A NEW OR IN- PROVED APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING BENZOLE OR OTHER SUITABLE VOLATILE HYDROCARBON, AND MIXING IT WITH ATMOSPHERIC AIR, SO THAT THE MIXTURE MAY BE BURNT FOR THE PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATION OR OTHERWISE
Year: 1853

page_text: Vaporizing Benzole or other suitable Volatile
Hydrocarbon, and Mixing it with Air, so that
the Mixture may be Burnt för Illumination,
&C.
LETTERS PATENT to Oliver P. Drake, of Massachusetts, in the
United States of America, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IN-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING BENZOLE OR OTHER SUITABLE
VOLATILE HYDROCARBON, AND MIXING IT WITH ATMOSPHERIC AIR, SO
THAT THE MIXTURE MAY BE BURNT FOR THE PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATION
OR OTHERWISE."
Sealed the 29th September 1858, and dated the 29th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Oliver P. Drake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th April 1853.
I, OLIVER P. DRAKE, of Massachusetts, in the United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING BENZOLE OR OTHER SUIT-
ABLE VOLATILE HYDRO-CARBON, AND MIXING IT WITH ATMOSPHERIC AIR, 50
THAT THE MIXTURE MAY BE BURNT FOR THE PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATION OR
OTHERWISE," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the combination of a heater and gas
burner with a water vessel and vaporizing chamber, so that by means

page_text: of the heater and gas burner, and pipes connecting them with the
water vessel and the vaporizing chamber, the whole or a part of the
mixture of air and benzole, or hydrocarbon vapor, produced by the
apparatus, may not only be used in any convenient place for the pur-
pose of illumination, but also for heating the water of the said water
vessel.
It further consists in the combination of a closed vaporizing chamber,
a rotary vaporizer or disseminator, and a rotary meter wheel and its
closed case, or an air-forcing apparatus, as made to force a stream of air
into and through the vaporizer, and against portions of it saturated
with the volatile hydrocarbon or benzole, the same being in order
to vaporise the benzole or hydro-carbon, and mix it with air.
It further consists in combining with the rotating meter wheel and
its case, and the hot water vessel, a coiled induction air pipe, made to
pass through the water in the said vessel, and thereby receive heat
therefrom, so as to warm the air as it passes through the pipe, and for
the purpose of facilitating the evaporation of the benzole or hydro-
carbon.
It further consists in combining with the induction air pipe a small
chamber, and a regulator slide and orifice, for the purpose of regulating
the temperature of air passing to or admitting cool air to the meter
wheel.
It further consists in a mode of making the disseminator; that is, of
two perforated heads or discs, a hollow perforated shaft, and absorbent
strands.
It further consists in the mode of using the meter wheel, its case and
liquid, as an air blast apparatus.

page_text: WHEREAS the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, by Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, of the year of our
Lord Eighteen hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth year of Her
reign, did grant unto me, the said Oliver P. Drake, my heirs, executors,
administrators, and assigns, an exclusive property or right for fourteen
years to make, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man,
an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING
BENZOLE OR OTHER SUITABLE VOLATILE HYDROCARBON, AND MIXING IT
WITH ATMOSPHERIC AIR, SO THAT THE MIXTURE MAY BE BURNED FOR THE
PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATION OR OTHERWISE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Oliver P. Drake, by an instrument of writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office, or Office
of the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions, within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Oliver P. Drake, do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following Specification, and the accompanying drawings, letters,
figures, and references thereof:-
My Invention consists in the combination of a heater and gas burner
with a water vessel and vaporizing chamber, so that by means of the
heater and gas burner, and pipes connecting them with the water vessel
and the vaporizing chamber, the whole or a part of the mixture of air and
benzole, or hydrocarbon vapor, produced by the apparatus, may not only
be used in any convenient place for the purpose of illumination, but
also for heating the water of the said water vessel. It further consists
in the combination of a closed vaporizing chamber, a rotary vaporizer or
disseminator, and a rotary meter wheel and its closed case, or an air-
forcing apparatus, as made to force a stream of air into and through the
vaporizer, and against portions of it saturated with the volatile hydro-
carbon or benzole, the same being in order to vaporize the benzole or
hydrocarbon, and mix it with air. It further consists in combining

