Improvements in Apparatus for Burning Methylated and other Spirit, Hydro-carbon Oils, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Burning Methylated and other Spirit,
Hydro-carbon Oils, and the like.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD CADDELL, of 121 Oxford Street in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for burning methylated and other spirit
hydrocarbon oil or vapour and the like. The invention is capable of many and
various applications, but the following will serve to indicate the salient features.
One form of the apparatus may be used as a lighter for lighting gas, candles,
cigars and so forth. In this form the apparatus would consist essentially of a
block, stick, tube or the like of kieselguhr or equivalent porous material which
may if desired be carried in a suitable casing for example like a pencil case to put
in the pocket or hang on the watch chain or otherwise and to use it the end of the
stick or burner as I may for convenience call it is projected by any suitable means
such as tapping, pushing, or pulling or screw or other device, from the end of the
case, is dipped into the liquid fuel, say methylated spirit and ignited when it will
burn for a sufficient time to provide a considerable number of lights.
In another form the apparatus consists of a block or powder of the burner material
preferably kieselguhr, preferably though not necessarily contained in a suitable
casing into which opens a pipe or tube leading from a reservoir to contain the spirit
or oil to be burned, and provided with a suitable pump or equivalent device. The
burner may with advantage be situated at a higher level than the reservoir and when
it is desired to light the apparatus some of the spirit is pumped up into the burner
and ignited in the usual manner. According to the size and capacity of the burner
it will burn for a longer or shorter period with one charge, and if it is desired to
burn it for a longer time it is only necessary to punip up a little more spirit to
maintain the flame. To some extent the size of the flame can be varied by pumping
up more or less spirit. If desired the pump may be arranged by any suitable
mechanical means for continuous or intermittent action so as to maintain the supply
of spirit.
The burner will act as a wick if a portion of it be immersed in the spirit and with
this arrangement the pump may be dispensed with.
When using this burner with petroleum or similar oils they should be vapourized
and the vapour or gas burned after passing through the burner. Various devices
may be employed to effect this, a convenient one being to place the block or
powdered kieselguhr in a suitable casing and below it a small coil or flat vessel into
which the oil, say ordinary petroleum or paraffine may enter by gravitation from a
higher reservoir or under the influence of a pump or the like. The apparatus may
be started by applying a little spirit which in burning would heat the burner and
the coil so that the oil would be vapourized and burned in the form of vapour or
gas; or the coil may be otherwise heated so as to vapourize the oil. The coil may
be placed inside a hollow or recessed burner block, or between two separate blocks
of Kieselguhr or the like.
Where a powerful jet is required the spirit or vapour may be impelled by a
current of air or the spirit or vapour may be driven forward independently of an
air jet somewhat on the well understood principle of the blow-pipe or plumbers'
spirit burners.

page_text: The apparatus may be fitted with suitable supporting or suspending devices for
carrying kettles or other articles to be heated. The pump may consist of a tube, a
piston with a valve in it or other suitable device and as the oil or spirit would have
to pass through the pump when employed, before reaching the burner, the latter
may be at a lower level than the reservoir even if gravitation he not employed for
conveying the fuel to the burner. A cock or valve of any suitable description may
be employed to regulate or stop the supply of fuel to the burner.
Dated this 13th day of January 1894.
Improvements in Apparatus for Burning Methylated and other Spirit,
Hydro-carbon Oils, and the like.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD CADDELL of 121 Oxford Street in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, 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 apparatus for burning methylated and other spirit,
hydrocarbon oils or vapour and the like. The heavier oils, colza for instance, can
be used, but I prefer spirit or the hydrocarbons. The invention is capable of
many and various applications, but the following will serve to indicate the salient
features.
One form of the apparatus may be used as a lighter for lighting gas, candles,
cigars and so forth. In this form the apparatus would consist essentially of a
block, stick, tube or the like of kieselguhr or equivalent non-inflammable porous
material which can be charged with the liquid fuel and may if desired be carried in
a suitable casing for example like a pencil case to put in the pocket or hang on the
watch chain. To use it the end of the stick or burner as I may for convenience
call it is projected by any suitable means such as tapping, pushing, or pulling, or
screw or other device, from the end of the case is dipped into the liquid fuel, say
methylated spirit which it absorbs and ignited when the spirit will burn for a sufficient
time to provide a considerable number of lights.
In another form the apparatus consists of a block or loose mass of powder of the
kieselguhr or other burner material, preferably though not necessarily contained
in a suitable casing into which opens a pipe or tube leading from a reservoir to
contain the spirit or oil to be burned, and provided with a suitable pump or
equivalent device. The burner may with advantage be situated at a higher level
than the reservoir and when it is desired to light the apparatus some of the spirit is
pumped up into the burner and ignited in the usual manner. According to the size
and capacity of the burner it will burn for a longer or shorter period with one
charge, and if it is desired to burn it for a longer time it is only necessary to pump
up a little more spirit to maintain the flame. To some extent the size of the flame
can be varied by pumping up more or less spirit. If desired the pump may be
arranged by any suitable mechanical means for continuous or intermittent action so
as to maintain the supply of spirit.
The burner will act as a wick if a portion of it be immersed in the spirit and with
this arrangement the pump may be dispensed with.
When using this burner with the heavier oils they may be vapourised and the
vapour or gas burned after passing through the burner. Various devices may be
employed to effect this, a convenient one being to place the block or powdered
kieselguhr in a suitable casing and below it a small coil or flat vessel into which
the oil, say ordinary petroleum or paraffine may enter by gravitation from a higher

