IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING HEAT BY THE ADMIXTURE AND COMBUSTION OF A HYDROCARBON VAPOR, AIR, AND THE GASEOUS COMPONENTS OF STEAM
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stillman Boyd Allen and Jairus Handy Winsor,
of the State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING HEAT BY THE ADMIXTURE
AND COMBUSTION OF A HYDROCARBON VAPOR, AIR, AND THE GASEOUS
COMPONENTS OF STEAM."-A communication by Henry Rutger Foote,
residing at Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State aforesaid.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Stillman Boyd Allen and
Jairus Handy Winsor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition and Declaration, on the 28th February 1867,
pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN, that we, STILLMAN BOYD ALLEN and JAIRUS HANDY WINSOR, of the
State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America, are in possession of an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING HEAT BY THE ADMIXTURE AND COM-
BUSTION OF A HYDROCARBON VAPOR, AIR, AND THE GASEOUS COMPONENTS OF STEAM,"
which Invention bas been communicated to us by Henry Rutger Foote, a
person resident at Boston, in the County of Suffolk and State aforesaid; and
we do hereby declare the 'nature of the said Invention, and the manner in

page_text: which it is to be performed to be fully described in the following Specification,
reference being bad to the accompanying Drawings illustrative thereof.
By means of our Invention we vaporize a hydrocarbon oil, decompose
steam, and mix the vapor of the oil and the gaseous products of the
steam together and with a quantity of air, and the mixture, for the purpose
of generating heat, we burn by means of a series of burners or their
equivalents.
By such Invention we are enabled to obtain practical results of great
importance and value. Our Invention is specially useful for heating steam
generators, whether for stationary or locomotive steam engines, or for such
engines as are used on shipboard, to aid in the propulsion of a navigable
vessel.
We
We are aware that other parties have heretofore burned bydrocarbon
vapors, and that others have added steam to such vapors before or at the
period of their combustion. Our Invention differs from them in this, that we
do not add steam to the hydrocarbon vapors, but by our mechanism or
apparatus, or its cylinder or tubular coil charged with charcoal, iron filings,
or the equivalent thereof, and submitted to a high degree of heat.
decompose steam and we introduce the gaseous products of such decomposition
with air and the vapors of a hydrocarbon into a vessel, from which we by
means of pipes and burners discharge the mixture of air, vapor, and gases in
a state fit for combustion and the production or generation of heat in con-
sequence of such combustion. In this way we are enabled to produce better
results than can be effected by the mere admixture of a hydrocarbon vapor and
steam and their combustion together, as mentioned.
In carrying out our Invention we adopt means or apparatus which we shall
proceed to describe.
a, Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings, represents a hollow
metallic vessel, the outline of which is shown in Figure 2; it may be con-
structed of any suitable form or size, and may be made of boiler iron or other
suitable material. The lower or broader portion performs the duties of an
evaporating vessel, the upper narrower part serving the purpose of a gas-
holder. This vessel a may be termed a combined retort and gasholder, it
being used not only for vaporizing the hydrocarbon but as a receptacle for
receiving and mixing the vapor thus produced in it with the products of
decomposed steam, also with atmospheric air forced into it by means of an
air pump, to be herein-after described. A tube a leads into the vessel a from
an oil tank C which is situated above the retort, and supplies it with oil as
fast as required, the flow of the liquid hydrocarbon being regulated by a stop-

page_text: cock 6. From opposite sides of the gasholder a series of pipes f,, pro-
ject, each of such pipes terminating in an elbow f¹. Into these elbows are
inserted small metallic deflectors or radiators represented by 9, 9, each being
a small disc, and a stem projecting from it, the whole being analogous in form
to the glass stopper of a bottle. The stem of each radiator is supplied with
grooves to permit the escape of the mixed vapors for combustion; the object
of these radiators is to allow of the escape of the mixture from the retort and
to spread the flame of it when in combustion, and secure the ignition of all.
the gases that may so escape; these radiators may be made of cast iron or
any other suitable substance. At each end of the retort a tube i extends
down into it from its top, and terminates near. its bottom, such tube being.
formed as shown in Figure 1. A large iron vessel. e,. as long as the retort, or
longer if the furnace will admit of it, is arranged over the retort a, and may
rest on a saddle or standard fastened to each end of the retort, and may be
held firmly in its place by means of clamps and screws or other proper devices..
The vessel e is closed at both ends by means of cast-iron caps screwed or
otherwise properly fixed thereon; the back end of the vessel e is connected
to the retort by means of a pipe y leading from the middle of the tube i
Steam is to be supplied to the vessel e by means of a pipe n leading from a
boiler or steam generator. When in use the tube e is to be filled with
charcoal, coke, anthracite coal, or any other form of carbon that when heated
to a high temperature will decompose steam, or the vessel'e may be filled with
finely divided iron (as filings, boreings, &c.) zinc, copper, or any metallic sub-
stance which at a red heat will decompose water. The tube e may be heated by a
series of small burners arranged as shown by x, x, x, Figure 1. In place of
the vessel or tube e, or in connection with it, we also can use a coil or series
of iron pipes filled with finely divided metallic substances, as before described;
this coil is more particularly shown in Figure 2; it should be placed across
the retort and kept red hot by burners arranged beneath it. The stea:n
passing through the incandescent carbon in the tube or vessel will bo
decomposed, and hydrogen gas and carbonic oxide gas will be evolved; these
will mingle with the vapor produced by. the evaporation of the hydrocarbon
oil in the retort; by their great heating power they will increase the tempera-
ture of the flame which will escape from the jets or burners before described.
When the coil is used as a substitute for the vessel e only bydrogen is evolved,
which will be mixed with the vaporized oil, as before described.
The retort a is to be heated by a series of burners m, m, m, arranged
underneath it, see Figure 1; they are to be connected to the gasholder or
retort a, and are to extend the entire length of the bottom of it. The retort a is.

