the Production of Light and Heat for Various Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: the Production of Light and Heat for Various Purposes.
I, GEORGE RICHARD POSTLETHWAITE of Park Road, Aston Manor near Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR CONSUMING HYDRO-CARBON
OILS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LIGHT AND HEAT FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES," to be
as follows:-
My invention has reference to burners for consuming hydro-carbon oils for the
production of light and heat for various purposes, such for example, as lamps for
lighting or illuminating purposes, and stoves and furnaces for heating and warming
purposes in the manner hereinafter described, whereby great illuminating power,
and considerable heat is thereby obtained in a simple and efficient manner; and
my said invention consists in constructing and arranging burners or the parts of
burners to be applied to lamps and other illuminating objects; and to stoves and
the like for heating and warming purposes, and also to furnaces for the generation
of steam and for other purposes in which any of the light or suitable hydro carbon
oils are consumed; and as it will be hereinafter demonstrated, that in my burner, a
marked advance has been attained beyond burners now in common use, thus the
best burner is what is known as the "Duplex" consisting of two separate wicks,
arranged at or about three quarters of an inch apart, which are fed with oil from
the same container or source of supply. Each wick gives out a light quite inde-
pendent of the other; and each light or flame appears through or is confined to
its own aperture or slit in the cone shaped metal summit which forms the top of
the burner, and this part is usually termed the "cone." There are also burners
consisting of more than two wicks and corresponding apertures but these are not
used as a rule on lamps for domestic purposes. The construction of a "duplex
Burner" now at present used having been fully explained, and as might be
expected the light from such a burner is nearly double what it otherwise would be,
from a burner consisting of one wick only, but there is nothing saved, as double
the liquid
being consumed, and the inner sides of each flame are to some extent
diminished in their radient luminosity.
It matters not whether a burner consists of one, two or more wicks which said
wicks may be narrow or wide, the light produced is in an exact ratio to the liquid
consumed in a given time; thus if a pint of paraffin oil be taken, it contains a

page_text: fixed amount of heat units, and by a judicious mixture of air during combustion,
these heat units are converted into light, but every arrangement hitherto made in
these burners are exactly alike in their results; that is, the light produced is in an
exact proportion to the amount of consumption in a given time as before stated;
or in other words, if a one inch single wick burner giving the most favourable
results will consume one pint of liquid in 16 hours, a double wick burner of the
same width will give about double the light and will get through the pint of
liquid in half the time, and a single wick half inch wide will at its best give half
the light of a single one inch wick, and take thirty two hours to consume the pint
of liquid, and in fact all this is verified by instinctively lowering the light when it
is required to economise consumption, which has the same effect as using a narrower
wick.
From the foregoing remarks it may be safely concluded that there is no gain, or
very little saving in any arrangement or combination of the wick or wicks. Any
increase in the intensity of the light is only gained by a relative consumption of
liquid. It must of course be admitted that there are lamps made by more
experienced firms which give much better results even when time and consumption
are equivalent in both cases; and this is accounted for in various ways, but in
either case it does not alter the law of fixed proportions, for a smoky, and impure
light is always a sluggish one in regard to consumption.
From the foregoing facts it would appear impossible to gain any better or more
economical results, than the present methods or appliances now in use of which
have explained for the purpose of showing the difference between what is now in
use and my own invention.
First I construct a burner similar to any of the usual forms externally, and the
said burner is provided with two wicks and wick tubes similar to the "Duplex
burner" but I fix the two wick holders which carry the wicks at less than, or
about one half the distance apart to what they are placed in an ordinary" duplex
burner" and so far each wick is quite independent of each other.
The wicks may
be raised or lowered separately or they may be joined into one action, or coupled
to work together. The combined flame from each or the two wicks is made to pass
through or be presented but to one aperture or elit in the cone as before described
instead of one aperture being employed to each flame, as is usual. This single
aperture or Hame slit in the cone, is made somewhat smaller than what is usually
done for a single wick. A burner so constructed according to my invention by
the simple difference of passing two wick flames or lights through one cone
aperture the air current which supports combustion becomes so much more heated,
and so promotes and creates a greater intensity of light accordingly; also a further
advantage accrues, from the fact, that for a limited height above the cone aperture
or slit, the two flames are separated by an extraordinary thin film or stratum of
heated air; and up to this point, there really exists two flames, the light is at this
part not so diaphanous as it will afterwards be when passing through the cone
aperture, drawn there-through by the force or impulse thus created as hereinbefore
described.
