IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR BURNING COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS EITHER ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER FUEL
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Russell Crampton, of Great George
Street, Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE
TO FURNACES FOR BURNING COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS EITHER ALONE OR IN
COMBINATION WITH OTHER FUEL."
Sealed the 7th May 1869, and dated the 10th November 1868.
I, THOMAS RUSSELL CRAMPTON, of Great George Street, Westminster,.
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS,
APPLICABLE TO. FORSACES FOR BURNING COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS EITHER ALONE OR IN
COMBINATION WITH OTHER FUEL," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements applicable to furnaces
for burning combustible liquids either alone or in combination with
other fuel. Creosote and other combustible liquids are commonly burnt
in furnaces by forcing the liquid into the furnace by means of a steam.

page_text: jet in the form of spray, and it has also been proposed to substitute
an áir jet under pressure in place of the steam, but in these cases
where air has been employed only a very small proportion of the air
necessary for combustion has been so mixed with the oil, the remainder
or great bulk of the air required for combustion has been drawn in
mainly by the indraft produced by the high-pressure jet. When the air
is thus taken into the furnace expensive and inconvenient apparatus
is necessary to compress the air for the jet. It has also been proposed
to close the furnace excepting around the orifice by which the jet
of oil is admitted, and to cause the draft of the chimney to suck in
through this space the air required for the combustion of the oil; this
plan, however, requires a high chimney and a great waste of heat to
maintain a sufficiently high temperature in the chimney to produce the
strong suction which is necessary when working in this way.
According to my Invention I burn the oil in a close furnace, into
which I force by means of a fan and at a light pressure the bulk of
air required for the combustion of the liquid. I admit the creosote
or other combustible liquid to be burnt into the conduit pipe of the
fan between the fan and the furnace, or it may be into the unlet of the
fan or just in front of the end of the nozzle. When working in this
way a light pressure above the outer atmosphere will be maintained in
the furnace in place of a partial vacuum as heretofore when combustible
liquids have been burnt, so that no air enters except what is forced in
with the oil, hence the quantity of air admitted is perfectly under control
whatever the state of the outside atmosphere, no wasteful and expensive
high pressure jet is used, and there is not the waste of heat which there
is when sufficient draft is obtained by a chimney, the furnace is also
by my Invention adapted for use in cases where a high chimney is
inadmissible.
Frequently, however, it is advantageous in practice to maintain such
a suction by the chimney into which waste steam may be exhausted as
to prevent the pressure in the furnace box being inconveniently great,
but I prefer to avoid producing any vacuum in the furnace, although a
partial vacuum may be produced if the furnace be sufficiently close and
there is sufficient draft in the chimney, and I would remark that
heretofore whenever air has been forced into a furnace by air jets together
with combustible liquid provision has been made for the copious
admission of the air required for combustion by having open fire-bars

page_text: at the bottom of the furnace or other suitable openings for its admission.
The way in which I prefer to work is as follows:-I insert the oil supply
pipe into or in front of a pipe or conduit through which air is being
propelled by a fan into the furnace or furnaces, so that the air in taking
the oil forward intimately mixes with it in the pipe and furnace
previously to its being burnt. The mixture may be impelled upon
fire-clay surfaces or other suitable material, which should be heated
before commencing work so as to vaporize the liquid.
The fire-clay
surfaces, when such surfaces are used, should be of such form as to
assist further in producing the mixture of air and gas. The liquid may
enter into or in front of the air pipe in one or more streams, and
projections or other distributors may be arranged t assist in
distributing the oil when the oil is forced by tho air against them.
When several furnaces are to be supplied from one fan one main pipe
may be used having branches to each furnace, the liquid being supplied
by preference to each branch, or it may be supplied into the main air
pipe. In some cases it may be arranged to let the oil enter the inlet
of the fan, the fan forcing the liquid and air together into the furnace,
to be consumed in a similar manner to that proposed for the burning
of coal dust in a Provisional Specification filed by me, and dated the
13th day of August last, No. 2539. The reservoirs of liquid should,
be sufficiently above the air pipe that it may fall by gravity into the air,
or it may be pumped into it, also the pump may be so arranged to
draw from the general liquid reservoir to a feeding reservoir in such a
manner as to maintain a constant head, so that the pressure in the feed
pipe or pipes to the air pipe may remain uniform, so as to insure a
regular supply. Cocks or valves or other regulators should be attached to.
each fluid feed pipe and air pipe to be worked separately or together by
hand or by a governor. The pump should deliver more than required
so that the excess may pass down and overflow to a proper receptacle.
When the main reservoirs of liquid are sufficiently above the service.
reservoir, the liquid may be allowed to run from one to the other, the
surplus passing down the overflow. In some cases I heat the air before
blowing it into the furnace, and in some cases I use solid fuel in the
furnace in the ordinary manner together with the liquid fuel forced in
with the air as described.
I also according to my Invention employ in some cases solid fuel in
combination with liquid fuel by blowing the solid fuel in thic form of
dust into the furnace, as is described in my Provisional Specification

page_text: already referred to. The solid and liquid fuel may be introduced at the
'same orifice or separately. Burning liquid fuel in combination with the
solid fuel, the perfect combination of the solid fuel is more readily
obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Russell Crampton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RUSSELL CRAMPTON, of Great George Street, Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Russell
Crampton, my executors, administrators, and 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 APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR BURNING COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS
EITHER ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER FUEL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements applicable to furnace

