466 



FARMERS' REGISTER— GENERATING HEAT. 



the recent accident, the recurrence of a similar 

 event need not be apprehended, as in case oi' break- 

 ing an axle, or even a wheel, the car will be sus- 

 tained, and the progress of the train be uninter- 

 rupted. We are happy to learn also, that the trou- 

 blesome annoyance arising from the sparks and 

 cinders is entirely removed on this road, as well as 

 on the Newcastle road, although by a dillerent con- 

 ti'ivance. & 



NEW PROCESS FOR GEXERATING IIE.4T. 



From the London Mechanics' Ma^^azine. 



We have now the pleasure of laying before our 

 readers the tirst detailed and authentic account 

 which has yet appeared of the new mode of gene- 

 rating heat, discovered and patented by our es- 

 teemed friend, Mr. Rutter, and whicli, to use the 

 words of a carrespondent, quoted in our last num- 

 ber, seems destined " to change the face of the 

 world." The heat obtained is, we understand, ex- 

 tremely intense, very uniform, and, what we 

 scarcely expected to find would l)e the case, per- 

 fectly manageable. The process has been in suc- 

 cesssful use at the Salisbury Gas Works ever 

 since the patent was taken out, and it has also been 

 tried on board of a steam vessel, oiT Lymington, 

 with equally gratifying results. The following 

 details of the process we extract from a copy of 

 Mr. Rutter's Scotch specification, with which he 

 has obligedly favored us — his English and Irish 

 specifications have yet to be enrolled : 



" My invention of an improved process for ge- 

 nerating heat, applicable to tlie heating of boilers 

 and retorts, and to oilier purjwses for which heat is 

 required, consists in the emploj-ment of bitumi- 

 nous, oleaginous, resinous, waxy, or fatty sub- 

 stances, in a liquid state, and in conjunction with 

 water as fuel, in manner hereinafter described. I 

 carry my said improved process intocHect in man- 

 ner following, that is to say, by allowing or caus- 

 sing one or more of the said bituminous, oleagi- 

 nous, resinous, waxy, or fatty substances, as coal 

 tar, for instance, to flow from a cistern or other ves- 

 sel suitably placed, through a pipe or other conve- 

 nient channel, into a spout or funnel communicat- 

 ing with the interior of an enclosed fire-place or 

 furnace, and at the same time allowing or causino- 

 Avnter to llow from a cistern or vessel, placed in a 

 suitable or convenient situation, through anotlier 

 pipe, or other convenient channel, into the before- 

 mentioned spout or funnel, in which spout or fun- 

 nel the}' are allowed or caused to flow or diop si- 

 multaneously upon a fire previously kindled and 

 burning witiiin the befbrementioned inclosed fire- 

 place or furnace, subject to tlie regulations herein- 

 after mentioned or described. It is not essentia! 

 that the coai tar, or other of the beforementioned 

 substances, should first come into contact with the 

 water in the spout which communicates v. ith the 

 interior of the enclosed fire-place or furnace. In- 

 deed, I rather prefer that they should first come in 

 contact with each other in a funnel at some little 

 distance from the furnace, and from thence be al- 

 lowed to flow together, through a convenient chan- 

 nel, to the spout by which they are admitted into 

 the interior of the fire-place or furnace ; but the 

 tar or other substance, and the ^\-ater, should be in 

 contact prior to or at their entrance into tlie fire- 

 place or furnace, and being so in contact should 



fall simultaneously upon the fire so burning with- 

 in the fire-place or furnace; and if tiie fire-place 

 or furnace be large, two or more of the spouts or 

 channels for introducing the coal tar or other sub- 

 stances, and water together, may be adapted to 

 such fire-place or furnace in such manner aiid at 

 such distances from each other as may be found 

 most convenient. The stream of coal tar, or otlier 

 of the befbrementioned substances, and of water 

 respectively, is or may be regulated by means of 

 stop cocks or valves, either in or attached to the 

 cistern or other vessel, or in any of the pipes or 

 channels beforementioned. The spout or other 

 channel through which the coal tar, or other 

 of the befbrementioned substances, and the water, 

 are introduced into the interior of the enclosed fire- 

 place or furnace, should be left open, so that a sup- 

 ply of atmospheric air may thereby be admitted 

 to the said enclosed fire place or furnace, care be- 

 ing taken that too large a supply of atmospheric 

 air be not admitted. Although I prefer the heat- 

 ing, inflaming, and decomposing surfiice of a fire, 

 burning within an enclosed fire-place or furnace, 

 as aforesaid, in carrying my said improved process 

 into effect, as most favorable to the complete and 

 etlectual combustion of the coal tar, or other of the 

 beforementionetl substances, in conjunction with 

 water as aforesaid, yet the same is not absolutely 

 essential to the said process, for the combustion of 

 the coal tar, or other of the beforementioned sub- 

 stances, in conjunction with water, may be effected 

 in a furnace, oven, or other close vessel, previous- 

 ly b.eated, and afterwards kept at a proper degree 

 of heat, either by heat disengaged within the said 

 furnace, oven, or close vessel, or by heat being ap- 

 plied externally, or in any other way that shall be 

 found most convenient. It is not essential tlial the 

 water employed in my said improved process 

 should be fresh or pure water, for sea water and 

 impure water, such as the bilge water in ships, and 

 the an^moniacal liquor in gas works, will answer 

 the purpose. The respective quantities and pro- 

 perties of coal tar, or other of the beforementioned 

 substances, and of^ water, proper to be admitted or 

 introduced into the enclosed fire-place or furnace, 

 oven, or other close vessel, will le found to vary 

 according to circumstances and the materials used. 

 The proportions of coal tar and water, which I 

 have found productive of a good result, are one 

 gallon of coal tar, to be used simultaneously with 

 one gallon and a half of water, and these qualities 

 should be so regulated as not to fall upon the fire 

 or other heated surface, as beforementioned, in 

 much less than two or three hours; but the pro- 

 per proportions to be used may be ascertained by 

 observing the interior appearance of the said en- 

 closed fire-place or furnace, oven, or other close 

 vessel ; (which may be done at or through one or 

 more of the spouts or other convenient channels 

 provided for the introduction of the coal tar or 

 other material and the water, or at or through one 

 or more convenient apertures made for the purpose) 

 for if w ater be in excess the flame will be weak- 

 ened or extinguished ; or if tar, or other of the 

 beforementioned substances be in excess, then the 

 flame will be obscured by smoke." 



Mr. Rutter does not lay any claim to the appa- 

 ratus or machinery employed in the process, but 

 limits his patent right to "the mode or process of 

 generating heat, by subjecting bituminous, oleagi- 

 nous, resinous, waxy, and fatty substances, or a 



