IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BURNING AND DISTILLING PETROLEUM AND OTHER OILS TO GENERATE STEAM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th November 1867.-A communication from abroad by Adam
Robertson and Ananias Smith, both of Guelph, Province of Ontario,
Canada.
I, CLINTON EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR BURNING AND DISTILLING PETROLEUM AND OTHER OILS TO GENERATE
STEAM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This apparatus is constructed with a retort for containing oil having a steam
jacket or its equivalent in tubes or chambers, into which steam or its equivalent
is thrown for the purpose of heating the oil in the retort. The steam or its
equivalent rests on the upper or other surface of the oil in the retort for the
purpose of forcing it out through a pipe to a combustion chamber, which pipe
is also enclosed in a steam jacket. Atmospheric air is also employed to assist
combustion in connection with decomposed steam, both of which are forced in a
chamber and distributed in proper proportions with the oil or oil vapor as they
all issue from the orifices of the pipes into the combustion chamber. A pipe
also communicates with the chamber above the oil in the retort and is furnished
with a cock or valve by which so much of the oil vapor as may be desired
arising from the heated oil may be forced through a condensing pipe or worm,
thus producing distilled oil. When petroleum is the article by which the retort
is charged a water trap is attached either to the retort or discharge pipe into

page_text: which all the water held in suspension in the oil and the condensed steam are
deposited, and from which they are drawn off at pleasure, or when practicable
the water may fall to the bottom of the retort and be drawn from that in like
manner. By the above arrangement it is obvious that the lighter and more
volatile portion of the oil will be vaporized and may be utilized for benzole
illuminating oil or otherwise, while the more dense portion will be used as
fuel, carrying with it to the combustion chamber any foreign matter the oil
may contain, where it will be consumed or fall into the ash-pit. The apparatus
may thus be kept in constant work without danger of becoming choked by an
accumulation of residuum in the retort or discharge pipe leading to the combus-
tion chamber, the contents of which are under pressure and seek an outlet. The
steam pipe leading from the boiler and communicating with the retort being
carried through the combustion chamber is exposed to flame, raising the
temperature of the steam and of the oil in the retort, and the pipe leading
to the combustion chamber increases the amount of vapor required for
distillation when distillation is desired. The steam used to increase combustion
is decomposed by passing through a heated chamber partially filled with iron
turnings, filings, or analogous material. The vapor from the oil in the
conducting pipe, and so much of the oil as will not vaporize by the heat applied,
the decomposed steam and atmospheric air are all brought into contact or
mingled together by pipes enclosed in each other and which discharge their
vapors and contents into the combustion chamber whereby combustion is
maintained.
The construction and size of the apparatus are not confined to any particular
mode or dimension and the number and size of the burners, their construction
and character may be varied as circumstances may require. When desired
the steam jacket may be utilized for raising steam by having it arranged and
set up so that a fire may be applied to it, thus producing steam from water
placed in the lower portion of the steam jacket, and enabling the operator to
raise the first steam required for working the apparatus by the apparatus
itself, and to get up steam in the main boiler without using other fuel. When
steam is once got up in the main boiler the fire in the retort may be
discontinued.