A New or Improved Electrically Operated Gas-Tap and Apparatus for Lighting at a Distance.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Electrically Operated Gas-Tap and Apparatus
for Lighting at a Distance.
We, Dr. GUSTAV SCHÜNEMANN, Gentleman, and OTTO RIEDER, Manufacturer,
both of G, Kecskemetergrasse, Budapesth, Hungary, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists of a gas-tap which is operated or moved by electricity.
in connection with an apparatus, which lights the escaping gas by electricity.
This is effected in the simplest and most suitable manner by making use simul-
taneously for both purposes of the electric current which moves the gas-tap, as by
attracting the armature of an electro-magnet, a lever and pawl in connexion with
such armature engages with a ratchet wheel furnished with openings and capable
of being moved round by the lever and pawl, and is turned to the extent of one
tooth in front of the escape openings in the end or surface of a gas pipe, fitting
air or gas-tight against the disc, so that the openings in one will coincide with the
openings in the other and the gas can escape; whilst when the current is again
interrupted and the ratchet wheel is again moved round, the sail escape openings
will be covered or closed. The whole of this apparatus is surrounded by an air-
tight casing from which the escaping gas passes to the burner above which latter
an electric spark is produced (from a central station) which spark lights the gas.
The action of this apparatus for lighting at a distance is based upon the well known
fact that the rapidly vibrating armature of an induction coil closes and opens the
primary circuit of such coil whereby powerful currents are induced in the
Secondary circuit. One mode of carrying out this invention is shown on the accom-
panying drawings.
In Figures and 2 the gas-tap is illustrated as being actuated by an electric
current acting on the electro-magnet f. which current is thrown on or off by
a switch or key, as, for example, from a central station, such as illustrated at E.
Figure 3. The armature g is drawn to the magnet, and is provided at its free
end with a lever e the hinged head or pawl cl of which is capable of being tilted
up. When the armature is drawn up. the hinged head e engages with a tooth
of the ratchet-wheel, and turns it the space of one tooth. The ratchet-wheel d
is provided with holes arranged in a circle, there being half as many holes as
there are teeth on the disc. The ratchet-wheel d is pressed up air-tight by means
of the spring against the surface of the gas-pipe which is provided with
corresponding escape openings and when the whole of the holes coincide the gas
will pass through them into the air-tight casing which surrounds the whole of
the mechanism, then through the cross opening or slot in the upper part of the
shut-off tap and through the pipe a to the burner where it is ignited in the manner
already stated.
The hinged head or pawl e¹ of the lever or pawl e is retained in its normal
position by the action of the small spring i and is thus enabled to pass the pro-
jecting tooth of the disc d without turning it back, and the armature will be
free to fall back into its original position. The teeth of the ratchet-wheel d and

page_text: the stroke or traverse of the lever or pawle are so arranged, that the holes only
coincide with the holes c' after every second lift of the lever and nawl e c¹. If
now the current is again shut-off, (by means of E, for example, Figure 3), the
ratchet-wheel d will only have been moved so far that the escape openings el are
covered, the tap closed, and the further supply of gas shut-off. In order that
the ratchet-wheel, after being lifted or moved by the lever and pawl e el, should
not turn further than necessary, an arm is attached to the armature g, which,
when the lever and pawl e el have reached their highest position, comes in contact
with the pins and prevents the ratchet-wheel & from turning further.
The middle apparatus A of Figure 3 represents the central vibrator and consists
of the electro-magnet M² in connexion with the source 132 of electric current and
the switch or key E, whilst the apparatuses B and C, shown to the left and right
of A, represent the local vibrators, and these also consist of electro-magnets M'
and M furnished with batteries 131 and 133, each having an induction coil T
and placed in the circuit of the battery current. These local vibrators are
placed at the point where the ignition takes place and the requisite number of
them are inserted in the lines or conducting wires of the central vibrator.
