Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Automatically Producing and Simultaneously Burning Vapour from Oils and Hydrocarbons.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Automatically
Producing and Simultaneously Burning Vapour from Oils and
Hydrocarbons.
I, RENÉ AUGUSTIN POITRIMOL of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris in the Republic of
France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for consuming oils
and hydrocarbons after converting same into vapour or gas.
I have found that the apparatus in which the liquid comes directly into com-
bustion in the form of vapour or gas, are fed irregularly, they only light slowly,
they become choked with dirt producing smoke, they are difficult to regulate and
finally the flames from their burners, affected by drops of liquid coming into the
vaporiser, are unsteady.
In order to avoid these drawbacks, I employ the following peculiar arrangements
enabling me to obtain :-
1st. A regular and continuous feed by one or more pipes containing a suitable
substance or substances which allow the liquid which is to be vaporised to descend
slowly and regularly from the storage reservoir or by drawing the liquid by
capillary attraction by means of one or more suitable spongy or capillary
substances, or by substances arranged in such a way as to effect capillary
attraction, and by this means conveying it to the heater or vaporiser which
receives it even under pressure.
2nd. A method of continuous energetic heating for gasifying the vapour by
bringing part at least of the vaporiser in direct contact with the flame of the
burner.
3rd. A rapid lighting which may be facilitated by applying at the commence-
ment of the operation any suitable outside source of heat to the vapouriser.
4th. An automatic mixing under pressure of the vapours of the oils or hydro-
carbons used with large quantities of air before reaching the burner in order to
form in the apparatus a hot carburetted air gas having sufficient pressure to ensure
perfect combustion and thus to produce a steady flame without smoke.
5th. A practical means of regulating the vapour under pressure before its mixture
with the air.
6th. Finally, by employing a tight closing joint in connection with oil or hydro-
carbon reservoirs which prevents any leakage or sweating.
A petroleum reservoir is provided with a filling opening having a stopper; this
reservoir fits on the chimney of the apparatus at any suitable height by means of
supports and is covered with a suitable heat insulating substance such as compressed
fibre, asbestos, or the like. A small movable metallic basket placed under the
stopper of the filling hole, catches impurities which may exist in the liquid with
which the reservoir is fed.
Two feed tubes connect the reservoir with the vapouriser of the apparatus.
The upper parts of these tubes are united to form a single tube which communicates
with the open air at its upper end. A syphon tube connects this tube with the

page_text: oil or hydrocarbon reservoir. The feed tubes are connected at their lower
extremities by perfectly tight joints with tubes which extend down to the vapouriser
so as to be easily removable.
The interior of the feed tubes and the vapouriser are according to requirements
entirely or partially filled with one or more suitable spongy or capillary substances,
or. such as may be arranged to effect capillary attraction and which are easily
replaced, through which the combustible liquid filters and slowly descends.
The vapouriser where the vapour of the oil or hydrocarbons is formed, consists
of a tube placed immediately above the burner and connected at each end by
means of joints with the feed tubes.
The vapouriser and its connections or one of these two parts of the vapouriser
may be filled entirely or partially with any suitable spongy or capillary body or
one capable of being arranged in order to produce capillary action surrounded or
not with metal gauze or even interspersed with metallic threads.
An empty
chamber for gasifying the vapours by superheating them, is arranged near to the
vapouriser. This gasifying chamber may be arranged in some cases over the entire
length of the tube which forms the vapouriser, or in some cases it may be con-
structed in the form of a crown and placed below the vapouriser to which it is
connected by one or more tubes.
A tube arranged on the gasifying chamber conveys the gasified vapours to an
injector provided with one or more discharge holes, after which the vapours are
mixed under pressure with the surrounding air which they carry with them into a
pipe which is to convey them to the burner in the form of carburetted air gas.
Any suitable apparatus regulates the exit of the gasified vapours by the injector
before their admixture with the air. As an example, I will now describe_a
regulating apparatus which consists of an air tight chamber fitted with a spindle
which may be pushed forward or drawn back inside the chamber by being turned
by means of a screw arrangement with a milled head or other turning device.
