US1024925A - Fuel-burning apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

C. J. COLEMAN.

FUEL BURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1B,1907.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

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1, 4, 5 Patentd Apr. 30, 1912.

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. 12a (7% lath/2 CLYDE J. COLEMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FUEL-BURNING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Application filed April 18, 1907. Serial No. 368,910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE J. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fuel-Burning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying 9 drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to wick lamps and is an improvement on my former patented in vention, United States Patent No. 796,899, dated August 8, 1905.

5 The object of my present invention is to secure simplified construction, increased efficiency of operation and additional convenience of maintenance.

My invention comprises improved means for supplying fuel to a circular or other endless wick and improved means for rotating or driving the wick relatively to the seat of combustion to vary the point of ignition of the wick.

My invention also includes a circular wick removable (for renewal or cleaning) from the outside of the fuel receptacle and with out disturbing any mechanism therein.

My invention also includes means for rendering the wick-feeding mechanism operative when the liquid fuel is at extremes of high or low level.

My invention also includes various improvements in the construction and combina- 5 tion of parts, and has other objects and advantageous features, as will appear from the following description.

I will now describe the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, after which I will point out my invention in claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a railway signal lamp embodying my improvement, the lamp being shown partially 5 in middle section. As shown in this figure the fuel-oil of the lamp is nearly .all consumed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse central sectional elevation of the lamp exclusive of the casing or lamp box, and

with the flue or chimney omitted, and shows the lamp as almost completely filled with fuel-oil. Fig. 3 is a transverse central sec tional elevation as viewed from the left of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged trans 5 verse or diamet-rical sectional elevation of the wick holder and circular or disk-shaped wick shown in the preceding figures. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are similar views showing modified forms of wick holders and wicks.

The lamp illustrated comprises a sheetmetal fuel receptacle or oil tank 1, the body portion of which may be formed in one piece as shown and the top or cover of which is shown as fixedly secured in usual manner to the body portion. The tank is provided with an ordinary filling-tap 2. The means for bringing the fuel oil to the seat of combustion include a flat circular or disk-shaped wick 3 which may be of felt or other suitable wick material. The wick is removably clamped between similar or duplicate wickclamping disks or plates 4: by a flanged screw 5 coacting with a flanged nut 6 (Fig. 4), the two disks and the screw and its nut constituting a wick-holder and such screw and nut together also constituting a wickspindle or arbor for the rotatable wick. The wick extends in the direction of its diameter from a point within to a pointwithout the tank and is retained in place and guided by lugs or spindle-brackets 7 secured to the top of the tank and having spindle-guiding notches 8 in which the wickspindle is rotatably and removably mounted. To more efiectually inclose the lowermost portion of the wick and to prevent the escape of fuel-oil by splashing, as in handling the lamp, a wick-inclosing sheath or tube 9 extends from a point flush with the top of the wickguiding lugs 7 to a point below the top of the tank surrounding the wick, but leaving the lowermost portion of the periphery of the wick downwardly exposed. The seat of combustion or ignition point of the wick is determined and restricted by a burner dome 10 which removably telescopes over the lugs 7 and sheath 9 and is centrally upwardly provided with a wick slot or ignition slot 11, the wick being ignited where it is exposed at the wick slot. The wick 3 is comparatively narrow or thin and the width of the flame extends circumferentially of the wick, as seen in Fig. 1. To better promote combustion and to cool the adjacent parts, such parts comprising the burner dome 10 and the wick-clamping disks 4:, the burner dome is provided at each side with a plurality (shown as four at each side, eight in all) of small draft openings or ventilating apertures 12. Peripheral breaks or radial slots 13 are provided in the disks 1, to retard the conduction of heat in the disks 4:, away from the point of ignition. The burner dome 10 is shown as provided with four radial chimneysupporting arms or flue-retaining brackets 14: for supporting and holding in place a usual and ordinary flue or chimney 15 (Fig. 1). To clean the wick 3 or to replace it with a fresh wick the burner dome 10 is lifted off and the wick and wick-holder removed by lifting out of the guide-slots 8.

