IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING STEAM BY THE COMBUSTION PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George William Wigner, of 79, Great Tower Street, in
the City of London, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, and John Dixon, of
1, Laurence Pountney Hill, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING STEAM BY THE COMBUSTION
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George William Wigner
and John Dixon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
30th September 1881.
GEORGE WILLIAM WIGNER, of 79, Great Tower Street, in the City of London,
Analytical and Consulting Chemist, and JOHN DIXON, of 1, Laurence Pountney
Hill, in the City of London, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING
STEAM BY THE COMBUSTION OF GAS OR INFLAMMABLE VAPOURS INSIDE STEAM
BOILERS, WITH APPARATUS THEREFOR."
We carry our Invention into effect by causing the combustion of the gas or
inflammable vapours to take place under pressure inside a boiler in the presence of
water in a combustion chamber in which the gas enters into chemical combination
with oxygen gas or atmospheric air.
This combustion chamber is constructed inside the boiler with an opening or
openings which allow the products of combustion to escape under pressure under,
below or above the surface of the water into the steam space of the boiler, and it
is so constructed that it is below or partially below or near to the surface of the
water in the boiler, and it has suitable inlets by which gas or inflammable vapour
and air or oxygen-gas may be forced in in regulated quantities under pressure in
excess of that in the boiler itself
We force the gas and oxygen or gas and air into the combustion chamber in the
proper proportions to obtain the most efficient combustion.
We ignite or explode or cause the combustion of the gas and air either by means
of a flame with or without an open or closed slide, or by means of spongy platinum
or any incandescent substance, or by electricity.
We utilize the heat produced by the combustion by evaporating water inside the
boiler. The products of combustion pass away with the steam.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George William Wigner and John Dixon in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th March 1882.
GEORGE WILLIAM WIGNER, of 79, Great Tower Street, in the City of London,
Analytical and Consulting Chemist, and JOHN DIXON, of 1 Laurence Pountney
Hill, in the City of London, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING
STEAM BY THE COMBUSTION OF GAS OR INFLAMMABLE VAPORS INSIDE STEAM
BOILERS WITH APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Our Invention consists in a method of generating steam by the combustion of
gas or inflammable vapors under pressure in a combustion chamber situated within
and opening or discharging into the water or steam space of the boiler, so as to
allow the products of combustion to escape under pressure either below or above
the surface of the water into the steam space of the boiler, and pass off with the
steam, the heat produced by the combustion being partly communicated by
conduction through the sides of the combustion chamber to the surrounding water,
and partly given up by the products of combustion to the water and steam in
rising through the same. The gas or inflammable vapor and the air or oxygen gas
are forced into the combustion chamber separately or together in the proper
proportions to obtain-the-most-efficient combustion, and necessarily at a pressure
greater-than-the-pressure in the boiler, and the mixture is ignited; or exploded,.or
brought into a state of combustion by means of-a-flame,-or-by_means of spongy
platinum or any incandescent substance, or by electricity.
We have illustrated in the accompanying Drawing an arrangement of steam
boiler as an example of the way in which our Invention may be carried into effect,
but we would observe that we do not limit ourselves to this particular arrange-
ment, as the form and disposition of the combustion chamber may be varied in
many ways.
A is n steam boiler provided with the usual adjuncts, but constructed without
the ordinary furnace. In lieu thereof the boiler is provided with a combustion
chamber B which may be situated wholly below the surface of the water in the
boiler, or partly above and partly below; it may be of various forms and arranged
in various ways, but we at present prefer the form and arrangement shown in the
Drawing. The combustion chamber B is preferably of a bulbous form, or it may
be cylindrical, and may either open directly into the water space, or preferably
may be extended in the form of a coiled or sinuous pipe b of any suitable length
also immersed in the water, and having preferably a downward inclination. The
end of this tube may be open, or the tube may be perforated for a portion of its
length (or both) so that the products of combustion and the incombustible gases
escaping therefrom must pass through the water to reach the steam space. The
combustion chamber may be fixed to the side of the boiler, as shown, or to the
crown, and is secured to the boiler shell in any suitable manner. C, D, are pipes
for the supply of gas and air respectively under pressure to the combustion
chamber. These pipes may be connected in any suitable way to the end of the
combustion chamber so as to make a steam tight joint, and may project into the
chamber any desired distance.
E are diminishing valves to regulate the pressure of the gas and air, and which
serve also as back pressure valves to prevent the outflow of water or steam when
the supply of gas and air is stopped. The gas and air or gas and oxygen are
supplied in suitable proportions for perfect combustion at a pressure higher than
that in the boiler, care being taken to have no excess of gas. In some cases we
prefer to mix the gas and air or gas and oxygen in proper proportions in a vessel

page_text: or mixing chamber outside the combustion chamber, and force the inflammable
mixture into the combustion chamber through a single pipe. Instead of common
gas certain inflammablo vapors, such as tho vapor of petroleum, may in certain cases
be used. The inflammable mixture is ignited or exploded, or caused to enter into
combustion by means of a platinum wire rendered incandescent by the passage of
an electric current, said wire being located within the combustion chamber opposite
the gas and air inlets, and insulated from the adjacent parts and from the boiler
shell. Or the ignition or combination may be determined by a mass or ball of
spongy platinum placed within the combustion chamber opposite the gas and air
inlets, or by means of an incandescent substance introduced into the chamber. In
some cases, particularly when spongy platinum is not used, we prefer to line a
portion of the combustion chamber with asbestos, or a mixture of clay and asbestos
or some other suitable substanco which will become incandescent, and insure the
automatic re-ignition of the gases in case of extinction.
From this it will be observed that the supply and combustion of the gases is
intended to be continuous, but it might be intermittent if preferred.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,
The method and means herein described of generating steam in steam boilers by
the combustion of gas or inflammable vapors under pressure within the boiler,
and the mingling of the products of the said combustion with the water and steam
in the boiler, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George William Wigner, for myself and on
behalf of the said John Dixon, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Thirtieth day of March, A.D. 1882.
Witness,
T. W. KENNARD,
Clerk to
A. M. & W. CLARK,
Patent Agents,
53, Chancery Lane.
London.
G. W. WIGNER. (L.S.)