Improvements in the "Wenham " Gas Lamp.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the "Wenham " Gas Lamp.
I, SAMUEL HODGER ROBINSON, of Fairlight, Streatham Common, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer and Sole Owner of the Wenham Patents, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the well known " Wenham " gas lamp in which the air
supply is heated on its way to the burner by passing through a chamber or passage
that is heated externally by the hot combustion gases and air rising up from the
burner below. According to one of my present improvements, instead of causing
the gas supply to pass down directly to the burner through a central pipe, I connect
to the upper end of the gas supply pipe, which is disconnected from the burner,
the upper end of a coiled pipe the lower end of which is connected to the burner,
so that the whole of the gas supply is caused to pass through the coil on its way to
the burner. Such coiled pipe is situated in the chimney above the burner through
which the hot combustion gases and hot air rise, so that the gas becomes highly
heated in passing through the coil, and produces in its combustion a much more
brilliant light than is the case with such lamps supplied with gas in the ordinary
way, while the consumption of gas is at the same time diminished.
Furthermore, the highly heated and expanded body of gas contained in the
coiled pipe has the effect of acting as a regulator in preventing the fluctuations that
occur in the gas supply at the upper end of the gas pipe from causing corre-
sponding fluctuations in the gas issuing from the burner, and it thus prevents
unpleasant flickering and flaring up aud smoking of the flame, such as frequently.
occurred heretofore.
According to another improvement, instead of admitting the air supply to the
globe enclosing the flame, throngh. openings near the centre of the lamp and behind
the reflector as heretofore, I arrange the air inlets at the extreme periphery of the
air heating chamber or regenerator, and I arrange such inlets in an oblique position,
directed towards the inner surface of the glass globe, so that the air on issuing
is made to pass downwards along the surface of the glass to the bottom thereof,
whence it then rises directly to the flame above.
By this means, instead of having obstructed and eddying air-currents as hereto-
fore, I obtain a uniform steady air supply, which greatly assists in the steadiness
and brilliancy of the flame.
At the same time, by interposing a moving stratum of air between the entire
surface of the glass globe and the flame of the burner, 1 effectually prevent the
globe from becoming cracked by being more heated at one part than at another.
According to another improvement, I replace the ordinary cast iron nozzle to
which the burner is attached and which is necessarily of some thickness, by a thin
nickle steel nozzle, which, in becoming immediately heated to the required degree
on lighting the burner, will enable the flame to become perfectly effective and steady
in half the time required by the old burner. Also, by the use of such improved
nozzle, it can be much more readily replaced when burnt out, being simply fixed
on to the regenerator by means of screws.
Lastly the form of the reflector is also modified so that the combustion gases can

page_text: escape more readily round it into the chimney, thereby improving the draught
and consequently the brilliancy of the flame.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the "Wenham" Gas Lamp.
I, SAMUEL HODGER ROBINSON, of Fairlight, Streatham Common, in the
County of Surry, Engineer and Sole Owner of the Wenham Patents, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to the well known "Wenham gas lamp" in which the air
supply is heated on its way to the burner by passing through chamber or
passage that is heated externally by the hot combustion gases and air rising up
from the burner below. According to one of any present improvements, instead
of causing the gas supply to pass down directly to the burner through a central
pipe, I connect to the upper end of the gas supply pipe, which is disconnected
from the burner, the upper end of a coiled pipe the lower end of which is
connected to the burner, so that the whole of the gas supply is caused to pass
through the coil on its way to the burner. Such coiled pipe is situated in the
chimney above the burner through which the hot combustion gases and hot air
rise, so that the gas becomes highly heated in passing through the coil, and produces
in its combustion a much more brilliant light than is the case with such lamps
supplied with gas in the ordinary way, while the consumption of gas is at the same
time diminished in about the proportion of 1 cub. foot in 10 c.f. per hour.
Furthermore, the highly heated and expandel body of gas contained in the
coiled pipe has the effect of acting as a regulator in preventing the fluctuations
that occur in the gas supply at the upper end of the gas pipe from causing
corresponding fluctuations in the gas issuing from the burner, and it thus prevents
unpleasant flickering and flaring up and smoking of the flame, such as frequently
occurred heretofore.
According to another improvement, instead of admitting the air supply to the
globe enclosing the flame, through openings near the centre of the lamp and
behind the reflector as heretofore, I arrange the air inlets at the extreme periphery
of the air heating chamber or regenerator, and I arrange such inlets in an oblique
position, directed towards the inner surface of the glass globe, so that the air on
issuing is made to pass downwards along the surface of the glass to the bottom
thereof, whence it then rises directly to the flame above. By this means, instead
of having obstructed and eddying air-currents as heretofore, I obtain a uniform
steady air supply, which greatly assists in the steadiness and brilliancy of the
flame; the number and area of the holes being accurately determined so that
only sufficient air is admitted under the flame to insure perfect combustion.
At the same time, by interposing a moving stratum of air between the entire
surface of the glass globe and the flame of the burner, I effectually prevent the
globe from becoming cracked by being more heated at one part than at another.
According to another improvement, I replace the ordinary cast iron nozzle to
which the burner is attached and which is necessarily of some thickness, by a thin
nickle steel nozzle, which in becoming immediately heated to the required degree
on lighting the burner, will enable the flame to become perfectly effective and
steady in half the time required by the old burner.
Also, by the use of such improved nozzle, it can be much more readily replaced