Part of this spindle having the shape of a truncated cone closes more or less a hole
formed in the internal wall of this chamber.
The hole or holes for discharging the gasified vapours which exist in this air
tight chamber are easily regulated to allow suitable quantities of the vapours to
pass through freely.
A metallic box or case is brazed or screwed with a tight fitting, and yet
removable, joint, in order to facilitate cleaning and inspection onto this air tight
chamber. Into this box or case the spindle passes traversing a flexible metallic
diaphragm which is suitably fixed by its edges to the walls of the box or casing.
This metallic disc or diaphragm is intended to retain the vapour which escapes
along the movable spindle so that it forms an absolutely tight joint, whilst allowing,
owing to the flexibility at its centre, any small movement of the spindle, the back
and forward movement and the screwing up of the spindle is effected by means of
a screw knob or milled head, which engages with the threaded end of the box or
casing and which knob or head may be attached to the spindle in any suitable
manner. Any turning movement may be communicated to this screw knob or
head by any suitable means, for instance either by hand or by means of a chain
passing round the periphery of this screw button. The gasified vapours escape
therefore under pressure into a box or vessel provided with openings through which
the surrounding air may enter. The mixture of gasified vapours with air is thus
performed automatically by suction and the resulting mixture is then conveyed to
the burner.
In the burner, which may be made of steatite or other suitable non-oxidisable
material, may be an internal cone which may be partly covered by a little funnel.
perforated with holes, which strains the gas of dust and impurities which may
have been acquired in the feed pipe of the apparatus before it reaches the holes in
the burner by which it escapes.
The following is the system of tight joint for the hydrocarbon reservoir which
I have adopted.

page_text: A discharge hole is arranged at the bottom of the reservoir and I place below
this hole a little tight fitting funnel connected with the syphon tube leading from
the reservoir. A seat perforated with holes is soldered on to the discharge hole
and a valve fitted with a leather washer is maintained raised above the seat by
means of a spring. A central spindle serves as a guide for this valve. A screw
button is arranged above this spindle thus enabling it with the valve and its washer
to be lowered onto its sent, and to be screwed down in order to obtain a completely
tight joint.
The lamp works in the following mauner :-
When it is desired to light the apparatus, after having ascertained that the main
spindle thoroughly closes the opening in the gas chamber and that the screw
button is screwed down to the bottom in order that the liquid shall not run out, a
glass bell or cup covering the bottom of the apparatus being open, a plug of
asbestos, for instance, saturated with alcohol or the like, is inserted below the
vapouriser, and is allowed to burn for some seconds. Any other suitable method
of heating, whether fixed or movable, may also be employed.
The screw button is then unserewed in order to allow the liquid to flow past
the valve into the heated vapouriser and almost at the same moment the main
spindle is operated by means of the screw knob or milled head attached thereto.
The vapour then flows out being precipitated into the injector and carrying with
it the surrounding air, and the hot carburetted air-gas reaches the burner through
the filtering holes and is lighted by coming in contact with the flame of the asbestos
plug which served to impart the initial heat. Starting from this moment the
burner itself heats the vaporiser. It is only necessary to close the lower part of
the apparatus with the glass cup and to regulate the exit of the vapours by means
of the screw button or milled head attached to the main spindle in order to insure
the regularity of the working of all the parts of the apparatus, and to obtain a
perfect combustion.
A great intensity of light is thus obtained at the end of several minutes, when
all the internal parts of the apparatus thoroughly heated by the products of com-
bustion, allow the air impinging on its external walls to reach a high temperature
before oxygenating the flame of the burner.
It is easy to understand that the same apparatus may be constructed with the
reservoir placed below the burner, the vaporiser filled (or partially so at least)
with spongy, or capillary, substance or substances capable of being arranged so as
to produce capillary action, coming in contact by means of a suitable connection
with one or more substances of the same nature enclosed in one or more tubes, and
the whole being supplied from the reservoir simply by capillary attraction.
It also suffices to change the form and the position of the vaporiser, in order to
obtain a perfect heating apparatus. The proportions of the mixture of the vapour
and air may in effect be modified at will by regulating the quantity of the feed,
and thus by means of the other apparatus herein before described either hot
carburetted air-gas capable of burning with a white flame having a strong
illuminating power, or with a blue flame having a strong heating power, may be
produced at will.