page_text: air
gases in the
The pipe h
also to be supplied with a drain pipe k provided with a stop-cock, said pipe
being inserted as near the bottom of the retort as possible; it is to be used to
drain off any accumulation of oil or tar that might through the carelessness of
the engineer or attendant of the apparatus accumulate in the retort. D is an
pump which may be worked by an engine when running; the air from this
pump is forced through a pipe 9, and compressed into a reservoir or air
chamber B. The compressed air of this reservoir is conveyed by means of a
conduit into the retort and escapes from the lower part of such pipe, which
should be perforated with numerous small holes to admit of such escape.
The air becomes mixed with the vapor of the oil and with the
retort before passing through the openings for consumption.
should be supplied with a stop-cock c¹ and check valve d', the one to
regulate the supply of air and the ather to prevent its reflux into the air
chamber B. A tube R leading out of the air chamber B, and provided with a
stop-cock el, may be used to effect escape of air from the air chamber when
the condensation of the air therein may be too great, or there may be a safety
valve applied to such chamber. The oil tank C may be made of iron and
be surrounded by another tank, the intervening space between the two
being filled and kept full of water to prevent the escape of any of the
vapors otherwise than
the pipe ; this application of water to the tank C
will lessen, if not entirely prevent the danger of any explosion of vapor in the
tank, particularly on board of steam ships. P is a pipe connected with the
boiler and a steam coil P" in the oil tank, such coil being used to beat the
oil so that it will run steadily and feed regularly to the retort; this will be
necessary when thick oil may be used. Benzole or the lighter hydrocarbons
may be put in the air chamber B; the vapor made in the chamber will pass
with the air into the retort, and will operate to increase the intensity of the
flame of the burners,
In the operation of the apparatus above described, the mixture of air,
bydrocarbon vapors, and the gaseous products produced by the decomposition
of steam will be discharged from the burners f¹ where it may be inflamed;
the deflectors will spread the flame. A boiler or other vessel to be heated
is to be arranged over or in close proximity to the said burners, so that the
Blame thereof or the heat therefrom may impinge against such boiler or vessel,
or be conveyed into one or more pipes running through or into it.
Figure 3 exbibits on an enlarged scale one of the pipes f, with two of its
discharging pipes or burners f¹ and their deflectors g.
Having thus described our said apparatus, what we claim as our Invention
is as follows -

page_text: We claim a combination composed of the following constituents or their
mechanical equivalents:-
1st, the retort a.
2nd, a tank or means of supplying the retort with the hydrocarbon oil or
liquid.
3rd, an apparatus for decomposing steam and introducing its gaseous
constituents into the retort.
4th, an air pump or means of forcing air into the retort.
5th, means of discharging from the retort and burning the mixture of air,
hydrocarbon vapor, and the gaseous constituents resulting from the decom-
position of steam, as set forth.
We also claim the deflectors or radiators constructed substantially as
described.
We also claim the retort constructed substantially as described.
We also claim the combination of the heating coil or pipes P, P¹, or the
equivalent thereof with the tank C, the retorta, the apparatus for decom-
posing the steam, and the air pumping apparatus applied together, so as to
operate substantially as described.
We also claim the combination of the water jacket or vessel of water sur-
rounding the tank with such tank C, the retort a, the apparatus for decom-
posing steam, and the air pumping apparatus applied together so as to operate
substantially as described.
We also claim the combination of the air condensing vessel B with the air
pump, the retort, the tank, and the steam decomposing apparatus combined,
so as to operate substantially as specified.
We also claim a safety tank surrounded on all sides by a jacket of water or
vessel to hold water, as set forth, such being for the purpose of holding
petroleum or any liquid or substance easily vaporizable and combustable, or
explosive.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
8th day of February, 1867.
STILLMAN BOYD ALLEN. (L.S.)
JAIRUS HANDY WINSOR. (L.S.)