US107268A - Improvement in carbureting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

M. "W. KIDDER.

Carbureter. Y

Patented Sept. 13, 1870.

VEJ'SES/ x/v V5 to R,

7km WW N. PETERS. PHOTO-L THOGMPHE noses W. KIDDER, or LOWELL, nassaouusn'rrs. 7

Letters Patent N 107,268, dated cptcmbcr 13, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARBURETING- APIPARA'I'US.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part Of the same.

. To all whom it out concern I Be it known that I, MOSES W. KIDDER, of Lowell,

in the county of Middlescx and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Carburetors, that is,inthe apparatus which is used for carbureting gas, of which the following is a full, clear and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of my invention Figure 2, a bottom end view, after the lower head G has been removed.-

l ignre 3, a detached section of the diaphragm orvalve 1 and its connections, considerably enlarged Figure 4, a rear side view of the same; and

Figure 5, a sectional elevation similar to fig. 3, but with the burner-tube 1 represented as having been turned upward by nnscrewin g, and with the diaphragm or valved raised fi'om olf its seat.

In this invention the fluid'rcservoir, of which A A are the sides, and B the top, maybe made either round or square, or in any other form, and it must be of metal, or some substance that will resist the action of and retain naphtha or other similar fluids, naphtha being most commonly used for the purpose of carbureting gas. 4

Within this tank is arranged and secured a suitable frame-work, 0, upon the interiorandextcrior of which is drawn cotton, flannel, or other fibrous material, a and a, which covers the entire surfaces from top to bottom, and serves as wicking to convey the naphtha to the space D and D, above its surface, where the vapor of the'naphthaaccumnlatesto carburet the gas which passes through the saturated cloth and the vapor of naphtha whiclrsurrounds it.

The tank is filled with naphtha through the pipe E, which extends downward to near the bottom of the tank, and, like all other pipes entering said tank, it has a wire-gauze strainer applied to its lower end,

toprevent the possibility of flame entering to ignite the fluid, and a stop-cock, 7:, at the top, is to close when the tank is filled.

A metal jacket, I), surrounds the wickinga', and extends from the upper lincx of the fluid to the bottom of the tank, and a similar metal lining, l is placed within the inner wicking a, and extends from the line at to the same level below as the outer jacket.

Thelower end of the metal lining and of the jacket are intended to terminate near the upper side of the lower head G, but not to join it, so that all the naphtha carried up by the wicks must be taken time the bottom of the tank bypassing between the lower ends of the lining, and the jacket, and the head G to the lower ends of the wicks, and, as the naphtha is not intended to rise above the top of the lining or the.

jacket, only the heavier-naphtha, or that of the lowest gravity, can come in contact with the wicks at their lower ends, and in no other way but by passing between them.

A gauge-pipe, H, enters the tank through'thetop B, the lower end of which pipe extends a little below the top of thelining b and the-jacket b, and a stop-cock is arranged in the upper end of this pipe to prevent the escape of gas. When the tank is to be filled or refilled with l'iaphtha, the stop-cock is opened and the gas lighted at the top of the gauge-pipe, and, when a the tank. The stop-cocks in the gauge-pipe and in i the filling-pipe are then closed, and need not be opened again until the fluid in the tank requires to a re plenished.

Ahove the lining b, and joining the under side of the top head B of the tank, a curtain, 1), depends. This curtain incloses a space, D which takes in the gaugepipe H and the exit-pipe 1t, and all the gas which passes through the apparatus must pass under the lower edge of the curtain p, and through thevapor which is near and above the surface of naphtha in the tank.

The vapor of naphtha near the surface, being more abundant, increases the illuminating power of the gas more than at the top of the spaces D, D, and D"; hence the importance of the curtain p to conduct or guide the current of gas downward to near the surface of the naphtha, and through or in contact with the vapor, before passing out at the exit-pipe R, and to the burners arranged for lighting or illuminating space.

At some convenient point above the tank just de scribed, another tank or cylinder is arranged. This tank consists of an inner chamber, I, which is filled v with water, and another tank or heating-chamber, J, which surrounds the \vater-'t-ank,- except at the under side.

This double chambered tank is connected with the tank first described by a pipe, K, which may onter the lower tank through top head'B.

tle below the water-tank, is a small branch pipe, 0, which connects with a gas-chamber or space, 0, directly under the center of the flaring bottom N of the beneath the lining or the jacket to the wicks inclosed shown in figs. 3 and 5.

water-tank; and below the space a, and divided by an elastic diaphragm or valve, (1, is a water-space, f, connected with the water-tank I by apipc, g, at the lower curve of which is a pipe, 71-, through which the water-tank may be filled by removing and inverting the tank. Said pipe maybe closed by a stop-cooler, arranged for that purpose. a

An ordinary Bunsen burner, P, is applied to the top of the gas-chamber or space 0, at the center of the top head I, and directly under the center of the flaring bottom N of the water-tank.

