IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN EVAPORATING VOLATILE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS TO OBTAIN LIGHT OR HEAT THEREFROM
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lee Norton, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate
Hill, in the City of London, and Alfred Giles, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED IN EVAPORATING VOLATILE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS TO
OBTAIN LIGHT OR HEAT THEREFROM."
Sealed the 3rd November 1866, and dated the 8th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lee Norton and
Alfred Giles at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 8th May 1866.
We, JAMES LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the
City of London, and ALFRED GILES, of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN EVAPORATING VOLATILE AND COMBUSTIBLE
LIQUIDS TO OBTAIN LIGHT OR HEAT THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus to be employed
in evaporating volatile and combustible liquids to obtain light or heat there-
from. For this purpose we employ a close vessel, to the lower part of which
the combustible liquid is supplied, either by a bird fountain arrangement or
Paine Rd 1

page_text: other means. The liquid we prefer to employ is the more volatile portions of
the earth oil of the United States and other places. In the close vessel above
mentioned is a moving surface which is kept moistened by the liquid. We
prefer that this surface should be in the form of a drum covered with, wire
gauze in one or more layers; the drum dips into the liquid at the bottom of
the containing vessel, and is caused to revolve; it thus takes up the liquid, so
that its surface is constantly kept moist. Air under pressure is led into the
close vessel in which is the evaporating drum or surface. We prefer to lead
it into the interior of the drum, which can conveniently be done by making
the axis hollow; the air then passes through the wire gauze, and so becomes
charged with vapour, and it is then by a suitable passage led away from the
close vessel to the burner where it is to be burnt to obtain light or heat.
In connection with this apparatus we employ an arrangement for supplying
atmospheric air at a small pressure; this may be a weighted bag or gasholder,
or mechanism like a gas meter may be kept in motion by a weight or spring
and a train of wheels or gearing; and in this latter case the same maintaining
power may advantageously be employed for giving motion to the evaporating
drum or surface. Or a convenient arrangement is to employ bellows, like
organ bellows, driven by a spring or weight or other maintaining power, and
forcing air, as in an organ, into a collapsible air reservoir; a spring or similar
instrument tends constantly to compress this reservoir, and it acts the more
forcibly as the reservoir gets fuller; thus the apparatus may be made self-
regulating,as when the resistance to the entry of air into the reservoir reaches
a certain point the maintaining or driving power is unable to overcome it, or
overcomes it but slowly, and then the reservoir empties until an equilibrium
is established. In order that the air may pass to the burners from the
reservoir at a constant pressure the air is caused to pass through a regulator
after it leaves the reservoir.
In place of charging atmospheric air with combustible vapour in this
manner ordinary illuminating gas may very advantageously be enriched in a
similar manner, and in this case no compressing apparatus is necessary. If a
gas meter is employed the drum of the meter may conveniently be employed
to give motion to the evaporating drum or surface, and when the measuring
of the gas is not required mechanism in the nature of a gas meter or other
means may be employed for the purpose of driving the evaporating drum or
surface.
When using combustible liquids which do not volatilize very readily the
air or gas passing into the evaporating vessel may be warmed by means of a
small gas burner under the pipe through which it passes. Or the evaporating

page_text: vessel may be surrounded with a water or air masing kept warm by a small
gas burner. In each case the temperature should be regulated and kept
uniform by self-acting apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Lee Norton and Alfred Giles in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the City of London,
and ALFRED GILES, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Lee Norton and Alfred Giles, Her special licence that we, the
said James Lee Norton and Alfred Giles, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Lee Norton and Alfred
Giles, our 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 IN
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN EVAPORATING VOLATILE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS
TO OBTAIN LIGHT OF HEAT THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said James Lee Norton and Alfred Giles, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Lee Norton, on behalf of myself
and the said Alfred Giles, 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 in apparatus to be employed
in evaporating volatile and combustible liquids to obtain light or heat there-