Improved means are provided for supplying fuel-oil to the wick and for automatically rotating the wick to present fresh points of the wick at the seat of combustion. in the construction illustrated fuel-oil is supplied to the lowermost portion of the periphery of the wick and from thence is conveyed to the point of ignition by capillarity. The means for supplying fuel-oil to the wick 3 comprise a circular feed-wick shown as a flat wick 16 encircling and supported by a wic t-drum or wick-carrier 17 carried in turn by a spindle or axle 18 which is rotatably mounted and supported by drumsupporting brackets 19 depending from the cover of the tank 1. The drum axle 18 is parallel to the spindle, 5 and 6, of the wick holder and is preferably, as shown, located in the same vertical plane. The drum 17 is supported at the proper height so that the ignition-wick 3 is in contact with and rests upon the uppermost portion of the feedwick 16 and with the wick-holder-spindle above the bottom of the slots 8, as shown, thus assuring perfect continuity of contact between the two wicks. The feed-wick 1G is of considerable width and wider than the ignition-wick 3 to provide an ample and easy capillary path for the fuel-oil on its way to the wick 3. Also for the same purpose and to increase the extent of the capillary path a supplemental feed-wick 20 is provided diametrical to the drum 17 and forming an additional and shorter fuel-path when the fuel-oil reaches a low level (Fig. 1). The feed- wicks 16 and 20 may consist of usual flat wick material. The drum 17 is of the proper diameter to enable the feedwicks to take up the fuel-oil from near the bottom of the tank.

Automatic means are provided which are actuated commensurately to fuel consumption to rotate the ignition-wick 3 to vary the point of ignition. Such means comprise a twopart wick-feeding float 21 carried by the drum 17 near its periphery, the drum 17 thus being a wick-feeding drum. The floats may be composed of cork with a suitable impervious coating. To secure adequate buoyancy in the space available and to avoid corners which might become wedged against the inner walls of the tank, the floats 21 are of cylindrical contour. These cylindrical floats are axially supported by a shaft or spindle 22 carried by and passing through the drum 17 at a point near its edge or periphery. To provide free space for the floats in their uppermost positions, the drum supporting brackets 19 are hollowed out or bent as shown. As the wicks 3 and 16 have rolling contact with each other, it is evident that any movement of the floats 21 will be communicated through the drum 17 and feed-wick 16 to the wick 3 and will rotate the wick 3 and present a new point thereof at the ignition slot 11. The floats 21, as the fuel oil in the tank is consumed, will descend through an are determined by the drum 17, effecting the above-described rota tion of the drum and circumferential or peripheral shifting of the wick 3. The amplitude of arcuate movement of the wick-feeding drum 17 and the feed-wick 16 is determined by the distance of rise and fall of the wick-feeding floats 21 and is arranged to be such as to about cause one complete revolution of the ignition-wick 3. Before any considerable portion of the fuel-oil has been consumed the positions of the various parts will be as appears in Fig. 2, and after such fuel-oil has been mostly consumed the positions will be as appears in Fig. 1.

To enable the wick-actuating or wickfeeding mechanism to be operati\'*e at times when the fuel-oil in the tank is at a higher or at a lower level than would otherwise be possible with the floats 21 alone, a counterweight 23 is provided to supplement or assist the action of the floats. Such counterweight is located near the periphery of the drum 17 and on a different radius or at a point angularly displaced from the floats 21. The location of the counterweight is such that when the floats are in the upper part of their path the counterweight and floats will be on the same side of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the drum 17; and when the floats are in the lower part of their path, the counterweight and floats will be on opposite sides of such vertical plane. l/Vhen the counterweight is in the first-named posit-ion (Fig. 2) it acts in opposition to the floats and causes greater submcrgcnce of the floats, thus enabling the floats to be operative to actuatethe work at a higher fuel level, as the floats are kept out of contact with the top or cover of the fuel tank at such higher level, due to the increased.submergence of the floats. lVheIr the counterweight is in the last-named position (Fig. 1) it acts by its weight to lift the floats and produces less submergence of the floats and thus renders the floats operative with a less quantity of fueloil contained in the tank. The final result is that the floats 21 move a less vertical distance than the difference in liquid levels through which they are operative to feed or actuate the wick 3,

but such restricted or decreased movement of the floats communicates an increased or multiplied movement to the wick 3, to the necessary extent by reason of the relation of the larger drum 17 to the smaller wick 3 so that the wick 3 is rotated substantially through one revolution between the extremes of floatv movement.

The lamp as illustrated is provided with a usual outer casing or lamp box 24 (Fig. 1) having a vertical socket 0r pocket by which it is shown as hung or detachably supported on one leg of a U-shaped bracket 25 the other leg of which is secured to a suitable support 26 which may be considered as representing a portion of a signal post.