The coils of the electro-magnet M² are connected with the wires of the battery B
the circuit of which is closed when the switch E is closed and at the same time
the armature A3 of the electro-magnet is drawn back. The armature is shown
in this position in the drawing. In this case the current takes the following
course: From one pole of the battery 12 through the switch E, clamping-
screw K, armature A, and set-screw $5, to the coils of the electro-magnet M²;
from there through the clamping-screw K and the conducting wire to the
other pole of the battery B. On closing the switch E by moving an ordinary
knob or handle, for example, the current of the battery B will circulate in the
electro-magnet MP, causing the latter to immediately attract the armature A and
in so doing the circuit will be broken at the screw S. The electro magnet then
liberates the armature A2 and the circuit is again closed. This action is repeated
continuously, and thereby the armature AP is caused to vibrate violently. The
vibrating armature A serves to close or complete and interrupt or break the
circuit of the current circulating through the electro-magnets M M of the vibra-
tors BC by coming into contact, as often as it is attracted by the electro-magnet,
by means of a spring with the set-screw S and thereby closing or completing the
following circuit:-
•
(1). From one pole of the battery 12 through the switch E, clamping-screw K³,
armature A², set-screw St, clamping-screw Ke, conducting wire clamping-
screw K', to the coils of the electro-maguet M, and from there through the clamp-
ing screw K and conducting wire back to the other pole of the battery B
(2). From one pole of the battery B, through the switch E, clamping-screw K
armature A2, set-screw St, clamping-screw K, clamping-screw K7 to the electro-
magnet M³, and from there through the clamping-screw KS and conducting-
wire back to the other pole of the battery B
In a similar manner any desired number of vibrators B C can be connected
with the lines or conducting-wires of the central vibrator A.
The mode of action of the apparatus is as follows:-
By closing the switch E the circuit of the battery B is closed with the central
vibrator A. The electro-magnet M is thus caused to attract the armature AP.
At the moment this takes place the contact of the armature is withdrawn from the
set-screw S³, and simultaneously the armature through its upper contact is caused
to touch the set-screw St so that from this time the current, leaving the coils of
the electro-magnet M, runs through the clamping-screw K and armature A to
the set-screw St, from there through the clamping-screw K and wire into the
vibrators BC by the clamping-screws K and K and from there through the coils
of the electro-magnets M and M³, set-screws K² and Ks, conducting-wire back
to the. battery B2 of the central vibrator A. As however in this position, as before-
mentioned, the current does not run through the coils of the electro-magnet M²,

page_text: the armature A is not attracted. The current which the electro-magnets M and M
thus receive, consists therefore of a momentary impulse. The action repeats itself
automatically by closing or completing the circuit of the battery and the
vibration of the armature A in the central vibrator corresponds to the vibration
of the armatures A and A in the vibrators B and C.
When the electro-magnets M and M set the armatures A and A³ in vibration.
they effect the closing or completion and the interruption or breaking of the
circuit of the batteries 13 and 13, by which means a current is induced in the
secondary induction coils and which possesses a force or intensity suitable for
the production of an electric spark between the points at F1 and F2 for the
purpose of lighting a gas burner.
When the vibration of the armatures A and A³ is caused by the armature A
of the central vibrator A, the lower contacts of the armatures A and A are
made to touch the set-screws $2 and $7 whereby the current from B and B has a
free course through the clamping-screws K and K as well as through the set-
screws $2 and $, armatures A and A, clamping-screws K and KS and through
the induction coils 1 and P and back to the batteries B and B. The closing and
interrupting of this circuit caused by the vibration of the armatures A and A³,
produces by means of the induction coils l' and 12 a violent formation of sparks
at F and F.
In order to make the formation of sparks still more active condensors C and C²
may be introduced between the armature A and the set-screw S2, and between
the armature A3 and the set-screw $7.
The screws S3, S and S are used for setting the armatures A². A and A and
for regulating the contacts.
By disconnecting the switch E the electric current may be shut-off from the
whole arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
First. A gas-tap and means for ignition from a distance specially characterized
by the employment of an electric current for both actuating the gas-tap and
igniting the gas, substantially as described.
Second. For carrying out the arrangement claimed in Claim 1 the combination
of an electro-magnet, and a lever and pawl, with a ratchet-wheel with openings
therein, which openings are caused to coincide with corresponding escape openings
for gas and thus permit of a free exit of the gas to the burner, substantially as
described with reference to the drawings.
Third. For carrying out the arrangement claimed in Claim I enclosing the
electro-magnet and the mechanism for controlling the exit of the gas in one
chamber, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Fourth. For carrying out the arrangement claimed in Claim the employment
at a central station of an automatic contact breaker which operates both to open
the gas-tap at the distant stations by electricity and also with the help of an
induced current produced by means of a local battery, effects the ignition of the
escaping gas, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of March 1899.