Year: 1897

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by HERMANN SCHIMMEL, of 87, Pestalozzi-Strasse,
Charlottenberg, in the Empire of Germany, Gentleman.]
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, and 5, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lan-
caster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to that kind of self igniters for gas which by their
own action grow hot when a stream of gas passes over them, and which render a
fine wire of platinum incandescent so that it lights the gas. In employing this
kind of self igniters, it sometimes occurs that the igniting wire is not heated
enough by the self heating body, so that it might light the gas.
This invention now consists of a preparation of the igniting wires by which is
achieved that the wires become incandescent even in those cases, when the heat
submitted to them is but small.
The invention takes advantage of the fact that platinum and other substances
used for preparing self igniters grow hot by their own action even in a stream
of gas of a very low temperature; when they are in a very finely divided
form, named platinum black or platinum mohr: whilst platinum of a less finely
divided form, named platinum sponge heats itself only in a stream of warmed
gas or when the platinum sponge is warmed itself.
Now the platinum in its finest form, named platinum black or platinum mohr,
must be produced in the pores of a porous material, as is shown by Mr. Duke in
his Specification No. 969 of the year 1895, in order to prevent it from coalescing
to platinum sponge and thus becoming unfit for lighting gas. This is the reason
why it is impossible to connect the igniting body with the igniting wire so
intimately, that the heat of the igniting body is transmitted, in every case, in
such a degree, so that the gas is ignited. On the other hand there is no difficulty
to produce platinum sponge on the igniting wires themselves so that quite an
intimate connection with, them exists.
Regarding these circumstances it will be advantageous, and that is the object
of this invention, to prepare the igniting wires near the igniting body with a

page_text: small knob, or several small knobs, of platinum sponge, which I will call an
igniting body of second order.
Instead of platinum sponge any other substance may be employed which in a
stream of gas becomes hot by its own action, when it is somewhat warmed. Even
platinum black may be employed not only for the igniting bodies of the first
order, but also for the small knobs on the wire. However the little portions
of platinum black fixed on the igniting wire will in a short time he coalesced
to platinum sponge so that the effect would be the same as in the case of employ-
ing platinum sponge directly. When employing igniting wires of this kind
the process of igniting will run in the following manner.
Firstly the igniting body containing platinum black will grow hot, when a
stream of gas passed over it. The heat of the igniting body of the first order will
partially be transmitted to the igniting wire; and the heat thus transmitted to
the wire, though it is perhaps sometimes not sufficient to render it incandescent,
will in every case warm the wire to such a degree that the small knob or knobs
of platinum sponge, (the igniting bodies of second order) grow hot by their
own action on the stream of gas. Now the heat of these igniting bodies of second
order, which are directly fixed to the igniting wires, will not fail warming the
igniting wires to such a degree that they become incandescent and light the gas.
It is obvious that the igniting bodies of second order can be very small with-
out reducing the effect. It is only necessary that the surface of the igniting
wires near the igniting body of first order is roughened a little by a thin layer
of platinum sponge. For this thin layer of platinum sponge heats itself in
a stream of gas quite in the same manner as a big knob of platinum sponge.
In employing the igniting bodies of second order, according to this invention,
the lighting of the gas would also take place, if the igniting wires would not
become incandescent; for platinum sponge possesses by itself the property to
light a stream of gas, when it is somewhat warmed and thus rendered capable
to grow hot by its own action.
Therefore the hereinbefore described method of preparing the igniting wires
of self igniters renders it possible to make same out of any other refractory
material instead out of platinum, for example out of asbestos. In this case the
wires or refractory threads connected with the igniting bodies of first order,
properly spoken, are not igniting wires, but only serve for holding the igniting
bodies of second order which in this case have their heat transmitted to them by
radiation from the igniting body of first order.
In carrying out my invention I preferably take an igniter of the well known
kind to ignite the gas, for example the igniter of Mr. Duke above referred to,
consisting of an igniting body containing platinum black connected by a simple
wire of platinum. The igniting wire will now be treated with a solution of a
salt of platinum or of an other metal of the platinum group, say chloride of
platinum, in such a manner that a drop or two adhere to the wire near the
igniting body. This being done, the solution adhering to the igniting wire will
be evaporated and the remaining salt of platinum, reduced to platinum.
When employing chloride of platinum, it is sufficient to heat the igniting
wire for this purpose it is advantageous to bring the igniter in a stream of gas
so that it heats itself by its own action-then the fluid evaporates and the chloride
of platinum is reduced to platinum only by the action of the heat. The platinum
originating from the reduction of the salt of platinum has the form of platinum
sponge and is fixed on the igniting wire, or refractory thread, quite in that
manner as was formerly postulated.

