IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING BY GAS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Goldsmith and James Dilkes, both of
Leicester, in the County of Leicester, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING BY GAS."
Sealed the 26th January 1872, and dated the 4th August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Goldsmith and
James Dilkes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 4th August 1871.
We, GEORGE GOLDSMITH and JAMES DILKES, both of Leicester, in
the County of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING BY GAS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the construction of apparatus for heating
a variety of articles or substances with greater economy than has been
hitherto practised, but is more especially adapted to the heating of sad

page_text: and other irons, and to the melting of metal, the arrangement being
as follows: A rectangular or other shaped chamber is formed of sheet
iron mounted upon a cast-iron bottom or stand, and is either covered
or not by a hinged lid having a slot or slots made therein. It is also
furnished with holes either at the upper or lower part thereof for the
entrance of air. Within the chamber, and fitted to the upper part of it,
is a cast-iron trough with an opening in the bottom. Beneath the
opening is fixed a burner suitable for the combustion of a mixture of
atmospheric air and gas in a continuous or nearly continuous line of
flame, the gas being admitted at the bottom of the burner from a pipe
which extends to the outside of the chamber, where it is fitted with a
valve. A lever which has its fulcrum within the chamber is so arranged
that one end projects above the opening in the bottom of the cast-iron
trough, while the other passes through a slot in and projects on the
outside of the chamber, the extremity of it communicating with the
valve by means of an upright spindle attached thereto. A spring is
fastened near one end of the lever, which has the effect of keeping the
valve in such a position as to admit but a very small quantity of gas
to pass to the burner, but upon the introduction within the chamber of
the iron to be heated, or the melting pot containing the metal to be
melted, the weight thereof will depress one end of the lever and cause
the other end to rise and open the valve to such an extent as to allow
of sufficient gas passing to the burner to produce the requisite heat.
On the removal of the iron, or melting pot, the spring will cause the
valve to resume its former position, whereby only enough gas will pass
as will serve just to keep a light burning. It will be seen, therefore,
that when the apparatus is not in active operation, the consumption of
gas is reduced to a minimum, but its full power is exerted the moment
the material to be heated is brought within its action.
The shape of the apparatus may be variously modified. In the
foregoing statement the general form has been described as rectangular,
but it may be altered to suit the convenience of the special object to be
heated. For the purpose of melting it may by preference be made
round, and in this case the vessel containing the metal may be made
to press upon an upright spindle communicating with the valve without
the intervention of any lever. In either arrangement the spindle is
furnished with a screw and nut to adjust the quantity of gas to be
passed to the burner, and is covered by a cap to prevent their being
unnecessarily interfered with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Goldsmith and James Dilkes in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, GEORGE
GOLDSMITH and JAMES DILKES, both of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said George Goldsmith and James Dilkes,
Her special licence, that we, the said George Goldsmith and James
Dilkes, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said George Goldsmith and James Dilkes, our executors,
administrators, 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
APPARATUS FOR HEATING BY GAS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said George Goldsmith and James Dilkes, our executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, 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.
66
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Goldsmith and James
Dilkes, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawing, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
-

page_text: This Invention consists in the construction of apparatus for heating a
variety of articles or substances with greater cconomy than has been
hitherto practised, but is more especially adapted to the heating of sad
and other irons, and to the melting of metal, the arrangement being as
follows: A rectangular or other shaped chamber is formed of sheet iron
mounted upon a cast-iron bottom or stand, and is either covered or not
by a hinged lid having a slot or slots made therein. It is also fur-
nished with holes either at the upper or lower part thereof for the
entrance of air. Within the chamber and fitted to the upper part of
it is a cast-iron trough with an opening in the bottom; beneath
the opening is fixed a burner suitable for the combustion of a mixture
of atmospheric air and gas in a continuous or nearly continuous line of
flame, the gas being admitted at the bottom of the burner from a pipe
which extends to the outside of the chamber, where it is fitted with a
valve. A lever which has its fulcrum within the chamber is so arranged
that one end projects above the opening in the bottom of the cast-iron
trough, while the other passes through a slot in and projects on the
outside of the chamber, the extremity of it communicating with the
valve by means of an upright spindle attached thereto. A spring is
fastened near one end of the lever, which has the effect of keeping the
valve in such a position as to admit but a very small quantity of gas to
pass to the burner, but upon the introduction within the chamber of
the iron to be heated, or the melting pot containing the metal or other
material to be melted, the weight thereof will depress one end of the
lever and cause the other end to rise and open the valve to such an
extent as to allow of sufficient gas passing to the burner to produce the
requisite heat. On the removal of the iron or melting pot the spring
will cause the valve to resume its former position, whereby only enough
gas will pass as will serve just to keep a light burning. It will be seen
therefore that when the apparatus is not in active operation the con-
sumption of gas is reduced to a minimum, but its full power is exerted
the moment the material to be heated is brought within its action.
The shape of the apparatus may be variously modified. In the
foregoing statement the general form has been described as rectangular,
but it may be altered to suit the convenience of the special object to be
heated. For the purpose of melting it may by preference be made
round, and in this case the vessel containing the metal or other material
may be made to press upon an upright spindle communicating with the
valve without the intervention of any lever. In either arrangement the

page_text: spindle is furnished with a screw and nut to adjust the quantity of gas
to be passed to the burner, and is covered by a cap to prevent their
being unnecessarily interfered with.
The materials used in the construction of the apparatus are principally
cast and wrought iron, but any suitable material may be employed.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood Drawings
are attached hereto, of which the following is a description :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus as arranged
for the heating of sad or other irons; Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, while Fig. 4 is a plan of the
apparatus with the cover removed; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through
lines Y, Z, of Fig. 6, and is the form of apparatus adapted for melting
purposes; Fig. 6 is a plan, and Fig. 7 is an elevation of the same.
A, Fig. 1, is the sheet-iron case with a cover B shown partially open
and mounted upon a cast-iron stand C ; D is the inlet for gas, and E the
part containing the valve before referred to; F is the pipe which conveys
the gas to the burner G, and H is the cast-iron trough placed over the
burner, and is used to support the iron to be heated; I is the lever
which is depressed by the weight of the iron, and operates upon the
valve E through the medium of the upright spindle J; K is the spring
referred to previously; L is the nut used to regulate the quantity of
gas sufficient to keep the burner alight, but the cap or cover of the nut
is removed, and M is a handle attached to a rod connected with a lever
for opening the cover of the apparatus.
In Fig. 5, N is the case; O, the stand; P, the cast-iron trough or sup-
port for the melting pot; Q, the burner; R, the inlet for the gas; and S,
the part containing the valve. The spring used to keep the valve nearly
close is in practice coiled around S, but is not shown in the Drawing for
the sake of perspicuity; T is the upright spindle upon which the melting
pot presses, thereby admitting the proper quantity of gas to produce the
requisite heat. In lieu of this spindle and valve arrangement it is
proposed, where it is found more convenient, to attach to the gas inlet
pipe a cock with a plug formed with two ways, one to admit but a small
quantity of gas, and the other to allow of the passage of the full
5 quantity, while on turning the handle in another direction the supply
may be shut off altogether. This modification however it has not been
thought worth while to illustrate. In each of the Figures the same
letters refer to the same parts of the apparatus.

page_text: Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that we do not
confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details or arrangements
which we have described or referred to, as variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of
this Invention; but what we consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is, the construction of apparatus for heating
by gas, so arranged that the gas consumed by it when not in active
operation shall be materially reduced in the manner substantially as
herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Goldsmith and James
Dilkes have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day
of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two.