And lastly, the flames of the two wicks after passing through the single aperture
or flame slit in the cone coalesce into a single flame, which is enhanced in size and
luminosity at least four or five times what the flames were before impingement;
that is to say, the two flames proceeding from the pair of wicks which lie under
and somewhat opposite the slit in the cone gradually converge at a point a little
removed above the slit or aperture and there coalesce into a single flame which is
instantly evolved into a flame of great size and of intense illuminosity; thus the
flames before impingement, are flames of a like nature that would be produced
under ordinary circumstances; but instantly the flames are made to coalesce by
impingement, then instantly the flame shoots upwards, and expands into a flame of
intense brilliancy, without at all changing the positions of the wicks.
The consumption of each wick separately at the height of flame necessary for
the best results when in contact is about one fourth that required to maintain a,

page_text: good light in an ordinary Duplex burner this would show a saving in consumption
of one half for lights of equal intensity; but when both flames coalesce into one,
then the consumption increases somewhat; and the final results are such that a
flame of equal intensity to the best "Duplex burner" is produced with a saving of
about one third the consumption.
Having described the nature of my invention with regard to the production of
light I will now proceed to describe the means of producing a much greater heating
flame than what has hitherto been accomplished by any other form of burner which
consumes liquid hydro-carbons.
To change a luminous flame or the flame hercin-before described, into that of a
heat flame, for warming and heating purposes, it is only necessary to raise the
wicks a little higher than they were raised for the production of a luminous flame,
when a greater portion of the illuminosity disappears, and an orange tinted flame
of a very intense heat is produced without smoke or smell; in fact the heating
power obtained by the burner as already described, is in advance of that produced
by coal gas and at about half the cost without the evils of a tainted atmosphere,
impregnated with the products of unconsumed volatilized hydro-carbon; so that
by constructing burners with two or more wicks and a single cone aperture, the
burner can be used either for the production of light or for the production of heat
as may be required by simply raising or lowering the wicks accordingly; and it
matters but little how high the wicks be raised (to within certain limits with
respect to the burner) no smoke is produced, as would be the case, in burners of
the ordinary construction.
For extinguishing the lamp when no light is required, it is scarcely necessary to
employ an extinguisher, as the turning down of the wicks and the raising of the
cone extinguishes the lights.
To make the burner shadowless, the globe holder and gallery is made skeleton
form, consisting of two or more strips of metal disposed in the direction of radii,
and projecting from the body of the burner. The ends of the bars constituting the
gallery of the burner are turned at right angles so as to embrace the bottom edge
of the rim of the globe and by such means, the burner is rendered shadowless, or
nearly so, while at the same time freely admitting air to the said burner.
The application of my invention to furnaces for the heating of steam boilers and
the like, and also for heating and warming generally, differs in no essential respect.
from its application as herein before described.
The burners may be arranged in a series, so as to concentrate the light or heat
developed upon any object or for any purpose as it may be required.
The burners may also be arranged with a series of single slits, and each single
slit is provided with double wicks or wick cases, so that to either embrace a circle,
quadrangle or other space, which the burners enclose-This modification is simply
a duplication of single cone apertures and single wick cases as hereinbefore
described.

page_text: Improvements in Burners for Consuming Hydro-carbon Oils for
the Production of Light and Heat for Various Purposes.