Finally, by varying also the dimensions of the apparatus and the volume of
spongy or capillary substances, the number or the size of the feed tubes of the
vaporiser, and the other parts, and the shape or position of the vaporiser itself, my
improved apparatus may be employed for any sort of oil or hydrocarbon of any
density.
D
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page_text: Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Automatically
Producing and Simultaneously Burning Vapour from Oils and
Hydrocarbons.
I, RENÉ AUGUSTIN POITRIMOL of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris in the Republic of
France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for burning oils and
hydrocarbons after converting same into vapour or gas.
I have found that apparatuses in which the liquid comes directly into com-
bustion in the form of vapour or gas, are fed irregularly, only light slowly, become
choked with dirt producing smoke, and are difficult to regulate, and finally the
flames from their burners, affected by drops of liquid coming into the vaporiser, are
unsteady.
In order to avoid these drawbacks, I employ the following peculiar arrangements
enabling me to obtain :-
-
1st. A regular and continuous feed by one or more pipes containing a suitable
substance or substances which allow the liquid which is to be vaporised to
descend slowly and regularly from the storage reservoir or by drawing the liquid
by capillary attraction by means of one or more suitable spongy or capillary
substances, or by substances arranged in such a way as to effect capillary attraction,
and by this means conveying the liquid to the heater or vaporiser which receives
it even under pressure.
2nd. A method of continuous energetic heating for gasifying the vapour by
bringing part at least of the vaporiser in direct contact with the flame of the
burner.
3rd. A rapid lighting which may be facilitated by applying to the vaporiser at
the commencement of the operation any suitable outside source of heat.
4th. An automatic mixing under pressure of the vapours of the oils or hydro-
carbons with large quantities of air before reaching the burner in order to form
in the apparatus a hot carburetted air gas having sufficient pressure to insure
perfect combustion and thus to produce a steady flame without smoke.
5th. A practical means of regulating the vapour under pressure before its mixture
with air.
6th. Finally, by employing a tight closing joint in connection with oil or
hydrocarbon reservoirs any leakage or sweating is prevented.
In the accompanying drawings there is shown as an example, the application of
my special arrangement, to a regenerative lamp burning petroleum oil.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the whole lamp showing the system of feed, the
reservoir being mounted on the vaporiser.
This figure shows the arrangement of the vaporiser as regards its burner, the
escape of the vapour, its mixture with air, the regulation of the flame, the
passages for hot carburetted air gas and the arrangement for tightly closing
the reservoir.
Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the lamp ;
Figures 3 and 4 are two transverse horizontal sections on the lines 1-2 and 3-4
respectively of Figures 1 and 2.
Figures 5 and 6 show views on a larger scale of details of the apparatus.
Figure 7 shows one of the arrangements applied to a heating apparatus.
Figure 8 shows a modification of the arrangement of the vaporiser.
A petroleum reservoir A is provided with a filling orifice having a stopper B;

page_text: this reservoir is annular and fits on the chimney C of the apparatus at any
suitable height by means of supports D and is covered with a suitable heat
insulating substance such as compressed fibre, asbestos, or the like. A small
movable sieve or metallic basket E placed under the stopper of the filling orifice
catches impurities which may exist in the liquid with which the reservoir is fed.
Two feed tubes F connect the reservoir with the vaporiser G of the apparatus.
The upper parts of these tubes are united at H to form a single tube which
communicates with the open air at its upper end. A syphon tube F¹ connects
this tube with the oil or hydrocarbon reservoir A. The feed tubes are connected
at their lower extremities J by a perfectly tight joint with tubes which extend
down to the vaporiser G so as to be easily removable.
The interior of the feed tubes F and the vaporiser G is according to
requirements entirely or partially filled with one or more suitable spongy or
capillary substances, or such as may be arranged to effect capillary attraction
and which are easily replaced, through which the combustible liquid filters and
slowly descends.
