Improvements in Regenerative Gas Lamps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regenerative Gas Lamps.
1, GEORGE BOWER, of St. Neots, in the County of Huntingdon, Engineer, do
thereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
The object of this invention is to produce a much better light than that obtainable
from gas consumed under ordinary conditions; and this is attained by arranging the
air inlets and the passages for the escape of the products of combustion in such
relation to each other that the heat of the latter is utilized in heating the air
entering the lamp to a temperature suitable for the purpose of ensuring a brilliant
light.
The lamp as a whole consists of three parts, the burner, the glass cover, and the
regenerator.
The burner portion is formed with a cupped flange which is shaped so as to serve
as a gallery or glass-holder, and up through the centre of this flange passes the gas
supply pipe. The zone of the flange immediately surrounding this gas supply pipe is
perforated so as to afford a passage for the air to the burner, and the gallery or glass-
holder, together with the burner, rests upon or is formed integrally with a tube
through which the air enters from the bottom. Above the flange a hollow metal stem
conducts the gas supply to the burner proper, and supports one or more perforated
discs which serve to subdivide the air entering from below into thin streams; and
this subdivision taking place in a heated space which is enclosed by a hollow cone or
tubes the air is caused to impringe upon the under-side of the flame in a more or less
heated condition. At the bottom of the tube a gas pressure regulator is provided and
in some cases an air admission regulator.
The gas burner proper is fixed to the top of the stem and is perforated with a
number of small radially disposed holes which allow the gas to issue from the
periphery; or an Argand burner may be used with a deflecting cone placed about
half an inch above the top of it.
The glass cover contains and surrounds the burner proper, resting on the gallery
or glass holder, and having an opening in its top the edge of which is ground true, to
form a seat upon which the regenerator rests.
The regenerator may be constructed of a material which cannot be oxidized, but I
prefer to employ metal. It is so constructed and arranged that the greater portion of
its body depends from the top of the glass cover, and its lower end projects into the
same and is in close proximity to the flame. Its outer shell is cylindrical in form,
and at or near its top it is perforated with slits, and I prefer to form these slits in a
bulged part of the outer shell which serves as a shoulder to rest upon the top of the
glass cover. The regenerator cylinder has bottom and top plates which receive the
ends of a number of tubes these serving to connect the two plates together. These
tubes form the flues through which the products of combustion pass to a suitable
chimney placed on the top of the regenerator body. A small concentrically disposed
cylinder is arranged inside the ring of flues, and this is closed at the top and the
bottom portion of it is perforated with holes or slits through which the air entering
through the slits in the outer cylinder and passing around and in contact with the
flues, is drawn into the interior of the glass cover and comes into contact with the
upper side of the flame, while in a highly heated condition.

page_text: The action of the lamp is as follows:-
The gas in its passage to the burner, and the air to supply the under-side of the
flame, are moderately heated and the rush of this air has a tendency to drive the
flame npwards; but the chimney draws air through the bulbous perforations of
the regenerator, the only outlet of which is by the nozzle directly over the burner,
which drives the flame downwards, it being thus suspended between two opposing
currents of air, by which it is steadied, and as the air which passes through the nozzle
is highly heated, the light is very much increased but not to such an extent as to
necessitate its being reduced by obscured glass, which is objectionable and wasteful.
A refracting globe may be adapted to the light with advantage.
The regenerative portion of the lamp will do equally well for carburetted air or
other hydro-carbon gases or vapours, and it may be used for heating mixed gas and
air for lighting by the incandescence of incombustible materials.
Dated this 18th day of March 1896.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regenerative Gas Lamps.
I, GEORGE BOWER, of St. Neots, in the County of Huntingdon, Engineer, 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:-
The object of this invention is the production of a better light than that obtainable
from gas consumed under ordinary conditions; and this is attained by arranging the
air inlets, and the passages for the escape of the products of combustion in such
relation to each other that the heat of the latter is utilized in heating the air entering
the lamp to a temperature suitable for the purpose of ensuring a brilliant light.
The lamp as a whole consists of three parts, the burner, the glass cover, and the
regenerator, and these are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a lamp according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the burner.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the regenerator taken on line 1, 1 of Fig. 4, and
Fig. 4 is a plan of underside of same.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a cheap form of regenerator so constructed as to be
easily put together, or taken apart.
The burner A supports the glass globe or cover B which in turn supports the
regenerator C with its superposed chimney D; this latter may be of any convenient
shape, and made either of metal or glass as preferred.
The burner A is formed with a cupped flange a and this with the rim a¹ forms
a gallery which engages with the lower rim b of the glass cover B and supports
the latter. Up through the centre of this flange a passes the gas supply pipe a²,
to the upper end of which is screwed the burner proper a³, this latter being
preferably composed of a non-corrodible material and having a number of holes a
arranged radially in such manner that the gas can issue in a horizontal direction
and form a ring of flame. At the upper end of the gas pipe a² a dished and perforated
diaphragm a is fixed and to the outer edge of this is attached one end of a short
cylindrical tube a, the other end of which is fastened to the cupped flange a thus
connecting it with the dished diaphragm a, and leaving an annular space between the
exterior of the gas pipe a² and the tube a. The cupped flange a is perforated, the
holes a permitting free access of air to the interior of the tube a' and thence through

