USRE5465E - Improvement in apparatus for charging air or gas with hydrocarbon vapors - Google Patents

Description

E.'H. COVELL. Apparatus for Charging Air or Gas with Hydro- Carhun Vapors.

Reissued June 24, i873.

' regulating the delivery of the mixed gas for exact description, and specification of the same, I referring to .the annexed drawings.

' so-temper its quality, and regulate its delivery,

- regulate the supply of the 'commingled gas,

I will proceed to describe it, and the manner in without departing from its general characterbottom.

end is closed in any convenient manner. This UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-,1:

E. HALL CQVEL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT m APPARATUS FORBCHARGING AIR 0R GAS WITH HYDROCARBQN vAPoRs."

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 24,199, dated May 31, 1859; extended seven years; reissue No. 5,466, dated June 24, B1;

application-filed June 20, 1873. z v

To all whom it may concern? Be it known that I, E. HALL COYEL, of the city of Brooklyn, county-of Kings and State of New York, made an invention of a new and useful apparatus for charging air or gas under pressure with the vapor-of hydrocan bonsv for tempering the quality, and for the purposes of illumination; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

' The object of my invention is to produce a mixed gas of a high illuminating power to that a uniform and steadylight may be obtained; and to this end my invention consists in a new surface-vaporizing chamber, with certain combinations of the same and certain combinations of a regulator, with other mech anism, reservoirs, pipes, and val ves,specificall set forth atthe end of this schedule, by means of which I amenabled to pass air or gas nu,- dcr pressure over such' an extent of the surface of liquid hydrscarbons at rest thatthe air or gas may be charged with the lightest portion of the liquid without agitation, and to thoroughly mix, temper the quality, andwith such uniformity and certainty as to adapt it to general use for illuminating purposes.

In order that persons skilled in the art may understand, make, and use my invention, I

which I have applied it; but it is obvious that many diiierent forms and positions may be adopted for embodying the substance of it istics.

' Figure 1 is a perspective view of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a wcrtical section through the same.

A represents the vaporizing-chamber, f f the sides of the same, and c the top, and g the It is made gas or air tight, and is supplied with a liquid hydrocarbon through the tube h, reaching nearly to the bottom and into the liquid. Vhen charged,'the upper vaporizing-chamber is provided with a circular cpen1ng,i, in the top for the admission 7 in reference to the pans. As the tube his for the I bottom'surfaee they each have induction pipes e e for the downward passage of air or gas, to be charged, and eduction-openings k-for the passage of the mixed gas upward to the discharge pipe y'. Each pan is supplied with liquid hydrocarbon,'( which is prevented from filling the pans by the overflow-pipes e c,) thus adding much more surface of the liquid than would be the caseif only spread over the bottom of the chamber. 1 also provide a commingling-chamher, a, under the dischargepipe j, and introduce into it one end of a pipe, 3 leading from the reservoir B Tor, the purpose of tempering the quality of the mixed gas as it passes to the discharge-pipe. In the pipe is a cock, which can be adj usted, aud the admission of air or gas into the commingliug-chamb'er regulated. The reservoir B is connected with the vaporizing-chamber by means of pipes or channels, and is, in this instance, above the said chamber. The

bottom of the reservoir 0 is'furnished with o a passage, a valve-seat, p, and a valve, q,

directly over the inlet i in the top of the vaporizing-chamber. Through this passage and over this valve passes the air or gas to be charged. The valve q is attached by means of its valve-stem to the top of an inverted cylinder, s, similar to that used for gasome ters; and the vertical sides of the cylinder are immersed in'wat'er or other suitable fluid held between two other cylinders,fc and a, one inside and the other outside, as shown. The pressure of the air or gas contained in the reservoir acts upon the under side of the cylinder 8 through the cylinder 1:, and

tends to raise it and close the opening 1) by the valve q, the amount of opening past the valve being dependent 'on the position of the valve in the opening 1). 1n the reservoir B is an inclosure, C, partly filled with Water, or other suitable fluid, to act as a valve over the end of the vertical pipe a, leading toward the supply-chamber B. Through this pipe all the air or gas to be charged passes in, its Way to the vaporizingchamber A. It is furnished with a cock, 2, to regulate the quantity or pressure of the air or gas forced into said chamber to be charged.