page_text: from. For this purpose we employ a close vessel, to the lower part of which
the combustible liquid is supplied, either by a bird fountain arrangement or
other means. The liquid we prefer to employ is the more volatile portions of
the earth oil of the United States and other places. In the close vessel
above mentioned is a moving surface, which is kept moistened by the liquid.
We prefer that this surface should be in the form of a drum covered with
wire gauze in one or more layers; the drum dips into the liquid at the bottom
of the containing vessel, and is caused to revolve; it thus takes up the liquid,
so that its surface is constantly kept moist. Air under pressure is led into
the close vessel in which is the evaporating drum or surface.
We prefer to
lead it into the interior of the drum, which can conveniently be done by
making the axis hollow, the air.then passes through the wire gauze and so
becomes charged with vapour, and it is then by a suitable
led away
from the close vessel to the burner where it is to be burnt to obtain light
or heat.
passage
In connection with this apparatus we employ an arrangement for supplying
atmospheric air at a small pressure; this may be a weighted bag or gasholder,
and this is what we prefer; or mechanism like a gas meter may be kept in
motion by a weight or spring and a train of wheels or gearing, and in this
latter case the same maintaining power may be employed for giving motion to
the evaporating drum or surface. Or a convenient arrangement is to employ
bellows, like organ hellows, driven by a spring or weight or other maintaining
power, and forcing air, as in an organ, into a collapsible air reservoir. A
spring or similar instrument tends constantly to compress this reservoir, and
it acts the more forcibly as the reservoir gets fuller; thus the apparatus may
be made self-regulating, as when the resistance to the entry of air into the
reservoir reaches a certain point the maintaining or driving power is unable
to overcome it, or overcomes it but slowly, and then the reservoir empties
until an equilibrium is established. In order that the air may pass to the
burners from the reservoir at a constant pressure the air is caused to pass
through a regulator after it leaves the reservoir.
In place of charging atmospheric air with combustible vapour in this
marner ordinary illuminating gas may very advantageously be enriched in a
similar manner, and in this case no compressing apparatus is necessary. If a
gas meter is employed the drum of the meter may conveniently be employed
'to give motion to the evaporating drum or surface, and when the measuring
of the gas is not required mechanism in the nature of a gas meter or other
means may be employed for the purpose of driving the evaporating drum or

page_text: gas burner.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an end view of a generating vessel made according to our
Invention, and it is shewn with the end plate taken away in order to shew
the driving pinion and wheel; Figure 2 is a side view, and Figure 3 is a view
of the other end of the same; Figure 4 is a cross section of the revolving
drum, which, as shewn, consists of three layers of wire gauze, and revolves
within the generating vessel.
A is the generating vessel; B, the hollow axis through which the air is
admitted; C, the cock which admits the volatile liquid; Dis a let-off cock;
E is a gauge for the purpose of ascertaining the quantity of liquid in the
vessel; Fis the gas pipe through which the gas when it is generated passes
to the burner; G is a coupling on the axis of the driving pin to which the
motive power is applied. The axis of the pinion and the hollow axis of the
revolving drum pass through air-tight stuffing boxes.
In Figure 5 is shewn an apparatus known by the name of a bird fountain,
and by means of which the liquid is supplied to the generating vessel. A is a
closed vessel containing a supply of liquid; B is a pipe leading from this
vessel to the generator C; another pipe Denters the generator a little above
the pipe B, and passes nearly to the top of the vessel A. Supposing the
generating vessel to be empty and the vessel A nearly full, if the cock E is
open the liquid will run from the vessel A into the generating vessel C, the.
air necessary to supply its place passing through the pipe D; but when the
liquid in C is sufficiently high to stop up the orifice of the pipe D no more
air can get into the vessel A, and consequently the pressure of the air in the
vessel C effectually prevents the entrance of any more liquid, and an uniform
supply is thus ensured. By means of the funnel and cock F the vessel A
may be replenished when empty. G is a cup in which the bottom of the
funnel is immersed to prevent the escape of air in this direction when the
cock is open.
The spirit which we prefer to employ has a specific gravity of about 670;

