Improvements in or connected with Feeding Liquid Fuel, such as Petroleum and other Oily and Inflammable Substances, to Steam Boiler or other Furnaces, and Burning same therein.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
PROVIDIUNAL DE VITTUATION.
Improvements in or connected with Feeding Liquid Fuel, such as
Petroleum and other Oily and Inflammable Substances, to
Steam Boiler or other Furnaces, and Burning same therein.
I, RUDOLF ALTSCHUL of 48 Royston Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Electric and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to feeding liquid fuel, such as petroleum or other oily and
inflammable substances to boilers, and burning the same therein.
In carrying my invention into effect, the plan I prefer is to employ hollow
perforated steel or iron bricks fastened to the links of an endless chain, which is
adapted to pass through the furnace of the boiler and through a tank filled or
partly filled with the oil which is used for combustion. The bricks, which are made
hollow and in the form of a kind of box, with removable top, are filled with loose
asbestos or any other suitable porous, spongy and non-combustible material. They
are adapted to be consecutively dipped in the tank, whereby they get sufficiently
soaked to produce a strong and lasting flame when ignited, suitable guide rollers
being provided for guiding the chain and feeding it forward.
It will be understood that various other forms of bricks or materials may be used
for conveying the oil into the furnace, such as compressed carbon, compressed
asbestos bricks, or any other oil absorbing material or contrivance. Any suitable
number of the endless chains, arranged in parallel rows, may be provided,
according to the size of the furnace, thus filling the furnace with such a number of
bricks as it shall be able to hold, the bricks entering the furnace at one end at
regulated intervals, and leaving the furnace at the other when wholly exhausted of
oil and heat and pass back by an underground tunnel or passage to the oil tank to
be refilled. The chains with the bricks fitted thereto are propelled by means of
sprocket drums of a length adequate to take the number of chains required.
largest or main drum may be connected by belting or any other driving gear with
the engine in such a manner that the bricks are intermittently fed into the furnace
and back again by the underground conduit to the feeding tank. Other drum and
sprocket drums are arranged to guide the chains in the proper direction.
The
To prevent any possibility of the heat igniting the oil in the tank, I propose to
provide a series of sprocket drums immediately in front of the furnace, constructed
of prepared rubber, compressed asbestos, or other suitable but incombustible
material. These drums may gear into one another, thus building up, so to speak,
a barrier between the furnace and the oil tank, and preventing any oil, which by
chance may have become ignited, from returning to the feeding tank. One of these
drums is provided with a spring axis, which is adapted to admit of the bricks
travelling to the furnace, but which springs back again to the normal position in
gear of the drum, immediately the brick has passed. This barrier arrangement is
a preventive in extraordinary cases, and in many instances will not be required, the
furnace being built in such a way as to preclude any spreading of Hame backwards
to the charged bricks as will be described later on. It is adapted for use in cases
where the oil is of inferior quality and low flashing point.
The boiler is preferably horizontal, the furnace being formed of a longitudinal
tube open right through from front to back, and provided with iron rollers for the
support of the chains instead of firebars.

page_text: '
This
In front of the furnace, I place a box or chamber covering completely the furnace
entrance. The front of this chamber, which I call the steaming box, is provided
with 4 or 5 or any number of hanging doors or flaps, corresponding to the number
of endless chains employed: These doors at the front of the furnace open inwards,
and permit the chains with their attached bricks to enter, closing immediately a
brick has passed by their own weight. Another row of these hanging doors admits
the bricks from the steaming box into the furnace itself, thus keeping the bricks,
when actually in the box, separate from those burning in the furnace.
