Improvements in or relating to the Burning of Liquid Hydrocarbons.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1897-Accepted, 27th Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Burning of Liquid Hydrocarbons.
We, THOMAS CLARKSON, of Grove Villa, Carshalton Grove Sutton in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, and HERBERT CHURCHILL CAPEL, of 168 Dalston Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the production of non-luminous and silent flame from
liquid hydrocarbons, particularly what are commonly known as ordinary paraffin
or lamp oil, as opposed to the more volatile hydrocarbons. The oils which we
propose to utilize are those having a specific gravity of not less than 0.8 and a
Hash point of not less than 73 F.
In carrying out this invention we employ a vapouriser consisting of a hollow
vessel with an oil supply and a vapour exit. In connection with the oil supply
we may use an air vessel for the purpose of regulating the supply, the fluctuations
and back pressure, and may, if desired, also employ a number of wires arranged
longitudinally in the supply pipe for the purpose of further regulating the rate
of travel of the oil. The oil may be heated before it reaches the vapouriser, and
where the flame is used for generating steam, a convenient way of doing this is
to carry the oil-supply pipe through the steam boiler.
.
The exit pipe from the vapouriser delivers the vapour to a mixing chamber in
connection with the burner, which may be situated beneath the vapouriser; the
jet nozzle from the vapouriser delivers into the open end of a pipe or entrance
to the mixing chamber so that atmospheric air is drawn into the mixing chamber
together with the vapour and a mixture is produced therein having a sufficient
proportion of atmospheric air to produce a non-luminous flame when burnt in
the burner. In the mixing chamber, and preferably near the top, is a gauze or
similar partition through which the mixture has to pass to the burner, a suitable
form of which consists of a series of alternate troughs and burner slits. A further
supply of air is obtained by deflecting plates, which throw the air which is
supplied to the burner outside the mixing chamber on to the flame, and particularly
to the troughs, so as to give a full supply. The entrance of the air and vapour
into the mixing chamber may be through a tube either wholly contained in the
mixing chamber or partly extending outside it. The burner may consist of
cast iron or other grid arranged as already explained in alternate troughs and
burner slits. The grid may also be made hollow and form the vapouriser. The
mixing chamber may be protected or lagged with any suitable non-conducting
material, or it may be jacketted and heated air supplied to the space.
The mixing chamber is heated; in ordinary work by the heat of the flame,
but for starting purposes the following arrangement may be employed:-
-
We arrange what amount to two gas blow pipes, one directing its flame on to
the vapouriser and the other directly into the mixing chamber. These blow pipes
are arranged in the following manner:A small vessel is provided for each and
supplied with oil sufficient to last until the burner is properly started, but as it

page_text: is desirable that the flame directed into the mixing chamber should be cut off
before that directed to the vapouriser, the supply of oil to the blow pipe for the
mixing chamber is preferably less than that to the vapouriser. This may be
easily effected by having a primary vessel with a partition dividing it into two
unequal sized receptacles, each communicating by a separate pipe with its respec-
tive blow pipe vessel, taps being used when necessary. The jet of air for the
blow pipe may be provided by a hand bellows, fan or the like.
To start the burner all that is required is to turn on the supply of oil for the
blow pipe, charge the blow pipe receptacles, ignite them and apply the blast, and
as soon as the mixing chamber flame goes out, the supply of oil to the vapouriser
may be admitted and the rest is automatic.
A taper needle regulator may be employed for the supply from the vapouriser
to the mixing chamber, the needle being preferably applied to the nozzle from its
open end and being loosely carried in the arm or equivalent by which it is
adjusted in the nozzle.
The blow pipe flame previously described as heating the interior of the mixing
chamber may, if desired, be applied to the exterior of that chamber.
Although we have described special means for the primary heating and starting
of the burner, we wish it to be, understood that we may employ other means for
starting if desired; for example a gas flame burner on the Bunsen principle may
be applied to the mixing chamber and vapouriser.
