Improvements in or relating to the Burning of Mineral Oils.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Burning of Mineral Oils.
I, MONROE LEE Ross, Electrician, of 29 Cornhill, in the City of London, 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 the burning of mineral oils particularly crude
petroleum, either for heating or lighting purposes, but more especially for the
former.
According to my invention I provide a vessel or reservoir for containing the
oil with a central tube open at the bottom and packed with asbestos or the like.
Upon the top of this tube is arranged a suitable coil of tubing provided with one
or more pin-holes through which the gas to be burned issues. The burning of
this gas maintains the coil, and consequently the tube in the vessel hot, the heat
from the central tube being imparted to the air which lies in the upper part of the
vessel, which by its expansion in consequence of the vessel being hermetically sealed
causes the oil to rise through the asbestos packing into the coil where it is
vapourised, suitable perforations being arranged to allow of the necessary air being
mixed with it.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a central vertical section of one form of my improved lamp adapted for
heating purposes.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing another form adapted for lighting
purposes.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A vessel A has arranged vertically in its centre a tube B, the top B₁ of which
projects into the centre of a cupped receptacle A2 in the top of the vessel A, the
latter being so constructed that after it has been filled with oil through the filling
cap A³ it may be hermetically sealed. The tube B is open at the bottom and packed
with asbestos C. To the top B' is attached a cross tube D. to the ends of which are
fastened the ends of a coiled tube E. This tube is preferably formed with three
convolutions, the central one E' being brought down between the ends of the coil near
to where they are attached to the cross tube D. A small pin hole E is formed on the
upper side of the lower portion of this middle convolution E', through which the gas
issues and is burnt. Pin holes D¹ are also formed upon the underside of the ends of the
tube D Leneath the points of attachment of the ends of the coil E, through which pin
holes the necessary air for mingling with the vapourised gas obtains access. The
vessel A is filled with oil F to the required level leaving a space G at the top of the
vessel which is occupied by air. The operation of the lamp is as follows:-
After the vessel A has been filled with oil and the filling cap A screwed down
so as to hermetically close the opening, heat is applied to the coils E E' either by
pouring oil or spirit into the cup A and igniting it, or by other means. The heat
imparted to the coiled tube E E is transmitted through the cross piece D to the
vertical tube B, by means of which the air at G in the top of the vessel A is caused
to expand, forcing the oil F up the tube B, and through the packing C into the
cross tube D, where the heat being greater, the oil is vapourised and mingled with
air entering at the pin holes D', the air and vapour passing round the coils E E

page_text: and issuing through the pin hole E', where ignition takes place. The flame of the
burning vapour maintains the coil E E at the necessary temperature to keep up
the supply of oil, which is caused to rise in the tube B and be drawn up as vapour
in the manner described.
It is essential to the working of the lamp that all the tubes B, B', D, and E E'
and also the air at G be hot, but it is equally essential that the temperature of the
tubes E E should be higher than that of the air in the vessel A.
To extinguish the lamp it is only necessary to unscrew the cap A when the
pressure of air within the vessel immediately falls, and the supply of oil for the flame
consequently ceases.
The coil of tube E E preferably has attached to its exterior, lugs J, upon which
rest a preferably oblong metal box K which serves to concentrate the flame issuing.
from the pin hole E' beneath it. The ordinary hent wire supports L such as are
usually employed in this class of lamp are attached to the upper surface of the vessel A,
and carry upon their bent upper ends a cast iron or other open-work plate L' upon
which may be placed a saucepan, kettle or other article which it is required to heat.
The cap A is preferably of a screw-down form, and may be operated by a tapered
pin A which engages a hole in the lug A on the top of the cap; a short tube A
extends from the filling cap a short way into the vessel A so as to prevent the
latter being filled full.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 2 the lamp is shown as adapted for
lighting purposes. In this case the box K is reduced and formed with a circular
top K which is provided with openings K2 and a regulating ring with corresponding
openings, the construction being such as is commonly employed in Bunsen burners.
The circular top K' carries on a rod or other device a mantle M which is to be
maintained in a state of incandescence by the flame from the pin hole E. The
tube E is shown in Figure 2 to have only one convolution, but this is only illustrated
by way of an example of the manner in which the shape of the coil may be
varied. The lamp illustrated in Figure 1 may have the box K changed for that
carrying the mantle, so that the same lamp inay be used for either heating or
lighting purpeses, as desired, merely by an alteration of the device for concentrating
the flame.
means of regulating the vapour issuing from the pin hole E the
top B of the tube B which projects on the outside of the reservoir A may be
extended, and have a cock formed in it rendering it possible to more or less close
the opening leading from the tube B to the cross tube 1), and so diminish or
increase the quantity of vapour passing up to be burnt.
The coiled tube E E' may have its convolutions arranged otherwise than us
illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2, also more than one pin hole E may be
arranged for the issue of the inflammable vapour, and the number and position of
the air holes D may be varied; it is however found advantageous to reluce the
number of air inlets if the number of holes through which the inflammable vapour
issues is increased. Other materials may be used instead of asbestos to pack the
interior of the tube B, but this substance is the most satisfactory. The tube B
instead of being farmed closed as above described may be perforated or slit through-
out its length.
The principle of the lamp may be adapted to other forms than those above.
described, such for example as brazers and painters lamps or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a lamp for burning mineral oils feeding the fuel to the flame by heating a
coil of tubing such as E E and by the expansion of heated air in the fuel reservoir
substantially as described.
2. In a lamp for burning mineral oils the combination with an oil reservoir adapted
to be hermetically closed of a tube such as B containing packing, and a coil of tubing

page_text: such as E E¹ with or without a cock or other means for regulating the flow of fuel
to the flame substantially as described.
3. In a lamp for burning mineral oils the combination with an oil reservoir having
a tube such as B in it, of a coil of tubing such as E E' adapted to carry a device for
concentrating the flame with or without means for supporting a mantle for illumination
purposes substantially as described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete lamp for
burning mineral oils for heating purposes substantially as described and illustrated in
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete lamp for
burning mineral oils for illumination purposes substantially as described and
illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of November 1896.
Dated this 26th day of November 1896.
M. L. ROSS.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.
M. L. ROSS.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.