IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TORCHES FOR LIGHTING GAS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
.
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TORCHES FOR LIGHTING
GAS."A communication from abroad by William Washington
Batchelder, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, Gentleman.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th November 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TORCHES POR
LIGHTING GAS," a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to hand devices or torches for lighting gas by
the generation of an electric current; and the said Invention consists in
an electric torch or hand device complete in itself, both in the generation
and liberation of the electric spark; that is to say, a device that is
independent of the gas burner or fixtures to which the said gas burner

page_text: may be attached, or any medium independent of the torch itself, except
the hand, as will be more fully herein-after described. And the said
Invention further consists in a torch constructed with a chamber or
deflector for receiving the escaping gas, and mixing it with the air, so
as to light the gas with the said chamber or deflector away from or above
the gas burner.
The electrical generating device may be constructed as described in
the Specification of former Letters Patent, dated March 14th, A.D.
1872, No. 783; or any other suitable motor for producing an electric
spark may be used. To the extremity of the stem conductor the gas
chamber or deflector is secured to be used away, from, or above the
burner, and to receive the escaping gas, and mix it with the air at such
distance from the burner as will insure the mixing of a sufficient
quantity of air with the gas to render it highly explosive. This receiver
or deflector is one of the essential features of my Invention. It is pre-
ferably made bell shaped, and closed at its top, so that the gas cannot
escape vertically, but must be deflected laterally; and for this purpose
it is provided with a side opening to cause the gas to be deflected out-
ward after its mixture with the air. The deflection must be towards
the liberating point, and at a distance from the burner; the liberating
point is arranged opposite the side opening in the gas chamber. This
gas chamber is insulated from its metallic stem or support by a hard
rubber section, which also insulates the liberating point from the gas
chamber or deflector. The positive electric current is completed from
the generator to the liberating point through the metallic stem or
support, and the circuit making connection with the earth is completed
by a chain or other suitable means uniting the generator with the
deflector or gas chamber. This union however must be with the lower
portion of the electric generator or with the hand. And in order that
this connection may be isolated from the positive portion of the generator,
the lower end of the connecting chain is attached to a bracket, while its
upper end is connected to another bracket of the gas chamber, so as to
avoid any interference with globes or shades of the burners. This is a
highly advantageous arrangement, as it allows the gas chamber or
deflector to be used in connection with any kind of shade or burner
chimney in use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TORCHES FOR LIGHTING GAS," a communication to me
from abroad by William Washington Batchelder, of the City and State
of New York, United States of America, Gentleman, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention relates to hand devices or torches for lighting gas by
the generation of an electric current; and the said Invention consists in
an electric torch or hand device complete in itself, both in the generation

page_text: and liberation of the electric spark; that is to say, a device that is
independent of the gas burner or fixtures to which the said gas burner
may be attached, or any medium independent of the torch itself, except
the hand, as will be more fully herein-after described. And the said
Invention further consists in a torch constructed with a chamber or
deflector for receiving the escaping gas, and mixing it with the air, so as
to light the gas with the said chamber or deflector away from or above
the mos hurner.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an electric torch embodying the said
Invention, and Figure 2 represents the gas receiver and distributor, or
deflector, and the liberating point for the electric spark in the said
torch.
The electrical generating device A may be constructed as shown in
the Drawing, or any suitable motor for producing an electric spark may
be used, as this Invention does not depend upon any particular con-
struction of electrical generator, and therefore no special description is
necessary
of such device, see former Letters Patent, No. 783, A.D. 1872.
To the extremity of the stem conductor B a gas chamber or deflector C
is secured, so as to be used away, from, or above the burner, and to
receive the escaping gas and mix it with the air at such distance from
the burner as will insure the mixing of a sufficient quantity of air with
the gas to render it highly explosive. This receiver or deflector C is
one of the essential features of the said Invention; and in the example
shown it is made bell shaped and closed at its top, so that the gas cannot
escape vertically, but must be deflected laterally; and for this purpose it
is provided with a side opening a to cause the gas to be deflected out-
ward after its mixture with the air. Any means which will produce
this mixture and deflection of the gas will answer the purpose, but the de-
flection must be towards the liberating point b, and at a distance from the
burner; the liberating point, as shown, is arranged opposite the opening a
in the gas chamber. This gas chamber is insulated from its metallic
stem or support by a hard rubber section D, which also insulates the
liberating point from the gas chamber or deflector. The positive
electric current is completed from the generator A to the liberating
point b through the metallic stem or support B, and the circuit making
connection with the earth is completed by a chain E or other suitable

page_text: means for uniting the generator with the deflector or gas chamber.
This union however must be with the lower portion of the electric
generator or with the hand. And in order that this connection may be
isolated from the positive portion of the generator, the lower end of the
connecting chain is attached to a bracket F, while its upper end is con-
nected to a bracket C of the gas chamber, so as to avoid any interference
with globes or shades of the burners. This is a highly advantageous
arrangement, as it allows the gas chamber or deflector to be used in
connection with any kind of shade or burner chimney in use.
The main object of this Invention is to obtain an electric torch, which
shall, with the hand that holds it, be complete in itself, and entirely
independent of the gas burner or any part of the gas fixture requiring
only to be used to gather the gas as it escapes from the burner, chimney,
or shade, so as to produce a mixture with the air, and then deflect it
against the point whence the electric spark is liberated; the torch is
thereby rendered applicable to all gas burners with or without shades or
chimneys, and is independent of a connection with anything to complete
the liberation of the lighting spark.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. An electric torch for lighting gas complete in itself, and inde-
pendent of any connection with the gas burner or fixtures thercof in
generating and liberating the lighting spark.
Second. In an electric torch for lighting gas a gas chamber or
deflector or equivalent contrivance for receiving, mixing, and deflecting
the escaping gas before it is brought in contact with the lighting spark,
and away from the burner, whether the circuit is made in the manner
herein described or by any pendent device making connection with
the gas fixture or burner.
Third. In an electric torch for lighting gas, the chain connection
or equivalent device of the gas chamber or deflector with the hand or
lower portion of the generator to complete the electric circuit, and adapt
the torch for use to light any burner with or without a shade or
chimney.

page_text: Fourth. The gas chamber or deflector C having a side opening a
in combination with the liberating-point b for the electric spark to
insure the deflection of the mixed air and gas towards the liberating
point.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here- 5
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
HENRY JAMES NOONE,
Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)