In addition to the channel 1), in the bottom of the reservoir, I connect the pipe y, before referred to, with the side ot'it, for the purpose of admitting more air or gas, unmixed, into the commingling-chamber s to adulterate the charged or mixed gas as it passes to the discharge-opening j, thus tempering its quality, or, in other Words, its richness in carbon, the amount admitted bein g regulated by the cock :0.

The box. I) contains a propeller-wheel immersed in Water and mounted on a shaft, which has bearings in the sides of the box, and is urged to revolve continuously by a Weight, Z, or other suitable mechanism or power. The air or as enters the box at b and is forced toward the vaporizingchamber through the pipe a, regulated by the cook a and Water-valve over the end of the pipe in the inclosure c.

I have adopted this means for propelling the air or gas to be charged into the vaporizing-chamber, botany means by which the air or gas is forced toward the vaporizingchamber will answer the purpose, the principal object being to present the air. or gas to the surface ofthe liquid hydrocarbon in a compressed or condensed form to eii'ect a greater amount of evaporation, in the same time than would be the case if gas or-air were passed over the fluid at atmospheri pressure only. i i sometimes heat the air or as it pass-es from the forcing apparatus into the reservoir, and for this purposelhave provided a lamp, t, the flame from which striking against the bottom of the pipe a warms it and the passin g air. 7

The tubes h, h, and h are intended to reacn down into the liquid hydrocarbon, and to be sealed by the liquid. The tubes c e are covered at the bottom by perforated disks, as

the opening 1 is shown to be, and for the same purpose. There is a small opening at a in the cylinder 8 to provide for the escape of any dangerous pressure of air in the reservoir. Leading horizontally from each pan are short pipes 61 (Z d for the purpose of cleaning the pans, drawing oil the heavy fluid, and at any time that may be desirable, as the amount of fluid evaporated may vary in the iiiiierent pans in the same time.

The operation is as follows: The vaporizingchamber A is supplied with a liquid hydrocarbon by pouring it in the tube h, which covers the bottom of the chamber y, or through the tubes h it into the pane 51g", until their surfaces are covered and the liquid to overflow either of the short pipes e or e, and thence falls into the lowei part of the chamber and spreads over the bottom 5;. After closing the upper ends of the tubes it h 71/, the cock z is opened and the air or gas is forced through the pipe at by the revolution of the propeller a, or by any other propelling force. The inclosnre 0 being partially filled with Water, and above the end of the pipe u, it is forced away enough to allow the air to enter the reservoir B through the Water m. The cylinder 8 is forced upward by the pressure of the air or gas on its head 8' and carries with it the valve 9, partially closing the opening 11 through which the air or gas passes into the vaporizingchamber A. hen the air or gas enters the vaporizingcliamber it passes over the surface of the pan 9. in a horizontal direction towards the overliow-pipe c thence over the surface of the liquid in the pan g; also in a horizontal direction through the overflow-pipe c; thence in a horizontal direction to the pipe K; whence it passes upward into the cominingling-chaniber S; is

.mixed with air or gas introduced into the commingling-chamber through the pipe y, and is then delivered into the pipe j to be distributed into the burners. As the air or gas is forced over the surfaces of the liquid hydrocarbon it is charged with the vapor of the same, and is carbonized without any agitation of the liquid hydrocarbon. As the cylinder or regulators is raised by the pressure of the air or gas,wl1atever excess ofpressure persquareinch is thrown on its head, 8, more than enough to balance its own weight and the Weight ot'its attachments will tend to cause it to rise; at the same time any reduction of pressure will tend to cause it to descend; in the first instance reducing the are? of opening around the Yalve q, and, in the latter, increasing said opening so that it regulates the supply of air or gas to the vaporiZing-chamber, and, consequently, to the burners. hen such pressure becomes excessive, or the delivery entirely stopped, the valve Q will close, shutting oil the supply of air.