steaming, box.is-provided with a suitable number of steam jets, arranged in circular
form, the object being to quench any flame in the steaming box and prevent fire or
sparks reaching the outside of the-boiler; or a water spray might be provided,
which can be employed' immediately the furnace is lighted and before steam is
actually generated in the boiler. This steaming box arrangement will be found a
very effective one, as the bricks will be prevented from being ignited before they
are introduced into the furnace. The steam jets are provided with valves, so that
the admission of steam may be regulated as required. At the opposite end of the
boiler, a similar arrangement of steaming box may be provided, with this différence
only, that the hanging flap doors open towards the outside instead of towards the
inside, and provide an easy exit for the exhausted bricks. Furthermore, the
steam jets in the back steaming box will serve also this further purpose, namely,
that they will baffle the smoke and drive it back into the furnace, thus compelling
it to make its way through the flues to the chimney. Further, it steams the
exhausted bricks thoroughly through, extinguishing any sparks which may be in
them, and ensuring the bricks being cooled when they re-enter the oil tank to be
replenished.
I propose to arrange, in front of the boiler, a tank which is adapted to take up
any drippings from the charged bricks. It is provided with a copper pipe, which
returns these drippings to a conveniently situated reservoir. I prefer to fill the
feeding tank only about with oil, just sufficient to permit the bricks to be
thoroughly soaked in passing through, and the tank is prevented being filled
above this level: Means are provided for at once emptying the tank in case
of danger:
The tank is preferably fitted with a glass roof with hanging doors to admit the
bricks passing into and out of the tank, the object of this glass roof being to enable
the attendant to look in.
Dated this 8th day of September 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Feeding Liquid. Fuel, such as
Petroleum and other Olly and Inflammable Substances, to
Steam Boiler or other Furnaces, and Burning same therein.
1, RUDOLF ALTSCHUL of 48 Royston Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Electric and Mechanical 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 :-
This invention relates to feeding liquid fuel, such as petroleum or other oily and
inflammable substances, to boiler furnaces and burning the same therein.
By my invention I employ hollow perforated metal bricks or blocks fastened to
the links of an endless chain, which is adapted to pass through the furnace of
the boiler and through a tank filled or partly filled with the oil which is used
for combustion. The blocks, which are made hollow and in the form of a kind of

page_text: ox with removable top, are filled with loose asbestos or any other suitable
borous, spongy and non-combustible material. They are adapted to be
consecutively dipped in the tank, whereby they get sufficiently soaked to produce
strong and lasting flame when ignited, suitable guide rollers being provided
for guiding the chain and feeding it forward.
The manner in which I prefer to carry my invention into effect will be
understood from the following description reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of my complete apparatus as applied to
a marine boiler;
Figures 2 and 3 end and top views respectively of a boiler illustrating the
mechanism for keeping the furnace chamber closed during the passage of the
conveyors through it and for preventing the flames from following the chains and
escaping from the fire-box;
Figure 4 a perspective view of the end of a sprocket cylinder over which the
chains pass.
Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the doors or aprons at the ends of the boilers;
Figure 6 an enlarged perspective view of the oil tank cover; and
Figure 7 an enlarged perspective view of the major portion of the oil tank to
better show the details of its construction and the construction of the tank rollers.
In the present instance I have illustrated my invention as applied to a marine
boiler, although it is obviously applicable to nearly all other kinds of boilers. The
reference numeral 1 denotes the boiler which is mounted in a suitable setting 2
and provided with a fire-box 3, extending the entire length of the boiler, and
having an opening at the front and rear. The petroleum is fed to the boiler by
means of a suitable number of endless chains 4, which pass through the fire-box of
the boiler and carry a series of non-combustible blocks 5. In the present instance
these blocks consist of perforated boxes 6 of metal filled with asbestos or other
non-combustible absorbent material. These boxes are interposed between the
links 7 and constitute a part of the endless chains, being removably attached to the
sides of the links by means of hooks 8 suitably fastened to the sides of the blocks.
