IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BURNING MINERAL OILS OR OTHER HYDRO- CARBONS TO OBTAIN HEAT THEREFROM
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Lawrie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
November 1867.
I, WILLIAM LAWRIE, of the Norfolk Chemical Works, Great Yarmouth,
in the County of Norfolk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BURNING MINERAL OILS OR OTHER HYDRO-
CARBONS TO OBTAIN HEAT THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for burning
mineral oils or other hydrocarbons to obtain heat therefrom. For this pur-
pose the mineral oil or other hydrocarbon to be burnt is placed in a tank, in
the interior of which is a coil of pipe, through which steam is passed in order
to keep the hydrocarbon in a sufficiently fluid state. Near the bottom of the
tank is a tap by which the oil or liquid passes away to be burnt, and the
amount so passing away can be regulated by means of the tap. The oil or
liquid passing out by the tap is received into a pipe which conducts it into a
closed retort, one end of the steam pipe is led from the tank near to the tap
above mentioned, and is led down the interior of the pipe which conducts the
oil to the retort, and just before this pipe enters the retort the end of the
steam pipe is taken out through its side, and this end of the steam pipe is left
open so that the steam may escape from it; the hydrocarbon in the pipe is
thus kept in a sufficiently fluid state. The pipe leading into the retort passes
in at its front end and is led along nearly to the back, and the oil or liquid
passes into the retort from this end of the pipe. Below the retort and

page_text: extending back beyond it are burners at which the vapours or gases produced
in the retort are burnt, and the retort is thus kept heated; pumice stone or
other rough material is placed over the bottom of the retort, so as to fill it op
to the level of the oil pipe and present a considerable extent of heated surface
to the vapours formed from the hydrocarbon. The outlet pipe by which the
vapours and gases produced in the retort pass to the burners is situated at
the front end of the retort, so that the vapours or gases arising from the oil
or liquid supplied to the back end of the retort have to pass along the whole
length of the retort before they pass away from it. The outlet pipe is
led upwards a short distance, and has placed in it a valve which allows a free
passage of the vapour or gas from the retort, but closes the passage in the
opposite direction, so that when the retort cools the flame from the burner
cannot run back into the retort. Just above this valve the pipe has branch
pipes connected to it, and these branch pipes lead the vapours or gases to the
burners, which may be composed of bent or coiled pipes with slots or perfora-
tions in them, or burners of other form may be employed. The burners may
be partially closed by rods of iron extending throughout their length to prevent
too much gas or vapour being in them at a time.
An apparatus such as above described may be employed for generating
steam. A convenient arrangement to be employed for this purpose is to place
the retort and burners into the boiler furnace; the tubes forming the burners
then resting on the ordinary fire-bars. Or the apparatus may be employed
for heating forgings, or for distilling, or for other purposes.
In order to start the apparatus I apply a naptha or other similar lamp
under the retort; the lamp is made with numerous burners.