The vaporiser where the vapour of the oil or hydrocarbons is formed, consists of
a tube G placed immediately above the burner and connected at each end by means
of pipes and joints J with the feed tubes.
The vaporiser and its connections or one of these two parts of the vaporiser may
be filled entirely or partially with any suitable spongy or capillary body or one
capable of being arranged in order to produce capillary action surrounded or not.
with metal gauze or even interspersed with metallic threads. An empty chamber N
for gasifying the vapours by superheating them, is arranged where a tube O connects
with the vaporiser. This gasifying chamber N may be arranged as shown in
Figure 3 in some cases over the entire length of the tube G which forms the
vaporiser. Metallic gauze as shown on the drawing retains the substance con-
tained in the vaporiser. In the modification shown in Figure 8, the chamber N is
constructed in the form of a crown and placed below the vaporiser G, to which it
is connected by one or more tubes n.
A tube O (Figure 1) arranged on the gasifying chamber N conveys the
gasified vapours to an injector provided with one or more discharge holes, the
vapours ejected being mixed under pressure with the surrounding air which they
carry with them into a pipe which is to convey them to the burner in the form of
carburetted air gas.
Any suitable device may be used to regulate the exit of the gasified vapours
through the injector before their admixture with air. As an example, I will now
describe a regulating apparatus which consists of an air tight chamber Q (Figure 5)
fitted with a spindle S which may be pushed in or out by means of a screw device
with a milled head R or by other turning device. Part of this spindle S having
the shape of a truncated cone closes more or less an orifice formed in the internal
wall of this chamber Q.
The orifice or orifices for discharging the gasified vapours which exist in this
air tight chamber Q may be easily regulated to allow suitable quantities of the
vapours to pass through freely between the spindle S and the internal wall of the
chamber Q.
A metallic box or sleeve P is brazed or screwed on to this air tight chamber Q
with a close fitting, and yet renovable joint, in order to facilitate cleaning and
inspection. Into this box or case the spindle S projects, passing through a flexible
metallic diaphragm U which is suitably fixed by its edges to a boss on the box or
sleeve.
This metallic disc or diaphragm is intended to retain the vapour which escapes
along the movable spindle S so that it forms an absolutely tight joint, whilst
allowing, owing to the flexibility at its centre, any small movement of the spindle S.
The back and forward movement and the screwing up of the spindle S, are effected
by means of a screwed cap or milled head R, which engages with the threaded end
of the box or sleeve P and which cap or head may be attached to the spindle in

page_text: any suitable manner. Any turning movement may be communicated to this
screwed cap or head by any suitable means; for instance either by hand or by
means of a chain passing round its periphery. The gasified vapours escape under
pressure into a box or chamber V provided with openings through which the
surrounding air may enter. The mixture of gasified vapours with air is thus
performed automatically by suction and the resulting mixture is then conveyed in
the pipe Y to the burner M.
In the burner M which may be made of steatite or other suitable non-oxidisable
material (Figure 6) may be formed an internal cone which may be partly covered
by a little fannel merforated with holes, which strains the gas of dust and
impurities which may have been acquired in the feed pipe of the apparatus before
it reaches the holes m¹ in the burner by which it escapes.
I have adopted the following connection for the hydrocarbon reservoir A. and
syphon F1.
A discharge orifice is arranged at the bottom of the reservoir A and I place
below this hole a little tight fitting funnel connected with the syphon tube F1
leading from the reservoir. A valve seat c perforated with holes is soldered on to
the discharge orifice and a valve d provided with a leather washer is supported
above the seat by means of a spring e. A central spindle serves as a guide for
this valve. A screwed button is arranged above the spindle, by means of which
the valve and its washer may be pressed down on to its seat and be screwed down
in order to obtain a completely tight joint.
The lamp works in the following manner :-
When it is desired to light the apparatus, after having ascertained that the main
spindle S thoroughly closes the opening in the gas chamber Q and that the screwed
button g is screwed down to the bottom in order that the liquid shall not run out,
a glass bell or cup a covering the bottom of the apparatus is opened and a plug of
asbestos, for instance, saturated with alcohol or the like is inserted below the
vaporiser G and is allowed to burn for some seconds. Any other suitable method
of initial heating, whether fixed or movable, may also be employed.