page_text: with the rotating meter wheel and its case, and the hot water vessel, a
coiled induction air pipe, made to pass through the water in the said
vessel, and thereby receive heat therefrom, so as to warm the air as it
passes through the pipe, and for the purpose of facilitating the evapo-
ration of the benzole or hydrocarbon. It further consists in combining
with the induction. air pipé a small chamber, and a regulator slide and
orifice, for the purpose of regulating the temperature of air passing to
or.admitting cool air to the meter wheel. It further consists in a mode
of making the disseminator; that.is, of two perforated heads or discs, a
hollow perforated shaft, and absorbent strands. It further consists in
the mode of using the meter wheel, its case and liquid, as an air blast
apparatus:
Of the said Drawings, Figure 1, denotes a front elevation of my
said apparatus; Figure 2, is a side elevation of it; Figure 8, is a
rear elevation of it; Figure 4, is a vertical and longitudinal section of
it; Figure 5, is a transverse and vertical. section of it, taken through
the water heater and gas burner, to be herein-after described.
proper
shaped
In the same, A, represents a closed cylindrical or other
water-tight-vaporizing chamber.or generator, which is surrounded by, or
placed concentrically within a water vessel or cisterň B, that is to be
filled wholly or partially with water or a liquid, so that the same may
rest against the external surface of the said vaporizing chamber; there
being an opening or pipe C, in or at the top of the vessel B, for the
purpose of enabling. it to be supplied with water whenever necessary,
such water being poured into such opening or pipe.
Extending centrally through the chamber A, is a hollow shaft D,
which terminates at its front end in or is connected to a solid shaft E,
that passes through and turns in a water-tight stuffing box F, attached
to the head a, of the vaporizing chamber, and has a small grooved
pulley 6, fixed on it. The opposite. or rear end. of the shaft is made
open, and to revolve in a suitable bearing. c, applied to the head b, of
the chamber A. Two-circular-discs or metallic plates G, H, are fixed
on the shaft, and near to its extremities and within the vaporizing
chamber, the shaft-being made to pass centrally through them. Each one
of these discs is perforated-with numerous holes; which may be arranged

page_text: in concentric circles, as seen in Figure 6, which denotes a side view of
one of the plates. These holes are calculated to receive and support.
cotton or other suitable wicking, or fibrous rope or absorbent material, :
which is to be made to extend from disc to disc, by being laced or run
through the holes. thereof. Figure 7, is a side view of the shaft discs.
and lacing of fibrous material, which together I term the vaporizer I:
The hollow shaft of the vaporizer should be perforated with numerous
holes, so that when air is blown into the open end of the shaft, it may
be made to pass laterally out of the perforations, and to impinge-against
the surrounding strands of wicking.or fibrous material.
A short tube e, extends horizontally out of the lower part of the rear
end of the vaporizing chamber A, and opens into a vertical tube f,
whose top is arranged at the maximum height to which the benzolic
liquid in the vaporizing chamber is to stand. Screw caps g, h, are
respectively adapted to the upper. and lower ends of the tube f. By
removing the lowest cap from the tube, we are enabled to draw any
liquid out of the vaporizing chamber.
'
The hot water vessel B, also has a cock, i, adapted to its lower part,
by which it may be emptied of water whenever necessary or desirable.
Connected with the water vessel B, by means of two tubes k, l,.is a.
heater K, the tubes being made to respectively open into the upper and
lower parts of it. The heater consists of a cylindrical water-tight
vessel, composed of two tubes l, m, placed concentrically the one within
the other, and so that there shall be a water space n, between them,
which water space is closed by annuli o, p, at top and bottom. The
inner tube 1, of the heater is thus left open at both ends, so that smoke
or heat from the flame of a gas burner L, may pass up through it.
The lower end of the heater is provided with a small closing door or
turning valve q, which is to be so adapted to the same as to enable a
person to close the end of the tube l, to any desirable extent, in order to
diminish the current of heat passing through it. The gas burner L, made
in the ordinary way, is connected with the vaporizing chamber A, by a
tube . It is intended that the gas burner and the heater shall be
placed in any convenient situation. The tube 9', communicates with the
vaporizing chamber A, by being connected with one end of a short