A modified form of vapouriser would consist of a main tube to which the oil
would be supplied, and a suitable number of branches from which the vapour
would be taken.
The air to the mixing chamber may be heated or regulated or entirely supplied
by a fan or a damper or equivalent controlling devices may be used, or again a
suction fan or equivalent may be used in connection with the chimney or flue
of the boiler so as to increase or diminish the air supply, or these may some or
all be used in combination. Gauze may be used at the air supply to the mixing
chamber, if desired.
With the arrangements above described, we can produce a non-luminous and
silent flame, entirely under control, using only hydrocarbon oils such as we have
already described and employing the same, oil for lighting up at starting as for
burning throughout.
There may be an oil drain pipe with either syphon or cock to the main pipe
and box and the size of the flame may be regulated by the oil supply.
The oil may be supplied under pressure by placing the tank at a suitably
higher level, or by means of air pressure.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Burning of Liquid Hydrocarbons.
We, THOMAS CLARKSON of Grove Villa, Carshalton Grove, Sutton, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, and HERBERT CHURCHILL CAPEL of 168 Dalston Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, 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 relates to the production of non-luminous and silent flame from
liquid hydrocarbons, particularly what are commonly known as ordinary paraffin

page_text: or lamp oil, as opposed to the more volatile hydrocarbons. The oils which we
propose to utilize are those having a specific gravity of not less than 0.8 and a
Hasi point of not less than 73 F.
In carrying out this invention we employ a vapouriser consisting of a hollow
vessel with an oil supply and a vapour exit. In connection with the oil supply
we may use an air vessel for the purpose of regulating the supply, the fluctuations
and back pressure, and may, if desired, also employ a number of wires arranged
longitudinally in the supply pipe for the purpose of further regulating the rate
of travel of the oil. The oil may be heated before it reaches the vapouriser, and
where the flame is used for generating steam, a convenient way of doing this is
to carry the oil-supply pipe through the steam boiler.
The exit pipe from the vapouriser delivers the vapour to a mixing chamber in
connection with the burner, which may be situated beneath the vapouriser; the
jet nozzle from the vapouriser delivers into the open end of a pipe or entrance
to the mixing chamber so that atmospheric air is drawn into the mixing chamber
together with the vapour and a mixture is produced therein having a sufficient
proportion of atmospheric air to produce a non-luminous flame when burnt in
the burner. In the mixing chamber, and preferably near the top, is a gauze or
similar partition through which the mixture has to pass to the burner, a suitable
form of which consists of a series of alternate troughs and burner slits. A further
supply of air is obtained by deflecting plates, which throw the air which is
supplied to the burner outside the mixing chamber on to the flame, and particularly
to the troughs, so as to give a full supply. The entrance of the air and vapour
into the mixing chamber may be through a tube either wholly contained in the
mixing chamber or partly extending outside it. The burner may consist of a
cast iron or other grid arranged as already explained in alternate troughs and
burner. slits, the grid may also be made hollow and form the vapouriser. "The
mixing chamber may be protected or lagged with any suitable non-conducting
material, or it may be jacketted and heated air supplied to the space.
The mixing chamber is heated; in ordinary work by the heat of the flame,
but for starting purposes the following arrangement may be employed:-
We arrange what amount to two gas blow pipes, one directing its flame on to
the vapouriser and the other directly into the mixing chamber. These blow pipes
are arranged in the following manner: A small vessel is provided for each and
supplied with oil sufficient to last until the burner is properly started, but as it
is desirbale that the flame directed into the mixing chamber should be cut off
before that directed to the vapouriser, the supply of oil to the blow pipe for the
mixing chamber is preferably less than that to the vapouriser. This may be
easily effected by having a primary vessel with a partition dividing it into. two
unequal sized receptacles, each communicating by a separate pipe with its respec-
tive blow pipe vessel, taps being used when necessary. The jet of air for the
blow pipe may be provided by a hand bellows, fan or the like.
