Improvements in Burners or Apparatus for Burning Petroleum or other Oils or Volatilisable Fluids.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left. 14th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL
DILUIFICATION,
Improvements in Burners or Apparatus for Burning Petroleum or
other Oils or Volatilisable Fluids.
We, HERBERT LINDLEY, and THOMAS BROWETT, of Sandon Street Works, Salford,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows: :-
Our invention relates to an apparatus for burning petroleum or other oils or
volatilisable fluids and consists in improvements whereby the heavier oils may be
consumed without the use of wicks and with a smokeless or Bunsen flaine.
In order to accomplish these objects we use an apparatus consisting essentially of
four parts viz.,
Firstly. An arrangement for generating gas;
Secondly. Means whereby such gas (which is at a pressure above the atmosphere
due to the supply of oil being placed at a higher level than the burner or otherwise
put under pressure) is caused to issue in a jet-like form and carry with it air for
combustion;
Thirdly. A suitable channel or passage for the mixture of gas and air to pass
along and wirerein they may become intimately mixed and warmed and in
which also means are sometimes provided for further additions of air as may be
necessary; and
Fourthly. The apertures through which the mixture of gas and air issue and are
burnt and which are arranged so as to keep the apparatus (and especially the gas
making portion) hot whilst in use.
One form of our improved burner may be arranged as follows:-
The oil is led from a reservoir placed at a height above the burner into a series of
tubes provided with screw plugs for facilitating cleaning after prolonged use, these
tubes being placed in such a position as to be heated by the flame when formed.
The oil passing through these tubes becomes heated and volatilised forming a gas or
vapour which is led past a regulating device consisting preferably of a small cone
closing a suitable hole and adjustable by a screw, and is then allowed to issue in a
jet-like forin. The means for producing a jet may be varied, as for instance, an
annular form may be given to it, the object being to cause the jet to carry along with
it atmospheric air; for this purpose the jet of gas may be inade to pass through
a nozzle open to the air at the end into which the jet enters and pointing at its other
end into or towards the channel or duct of the burner, which carries the mixture to
the final aperture through which it issues and is burnt.
The mixture of gas and air issuing from the aforementioned nozzle may also be
treated or considered as a jet and made to serve the purpose of impelling or drawing
more air into the main channel of the burner. Air so drawn in may be obtained
from a duct or passage in connection with the main body of the burner and arranged
so as to be thereby heated; the air also first drawn in by the gaseous jet may be
so heated if desired, and the whole air supply may be heated from any other
Means may also
convenient source of heat that may be available for the purpose.
be provided for regulating the air supply. In some cases we dispense with the
above described nozzle and inake the gaseous jet enter the main channel or duct and
draw or impel air through same, the duct thus answering as a combining nozzle
and the air supply being obtained preferably from a passage wherein it may become
heated, such passage being for this purpose made in close contact with the hot body.
of the burner and arranged so as to pick up heat from the flaine.
The main channel or duct of the burner is preferably of circular section especially.

page_text: at the end nearest the jet and may be made in various forms according to the
purpose for which the burner is required; in one form it is made as a tube bent back
on itself the return limb being under the first portion; or a vertical position may be
assigned to it or it may be bifurcated some distance away from the part wherein the
gas and air are mixed, and so arranged the channel that when the gases are burnt
the heat arising therefrom may be utilized to keep the channel as well as the gas
making tubes, hot. The heat imparted to the channel must be sufficient to prevent
condensation of the gaseous mixture, the gas making tubes requiring a higher
temperature.
The heated mixture of gas and air being thus formed and led to a point where
their combustion may keep the whole apparatus hot it only remains to allow them to
issue to the air and be burnt. For this purpose we provide a series of holes of small
diameter in proportion to their depth as we find that the tendency to light back is a
strong one and requires particularly perfect means to prevent saine; the holes
may be drilled in any convenient manner so as to penetrate the main channel in
the manner above described.
