Improvements in or relating to the Burning of Liquid Hydrocarbons.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 12th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Burning of Liquid Hydrocarbons.
We, HERBERT Churchill Capel, of 168, Dalston Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, and THOMAS CLARKSON, of Grove Villa, Carshalton Grove,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
=
-
This invention relates to the burning of liquid hydrocarbons particularly what
are commonly known as paraffin or lamp oil as opposed to the more volatile hydro-
carbons.
It has for its object to facilitate the preliminary heating of the vapourizer and
mixing chamber when it is desired to start the burner, and also to provide improve-
ments in the structure of the burner and its accessories.
A preferably square or oblong metal box is packed with sheets of asbestos mill-
board, porous earthenware plates, or layers of other suitable material, the edges of
which projecting slightly above the top of the box, form a wick burner.
side of this box, preferably mounted upon a small bracket, is a nozzle so arranged
that air may be blown through it across the wick.
-
At one
A pipe leading from the fuel tank is provided with a cock and terminates over
a measuring cup, from which a pipe, also provided with a cock, leads to a point
above the wick burner. Thus a certain quantity of oil can be measured off in the
cup and allowed to pass into the box containing the wick. A light is then
applied to the latter and the air blast turned on, when a clear blow-pipe flame is
directed upon the vapourizer or mixing chamber as the case may be.
A shield may be arranged over the burner to prevent the flame ascending and
doing any damage previous to the air blast being turned on.
In order to obtain a steady and approximately uniform air blast, such as cannot
well result from the use of a hand-operated pump, bellows or the like, the
following device is preferably employed. The fuel reservoir or tank is constructed
of such a size as to leave an air space above the liquid fuel after the necessary
quantity of the latter has been placed in it. A suitable nozzle and valve are
provided to enable air to be forced into the tank, a safety valve also being arranged
at the top of the tank and a pipe leading to the air nozzle of the wick burner. Air
having previously been forced into the tank by a hand pump or other means, the
supply may be drawn upon for starting burners as required, the pressure being
sufficient to afford a steady though slightly decreasing blast, during the short time
it is in use.
As soon as the engine commences working, a pump or equivalent operated by
it, maintains a uniform pressure of air in the fuel tank, thus enabling the fuel
to be supplied under air pressure to the burners, while providing a supply of air
to enable the burners to be restarted in the event of stoppage of the engine for
a length of time sufficient to enable the vaporizer and mixing chamber to get cold.
The pressure may be augmented by using the hand pump if necessary.
Preferably duplicate starting burners are provided, one of smaller size than the
other, for use in heating the vapourizer and mixing chamber respectively.

page_text: The form of burner, which is preferably employed comprises a mixing chamber
in connection with the burner, which may be situated beneath the vapourizer.
The jet nozzle from the vapourizer delivers into the open end of a pipe or entrance
to the mixing chamber so that atmospheric air is drawn into the mixing chamber
together with the vapour. The end of this pipe or entrance next to the vapourizer
nozzle is provided on its under side with a lip which projects beneath the nozzle,
so as to catch any drops of condensed vapour which may form before the nozzle
is fully heated when the burner is first started. By arranging the pipe leading
into the mixing chamber, on an incline, these drops are carried into the latter
and there vapourized.
A syphon exit tube may draw off this condensed vapour into an outer receptacle,
which may be also arranged to collect by gravity any leakage of oil from the
burner. From the base of this receptacle a tube leads to the suction valve of the
pump operated by the engine, which is provided for the purpose of forcing the air
into the top of the fuel tank and will also return to the said tank any oil that
may be drawn into the receptacle. Or the pump may draw direct from the burner or
its casing if means be taken to prevent interference with the air supply of the
burner.