I, GEORGE RICHARD POSTLETHWAITE of Park Road Aston Manor near Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR CONSUMING HYDRO-CARBON
OILS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LIGHT AND HEAT FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES," and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has reference to burners for consuming hydro carbon oils for the
production of light and heat for various purposes; such for example, as lamps for
lighting or illuminating purposes, and stoves and furnaces for heating and warming
purposes in the manner hereinafter described; whereby great illuminating power
and considerable heat is thereby obtained in a simple and efficient manner; and
my said invention consists in constructing and arranging burners or the parts of
burners to be applied to lamps and other illuminating objects; and to stoves and
the like for heating and warming purposes, and also to furnaces for the generation
of steam and for other purposes in which any of the light or suitable hydro carbon
oils are consumed; and as it will be hereinafter demonstrated, that in my burner,
a marked advance has been attained beyond burners now in common use; thus
the best burner is what is known as the "Duplex," consisting of two separate
wicks, arranged at or about three quarters of an inch apart, which are fed with oil
from the same container or source of supply. Each wick gives out a light quite
independent of the other; and each light or flame appears through, or is confined
to its own aperture or slit in the cone shaped metal summit, which forms the top of
the burner, and this part is usually termed the "cone." There are also burners
consisting of more than two wicks and corresponding apertures, but these are not
used as a rule on lamps for domestic purposes. The construction of a duplex
burner "now at present used having been fully explained, and as might be expected,
the light from such a burner is nearly double what it would otherwise be, from a
burner consisting of one wick only, but there is nothing saved, as double the liquid
is being consumed, and the inner sides of each flame are to some extent diminished
in their radiant luminosity.
It matters not whether a burner consists of one, two or more wicks which said
wicks may be narrow or wide, the light produced is in an exact ratio to the liquid
consumed in a given time; thus, if a pint of paraffin oil be taken, it contains a
fixed amount of heat units, and by a judicious mixture of air during combustion,
these heat units are converted into light, but every arrangement hitherto made
in these burners are exactly alike in their results; that is, the light produced is in
an exact proportion to the amount of consumption in a given time as before stated;
or in other words, if a one inch single wick burner giving the most favourable
results will consume one pint of liquid in 16 hours, a double wick burner of the
same width will give about double the light and will get through the pint of liquid
in half the time, and a single wick half an inch wide will at its best give half the
light of a single one inch wick, and take thirty-two hours to consume the pint

page_text: of liquid, and in fact all this is verified by instinctively lowering the light when
it is required to economise consumption, which has the same effect as using a
narrower wick.
From the foregoing remarks it may be safely concluded that there is no gain, or
very little saving in any arrangement or combination of the wick or wicks. Any
increase in the intensity of the light is only gained by a relative consumption of
liquid. It must of course be admitted that there are lamps made by more experienced
Firms which give much better results even when time and consumption are equi-
valent in both cases; and this is accounted for in various ways, but in either case
it does not alter the law of fixed proportions, for a smoky and impure light is
always a sluggish one in regard to consumption.
From the foregoing facts it would appear impossible to gain any better or more
economical results, than the present methods or appliances now in use of which
I have explained for the purpose of showing the difference between what is now.
in use and my own invention."
First I construct a burner similar to any of the usual forms externally, and the
said burner is provided with two wicks and wick tubes, similar to the "Duplex
burner," but I fix the two wick holders which carry the wicks at less than, or
about one half the distance apart to what they are placed in an ordinary "duplex
burner," and so far each wick is quite independent of each other. The wicks may
be raised or lowered separately, or they may be joined into one action, or coupled,
to work together. The combined flame from each or the two wicks is made to
pass through or be presented but to one aperture or slit in the cone as before.
described, instead of one aperture being employed to each flame, as is usual. This
single aperture or flame-slit in the cone, is inade somewhat smaller than what is
usually done for a single wick. A burner so constructed according to my invention
by the simple difference of passing two wick flames or lights through one cone
aperture, the air current which supports combustion becomes so much more heated,,
and so promotes and creates a greater intensity of light accordingly; also a further
advantage accrues, from the fact, that for a limited height above the cone aperture
or slit, the two flames are separated by an extraordinary thin film or stratum of
heated air; and up to this point, there really exists two flames, the light is at this.
part is not so diaphanous as it will afterwards be when passing through the cone
aperture, drawn therethrough by the force or impulse thus created as herein before
described; and lastly, the flames of the two wicks after passing through the single
aperture or flame-slit in the cone coalesce into a single flame, which is enhanced
in size and luminosity at least four or five times what the flames were before
impingement; that is to say, the two flames proceeding from the pair of wicks
which lie under and somewhat opposite the slit in the cone gradually converge
at a point a little removed above the slit or aperture and there coalesce into a
single flame which is instantly evolved into a flame of great size and of intense
illuminosity; thus the flames before impingement, are flames of a like nature that
would be produced under ordinary circumstances, but instantly the flames are
made to coalesce by impingement, then instantly the flame shoots upwards, and
expands into a flame of intense brilliancy, without at all changing the positions
of the wicks.
