Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Burning Mineral Oil Gas for Heating Purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Burning Mineral
Oil Gas for Heating Purposes.
I, OTTO LINDNER, Engineer, of 32, Rue de la Bourse, Brussels, Belgium,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to apparatus for heating by means of common illuminating
petroleum transformed into gas in the apparatus itself.
Petroleum is supplied by pressure from a tank into a pipe which forms a vertical
branch up to a certain height, after which it is bent, so as to form a horizontal
canal or ring from this the pipe descends by a second branch parallel to the
first, and finally it is again bent towards the axis of the said ring, where this second
branch terminates in a jet or burner under which is placed a spirit vessel serving
to set the apparatus in operation. The horizontal part or evaporator, in which
the heat developed by the burner converts the petroleum into gas, is covered by a
perforated plate provided with a conical deflector which disperses or distributes
the air and gas mixture emanating from the burner. The flame from the burner
may be conducted by a suitably shaped tube up to the distributing plate.
The invention also relates to the combined use of air and water for producing
and regulating the pressure upon the petroleum by means of a water-reservoir
situated above an air reservoir with which it communicates by a pipe and stop cocks
or valves, the water driving the air out of the air reservoir upon the petroleum
placed in a third reservoir placed above the air reservoir and above which is placed
a petroleum gas producer as described above. The spirit vessel or burner used
for preliminary heating is preferably annular and provided with several vertical
air passages.
The necessary pressure in the petroleum supply pipe may be produced by
admitting air to the petroleum tank or by placing the latter at a suitable level
above the apparatus, or by a combination of air and water pressure as will be
hereafter described.
The pressure drives the petroleum into the horizontal ring or evaporator
mentioned above, which is heated by the spirit burner and in which the petroleum
is converted into gas. The gas then descends through another pipe to the jet
(or burner), from which it is guided upward by a wide tube provided with lateral
openings for the admission of air, and is projected against a conical hood which
closes the upper end of the guide tube and contains small perforations for the
escape of gas. The gas emanating from the circular row of perforations is ignited
and produces a large circular flame situated in a funnel. The latter rests on the
evaporating ring, so as to heat the same and produce automatically the gas necessary
for feeding the large flame in the funnel.
The intensity of the flame may be regulated by regulating the pressure on the
petroleum in the supply tank.
The arrangement thus described may be modified as follows:-
The gas escaping from the jet is not guided by a tube but allowed to impinge
against a bulged plate or dome having in the centre a slot and along the circum-
ference several holes, through which escapes the gas ignited by the flame of the
spirit burner, thus forming as many flames as there are apertures in the said dome
situated above the evaporator.
For concentrating the heat, an annular guard or hood partly cylindrical and partly
conical is mounted on the evaporating ring, so as to surround the same and to
rest on it with a small inside flange, which also supports the perforated dome.

page_text: The evaporator, instead of being a circular ring, may form an elongated
rectangle (or other suitable figure) in which case the tube which guides the gas
from the jet upward, is joined at the top to a horizontal tube, so as to form a T.
The horizontal part of the tube is provided with two longitudinal rows of holes
for the escape of the flames. The latter are situated in a funnel, the lower part
of which fits into the interior of the rectangular evaporator, and rests on the latter
as well as on the top of the T-shaped guide tube. The two rows of flames thus heat
the rectangular evaporating ring from below and produce the gas necessary for
consumption in the apparatus.
The apparatus for supplying petroleum by air and water pressure combined,
may comprise a water tank fixed to the wall at a high level and connected with
the other parts by a flexible pipe provided with a cock, a main reservoir which
occupies the base of the apparatus and is divided into two compartments by a
horizontal partition, the lower compartment being filled with air and of the same
cubical capacity as the water tank, while the upper compartment contains
petroleum. A vertical pipe connects the top of the lower compartment with the
air space above the petroleum, and another pipe leads from the bottom of the
petroleum tank up to the evaporator and burner, constructed as described above.
A guard interposed between the main reservoir and the evaporator prevents
the excessive heating of the same.
After the cock has been closed, the water tank is filled with water, methylated
spirit supplied to the spirit burner and ignited after the spirit has been nearly
consumed the cock is slowly opened, so as to allow water to flow into the lower
compartment of the main reservoir, and there to compress the air which transmits
its pressure through the connecting pipe on the surface of the petroleum in the
upper compartment and forces the same up into the vaporizer.
For extinguishing the flame, the water supply cock is closed, and water allowed
to escape from the lower compartment, so as to reduce the pressure in the same and
consequently the pressure on the petroleum.
Dated this 17th day of June 1890.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Burning Mineral
Oil Gas for Heating Purposes.
I, OTTO LINDNER, Engineer of 148, Rue de Merode, Brussels, Belgium
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 heating by means of common illuminating petroleum
which before combustion is transformed into vapour (gas) in the apparatus itself.