page_text: horizontal tuber, that is made to communicate with the vaporizing
chamber by a vertical tube s. A pipe for transmitting the mixture of
air and benzolic vapor to other burners may be connected with the
opposite end of the tuber. An induction air pipe M, opens out of one
end of the water vessel B, and is coiled within said vessel and around
the vaporizing chamber A, and finally passes out of the bottom of the
vessel B, and enters the top of a small chamber N. In the top of
this chamber N, thero is a hole or opening u, which is provided with a
closing slide v, so adapted to it as to enable a person to either cover
the opening or uncover it to any desirable extent. Out of the bottom
of the chamber N, a pipe O, is led downwards and into the opening P,
of one end of a meter wheel Q. From thence it is extended upwards
above the surface of the water R, in which the said meter wheel is
partly immersed. This meter wheel is made in all respects substan-
tially like that of a gas meter, of the kind termed the "wet meter,"
and it revolves within a closed case S. As it is a well known con-
trivance, and as I would avoid unnecessary prolixity in the description
of my apparatus, I do not deem it necessary to enter into a further
explanation of its construction. It is made to revolvo in the water of
the case S, and to receive air from the pipe O, at one end, and
discharge it into the space of the case S, which is above the water.
From out of this space a pipe T, is led, and made to open into or
communicate with the open end of the hollow shaft D.
The axle U, of the meter wheel extends through and works in a
stuffing box V, applied to the side of the case S, and has a pinion
geer s, fixed on it. The pinions, engages with a train of geers and
pinions t, u, v, w, x, which are arranged and situated on three shafts
y, z, a'. The latter geer a, turns freely on the shaft a', and has a spring
pawl, fitted to one side of it, and made to engage with a ratchet
wheel c', fixed on the shaft a'. A cord d', has one end affixed to the
shaft a', the other end having a weight connected to it. By applying
a key or crank to one end of the shaft a', and turning it so that the
ratchet wheel shall slip on the spring pawl, the cord may be wound
on the shaft a', so as to elevate the weight. The descent of the weight
will set in motion the train of giers so as to communicate a rotary

page_text: Should the air become
motion to the meter wheel Q. The meter wheel is thus inade to force
air into the hollow shaft D, which, rushing out of its perforations, and
against the benzole liquid taken up by the vaporizer I, will cause the
liquid to be evaporated and mixed with it; the warmth of the air
serving to facilitate the process of evaporation.
too much heated, so as to produce an undue evaporation of the benzole,
an indication of which will be the production of an undue quantity of
smoke from the flame of the burner, the small slide 2, of the opening u,
may be moved so as to uncover the opening to the extent suflicient to
allow a proper quantity of cool air to pass into the pipe O, of the meter
wheel, and mix with descending currents of hot air. This, as a matter
of course, will modify or lesson the heat of the air passing into the
vaporizer. Should the water in the vessel B, become too hot, by
turning the slide of the heater, so as to interrupt the passage of the
heat of the flame of the burner up through the heater, we can diminish
or regulate the heat thercof.
The vaporizer is revolved by means of an endless belt f¹, made to
pass around the grooved pulley 6, and another grooved pulley g', the
latter being fixed on the shaft y.
gas
The common "wet meter" for gas, as ordinarily constructed and used,
has its wheel turned by the pressure of the gas. It is not rotated by a
power applied on the outside of the meter and to the shaft of the wheel,
as is the case in my apparatus. The meter wheel, its case, and the
fluid contained therein, are employed in my apparatus for an entirely
different purpose, and are made to operate in an entirely different
manner from what they are when used to measure the amount of
consumed or made to flow through the meter wheel.
of the meter wheel, its closed case, and the liquid
purpose of forcing air, or as an air blast apparatus, is new, to the best
of my knowledge and belief. In my apparatus, the meter wheel
receives air instead of gas, through the pipe O, and being put in revo-
lution, its chambers are alternately filled with air and water, so as to
force air into the space of the case that is above the surface of the
water. While the velocity of revolution of the meter wheel remains
The application
thereof, for the