To prevent the flame striking back and igniting in the mixing chamber, a
perforated or openwork partition through which the mixture has to pass is
arranged beneath the burners proper. This partition may be constructed of metal
gauze but this has been found not to be of a very lasting nature, a more enduring
and efficient arrangement being as follows:-Metal strips or ribbons, preferably
of nickel, are formed conveniently by rolling out wire; suitable lengths of such
ribbon are corrugated and arranged alternately with straight pieces in a frame,
shaped so as to fit on to the top of the mixing chamber beneath the burners. This
arrangement provides a series of small openings for the passage of the gas, while
preventing the flame striking back, and the width of the ribbons being capable
of variation, allows of the absorption of more or less heat as required.
It is obvious that the above described improvements may be used in other
combinations than those above mentioned. Thus the method of supplying air to
the wick burner for preliminary heating of the vapourizer and mixing chamber,
is capable of considerable modification to adapt it to various like purposes.
Dated this 6th day of March 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to the Burning of Liquid Hydrocarbons.
We, HERBERT CHURCHILL CAPEL, of 168, Dalston Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, and THOMAS CLARKSON, of Grove Villa, Carshalton Grove,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, 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:-
-
The invention relates to the burning of liquid hydrocarbons particularly what
are commonly known as paraffin or lamp oil as opposed to the more volatile hydro-
carbons.
It has for its object to facilitate the preliminary heating of the vapourizer and
mixing chamber when it is desired to start the burner, and also to provide improve-
ments in the structure of the burner and its accessories.
A preferably square or oblong metal box is packed with sheets of asbestos mill-

page_text: At one
board, porous earthenware plates, or layers of other suitable material, the edges of
which projecting slightly above the top of the box, form a wick burner.
side of this box, preferably mounted upon a small bracket, is a nozzle so arranged
that air may be blown through it across the wick.
A pipe leading from the fuel tank is provided with a cock and terminates over
a measuring cup, from which a pipe, also provided with a cock, leads to a point
above the wick burner. Thus a certain quantity of oil can be measured off in the
cup and allowed to pass into the box containing the wick.
A light is then
applied to the latter and the air blast turned on, when a clear blow-pipe flame is
directed upon the vapourizer or mixing chamber as the case may be.
A shield may be arranged over the burner to prevent the flame ascending and
doing any damage previous to the air blast being turned on.
In order to obtain a steady and approximately uniform air blast, such as cannot
well result from the use of a hand-operated pump, bellows or the like, the
following device is preferably employed. The fuel reservoir or tank is constructed
of such a size as to leave an air space above the liquid fuel after the necessary
quantity of the latter has been placed in it. A suitable nozzle and valve are
provided to enable air to be forced into the tank, a safety valve also being arranged
at the top of the tank and a pipe leading to the air nozzle of the wick burner. Air
having previously been forced into the tank by a hand pump or other means, the
supply may be drawn upon for starting burners as required, the pressure being
sufficient to afford a steady though slightly decreasing blast, during the short time
it is in use.
As soon as the engine commences working, a pump or equivalent operated by
it maintains a uniform pressure of air in the fuel tank, thus enabling the fuel
to be supplied under air pressure to the burners, while providing a supply of air"
to enable the burners to be restarted in the event of stoppage of the engine for
a length of time sufficient to enable the vapourizer and mixing chamber to get cold.
The pressure may be augmented by using the hand pump if necessary.
Preferably duplicate starting burners are provided, one of smaller size than the
other, for use in heating the vapourizer and mixing chamber respectively.
The form of burner, which is preferably employed comprises a mixing chamber
in connection with the burner, which may be situated beneath the vapourizer.
The jet nozzle from the vapourizer delivers into the open end of a pipe or entrance
to the mixing chamber so that atmospheric air is drawn into the mixing chamber
together with the vapour. The end of this pipe or entrance next to the vapourizer
nozzle is provided on its under side with a lip which projects beneath the nozzle,
so as to catch any drops of condensed vapour which may form before the nozzle
is fully heated when the burner is first started. By arranging the pipe leading
into the mixing chamber on an incline, these drops are carried into the latter
and there vapourized.
A syphon exit tube may draw off this condensed vapour into an outer receptacle,
which may be also arranged to collect by gravity any leakage of oil from the
burner. From the base of this receptacle a tube leads to the suction valve of the
pump operated by the engine, which is provided for the purpose of forcing the air
into the top of the fuel tank and will also return to the said tank any oil that
may be drawn into the receptacle. Or the pump may draw direct from the burner or
its casing if means be taken to prevent interference with the air supply of the
burner.
