Improvements in Apparatus for Freeing, Lighting, and Extinguish- ing Gas-burners at a Distance by Means of Electricity.
Year: 1897

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 13th day of July 1898.
Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Apparatus for Freeing, Lighting, and Extinguish-
ing Gas-burners at a Distance by Means of Electricity.
I, PAUL GUYENOT, of Aix-les-Bains, Savoye, in the French Republic, Doctor of
Medicine, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for controlling gas-burners
at a distance, and it consists of electrical means for freeing, lighting and ex-
tinguishing such burners. My invention has for object to provide an apparatus of
the greatest simplicity, producing at the time of freeing or opening of the burner, tho
lighting of the same, and it also prevents all outward escape of gas during the
shutting off or closing of the burner.
In this apparatus I use an assistant lighting-tube working in combination with
a platiuum wire or lighter and one of its characteristics consists of a ball valvo
formed of a sphere which is caused to pass alternately from the admission inlet of
the gas to the exit leading the gas to the self-lighter.
For a fuller explanation of my invention I refer in the following description to
the annexed drawings, on which,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a self-lighting gas device constructed according
to my invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is another horizontal section on line 3-3 of the first figure. Figure 4
is another vertical section made at right angles to that of Figure 1. Figure 5 is
a modification of one of the portions of the apparatus shewn on Figures 1 to 4.
Figure 6 is a diagram shewing the arrangement of the self-lighting device in an
electrical circuit obtained, for example, from an electrical battery. Figures 7 and 8
are diagrams explanatory of the working of the apparatus.
The apparatus shewn by Figures to 4 consists of a closed chamber A com-
municating in one direction by means of a tube a with any suitable service pipe B
and in the opposite direction with any suitable gas burner C by a channel a In
this chamber is a ball or sphere b which can fall either into the seat c at the end of
the tube a to close the same, or into a recess e arranged at the side of the seat o
so as to free the before mentioned pipe a. From the recess el a pipe f is continued
to a small tube placed vertically at the side of and approaching the burner C
almost at the same level. Above the upper opening or the outlet of this tube y is
a platinum wire or bridge d joining two electrical wires or cables h and h' suitably
insulated and connected with the said tube g in a metallic sheath or casing i
surmounted by a guard or socket i rising above the opening of the tube 9 and
the platinum wire d to form, around them, a sort of protective isolating chamber.
The movements of the ball-valve baro obtained by the attraction of two electro-

