporized and ignited
by the heat generated by the combustion of the vapor or spray of the lighter or
other oil from the burner d. The burning of the independent or additional supply
of heavy crude oil or tar in this manner greatly increases the volume of the flame
and the intensity of the light and heat.
When my invention is to be used for heating purposes in a steam-boiler or other
furnace, I sometimes arrange, in any convenient position in the furnace, one or
more of my improved vapor or spray burners constructed as above described, but
placed horizontally as shown in Figure 5.
According to another form or modification of my said invention, I arrange above
one or more vapor or spray burners of any suitable description, a pipe or pipes
(with or without an inclined plate) through which the independent or additional
supply of heavy oil or tar is permitted or caused to flow, so that it will fall upon
the jet or jets of oil vapor or spray issuing from the burner or burners, and will be
atomized and carried along with the said vapor in the form of spray and then
vaporized and ignited by the heat generated by the combustion of the said vapor
or spray, so that it will be burnt with the said vapor or spray.
In applying this form of my said invention to a steam-boiler or other furnace,
provide such furnace with one or more sets of heating apparatus constructed as
above mentioned, and I arrange these sets of heating apparatus in the furnace in
the manner best calculated to utilize the heat produced thereby.
In Figures 6 and 7, I have shown, for this purpose, an arrangement wherein three
vapor or spray burners, which may be of any suitable construction, are placed
horizontally in a row. Above these burners is arranged a pipe h for the supply of
heavy crude oil or tar, which pipe is provided with three discharge-apertures or
outlets ², one over each of the said vapor or spray burners. The crude oil or tar
may, if desired, be allowed to flow from these discharge-apertures directly into the
flames from the said vapor or spray burners. I find it advantageous, however, to
provide for the more effective distribution of the crude oil or tar, by arranging
beneath the said discharge-apertures an inclined plate k. The oil or tar from the
said discharge-apertures will fall upon this inclined plate and will flow down the
same and drop therefrom into the flames from the vapor or spray burners.
It is obvious that the construction of my improved apparatus can, if desired, be
somewhat further modified, without departing from the nature of my said invention.
Moreover I can, if desired, feed to the chamber, cup or other receptacle adjacent
to or concentric with the oil vapor or spray burner, an independent or additional
supply of light or volatile oil in place of the heavy crude oil or tar, and thus
greatly augment the lighting and heating power of the flame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The feeding of an independent or additional supply of oil or tar to the
flame from an oil vapor or spray burner, for the purposes above specified.
Second. The herein described method of producing light and heat, consisting in
feeding to an ignited jet of oil vapor or spray, an independent or additional supply
of oil or tar in such a manner that the latter will be atomized by such jet and
projected or carried thereby into the flame, where it will be burnt together with
such oil vapor or spray.
Third. The herein described method of utilizing heavy crude oil or tar in
combination with a lighter or more volatile oil for the production of light or
heat.
Fourth. A lighting or heating apparatus wherein provision is made for the
feeding of an independent or additional supply of oil or tar under a suitable head
or pressure to one or more ignited jets of oil vapor or spray, substantially as herein-
before described and for the purposes specified.
Fifth. The combination, with an oil vapor or spray burner or industrial lamp, of

page_text: burner or "industrial lamp" of any well-known or other suitable construction, for
a chamber, cup or other receptacle adjacent to or concentric with the burner, and
designed to be supplied with oil or tar, substantially as, and for the purposes, above
specified.
Sixth. The combination of a vapor or spray burner, a chamber, cup or other
receptacle adjacent to or concentric with the burner, a tank or reservoir for the
supply of oil or tar under an efficient head or pressure, and a pipe for conducting
the oil or tar from such tank or reservoir to the said chamber or receptacle and
provided with a cock or valve, substantially as, and for the purposes, above set
forth.
Seventh. The employment, in a steam boiler or other furnace, of one or more
oil vapor or spray burners and suitable means for feeding an independent or
additional supply of oil or tar to the ignited jets from such burners, for the purpose
above specified.
Eighth. The combination, with one or more vapor or spray burners, of a tank or
reservoir for the supply of oil or tar, and a pipe or pipes (with or without an inclined
plate) through which the oil or tar is conducted from the said tank or reservoir in
such a manner that it drops into the flames from the said vapor or spray burners,
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Ninth. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with
reference to either of the forms or modifications shown in the accompanying
drawings, for the purposes above specified.
Dated the 3rd day of November 1892.
WILLIAM EDWARD SMITH.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.