Improved Means or Apparatus for Applying and Regulating the Heat from the Flame of Lamps, such as Oil, Spirit, or Petroleum.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improved Means or Apparatus for Applying and Regulating the
Heat from the Flame of Lamps, such as Oil, Spirit, or
Petroleum.
I, HENRY THOMAS KIRBY of 4 Market Street, Leicester in the County of
Leicester Dental Surgeon do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR APPLYING AND REGULATING THE HEAT
FROM THE FLAME OF LAMPS, SUCH AS OIL, SPIRIT, OR PETROLEUM, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
According to my invention I apply the heat from the flame of lamps which burn
liquids such as oil, spirit, or petroleum, by causing the flame first to heat a more
or less enclosed vessel containing liquid which in its turn is made to impart its
heat by circulation through, around, or by its contact with the chamber, receptacle
or pipe containing the substance to be heated, such heating medium or liquid being
caused by its expansion or contraction, due to greater or less heating to auto-
matically regulate the heating action, or the heat obtained from the said lamp, and
I ensure that the heating shall not be carried beyond a definite point by giving
more or less room for the liquid to expand before it checks the heating action of
the lamp. The action of this apparatus is therefore similar to, and was invented
simultaneously with my patent No. 1782, of 1886, for "Improved means or
apparatus for applying and regulating the heat of gas flames in gas cookers, boilers,
ovens or heaters."
The accompanying drawing is a vertical section shewing the mode of applying
and regulating the heat from lamps such as oil, spirit, or petroleum, according to
my invention. A is a vessel filled with water or other liquid heated by the
lamp B. Leading from the vessel A is a descending and ascending vertical pipe C,
in which there is a float D having a stem marked with a graduated scale connected
through the sliding rod E and a crank with the movable shutter or extinguisher F.
The height of the liquid in C is first determined by the stop cock N, then as the
liquid in A is heated or cooled it expands or contracts, and the level in the pipe
being thus raised or lowered, the float by its ascent or descent moves the
extinguisher F more or less over the wick, so as more or less to reduce the flame,
or allow it to increase. The float D may be fixed higher or lower by the set
screw G, giving more or less room for the liquid in A to expand before it reduces
the flame. Thus the maximum degree of heat in A may be limited with precision
as desired, according to the graduated scale on the float stem. By causing pipe C
first to descend and by making its descending part large enough to hold all the hot
liquid forced from A by expansion, the liquid in the ascending pipe is kept cool
and there is therefore no loss of heat by its exposure. As vessel A is filled at

page_text: pipe C all air escapes by the stop cock P, so that no irregularity of action need be
caused by the presence of air or gas in A, also if steam or vapour is generated in A,
on again condensing the liquid can freely return and refill it. Other mechanism
may be used instead of a float by which the changes in the liquid in A may be
made to act upon the shutter F, such as a piston or a flexible diaphragm whereby
the vessel A will be hermetically sealed, and then if so arranged, a known quantity
of air may remain in the vessel, but nothing must be allowed to escape whilst it is
hot or a vacuum would follow on cooling. Also instead of decreasing the flame by
moving an extinguisher over it the liquid in A may be made to move a diverting
plate more or less between the flame and the vessel, so as more or less to divert the
heat from it, or the lamp B may be placed on a swinging arm and made to recede
from or approach the vessel A, as the heat in it increases or diminishes. By coil H
situated in, and heated by its contact with the liquid contained in vessel A, any
fluid passed through H is rapidly heated and the liquid in A being thus contracted
by its loss of heat, causes the wick of the lamp to be more or less uncovered and
the flame thereby allowed to increase in proportion, but on the fluid ceasing to pass
through H the liquid again becomes expanded and the flame reduced. To prevent
the flame from being extinguished it will be better to provide a stop so that the
shutter cannot entirely cover the wick. In the way described fluid may be heated
rapidly and the heat of the flame will regulate itself according to the amount
carried off by the fluid heated. By carrying pipe C higher so that there is greater
pressure in A from the increased vertical column of liquid contained in the pipe,
greater heat may be attained. The vessel A may be extended, or the liquid it
contains may be made to circulate through pipes to distribute its heat to other
liquids or to warm enclosed spaces such as fern cases, incubators or foster mothers
where a uniform temperature is needed, as the heat can be limited as required, to
to the lowest degree. Or the liquid may be admitted to pipes J, as shewn in the
drawing, to beat or increase the heating surface of chamber K, in which some kinds
of cooking, boiling, or heating may be done, and vessel K may be made steamtight
instead of having a loose cover as shewn, so that in it steam may be generated and
used for power or other purposes, and in such a boiler no danger could arise either
from overheating or from the boiler becoming dry. Water or other-liquid may
also be raised to a high temperature enclosed in a vessel thus heated, without loss
from evaporation and with great safety, as all the heat that can reach it must first
pass through the regulator and thereby adjust the flame. Although as represented
in the drawing, the coil H and the chamber K. may be heated by the same regu-
lating fluid, it will generally be better to construct each kind of heater separately,
so that the use of one cannot interfere with the use of the other by carrying away
too much heat, as might be the case if combined.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
In combination with a lamp, such as oil, spirit, or petroleum a vessel containing
liquid heated directly by the lamp and arranged to impart heat to another vessel
chamber or a pipe which may contain the object to be heated, the said first heated
vessel being provided with apparatus which according as the liquid is more or less
expanded by the heat or contracts by cooling, causes the lamp to heat it less or
more, thus effecting automatic regulation of the heat substantially as herein
described.
Dated this Fourth day of November 1886