Improvements in Electric Lighting Attachments for Gas Burners.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 14th Sept., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Lighting Attachments for Gas Burners.
I, FRANK ALDEN WEBB of Beverly in the County of Essex and State of
Massachusetts, U.S.A. Watch Maker do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to means for electrically lighting Welsbach or Bunsen gas
burners and it is carried out as follows reference being had to the accompanying
drawings where :-
Fig. 1. represents a front elevation of a Welsbach gas burner provided with my
lectric lighting device.
Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same partly shown in elevation.
Fig. 3. represents a cross section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1 and
Fig. 4. represents a similar section showing the wire netting of the burner
removed.
Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts
of the drawings.
In the drawings A represents the usual gas pipe having air inlets A', A', as is
common in what is known as a Welsbach incandescent gas light having the
suspended incandescent mantle B, chimney C and socket or chimney support D as
is usual in this kind of light.
E. is the burner top attached to the upper end of the gas pipe A and provided at
its upper end with a cup shaped burner cap e, over which is fitted the burner F
having its upper end made of wire gauze or netting f as shown in the drawings.
F, F, are side perforations in the burner F, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 through
which air is admitted to the burner.
Within the cape are preferably arranged a stationary and movable electrode as
follows.
G represents the stationary electrode which is secured in an insulated manner to
the cap e, and to said electrode is metallically connected the battery wire gas
shown.
His a yielding electrode or sweeper adapted to be metallically brought in contact
with the stationary electrode G, at the time the gas is turned on.
The electrode H is attached to or forms a part of a downwardly projecting
metallic rod h connected in a suitable manner to the gas cock so that the electrode H
shall close and break contact with the stationary electrode G at the time the gas is
turned on by the said gas cock and thus automatically ignite the gas and air
compound by electric means when turning on the gas.
In the drawings Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown the gas cock I, as provided with
four ports i adapted to close and open the gas passages a, a, in the pipe A as shown
in Fig. 2.
To the end of the gas cork is secured a ratchet wheel K and on the stem of said
gas cock is loosely Lung a spring actuated lever L to which is pivoted the pawl
lever M having a pawl m adapted to engage the ratchet or pawl wheel K, in
turning on or off the gas as is common in electric gas lighting devices.
The lower end of the rod is pivoted to the lever L as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
I wish to state that I do not confine myself to any particular mechanism for
opening and closing the gas supply or actuating the electrode H as this may be
lone by other suitable mechanism without departing from the essence of my
nvention.

page_text: I also wish to state that although I have shown in the drawings the sparking
device as a stationary and a movable electrode, this form is not essential as any
other well known form of a sparking device may be used, as for instance a pair of
movable electrodes or stationary electrodes, as circumstances may require, it being
only necessary that the spark should be emitted within the mixing chamber of the
burner.
N is a cord or chain attached to the pawl lever M for actuating the gas cock as
is common in electric gas lighting devices.
From the above it will be seen the yielding electrode H will sweep by the
stationary insulated electrode G when the cord N is pulled in opening the cock to
turn on the gas to the burner causing a spark to be produced between the electrodes
by which the gas is ignited within the burner F.
When the operator releases his hold on the pull down N the lever L is
automatically returned by the influence of its spring to its normal position shown
in Fig. 1, causing the electrode H to again sweep by the electrode G by which a
secondary spark is produced to light the gas in case the primary spark should
have failed to ignite the gas.
The electrodes are located out of the flame when at rest as shown.
By this arrangement I ain enabled to light incandescent Welsbach burners by
electricity thus obviating the difficulty of lighting such burners from the top or
otherwise as is now the case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with a Bunsen burner F having air inlets F¹, and the incan-
descent mantle B. suspended above it, a stationary insulated electrode G and a
movable yielding electrode H arranged within the mixing chamber of said burner,
the latter electrode being connected for operation to a gas cock on the gas supply
pipe substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination with a Bunsen burner F. having air inlets F', and the incan-
descent mantle B. suspended above it, a stationary insulated electrode G and a
movable yielding electrode H arranged within the mixing chamber of said burner
and adapted to break and close the circuit for the purpose of igniting the gas
within the said burner below its mantle, substantially as specified.
3. In combination with a Bunsen gas burner having gas and air supplies and a
mixing chamber connected to such supplies, a stationary insulated electrode and
a movable yielding electrode both arranged within said mixing chamber substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In combination with a Bunsen gas burner having gas and air supplies and a
mixing chamber connected to such supplies, a sparking device arranged within said
mixing chamber substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
11: 19th
LA 100K
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.