IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS FOR HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Fletcher of Museum Street Warrington in the
County of Lancaster for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS
FOR HEATING PURPOSES,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Fletcher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1882.
THOMAS FLETCHER of Museum Street Warrington in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS FOR HEATING PURPOSES."
11
This Invention relates to Gas Burners for Heating purposes and has for its
object the production of a large flame surface in a comparatively small area without
the use of metallic gauze and in such a manner as to obviate the risk of the flame
lighting back through the body of the burner to the gas jet. Further, it has also
for its object to obtain with the same burner the maximum heating effect with any
qualities of gas of different illuminating powers usually supplied.
In carrying out my Improvements I employ one or more annular chambers or
hollow rings of iron or other suitable material in the upper surface of which I cut
or otherwise form radial or approximately radial slots. Connected with the ring or
rings and preferably cast in one piece therewith is a tube the interior of which is
in open communication with the interior of the annual chamber or chambers or
their equivalents. The chamber or chambers instead of being circular in plan as
hereinbefore indicated may be elliptical, square or triangular or of any other con-
venient form, nor is it necessary that they should form a complete closed circle or
other figure with a continuous opening throughout although I prefer to employ
such continuous chamber in most cases. The tube may occupy any position in
relation to the chamber or chambers but I prefer to mount it in a parallel plane
therewith on a lower level so as to be out of the reach of the flame, it may also
communicate with the chamber or chambers through one or more openings. The
end of the tube further from the burner is provided with an air inlet, and a gas
jet of the usual or any special form of construction.

page_text: In gas burners made according to these Improvements atmospheric air is com-
bined with the gas in due proportions in the tube, the proportions being regulated
by the size of the gas inlet. From the tube the mixture of gas and air passes to
the chamber or chambers and thence through the radial slots over which com-
bustion takes place. The radial slots are made of such a width that the flame
cannot run back through them to the gas jet.
The use of these radial slots instead of the holes or circular slots hitherto
employed compels the combined gas and air to issue from the chamber in a series
of nearly parallel films. By this means the balance of oxygen requisite for the
further combustion of the gas has free and immediate access to a greater surface
of the inflammable mixture at the point of emergence and the result is a flame
possessing more intense heating power. Moreover I am enabled to obtain thereby
a powerful burner of small diameter which may easily be kept clean and which is
also practically indestructible.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th October 1882.
THOMAS FLETCHER of Museum Street Warrington in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS FOR HEATING PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to Gas Burners for Heating purposes and has for its
object the production of a large flame surface in a comparatively small area without
the use of metallic gauze and in such a manner as to obviate the risk of the flame
lighting back through the body of the burner to the gas jet. Further, it has also
for its object to obtain with the same burner the maximum heating effect with any
qualities of gas of different illuminating powers usually supplied.
And in order that this Invention may be more readily understood I have
hereunto annexed a sheet of Drawings illustrative of the Invention and will now
proceed to describe the same reference being had to such Drawings and to the
letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 is a plan of one form of a burner and Fig. 3 is
a side view and Fig. 4 a plan of another form of burner constructed according to
my Improvements.
In carrying out my Invention I employ bent or straight tubes or annular
chambers formed of iron or other suitable material in the upper surface of which
I cut or otherwise form the transverse slits a. a. In the circular form of the
burner shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the slits will therefore be radial or approximately
radial-The maximum width of these slits must not exceed one fifteenth of an
inch, and they should be formed by cutting or some equivalent process so as to
ensure the greatest approximate parallelism of the contiguous slits. If the slits are
cast through or nearly through the body of the burner and are then opened out as
is frequently the practice the result is not satisfactory, as when the nixture of gas
and air supplied to the burner is highly explosive the flame is very liable to fly
back to the internal part of the burner.-The width of slit which I find most
satisfactory is one thirtieth of an inch and any departure from this dimension either
way gives in practice a less satisfactory result.
With slits one thirtieth of an inch in width cut through tubes or plates of metal
one eighth of an inch thick the most explosive mixtures of gas and air can be
quietly and perfectly burnt, and I adopt these dimensions generally but do not
limit myself to them.-The tube b Figs. 3 and 4 or the annular chamber c Figs. 1
and 2 in which the slits are cut is in open communication with the interior of the
supply tube d d which may be on a lower level so as to be out of reach of the
flame. The end of the supply tube further from the burner is provided with
an air inlet e. e. and a gas jet g. g. of the usual or any special form of
construction.
If gas burners made according to these Improvements, atmospheric air is com-
bined with the gas in due proportion in the supply tube d d, the proportions of the
gas and air being regulated by the size of the orifice of the gas jet. From the
supply tube the mixture of gas and air passes into the annular chamber c or the
tube from when it issues through the slits a. a. in a series of parallel or approxi-
mately parallel films.-By this means the air has free and immediate access to a
greater surface of the inflammable mixture at the points of emergance and the
result is a flame possessing a very intense heating power.-Moreover I am enabled
to obtain thereby a powerful burner of small dimensions which may easily be kept
clean and which is also practically indestructable.

page_text: I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details
herein set forth as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention, but that what I claim is :
A gas burner for Heating purposes having slits formed by cutting or by
equivalent means for the outlet of combined gas and air, and slits having such a
width that the lighting back of the flame into the body of the burner is
prevented, this width of slit not exceeding one fifteenth of an inch as a
maximum.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty sixth
day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
THOS. FLETCHER. (L.S.)