IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GAS BURNERS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Brock Billows, of the Curtain Road,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF GAS BURNERS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 30th April 1858, and dated the 1st November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Brock
Billows at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st November 1852.
I, HENRY BROCK BILLOWS, of the Curtain Road, London, do hereby
5 declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF GAS BURNERS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES"
to be as follows:-
My improvements in gas burners consist, firstly, in an improved form
of burner, by which two or more of the ordinary "batswing" or "fishtail"
0 jets are combined, so as to produce a greater illuminating power without
much additional consumption of gas. Fig. 1, is a plan of this burner.
The jets a, b, are of a semi-spiral form, and connected with the brass
work below by screws c, d; the jets may be turned from or towards
each other by the screws c, d, and the width of the flame thereby

page_text: regulated. Figs. 2, 3, are improved forms of jets, to be used with burners
similar to the above. Fig. 4, is a section of an improved argand burner.
In the centre of the burner is a jet e, the admission of gas to which is
regulated by the screw f. The gas for supplying the ordinary circular
flame is regulated by the screw g, so that the central jet need only be
used when required. Fig. 5, is a burner, adapted for heating and
culinary purposes. The gas jet h. is surrounded by a metal tube i, to
which the atmospheric air has access. At the upper part of the tube i,
is a coil of metal pierced with holes: in the centre of the coil is a small
bundle of asbestos. The admission of air in proper proportion is regu-
lated by the disc k. the combined gas and air burning at the top of the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Heury Brock Billows in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY BROCK BILLOWS, of the Curtain Road, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Brock Billows, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Brock Billows, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Brock
Billows, ny executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Mau. an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GAS BURNERS FOR
ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Heury Brock Billows, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal. should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Brock Billows, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
My improvements in gas burners consist, firstly, in arranging or
combining together two or more of the ordinary burners, known as
fishtail or batswing burners, so that the two or more flames blend and
form one fint uniform flame, giving increased illuminating power with
a smaller consumption of gas. Figure 1, in the Drawing accompanying
this Specification is an end view of the combined burner; and Figure 2,
is a sile view of the same. It consists of two tubes a, a, fitted to a
central tube b; the tubes a, a, turn freely within b, and by this arrange-
ment they can be adjusted so as to burn either separately or combined,
as shewn by the dotted lines Figure 1. It is, however, when the jets c, c,
touch each other, as shown in the Figure, that the increase of illuminating
power takes place, and this is partly due to the peculiar form of jets I
use with these burners. Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, represent such jets. It, will
be observed that in most of them the orifices for the emission of gas are
ent at an angle, so that one stream of gas impinges upon another, which
I find greatly increases the light.
Secondly, my improvements consist in applying to the ordinary
argand burner a central tube, with a single jet burning within the
hollow flame, and also the application of regulating screw's for adjusting
the height of each flame. An arrangement of this kind is shewn
at Figure 7. d, is the central tube; & the screw for regulating it;
f, the supply tube of the burner; g, the screw of the same; h, the
rod of the glass holder. Instead of the ordinary perforated argand
burner 1 use two concentric rings, cut out of metal and fitted within
the brass ring i, of the burner. By screwing the disc, Figure 8, to
the tube d, the deposition of carbon may be shewn for experimental
purposes. Figure 9, represents the form of a glass for producing
musical sounds from a gas burner, and by arranging a series of these

page_text: glasses upon burners, some cylindrical at the tops, others trumpet shaped,
with the lower aperture adapted to produce a certain note, they form a
novel harmonious instrument; the bottom, Figure 8, of cach burner
being made to rise and fall by a small lever so as to control the various
notes.
Thirdly, my improvements relate to burners adapted for consuming a
mixture of coal gas and atmospheric air, to be used for heating and
culinary purposes. Figure 10, is a plan, and Figure 11, a section of
one of these burners; k, is an iron tube; the size I prefer is from
6 to 9 inches in length, by a half to three quarters of an inch in
diameter, the upper end being enlarged, as shewn in the Drawing, so
as to increase the surface at the point of ignition, and more effectually
allow the air to mix with the gas; the lower end is left open to admit
the air. Instead of using wire gauze to prevent the flame passing down
the tube, I make a coil, formed of strips of metal plate alternated with
strips of the same metal, having a corrugated surface, by passing it
through grooved rollers; this arrangement allows a free passage for
the mixed gasses, but effectually stops flame. This, 7, coil is driven
tightly into the upper part of the tube k, resting on a perforated metal
plate, as shown at Figure 11; and in plan at Figure 11, n', is the jet
for the emission of the gas. The tubes may be made either circular or
square at the upper end, but I prefer the former; if square tubes are
used it will be necessary to cut the strips of metal in short pieces, the
depth of the aperture, placing the corrugated and plain metal alternately.
In cases where the cheerful appearance of the ordinary fire is desired
in a gas stove I accomplish this by inserting in the centre of the coil 1,
a bunch of asbestos, and for this purpose a space should be left in the
centre of the coil, as at m, Figure 11. The application of a series of
these to an ordinary gas cooking apparatus is shewn at Figure 12. The
burners are arranged in recesses at the sides, the heat passing off to the
upper part of the oven; the burners may be used either with or without
asbestos. Figure 12, shews an arrangement of burners adapted for a
register stove; the tubes k, are inserted in an iron casting n, made to
receive them. I prefer a shell pattern for this casting, the inner surface
enamelled with porcelain. 1 also adapt a parabolic reflector to form
the back of the stove, made either of silvered glass or metal.

page_text: It will be obvious from the foregoing that the minor details of my
Invention may be greatly varied without departing from the principle
of the same. I do not, therefore, confine myself precisely to what I
have herein shewn and described. But I claim as my Invention the
burners and parts connected therewith adapted for heating and lighting,
substantially as herein described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Brock Billows, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
H. B. BILLOWS. (L.S.)