Improvements in and Connected with Lamps or Burners for Lighting or Heating.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 15th Apr., 1887.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
.Improvements in and Connected with Lamps or Burners for
Lighting or Heating.
I, WILLIAM WELLS, of 50 Commercial Street, Leith, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, Chemical Manufacturer, 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, that is to say --
My said Invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of
lamps or burners for lighting or heating, and apparatus connected therewith, my said
apparatus being suitable for burning oils or hydrocarbons of various kinds with economy,
whilst it cannot be easily deranged and it can be easily cleaned.
In carrying out my Invention 1 employ water pressure where it is available for
forcing the oil from a closed receiver or vessel through piping to one or more lamps
or burners; and at each burner the oil is vaporised in an annular cylindrical chamber
heated by the flame itself the vapor passing from the chamber to a burner orifice from
which it issues in a jet projecting up though the central passage encircled by the
vaporising chamber.
On the accompanying two sheets of explanatory drawings, figure, 1, on sheet, 1, is
a verticle section of the closed receiver or vessel, and figure, 2, on sheet, 2, is a vertical
section of the burner as drawn to a larger scale, whilst figure, 3, is a section of the
valve for regulating the supply of oil to each burner.
The receiver is a cylindrical vessel, A, made with dome-shaped ends, B, C, having
their convexities inwards. The top, B, is fitted with a screw-plug orifice, D, for filling
in the oil and has fixed in it a pipe, E, fitted with a stopcock, F, for admitting water
under pressure this pipe, E, extending down nearly to the bottom of the vessel when
the oil employed is lighter than water. Near the bottom there is fixed a stopcock, G,
for discharging the water, when the receiver is about to be refilled with oil; and a
glass gauge, HL, is fitted at one side of the receiver to show at any time the quantities
of oil and water in the receiver. The pressure of the water entering by the pipe, E,
forces the oil up and through another pipe, J, fitted with a stopcock, K.
In figure, 3, the pipe, L, is a branch from the pipe, J, and it is connected to a valve
box, M, of simple construction, containing a valve formed by the conical end of a
screw spindle, N, working through a stuffing box and internal screw, the point of the
screw spindle, N, being arranged for closing to a greater or less extent a small orifice
or valve opening leading into a pipe, P, which is connected to the vaporising
chamber, Q. The vaporising chamber, Q, is of an annular cylindrical shape, being
formed of a short inner pipe, R, fixed at its upper end to a contracted part of an outer

page_text: pipe, S; whilst the bottom end of the chamber is closed by a ring, T, the joints of this
ring and of the two pipes, R, S, being made perfectly tight. From the upper part of
the chamber, Q, a pipe, U, leads the vapor down to a small burner, W, from an orifice
in the upper surface of which the vapor issues in a jet which is projected up the centre
of the inner pipe, R; and when this jet is ignited a strong flame burns partly inside
the pipe, R, and to a considerable distance beyond the upper end of it. From the
small burner, W, there is suspended a cup, X, which serves for regulating the amount
of air admitted to the bottom of the flame and also for another purpose. The cup, X,
is screwed upon a spindle, Y, fixed in the bottom of the small burner, W, and the air
enters between its upper edge and the bottom edge of a cylindrical shell, Z, of thin
metal fixed round the bottom of the outer burner pipe, S, more or less air being
admitted accordingly as the cup, X, is screwed down or up. When first starting the
lamp a little volatile hydrocarbon or naphtha is put into the cup, X, and ignited, and
a little oil being allowed to enter the vaporising chamber becomes vaporised by the
heat due to the ignited naphtha. As soon as the vapor begins to issue at the small
burner, W, it ignites and then more air may be admitted and the supply of oil may be
increased. With the burner details constructed and proportioned as shown in the
accompanying drawings a considerable pressure of vapor is generated in the vaporising
chamber, Q, which pressure causes the jet to issue from the small burner, W, with the
force necessary to form a flame of the desired size; and the inductive action of the
strong jet of vapor draws to it the air necessary for its proper combustion. The oil
fed into the vaporising chamber has of course to overcome the pressure generated in
that chamber; and the water forcing the oil from the receiver, A, to the burner or
burners must have sufficient pressure for the purpose. And on account of the pressure
which has thus to be imparted to the oil the orifice through which it has to pass and
which is controlled by the screw spindle valve, N, has to be made extremely small.
When the lamp or burner is to be used where water pressure is not available I fit
a small hand pump in connection with the receiver, A, and by means of it force in a
quantity of water or other suitable fluid, the compressibility of the fluids or the
elasticity of the apparatus, or both allowing sufficient pressure to keep the lamp going
for a considerable time to be obtainable by a few strokes of the pump. Air may be
pumped in by the hand pump to force the oil from the receiver, A, but in that case
the pipe by which the oil leaves the receiver must of course descend nearly to the
bottom of the receiver as the air acts on the upper surface of the oil.
With my improved lamp or burner the oil or hydrocarbon used may be naphtha, or
paraffin oil, or any other lamp oil, or any inexpensive oil.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The combination of parts for burning oils or hydrocarbons for lighting or heating
purposes and comprising the burner and oil receiver and accessories substantially as
herein before described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. The improved construction of burner substantially as herein before described and
as shown in figure, 2, of the accompanying drawings.
3. The forcing of the oil to the burner or burners by water having sufficient pressure
to make the oil not only reach the burner but also have considerable pressure at the
burner substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
4. The combination of a hand pump with the oil receiver substantially as and for
the purposes herein before described.
Dated this Eighth day of March 1887
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.