To start the burner all that is required is to turn on the supply of oil for the
blow pipe, charge the blow pipe receptacles, ignite them and apply the blast, and
as soon as the mixing chamber flame goes out, the supply of oil to the vapouriser
may be admitted and the rest is automatic.
A taper needle regulator may be employed for the supply from the vapouriser
to the mixing chamber, the needle being preferably applied to the nozzle from its
open end and being loosely carried in the arm or equivalent by which it is
adjusted in the nozzle.
The blow pipe flame previously described as heating the interior of the mixing
chamber may, if desired, be applied to the exterior of that chamber.
Although we have described special means for the primary heating and starting
of the burner, we wish it to be understood that we may employ other means for
starting if desired; for example a gas flame burner on the Bunsen principle may
be applied to the mixing chamber and vapouriser.
A modified form of vapouriser would consist of a main tube to which the oil

page_text: would be supplied, and a suitable number of branches from which the vapour
would be taken..
The air to the mixing chamber may be heated or regulated or entirely supplied
by a fan or a daniper or equivalent controlling devices may be used, or again a
suction fan or equivalent may be used in connection with the chimney or flue
of the boiler so as to increase or diminish the air supply, or these may some or
all be used in combination. Gauze may be used at the air supply to the mixing
chamber, if desired.
With the arrangements above described, we can produce a non-luminous and
silent flame, entirely under control, using only hydrocarbon oils such as we have
already described and employing the same oil for lighting up at starting as for
burning throughout.
There may be an oil drain pipe with either syphon or cock to the main pipe
and box and the size of the flame may be regulated by the oil supply.
The oil may be supplied under pressure by placing the tank at a suitably
higher level, or by means of air pressure.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of the improved apparatus for burning
liquid hydrocarbons.
Figure 2 is a plan of the mixing chamber.
Figure 3 is a plan of a modified construction of burner grid.
Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The fuel is led from a suitable storage tank by a pipe A into a cylindrical
casing B which constitutes the vapouriser. The vapour from the latter is con-
ducted through a pipe C to a jet nozzle D whence it passes in a stream into the
flared end E of a tube E which projects into the box or casing F forming the
mixing chamber.
The top of the mixing chamber is closed by a gauze or perforated metal
partition G above which is arranged a burner grid H, hereafter to be more par-
ticularly described. The bottom of the chamber is sloped away from that side
into which the tube E projects, so that any vapour which may condense within
the tube E or chamber F will drain down to one end of the latter whence it may
conveniently be conveyed away by a syphon tube J leading into a cap J¹. In
order to regulate the supply of fuel and prevent fluctuations and back pressure,
an air chamber A¹ is placed in communication with the pipe A which conducts the
fuel to the vapouriser. If the burner is employed for heating a steam generator
this pipe A may be led through such generator in order to heat the fuel previous
to its introduction into the vapouriser. The latter, as shown in Figure 1, is
formed as a hollow cylinder B; the fuel being introduced at the lower part of one
end as at B, while the vapour is conducted away from the upper part of the
other end as at B2, this arrangement obviating the risk of any unvapourised fuel
passing to the jet nozzle D.
The jet nozzle D comprises a cylindrical casing, one end of which is closed by
a plug D, while the other end, in which is the orifice, is formed conical as at D².
In the orifice lies the tapered end of a regulating needle K, the other end of
which is carried loosely upon the end of a lever arm L adjustably secured by a
clamp L' upon a pivotted tubular or other rod M. By rotation of the rod M, by
suitable means, the end of the needle K is introduced more or less into the orifice
of the jet nozzle D and the flow of vapour therefrom controlled as required.
The tube E with flared end E¹, into which the vapour from the nozzle streams,
may be formed cylindrical or of oval or other cross section and may project for
a. portion of its length on the outside of the mixing chamber F, as shown in
Figure 1, but if preferred the whole tube E, E may lie within the chamber F,
the flared end E being flush with the side of the chamber.