The holes may be countersunk or widened out at their ends communicating with
the main channel and means may be provided for cleaning same when necessary
such as a door or cover to some portion of the main channel serving to give access
to them. In some cases we burn a portion of the gases at one part of the burner in
such a manner as not particularly to heat said burner and divert another portion of
them to be burnt in a position where they can heat same. In order to obviate the
tendency to pulsate which this class of burner is liable to, we sometimes apply an air
vessel in connection with the oil supply pipe either before it rphes the hot gas
inaking tubes or in connection with these tubes so that oil or gas may be compressed
into such vessel when an increase in pressure occurs, and may be given out again on
the pressure decreasing and thus we may obtain a more constant, velocity at the
issuing jet of gas.
In any of the above arrangements of burner it is necessary apply heat at
starting in order to generate the gas necessary for forming the jet as herein before
described.
Dated this 19th day of July 1990
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Burners or Apparatus for Burning Petroleum or
other Oils or Volatilisable Fluids.
We, HERBERT LINDLEY, and THOMAS BROWETT, of Sandon Street Works, Salford,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the saine is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to an apparatus for burning petroleum or other oils or
volatilisable fluids and consists in improvements whereby the heavier oils may be
consumed without the use of wicks and with a smokeless or Bunsen flame.
In order to accomplish these objects we use an apparatus consisting essentially of
four parts viz.,
Firstly. An arrangement for generating gas or vapour, hereinafter referred to as gas;
Secondly. Means whereby such gas (which is at a pressure above the atmosphere
due to the supply of oil being placed at a higher level or otherwise put under pressure)
is caused to issue in a jet-like form and carry with it air for combustion;
Thirdly. A suitable channel or passage (hereinafter called the mixing channel,
for the mixture of gas and air to pass along and wherein they may become

page_text: intimately mixed and warned and in which also means are sometimes provided for
further additions of air as may be necessary; and
Fourthly. A combustion plate with apertures through which the mixture of gas
and air issues and is burnt in such a manuer that the resulting flatne keeps
the apparatus (and especially the gas making portion) hot whilst in use.
The oil is led from a reservoir placed at a height above the burner into a tube or
into a series of tubes which may be provided or not with screw plugs for facilitating
cleaning after prolonged use, the tube or tubes being placed in such a position as to be
heated by the flame when formed.
With some oils, such as ordinary petroleum, the cleaning plugs are unnecessary;
we therefore in this case make the gas generating tube or each gas generating tube if
there be more than one, in the form of a coil, that may conveniently be of wrought
iron tubing bent into a spiral form. The oil passing through the tube or tubes becomes
heated or volatilized forming a gas which is conveyed to a small conical hole whence
it is allowed to issue in a jet-like form. The means for producing a jet might be
varied; thus an annular form might be given to the jet the object being to cause the
jet to carry along with it atmospheric air; for this purpose the jet of gas might be
made to pass though a nozzle open to the air at the end into which the jet enters and
pointing at its of er end into or towards the channel of the burner, which carries the
mixture to the apertures through which it issues and is burnt. In practice however
we consider it more advantageous to adopt the arrangement hereinafter described with
reference to the drawings as we find that it is sufficient for the purpose of forming the
jet of gas, to allow the gas to issue through a fine hole which it is convenient should
be formed in a s. all plug or similar device adapted to allow of removal for cleaning.
By providing a sall cone with screwed stem whereby it could be adjusted in regard
to the said hole the area of passage available for the issue of gas might be easily
regulated but in practice we find it convenient to determine the size of the hole
generally by t' ize of the burner, so that it remains invariable, thus dispensing with
the necessity for screw cone adjustment.
The jet of gas is projected towards and into the open end of a U shaped mixing
channel, and induces an inflow also of air into that channel. Menns such as a shutter
like valve at the open end of the mixing channel, may be provided for regulating the
air supply, though this will not be necessary unless the burner is required to give
flames of varying volume or is otherwise required to work under varying
conditions.
In a burner such as hereinafter described and illustrated we have found that the
mixture of gas and air receives enough heat from the walls of the mixing channel to
keep the mixture in a gaseous state.
The mixing channel which we usually make of circular cross section can be made
in various forms according to the purpose for which the burner is required; thus
it can be made as a tube bent back on itself, the return limb being under the first
portion; one limb might be bifurcated or made to terminate in three or more branches
ench with a perforated combustion plate so as to produce two, three or more flames;
the arrangement in each case being such that when combustion takes place the
resulting heat will be utilized to keep the mixing channel as well as the gas generating
tube or tubes, hot. The heat imparted to the wall of the channel must be sufficient
to prevent condensation of the gaseons mixture, and the gas generating tube or tubes
require a higher temperature.