In the modified construct-ion of'ignitionwick illustrated in Fig. 5 the wick 27, corresponding in circular outline and function to the wick 3, is not removable from its holder, but may be cleaned therein and used over again if desired, and finally the wick and holder may be discarded together. In this construction the wick is held or clamped between plates or disks 28 which are retained in position by a tube or large eyelet 29 riveted or upset over the plates as shown, and a wick-spindle 30 is tightly driven through the tube 29. The disks 28 are provided with heat-stopping or heat-re tarding slots 31 like the slots 13.

The construct-ion shown in Fig. 6 resembles that of Fig. 4 in that the wick is removable from its holder, but difiers in that the complete wick holder consists of two parts only. The wick 32 is clamped be tween wick-holding disks 33 and 34 having coacting screw threads and spindle-ends formed integral therewith respectively as shown. Slots 35 are provided corresponding to the slots 13.

I11 the construction illustrated in Fig. 7 an annular cord wick 36 is shown as employed and is sprung into a peripheral groove in a wick-carrying core or disk 3'7 having a central aperture through which is forced a wick-spindle 38, such core and spindle constituting a wick-carrier. The wick 36 may be renewed in reference to the wick-carrier.

In all of the modified constructions of wick and wick-holders the operation when in the lamp is the same and the same as in the case of the wick 3, and any of the wickholders illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 together with its wick could be exchanged or substituted for each other in the lamp construction shown.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the constructions shown and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A wick-lamp comprising a source of liquid fuel, a rotatable circular wick exposed to the seat of combustion at a rotating part thereof, and automatic means actuated commensurately to fuel consumption for rotating the wick relative to the seat of combustion to vary the point of ignition, such means including a circular device having a rolling contact with the wick for supplying fuel thereto.

2. A wick lamp comprising a source of liquid fuel, a rotatable circular wick exposed to the seat of combustion at a peripheral point of ignition, and automatic means actuated commensurately to fuel consumption for rotating the wick relative to the seat of combustion to vary the point of ignition, such means including a circular device having rolling contact with the wick for supplying fuel thereto.

3. A wick lamp comprising a rotatable circular wick exposed to the seat of combustion at a rotating part thereof, fuel-supplying means for the Wick having rolling frictional contact therewith for supplying fuel to the .Wick and for communicating rotation to the wick for shifting the wick relative to the seat of combustion to vary the point of ignition, a source of liquid fuel and automatic means actuated commensurately to fuel consumption for actuating the fuelsuplplying means, and thereby rotating the w1c 4. A wick lamp comprising a rotatable circular wick exposed to the seat of combustion at a peripheral point of ignition, fuelsupplying means for the wick having rolling frictional contact therewith for supplying fuel to the wick and for communicating rotation to the wick for shifting the wick relative to the seat of combustion to vary the point of ignition, a source of liquid fuel, and automatic means actuated commensurately to fuel consumption for actuating the fuelsupplying means, and thereby rotating the wick.

5. F uel-burning apparatus comprising a source of liquid fuel, a rotatable circular lgnltlon-wick having a rotating point of 1gnition, a rotatable circular feed-wick having peripheral frictional driving contact with the ignition-wick, and automatic means actuated commensurately to fuel consumption to rotate the feed-wick and thereby rotate the ignition-wick to circumferentially vary the point of ignition.

6. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of liquid fuel, a rotatable circular ignition-wick on which is the base of the flame at a peripheral point of ignition, a rotatable circular feed-wick in communication with the source of liquid fuel and in frictional driving engagement with and having capillary continuity with the ignitionwick, and a float buoyed by the liquid fuel and cooperating with the feed-wick to rotate the feed-wick and thereby rotate the ignition-wick and draw its periphery continuously through the base of the flame.

7. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of liquid fuel, a rotatable circular ignition-wick having a rotating point of ignition, an endless feed-wick having frictional driving contact with the ignition wick, and automatic means actuated commensuratcly to fuel consumption to actuate the feed-wick and thereby rotate the ignition-wick to circumferentially vary the point of ignition.

8. I uel-burning apparatus comprising a source of liquid fuel, a rotatable circular ignition-wick on which is the base of the flame at a peripheral point of ignition, an endless feed-wick in communication with the source of liquid fuel and in frictional driving engagement with and having capillary continuity with the ignition-wick, and a float buoyed by the liquid fuel and cooperating with the feed-wick to actuate the feed-wick and thereby rotate the ignitionwick and draw its periphery continuously through the base of the flame.

9. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of liquid fuel, an endless ignition wick having a limited point of ignition, an endless feed-wick having frictional actuative Contact with the ignitioirwick, and au tomatic means actuated commensurately to fuel consumption to actuate the feed-wick and thereby actuate the ignition-wick to shift the point of ignition thereupon.

10. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of liquid fuel, an endless ignitionwick on which is the base of the flame at a restricted point of ignition, an endless feedwick in communication with the source of liquid fuel and in frictional actuative engagement with and having capillary continuity with the ignition-wick, and a float buoyed by the liquid fuel and cooperating with the feed-wick to actuate the feed-wick and thereby actuate the ignition-wick and draw it continuously through the base of the flame.

11. Fuel-binning apparatus comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a rotatable feedwick within the receptacle, a float buoyed by the liquid fuel and adapted to rotate the feed-wick, and a rotatable circular ignitionwick having a rotating point of ignition and adapted to be rotated by the feed-wick to shift the point of ignition, the ignition wick having capillary continuity with the feed wick and being so mounted as to be freely removable from the outside of the receptacle.

12. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a rotatable feedwicl: within the receptacle, a float buoyed by the liquid fuel and adapted to rotate the feed-wick, and a rotatable circular ignition- Wick having a rotating point of ignition and resting upon the feed-wick and adapted to be rotated thereby to shift the point of ignition and being so mounted as to be freely removable from the outside of the receptacle.

13. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a rotatable ignition-wick, a rotatable feed-wick adapted to rotate the ignition-wick and having capillary continuity therewith, a float buoyed by the liquid fuel and adapted to rotate the feedwiek, and a counterweight acting to depress the float in the upper position of the latter and acting to elevate the float in the lower position of the latter, whereby the float is operative at extremes of fuel level the distance between which is greater than the total extent of vertical travel of the float.

lt. A wick-lamp comprising a source of liquid fuel, wick-moving means including a fuel-buoyed controlling-float, and means for rendering the controlling-float operative at extremes of fuel level the distance between which is greater than the total extent of vertical travel of the float.

l5. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a rotatable ignitionwicl a rotatable feedavick adapted to rotate the ignitioirwick and having capillary continuity therewith, a pivoted wickcarrier for the feed-wick, a wick-actuating float mounted on the wick carrier eccentrically to its pivot and buoyed by the liquid fuel, to rotate the wick-carrier and thereby rotate the i gnitioirwick, and a counterweight mounted on the wick-carrier at an eccentrical point thereon on a different radius from the float and so that in the lower positien of the float the counterweight and float are at opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the wick-carrier and so that in the upper position of the float the counterweight and float are at the same side of such vertical plane.

16. A wick-lamp comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a rotatable ignition-wick, a rotatable annular feed-wick adapted to communicate rotation to the ignition-wick and having capillary continuity therewith, awiek-drum upon the periphery of which the annular feed-wicl-t is mounted, means actuated by the lowering of the fuel level in the receptacle for rotating the wick-drum, and a supplemental feed-wicli carried by the wick-drum and providing a shorter capillary pat-l1 for the fuel to the ignition-wick when the fuel is at a low level in the receptacle.

1.7. Fuehburning apparatus comprising a source of liquid fuel, an endless ignitionwick having a limited point of ignition, a rotatable circular feed-wick having peripheral frictional driving contact with the ignition wick, and automatic means actuated conunensurately to fuel consumption to retate the feed-wick and thereby actuate the ignition-wick to shift the point of ignition thereupon.

18. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of liquid fuel, an endless ignitionwick on which is the base of the flame at a restricted point of ignition, a rotatable circular feed-wick in communication with the source of liquid fuel and in frictional driving engagement with and having capillary continuity with the ignition-wick, and a float buoyed by the liquid fuel and cooperating with the feed-wick to rotate the feedwick and thereby actuate the ignition-wick and draw it continuously through the base of the flame.

19. A wick-lamp comprising a source of liquid fuel, wick-moving means including a vate the float in the lower position of the latter.

21. A wick-lamp comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a rotatable'ignition-wick, a rotatable annular feed-wick adapted to communicate rotation to the ignition-wick and having capillary continuity therewith, a wick-drum upon the periphery of which the annular feed-wick is mounted, and means actuated by the lowering of the fuel level in the receptacle for rotating the wickdrum.

22. Fuel-burning apparatus comprisin a source of liquid fuel, an endless wick havlng a limited point of ignition, and automatic means actuated commensurately to fuel consumption for shifting the point of ignition on the wick, such means including a circular device having a rolling contact with the wick for supplying fuel thereto.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

WM. ASHLEY KELLY, BERNARD CowEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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