Improvements in Regenerative Gas Lamps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regenerative Gas Lamps.
WALTER ALEXANDER FOURNESS trading as the Etoile Gas Lamp Company
of 3 Upper Duke Street, Stretford Road, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Gas Lighting and Ventilating Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows :—
My said Invention relates to regenerative gas lamps in which the gas and air are
heated before arriving at the point of combustion as is ordinarily the case in such
lamps. In a pendant lamp of my improved construction the gas supply pipe is led to
the burner through the chimney and the burner is or may be made with a circle of
horizontal perforations or with an opening through which the gas issues to be burned.
The bottom of the burner has a chamber to receive deposited carbon, a screwed plug
permitting the removal of the carbon from time to time. The burner is surrounded
by two annular walls conveying two distinct currents of air to the upper side of the
flame. The inner annular wall rises higher than the outer one and has a series of
perforations at the top through which air enters after being heated by passing through
the regenerator. The upper end of the second or outer annular wall is also perforated
and receives air in a similar manner. A curved lip or deflector is secured to the foot
of the outer annular wall. Beyond this deflector is a surrounding annular shield the
lower edge of which is or may be nearly level with the perforations in the burner.
An annular space exists between the inner circumference of the said shield and the
curved deflector, the flame turning up and entering this annular space. Just above
this annular space I place the regenerator which consists of a circle or series of
passages having inclined sides which tapor outwards towards the foot so as to present
sharp wedge like edges to the escaping heated products of combustion, so that the
upward current of heat is in no way interrupted or baffled in its passage to the
chimney the steadiness of the flame being greatly improved thereby. The heated
products of combustion after passing through the inclined passages in the regenerator
escape by the chimney, heating the inflowing gas as they escape. The air to supply
the upper side of the flame passes between the walls of the aforesaid inclined passages
which convey away the heated products of combustion and by contact therewith the
air is heated before it enters the perforations at the tops of the inner and outer
annular walls herein before described as conducting the air to the upper side of the
flame. The upper part of the lamp and the regenerator may be boxed in by any
suitable ornamental or perforated covers, shields or parts The burner and surrounding
parts are enclosed in a glass shield held in a ring or frame hinged or otherwise suitably
secured to the upper part of the lamp. This glass shield is preferably considerably
shallower that is to say brought much closer up to the under side of the flame than is
usually the case. The glass surrounds the aforesaid annular shield and an annular
space is left between the glass and the shield. Air enters at the joint or it might be
through openings left in the joint between the supporting ring or frame of the glass
shield and the upper part of the lamp and passes down between the glass and the
outer circumference of the annular shield. The annular shield being licated by the
flame imparts heat to the air, and the said air being directed to the shallow bottom of
the glass shield rises against the lower side of the flame and promotes the perfect
combustion of the gas. The flame is thus subjected on its upper side to the action of
the two currents of air above and on its lower side to the action of the air supplied
between the annular shield and the outer glass. The said annular shield may be made
of metal enamelled on its outer circumference or of glass or other transparent or
semi-transparent material. The retaining lip or flange of the ring or frame holding

page_text: the glass shield is preferably made to slope downwards so as to form a space to receive
the air which enters at the joint. With slight modification my improved lamp may
be used as a bracket or standard lamp the gas being supplied from beneath instead of
from above. The herein before described improved lamp may be used for outside
purposes by the addition of a suitable wind or hurricane guard.
Dated this 19th day of March 1880
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regenerative Gas Lamps.
I WALTER ALEXANDER FOURNESS trading as the Etoile Gas Lamp Company
of 3 Upper Duke Street, Stretford Road, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Gas Lighting and Ventilating 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 and accompanying
drawings:-
My said Invention relates to regenerative gas lamps in which the gas and air are
heated before arriving at the point of combustion as is ordinarily the case in such
lamps.
The annexed drawings illustrate a pendant lamp of my improved construction,
Fig. 1 being a vertical section and Fig. 2 a horizontal section at A. B Fig. 1.
The gas supply pipe a is led to the burner 6 through the chimney c and the burner
is or may be made with a circle of horizontal perforations as shown or it might be
with an annular opening through which the gas issues to be burned. The bottom of
the burner has a chamber b' to receive deposited carbon, a screwed plug d porinitting
the removal of the carbon from time to time. Above tho perforations which are
preferably formed in a steatite ring interposed between the halves of the burner is a
projecting flange b. Above the burner I arrange two annular walls e and fconveying
two distinct currents of air to the upper side of the flame. The inner annular wall f
rises higher than the outer one e and has a series of perforations both above and
within the outer tube e as shown through which air enters after being heated by
passing through the regenerator i. The upper end of the second or outer annular
wall e is also perforated and receives air in a similar manner. The said inner and
outer perforated tubes or walls e. serve to break up and distribute the inflowing
currents of air and thus perform functions which have heretofore been effected by
partitions and diaphranis of wire gauze. Such wire gauze soon becomes choked and
impeded and is quickly destroyed by the heat and decomposing gases evolved from
the flame. The perforated Lubes e. fare not subject to such speedy destruction. A
curved lip or deffector g is secured to the foot of the outer annular wall e. Beyond
this deflector is a surrounding annular shield or curtain the lower edge of which is
or may be slightly above the perforations in the burner b. An annular space exists
between the inner circumference of the said shield and the curved deflector g_the
flame turning up and entering this annular space as indicated in the drawing. Just
above this annular space 1 place the regenerator or air heating portion of the lamp
which consists of a cap or casting i having a series of chambers or passages; (for
example three) with inclined sides which taper outwards towards the foot as shown in
the fragmentary view Fig. 3 so as to present sharp wedge like edges to the escaping
heated products of combustion which are indicated by the ascending arrows in the
drawing so that the upward current of heat is in no way interrupted or baffled in its
passage to the chimney c the steadiness of the flame being greatly improved thereby.
