AN IM- PROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING INFLAMMABLE AIR FOR ILLUMINATING HEATING PURPOSES, AND SUPPLYING THE SAME TO THE BURNERS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Giacomo Felice Marchisio, of No. 50, Baker Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING INFLAMMABLE AIR FOR ILLUMINATING*
Sealed the 31st January 1865, and dated the 4th August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Giacomo Felice Marchisio
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th August 1864.
I, GIACOMO FELICE MARCHISIO, of No. 50, Baker Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING INFLAMMABLE AIR FOR ILLU-
MINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES, AND SUPPLYING THE SAME TO THE BURNERS," to
be as follows:
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus for generating inflammable
air, which can be employed for illuminating and heating purposes, and
supplying the same to the burners. It consists of a metal case, which I
prefer to have of a cubical shape. This case is divided into two compart-
ments placed in communication by means of a tube provided with a valve.
The first compartment is subdivided into two divisions; one of these divisions
contains the slide valves and the other apparatus for giving movement to the
bellows herein-after mentioned, and regulating the entry of the air; the

page_text: other division contains a pneumonic apparatus, consisting of two or more
bellows independent of each other, all being in communication with the valves
above mentioned. Each bellows alternately draws in and expels the atmo-
spheric air, which is then transmitted to the second compartment as it is
required. This compartment contains an apparatus for agitating the paraffin
oil, petroleine, naphtha, benzol, or other hydrocarbon placed in this compart-
ment, and causing it to be taken up by or combine with the atmospheric air
of the chamber. The air being thus impregnated with inflammable matter
passes on through suitable tubes to the burner, where it is consumed.
spring or weights may be used to set the apparatus in motion, or the small
power required may be obtained from the atmosphere. On lighting one of the
burners a current of inflammable air is continuously supplied, and to repair the
consumption at the burner the required quantity of atmospheric air enters the
first compartment, and is passed into the second by the means before
described.
A
..SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Giacomo Felice Marchisio in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GIACOMO
FELICE MARCHISIO, of No. 50, Baker Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Giacomo Felice Marchisio, Her special license that I, the said Giacomo
Felice Marchiso, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Giacomo Felice Marchisio, 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING INFLAMMABLE AIR FOR
ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES, AND SUPPLYING THE SAME TO THE BURNERS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said. Giacomo Felice
Marchisio, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should par-

page_text: ticularly 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Giacomo Felice Marchisio, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, 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 an improved apparatus for generating
inflammable air, which can be employed for illuminating and beating pur-
poses, and supplying the same to the burners. It consists of a metal case,
which I prefer to have of a cubical shape. This case is divided into two
compartments placed in communication by means of a tube provided with a
valve. The first compartment is subdivided into two divisions; one of these
divisions contains the slide valves and the other apparatus for giving move-
ment to the bellows herein-after mentioned, and regulating the entry of the
air; the other division contains a pueumonic apparatus, consisting of two or
more bellows independent of each other, all being in communication with the
valves above mentioned. Each bellows alternately draws in and expels the
atmospheric air, which is thus transmitted to the second compartment as it is
required. This compartment contains an apparatus for agitating the paraffine
oil, petroline, naptha, benzol, or other hydrocarbon placed in this compart-
ment, and causing it to be taken up by or combine with the atmospheric air
of the chamber. The air being thus impregnated with inflammable matter
passes on through suitable tubes to the burner, where it is consumed. A
spring or weights may be used to set the apparatus in motion, or the small
power required may be obtained from the atmosphere. On lighting.one of
the burners a current of inflammable air is continuously supplied, and to
repair the consumption at the burner the required quantity of atmospheric air
enters the first compartment, and is passed into the second by the means
before described.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings, represents a front elevation of one
form of my apparatus complete, with the lower or second compartment shewn

page_text: partly in section; Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same, taken along the
line 1-2 in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional plan, taken along the line
34, shewing the internal arrangement of the second or lower compartment;
Figure 4 is a sectional plan taken through the cap or covering of the valve in
connection with the bellows; Figure 5 is another sectional plan of the upper
or first compartment, taken along the line 5-6 in Figure 1, shewing the
bellows chambers; Figure 6 is a detail plan of the under face of the valve;
and Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are details of a slightly modified form of
valve.
A is the first compartment, which is subdivided horizontally into two
divisions or chambers by a horizontal partition or plate B. The lower
chamber is provided with three bellows C, C¹, C", each bellows being
separated from the other by the three radial partitions D. As these bellows
may be of a similar construction to those employed in dry gas meters (which
are well known), I do not consider it necessary to give any further description
of them here. In lieu however of the bellows being worked by pressure, as
in the dry gas meter, where they are employed as measures, they are here
actuated by any convenient arrangement of motive power apparatus, such, for
example, as clockwork, driven either by a spring or weight, such clockwork
being attached or not to the apparatus itself.
In my Drawings I have represented the bellows as being driven from a
spindle E, which carries a driving pulley F at one end and a bevel wheel Gat
the other end. The bevel wheel G gears into a corresponding bevel wheel I
fast on a central vertical spindle I, which carries a horizontal crank K. To
this crank are jointed the inner ends of three connecting rods L, the outer
ends of which are jointed to lever arms M fast on the upper ends of the three
vertical rocking spindles N, which spindles carry the levers which impart
motion to the bellows C, C, C. The central vertical spindle I is supported
by a bearing on the top of the valve chest O, and has secured thereon the
rotating valve P (shewn in detail at Figure 6). This valve has a hollow
chamber a left in it, which chamber is of such a form and dimensions as to
connect any adjoining two of the six ports 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, in the valve face,
and also to connect such two ports with the central port b. The solid portions
of the valve are faced with leather or other suitable material, or may be
ground so as to fit air-tight on to the valve face. Q is the air inlet from the
outer atmosphere, through which all the bellows are supplied, and R is the
outlet for the air, such outlet being connected by a pipe S with the second or
lower compartment T, herein-after more fully referred to. When the vertical
spindle I rotates in the direction of the arrow (Figure 2), and the bellows are

