A NEW AND IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAB AUTOMATICALLY
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Asahel Pilkington Bell, of Manchester, in thie
County of Lancaster, Architect, and Thomas Thorp, of Whitefield,
near Manchester, aforesaid, Architect, for the Invention of " A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Asahel Pilkington
Bell and Thomas- Thorp at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 21st September 1875.
We, ASAHEL PILKINGTON BELL, of Manchester, in the Gounty of
Lancaster, Architect, and THOMAS THORP, of Whitefield, near Man-
chester, aforesaid, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for A NEW AND IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAB
AUTOMATICALLY,” to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists,-
Firstly. Of a receptacle E made of pot or other hard substance, with
sunk chambers F; F, F, and G, G, G, communicating with each other,
for holding mercury and glycerine or other liquid; to this receptacle is

page_text: screwed or otherwise fastened the pipe H, which is supplied with gas
from the main.
Secondly. Of a cap I fitting in the receptacle E, with two pipe-
mouthed valves-J, K, the one marked K for opening-and-closing at any
particular-pressure of the gas, and allowing the same to escape through
a pipe L fastened in the cap to the burner, the other valve J allowing for
a short time a portion of gas coming from the the first valve to escape
at B, which being ignited by a small jet A constantly burning ignites
the gas at the burner. The upper part of the cap I has a projecting
rim M for preventing direct draught of air to the small jet A.
Thirdly. Of a cover N placed over the whole apparatus, the lower and
upper sides being perforated for inlet and exit of air; this cover is locked
or otherwise secured to the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Asahel Pilkington Bell and Thomas Thorp in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st March 1876. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ASAHEL
PILKINGTON BELL, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Architect;
and THOMAS THORP, óf Whitefield, near Manchester, aforesaid, Architect,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
"Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in
_the_year-of-our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
in the thirty-ninth year of-Her-reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and.
- successors, give and-grant unto us, the said Asahel Pilkington Bell
and Thomas Thorp, Her special licence, that we, the said Asahel.
Pilkington Bell and Thomas Thorp, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as wė, the said Asahel Pilkington Bell and
Thomas Thorp, 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 "A NEW AND IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAS
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page_text: the burner e for the flaring jet is fixed. At the lower side and in the
centre of the piece c is the pipe-mouth valve c³, through which the gas
passes into the tube f, which is provided with the ordinary burner f
-The-hollow-ball-d-is-suspended to the burner f' by the wired, and a
loop of platinum wire connected thereto is carried over the burner.
Near the flaring jet burner e and the tube ƒ is the small burner g, above
which is the coil of platinum wire ; this burner g is always in com-
munication with the gas in the mains, and if the gas from the burner g
is put out by accident it will be instantly reignited by the heated
platinum wire h. The partition i is placed between the ball d and the
burners, as shewn in Fig. 1. The whole apparatus is protected by the
bell, which is also made of porcelain or other suitable material, and
the lower edge of the bell is perforated to admit air to support the
combustion of the burners e and g. The bell ; is connected to the
receptacle 6 by a bayonet joint, so that it may be easily removed to
examine or repair the parts.
"
The mode of operation is as follows, and the Drawing, Fig. 3, repre-
sents the parts in the positions they occupy when the pressure of gas is
at its maximum, and the gas from the top burner f¹ is alight, whereas
in Fig. 4 the parts are shewn in the positions they assume when the gas
pressure is at its minimum, and the gas is shut off from the top
burner.
"
It will be seen in reference to Fig. 3 that when the gas is at its
maximum pressure it depresses the mercury in the centre compartment
of the receptacle-b, thereby uncovering the valve os, and allowing the
gas to enter the tube ƒ and burner f¹. As soon as the gas enters the
tube-a-small-portion of it passes through the aperture to the
burner-e,_and_this_portion of gas is then ignited by the jet g and
platinum wire h; the flaring jet from the burner e then ignites the gas
issuing from the burner f¹. When the ball d is heated by the wire d
passing through the flame the enclosed air expands and expels the
mercury, which falls into the chamber c, and closes the aperture c³, and
shuts off the gas from the burnere. As soon as the-pressure-in-the-gas_
main is reduced the mercury rises in the centre of the receptacle b, and
closes the valve o³, thereby extinguishing the light; the ball d then a
cools, and a partial vacuum is formed within. A portion of the mercury
from the chamber c¹ then rises into the ball, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby
uncovering the passage c³ to admit the gas to the flaring-up burner e

page_text: when the pressure in the main is sufficiently increased to open the
valve c². If the flame from the burner f¹ should be extinguished by a
gust of wind or other accident the ball d will become cool, as above
described, and when cool the mercury rises within it to uncover the
aperture ³; a portion of gas then flows to the flaring up burner e,
which is ignited by the burner g and platinum wire h, thereby igniting
the gas from the burner f¹, as before described.
In the modification shewn in Fig. 5 the compound bar d¹, d², and
solid plunger k are used in lieu of the ball d. When the compound bar
becomes heated the plunger k displaces the mercury in the receptacle c¹,
and closes the bottom of the burner e.
By means of this Invention the whole of the lamps in any district
may be lit at night, and extinguished in the morning automatically,
whereby lamplighters are dispensed with.
.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, we declare that we claim,-
First. The improved arrangement of the burners and valves and the
parts acting in combination therewith for lighting and extinguishing
gas lamps automatically by the difference in pressure in the gas mains.
Secondly. The pipe-mouth valve c³, which is opened and closed by
mercury for the purpose described.
Thirdly. The flaring jet e, which is opened and closed by mercury for
the purpose described.
-
Fourthly. The hollow ball d and the plunger k for opening and closing
the flaring jet c.
And, Fifthly. The vertical passages 6³, some of which may be closed
purpose described.
for the
In witness whereof, we, the said Asahel Pilkington Bell and
Thomas Thorp, have hereto set our hands and seals, this