In the form of burner hereinafter described and illustrated, the heat for keeping
the mixing channel hot is obtained partly from the perforated combustion plate and
partly from the lower part of the gas generating coil, a web between the two limbs of
the bent tube forming the mixing channel also serving to conduct heat from that part
of the same whence the combustible mixture issues to the end at which the gas
and air enter.
The holes in the combustion plate are of small diameter in proportion to their
length, the object of so making them being to lessen the tendency to light back.
In a burner such as represented half the actual size by the drawings annexed we

page_text: find a suitable diameter for the holes in the combustion plate is from one eighth of an
inch to three sixteenth of an inch, but the diameter will depend to some extent upon
the number of holes within a given area of combustion plate, the fewer the holes and the
larger they should be but care being taken not to make them so large as to seriously
reduce the velocity of the combustible mixture passing through them.
Instead of round holes narrow straight or curved holes night in some cases be used
the width and number being such that the misture of gas and air should issue through
them at a considerable velocity, otherwise the flame would be liable to strike back.
The holes may be countersunk or widened out at their inner ends where they com-
municate with the mixing channel and means may be provided to afford access for
cleaning the same when necessary such as a door or cover to some portion of the wall
of the mixing channel. In order to obviate the tendency to pulsate which this class
of burner is liable to, we sometimes apply an air vessel in connection with the oil
supply pipe either before it reaches the heated gas generating tube or tubes or in
connection with the said tube or tubes so that gas may be compressed into such vessel
when an increase in pressure occurs, and may expand again on the pressure decreasing
and thus we may obtain a more constant velocity of the issuing jet of gas.
We find however in practice that a piece of wire inserted into that portion of the
gas generating tube or tubes that first receives the oil from the supply pipe is
sufficient to cause the flame to burn steadily, and prevent pulsating and we have
shewn this wire in place in the burner hereinafter described and illustrated in the
drawings. The use of this wire for the purpose mentioned, however, forms part of
the subject matter of another application for Letters Patent. bearing date the 12th day
of December 1889 and numbered 20033 and is not claimed as part of the invention
forming the subject matter of the present application for Letters Patent but is
described herein because its use is advantageous in carrying out the present
invention.
In each of the above arrangements of burner it is necessary to apply heat at
starting in order to generate the gas requisite to form the jet as herein before
described.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a vertical section, partly in elevation, a side
elevation, partly in vertical section, (at right angles to Fig. 1) and a plan of a burner
according to this invention.
A is a gas generating coil, which can be made of wrought iron pipe bent to the
form indicated. B is a portion of a coupling that serves to connect the upper end of
the coil to an oil supply pipe, not shewn, in which is a regulator of any suitable form,
but which forins no part of the present invention. The lower end of the coil A is in
communication with a tubular part C that carries a holder F which supports a jet
piece D, arranged centrally over the open end of the main channel E. To the
ring E carried by the arms E that extend upward from the casting Ex in which the
channel E is formed, the part C is secured by a set screw C. The jet piece I
consists, in the example shewn, of a piece of round wire one end of which fits closely
into the holder F, which has at its holding or gripping part, the form of a spring clip
as clearly shewn in Fig. 2. There is a hole through F, and a conical hole G in the
jet piece D, these holes being arranged in line with the hole in C and centrally over
the open end of the channel E. The smaller end of the conical hole G is towards the
channel E, and the size thereof is determined by the quantity of gas that is to issue
therefrom with the head of oil employed; with a channel E of one inch diameter, and
a head of oil of six feet, the smaller end of the conical hole G can advantageously be
about 0.02 inch in diameter. H is a combustion plate fixed at the outlet end of the
channel E. It is, in the example shewn, of circular formn, and is made of considerable
thickness, and perforated with numerous small holes. I is a web connecting the two
limbs of the tube Ex. With this construction oil entering the upper end of the heated
coil A and passing downward therethrough is converted into gas which passing
through the part C issues through the hole G in a jet-like form and enters the open
end of the mixing channel E, drawing air in with it; the gas and air in passing

page_text: through E, become intimately mixed and heated, and the mixture ultimately meets the
perforated combustion plate H, through the holes in which it passes with sufficient
velocity to prevent lighting back, and is then burnt, the resulting flame passing
through the space enclosed by the coil A and beating that coil. The plate H by the
action of the flame becomes heated and imparts heat by conduction to the wall Ex of
the channel E, the web I also serving to carry some of this heat to that end of E* to
which the part C is secured. Heat is also conducted to the part C by the lower
portion of the heated coil A, so that the gas produced will not condense on issuing
through the small hole G. Care should be taken to make the coil A of such a
diameter that C does not become too hot, otherwise the jet opening G may become
obstructed by a hurnt residue. The mixing channel E also should not be allowed to
become too hot. Satisfactory results have been obtained with the parts proportioned
as in the example shewn. At a suitable temperature for correct working, it is found
that some of the heavier constituents of petroleum oil will not remain entirely 'in a
state of vapour during their passage through the mixing channel E, but will slowly
condense and would in time accumulate in the lower bent portion thereof. To
prevent this accumulation a small bent tube K is provided that serves to carry off any
oil so condensed; this tube is kept sealed by the oil that remains pocketed or trapped
in the bent portion thereof, which thus prevents the escape of gaseous mixture through
the sinal bent tube.