The heated products of combustion after passing through the inclined passages in the
regenerator and so heating the inflowing air, make their exit by the chimney c
heating the inflowing gas as they escape. The direction of the gas down the pipe a

page_text: and central conduit k to the burner is indicated by arrows. The air to supply the
upper side of the flame enters first through the outer perforated shield and then
through the V shaped passages j' between the inclined walls of the aforesaid passages j
which convey away the heated products of combustion and by contact therewith the
air is partly heated before it enters the perforations in the inner and outer annular
tubes or walls e and hereinbefore described as conducting the air to the upper side
of the flame. The heating of the air is completely effected between the said annular
walls. The upper part of the lamp and the air heating portion or regenerator may
be boxed in by any suitable ornamental or perforated covers, shields or parts either
similar to those shown or varying in form. The burner and surrounding parts are
enclosed in a glass shield m held in a ring or frame n hinged at o to the upper part
of the lamp and held by a catch_p. This glass shield is preferably considerably
shallower, that is to say is brought much closer up to the under side of the flame
than is usually the case. The glass surrounds the aforesaid annular shield or curtain h
and an annular space is left between the glass and the shield. Air enters at the
joint between the ring n and the top of the lamp or it might be through openings
left in the joint between the supporting ring or frame of the glass shield and
the upper part of the lamp, and passos down between the glass m and the outer
circumference of the annular shield or curtain h. The annular shield being beated
by the flame imparts heat to the air, and the said air being directed to the shallow
bottom of the glass shield m rises against the lower side of the flame as shown by
the arrows and promotes the perfect combustion of the gas. The flame is thus
subjected on its upper side to the action of the two currents of heated air above
and on its lower side to the action of the air supplied between the annular shield
and the outer glass m. The said annular shield may be made of metal enamelled
on its outer circumference or of glass or other transparent or semi-transparent
material. The retaining lip or flange of the ring or frame n holding the glass
shield m is preferably made to slope downwards as shown at n¹ so as to form a
space to receive the air which enters at the joint. With slight modification my
improved lamp may be used as a bracket or standard lamp the gas being supplied
from beneath instead of from above. The herein before described improved lamp
may be used for outside purposes by the addition of a suitable wind or hurricane
guard.
Fig. on sheet 2 of the drawings illustrates a wind guard suitable for use in
combination with my improved lamp. It consists of a cylindrical casing formed at
the foot with an enlargoment which surrounds the upper part of the famp. The
sloping face of the enlargement 72 is enamelled or whitened or plated or otherwise
coated to reflect the light from the lamp or it may be faced with silvered glass or
made of porcelaine or other suitable material. On the inner side of the reflector 7³ is
an air deflecting flange which baffles or deflects air entering at the perforations 7
as shown by the arrows so as to break up and diffuse the current before it is allowed
to enter the lamp. Air is also allowed to enter the upper part of the wind guard
through the perforated ring and the perforations, the said air descending to the
lamp in the manner shown by the arrows and finding access to the flame through
the V shaped passages j'. The chimney c of the lamp communicates with the upper
part of the wind guard being cut off from the air supply by the inclined annular
partition s. The heated products of combustion rise from the chimney to the upper
part of the wind guard and pass first through the perforated part t then through the
successive perforated curtains and vand lastly escape through the outer perforated
casing was clearly indicated by the arrows. A clear way out is thus provided for
the heated products of combustion while gusts and back draughts are prevented from
finding their way down the chimney. The lamp is attached by the extra flange to
the reflector of the wind guard and the upper part is steadied by contact with the
inclined partitions s which cimbraces the chimney c. The gas supply pipe passes down
through the centre of both wind-guard and lamp. The said wind or hurricane guard
might be used in combination with lamps of a form different from my hereinbefore
described improved lamp.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) The general arrangement and combination of parts composing my improved
regenerative gas lamp, substantially as described and shown.
(2) A regenerative gas lamp having an air heating or regenerating arrangement
in which there are tapering passages for the escape of the products of combustion
with intervening tapering passages for the admission of air, and also concentric
perforated tubes for admitting the heated air in a double or divided and distributed
current to the upper side of the flame, in combination with the arrangements for
admitting and heating the air supply to the lower side of the flame substantially as
described and shown.
(3) In a lamp of the indicated nature the combination of the deflector and the
curtain has and for the purposes hereinbefore described and set forth.
(4) The arrangement and combination of parts composing the improved wind or
hurricane guard, substantially as described and shown.
(5) The said wind or hurricane guard in conjunction with the hereinbefore
described improved regenerative lamps substantially as set forth and illustrated.
Dated this 24th day of October 1000
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.