354,333. Liquid-fuel burners. DAWSON, G. E. W., Chessway, Loudwater, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. Feb. 10, 1930, Nos. 4511, 31188, and 33440. [Class 75 (i).] In a liquid-fuel burner the fuel is fed through fuel ducts which progressively increase in number in two or more stages or groups to the delivery portion or lip of a spreader where they discharge evenly. Preferably the ducts decrease in crosssectional area at each stage or group. The liquid fuel burner shown comprises a central duct 14 delivering oil through orifices 19 in a cap-nut 20 to a radially grooved disc 22 which communicates through hollow stems 24 with an annular groove 32 in a ring 31. The groove 32 communicates through ducts 33 larger in number than the grooves 23 of the disc 22 with a groove 34 in a conical face of the ring 31 contacting with the conical face of an annular spreader 30, and the oil is discharged in a more or less vaporized condition through preferably inclined serrations in the ring or spreader into a main air stream ascending between a burner ring 13 and an annular flange 28 carried by the stems 24. The mixture so formed before being discharged into the combustion chamber is mixed with auxiliary air issuing between the flange 28 and a deflector 41 resting on an asbestos washer 143 on a cap 39 secured by the nut 20 to the disc 22. The burner ring 13 is mounted on a cylindrical casing 7 which is provided with inwardly directed flanges 10, 11, 12 and is formed with two tiers of apertures 8, 9 for the admission of the main and auxiliarv air. The ring 31 and the upper part 90 of the spreader are preferably made of steel while the flange 28 and lower part of the spreader are preferably made of a non-ferrous metal such as phosphor bronze. A casing 44 integral with the burner endplate 15 is bolted to the casing 7 and communicates by a pipe 47 with a control box 46 connected to a gas supply pipe 48. The liquid fuel control valve is arranged in the box 46 and consists of a rotatable valve disc 63 formed with an arcuate slot 65 adapted to connect an aperture 66 in the face of the valve casing in communication with the oil supply pipe with an aperture 68 communicating with a pipe 43 leading to the oil duct 14. When the fuel supply is cut off the fuel in the burner can flow through an aperture 67 in the valve disc to the control box and from the control box through a seal 62 to the storage tank. The burner is heated at starting by the gas which passes from the casing 44 through passages 49 drilled in pillars in the casing 7 to apertures 51 in the burner ring 13. The passages 49 terminate in raised bosses 50 to prevent the entry of unburnt oil draining through the apertures 51, which unburnt oil will be conveyed through passages 52 formed in other pillars in the casing 7 to the endplate 15. The endplate 15 is formed with apertures 54 to allow this oil to pass through a sealing trough 57 to the control box 46 and from there to storage tank. The burner is surrounded by an air cowl 71 and, to regulate and swirl the air, sliding shutters and inclined vanes 69 may be provided and channels or fins may be provided on the ring 13, flange 28 or deflector 41. The deflector 41 and ring 13 may be relatively adjustable so as to allow the width of the burner outlet to be varied. The burner may be arranged in or on a baseplate carried by the fire-bar lugs of the furnace and adjustable means may be provided for supplying additional air. The main and auxiliary air supplies may be preheated by passage through a pipe passing through the combustion chamber. The auxiliary air may alternatively be directed over a portion of the spreader and discharged into the main air stream in company with the fuel. Suitable dimensions of the burner parts are stated in the Specification.