page_text: in the positions and are moving in the direction shewn in Figure 5, the air
will be drawn into the bellows chambers I., II., and III., it will enter by the
inlet pipe Q, pass down through a hole d in the horizontal division plate B into
a small chamber e, which communicates only with a slot in a central tube f
leading upwards through the central port 6 in the valve face. This small
chamber and the slot leading into the tube f are contained within the
chamber V. of the bellows. From the central port b the air is drawn through
the ports 1 and 2, communicating with the interior of the correspondingly
numbered bellows chambers I. and II., the port 1 opening direct into the
chamber I., and the port 2 into the chamber II., through the intervention of
the curved passage 9 and aperture h, shown by a dotted circle. Whilst the
air is thus drawn into the chamber I. and II., the chambers IV. and V. are
expelling air through the corresponding uncovered ports 4 and 5, the port 4
communicating by the curved passage i and apperture k with the chamber IV.,
and the port 5 opening direct into the chamber V. The port 6 of the
chamber VI. is just opening to allow of the exit of the air therefrom along
the curved passage 1 and aperture m, and the port 3, which leads direct into
the chamber III., is just being brought into communication with the central
or air inlet port 6 by the onward motion of the valve. The air which is
forced out of any of the bellows through the uncovered ports in the valve face
euters the valve chest O, and passes thence into the chamber which contains
the mechanism for working the bellows. On the top of this chamber there is
an elastic diaphragm A' pressed down by a spring B', and this diaphragm
causes a constant and equal pressure to be applied to the air in such chamber,
which passes thence by the outlet passage R and pipe S into the lower com-
partment T. It will thus be seen that as the valve rotates it brings the
different chambers of the bellows into communication with the inlet and
outlet passages respectively, there being consequently a constant influx and
reflux of air into the bellows, and thence into the compartment T beneath.
The pipe S from the outlet R descends to near the bottom of the compart-
ment T, and is turned up, as shown, and provided with a valve U opening
inwards to the compartment, so that air may enter freely by the valve, but
cannot escape back through the same. This compartment contains any
highly volatile hydrocarbon, such as paraffine oil, petroline, naptha, or benzol,
and this liquid is kept agitated by the aid of a series of curved rotating
vanes W, which are acted upon and caused to rotate in the liquid by the
action of the current of air as it passes across the compartment from. the
valve U to the outlet pipe X leading to the burners. The vapour of the
hydrocarbon is taken up by or combines with the air as it passes through

page_text: the compartment, and thereby renders such air inflammable and capable of
giving light and heat by the employment of suitable gas burners. In order to
facilitate the taking up of the volatile portion of the hydrocarbon by the air
the latter is caused to permeate any fibrous material, such as cotton, which is
applied in the form of a loose yarn wound over open frames, such frames
forming the curved arms of the revolving agitator. Other frames Y, Z,
similarly covered with cotton yarn, are fixed inside the compartment T, so as
to separate the inlet and outlet pipes from the central portion, wherein works
the agitator. The object of these fixed, frames is to ensure the more thorough
impregnation of the air with hydrocarbon vapour by compelling it to permeate
the fibrous material, which is kept saturated with the hydrocarbon by capillary
attraction, whilst at the same time the frame Y serves to prevent the entrance
of dust with the air into the central portion of the compartment, and thereby
clogging the axis of the agitator and interfering with its rotation.
The modification of the valve herein-before referred to, and illustrated at
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, consists in causing the ports 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 to
open into the interior of a central chamber, which may be made slightly
conical, and into which fits, like the plug of a cock, the valve n. This valve
or plug is formed so as to connect any adjoining two of the ports with the
central port b, whilst the two opposite ports are left open to the interior of the
valve chest, and the ports on diametrically opposite sides of the central chamber
are closed or partly closed. This arrangement of valve will be found
preferable in practice, as there is less tendency for the valve to get displaced
on its seat.
The apparatus illustrated on Sheet 1 of my Drawings is intended more s
particularly for use in private houses and other buildings, but in cases where
motive power is readily obtainable and where a considerable number of lights
is required, I prefer to adopt the more simple form of apparatus shown in
side and front elevational section at Figures 1 and 2 (Sheet 2) of my
Drawings. The lower compartment T in this apparatus may be precisely
similar to that of the first apparatus, but in lieu of supplying the air by means
of bellows I employ a fan blower A, driven by any convenient motive power.
In order to render the apparatus more compact, and to produce or more even
and regular current of air, I prefer to use two or more small fans placed side
by side on one shaft in lieu of having a single fan of larger dimensions.
These two fans may be supported in any convenient manner upon the top of
the compartment T, which like the same compartment in the first arrange-
ment is supplied with hydrocarbon through the stoppered aperture o. The
spindle B of the fans works in suitable bearings secured to the fan cases, and

page_text: is provided at its centre between the fans with a small rigger or driving
pulley C, actuated by a strap, cord, or belt driven by any prime mover, or if
preferred the spindle may be driven by a weight or by clockwork. A pipe S
leads from each fan to the interior of the compartment T, and a cock or
valve D is fitted into each pipe for the purpose of regulating the amount of
air to be passed into the compartment according to the number of burners
turned on.
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 what I consider to be 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, arrangement, and combination of apparatus
for generating inflammable air for illuminating and heating purposes, and
supplying the same to the burners, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of a rotating agitator arranged and
operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Giacomo Felice Marchisio, have to this
my Specification hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of
February, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-foive.
G. MARCHISIO.
(L.S.)