The blocks are immersed in a tank 9 containing petroleum or any suitable hydro-
carbon, before they enter the fire-box of the furnace. This immersion or charging
tank is provided with three rollers 10, 11 and 12, and the chain and hence the
blocks are made to dip down into the tank by first passing over the top of the first
roller 10, thence down under the middle roller 11 and finally up over the third
roller 12 and on to the boiler. The middle roller is larger than the others and is
provided with sprockets 13 by which it is made to revolve by the movement of the
chain. The tank is enclosed by a removable glass cover 14 which serves to shield
the oil from becoming accidentally ignited by sparks of fire and at the same time
permits the interior of the tank to be always visible. A drain-pipe 15 at the side
of the tank connects with a larger valved drain-pipe 16 below the level of the
bottom of the tank and by means of which the oil can be quickly drawn off when
desired. An additional roller 17 is located beneath the glass cover at the point
where the chain turns to pass on to the charging tank. Hinged doors 18 are
provided at the end of the cover where the chains pass through it in order to aid
in keeping the cover closed as much as possible against the ingress of fire. To
prevent any possibility of the heat from the furnace igniting the oil in the tank,
1 interpose a fender or barrier 19 between the front of the furnace and the oil-tank.
This barrier consists of a number of drums 20, 21, 22, and 23 composed of fire-
proof material and placed one above the other with their peripheries in rolling
contact in order to leave no opening between them. These rollers are made to
travel in unison through the medium of sprockets 24 and sockets 25. The chains
of saturated blocks are allowed to pass freely yet tightly between the rollers 21
and 22 by permitting the journals 26 of the upper roller 21 and hence the roller
itself to yield and rise in the bearings 27 against the downward pressure of a
spring 28. A basin 29 is placed below the barrier rollers to catch the drippings

page_text: and these drippings are carried off to the drain-pipe by a pipe 30. Upon leaving
the barrier the chains pass into the fire-box of the furnace over a roller 31 at the
front of the box and over rollers 32 within the latter, and then pass out at the
back and over a roller 33 and a larger sprocket roller 34. This latter roller is
connected by a pulley 35 and belt 36 to any suitable source of power. At the
front and rear of the fire-box where the blocks enter and depart respectively,
I provide damper-boxes 37 and 38, both of which are constructed alike so that a
description of one will be sufficient for both. The box projects beyond the end of
the furnace and entirely encloses the opening to the fire-box. It is kept closed as
far as practicable, from the admission of air from the outside and of heat from the
furnace chamber, by hinged doors 39, the lower ends of which bear by gravity
upon the tops of the blocks as they pass through entrances 40.
The blocks are kept enveloped in steam as they pass through these damper-
boxes, by means of a valved steam pipe 41 connected with the boiler above and
provided with perforated circular steam-jets 42 within the box. By this means an
additional safeguard is provided against the spread of the flames from the furnace,
the smoke is forced to pass out of the chimney and the bricks are dampened to
extinguish any sparks before passing out. The cooling of the blocks, after they
have become entirely exhausted of their contents within the furnace, is effected by
passing them down and through a tunnel or conduit located below the furnace.
This conduit is given a sufficient length to permit the blocks to become thoroughly
cooled after which they are returned to the immersing tank.
Rollers 43 are provided at the bends 44 at the ends of the conduit to overcome
friction.
The mode of operation is as follows:-
After the absorbent blocks have first been immersed in the oil in the tank a
sufficient length of time to become thoroughly saturated, the chain is set in motion
and they are carried out of the tank, through the barrier, the dampening-box, and
on into the fire-box. Here they are ignited and the chain stopped to allow the oil
to burn out of the blocks, after which the chain is again set in motion and the
exhausted blocks passed out at the rear. While this operation is in progress the
steam-jets are playing on the blocks within the dampening-boxes at the front and
rear, and an additional quantity of blocks are soaking in the oil tank preparatory
to entering the fire-box. The chain is now advanced a step further to introduce a
new supply of blocks of oil into the furnace and at the same time pass an equal
number of exhausted blocks out at the rear. This slow, intermittent action of the
endless chains is kept up, the exhausted blocks passing out at the rear end of the
furnace, while fresh ones enter and are burned.
