Improvements in Vapor Burners and Lamps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1896-Accepted, 11th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vapor Burners and Lamps.
I, JOSEPH SUMERS WOOD, of 136 Duffield Street, City of Brooklyn, in the
County of Kings, and State of New York, United States of America, Gas 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 :—
This invention relates to an improved vaporizing and illuminating burner, adapted
for converting into vapor or gas a light hydrocarbon liquid, such as naphtha or
gasolene, and burning the resulting vapor or gas, so as to produce an illuminating
flame of the desired candle power.
The object of my invention is to provide for better heating the device so as to
a brilliant
increase its capacity for generating gas or vapor for producing
illuminating flame.
In my generator-burner the gas is generated by the heat imparted by the flame to
the burner device itself, the hydrocarbon liquid being supplied under pressure from
a suitable reservoir. A needle-valve is used for controlling the flow of a jet of
vapor into the mixing chamber where the escaping jet draws in a current of air
and mixes therewith to form illuminating gas which will burn with a brilliant
flame free from smoke.
My generator-burner is intended more particularly for use in street lamps, but
is also adapted for use on house lamps, chandeliers, brackets, etc.
I will now describe the details of construction of my improved generator-burner
by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the device.
Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of part of the device on a plane at right
angles to the view shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 represents a top plan view with part of the heat conducting wires broken
away.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent side elevations respectively of a chandelier, street
lamp, and a hand lamp, all provided with my generator-burner.
The body, B, of the device is preferably composed of a metallic casting constructed
with a horizontal inlet tube, b, an upwardly extending boss, b', containing the jet
opening, and a downwardly extending boss, ", which is screw-threaded at its
lower end and bas applied to it the alcohol cup a. The boss, ' is screw-threaded
for attaching the pillar C, and the inlet tube is internally screw-threaded for
attaching the device to a bracket or other supply pipe for admitting hydrocarbon
liquid to the device. A vertical central passage d, is fi rmed in the upper and lower
bosses, and that part of the passage in the loss, 611 is screw-threaded while that
portion in the boss b', is tapered to form a conical valve-seat and a jet orifice d¹.
The needle-valve rod D, is screw-threaded for working in the screw-threaded passage d,
and its upper end is tapered or pointed to form a needle-valve d", which fits in and
will tightly close the conical valve seat and jet opening for controlling the flow of
vapor or gas to the mixing chamber and burner above. A horizontal opening in the
body B, opposite the inlet tube b, is provided with a closing screw a'.
The burner pillar C, is constructed with a solid flame-spreader G, at its upper
end, which is preferably of elliptical shape, (as shown in Fig. 2) and is made
integral with the pillar. The pillar is also provided with lateral air inlet ports c,

page_text: so placed us to be just above the boss, and its jet orifice, -o that the escaping
jet of gas or vapor will draw in the necessary supply of air to mix therewith in
the mixing chamber of the pillar to form illuminating as The pillar near its
upper end is provided with small lateral orifices, e, and with vertical passages, f
leading upward from said orifices e, through the top of the flame spreader G. and
opening below the heat conducting wires g, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Screws, h, h
are fitted in the orifices e, for controlling the flow of gas or vapor through passages.
Small streams of vapor escaping through the passages, f, are ignited and highly heat
the wires o. The heat conducting wires, 9, are curved over the top of the flame-
spreader G, and are curved laterally on opposite sides of the burner tip e, and
are secured at their ends by brazing or in any other suitable manner to the
spreader G, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The burner tip, c', is inserted into the
upper end of the chamber or passage in the pillar and is provided with the usual
slot which extends down nearly to the upper face of the spreader G, so that the
flame will be properly prul into a broad flat shape giving a better illuminating
effect and with freedom from smoke. By means of the illuminating flame issuing
from the slot in the burner tip, the spreader G is highly heated, and by means of
the small jets of flame issuing from the passages and impinging upon the wires,
the burner and its vaporizing chamber are effectively heated for generating as
or vapor from Equid hydrocarbon of light gravity, such as naphtha or gasolene.
My vaporizing burner may be applied to chandelier F, as shown in Fig
to a street lamp K, and to a lamp, L, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. in the ca of
a street lamp, a reservoir k, for hydrocarbon liquid is preferably mounted on top
of the lamp and connects by a pipe ', with the body B of the device. In case
my device is used upon the lamp L, the needle-valve D is preferably arranged
horizontally, as shown in Figure 6, and hydrocarbon liquid may be forced up
through the lamp in any well known manner, as by air pressure.
In starting the burner, a small quantity of alcohol is first burned in the cup, u, to
heat the body of the vaporizer, then when the device is sufficiently hot to vaporize
bydrocarbon liquid, the valve of the supply pipe is opened and a small stream of
liquid admitted to the device. As soon
as the liquid is vaporized, the needle-
valve D, is opened, permitting the vapor to escape in a jet through an orifice d',
and such escaping jet draws in a suitable proportion of air through the port c,
and the two are mixed in the mixing chamber above. The resulting gaseous
mixture escapes through the slot of the tip c', where it is ignited, producing a large
brilliant light, the flame being spread by the spreading device G. A part of the
gas or vapor escaping through the passages, f, is ignited and burned in jets which
impinge upon the heat conducting wires, g, thereby highly heating said wires and
the spreader G, and the heat of these parts is conducted by the pillar to the
body B of the vaporizer, whereby the hydrocarbon liquid is effectively vaporized
before escaping through the jet orifice. The flame, at its lower edges, lies upon
the face of the spreader G, and is thereby prevented from flickering so that a steady
light is produced.
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 :-
1. A generator-burner device constructed with a vaporizing chamber having a
jet orifice and a needle-valve, a pillar provided at its upper end with a flame-spreader
made integral therewith and having a pair of curved heat conducting wires pro-
jecting above its top face, and a slotted burner tip between said wires, said pillar
and flame-spreader being provided with lateral passages, f, for permitting jets of
flame to impinge upon said heat conducting wires, and thereby highly heat the
vaporizing chamber, as and for the purpose described.
2. In a generator-burner device the burner pillar constructed with a solid flame-
spreader G, containing the lateral vapor passages, e and f, and provided with the
curved conducting wires, g, and a slotted burner tip, e', in combination with a

page_text: valved vaporizing chamber and means for supplying said chamber with hydro
carbon liquid, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of May 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.