page_text: reservoir or under the influence of a pump or the like. The apparatus may be
started by supplying a little spirit which in burning would heat the burner and the
coil so that the oil would be vapourized and burned in the form of vapour or gas;
or the coil may be otherwise heated so as to vapourize the oil. The coil may be
placed inside a hollow or recessed burner block or between two separate blocks of
kieselguhr or the like.
Where a powerful jet is required the spirit or vapour may be impelled by a
current of air or the spirit or vapour may be driven forward independently of an
air jet somewhat on the well understood principle of the blow-pipe or plumbers"
spirit burners.
The apparatus may be fitted with suitable supporting or suspending devices for
carrying kettles or other articles to be heated. The pump may consist of a tube, a
piston with a valve in it or other suitable device, and as the oil or spirit would have.
to pass through the pump when employed, before reaching the burner, the latter
may be at a lower level than the reservoir even if gravitation be not employed for
conveying the fuel to the burner. A cock or valve of any suitable description may
be employed to regulate or stop the supply of fuel to the burner.
The accompanying drawings show in
Figure 1 a plan and in Figure 2 a vertical section of one form of apparatus
adapted for carrying out this invention as employed for burning spirit.
In these figures A is the vessel containing the spirit and B a charging cap. C is a.
pump consisting of a tube with a piston or plunger D, the stem D₁ of which carries
a head D' at its outer end and is encircled by a helical spring D' which normally
raises the plunger to the top of its stroke. The bottom of the pump C is provided
with a valve at C', another valve at E¹ being provided to prevent the passage back
into the pump of the liquid forced into the tube E. F is the kieselguhr block or
powdered mass which is shown supported in a casing G the upper lip G¹ of which
may be turned down over the block so as to prevent it from falling out.
Hare any
suitable legs or supports which may be rivetted or otherwise secured to the
casing G the upper portions H' serving as supports for a kettle or the like which it
may be required to heat over the flame. I is a strap of metal which may extend
around the reservoir A and the casing G and may be connected to the latter or to
the legs H; the operation of this apparatus is as follows:-
The reservoir A is filled with spirit through the charging orifice the cap B being
then screwed on so as to close it tightly. The pump is then operated so as to drive
some of the spirit along the tube E into the block F when it may be lighted and
will continue to buru until the whole of the spirit contained by the block is consumed
or the flame extinguished by blowing it out or better by placing a cap or cover on
to the casing G so as to close it in and exclude the air. When the flame requires
replenishing another operation of the pump will supply more spirit to the block F
and thus renew the flame or by surcharging the block with spirit the size of the flame
may be increased.
Where the circumstances permit of it the reservoir A may be placed at a higher
level than the pump C the spirit finding its way into the pump by gravitation and
passing if desired through a valve in the piston D and thence to the pipe E as
before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The employment of a block or powdered mass of kieselguhr or other porous
non-inflammable material for the purpose of absorbing an inflammable material such
as spirit or oil or vapour which is then burned upon the surface of the said block or
powdered mass substantially as described.
2. A lamp wick consisting of a block or powdered mass of porous non-inflammable
material such as described.
3. Burning hydrocarbon or similar oils by vapourizing them and passing the

page_text: vapour through a block or powdered mass of kieselguhr or similar porous non-
inflammable material.
4. A lighting or heating device consisting of a block stick tube or the like
of kieselguhr or equivalent porous non-inflammable material substantially as
described.
5. The combination with a spirit reservoir of a block or powdered mass to
which the spirit is supplied and upon which it is burned substantially as
described.
6. The combination with a reservoir such as A. and porous block or powdered
mass such as F of a pump substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete spirit-
burning device substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
8. An apparatus for burning hydrocarbon or similar oils consisting of a
block or powdered mass of kieselguhr or similar porous non-inflammable
material and a coil or vessel below it for vapourizing the oil substantially as
described.
9. An apparatus for burning hydrocarbon or similar oils consisting of a
hollow block or powdered mass of kieselguhr or similar porous non-inflammable
material and a coil inside it for the vapourizing of the oil substantially as
described.
Dated this 6th day of November 1894.
W. E. CADDELL.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.