IMPROVEMENTS IN EVAPORATING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Lipscombe, of 288, Strand, in the
County of Middlesex, Water Filter Manufacturer, for the Inven-
1° TeenBAHAN
Scaled the 18th February 1854, and dated the 18th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Lipscombe
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th August 1853.
I, FREDERICK LIPSCOMBE, of 233, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Water Filter Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EVAPORATING" to be as follows:-
Instead of generating vapour by fire, or fire in conjunction with
heated flues acting directly against a vessel containing water, spirit,
or other liquid, as is commonly done, I cause fire to heat air in a
chamber or chambers which are partly or entirely surrounded with
sawdust or other bad conductor of heat; inside the chamber or chambers
are placed a number of vessels, formed of metal, porous earthenware,
or other material, containing water or other liquid; the heated air gets
in contact with the vessels, and by the transmission of heat to them
vaporizes the whole or part of the water or other liquid contained in

page_text: them. The vapour being generated on the external surface of the
vessels when porous, thereby cooling the liquid inside the vessels, or
the vapour is generated inside the vessels when not porous, and from
thence conducted, and afterwards either condensed or used in giving
motion to an engine, or used for other useful purposes. One or more
channels are in connection with the vessels for the purpose of feeding
them with liquid, or for drawing off liquid, or for conducting the gene-
rated vapour from the interior of the vessels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent,
filed by the said Frederick Lipscombe in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
FREDERICK LIPSCOMBE, of 233, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Water Filter Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Frederick Lipscombe, Her special
license that I, the said Frederick Lipscombe, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Frederick Lipscombe,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EVAPORATING," upon the condition (amongst others
that I, the said Frederick Lipscombe, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain 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 within six calendar months next and inmediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Lipscombe, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the samic
is to be perfornied, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to a system or mode of generating vapour
by causing the heat derived from lighted fuel to heat air in a suitable
chamber or chambers, such chamber or chambers having one or more
vessels or tubes therein containing or being in contact with water,
spirit, or other liquid. The heated air comes in contact with the
vessels or tubes, and by the transmission of heat thereto vaporizes the
whole or part of the liquid in contact with them. The vapour is generated
on the external surface of the vessel or vessels, tube or tubes, when
porous, thereby cooling the liquid; or the generated vapour may be
conducted from the vessel or vessels, tube or tubes, when not porous,
and afterwards either condensed or used in giving motion to an engine,
or employed for other useful purposes.
Figure 1, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents
a vertical section, shewing an arrangement illustrative of my im-
provements in evaporating. Figure 2, is a horizontal section at A.
The heat from the lighted fuel ascends through a grating B, into
the chamber C, and heats the air contained therein. The smoke
means of wire netting
is prevented from entering this chamber
or wire gauze placed. immediately over the grating. The heater
air comes in contact with the vessels colored yellow, and the heat is
transmitted to the liquid D, which is in contact with them, whereby
vapour is generated, which is conducted away through the channel
E. H, is the liquid supply pipe; and J, the draw off cock for
drawing off the liquid when necessary. The smoke escapes through the
chimney K, the entrance to which is below the grating B. The large
vessel is, as far as practicable, encased with fire bricks for the purpose
of preventing loss of heat.
Figure 8, is a longitudinal section, shewing a modification of the
before-mentioned arrangement; and Figure 4, is a cross section of the
same at R. This arrangement differs from that before described in so

page_text: far as that the chamber C, and the vessels which are colored yellow, are
placed in a horizontal position. The under side of the chamber C, is
fitted with a grating extending its whole length, with wire netting
underneath the grating. Thus, while every facility is given to the hea
to ascend into the chamber, smoke is, as far as practicable, excluded
therefrom. The vessels are open at both ends, with the exception, of
the large vessel which surrounds the smaller ones, and the heated air
has access to a greater portion of the large vessel than in Figure 1.
Figure 5, is a longitudinal section, shewing another modification
of the before-described arrangements. Figure 6, is a cross section
thereof at S. This arrangement differs from those before described,
in having a case that surrounds the large yellow vessel and the
chamber C. an air space being left between them and the case.
Figure 7, is a longitudinal section of another modification of the
before-described arrangements. Figure 8, is a cross section thereof
at T. This arrangement differs from those before described in
so far as that the vessels which are colored yellow are circular, and
narrow in width, and have liquid within the whole of them. They
are placed upon two slotted pipes L, and P, and made steam and
water tight by a washer placed between every two vessels. The upper
slotted pipe L, is the vapour eduction pipe; the lower one P, the pipe
through which the vessels are supplied with liquid. In this case there
is no wire netting either above or below the grating.
In Figures 1, 3, and 5, the vessels that are colored yellow are repre-
sented as being cylindrical, on account of the strength and easy fabri-
cution of vessels having that shape. In ordinary locomotive and other
boilers the small tubular vessels similar to those represented in Figures 3,
and 5, are known simply as tubes; but these vessels may be made of
numerous other shapes, which have no particular name; the vessels in
Figure 7, are a specimen. I have thought it adviseable to designate
them all as vessels.
My object in using a number of vessels in preference to only one,
is for the purpose of obtaining as inuch as possible a larger heating
surface, upon the principle that the larger the surface the more rapidly
the heat will be communicated to the liquid; and I wish it to he dis-