The lower part of the burner-tube screws through the head I, and is intended to be raised or lowered to regulate and control, in connection with the elastic diphragm, the supply of gas to be-.-admitted to the burner I, or to stop the flow of gas to said burner by screwing the tube down and pressing the diaphragm tightly on the top of the seat'n, beneath the lower end of the tube.

The mode of applying the diaphragm .is clearly 1n the former the diphragm is shown asbeing pressed down on the seat a, and in the latter it is raised as it appears when in action or acted upon by. the pressure of water from the tank I through the pipe g to the space f.

R is the exit-pipe, through which the gas passes from thenaphtha-tank to the main gas-pipes, and to the burners in difi'erent parts of the building, or where the carburcter is connected.

The mode of holding the parts together with the diaphragm between them is clearly shown in fig. 4, by a clamp, S, which grasps the two parts 0 and f, and a set-screw, an, passes through the lower part or hub of the clamp to biml such parts firmly together.

When this carbnreting apparatus is applied, the tank containing the naphtha is placed a few inches belowthe surface of the ground in a cellar or other suitable place, and covered with earth or with other substance that will not be liable to ignite or to injure.

lower tank by a pipe, K, which must be long enough,

between the top of the lower tank and the branch pipe 0, to bring the upper tank above the earth surface, and convenient for operatin Gas from the main pipeis then let; in through the meter and passesthrough the supply-pipe L to the bottom or near the bottom of the tank I, and down through thepipe K to the space 1) of the vapor-chamber above the naphtha in the lower tank.

From the space D the gas passes through the wicks a and a to the space I), then'ce under thelower edge of the curtain 1) to the space D, and out through the exit-pipe R to the burners, and, in its passagethrough the several apartments or spaces, such gas passes through the vapor of naphtha near the surface of that in the tank, and such gas becomes saturated or charged with the vapor ofnaphtha which is con-.

stantly rising.

It is well-known that when the temperature of naphtha is near a freezing point, butlittle of the naphtha is vaporized; and that gas, at a low temperature, or near a freezing point, is capable of combining with vapor of naphtha only in a limited degree; or, in other words, the capacity of gas to combine with or take up vapor of naphtha is very limited when the temperature of the gas is low or near a freezing point.

To render the gas capable of combining with vapor of naphtha, or to increase the capacity of gas to take up such naphtha vapor, and also to cause the naphtha to vaporize in sufficient volume, or in proportion to the capacityof the gas to take up or combine with such vapor when the temperature of the naptha'or of the gas, or of both-ofthem, is near a freezing point, the tank I being filled with water, the gas is lighted at the top of the burner l, and the burnertube adjusted or raised up, as shown in figs. 1 apd 5, to a height in proportion to the degree of cold, or the temperature of the gas or the naphtha, or both. The lower the temperature of the gas or the naphtha, the higher the burner-tube should be raised, so as to produce a larger flame at the top of the burner by a greater volume of gas passing through the tube.

Heat from the flame of the top of the burner 1? is transmit-ted through the bottom N of the tank I to the water therein, heating and expanding the water, which also fills the pipe 9 and the space f below the diaphragm or valve (1. When the water is expanded by the heat, the pressure caused by such expansion acts against the under side of the valve (1, forcing the elastic valve upward in the direction of or nearly in contact with the lower end of the tube of the burner, thus narrowing the passage for gas to the burner, and consequently reducing the size of the flame and the amount of heat be,- neath the water-tank; a

This reduction of heat allows the water to cool slightly, which relieves the pressure under the valve, aml the valve gradually recedes or falls away from the lower end of the. burner-tube, which widens the passage and admits a greater volume of gas to the burner, increasing the flame and the heat, and again raising the temperature of and expanding the water, and again forcing the elastic valve upward in the direction 'of the lower end of the-tube of the burner, to reduce a the passage for gas to the burner,-the size of the flame, and the :nnoant of heat to the tank, and the water therein, as before.

These operations and changes, such as heating and expanding the water, forcing the elastic valve upward by such expansion, reducing thesize of the flame, and allowing the water to cool, relieving the pressure under the vaive,,aud allowing it to fall and widen the passage for gas to the burner, increasing the size of the fiarne, and again raising the temperature of the water and forcing the elastic valve upward to narrow the passage for gas to the burner, and again reduce the llame and the heat to allow the water-to cool; these changes and operations are constantly going on solong as the gas remains lighted at the top of the burner I, and so long as said burner-tube is raised or adjusted, as shown in figs. l and 5, to allow the pressure of the expanding water to act under the elastic diaphragm or valve (1, and operate the same, as described When the water in the tank I is heated by the flame at the top of the burner I, the gas which passes through the apparatus is also heated by passing around and above the heated water-tan k through the annular space J and the chambers O, and such gas is still further heated by passing through the pipe K, which is completely surrounded by-the heated water in' the tank.