Where the bottom of the chamber F is sloped away towards the point where
the syphon tube H is situated, as shown in Figure 1, the tube E is constructed

page_text: at its inner end so that the vapour condensed therein may drain down towards
the same point. This may be accomplished by either slightly enlarging the tube E
from the flared end E' inwards or by cutting a sloping groove or channel longitu-
dinally along its interior, or by merely inclining the tube towards the drainage
point.
The burner grid H, in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 is constructed as a
plate of conveniently rectangular shape so as to fit the top of the mixing
chamber F. The central portion of this plate comprises a series of troughs H¹
arranged parallel to each other and alternating with parallel slits H2 through
which the combustible vapour issues. By arranging the troughs and slits or
openings in this manner a supply of air may be introduced into the body of the
vapour as it is being burnt, thus ensuring perfect combustion.
In the modification, shown in Figures 3 and 4 the burner grid is formed hollow
so as to constitute a vapouriser.
In place of the bars between the slits H2 through which the vapour issues
being formed as troughs, they are made into hollow tubes H3,the ends of which
open into longitudinal passages H. The latter run through the grid from end to
end, one end of each being closed by a plug H³, while to their other ends at H
are connected the pipes A. and C for introducing the fuel and leading away the
vapour respectively. The arrangement of the plugs H5 and connections H6 to the
tubes A and C is such that the hydrocarbon to be vapourised is led in at and the
vapour led away from diagonally opposite points of the rectangular hollow grid H.
As a means for obtaining a preliminary heating of the vapouriser B and also
the mixing chamber F the following blow-pipe device may be employed:-
A fuel receptacle N of suitable size and conveniently located is divided into
unequal parts by a partition N¹. A tube O leading from each of these parts
terminates in a box P containing an asbestos or other suitable form of wick. A
blow-pipe is so situated in relation to each wick box P that the current of air
from it will direct the flame from the hydrocarbon, with which the wicks are
saturated, on to the vapouriser B and mixing chamber F respectively.
By reason of the difference in size of the two compartments of the receptacle N,
(the smaller compartment being in communication with the wick box P for
heating the mixing chamber F, while the larger compartment is connected to
that for heating the vapouriser B,) the preliminary heating of the mixing chamber
will be stopped before that of the vapouriser ceases owing to the supply of fuel
for the former being less than that for the latter. The object of this arrange-
ment is to obviate risk of the vapour being ignited as it issues from the nozzle D.
By employing a syphon tube, such as H, or some similar device which will
maintain the drainage opening from the mixing chamber F always closed, the
escape of vapour from the chamber is prevented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a jet nozzle of a mixing
chamber such as F E with a perforated partition such as G.
2. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a vapouriser of a jet nozzle
and a mixing chamber such as F E with a perforated partition G substantially
as described.
3. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a mixing chamber such
as FE of a perforated partition G and a burner grid such as H H¹ H2 substantially
as described.
4. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a mixing chamber such
as F E of a perforated partition G and a hollow burner grid such as H H² H³ H*
forming a combined vapouriser and burner.
5. In an oil or similar burner the combination with a mixing chamber such
as F E of a perforated partition G and a drainage tube substantially as described.

page_text: 6. In an oil or similar burner a combined vapouriser and burner grid such
as HH2 H3 H4.
7. In an oil or similar burner a mixing chamber constructed so as to ensure
drainage or other removal of condensed vapour before the burner has become
fully heated in use.
8. In an oil or similar burner carrying the fuel supply pipe through the steam
generator heated by the burner for the purpose described.
9. The combination with an oil or similar burner of a blow pipe device such
as N O P Q for preliminary heating of the mixing chamber or. vapouriser.
10. The complete apparatus for the burning of liquid hydrocarbons substantially
as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or in Figures 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 92nd dov of Antahan 1907