IMPROVEMENTS IN VAPOUR BURNERS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Richard Middlemore Thomson, of 96, Buchanan
Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VAPOUR BURNERS." Ă
communication from abroad by Frederick Augustus Brown, of Newton,
Massachusetts, Edward Clark Brown, of Brooklyn, New York, and Nicholas
Richard Conner, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 6th August 1878, and dated the 19th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Richard Middlemore
Thomson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th March
1878.
WILLIAM RICHARD MIDDLEMORE THOMSON, of 96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, in'
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VAPOUR BURNERS." A communication from abroad by Frederick Augustus Brown,.
of Newton, Massachusetts, Edward Clark Brown, of Brooklyn, New York, and
Nicholas Richard Conner, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
This Invention consists in a novel construction of the burner with its air mixing
chamber and tube, and fittings for imparting heat from supplementary flames to the
naphtha feed tube, in order to generate gas from the naphtha as it passes from the
feed tube to the air-mixing chamber of the burner, as herein-after described; also in
a water trap attached to the feed tube to catch and retain any water that may
separate from the naphtha before it passes to the burner; and in the use of a
packing of brass clippings within the feed tube, all as herein-after set forth.
This new or improved burner and its said fittings for the burning of naphtha,
kerosene, and other hydrocarbons, has the vessels containing these placed about a
foot or so above the burner and feed or supply tube, which is fitted with a land
regulating or controlling tap or valve, and led horizontally for some distance, where
it is jointed to the lateral branch of the lower vertical burner tube, with needle hole
above and screw plug below, and surmounted by the air admission and mixing
burner tube above the small or needle hole and nipple or burner proper on top, all

page_text: constructed as so far described much as in other ordinary forms of vapour burners
for the burning of naphtha and other hydrocarbons.
By the improvements of this Invention, the upper or gas and air mixing tube with
the nipple on top is made portable, and fitted with a descending tube on one side,
opening into it near the top under the nipple, and straddling or branching out into
two close tubes on each side of and embracing and extending below the lateral
feeding branch, to conduct a portion of the gas down these to two small burner
holes in them for the new supplementary flames impinging up towards this branch,
so as to heat the small stream of liquid passing through it, and form it into vapour
or gas before entering the lower part of the mixing tube, and thus produce a steady
supply of gas and light at the nipple or burner proper.
An air-conducting shield or tube, open below and above, is fitted to the lateral
branch and under feed tube around the forked tube and flame to protect it from the
wind and draught, and conduct or heat the air or oxygen leading up thereto; and
should the under or supplementary flames be blown out, this shield would also
direct the gases up to the nipple flame and re-ignite the flames.
The shield or guard is formed with a slot for the holding and easy insertion and
removal of the portable mixing tube and its new supplementary burner or heating
branches.
A second feature of the Invention consists in forming a bulb or hollow chamber
to the lower side of the feed tube, fitted with a screw plug or tap below, and open
to the tube above, so as to form a trap or receptacle for the collection of any water
that may have been mixed with and become condensed from the naphtha as it
passes to the burner, and as the water is of greater gravity, it separatos from the
naphtha and settles in the lower part of the trap, from which it may be removed
when accumulated by opening the screw plug or valve. The plug has a right
angled bore or hole through which the water will find escape when the plug is
unscrewed sufficiently to expose the hole. This trap thus prevents any water
entering the burner, and hence prevents any sputtering or irregularity of the flame
from this cause.
The remaining feature of the Invention consists in filling a portion of the feed
tube with a packing of brass-punchings or clippings, which acts as a filter of the
fluid and retards the flow of the naphtha, so as to render it moro gradual and
uniform, and also assist in conducting the heat to the oil, so as to render, its
generation into gas more easy and effective when it enters the burner, without
corroding or getting choked up, as is the case with the packings heretofore used for
this purpose.
The lower regulating screw plug of the burner may or may not be fitted with the
regulating and cleaning needle; but for first operating or igniting this now or
improved burner, it is surrounded below with a small cup for containing sufficient
spirits of wine, which, when ignited, heats the burner sufficiently when the stop-
cock of the feed tube is then opened, so as to admit the naplitha and form the
gases, and ignite the supplementary jets, which will maintain the production of the
gas at the nipple, which may then be lighted, all so as to produce a more steady
and uniform light than has hitherto been possible with this class of burners and 4
hydrocarbon lights.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Richard Middlemore Thomson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th September 1878.
WILLIAM RICHARD MIDDLEMORE THOMSON, of 96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VAPOUR BURNERS." A communication from abroad by Frederick Augustus Brown,
of Newton, Massachusetts, Edward Clark Brown, of Brooklyn, New York, and
Nicholas Richard Conner, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
This said Invention consists in a novel construction of burner with its air-mixing
chamber and tube, and fittings for imparting heat from supplementary flames to the
naphtha feed tube, in order to generate gas from the naphtha as it passes from the
feed tube to the air-mixing chamber of the burner, all as herein-after described, also
in a water trap attached to the feed tube, to catch and retain any water that may
separate from the naphtha before it passes to the burner; and in the use of a
packing of brass clippings, or other equivalent metal clippings, within the feed tube,
all as will herein-after be more particularly specified for burning naphtha, kerosene,
and other hydrocarbons, or their gases or vapour and air.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing this said In-
vention may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several
Figures on the Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for that purpose,
the same reference letters indicating the same parts in the several Figures where
shown.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a vapour burner and its fittings complete, con-
structed in accordance with, and embodying the improvements of this Invention.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on the line x, x, in Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are a side and back elevation of the new or improved upper part
or mixing gas or vapour chamber D, E, of the burner detached.
Figure 5 is a front elevation of the lower part B, C, H, of the burner detached.
Referring to these Figures, this new or improved burner and its said fittings,-
Figure 1 has the vessels (not shown in the Drawings) for containing the naphtha,
kerosene, or other hydrocarbons to be burned, placed about a foot or so above the
burner proper (B, C, D, E, I), and its conducting or supplying and feeding tubes
A, A', fitted with an ordinary hand regulating or stop tap or valve z, and led some
distance horizontally, and finally jointed to the lateral branch B of the lower
vertical part or tube C of the burner, formed with a small needle hole g above, and
fitted with a screw plug G below; this tube C is surmounted close over the small
hole g by the air admission and mixing burner tube E, fitted with the usual nipple
or burner I proper on top; all, as so far described, constructed much the same as in
other ordinary forms of vapour burners for the burning of naphtha and other
hydrocarbons.
By the improvements of this Invention, the upper or gas and air mixing tube or
chamber E, with the nipple I on top, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 detached, is
made portable over the lower part C, shown in Figures 2 and 5, and fitted on one
side with a descending tube D, opening into it at e near the top under the nipple I,
and straddling or branching out below at the lower end into two forked close-ended
tubes D', D', on each side of, or embracing, and extending down rather below the
lateral feeding branch B of the lower tube C of the burner, so as to conduct a
portion of the mixed gas and air or vapour down the tubes D¹ to two small supple-
mentary burner holes d in them, for the new supplementary flames impinging up
towards this branch B, so as to heat the small stream of liquid passing through it,
and form it into vapour or gas when entering the part g, a, of the lower tube C, and
the lower part of the mixing tube E, where the air enters by the holes c, to mix