page_text: the perforations in a to the underside of the flame. The air current while passing
through the holes a' and the perforations in the dished diaphragm a is broken up,
and passing through the interior of the warm tube a it reaches the flame in a heated
condition; the tube a may contain one or more additional perforated or reticulated
diaphragms a for the purpose of assisting in the subdivision and heating of
the air.
The supply of gas can be regulated by any convenient kind of gas governor or
regulator a and the supply of air can be controlled by a flange a", the raising or
lowering of which, by turning it on the screwed stem, increases or diminishes the
area of the space round its rim through which the air enters.
The glass globe or cover B is formed with a lower rim & which fits into the rim a'
of the burner A; and it has an upper rim in which fits the body of the
regenerator C. It serves to protect the flame from any access of air except that
passing through the burner A or through the regenerator C.
The regenerator C may be constructed of any suitable material which is not
readily oxidisable, and it is so constructed and arranged that the greater portion of
its boily fits into and depends from the upper rim of the glass cover, its lower end
projecting into the same sufficiently far to bring it into proximity to the upper side
of the flame. It is composed of an outer cylindrical sholl e which is bulged at e' to
form a projecting part which is of larger diameter than the upper rim b' of the globe
or cover B; thus the bulged part crests upon the rim and the whole of the
regenerator and its chimney D is supported in position by it. The bulged portion is
perforated by slits through which air passes to the annular space between the
outer shell c and an inner cylindrical tube which is perforated near its lower end
with slits through which the air from the annular space passes to the nozzle and
to the upper side of the flame. An upper flange or tube plate e, and a lower flange.
or tube plate c' connects the outer shell c with the tube c³, and these tube plates are
perforated to receive the ends of a number of tubes which may be fixed by burring
over or in any other convenient manner and serve to connect the tube plates c and c
together. These tubes 8 pass through but do not fill the annular space (between the
outer shell and the inner tube ) in such manner that the air entering the slits c*
must pass around and in close contact with the exterior of the heated tubes before
reaching the slits on its way to the upper side of the flame. The tubos e are heated
by the products of combustion passing up through them to the chimney D.
In some cases I perforate the outer shell cat a point which reaches just to the
interior of the globe or cover B with a ring of small holes e; by which a portion of
the air entering through the slits c² sweeps round the interior of the glass globe or
cover B before it reaches the flame, thus assisting combustion and helping to keep
the glass from clouding.
The regenerator shewn in section in Fig. 5 is similar to that shewn in Figs. 1, 3
and 4, but it represents a form which can be manufactured at a very low cost and
which can if necessary be taken apart or put together with facility. The outer shell e
is formed with two slight ridges e extending round the whole periphery, these
serving to keep the tube plates and o' at the required distance apart, while the
inner tube c³ and the tubes e are so formed as to fit in their places, and be held there
by simply pushing the two plates and into position. The ends of the tubes
being then burred over.
The action of the lamp is as follows:-
The gas in its passage through the gas pipe to the burner, and the air while passing
through the interior of the outer tube a are moderately heated, and the current of
air through the perforations of the dished plate a has a tendency to drive the flame
upwards; but the chimney pulls the air through the slits of the regenerator and
passing round and being heated by contact with the tubes e, enters the lamp through
the slits and nozzle and tends to drive the flame downwards which being thus
suspended between two opposing currents of air, is steadied; and the air which enters
through the regenerator being highly heated, the light is very much increased.
The regenerative portion of the lamp can be used equally well for carburetted

page_text: -air or other hydro-carbon gases or vapours, and it may be used for heating mixed
gases and air for lighting by the incandescence of incombustible materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A regenerative gas lamp consisting essentially of a burner A having perforated
flanges or diaphragms a and a, a tube a, a gas supply pipe a' and a burner a; a
glass globe or other suitable cover B; and a regenerator C composed of outer and
inner cylinders c and c³ each having slits for the passage of air, tube plates c and c³,
tubes for the escape of the products of combustion to the chimney D, substantially
as described and shewn.
2. In a regenerative gas lamp, the combination of a burner A having a gas pipe a³,
and an annular passage surrounding it for the passage of air, which enters to the
burner through perforated plates; the air regulator ax; the glass globe B; and the
regenerator Chaving outer and inner perforated cylinders c and c, tube plates c³ and c²,
and tubes for the escape of the products of combustion, substantially as described
and shewn.
3. In a regenerative gas lamp, the combination of a burner A having a gas pipe a³,
and an annular passage surrounding it for the passage of air, which enters to the
burner through perforated plates; the air regulator a*; the glass globe B; the
regenerator C having outer and inner perforated cylinders c and c, tube plates c and c²,
and tubes for the escape of the products of combustion, and the perforations c,
substantially as described and shewn.
4. The regenerator herein before described and claimed, constructed in such manner
that it can quickly and conveniently be taken apart or put together, substantially as
shewn and described with reference to Fig. 5.
Dated this 16th day of December 1896.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.