To prevent the flame striking back and igniting in the mixing chamber, a
perforated or openwork partition through which the mixture has to pass is
arranged beneath the burners proper. This partition may be constructed of metal
gauze but this has been found not to be of a very lasting nature, a more enduring
and efficient arrangement being as follows:-Metal strips or ribbons, preferably
of nickel, are formed conveniently by rolling out wire; suitable lengths of such
ribbon are corrugated and arranged alternately with straight pieces in a frame,
shaped so as to fit on to the top of the mixing chamber beneath the burners. This
.

page_text: •
arrangement provides a series of small openings for the passage of the gas, while
preventing the flame striking, back, and the width of the ribbons being capable
of variation, allows of the absorption of more or less heat as required.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of the improved apparatus for burning
liquid hydrocarbons arranged in a somewhat diagrammatical manner.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of one of the starting burners.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the same on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a perspective detail view of a portion of the partition on the top of
the burner mixing-chamber.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The fuel tank A is constructed preferably of cylindrical cross section and provided at
the top with an orifice through which it may be filled, closed by a plug A¹, the tank
being made of a size slightly larger than that required for the necessary quantity
of fuel in order that an air space may be left above the fuel, the air in this space
being maintained under pressure. The tank is also provided with a safety valve A³
and a pressure gauge A³. From its lowest point a pipe B, in which may or
may not be arranged a cock B¹, leads to a receptacle C containing a perforated
strainer plate C¹. From this strainer the fuel is conducted by a pipe D to the
vapourizer E, whence the vapour is led through a pipe E to a jet nozzle F, in
the orifice of which rests the end of a regulating needle G carried upon the end
of a pivoted arm G¹.
The vapour which issues from the nozzle F enters the flared end of a tube H₁
which projects into and forms part of the mixing-chamber H. The outer end of
the tube H is provided with a lip H which may be extended and turned upwards
to form a lug H³ for the attachment of the jet nozzle F. The lip He lying beneath
the nozzle catches any drops of condensed vapour which may issue from the nozzle,
the bottom of the tube Hand of the mixing-chamber H being sloped away from the
nozzle so that the condensed vapour will drain down towards the inner end of
the mixing-chamber, whence it is led by a syphon tube J into a cup K. The
latter is either in immediate connection with or else forms the suction orifice
of a pump which is employed to maintain the pressure of air in the fuel tank.
This pump therefore fulfils a double purpose in removing and pumping up the
drainage and compressing the air.
A cock or valve D¹ is situated in the pipe 1) being preferably of the screw-
down type in order to enable the supply of fuel to the vapourizer to be accurately
adjusted. A branch pipe 12 leads from the pipe D and terminates in a cock 11³
over a receptacle L. From the latter lead two pipes L¹ each provided with a
cock L², the pipes terminating above the starting burners M employed for the
preliminary heating of the vapourizer and mixing-chamber respectively.
Each starting burner comprises a rectangular casing M in which is arranged a
wick composed of a number of sheets M¹ of asbestos millboard packed more or
less closely together with their upper surfaces cut into corrugations M2 as shown
in Figure 3. Through the upper part of the casing M and along one side of the
asbestos wick runs a tube N in which are a series of perforations N¹ each situated
opposite to one of the trough portions of the corrugated surface M2 of the wick.
This pipe N is connected by pipes O and P with the air space in the fuel tank A.
The pipe P not only terminates as at P¹ within the fuel tank, but has an end P
to which may be connected the flexible pipe Q¹ of a hand air-pump Q. Cocks 01
and P³ are arranged in the pipes O and P respectively.
