AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING LIGHT FOR THE VARIOUS PURPOSES OF ARTIFICIAL ILLUMINATION
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING LIGHT FOR THE VARIOUS
PURPOSES OF ARTIFICIAL ILLUMINATION." -A communication from abroad
by George Hand Smith, of Rochester, County of Monroe, State of New
York, United States of America.
Sealed the 31st October 1868, and dated the 27th August 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th August 1862.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING LIGHT FOR THE
VARIOUS PURPOSES OF ARTIFICIAL ILLUMINATION," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a contrivance for throwing a jet of heated
common air mingled with or placed concentrically within a jet of illuminating
gas, and forced upon a piece of lime at the. moment of combustion. By this
means I am enabled to produce nearly the same result as though pure oxygen
and hydrogen gases had been used for that purpose, and thus an intense

page_text: degree of light can be produced from materials of the most common, cheap,
and convenient character. The heated air may also be used in combination
with liquid hydrocarbons for illuminating purposes. The common air is
heated by artificial means before it is used in the combustion of the illuminating
gas or hydrocarbons, and this heating is carried to such a degree as to
compensate sufficiently for the loss of heat occasioned by the presence of the
nitrogen. By thus pre-heating the common air, the combustion of the
illuminating gas is much more rapid and complete than if the air was cold.
A convenient contrivance for effecting the desired object is to pass the air,
and the gas also if desired, through a pipe or pipes, filled with iron or copper
wires, and heated by a lamp or other suitable means. The heated air
may then be mixed with the hydrogen as it issues from the burner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th February 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING LIGHT FOR THE VARIOUS PURPOSES OF ARTIFICIAL
ILLUMINATION," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
It is well known that a powerful light can be produced by directing jets of
certain gases when in a state of combustion upon lime, magnesia, platinum,
and certain other substances. The incandescence of these substances in such
cases is principally due to the high heat produced by the burning gases, and
an intense light is the result. A combined jet of oxygen and hydrogen gases,
so arranged that they are brought in contact at the very moment of combustion
is the most effectual way of producing the heat necessary for the purpose
above mentioned. But these two gases are somewhat expensive, and are
procured with too much difficulty to become generally used for the purpose
above mentioned.
Common illuminating gas has been used instead of pure hydrogen for the
production of light upon the principle above described. This gas being
chiefly composed of carburetted hydrogen is very effectual for this purpose,
and when intermingled with a due proportion of oxygen it proves a very good
substitute for the pure hydrogen. In order to produce a complete combustion
of the illuminating gas, in such cases it should be mingled with a nearly equal
portion of oxygen. These gases while burning should be directed upon a small
quantity of lime or other proper substance in concentric jets, the oxygen
being in the centre. A high degree of incandescence is thus produced, and a
proportionate amount of light, all of which is due to the degree of heat thus
generated. Still the necessity exists of obtaining a supply of pure oxygen.
An abundant supply of that gas exists in the atmosphere, but it is thero
aningled with about three times its weight of nitrogen, a gas which affords no
aid to combustion, hence it will require four times as much air as of
illuminating gas, in order to effect complete combustion. When common air
is used for this purpose, therefore three parts out of five are not only inert
and useless, but these three parts being necessarily heated to a high degree,
absorb and carry off a large portion of the heat generated by the combustion,
and thus the lime is prevented from being heated sufficiently to produce any
very intense degree of light.
The object of the present Invention is to overcome this difficulty, which I