page_text: tinctly understood that the principal feature of my Invention is, that
neither the chamber or vessels or tubes in that chamber act as flues,
one or more distinct flues being provided for the escape of smoke,
whereas in ordinary, locomotive and other boilers the tubes act as flues
for the smoke to pass through.
When it is intended to refrigerate a liquid a moderate heat from oil
or other lighted fuel only is required, and the steam eduction pipe is not
needed; it is then necessary that all the vessels having liquid in contact
with them, the supply liquid pipe II, the draw off' pipe, and the cock,
should be formed of unglazed earthenware or other porous material;
the liquid canses the porous material to become moist throughout its
substance; the moderate warmth from the lighted fuel causes a gentle
evaporation from the constantly moist surface of the porous vessels,
and the liquid thereby becomes cool, the vapour escaping from the
chamber or chambers. As only a moderate heat is required for re-
frigerating liquids and for generating vapour intended to be condensed,
as in distilling sea water, spirits, and other liquids, the heat derived
from coal, oil, or other lighted fuel may be allowed direct access into
the chamber or chambers by ascending through one or more openings,
or the heat may be applied to the external surface of the chamber or
chambers in any convenient manner, and so cause it to pass through
the material of which the chamber or chambers may be composed
before it comes in contact with the air therein; but when the vapour
is intended to be used in giving motion to an engine I prefer allowing
the heat to gain easy and rapid access into the chamber or chambers
in the manner shewn in Figures 1, 3, 5, and 7.
For the purpose of preventing loss of heat by radiation I enclose
the vessel or vessels and chamber or chambers as much as can con-
veniently be done with fire-bricks, sawdust, or other bad conductors of
heat; or I enclose them as much as possible in a case, as in Figure 5,
leaving an air space between. The chamber or chambers may be
placed upright or at any inclination or in a horizontal position, and
may be of any shape, and may be formed of fire-bricks, metal, or
other material or combination of materials. The vessel or vessels
may be flat or round or of any other form, and be all of the same size

page_text: and form, or may differ in these respects. They may be open at both
ends or at only one end, or closed, as is the case with the large vessel
that surrounds the small vessels seen in Figures 1, 3, and 5, and may
be differently arranged. The vapour eduction supply and draw off pipes
may be arranged according to convenience, and there may be more
than one of each. In addition to the steam and liquid pipes there may
be in communication with the vessel or vessels one or more safety
valves, steam and liquid guages, and other appliances usually fitted to
vapour or steam generators. That part of the chamber or chambers
through which the heat enters may form one opening or several open-
ings, and may extend the whole length or only part of the length of
such chamber or chambers, and may or may not, according to con-
venience, be fitted with a grate or gratings, or with wire netting. The
smoke from the lighted fuel may escape through one or more flues,
which may pass under the chamber or chambers, or aside, or in any
other direction; and the flues may or may not, according to convenience,
be supplied with one or more dampers for regulating the draught.
There may or may not, according to convenience, be one or more doors
in each chamber, or in the flue or flues, for the purpose of removing
soot therefrom.
What I consider as the main feature of my Invention is, the causing
of heat from lighted fuel to heat air in a chamber or chambers con-
taining one or more vessels or tubes having water, spirit, or other
liquid in contact with them, the whole or portion of the liquid being
vaporised by the heat, and the smoke from the lighted fuel being
allowed to escape into the open air through one or more flues having
one or more entrances below the level of the entrance to the chamber
or chambers.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of my
said Invention. But what I consider to be novel and original, and

page_text: therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general arrangement and construction of evaporating
apparatus, as herein-before described.
Second, the generating of vapour from water, spirit, and other liquids
for giving motion to engines for distilling refrigerating and other useful
purposes by causing the heat from lighted fuel to enter one or more
air chambers containing one or more vessels or tubes having water,
spirit, or other liquid in contact with them, the smoke from the lighted
fuel being allowed to escape into the open air through one or more
flues having one or more entrances below the level of the entrance to
the air chamber or chambers.
Third, the generating of vapour from water, spirits, and other liquids
by applying heat to the exterior of the air chamber or chambers so as
to cause the heat to pass through the material of which they may be
composed before coming in contact with the vapour generating vessel or
vessels in the interior of such air chamber or chambers.
Fourth, the application and use of one or more gratings placed
between the chimney entrance and the chamber entrance, as herein-
before described.
Fifth, the application and use of wire netting or wire gauze placed
between the chimney entrance and the chamber entrance for the
purpose of excluding smoke from the air chamber or chambers.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Lipscombe, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, the Eleventh day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.