page_text: in fact the lighter the better; and supposing the arrangement to be such as is
shewn in the Drawing, the apparatus should be of such a size as to allow
about one-third of a square foot of drum periphery or outer surface for each
ordinary, burner to be supplied, and the drum may revolve about two and a
half times per minute. In manufactories and other places the drum may
frequently, be conveniently driven by a band receiving.motion from a shaft
which revolves continuously, otherwise a train of wheels and a spring or
weight inay be employed. The air may conveniently be supplied at a pressure
corresponding with, say, five or six inches of water; in most cases it will be
convenient to employ, a gasholder of. suitable, capacity, either flexible or
otherwise, and weighted to the degree required, or air forcing apparatus such
as herein-before referred to may be employed.
די
Figure 6 shews a section of a regulating valve through which the com-
pressed air passes before it reaches the generating vessel. A is a double beat
valve shutting against the brass seats B, B, and connected to the flexible
disc C by the rod D. To the flexible disc is alsó connected the lever E'by
means of the rod F. G is the inlet, and H the outlet. By means of the
weight I, which can be moved along the lever E, the pressure on the disc C
can be regulated at will. The compressed air entering at G presses against
the disc C, and as soon as the desired pressure has been attained on the outlet
side it raises the disc and closes the valve, thus preventing the entrance of
more air until the pressure again falls.
Figure 7 shows a plan for warming the volatile liquid before it enters the
generator, that it may there be more readily volatilized. Such an arrange-
ment is useful when a sufficiently light spirit to work without heat is not
obtainable. A gas jet A is placed underneath the feed pipe B, C being the
generator.
Figure 8 is another plan of effecting the same object. The generating
vessel A is surrounded by a jacket B, underneath which is a gas jet C. The
jacket B is filled with water or air, and the warmth thus supplied facilitates
the evaporation of the liquid. The gas burners shewn in Figures 7 and 8
should be of small size, so that under any circumstances which can occur in
working they may not be able to heat the liquid up to its boiling point, indeed
the boiling point of the spirit should not be approached.
It is evident from the portable nature of apparatus such as is above
described that it can be applied to generate gas not only in all cases where
gas is now 'used, but also in many cases where the use of gas has been pre-
vented owing to the bulky and unportable nature of the apparatus hitherto
used for its generation. If desired the form of the moving instrument in the
.

page_text: generating vessel may be modified, so that it mayalso maintain a continuous
supply of spirit to other stationary surfaces within the generating vessel.
Figure 9 is a horizontal section, and Figure 10 is a cross section of another
apparatus for distributing the liquid over the evaporating surface or surfaces.
A is a hollow shaft carrying the hollow arms B, B, B, and revolving in the
vessel C. The liquid is supplied to the hottom part of the vessel C, and the
arms in revolving dip into the liquid and carry it to the hollow shaft through
which it flows through the trough or pipe D. The bottom of this trough is
perforated with small holes, and underneath this trough are fixed the plates or
surfaces E, E, E, which are formed of wire gauze, and may be covered with
cotton or other material. The liquid runs through the small holes in the
bottom of the trough D, and percolates through the wire gauze plates on the
cotton or other material covering the plates. The compressed air is forced in
through the pipe F, and is caused to travel in a zig-zag direction between the
plates, as shewn by the arrows, until it is finally driven out to the gas
outlet G. The surplus liquid which is not evaporated runs through the
opening H into the vessel C.
Figure 11 shews another method of raising the liquid,being on the principle
of an ordinary chain pump. When the buckets reach the top they are over-
turned, and the liquid runs into the vessel A, and thence through the opening
Binto the trough D (Figure 9); other methods may also be used for raising
the liquid.
What we claim is the employment of a moving instrument in the gene-
rating vessel arranged in such manuer as to maintain and constantly renew
an extended surface of the volatile and combustible liquid, as herein described.
Ir: witness whereof, I, the said James Lee Norton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-s1x.
J. L. NORTON. (L.S.)