IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-LIGHTING GAS APPARatus
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frank Wirth at the. Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
May 1873. A communication from Franz Korwan, residing at
Mannheim, and Michael Flürscheim, residing at Frankfort-on-
Maine, both in Germany.
-
I, FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth & Comp., Patent Agency,
residing at Frankfort, % (Germany), do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-LIGHTING GAS APPARatus,” a
communication to me from Franz Korwan, a person resident at Mann-
heim, and Michael Flürscheim, of Frankfort-on-Maine, both in Germany,
to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to maintain a minute flame in an
auxiliary burner from which the illuminating burner is ignited, and it
consists in the employment of a flexible or moveable diaphragm
actuated by the pressure of the gas supply for automatically opening
and closing the cock or cocks of the burner or burners, and in the means
provided for regulating the supply of gas to the auxiliary and main
burners, and in the mode of pivoting and securing the plug of the

page_text: stop cock in place, and in the employment of a burner of the Bunsen
kind as shown to perform the office of the auxiliary burner.
In the Drawing accompanying this Provisional Specification Fig. 1 is
a side elevation of my improved self-lighting gas apparatus, Fig. 2 is a
front clevation, and Fig. 3 a vertical section of the same, Fig. 4, 5, & 6
are front elevations of the plug case or barrel E, Fig. 2 & 3, with the
plate R removed, showing the different positions which the plug F of
the stop-cock assumes in its rotation by the rod K of the diaphragm.
Fig. 7, 8, & 9 is a front elevation of the stop-cock plug F removed
from its barrel or socket, showing the formation of the same, and the
position its different parts assume while being rotated, corresponding
with that seen in Fig. 4, 5, & 6, as represented in the Drawings A.
Fig. 1, 2, & 3 is the tube which connects the apparatus to the gas
supply, and is provided with a cock at any suitable point for regulating
the supply of gas to the apparatus or for entirely cutting it off. This
cock may be so constructed that when turned partly or in one direction
the full supply of gas will be cut off, but allow a small portion to enter
to supply the auxiliary burner, and when turned fully on in the opposite
direction the supply will be entirely cut off. When this cock is open
the gas enters the chamber B through the tube A (best seen in Fig. 3),
the chamber B is closed air-tight above by the diaphragm C, which is
formed preferably of animal membrane, and against which the gas
exercises a certain pressure, the casing or chamber ○ above the
diaphragm is provided with air holes P (Fig. 2) forming a vent to the
same, and allowing the diaphragm to move freely without receiving
any resistance.from the air above it, which holes may be protected by a
shield against the intrusion of dust, and part or all of the casing may be
removed, so that the diaphragm is easy of access for examination or repair.
From the chamber B the gas enters the pipe D, e, through the screw
cock C, Fig. 3, which regulates the supply of the gas to the burners;
this pipe D opens into the channel C, Fig. 3, in the socket or barrel E
of the cock, which channel coincides with the main aperture ƒ in the
plug F. The diaphragm is tied in the form of a cone and charged with
the removeable weights J (Fig. 3), which may be augmented or dimi-
nished as required, thus regulating the external pressure thereon. This
may be also effected by means of a lever with sliding weights, or by
springs. The external pressure upon the diaphragm is so regulated that it
is forced up by a certain pressure of gas to which it is adjusted, and
remains up while that pressure is maintained, falling only when the

page_text: pressure ceases or becomes diminished, so that the elevation of the
diaphragm may be effected by giving a certain pressure to the gas at the
gas works or by the opening of a special cock in the building or in the
street. The diaphragm is connected at its centre with the connecting
rod K (Fig. 3), which rod is connected with a lever 9 projecting from
the plug F, as shown in Fig. 3, 4, 5, & 6, and by which the motion of
the diaphragm when raised by the pressure of the gas is communicated
to the plug and partly rotates the same, and allowing the gas to flow
to the large burner from which it is again cut off by the reverse motion
of the plug on the descent of the diaphragm. The plug F is hung in
pivots so as to turn on its axis with the least amount of friction. The
screws v & p which are fixed in the plates R & R³, that cover the
openings at each end of the barrel of the cock, as seen in Fig. 3, form
the pivots in which the plug rotates, these screws terminate in fine
points and fit in corresponding minute indentations at the centre of the
plug as seen in Fig. 3.
It is obvious that a valve or other equivalent mechanical device by
which the intermittent supply of gas to the burner can be effected, may
be substituted for the cock E, F, with like result, and that a diaphragm
rigid but moveable vertically may be employed as the actuating medium,
though I prefer the flexible diaphragm previously described. When the
diaphragm is in repose, the plug F is in the position seen in Fig. 4 & 7,
in which position the groove / connects the upper and lower parts of
the pipe L which communicates with the supply pipe c; D, Fig. 3 thus
supplies gas to the auxiliary burner, and the main aperture ƒ is in such
position that communication is shut off between the upper and lower
part of the channel C, so that no gas can pass from the supply pipe e, D,
to the main burner H, but only through the pipe L and groove / to the
auxiliary burner, where the minute igniting flame burns, and which is
ignited when the apparatus is first up. As soon as the diaphragm is raised
by the pressure of gas from below it communicates its motion to the plug :
by means of its connecting rod K, and brings the plug into the position
shown in Fig. 5 & 8. In this position the main aperture of the plug.
communicates slightly with the upper and lower parts of the channel e,
and allows a slight flow of gas to the main burner H, while the groove h
still connects both parts of the small channel or pipe L with the.
supply e, D, and the flow of gas from the channel e to the auxiliary
burner thus takes place without hindrance, while at the same time the
auxiliary burner receives a further supply of gas from the main aperture ƒ

