IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BURNERS FOR THE SAFE COMBUSTION OF AN MIXTURE OF GAS OR VAPOR AND AIR FOR HEATING PURPOSES-
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I THOMAS M°CRACKEN of Ardmore in the County of Londonderry Ireland
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF BURNERS FOR THE SAFE COMBUSTION OF AN
MIXTURE OF GAS OR VAPOR AND AIR FOR HEATING PURPOSES-to be as
follows:-
EXPLOSIVE
The Burner consists of a hollow receptacle of convenient form into which gas and
air are introduced, the outlets being formed by strips or pieces of incombustible
material having milled or fluted or corrugated sides or edges, in contact, or by
having strips or pieces so adjusted as to allow the combustible mixture to pass out
in very thin sheets or jets.
This invention is particularly applicable to the heating of smoothing Irons for
which I obtained Letters patent No 1982, May 1881 but can also be used for all
other purposes for which a burner may be supplied with an explosive mixture of
Gas or Vapor and Air.

page_text: F
COMPLETE
DEECIFICATION,
I, THOMAS MCCRACKEN of Ardmore, Londonderry, Ireland, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF BURNERS FOR THE COMBUSTION OF GAS OR VAPOUR AND AIR FOR HEATING
PURPOSES," 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 drawing formning a part of this specification:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of burners for the
combustion of gas or vapour and air and is particularly appliable to the heating of
the smoothing irons for which Letters Patent were granted to me No 1982 dated
May 7th 1881 but can also be used with ordinary box irons and for general heating
purposes. The object of my invention is to provide a burner having jets, slits or
orifices finer than can be produced by cutting or boring so that the flame shall
always be maintained on the outer surface of the burner and even when burning
downwards all danger of lighting back be avoided.
My improved burner consists of a hollow chamber or receptacle of any form
convenient for the purpose for which the burner is to be used, into which receptacle
gas and air aro introduced. The outlets of the said burner are formed by separate
strips or bars of iron or other suitable incombustible material of any suitable width
and thickness and having milled, fluted, grooved or corrugated sides or edges in
contact with each other, or by strips or bars having plain sides or edges the said
strips or bars being arranged or placed parallel with each other in such a manner as
- to leave very fine slits or orifices between them through which the combustible
mixture is burnt in very thin sheets or jets.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a smoothing iron fitted with my
improved burner,
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the said iron.
Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of the burner.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of an iron showing a modified form of my
improved burner, the strips or bars of which the said burner is composed being
arranged longitudinally.
Figure 5 is a plan of a portion of one of my improved burners showing the strips
or bars grooved or fluted on each side.
Figure 6 is a plan showing the strips or bars grooved or fluted on one side only.
Figure 7 is a section of my improved burner for use with an ordinary box iron.
Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
Figures 1 and 2 show the application of my improved burner to my improved
smoothing irons above mentioned.-A is the hollow chamber of the burner, which
may be formed on or secured to the under sido of the cover of the iron, and into the
said chamber gas and air are introduced through the inlet pipe a. The said
chamber has on its under side a longitudinal slot or opening A¹ open at one end,
longitudinal grooves A" being formed in each side of the said slot. A number of

page_text: strips or bars B of iron or other suitable incombustible material are arranged
transversely in the said slot or opening A' the ends of the said strips or bars fitting
into and sliding in the grooves A". The said strips or bars fill the said slot from
end to end, the last strip or bar being secured, and holding the others in position by
means of the screw B. The said strips or bars B have on one side shallow
grooves
or channels b extending from the under to the upper side of the strip or bar and
forming shoulders or abutments b¹ on the said strip or bar so that when the bars
aro fitted in position in contact with each other the said grooves form very fine slits
or orifices between the bars as shown in Figure 3 through which slits or orifices
the combustible mixture issues and is consumed.
The strips or bars B may be of any suitable width and thickness and may be
grooved, fluted, milled or corrugated on both sides as shown in Figure 5 or on one
side only as shown in Figure 6, so as to form when the said strips or bars are
arranged in contact with each other extremely fine jet-holes or slits for the passage
of the combustible mixture. Or the sides of the said bars or strips may be plain
without grooving, fluting, milling or corrugating, the said strips or bars being in
this case secured in position at such distances apart as to leave extremely fine slits
or orifices between them for the passage of the gas and air. The said strips or
bars B can be held at the desired distance apart by placing strips or pieces of metal
or other incombustible material between them tho said strips answering the purpose
of the shoulders b¹ above mentioned and being of such substance or thickness and
length that one or more apertures or orifices of the desired width and length are
left between the bars or strips B.
The strips or bars B may also be arranged transversely as shown in Figures 1, 2,
and 3 or longitudinally as shown in Figuro 4 or obliquely or in any other desired
manner and the manner and method of securing the said strips or bars on or in the
said burner may be varied without departing from my invention.
My improved burner can be used for all the purposes to which a burner consuming
a mixture of gas or vapour and air can be applied and the form of the said burner
may be modified to suit the purpose for which it is to be employed and the form of
the bars or strips B may be varied to suit the form of the burner to which they are
applied.
Figure 7 is a sectional view of a burner adapted to be inserted into any ordinary
box iron.
By my improvements I am enabled to produce a burner having outlets, slits jets
or orifices for the passage of the combustible mixture, of the smallest possible width
or diameter (a sixtieth of an inch or less, if desired) through any desired thickness
of material a result which cannot be obtained by cutting or boring tools. The
combustion is thus rendered perfectly safe and, even when burning downwards, all
danger of lighting back through the outlets is avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
A burner for the combustion of gas or vapour and air, for heating purposes,
having its outlets, jet-holes, or orifices formed by strips or bars of iron or other
incombustible material the said strips or bars being formed and arranged substan-
tially in the manner herein set forth.