The consumption of each wick separately at the height of flame necessary for
the best results when in contact is about one fourth that required to maintain a
good light in an ordinary "duplex burner;" this would show a saving in consump-
tion of one half for lights of equal intensity; but when both flames coalesce into
one, then the consumption increases somewhat; and the final results are such that
a flame of equal intensity to the best Duplex burner is produced, with a saving of
about one third the consumption.
Having described the nature of my invention with regard to the production of
light, I will now proceed to describe the means of producing a much greater heating
flaine than what has hitherto been accomplished by any other form of burner which
consumes liquid hydro-carbons.

page_text: To change a luminous flame or the flame bereinbefore described, into that of
a heat flame, for warming and heating purposes, it is only necessary to raise the
wicks a little higher than they were raised for the production of a luminous flame,
when a greater portion of the illuminosity disappears, and an orange tinted flame of
a very intense heat is produced without smoke or smell; in fact the heating power
obtained by the burner as already described, is in advance of that produced by
coal gas, and at about half the cost without the evils of a tainted atmosphere,
impregnated with the products of unconsumed volatilized hydro-carbon; so that
by constructing burners with two or more wicks and a single cone aperture, the
burner can be used either for the production of light or for the production of
heat as may be required, by simply raising or lowering the wicks accordingly;
and it matters but little how high the wicks be raised (to within certain limits
with respect to the burner) no smoke is produced, as would be the case in burners'
of the ordinary construction.
For extinguishing the lamp when no light is required, it is scarcely necessary to
employ an extinguisher, as the turning down of the wicks and the raising of the
cone, extinguishes the lights.
To make the burner shadowless, the globe holder and gallery is made skeleton
form, consisting of two or more strips of metal disposed in the direction of radii,
and projecting from the body of the burner. The ends of the bars constituting
the gallery of the burner are turned at right angles so as to embrace the bottom
edge of the rim of the globe, and by such means, the burner is rendered shadowless
or nearly so, while at the same time freely admitting air to the said burner.
The application of my invention to furnaces for the heating of steam boilers and
the like, and also for heating and warming generally, differs in no essential respect
from its application as herein before described.
The burners may be arranged in a series, so as to concentrate the light or heat
developed upon any object or for any purpose as it may be required.
The burners may also be arranged with a series of single slits, and each single
slit is provided with double wicks or wick cases, so that to either embrace a circle,
quadrangle or other space, which the burners enclose. This modification is simply a
duplication of single cone apertures and single wick cases as herein before described.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section a lamp burner (for the burning of light or
volatile oils) constructed according to my invention. The said section is taken at
right angles to the direction of the wick tubes, or across the flame slit or aperture
in the cone.
Figure 2 is a vertical section, taken at right angles to figure 1, leaving the wick
tubes in elevation. Figure 3 is a plan of the lamp burner, showing the positions
of the wick tubes with respect to the single slit; the wick tubes being shown in
dotted lines. Figures 4 and 5 represent sections of the said lamp burners figures 1
and 2, but provided with gallery raising mechanism which constitutes no part of my
present invention. Figure 6 is a plan of a perforated diaphragm situated in the
body of the burner, and figure 7 is the perforated diaphragm which is situated at
the base of the cone. Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 show the wick tubes, provided with
wick raising gear. The wheels which raise and lower the wicks within the tubes
also gear with each other, so as to raise both wicks at the same time, on motion
being imparted to the axis of the turn.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the Drawing.
