IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Richardson Wigham, of Albany House,
Monkstown, in the County of Dublin, Ireland, Gas and Lighthouse
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND
APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Richardson Wigham'
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th April 1865.
I, JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM, of Albany House, Monkstown, in the
County of Dublin, Ireland, Gas and Lighthouse Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND
APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES," to be as follows:-
One part of my Invention consists in illuminating lighthouses by means of
combustible gases produced from fixed or volatile oils, liquid hydrocarbons, or
semi-liquid oleaginous compounds, and burnt without the aid of a wick,
instead of burning liquid oils by means of wick lamps, as heretofore employed.
Such gases may be produced by means of the ordinary apparatus now
employed for generating gas from such fixed or volatile oils, liquid hydro-
carbons, or semi-liquid oléaginous compounds; but by preference I employ for
that purpose apparatus similar to that described in the Specification to certain
Letters Patent already granted to me, and bearing date the 7th November
1861, No. 2795, for "Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas,

page_text: Parts of which are also applicable to Cooking Purposes," which apparatus
may, beyond what is there described, be provided with a circulating boiler for
heating purposes. I do not, however, claim any part of such apparatus as
my present Invention.
Another part of my Invention consists in the use in lighthouses of such
description of burners for burning the before-mentioned or any other
description of combustible gases as will dispense with chimney glasses,
whereby the inconvenience, expense, and danger attendant on the frequent
breaking of such chimney glasses in lighthouses as at present are obviated,
while a light superior to that of the oil flames now used is produced. The
burner I use by preference for such purpose consists of a number (greater or
smaller, according to the size of flame required,) of jets so arranged together
in a cluster, and branching from a central supply pipe, that the requisite air for
supporting combustion has ready access to each of the burners. Surrounding
these burners, and immediately below the level of the same, I place a metallic
cylinder open at both ends, and which I term the "equalizer," through which
cylinder the air passes on its way to the burners, and the upward current of
air which is thus produced is of sufficient intensity to effect the perfect com-
bustion of the gas issuing from the jets, and for rendering all the flames of
equal intensity and size. Immediately above the tops of the flames I place a
copper cylinder (having its area proportioned to the number of burners
employed), which I term the "oxydizer," and the effect of which is to raise
to a white heat the burning particles of solid carbon contained in the upper
portion of the flame, the luminosity of which is thus much increased, and
waste of carbon prevented. From the great resemblance which the flames
produced by this burner have to a cluster of crocus flowers, I term the
apparatus the "crocus burner."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Richardson Wigham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RICHARDSON WIGHAM, of Albany House, Monkstown, in the County of
Dublin, Ireland, Gas and Lighthouse Engineer, send greeting.
8
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord 3
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Richardson Wigham, Her special licence that I, the said
John Richardson Wigham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Richardson Wigham, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND
APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES," upon the condition
(amongst others). that I, the said John Richardson Wigham, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Richardson Wigham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
One part of my Invention consists in illuminating lighthouses by means of
combustible gases produced from fixed or volatile oils, liquid hydrocarbons,
bituminous matters, shales, cannells, shale oils, or semi-liquid oleaginous
compounds, and burnt without the aid of a wick, instead of burning liquid
oils by means of wick lamps, as heretofore employed. Such gases may be
produced by means of the ordinary apparatus now employed for generating
gas from such fixed or volatile. oils, liquid hydrocarbons, bituminous matters,
shales, cannells, shale oils, or semi-liquid oleaginous compounds, but by.
preference I employ for that purpose apparatus similar to that described in
the Specification to certain Letters Patent already granted to me, and bearing
date the 7th November 1861, No. 2795, for "Improvements in Apparatus
for the Manufacture of Gas, Parts of which are also applicable to Cooking
Purposes," which apparatus may, beyond what is there described, be provided
with a circulating boiler for heating purposes. I do not, however, claim any
part of such apparatus as my present Invention.
Another part of my Invention consists in the use in lighthouses of such
description of burners for burning the before-mentioned or any other.

page_text: description of combustible gases as will dispense with chimney glasses as
heretofore used, whereby the inconvenience, expense, and danger attendant
on the frequent breaking of such chimney glasses in lighthouses as at present
used are obviated, while a light superior to that of the oil, flames now used is
produced. The burner I use by preference for such purpose consists of a
number (greater or smaller, according to the size of the flame required,) of
jets so arranged together in a cluster, and branching from a central supply
pipe, that the requisite air for supporting combustion has ready access to each
of the burners. Surrounding these burners, immediately below the level of
the same, I place a metallic cylinder open at both ends, and which I term the
"equalizer," through which cylinder the air passes on its way to the burners,
and the upward current of air which is thus produced is of sufficient intensity
to effect the perfect combustion of the gas issuing from the jets, and for
rendering all the flames of equal intensity and size. Immediately above the
tops of the flames I place a copper or iron cylinder with glass terminal
(having their area proportioned to the number of burners employed), which
I term the "oxydizer," and the effect of which is to raise to a white heat the
burning particles of solid carbon contained in the upper portion of the flame,
the luminosity of which is thus much increased, and-waste of carbon pre-
vented. From the great resemblance which the flames produced by this
burner have to a cluster of crocus flowers, I term the apparatus the "crocus
burner."
On the accompanying Drawing is shown the before-described improved
burner. Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 shows a plan of
the same.
A is the equalizing cylinder; B is the oxydizer, with glass terminal B';
C, C, C, are the burners branching out from the central supply pipe E; Dis
an arm supporting the cylinder. Although on the Drawing the oxydizer
is shown smaller than the equalizing cylinder, yet they may be both of the
same size, or the oxydizer may be of larger diameter than the equalizing
cylinder, according to the size of flame required.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I
claim is,―
First, illuminating lighthouses by means of combustible gases produced
from the substances herein-before set forth, and burnt as gases are usually
burnt without the aid of a wick.
Second, the construction and employment of burners for illuminating
lighthouses, arranged so as to dispense with the ordinary chimney glasses,

page_text: substantially as herein-before described with reference to the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Richardson Wigham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM. (L.B.)