page_text: for burning combustible liquids either alone or in combination with
other fuel. Creosote and other combustible liquids are commonly burnt
in furnaces by forcing the liquid into the furnace by means of a steam
jet in the form of spray, and it has also been proposed to substitute an
air jet under pressure in place of the steam, but in these cases where
air has been employed only a very small proportion of the air necessary
for combustion has been so mixed with the oil, the remainder or great
bulk of the air required for combustion has been drawn in at various
parts of the furnace mainly by the indraft produced by the high-pressure
jet and action of the chimney. It has also been proposed to close
the furnace excepting around the orifice by which the jet of oil is
admitted, and to cause the draft of the chimney to suck in through this
space the air required for the combustion of the oil, this plan however
requires a high chimney, a great waste of heat to maintain a sufficiently
high temperature in the chimney to produce the strong suction
which is necessary when working in this way. According to my
Invention I burn the oil in a close furnace, into which I force by means
of a fan and at a comparatively light pressure the bulk of air required
for the combustion of of the liquid. For this purpose I a Imit the creosote
or other combustible liquid to be burnt into the jet or stream of air
as it passes from the conduit pipe into the furnace or combustion
chamber, and for this purpose I insert the oil supply pipe into the top
of the conduit pipe in close proximity to the furnace or just in front
of the end of the conduit pipe; the liquid may enter into or in
front of the air pipe in one or more streams. When working in this
way a light pressure above the outer atmosphere will be maintained in
the furnace in place of a partial vacuum as heretofore when combustible
liquids have been burnt, so that no air enters except what is forced in
with the oil, hence the quantity of air admitted is perfectly under
control whatever the state of the outside atmosphere, and there is not
the waste of heat which there is when sufficient draft is obtained by a
chimney, the furnace is also by my Invention adapted for use in cases
where a high chimney is inadmissible. I would remark that heretofore
whenever air has been forced into a furnace by air jets together with
combustible liquid provision has been made for the copious admission
of the air required for combustion by having open fire-bars at the
bottom of the furnace or other suitable openings for its admission.
Another part of my Invention consists in employing solid fuel in
combination with liquid fuel by blowing the solid fuel in the form of

page_text: aust into tie furnice, as is described in the specification of I attent
granted to me, and dated the Thirteenth day of August 1868, No. 2539.
The solid and liquid fuel may be introdroced at the same orifice or
separately. Burning liquid fuel in combination with the solid fuel,
the perfect combustion of the solid fuel is more readily obtained.
The solid fuel employed in the state of powder may be either coal,
coke, charcoal, or peat, or other solid fuel in the state of powder may be
employed.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe more fully the manner of
performing the same.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed is shown a furnace or combustion
chamber suitable for burning combustible liquids together with air.
A is a pipe through which air is forced by a fan or by other forcing
apparatus into a combustion chamber B, formed of brickwork or other
refractory material; a pipe C, with a regulating valve D, is inserted into
the pipe A, its exit being by preference at or near the extremity of the
pipe A, either inside near the top of the pipe A, or immediately over it
on the outside, the pipe C being in connection with an oil reservoir; the
oil is allowed to run out of the end of the pipe C into the air, passing
through the pipe A, which breaks up the oil and forces it into the
furnace B intimately mixed together. In coming into the furnace or
combustion chamber, which has been previously sufficiently heated to
ensure combustion, the mixture of oil and air is consumed, and passes
out of an opening E at any convenient part of the furnace, and
conducted to any place where it is to be utilized. It is not necessary
that the whole of the air to support the combustion of the liquid fuel
should be directly forced into the combustion chamber by the fan, as a
portion of the air may be drawn in around the nozzle of the air jet, and
this way also the whole of the air necessary for supporting combustion
will pass into the furnace together with the liquid fuel. F is a door to
insert fuel to heat the chamber in the first instance; G is a door through
which slag or other foreign matter may pass out of the chamber..
burning liquid fuel in combination with solid fuel in the form of powder
blown into a furnace together with air, the powdered fuel may be added
to the air by any of the means described in, the Specification of the
Patent granted to me August 13th, 1868, No. 2539, and may be passed
through the pipe A to the combustion chamber, and to this mixture (of
When

page_text: air and powdered fuel) oil or combustible liquid may be added through
the small pipe C in the manner above described, and the combined
mixture of air, powdered fuel, and liquid fuel will enter the furnace or
combustion chamber together and will there be consumed.
It is not necessary that the powdered fuel and liquid fuel should be
carried into the combustion chamber by one air jet, as they might each
be carried into the combustion chamber by a separatè air jet, or other
arrangements might be adopted; any form of furnace constructed on
the principle described in the before-mentioned Specification for burning
coal may be used in carrying out this part of my Invention to ensure
that the powdered fuel shall remain in the combustion chamber long
enough to ensure its being practically consumed before leaving the
combustion chamber.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,
First. Burning combustible liquids in a furnace into which the
necessary amount of air to support combustion is forced by a fan or
other forcing apparatus, as herein described.
Second. Constructing or combining furnaces and apparatus so as
burn a combination of combustible liquid, powdered fuel, and air.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
T. R. CRAMPTON.
L.S.)