Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Lighting and Extinguishing Street and other Gas Lamps.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1896-Accepted, 22nd Aug.. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Lighting and
Extinguishing Street and other Gas Lamps.
We, WILLIAM WHITE, of the Brunswick Gas Works, Brunswick, near
Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Plumber and Gas Fitter, and JOHN ALSTON
WALLACE, of Ludstone Chambers, Collins Street, Melbourne, in the Colony of
Victoria, Member of the Legislative Council of the said colony, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of certain improvements in apparatus for automatically
lighting and extinguishing street and other gas lamps, such as is described in the
specification of an invention for which British Letters Patent, No. 412 dated
7th January 1895 were granted to us.
According to that invention, the gas to be supplied to the lamps was conducted
from the gas main to a small gas holder constructed like an ordinary gas holder
and fitted at or near the base of the lamp.
From this small gas holder the gas was conveyed to the burner through a service
pipe passing through the dome of the gas holder and projecting downwards
sufficiently far to ensure its lower end being sealed by the water in said holder
when the pressure of gas was reduced below a certain point.
We have found in practice that it is sometimes necessary to keep the lamps
alight even when the pressure is reduced, and conversely they are not always
required to be lighted when the pressure is increased.
Now our present invention consists in an apparatus whereby the gas is supplied
to the lamps through a pipe leading direct from the main to the burner on a
convenient point, in which pipe we place a tap or cock which is arranged to be
operated by the rise and fall of the dome in the small gas holder at the foot of the
lamp by some suitable intermediate gearing, such, for instance, as a weighted arm
or lever which would rise and fall with the rise and fall of said dome. We purpose
using a pawl which will fit into teeth on a ratchet ring fitted on the spindle of the
tap, so that as the dome moves upwards it will turn the tap to a certain extent, and
on its return will slide over the face of the ratchet teeth and gear into the next
tooth, so as to still further operate the tap or cock when the dome again rises, and
we construct said tap so that when turned through one part of a revolution it will
turn on the gas, and when turned through a further part of a revolution will turn
it off.
By this means the gas company can increase its pressure of gas in the evening
at sundown in, the ordinary way and at the same time light all the lamps. At
about midnight they can reduce the pressure without turning out the lamps,
because their supply will not be cut off until the pressure is again increased. This
can be done momentarily at sunrise or any other time, and the pressure again
reduced until, say, eleven o'clock, when the next rise in pressure usually occurs in
order to provide for an increased household consumption for cooking. This rise
will not turn on the lamps, but the next one (at sunset) will. In the same way,

page_text: by raising the pressure twice at any time the lamps may either be turned on or off
as required.
Date this Twenty-second day of August One thousand eight hundred and
WILLIAM WHITE.
JOHN A. WALLACE.
G. F. Redfern & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Apparatus "for Automatically Lighting' and
Extinguishing Street' and 'other Gas Lamps.
.
We, W
"WILLIAM WHITE, of the Brunswick Gas Works; Brunswick near
Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria; Plumber and Gas Fitter, and JOHN ALSTON
WALLACE, of 'Ludstone Chambers, Collins Street, Melbourne, in the Colohy of
Victoria, Member of the Legislative Council of the said colony, 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 :-
t
This invention consists of certain improvements' in apparatus for automatically
lighting' and extinguishing street and other gas lamps, such as is described in the
specification of an invention for which British Letters Patent No. 412 dated the
Seventh day of January, One thousand eight hundred and ninety-five were granted
to us:
According to that invention, the gas to be supplied to the lamps was conducted
from the gas main to a small gas' holder constructed like an ordinary gasholder and
fitted at or near the base of the lamp.
From this small gasholder the gas was conveyed to the burner through a service
pipe passing through the dome or top of the gas-holder and projecting downwards
sufficiently far to ensure its lower end being sealed by the water in said holder
when the pressure of gas was reduced below a certain point. .
We have found in practice that it is sometimes necessary to keep the lamps
alight even when the pressure is reduced; and conversely they are not always
required to be lighted when the pressure is increased.
Now our present invention' consists in an apparatus whereby the gas-is-supplied
to the lamps' through a pipe leading directly from the main to the burner on a
convenient point in which pipe, we place a tap or cock, which is arranged to be
operated by the rise and fall of the small gusholder at the foot of the lamp by
some suitable intermediate gearing, such, for instance, as a weighted arm or lever
which would rise and fall with the rise and fall of said gasholder.
We purpose using a pawl which will fit into teeth on a ratchet ring or wheel
fitted on the spindle of the tap, so that as-the dome or top of the gasholder moves
upwards it will turn the tap to a certain extent, and on its return will slide over
the face of the ratchet teeth and gear into the next tooth, so as to still further
operate the tap or cock when the dome or top again rises, and we constructisaill
tap so that when turned through one part of a revolution it will turn on-the-gas,
and when' turned through a further part of a revolution will turn it off! By this
means the gas will be turned on and off alternately with each rise of the gasholder
as will be readily understood...
It must be understood that the pressure of gas required to raise the gasholder is
higher than the maximum pressure ordinarily used, and that this high operative"
pressure need only be maintained for a few minutes, in order to turn on and light
the lamps, or turn them off; the turning on and lighting being effected by one rise

