AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBON OILS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Crow, of West Ham, in the County of
Essex, Creosote Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE
OF AND APPARATUS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBON OILS."
Sealed the 22nd October 1867, and dated the 6th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Crow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th May 1867.
I, THOMAS CROW, of West Ham, in the County of Essex, Creosote Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IM-
PROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBON OILS," to be as
follows:
This Invention relates to the burning of the vapor of hydrocarbon oils for
the purpose of producing heat and light.
In carrying out my Invention I use a vaporizer and a burner of the con-
struction to be presently described. I maintain a constant .but regulated
supply of hydrocarbon oil to the vaporizer, in passing through which the oil is
converted into vapor and superheated, and in its súperbeated state it passes
to the burner, in which it is consumed in the form of vapor. The heat thus
obtained may be applied either to the heating of furnaces and for evaporating
and other purposes. The vaporizer consists by preference of a flat coil of

page_text: pipe, which communicates at one end with a supply pipe leading from the oil
reservoir, and fitted with a cock for regulating the supply. The other end of
the vaporizer is connected to the burner, which is situated below the vaporizer,
and furnishes the heat for the vaporization of the oil and the superheating of
the vapor. The burner also consists of a flat coil of pipe or concentric rings
pierced to allow of the vapor issuing out in jets as from an ordinary gas
burner. If now the supply of oil is properly regulated it will in its passage
through the vaporizer be vaporized and superheated, the quantity of vapor
being just sufficient to maintain a uniform flame at the burner. Should any
deposition of carbon take place in the apparatus I propose to pass through it
while heated a current of steam, by means of which the carbon will be oxidized
and removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Crow in the, Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
CROW, of West Ham, in, the County: of, Essex, Creosote Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Crow, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Crow, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others, as I,. the, said, Thomas
Crow, 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 "AN IMPROVED, MODE OF
AND APPARATUS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBON, OILS," upon the condition, (amongst
others) that I, the said, Thomas, Crow, 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
inimediately.after. the date of the said, Letters. Patent.
.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Thomas Crow, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to an economical mode of burning bydrocarbon oils.
In carrying out my Invention I use an apparatus consisting of a vaporizer.
and burner in which a constant but regulated supply of hydrocarbon oil is
maintained for the purpose of being converted into vapor and superheated
and in its superheated state consumed at the burner. The form of the
apparatus which I employ will vary according to the circumstances of its
application, and whether used for heating or lighting, but in all cases the
same principle of construction and action will obtain, that is to say, (1). The
supply of oil will be continuous, and at a pressure due to the elevation of
the oil reservoir. 2. The passage or passages, for the escape of the vapor
to or its discharge from the burner will be so proportioned, as to produce a
back pressure in the vaporizer. And, 3. The heating surface and capacity of
the vaporizer and burner will be such as to admit of the whole of the vapor
generated being superheated before it passes off to be consumed.
In the accompanying Drawing I. have for the sake of illustration shewn,
the Invention as applied to the fire-place of a horizontal cylindrical boiler.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section taken through the centre of the boiler, and
shewing the apparatus for burning hydrocarbon oil in side elevation; Fig. 2 is
a cross section of the same taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a
sectional plan taken in the linė 3, 4, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a front view of.
the boiler with the fire-door open, shewing the apparatus in front elevation.
The fire-bars are used to receive the apparatus, which consists of a number,
of metal pipes coupled together, and so arranged as to require no further
support: In this instance as the fire-place is long and contracted laterally, the
apparatus is elongated; and takes a kind of pyramidal form in end elevation,
but in a fire-place circular in plan the apparatus might take the form of
concentric rings or coils, care being taken that the flame from the burner shall
be so directed as to heat the pipes forming the vaporizer without impinging
upon them, and thereby effect the generation and superheating of the vapor.
. A is a pipe leading from an oil reservoir (not shewn in the Drawing), and"
used to conduct down a supply of oil to a horizontal pipe B, with one end'
of which it is connected by a union joint; the opposite end of this pipe B is
connected by a union joint with a second pipe B', which overlies the pipe B,
and in like manner this pipe at its opposite end is connected to a third pipe B'

page_text: placed above it and parallel thereto. From this pipe B2 depends a junction
which connects with a short transverse pipe B³; this pipe is formed with
sockets to receive the ends of two horizontal pipes C, C, which are pierced with a
row of fine holes, and constitute the gas burner. These several pipes are braced
together by means of clips D, D, which are held fast by bolts and nuts, as
shewn at Figures 1 and 2, and to facilitate the cleaning of the pipes their
ends are fitted with removable plugs. For cutting off the supply of gas to
the burner a stop-cock E is provided. The apparatus thus constructed requires
for the starting of it to be heated externally by the application of fuel thereto,
and when sufficiently heated for vaporizing the oil to be supplied thereto.
The oil is introduced by bringing the apparatus through the opening of a tap
in the pipe A into communication with the supply cistern; the oil will then.
immediately upon its entrance be converted into vapor by the heat. The
vapor so formed is caused to complete its circulation under pressure through
the apparatus. As the vapor thus passes through the apparatus it is brought
to a very high temperature, and is thereby converted into permanent gas.
The generation of the vapor is continuous, and the escape of the vapor (thus
generated) at the entrance for admitting the oil from the supply pipe of the
oil vessel is prevented by the superincumbent pressure of the oil, and the
escape of the vapor at its exit opening or openings is partially obstructed by
the smallness of the aperture or apertures through which it is discharged. An
accumulation of vapor is thus kept up within the apparatus, whereby the
pressure and the consequent circulation before mentioned is produced. The gas
thus formed passes out from the burners C, C, which are so placed in relation to
the generator that the flame of the burners will supply the requisite heat to
the vapor generating apparatus, while at the same time the heat for raising
the required steam pressure will be imparted to the boiler.
I would here remark that the perforations in the burners when relied on to
induce pressure in the vapor generator must be small in size and limited in
number to allow only the proper quantity of gas to issue therefrom; they are
inclined upwards so that the flame may heat the generator without impinging
In order to steady the
upon it, as shewn in the transverse section, Fig. 2.
flame and diminish to any extent desired the intensity of the blast which other-
wise the pressure imparts to the flame I find it convenient to use a perforated
disc or plug of iron fixed in the end of the generator, as at F, Fig. 1, which
will act as a throttle or pressure check, or the cock E may be used for the
like purpose.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of an improved mode
of and apparatus for burning hydrocarbon oils, and explained the manner

page_text: of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, burning bydrocarbon oils for the
purpose of producing heat and light in the manner above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Crow, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
THOMAS CROW. (L.S.)