page_text: through the lateral indenture i, and thus an enforced steam of gas
flows through the pipe L, which considerably enlarges the auxiliary
flame, which at once rises and ignites the gas issuing from the main
burner H. When the diaphragm has risen to its greatest height the
plug will be in the position shown in Fig. 3, 6, & 9, where the aperture ƒ !
assumes a perpendicular position parallel with the channel e, Fig. 3, so
that a full supply of gas passes to the burner, and its flame now lit
assumes its normal size. At the same time the groove h is put out of
all connection with the upper part of the auxiliary burner, becomes ex-
tinguished, to be relighted by the large flame when it is in the act of
being extinguished by the turning of the plug by the descent of the
diaphragm, when the plug F again enters into the position shown in
Fig. 5 & 8, when the double supply of gas passes to the pipe L, causing a
forced stream of gas to rise from the auxiliary burner and ignite at the
large flame of the main burner H when it is near the point of being
extinguished. The small flame now remains lighted after the large
flame becomes extinguished, and when the diaphragm has fully descended
the plug assumes the position shown in Fig. 4 & 7, and the auxiliary
flame assumes its normal size which is very minute.
The flow of the gas through the pipe or channel L is regulated at
its lower part by the screw 1, Fig. 3 & 1, and at its exit at the upper
part by the screw k, Fig. 3 & 2.
The hood N, Fig. 1, 2, & 3, serves as a protection to the small flame
from being extinguished by drafts of air, the air necessary for combustion
entering through small openings 9, Fig. 3, underneath it. It is evident
that a different form of construction of cock or valve arrangement or
equivalent of such through which the gas supply to one or more burners
can be regulated, let on or shut off, whether lighted by supplementary
small flames or any other way, as long as they are in connection with my
flexible or moveable diaphragm apparatus, might be substituted for the
one herewith described without any departure from the spirit of my
Invention.
In street lanterns it will be an easy matter to attach a kind of shield
under the upper opening, effecting an influx of air sidewise, reducing
the danger of being blown out to that of the ordinary street lantern.
The consumption of gas through the auxiliary flame is exceedingly
small, as it always remains extinguished while the large flame is burning.

page_text: The gas consumed by it during the whole year will not exceed that
consumed by an ordinary sized flame during two or three hours. It can
be yet more diminished by forming the auxiliary burner of the Bunsen
kind by placing a small tube having lateral perforations over the small
pipe L, as seen in Fig. 3. If the apparatus is to be left out of use for
a long period of time the small flame may be permanently extinguished
by the screws & k, Fig. 1, 2, & 3. It is not necessary to operate each
cock by a separate diaphragm, as a number of cocks may be operated by
one diaphragm with equal facility.
Space and expense can be saved by letting the large and small pipes
of several burners run into one common plug, the distance of the plug
from the flames or the greater or smaller length of the large and small
pipes having no great influence on the flames. This would for instance
be applicable to chandeliers, several flames of which could be lighted by
one common cock. The lamps can be regulated to any desired pressure
by an increase or decrease of the external pressure of the weights on the
diaphragm, so that by an increase or decrease of the pressure of the gas
the lamps can be lighted by a cock common to several lamps, or by the
main-cock of the gas works, without needing to operate personally each
separate lamp.
If the pressure at the gas works exceed the pressure to which the
diaphragm has been adjusted the apparatus can be so arranged that
the effect of the increased pressure upon the flame will be neutralized
by a decreased influx of gas. This may be effected in the following
manner: The stop by which the plug is held in a perpendicular position
is set a little to the right, the effect of which is that as the diaphragm
rises higher under an increase of pressure the plug is turned farther to
the right hereby diminishing the aperture or channel through which gas
is supplied to the large burner, thus ensuring a uniform supply to the
burner under a variable pressure.
This apparatus is particularly adapted for city illumination and for
public buildings, where the common process of lighting each burner by
the hand is to be avoided.