page_text: magnets and E arranged in such a manner that their respective cores project
into the interior of the closed chamber A and are more or less in line with the
seat c and the recess c. The one 1) when magnetized is intended to draw the ball
valve b towards the recess c whilst the other, when magnetized attracts the said
ball-valve b towards the seat c. These two electro-magnets or bobbins D and E
are, preferably, arranged parallel to the gas admission inlet a and between them
are the different terminals etc. necessary to the joining and conduct of
the wires or electric cables. These joints are indicated by the diagram Figure 6.
The wire leading from one of the poles of the source of electricity extends to
the bobbin D passing the terminal on which bobbin it is wound; thence it is
connected at m to the wire h of the platinum bridge d. The wire leading from
the opposite pole is connected at m' to the wire h' of the platinum bridge d passing
by the terminal . From a given part of the wire k another wire o branches off
leading to and being wound around bobbin E and connected at n¹ to the wire k¹.
It will be remarked that the same source of electricity will send a current into
the bobbin D or into the other E. For this purpose a commutator or a switch, G
is placed at a point situated between the bobbin D and the point of junction "
and another commutator or switch G is placed at any suitable position in the
wire o.
These two commutators or switches are of any suitable system or pattern
and maintain in due course, the circuit opened for the bobbin D as also for the
bobbin E.
Suppose the apparatus in the position of rest, the ball or sphere 6 being situated
on the seat (Figures 1 and 6) and let us see how the operation of freeing the
burner and lighting it is performed, as also the closing and extinguishing of the
same.
When it is desired to free the burner and light the gas then escaping therefrom,
the commutator or switch G is actuated in such a manner as to allow current from
the battery to be transmitted to the bobbin D and into the platinum bridge or
wire d. This passage of the current is shown by arrows on Figure 6. Under its
influence the core is magnetized and attracts the sphere which remains adher-
ing thereto and the platinum wire d is rendered incandescent. Under these con-
ditions (Figure 7) the pipe a is free and gas proceeds to the main burner C but
at the same time a certain quantity passes into the pipe f aud consequently into
the tube g. The gas escaping from this tube is lit by the incandescent platinum
wire and acts as a lighting burner for the same purpose as a bye-pass, to in its
turn light the gas escaping from the main burner C. Once the gas of this latter
is lit, (which takes place practically instantaneously) the commutator or switch
is suitably actuated to cut off the current and the core being now demagnetized,
allows the sphere (Figure 8) to fall into the recess el situated underneath, the said
sphere thus closing the pipe f communicating with the lighting-tube g. This
auxiliary lighting arrangement is extinguished and the platinum wire d ceases
to be incandescent, whilst the burner C continues lighted, the pipe a remaining
free.
To close and extinguish the burner, the switch G¹ (or commutator) is actuated
in such a manner as to cause the current to pass around the bobbin E, and under
the influence of the current the corresponding core e' is magnetized and attracts the
ball which adheres thereto until the commutator or switch G is again suitably
operated to cut off the current. The sphere then falls down and returns to the
sent c, preventing the escape of gas. As a modification of the apparatus the two
cores e d', the seat c and the recess c¹ need not be placed in line but on the contrary
may be arranged as shewn on Figure 5. These modifications allow the dimensions
of the apparatus to be reduced to a minimum. It is to be understood that the ball
or sphere may be of any suitable material which will be attracted to the cores of
the magnets when these latter are magnetized. Preferably I make use of an
ordinary steel ball.
b
When several burners are mounted in a row and lit from the same source of
electricity two switches or commutators G and G¹ are sufficient for working but

page_text: it is convenient to connect in each apparatus the wires and by a suitable
bridge of greater resistance than the platinum bridge d along which bridge p
the current would pass in the event of one of the platinum bridges dd breaking
from any cause. In this manner the current would pass to the other burners and
only a single main-burner would be disabled or put out of service.
The seats c and d may be cup or hemispherically shaped and the tops or edges
of the seats may be slightly bevelled off, to allow the ball to easily enter and to
snugly fit its seat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
―:
(1). An apparatus for freeing and lighting gas burners and for closing and ex-
tinguishing the same, characterized by the combination; of a closed chamber A
communicating with a service-pipe by a pipe a and with the gas burner by a
tubular connection a'; of a ball-valve or closer & capable of being put on to the
pipe to close it or into a recess e adjoining said pipe to free this latter; of a
side pipe leading from said recess c' into a tube y delivering gas almost at the
level of the gas-burner; of a platinum wire or bridge placed upon and across the
outlet of said tube g; and of two electro-magnets D and E situated on the same
electrical circuit and magnetized separately by independent switches or commu-
tators, one to attract the sphere b, to free the pipe a, to admit gas to the gas-burner
and to the tube g, and to heat the platinum wire to incandescence, that is to say
to produce freeing and lighting of the burner, and the other to attract the sphere
and to close the pipe a, that is to say to shut off gas and extinguish the flamme; as
above described.
(2.) In the apparatus which is the subject of the First Claim, the special arrange-
ment of the pipe f leading from the recess and its combination with tube y, the
platinum wire or bridge d and the electro-magnet D), so that when the said electro-
magnet is magnetized and the sphere or valve b remains adhering to its core during
the passage of the current, the gas proceeds up tube y to be lit and to act as a
lighting burner or a bye-pass to the main gas-burner, as above set forth.
(3). In the apparatus which is the subject of the First Claim, the special arrange-
ment of the lighting tube g, of the platinum bridge d and of its wires h in a
metallic casing surmounted by a socket projecting above the outlet of the tube g
and the platinum bridge or wire d so as to protect these latter and prevent the
platinum wire from burning in contact with the air, as above specified.
(4). The apparatus for freeing, lighting and extinguishing gas burners at a
distance by means of electricity, as above described and as chewn on the annexed
drawings.