514 Kettle for holling inflammable Fluids, 



VIIL 



An Account of a Kettle for boiling inflammable Fluids. In a Letter from Tiio, P. Smith to 



Robert Patterson *, 



Philadelphia, June I4, 1 798. 

 SIR, 



W. 



HEN we confiderthe many unhappy accidents that occur from vefTels, containing in- 

 flammable fluids, boiling over, and fetting fire to buildings, in which manufaftures of them 

 are carried on, it mull fl;rike us a matter of importance to form a veflTel which fliould be fo 

 conftrudled as to prevent any of thofe accidents, and yet of fo fimple a form, as to render 

 it fit for general ufe. Imprefled with thefe ideas, I take the liberty of ofiering, for your 

 approbation, the following plan. 



Let A B C D (Plate XXI.) reprefent a large kettle, D E a fpout running out at the diftance 

 of three or four feet, commencing at D, four or five inches from the brim of the kettle, and 

 the termination of it, E juft as high as the brim C. Let the bottom of this fpout be covered 

 with wet fponges or rags. Now fuppofe the kettle to be filled up to D with any fluid, then 

 as foon as it commenced boiling it would rife in the kettle, and in rifmg but a fmall perpen- 

 dicular height would pafs confideraBly up the fpout DE: here the liquor would foon 

 cool, and of confequence fall back into the kettle, and the whole fubfide to its original height. 

 This would occur as often as the fluid rofe above D, as the evaporation from the wet 

 fponges or rags would keep D E conltantly cool. 



It would perhaps be beft to pafs the fpout through the fide of the building into the 

 open air, as thereby the evaporation , would be increafed, and, confequently, the fpout kept 

 at a lower temperature ; in this cafe it might be covered. 



In cafe of the fluid to be boiled pofleffing a very flirong eledllve attradtion to caloric, or 

 the matter of heat, the fpout might be extended to the width of the diameter of the kettle, 

 or a projefting fhelf might be formed all round, lined below with wet fponges or rags. 



I remain, dear SIR, 



Tour's, &c. 



Mr. Robert Patter/on. ; T. P. SMITH. 



P.S. In conformity to the wifh of the fociety, I procured a veflel in the form here pro- 

 pofed. I firlt tried the experiment with water ; it boiled very rapidly ; but every time the 

 water rofe into the fpout, it immediately fubfided, although the fpout had been for fome time 

 direflly expofed to the heat of one of Lewis's furnaces ; I afterwards attempted it with oil, 

 but before the oil boiled, the foldering of the veflel, which was made of tin, melted. 



* American Tianfailions, 1799.' 



• Letter 