page_text: of pressure (and consequently also of the gasholder), and the turning, off by the
next, and so on alternately.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the operative parts of the apparatus.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the electric "sparking" points which are fitted
upon the gas burner of the lamp and between which a spark is formed when the
gas is turned on.
Figure 2 is a plan of the electric cells and gasholder of the apparatus.
Figure 3 is a section of a four-way tap or cock which we prefer to use for turning
the gas on and off.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a ratchet wheel which is secured upon the spindle
of said tap or cock.
Figure 5 is a plan, and
Figure 54 an end elevation of the induction coil used for forming the spark
between the points on the burner.
Figure 6 is a plan of the underside of the board supporting said induction coil
showing the contact springs used for completing the electric circuit.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of part of an ordinary street gas lamp showing the
application of this invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A represents the street or other gas main and B a pipe leading therefrom to th
burner C of the lamp, whilst D represents a four-way tap or cock which is fitted
in said pipe and is operated by the rise and fall of the small gas-holder at the foot
of the lamp, gas being led into said holder by a small pipe F also leading from the
main.
G represents a weighted arm or lever which is arranged to rise and fall with the
dome or top E of the gasholder and which is fitted with a pawl g which fits into
teeth h¹ etc., on a ratchet ring or wheel H fitted on the spindle of the tap D so.
that as said dome or top E moves upwards it will turn the tap D to a certain
extent, and on its return will slide over the face of the ratchet teeth h h' etc., and
gear into the next tooth, so as to still further operate the tap or cock when said
dome or top again rises.
This tap is so constructed that when turned through one part of a revolution it
will turn on the gas, and when turned through a further part of a revolution will
turn it off, and for this purpose we find a tap having four ways as shown very
convenient, although it is obvious that other forms would answer well.
In order to turn the valve into the position shown in Figure 3, that is into its
open position, it is necessary for the pressure of the gas to be increased to its
operative pressure to raise the dome or top E and cause the pawl g to engage with
the tooth of the ratchet wheel H so as to turn said tooth into its highest position
after which when the gas pressure is again reduced the pawl will be brought back
into engagement with the next tooth as shown in said Figure 1.
When the dome or top E of the gasholder rises by the increase in pressure
above mentioned, it completes an electric circuit as described in the previous
specification herein referred to, and by means of an electric spark lights the
lamps.
When this is effected the pressure may be reduced to its normal point, and the
gasholder falls, and breaks the electrical contact, as the current is no longer
required.
By this means the gas company can so increase its pressure of gas in the evening
at sundown as to light all the lamps. At about midnight they can reduce the
pressure without turning out the lamps, because their supply will not be cut off
until the pressure is again increased to its "operative" pressure.
This can be done momentarily at sunrise or any other time, and the pressure
again reduced. At eleven o'clock in the morning a small rise in pressure usually
occurs in order to provide for an increased household consumption for cooking, but

page_text: this rise in pressure is not sufficient to raise the gasholder and will therefore not
turn on the lamps.
At sunset or other fixed time however by increasing the pressure to the
"operative" pressure the gas will be automatically turned on and lighted, so that
it will be seen that the turning on and lighting of the lamps, and also the turning
off, are entirely under the control of the high "operative
which may of course be easily regulated.
pressure in the main,
The dome or top E may be weighted (for instance by adding thin pieces of lead
to it) so that it will remain unaffected by the maximum pressure ordinarily used in
the main for any other than lighting purposes, and will only be affected by the
high operative presssure before mentioned. This weighting is also regulated to
bring the different lamps in a district, whether at a higher or a lower level, to act
uniformly. The operating pressure may be from ths upwards according to
circumstances, but it should be ths above the maximum pressure ordinarily
required.
It is to be understood that the applicants make no claim to the gasholders,
batteries, cocks, etc., which may be as shewn or of other approved construction,
but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. In apparatus for automatically lighting and extinguishing street and other
gas lamps the combination and arrangement of a tap or cock in a pipe leading
directly from the main to the burner and operated by the rise and fall of a small
gasholder, such rise and fall being produced by an increase or decrease of pressure
in said main substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in
the drawings.
2. In apparatus for automatically lighting and extinguishing street and other
gas lamps the combination and arrangement of a tap or cock (such as D) in a pipe
(such as B) leading directly from the main to the burner and having a ratchet
wheel or ring (such as H) actuated by a pawl (such as g) on an arm or lever (such
as G) operated by the rise and fall of the dome or top (E) of a small gasholder
substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of June One thousand eight hundred and ninety-six.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.