page_text: effect by a jet of heated common air mingled with, or placed concentrically
within a jet of illuminating gas and forced upon a piece of lime at the moment
of combustion. By this means I am enabled to produce nearly the same
result as though pure oxygen and hydrogen gases had been used for that
purpose, and thus an intense degree of light can be produced from materials
of the most common, cheap, and convenient character. The heated air may
also be used in combination with liquid hydrocarbons for illuminating purposes.
To effect these objects the common air is heated by artificial means before it
is used in the combustion of the illuminating gas or hydrocarbons, and this
heating is carried to such a degree as to compensate sufficiently for the loss
of heat occasioned by the presence of the nitrogen. By thus preheating the
common air, the combustion of the illuminating gas is much more rapid and
complete than if the air was cold.
By reference to the Drawings, one method by which this result is obtained
will readily be perceived.
A is a pipe which conveys the common air through the stop or regulating
cock S to its jet I, where it is to enter into combustion with the illuminating
gas, which is conveyed to the burner by the pipe X, provided with a regulating
or adjusting cock P. The gas passes from the pipe X to the jet O, within
which is placed the jet I. These two jets should be proportioned to the rcla-
tive amount of gas they are intended respectively to convey. F¹ (in dotted
lines) is the jet of common air which is discharged directly into the centre of
the burning jet of illuminating gas, indicated by the dotted lines F. At this
point the oxygen of the air enters into combustion with the illuminating gas
and forms one jet of flame that impinges upon the piece of lime L, thereby
causing incandescence and producing the light desired. B is a gas burner
made of wire gauze, and supplied with gas from the pipe X at G, the amount
of gas being regulated by the cock C. The flame of this burner G heats the
current of air that passes through the pipe A and chamber A* before it passes
to the jet I. The pipe A may be simply enlarged over the burner B or
divided into many tubes, or made into a coil, for the purpose of more com-
pletely heating the air before it is forced into the flame. A convenient plan
for effecting the object of the Invention consists in filling the chamber A* with
a number of copper or other wires, which will take up the heat from the
burner B and transmit it to any air or gas which is made to pass through the
chamber A. Two or more of these jets may be concentrated upon one piece
of lime, according to the amount of light required. For most purposes a com-
bination of four jets are preferred, the four jets being arranged to stand at

page_text: ninety degrees apart from each other. The heated air and gas might mix before
reaching the jets, but the arrangement described and shewn in the Drawings
is preferable.
There are also many other forms and methods in which the apparatus for
heating the common air can be arranged. For greater economy the waste
heat from the combustion of the jets may be used, and contrivances for that
purpose may readily be devised.
The arrangement of the burners and of the whole apparatus may be greatly
changed without producing any change in the principle employed. I do not
therefore intend to limit myself to any special contrivance or form of apparatus.
Other substances can be used as a combustible instead of illuminating gas or
hydrogen, such as olefiant gas or the hydrocarbons in vapor or in a liquid state,
or any equivalent of these substances. It may be observed that a moderato
degree of heat applied to the common air will produce a sensible increase in
the light produced, and that the greater the amount of heat applied to the air
before combustion the more perfect will be that combustion, and especially will
the heat and consequently the light produced be the greater. The same con-
trivance for heating the common air to be used in connection with common
illuminating gas in a compound blow pipe will be found equally efficient as that
above proposed for the production of light, and upon precisely the same prin-
ciple. I have also ascertained that the light from oil and spirit lamps may be
greatly increased by bringing currents of heated atmospheric air in contact
with the flame, and for similar reasons to those above given.
Having thus fully described the Invention that has been communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I would observe that I do not claim the use of heated atmospheric air
to vaporize liquid hydrocarbons for the purpose of producing a combustible
vapour; but I do claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as
aforesaid,-
First, the use of common atmospheric air in the place of oxygen gas in the
combustion of illuminating gas or its equivalent for the production of an
intense degree of light when such atmospheric air has been previously heated,
and in that state is forced by properly arranged jets into intimate contact with
the illuminating gas at or before the moment of combustion, both being at the
same time made to impinge upon a suitable piece of lime or other known
equivalent substance, as above described.
Second, the use of common atmospheric air in the combustion of illumi-
nating substances, such as illuminating gas, oils, or hydrocarbons, or their

page_text: equivalents, for the production of an increased degree of light, when such
atmospheric air has been previously heated, and in that condition is brought
in intimate contact with any of said illuminating substances at or before the
moment of combustion, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)