IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF GENERATING STEAM, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED, THEREIN
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Livingston Linton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
November 1862.-A communication from abroad by Thomas Shaw,
residing in the City of Philadelphia, in the United States of America.
I, JOHN LIVINGSTON LINTON, of the Buckingham Palace Hotel, Bucking-
ham Gate, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF GENERATING STEAM,
AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED, THEREIN," (a communication to me
from abroad by Thomas Shaw, resident at the City of Philadelphia, in the
United States of America,) to be as follows:-
This Invention. consists, firstly, in the application of ignitable fluids, such as
petroleum, and other mineral oils or hydrocarbons to the purpose of generating
steam for steam boilers. And, secondly, in the apparatus to be employed in the
combustion and utilization of the said fluids in order to obtain and apply the
resulting heat to such steam boilers, the object being to mix air with the vapours
of the oil or ignitable fluid for the purpose of thoroughly consuming the same
as hereafter described. At a situation conveniently near the boiler and at the
requisite elevation a reservoir of iron or other suitable material is to be fixed,
which reservoir is to contain the ignitable fluid to be used. A pipe conducts
the fluid from the reservoir to a large open vertical tube placed in front of the
boiler and above the level of the top of the fire-box, at the bottom of this
tube is a horizontal plate forming with its two sides and a corresponding under

page_text: plate a projection into the upper part of the fire-box. The lower plate should
by preference be made semicircular at its rear end, and a circular aperture
should be made therein to admit of the fixing therein of a vertical and conical
pipe descending towards the lower part of the fire-box; a projection to the
centre of this aperture serves to carry a small tube descending a short distance
within the centre of the conical pipe. The fluid descends into the open tube
in front of the boiler and on to the lower plate, whence it runs to the pro-
jection and down the small pipe through the conical tube to the lower portion
of the furnace or fire-box, the bottom of which is provided with a flat metal
plate supporting two semi-cylindrical vessels or pans so placed and fixed in
contact that their line of junction is in a line through the centre of the small
tube, down which the fluid falls on to their edges. These edges are serrated
or cut into channels for the purpose of retaining portions of the fluid or oil
in order to vaporize the same, the whole. to operate as hereafter described.
In order to guide the fluid to the central projection of the plate, and down
the small pipe; two oblique ridge's are' placed across the rear end of the plate
so as to oppose the passage of the fluid in the direction of the rear end of the
plate itself.
The Invention being equally applicable to locomotive, marine, or stationary
engine boilers, and there being no necessity to change the various tubular
or other forms of such boilers, it only remains to explain the working and
action of the foregoing mechanical details. There is first to be introduced
into the semi-cylindrical vessels by means of the fire-door some ignitable
matter, which is to be ignited after turning on an artificial draft produced by
a donkey engine or by hand power. The oil or fluid is then allowed to flow
from the reservoir into the open tube, whence it falls directly upon the bottom
plate, and thence down the small tube in the conical pipe upon the semi-
cylindrical vessels at the bottom of the fire-box. The plate being heated by
the flame during the passage of the fluid, the said oil or fluid is thereby heated
sufficiently to drive off a portion of its vapors, and mix, or. commingle them
with the air during its passage over the said plate. A syphon pipe is placed
at the top and front end of the boiler, and descends into the open tube, whereby
a rush of steam and air results, and drives or forces the air and vapours of
the fluid along the plate and into the fire-box. This vapor charged with
air next comes in contact with the vapors generated upon the surface of the
semi-cylindrical open vessels or pans, which charge the air with vapor to the
point of combustion; it ignites and burns in the vessels, and continues as long
as the same are supplied with oil or fluid. The flames fill the fire-box
surrounding the upper and lower plates and sides forming the horizontal casing,

page_text: conducting air, oil, and vapour into the furnace, and the flames also fill the
tubes of the boiler with fire.
It will be obvious that the mechanical arrangements herein described may
be modified and varied in many ways, in order to effect the identical objects
and results thereof, without in any way departing from the principles of the
Invention itself, by the use of which a vast saving of expense will take place
in the generation of steam, having regard to the cost and quantity of the
various adaptable ignitable fluids in comparison with coal or coke, the great
saving in freight, and in many other expenses necessary to the methods at
present in use.