I have described the manner in which I prefer to carry my invention into effect,
but it is obvious that various other forms of bricks or blocks may be used for
conveying the oil into the furnace, such as compressed carbon, compressed asbestos
bricks, or any other oil absorbing material or contrivance. Any suitable number
of the endless chains, arranged in parallel rows, may be provided, according to the
size of the furnace, thus filling the furnace with such a number of bricks as it shall
be able to hold, the bricks entering the furnace at one end at regulated intervals,
and leaving the furnace at the other when wholly exhausted of oil and heat and
passing back by the underground tunnel or passage to the oil tank to be refilled.
Furthermore the fender or barrier arrangement interposed between the front of the
furnace and the oil tank is a preventive in extraordinary cases, and in many
instances will not be required, the furnace being built in such a way as to preclude
any spreading of flame backwards to the charged blocks. It is adapted for use in
cases where the oil is of inferior quality and low flashing point.
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 method of feeding liquid fuel such as petroleum or other hydrocarbons

page_text: to furnaces, which method consists of successively passing through the fire-box or
chamber, non-combustible bodies impregnated with hydrocarbon.
2. The method of feeding liquid fuel such as petroleum or other hydrocarbons
to furnaces and burning same therein, which consists in impregnating or charging
with hydrocarbon a chain or series of non-combustible bodies of absorbent or
porous material then passing same intermittently into the furnace, and burning
their contents to generate steam, after which they are passed out of the furnace,
cooled, and recharged with hydrocarbon, which is again burned therefrom,
substantially as described.
3. In a hydrocarbon furnace, the combination with the fire-box or chamber, of
an endless chain provided with bodies of non-combustible absorbent material
charged with hydrocarbon.
.
4. In a hydrocarbon furnace, the combination with the fire-box, of an endless
conveyor or chain provided with absorbent non-combustible material arranged and
adapted to pass through the fire-box, an immersion tank and mechanism for moving
the chain through the box and tank.
5. In a hydrocarbon furnace, the combination of an endless conveyor or chain
provided with blocks of non-combustible absorbent material, an immersion tank
through which the blocks pass, a cooling conduit and mechanism for moving the
chain through the fire-box.
6. In a hydrocarbon furnace, the combination with the fire-box, of an endless
conveyor or chain provided with non-combustible absorbent blocks or bodies
arranged to pass through the box, an oil tank through which the chain and bodies
pass, said tank being provided with a transparent cover.
7. The combination with the fire-box of a hydrocarbon furnace, of an endless
chain carrying bodies of non-combustible absorbent material, dampening-boxes
surrounding the chain and enclosing the ingress and egress opening of the fire-box
and an immersion tank.
8. In combination with the fire-box of a hydrocarbon furnace, a chain of porous
blocks adapted to be filled with hydrocarbon and passed through the firebox and a
dampening or steaming box enclosing the entrance of the fire-box and through
which the chain passes.
9. The combination with the fire-box of a hydrocarbon furnace of a chain of
porous blocks, an oil tank through which the blocks pass, and a fender interposed
between the furnace and the tank.
10. The combination with a fire-box of an endless chain of non-combustible
porous blocks passing through the box, an oil tank through which the chain passes,
a transparent cover over the tank and a fender composed of rollers, one of which
yields to the blocks as they pass between them.
11. The combination with the fire-box of a hydrocarbon furnace, an endless
chain of porous non-combustible blocks arranged and adapted to pass through the
box, and doors having their free ends in engagement with the chain of blocks as
they pass through the entrance and exit of the fire-box and an immersion tank
through which the chain passes before it enters the fire-box.
12. In combination with the fire-box of a hydrocarbon furnace and a chain of
non-combustible porous blocks passing through the box of an immersion tank and
devices for draining the tank.
13. The combination with the fire-box of a hydrocarbon furnace, of an endless
chain of hydrocarbon vehicles arranged to pass through the box, and doors closing
upon the chain at the entrance to the fire-box.
L 1007
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co., .
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.