Thus to start the main burner the receptacle L is charged with fuel through the
pipe D2 and cock 13 and this fuel allowed to pass through the pipes L' on to
the wicks M M of the starting burners. The pump Q is connected to the end P2
of the pipe P and the cocks P³ and O¹ opened. A light is now applied to the
wicks M and the burners started by putting in operation the pump Q. The air
issuing from the holes N¹ in the pipe N directs a blow-pipe flame from the wicks

page_text: of the starting burners on to the vapourizer E and mixing-chamber H H¹ respec-
tively. As soon as the vapourizer E is sufficiently heated the valve. D¹ is opened
and fuel allowed to pass into the vapourizer. Owing to the heat of the latter the
fuel at once flashes into vapour which issues from the nozzle F and passes together
with the air necessary for its combustion into the mixing-chamber H H which
has been heated by its starting burner sufficiently to prevent the vapour from
condensing again.
The requisite mixture of vapour and air is finally ignited as it issues from the
grid arranged upon the top of the mixing-chamber.
After the burner is once started the use of the hand pump Q is discontinued,
the exit of the air contained under pressure in the fuel tank A being prevented
by the non-return valve P*. The air pressure in the fuel tank is now maintained
by the double purpose pump which has previously been mentioned as being
utilised to return any condensed vapour draining from the mixing-chamber H H
this pump being operated by the engine, the steam generator of which is heated
by the burner.
Where the burner is employed to heat a steam generator, as for instance, of the
water tube type, it has been found that when the starting burners M are in use,
if by any chance the air pressure in the blow-pipe temporarily falls off, the flame
ascends and, the combustion being imperfect, deposits carbon upon the tubes of
the steam generator. In order to avoid this a shield is arranged over each burner M
so as to prevent the flame ascending. This shield, which is illustrated in
Figures 2 and 3 comprises a flat plate R provided at its ends with lugs R¹ turned
down at right angles to the plate. The tube N is passed through holes in these
lugs in the manner illustrated in Figure 3 so that the shield Ŕ may be turned
about the tube N as about a pivot, the object of this being to enable the shield R
to be removed out of the way when it is desired to get at the burner for repairs
or other purposes.
A shoulder on one of the lugs R¹ by coming into contact
with a suitably situated pin R² holds the shield R in position over the burner and
allows of its being turned back in the manner described.
To prevent the flame from the burner striking back and igniting in the mixing-
chamber H H an openwork grid is arranged upon the top of the mixing-chamber.
This grid comprises a rectangular frame S which fits upon the top of the mixing
chamber, the frame carrying a series of straight and corrugated metal strips S¹ S
arranged side by side in the manner illustrated in Figure 4. The necessary small
openings for the passage of the combustible mixture are thus obtained, while
the metal strips S1 S2 can absorb a certain amount of heat if their width is regulated
accordingly. The frame S is attached to the mixing-chamber H H¹ by means of
a screw bolt T passing through a lug S3 on the frame into the top of the
tubular portion H₁ of the mixing-chamber.
It is obvious that the above described improvements may be varied for use in
combinations other than those above mentioned. Thus the method of supplying
air to the wick burners for preliminary heating of the vapourizer and mixing-
chamber, is capable of considerable modification to adapt it to various like
purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In an oil or similar burner returning the condensed vapour to the reservoir
by the same pump which maintains the air pressure therein.
2. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a mixing-chamber such
as H H H with a drainage tube of a receptacle for collecting the condensed
vapour and a pump for returning it to the fuel tank.
3. In an oil or similar burner an openwork grid formed of metal strips such
as $1 $2 for the purpose described.

page_text: T
4. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a jet nozzle of a vapouriser, a
mixing-chamber such as H H1 H2 and an openwork grid such as S S¹ S²..
5. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a jet nozzle of a mixing-
chamber such as H H¹ with a lip H2 H3 for the purpose described.
6. In an oil or similar burner the combination of a burner casing and a wick
such as M¹ M² substantially as and for the purpose described.
7. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a blow pipe device N N¹
of a burner such as M M M2 for the purpose described.
8. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a burner such as MMM²
for preliminary heating of the mixing-chamber or vapouriser of a shield such
as R R substantially as and for the purpose described.
9. The complete apparatus for the burning of liquid hydrocarbons substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of December 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.