page_text: with the gas passing from the hydrocarbons, and thus produce a steady supply of
gas and light at the nipple I or burner proper.
A new air-conducting shield or tube H, open below and above, is fitted to tho
lateral branch B, and under feed tube C, around the forked tube D, D', and sup-
plementary flames at d, to protect them from the wind and draught, and conduct or
heat the air or oxygen leading up thereto, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1,
and should these under or supplementary flames at d be blown out, this shield
would also direct the gases up to the flame of the nipple I, and re-ignite the
supplementary flames.
The shield or guard H is formed with a slot at h above the tube C, for the holding
and easy insertion and removal of the portable mixing tube E, D, and its new
supplementary burners or heating branches D¹, D¹, and flame jets à.
A second feature of the Invention consists in forming or fitting a bulb or hollow
chamber L to the lower side of the feed tube A, fitted with a screw plug or tap u
below, and open at t to the tube A above, so as to form a trap or receptacle for the
collection of any water that may have been mixed with and become condensed
from the naphtha as it passes to the burner, and as the water is of greater specific
gravity, it separates from the naphtha and settles in the lower part of the trap L,
from which it may be removed when accumulated by opening the screw plug or
valve u.
This plug has a right-angled bore or hole r, through which the water
will find escape when the plug is unscrewed sufficiently to expose the lower lateral
end of the hole r. This trap thus prevents any water from entering the burner,"
and hence prevents any sputtering or irregularity of the flame from this cause.
The remaining feature of the Invention consists in filling a portion A¹ of the feed
tube with a packing of brass punchings or clippings, as shown at 8, which acts as a
filter of the fluid, and retards the flow of the naphtha, so as to render it more
gradual and uniform, and also assist in conducting the heat to the oil, so as to
ronder its generation into gas more casy and effective when it enters the burners at
g, without corroding or getting choked up, as is the case with the packings hereto-
fore used for this purpose.
The lower regulating screw plug G of the burner tube C may or may not be
fitted with a regulating and cleaning needle, but for first operating this new or
improved burner it is surrounded below with a small cup J, for containing sufficient
spirits of wine, which, when ignited, heats the burner sufficiently when the stop-
cock of the feed tube A, A', is then opened, so as to admit the naphtha and form
the gases, and ignite the supplementary jets b, which will maintain the production
of the gas at the nipple I, which may then be lighted, all so as to produce a more
steady and uniformn light than has hitherto been possible with this class of burners
and hydrocarbon lights. The air enters by the holes cat the lower part of the
chamber E, to mix with the vapour or gas as it rises from the hydrocarbon at the
upper expanding end a of the tube C.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
First. The general construction and combination of the parts of a vapour burner
and its fittings, for the burning of hydrocarbons for lighting or heating purposes, all
substantially as herein described in reference to, and shown in Figure 1 of the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The construction and use of forked or straddling tubes D, D¹, d con-
nected to or communicating by an opening e with the mixing chamber E, in
combination with and for heating the tube B by double flame jets at b, for the
burning of hydrocarbons for lighting or beating purposes, all substantially as
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.

page_text: .
Third. The construction and use of the shield H, in combination with the vapour
burner tube C, combining chamber E, and forked tubes D, D', d, all substantially as
and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Fourth. The construction and use of a water trap L in combination with vapour
burners for the burning of hydrocarbons, all substantially as and for the purposes
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
Fifth. The filling and use of a part of the feed tube A¹ with brass clippings 8, or
their equivalent, of vapour burners for the burning of hydrocarbons for lighting or
heating purposes, all substantially as and for the purposes herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Richard Middlemore Thomson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
JOHN BROWN,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
W. R. M. THOMSON. (L.S.)