page_text: when burnt out, being simply fixed on to the regenerator by means of screws.
1.astly the form of the reflector is also modified so that the combustion gases can
escape more readily round it into the chimney, thereby improving the draught and
consequently the brilliancy of the flame.
On the accompanying drawing is shewn, the construction of a Wenham lamp,
having my before described improvements applied thereto.
Fig. 1 shews a vertical section through the lamp.
Fig. 2 shews a cross section on line X X Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 shews an underside view of the steel nozzle and burner of the lamp.
The lamp is generally of the same construction and action as the well known
Wenham lamp, and needs therefore no general description.
According to the present invention, the gas supply pipe A is not continuous
down to the burner, the lower part A¹ being separated from the upper part A by a
partition a.
Surrounding the gas pipe A' is a helically coiled pipe B, the upper end of which
is connected to the pipe A while the lower part is connected to the pipe A' so that
the gas passing down through A is made to flow through the coil B before passing
to the burner C through pipe A'. By this means the gas, in passing through the
coil which is heated by the hot combustion gases passing up through the chimney D
from the burner, becomes heated to a considerable extent before it enters into
combustion at the burner with the air supply which is also heated by the well
known action of the regenerator H of the Wenbam lamp.
By this mode of heating the gas supply a flame of greatly increased brilliancy
is produced, and the other herein before mentioned farther advantages are
obtained.
The air supply to the globe of the lamp is admitted through boles E E formed
in the circumference of the plate E' of the air chamber, near to the periphery
thereof, and the holes are formed in an outward inclined direction, so that the
entering air will How downwards close up to the inner surface of the glass globe,
as indicated by the arrows, before rising up to the flame, whereby the eddying air
currents caused by the arrangement heretofore employed are avoided and the globe
is kept comparatively cool.
On its
Fis the before described thin nickle steel nozzle surrounding the burner, for
leading the heated air supply thereto, in lieu of the cast iron nozzle heretofore
employed; it is fixed to the regenerator H by means of a flange F' and screws, 80
that it can at any time be readily removed and replaced by a new one.
lower end is fixed the ring G for securing the perforated plate I. J is the reflector
with an inner turned-up lip, leaving an annular space round the nozzle F for the
escape of the combustion gases. It will be seen that by this construction the flame
of the burner does not come into contact with the reflector, so that there is less
danger of smoking, cracking or burning of the same than heretofore.
By the several above described improvements 1 attain, firstly, a reduction of the
gas consumption, secondly, an increase of the steadiness of the flame, and thirdly,
an increased brilliancy of light and general improvement in the action of the
Wenham light.
I do not claim the application of the coil B for heating the gas supply otherwise
than in combination with the Wenham lamp, as its application to other lamps, has
already been claimed by me in the Specification to my Patent No. 15512
of 1895.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a Wenham gas lamp of a helically coiled tube arranged
within the passage for the combustion gases, through which coil the gas is made to
pass on its way to the burner, substantially as described.
2. In a Wenbam lamp, arranging the inlet holes for the air supply to the glass

page_text: globe close to the periphery of the air chamber and beyond the edge of the
reflector so that the air supply is caused to flow down through the said holes in
close contiguity to the glass globe, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In a Wenham lamp, constructing the nozzle surrounding the burner of thin
nickle steel, instead of cast iron substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of September 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.