a is a single slit, crossing the crown of the cone a² of the burner. b bare two
wick tubes, disposed parallel to each other, and terminating at a short distance
from the inside top of the said cone, and that the said wick tubes are so disposed
with respect to the single slit within the cone that if the inside edges of the wick 5
cases carrying the wicks were prolonged upwards, they would strike the inside
edges of the cone slit or aperture, that is, the solid of the metal surrounding the

page_text: Single cone aperture, overhangs the wick cases, to an extent as represented and
best seen in figures 1, 3 and 5-Although I do not limit myself to the exact
amount of overhanging; yet I have found in practice that the best position is that
as represented as herein before stated; or in other words, the distance between the
wick tubes which lie immediately under the slit aperture in the cone, is greater
(more or less) than the breadth of the slit in the cone. The object is, to make the
flames given off from the summit of each wick tube, to strike the underside of the
cone of the burner on opposite sides of the slit, which flames thus converge and
there coalesce into a single flame of great size and intense illuminosity. The flames
before impingement, are flames of a like kind that would be produced under
ordinary circumstances, but instantly the flames are inade to collectively impinge
or strike the sides of the slit and converge towards each other, then instantly the
flames coalesce into a flame as above stated.
c is the gallery of the burner, with radial arms c² attached to the base of the
cone, the lower part d of which said base, is made to fit freely over the under part,
and to take a bearing upon the ledge or flange e running around the burner body.
By this means, the summit, or crown of the cone is made to fit much nearer to
•
the top of the wick cases (as shown in the principal sections).
fis the perforated diaphragm situated near the top of the body of the burner,
and g is a perforated diaphragm at the base of the cone. The perforations are made
smaller or finer than is usual, but as dense as possible.
The said perforated diaphragmns fand g form kind of baffle plates, for checking
or regulating the amount of air to be supplied to the flame, which at the same
time baffle any undue currents of air which may be forced by draughts or
otherwise into the burner body.
The wick tubes are connected together by the distance pieces as
figure 8.
seen in
The means of raising the wicks is effected by double pinions or wick raisers i j
mounted upon spindles 2 which work within brackets k. These axes are
disposed in planes below each other, so that on motion being imparted to the
spindle 2 by means of a turn or milled head at its end, the wicks are simultaneously
raised and adjusted; so that the winders or toothed wheels which raise and lower
the wicks, are coupled and gear together, as represented in the plan figure 11.
Thus the motion imparted to one axis, gives motion to the second axis, through
the wheels or pinions which raise and adjust the wicks, without employing inter-
mediate gear, as is common with simultaneous or double wick raising mechanism
of the ordinary kind.
In figure 8, the gear is shown in section, and figure 9 the side of the wick tube
carrying the pinions i and axis 2, while figure 10 shows the other tube with the
axis j and the pinion i. The plan figure 11 shows how the wheels are coupled
together, and how the outside edges of the respective wheels extend within the wick
tubes wherein the wicks are situated.
I am aware that two wick tubes have been employed with single wick apertures,
but in every case, the combined breadth of the wick tubes or of the wicks, are less
than the breadth of the aperture in the cone; that is, the sides of the aperture in
the cone, do not overhang the wick or wick tubes, and if vertical lines be drawn
upwards from the outsides of the wick cases, they will come within the cone
aperture.
In the burners of lamps so constructed, the flames from wicks do not coalesce in*
the manner and with the same result as previously described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner tlie same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. In hydro-carbon lamp burners with two wicks, or wick tubes, and a
single flame slit or aperture in the cone. Making the sides of the flame slit in the
cone, overhang the sides of the wicks or wick tubes situated thereunder, so as to

page_text: make the terminals of the flames emanating from the two wicks impinge and
coalesce into a single flame of large size and of intense illuminosity, substantially
as described and illustrated.
Secondly. Making the flames of two or more wicks, or wick tubes coalesce, and
pass through a single flame aperture in the cone, by impingements. The cone slit
and wick tubes being arranged, with respect to each other for lighting, heating and
warming purposes substantially as described and illustrated.
Thirdly. Regulating the supply of air to lamp and other burners by arranging
an additional baffle plate marked g at the base of the cone, so as to prevent undue
currents or draughts, thereby increasing the illuminosity and steadiness of the flame,
substantially as described and illustrated; also coupling together the wick tubes
by struts h so as to leave a passage between them substantially as set forth.
Fourthly. Making the wick winders of lamp and other burners, gear one with
the other, in order to couple them together for simultaneously raising, lowering and
adjusting the wicks, for the purposes substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this Twentieth day of January 1886.