The screw button is then unscrewed in order that the liquid may flow past the
valve into the heated vaporiser and almost at the same moment the main spindle S
is operated by means of the screwed cap or milled head K attached thereto. The
vapour then flows out through the injector carrying with it the surrounding air,
..and the hot carburetted air-gas reaches the burner M through the filtering holes
and is lighted by coming in contact with the flame of the asbestos plug which
served to impart the initial beat. Starting from this moment the burner M itself
heate the vaporiser G. It is only necessary to close the lower part of the apparatus
with the glass cup a and to regulate the exit of the vapours by means of the screwed
cap or milled head R attached to the main spindle in order to insure the regularity
of the working of all the parts of the apparatus, and to obtain a perfect
⚫combustion.
A great intensity of light is thus obtained at the end of several minutes, when
all the internal parts of the apparatus thoroughly heated by the products of com-
bustion, allow the air impinging on its external walls to reach a high temperature
before oxygenating the flame of the burner.
It is easy to understand that the same apparatus may be constructed with the
reservoir placed below the burner and the vaporiser filled (or partially so at least)
with spongy, or capillary, substance or substances capable of being arranged so as
to produce capillary action, and suitably connected with one or more substances of
the same nature enclosed in one or more tubes, the whole being supplied from the
reservoir simply by capillary attraction.
It is also merely necessary to change the form and the position of the burner as
shown at Figure 7 in order to obtain a perfect heating apparatus. The proportions
of the mixture of the vapour and air may in effect be modified at will by regulating
the quantity of the feed, and thus by means of the other apparatus hereinbefore
-described, either hot carburetted air-gas capable of burning with a white flame

page_text: having a strong illuminating power, or with a blue flame having a strong heating
power, may be produced at will.
Finally, by varying also the dimensions of the apparatus, the volume of spongy
or capillary substances, the number or the size of the feed tubes of the vaporiser,
and the other parts, and the shape or position of the vaporiser itself, my improved
apparatus may be employed for any sort of oil or hydrocarbon of any density.
The forms, dimensions, proportions and accessory parts of the apparatus may be
varied as may be found necessary and any suitable material may be employed in
their construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
-
1. In an apparatus such as described for automatically producing and simul-
taneously burning vapour from oils and hydrocarbons, means for bringing and
purifying by filtration or by capillary attraction any suitable combustible liquid
from a reservoir to the vapouriser under pressure, characterised by an arrangement
of tubes more or less filled with one or more suitable spongy, permeable or
capillary substances arranged in such a way as to admit of capillary attraction
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown as an example in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In an apparatus such as described for automatically producing and simul-
taneously burning vapour from oils and hydrocarbons, a vapouriser filled or
otherwise with suitable spongy permeable or capillary substance or substances
arranged in such a way as to admit of capillary attraction and heated directly by
the flame of the burner, the gasified vapours, when produced, escaping under
pressure, from said vapouriser and mixing before their arrival in the feed tube with
air which is drawn in and automatically conveyed to the burner substantially as
herein before described and shown as an example in the accompanying drawings.
3. In an apparatus such as described for automatically producing and simul-
taneously burning vapour from oils and hydrocarbons; means for regulating the
passage of the vapours by a movable spindle fixed in the centre of a flexible
diaphragm, the edges of which latter are soldered to the walls of a tight fitting
box, the spindle being adapted to receive a suitable reciprocating movement
through the said diaphragm, substantially as herein before described and shown in
the accompanying drawings.
4. In an apparatus such as described for automatically producing and simul-
taneously burning vapour from oils and hydrocarbons; means for tightly closing
the exit from the feed reservoir comprising a valve preferably provided with a
leather washer and supported above a perforated valve seat by means of a spring,
said valve seat being arranged on the exit orifice and having a spindle to guide the
valve, and a screwed plug inserted in the cover of the reservoir adapted to be
screwed down and to depress and close or open the valve, substantially as herein-
before described and shown as an example in the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and application of the parts hereinbefore specified as lamps
or stoves for lighting or heating, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd der of December 1905
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.