Heating the gas before passing it into the naphthatank renders it inore susceptible or capable of taking up or combining with the vapor of naphtha, which greatly increases the illuminating power of the gas, and the heat contained in the gas so raises the temperature 'of the naphtha, as the heated gas passes through the saturated wicking, and through the compartments aboye, and near the surface of naphtha in the tank, as to cause suitable evaporation of naphtha to supply the gas with that vapor which so greatly increases its illuminating power.

\Vhen the temperature of the naphtha or ofthe gas is sufficiently raised to allow .the naphtha to vaporize, and the gas to combine with 'or take up the vapor of the naphtha without the aid of artificial heat, as when there is a change in the atmosphere from cold to warm, or where the building or inclosure containing the carbureting apparatus is heated to that degree to allow the naphtha to vaporize and the gas to combine with the vapor of naphtha, so as to materially increase the illuminating power of the gas, then the tube of the burner P may be screwed down to a position shown in fig. 3, pressing the diaphragm down onto the seat a, and perfectly closing the lower end of the burner-tube, and preventing the escape of gas from the burner.

The gas which supplies this burner passes from the pipe K, through the branch-pipe 0, into the space 0 above the valve (1, and through the tube c of the burner.

In vaporizing the naphtha, and in rendering the gas capable of combining with the vapor, as above described, and without the use of artificial heat, I do not consider that the operation will be pcrformediu a suitable manner unless the surrounding atmosphere, which affects the warming or heating of the substances, shall heat both the gas and the naphtha, and merely passing the gas through ordinary pipes to the burners, as arranged for the burning of such gas to illuminate space, will not be sufficient. It'is of importance that both the gas and the naphtha shall be in a place suit-. ably heated or warmed, or that artificial heat shall be used. 7 f

' The naphtha-tank is more properly placed in the ground at the bottom of a cellar, or under the building which contains the carburcter, and the gas is admitted from a main pipe from the street, the temperature of which is modified or determined. by the prevailing temperature of the season, at times fitlling below the freezing point, when its capacity for taking up the vapor of naphtha is necessarily insuificient to render the process of any considerable value; but by raising the temperature of the gas before it enters the naphtha-tank, its capacity for taking up the vapor is not only increased, but the evaporation ofthe naphtha, depending also upon the temperature, is insured by the increasedtemperature of the gas.

Others and more formal variations from the coustrnetion, arrangement, and mode of operation herein described I do not consider to be unprotected by this patent, if granted.

One object of this invention is to utilize such gravities of naphtha for carbureting'as otherwise could not employed with advantage-in the winter season, when the largest quantity of gas is consumed.

Another object of this invention is to use such I gravities of naphtha as bear a low market value and at the same time a higher value than higher gravitiesthe low gravities contain a larger per cent. of carbon than the higher, and this is the particular substance required to increase the illuminating power of gas.

I do not confine myself to the specific mode or means described for heating the gasbefore passing it.

lent mode or means, or any obvious substitute, for the herein-described gas-heating device or apparatus, when used in combination with the naphtha-tank, substantially as set forth and shown.

The most important feature andprineiple of 'my invention is toheat the vapor of the naphtha and prevent heating the naphtha itself, for to heat the naphtha produces distillation, and, consequently, condensaheating the gas, and then, by passing such previouslyheated gas into the vapor-chamber or the space above the naphtha, thereby heating the vapor and rendering it more capable of combining with the gas, which, being previously heated, combines more readily with the vapor of the naphtha, and increases its capacity to combine with the gas, and .all without perceptibly raising the temperature of the liquid naphtha, the effect of which would be injurious, as before explained. The gas, being heated to 124 Fahrenheit before it enters the carbureter, falls in temperature 58, aml passes from the carburcter at 66 Fahrenheit, the 58 of evident heat in the gas becoming latent in the process of evaporation.

I disclaim any and all modes, means, devices, or apparatus for carbureting gas by heating the naptha or other liquid, the vapor of which becomes the carburet-ing agent; but as my invention, and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent,

I claim The method, substantially as described, of combining illuminating gas with the vapor or the vaporized first heating the gas, and by passing such previouslythe naphtha, thereby increasing the capacity of each product to combine with the other, and also increasing the illuminating power ofthe gas, as set forth.

' MOSES W. KIDDER. Witnesses I J on E. CRANE, Anvru LAWRENCE.

of naphtha for the special purpose of carbureting, as

into the carbnreter, but I intend to use any cquivation of vapor in the pipes; and this I avoid by first products of naphtha or other equivalent liquid, by

heated gas into the vapor-chamber or the space above

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