To prevent pulsations of the flame such as might occur with a burner constructed
as described and shewn we may as before mentioned provide a small air vessel in
connection with the upper or lower end of the coil A. Such air vessel should be so
arranged as to receive heat from the flame to prevent condensation of vapour that may
enter it. In the drawings we have shewn a wire L (according to the invention the
subject matter of application for Patent No. 20033 of 1889) arranged in the upper
portion of the coil A which is made straight for some distance for this purpose. The
wire passes through a small gland B in the coupling B and extends along the
straight portion of the coil A about as far as the cominencement of the first con-
volution. This wire by spreading out the oil into a thin film allows the same to
become more gradually heated and effectually prevents pulsation.
As will be obvious, the forms and details of various parts of a burner or apparatus
according to this invention might be variously modified from those shewn, to suit
particular applications, without departing from the nature of this invention. Thus,
for examples, as already indicated, the conical hole in the jet piece D might be
provided with a regulating device such as an adjustable cone for regulating the
quantity of gas allowed to issue through the jet piece; in some cases it might be found
desirable to cause the jet of gas to pass with air through a nozzle on the way to the
nixing channel with the object of impelling or drawing more air into the said
channel; also the air before being caused to enter the mixing channel might be
heated by passing through apparatus heated by the flame either directly or by
conduction. But with a burner constructed as described with reference to and shewn
in the drawings we have not found it necessary to adopt any of these expedients
because the burning of heavy oils such as referred to has been successfully accom-
plished without them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention and
in what manner the same is to be carried into effect we declare that we are aware that
burners of various kinds have been heretofore constructed to obtain Bunsen flaines
from the lighter oils such as benzoline and gasoline; and also to obtain white or
illuminating flames from the heavier oils such as petroleum; also that jets have been
used in burners giving Bunsen flaines from the lighter oils, such as benzoline, for
drawing in and mixing air with the vapour formed or generated by the heat of their
flames for the purpose of producing Bunsen flames; therefore we lay no broad
geneml claim to such known arrangements, but what we do claim is :—
1. A Bunsen burner or apparatus for burning heavy oils as set forth, comprising a
gas generator or oil vaporiser, a jet piece with gas orifice, a mixing channel with air

page_text: inlet and a perforated combustion plate, the several parts being arranged substantially
as described and for the purpose indicated.
2. In a Bunsen burner or apparatus for burning heavy oils as set forth, a
hent mixing tube such as Ex with support for a part C connected to a gas generator
or oil vaporiser and carrying a jet piece 1) the arrangement being such that when
the burner is in use the said jet piece receives heat from the flame by conduction
through the gas generator or oil vaporiser and part C as described for the purpose
indicated.
3.
In a Bunsen burner or apparatus of the kind referred to, the construction of
the hent tube Ex with its perforated combustion plate H. and the rib connecting the
two ends of the tube as described and shewn for the purpose indicated.
Dated this 19th day of April 1800.
HERBERT LINDLEY,
THOMAS BROWETT.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Applicants' Agent.