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors. 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, and 5, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lan-
caster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil
Engineer, 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 has reference to that kind of self igniters for gas which by their
own action grow hot when a stream of gas passes over them, and which render a
fine wire of platinum incandescent so that it lights the gas. In employing this
kind of self igniters, it sometimes occurs that the igniting wire is not heated
enough by the self heating body, so that it might light the gas.
This invention consists of a preparation of the igniting wires by which is
achieved that the wires become incandescent even in those cases, when the heat
submitted to them is but small.
The invention takes advantage of the fact that platinum and other substances
used for preparing self-iguiters grow hot by their own action even in a stream
of gas of a very low temperature, when they are in a very finely divided form.
named platinum black or platinum mohr"; whilst platinum of a less finely
divided form, named platinum sponge heats itself only in a stream of warmed
gas or when the platinum sponge is warmed itself.
"
Now the platinum in its finest form, named platinum black or platinum mohr,
must be produced in the pores of a porous material, as is shown by Mr. Duke in
bis Specification No. 969 of the year 1895 in order to prevent it from coalescing
to platinum sponge and thus becoming unfit for lighting gas. This is the reason
why it is impossible to connect the igniting body with the igniting wire so
intimately, that the heat of the igniting body is transmitted, in every case, in
such a degree so that the gas is ignited. On the other hand there is no difficulty
in producting platinum sponge on the igniting wires themselves so that an
intimate connection with them exists.
In consideration of these facts it is the object of this invention, to provide the
igniting wires near the igniting body with a small knob, or several small knobs,
or a thin layer of platinum sponge, which I will call an igniting body of the
second order.
Instead of platinum sponge any other substance may be employed which in a
stream of gas becomes hot by its own action, when it is somewhat warmed. Even
platinum black may be employed not only for the igniting bodies of the first
order, but also for the small knobs on the wire. However the little portions
of platinum black fixed on the igniting wire will in a short time be coalesced
to platinum sponge so that the effect would be the same as in the case of employ-
ing platinum sponge directly. When employing igniting wires of this kind
the process of igniting will proceed in the following manner.
Firstly the igniting body containing platinum black will grow hot, when a
stream of gas passes over it. The heat of the igniting body of the first order will
partially be transmitted to the igniting wire, and the heat thus transmitted to the
wire, though it is perhaps sometimes not sufficient to render it incandescent, will
in every case warm the wire to such a degree that the small knob or knobs of
platinum sponge, the igniting bodies of the second order, grow hot by their own
action in the stream of gas. The warming of the igniting body of the second

page_text: order will be assisted by radiation of heat from the igniting body of the first
order. Now the heat of these igniting bodies of the second order which are
directly fixed to the igniting wires, will not fail to warm the igniting wires to
such a degree that they become incandescent and light the gas.
The hereinbefore described method of preparing the igniting wires of self-
igniters renders it possible to make the same of other refractory inaterial instead
of platinum for example of asbestos. The reason why this can be done is the
following:-
When employing igniting wires without the little igniting bodies of second
order, according to this invention, all the heat necessary to light the gas must
be transmitted to them by the igniting bodies of first order, containing platinum
black. This heat, however, is not sufficient to make the wires incandescent; even
the igniting bodies only become, say red hot. But a wire made of platinum
when once heated to a pretty high temperature, in a stream of gas increases its
temperature by its own action and becomes incandescent, so that it is enablel
to light the gas. Wires made of other material however must be heated to such
a degree, that the lighting takes place. Now it is obvious that the heat trans-
mitted to the igniting wires is greater when the wires have igniting bodies of
second order fixed upon them, than by employing wires without igniting bodies
and therefore it can easily be seen, that wires of refractory threads which do not
light the gas, when used without the said small igniting knobs become able to
do it, when they are supplied with them.
In carrying out my invention I preferably take an igniter of the well known
kind to ignite the gas, for example the igniter of Mr. Duke above referred to,
consisting of an igniting body containing platinum black connected by a simple
wire of platinum. The igniting wire will now be treated with a solution of a
salt of platinum, or of an other metal of the platinum group, say chloride of
platinum, in such a manner that a drop or two adhere to the wire near the
igniting body. This being done, the solution adhering to the igniting wire
will be evaporated and the remaining salt of platinum reduced to platinum.
When employing chloride of platinum, it is sufficient to heat the igniting wire;
for this purpose it is advantageous to bring the igniter in a stream of gas so that
it heats itself by its own action. The fluid then evaporates and the chloride of
platinum is reduced to platinum only by the action of the heat. The platinum
originating from the reduction of the salt of platinum has the form of platinum
sponge and is fixed on the igniting wire or refractory thread in the same manner
as before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. As a new article of manufacture an igniter for automatically igniting gas,
the igniting wires of which have one or more small igniting knobs or a thin layer
of an igniting substance (igniting bodies of the second order) fixed upon them to
aid the action of the principal igniting body or igniting body of the first order
substautally as set forth.
2. As a new article of manufacture an igniter for automatically igniting gas,
the igniting wires of which have one or more small igniting knobs or a thin
igniting layer consisting of a material heating itself by its own action in a
stream of gas, after it has been somewhat warmed, such as platinum sponge,
substantially as set forth.
3. As a new article of manufacture an igniter for automatically lighting gas,
the igniting wires of which are furnished with small igniting knobs and consist
of asbestos or other refractory material.
4. The process of manufacturing an igniter, for automatically lighting gas,
the igniting wires of which have one or more small igniting knobs or a thin
igniting layer which process consists in treating the igniting wires with a

page_text: solution of chloride of platinum or of a salt of the platinum group, so that a drop
or two or a thin layer adhere to the wires, and then reducing the platinum salt,
substantially as set forth.
5. The process of manufacturing an igniter for automatically lighting gas,
the igniting wires of which having one or more small igniting knobs, or a thin
igniting layer which process consists in treating the igniting wires with a solution
of chloride of platinum, then evaporating the liquid and reducing the salt by
heating the igniter by its own action in a stream of gas.
Dated the 15th day of Just 1900
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.