page_text: constant, the equal measures of air are delivered into the vaporizing
chamber, and of course to the burner or burners, in equal times. The
resistance of the water to the wheel, while the latter is in revolution,
forms an excellent power to counteract the gravitating tendency of the
weight suspended from the cord of the axle a', and cause such weight
to fall with a regular velocity. Therefore, to increase the velocity of.
revolution of the meter wheel,. it will be necessary to increase the
weight of said cord.
On the back of the case S, there is a small open chamber a², it
being made open at top, and to extend down to.about the middle of the
end of the case. This chamber communicates with the interior of the
case S, by an orifice. The object of the chainber is to supply, or
enable a person to supply, the case S, with water, which may be poured
into the open top of the chamber, and will run from the chamber into
the case. A small screw plug d², is inserted in an orifice made in the
side of the chamber a³, at the height at which the water is to stand in
the case S. By removing the plug, the water from the case S, will run
out of its orifice until it reaches the level of the bottom thereof. An orifice
and screw plug, as seen at e³, is arranged at the lower part of the
case S, for the purpose of enabling it to be freed from water whenever
necessary.
An apparatus made in the above-mentioned manner will not only be
found very efficient in the production of benzole vapor mixed with air,
but will produce such a regular pressure and flow of such aèriform
mixture through its gas burner or burners as will cause an unsurpassed
steadiness in the height of the flame. Besides, the luminosity of the
flame is far greater than that of coal gas.
I claim as my Invention, the combination of the heater K, and gas
burner L, with the water vessel B, and vaporizing chamber A, so that
by means of said heater and gas burner, and the pipes connecting them
with the water vessel B, and the chamber A, the whole or a part of the
mixture of air and benzole vapor produced by the apparatus, may not
only be used in any convenient place, for the purposes of illumination,
but also for heating the water of the vessel B; as specified.

page_text: I am aware that, for the purposes of evaporanng saccharine nu a
hollow shaft, surrounded by plates and having perforations, has been
made to revolve over an open cistern (containing the saccharine liquor)
while air has been blown into such shaft, and made to pass against the
plates partially immersed in the liquor and put in revolution. I there-
fore do not claim such; but what I claim as of my Invention, and for
the purpose of vaporizing benzole or other suitable volatile hydrocarbon,
and mining it with air, is the combination of the closed vaporizing
chamber A, the rotary vaporizer or disseminator I, (placed thereon,) and
the rotary meter wheel Q, and its closed case S, or an air forcing appa-
ratus, as made to force a stream of air into the hollow shaft of the
vaporizer, and through or against the saturated portions of the dissemi-
nator, and into the vaporizing chamber or generator, so as to vaporise
the benzole or hydrocarbon, and mix it with air, substantially as above
specified.
And in combination with the rotating meter wheel and its case, and
the hot water vessel B, I claim the coiled induction air pipe M, as made
to pass through the water in the vessel B, and thereby receive heat
therefrom, so as to warm the air as it passes through the pipe, and for
the purpose of facilitating the evaporation of the benzole.
And in combination with the induction air pipe M, I claim the
chamber N, and its regulator, slide, and orifice, applied for the purpose
of supplying cold air to the warmed air, or to the meter wheel, in order
to diminish or regulate the temperature of the air passing into the said
wheel, and forced into the vaporizing chamber.
I also claim the peculiar mode of making the rotary dissemenator or
vaporizer (I); viz., of two perforated heads or discs, a hollow perforated
shaft, and strands of lamp wicking or other absorbent material,
stretched from one head to the other, as specified.
And for the purpose of an air blast apparatus, I claim the application
and use of the meter wheel, its closed case, and liquid therein, sub-
stantially in the manner as above specified; not meaning to claim the
method of using the meter for the admeasurement of gas, and wherein
the wheel of the meter is turned by the gas itself; but meaning to
claim it as having its wheel operated by a separate power, and applied

page_text: in conjunction with the water and closed case and induction and educ-
tion pipes, for the purpose of blowing air, as specified.
In testimony whereof, I, the said Oliver P. Drake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
OLIVER P. DRAKE. (L.S.)