If the valve 1 be dispensed with, and the regulator acts only by the inequality of the pressure of the entering air or gas, and the variations in the delivery-pipes, such inequalities and variations will be immediately adjusted by the regulator, and by keeping the pressure uniform, prevent all flickering of the lights. This is a very important feature of my invention.

it will be observed that the whole amount of liquid hydrocarbon is divided up into three portions, so that the air or gas is brought by pressure into direct contact with said subdivided portions, and consequently cii'ects a more certain and uniform mixture of the air or gas and the vapor of the hydrocarbon than could be done by passing it simply over a sin gle surface, with greater depth of the fluid. By my apparatus the lightest portion of the liquid is exposed to the pressure of the air or gas only, and the heavy portion is left to be .with liquid, without disturbing any of the others, by the tubes h h h".

Having now. fully described my invention,

and the manner in which I applied it, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

isi 1 l. The combination of a chamber for vaporizing hydrocarbon,- provided with a pan or pans, or other surfaces, in substantially a horizontal' position, and arranged in .the manner 'described, so that a free current of air or gas maybe forced in a horizontal directionovcr the surface :of the liquid hyd ocarbon contained 'therein at rest, with a forcing apparatus, and inlet. and outlet cocks or valves for the admission of the air or gas to be charged ,and-the delivery of the mixed gas, substanxtially as herein set-forth.

2. .Ihe combination of a chamber for vaporv izing hydrocarbom'in which the liquid is 'l1eld at rest on horizontal surfaces, arranged in the manner described, so that the air or gas is forced tcpass horizontally over them, with an apparatusfor forcing said air or gas over said surfaces, substantial] y as herein set forth.

3. The combination of a chamber for vaporizing hydrocarbons, an, apparatus for' forcing air -or gas into said chamber, and a self-regu- 'latin g device for equalizing, checking, or con; trolliugthe pressure, substantially as set forth.-,

- i 4. The combination of 'a self-regulating apparatus and a vaporizing chamber, substantially as. herein set forth. I

5. The combination of a gas or air forcing apparatus, a reservoir, and a self-regulating device, substantially as herein set forth.

6. i The-combination of a chamber for. vaporizing hydrocarbons, a reservoir provided with a self adjusting 'device for regulating the pressure of the mixed 'gas, and a commingling-chamber, substantially, as herein set forth.

' 7.'-The combination of a vaporizing chamher, a reservoir, and a self-rcgulatingdevice and valve, substantially as herein set forth. r

8. The combination of a commingling-chamber, self-regulating device, and outlet-cock, j, for the pur'poses substantiallyas herein set forth.

9. The combination of the reservoir-pipe for admitting air or gas to it, and an adjustable cock or fluid valve for regulating the "quantity and flow of the air, snbstantially'as herein set forth.

10.. The combination of the vaporizingchamber, the reservoir, forcing-apparatus,

regulating-device and valve, and inlet and outlet pipes, substantially as herein set forth.

11. The combination of a chamber foryaporizing hydrocarbons, with 'partitions or channels for extending the surface and reducing the depth of the' liquid, with aregulating device,.arranged in the manner .described, so that a current of air, under regulated and controlled pressure, may pass over said extended surface, and every portion of it, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination and arrangement of pipes for feeding the liquid hydrocarbon to the pans, and drawing off the heavy unvaporized liquid, Whenever desired, from each pan or division separately, substantially as herein set forth.

The above specification of my said invention I signed and. witnessed at Washington city this 20th day of cIune, A. D. 1873.

- E. HALL COVEL.

Witnesses:

G. M. PARKS, H. L. PERRINE.

Images