Fig. 1. is a front view of a vertical cut section of a single gas (vapour) generator
& burner, provided on each side with a guard plate and a curved flame guiding
plate or hood G & directing shields H. J is a heating vessel.
Fig. 2. represents a cut at right angles of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. is a top view of Figs. 1 & 2.
Fig. 4. shows a number of generators & burners on the same feed pipe A, which
have a flame guiding plate or hood in common, G & the necessary number of
shields H. Under all is placed the heating vessel J.
Fig. 5. Sheet 2. shows the arrangement how a regular pressure on the petroleum
is obtained, in order to force the same into the burner or burners. 1, is a
water-tank, 2, is the air vessel, 3, the petroleum tank, & 4, the burner or
burners.

page_text: Petroleum is supplied by pressure from a tank into a feed-pipe A. (provided
with a cock or valve V.) and having vertical branch-pipes B, of a certain height,
communicating with another pipe C. forming a horizontal canal or chamber (which
may be of any shape or section) from this chamber, a pipe D. descends parallel to
pipes B. and finally communicates again with the opposite side of said
chamber C.
This second branch pipe D. has in its center a jet or burner. A spirit vessel
fixed underneath, serves to start the apparatus.
The necessary pressure on the petroleum in the tank, may be obtained by air,
water, or any mechanical means.
To set the apparatus working, a combustible liquid is poured into the heating
vessel J. and lighted. When the liquid is nearly consumed, the petroleum is
permitted to arrive slowly from the tank into the feed-pipe A. where it will boil
in that part, which lies above the heating vessel J. & will then be immediately
converted into gas or vapour in the branch pipes B. which serve as retorts & lead
to the canal or accumulating chamber C. The vapour (gas) accumulated in C,
now descends by the branch pipe D. and escapes by the burner E. where it is
ignited. The flames thus produced pass through the openings G of the curved
or dome shaped flame guiding-plate G. and are conducted into the desired direction,
by the directing shields H.
Owing to the curved or dome shape, of the flame guiding-plate G. and the fact
of the flames impinging against the (center) shield H. before passing through the
openings G', it results that a part of the heat is thrown downwards and thereby
maintains at a very high temperature the canal or accumulating chamber C. the
retort pipes B. as well as the branch pipe D. and a part of the feed-pipe A. The
whole being thus highly heated, it results that the apparatus will work automatically
as long as petroleum is supplied by the feed-pipe A. The size and the number, as
well as the different shapes and sections of these generators and burners as also
their accessories, are not limited, but depend upon the object to be heated or the
circumstances connected therewith. For steam-boilers, and other large surfaces
for instance, a suitable number of the above described generators & burners, are
fixed on one or more feed-pipes.
A regular pressure on the petroleum is necessary, and may be obtained by
employing two tanks, each of the same cubical capacity, and a petroleum tank,
whose capacity is only about one third of one of the two others. See Fig. 5,
Sheet 2.
The water-tank 1, should be placed above the air tank 2, a pipe connects them,
on which is fixed a stop cock, a second pipe, from the top of the air tank, enters the
top of the petroleum tank 3, this pipe is also provided with a stop cock, and lastly,
from the petroleum tank, the feed-pipe A. leads to the burner or burners, 4, having
a regulating cock or valve V. On the cock of the water tank, 1, being opened,
the air is compressed in the air-vessel, 2, by the entering of the water therein,
upon opening the cock between the air-vessel and the petroleum tank, the com-
pressed air forces the petroleum through the feed-pipe A, into the burner or
burners. The air tank 2, is also provided with two cocks, one on the top for the
escape of the air if necessary, the other near the bottom, for the discharge of the
water.
The shape and section of the different parts of the above described generator
and burner, as well as those accessories, might be modified in detail, to suit the
circumstances and different objects to be heated, without that modification changing
in any way the nature of my invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that what I
claim is :-
:―
A mineral oil gas (vapour) generating and burning apparatus, for general
heating purposes, comprising in its combination, a petroleum supply tank, having
one or more outlet or feed pipes, fitted with a cock or valve for regulating the
quantity of petroleum passing through. This pipe or pipes being at its extremity
(which has to bear the generators and burners) constantly highly heated, and
bearing on said heated part, vertical branch pipes, serving as retorts for the
evaporation of the petroleum. These branch pipes leading to a canal or accumulat-
ing chamber, which may have any form or section, suitable for the purpose
desired. Descending from this chamber, another branch-pipe, provided with one
or more gas (vapour) outlets or burners. In connection with above, guard-plates,
and a perforated flame-guiding plate or plates (or hoods) and flame directing
shields,—these accessories serving for the guiding and proper directing of the flames,
as well as for the automatical working of the apparatus, the whole substantially
and for the purpose described.
Dated this Fourth day of February eighteen hundred ninety-on