Anti-vibrator for Incandescent Gas Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Anti-vibrator for Incandescent Gas Lamps.
I, ROBERT HENRY SMITH, Consulting Engineer, of 53, Victoria Street. West-
minster, in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a device for preventing or inpeding the trans-
mission of vibrations to the class of gas lamps known as "incandescent" in
which lamps a mantel" or equivalent part of more or less fragile nature is
used. Such total or partial prevention of the transmission of vibration is
hereinafter termed insulation."
In my device the insulation takes place below the burner so that the vibrations
may not affect the steadiness of the flame, but above the tap or cock which
regulates the supply of gas so that the manipulation of such tap or cock shall
not shake or disturb the mantel.
The device consists essentially of a conical or cup-shaped hollow piece of metal
across whose base is clamped one or two thin flexible sheets of a material
impervious to gas and having a low modulus of resilience. The material requires
also to be unaffected to an injurious degree by contact with gas or by such heat
as reaches it by conduction or radiation from the burner lying above it.
<
In some descriptions of lamp a thin sheet of vulcanised rubber with or without
canvas webbing serves the purpose; but where the disc is exposed to more heat-
ing what is known as asbestos sheet" with or without rubber, canvas, or
metallic webbing is more suitable. But any kind of sheet which is impervious
to gas, which is without high resilience, and which is chemically and physically
unaffected by contact with gas and by moderate heating, may be used in my
invention.
The metal cone or cup may be placed with its broad base and the flexible
sheet or sheets at top; but I generally prefer the inverted position with the
base downwards, this position giving the discs or disc greater protection from
the heat and also affording to the burner more stable support.
When the flexible discs are below the cone, the base being downwards, these
discs have each a central hole cut in them and round the edges of these holes
they are fastened to the top of the body of the tap or cock. If a bye-pass be
desired two sheets are used, but one only if no bye-pass be required. The bye-
pass passage ascends through the body of the cock to above the level of the
attachment of the lower disc and is then diverted latterly so as to discharge into
the space lying between the two discs. Near the base of the cone between the
levels of the attachment of the two discs is drilled a small hole leading the bye-pass
gas into a small-bore tube which runs up the outside of the cone, which tube
may be brazed on to the cone or he a passage cast in it if the cone be of cast
metal. From the top of the tube the passage passes to near the centre of the
top of the cone, and here is attached the ordinary bye-pass burner tube.
The burner and chimney-gallery are mounted on the top of the cone, through
the centre of which passes a hole giving the main supply of gas from the
chamber formed by the cone and the upper disc.

page_text: The flexible disc or discs insulate the cone and the burner etcetera mounted
upon it from the top of the stem or pipe on which the tap is screwed so as to
prevent vibrations coming up this stem or pipe being transmitted to the burner
and its mantel.
When the base of the cone is placed uppermost, the cone is screwed to the
top of the tap and the burner etcetera is fastened to the centre of the discs.
The discs may be fastened to the tap and to the base of the cone by any con-
venient means.
I prefer the discs to be moulded with an inner flange directed
upwards and an outer flange directed downwards. Solid metal rings surrounding
the inner flanges and split metal rings pressed inside the outer flanges form
means of secure attachment to the tap and the cone.
As described above the inner edges of the discs are attached directly to the top
of the tap, for which purpose a specially designed form of tap is required. But
to make the attachment to any existing tap of form unsuited to this purpose, it
is only necessary to screw on to this latter a small lengthening piece the upper
end of which has turned upon it the steps or grooves necessary for the joints with
the flexible discs. This is the ordinary form in which it is proposed to supply
the anti-vibrator.
The discs when unloaded may be Hat, but when carrying the weight of cone,
burner, gallery and chimney they are drawn into a more or less conical shape by
this load. This conical shape is that desired as being more efficient in insulating
from horizontal vibrations than would be the flat form; and with certain materials
used for the discs it is desirable to mould them with a considerable degree of
initial conicity instead of to the flat form.
Dated this 24th day of November 1898
Anti-vibrator for Incandescent Gas Lamps.
I, ROBERT HENRY SMITH, of Ellerslie, Brunswick Road, Sutton, in the County
of Surrey, and of 53, Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of London,
Professor of Engineering and Consulting 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:-
;--
This invention relates to a device for preventing or impeding the trans-
mission of vibration to the class of gas lamps known as incandescent in which
lamps a "mantle or equivalent part of more or less fragile nature is used.
Such total or partial prevention of the transmission of vibration is hereinafter
termed insulation." In my device the insulation takes place below the burner
so that the vibration may not affect the steadiness of the flame, but above the
tap or cock which regulates the supply of gas so that the manipulation of such
tap or cock shall not shake or disturb the mantel.
"
The device consists essentially of a conical or cup-shaped hollow piece of metal
across whose base is clamped one or two thin non-metallic flexible sheets or dia-
phragms of a material impervious to gas and having a low modulus of resilience.
Either the tap is attached to the centre of the flexible sheet or sheets and the
burners to the metal cup; or else the burner is fastened to the centre of the
sheets and the tap to the metal cone. The material of the flexible sheets is of
such kind as is unaffected to an injurious degree by contact with gas or by such
heat as reaches it by conduction or radiation from the burner lying above it.
In some descriptions of lamp a thin sheet of vulcanized rubber with or without

page_text: or
canvas webbing serves the purpose; but when the disc is exposed to more heat-
ing what is known as asbestos sheet" with or without rubber, canvas
metallic webbing is more suitable. This material in the form of thin sheets
clamped at their edges only has also the advantage of transmitting less vibra-
tion than does rubber. Thin leather thoroughly saturated with oil or fat may
also be used for the flexible dises; as may also any kind of sheet which is
impervious to gas, which is without high resilience, and which is chemically
and physically unaffected to an injurious degree by contact with gas or by
moderate heating.
The metal cone or cup may be placed with its broad base and the flexible sheet
or sheets at top; but I generally prefer the inverted position with the base
downwards, this position giving the sheet or sheets greater protection from the
heat and also affording to the burner more stable support. The cup may be
cylindrical or of any other shape preferred for reasons of ornament or other
reasons so long as it has an open end across which to stretch the flexible sheet
or sheets. Also for reasons of simplicity in the construction of a passage for
bye-pass gas through this insulating device two cones or cups, one inside the
other, may be used in place of a single cone or cup.
When the flexible sheets are below the cone, the base being downwards, these
sheets have each a central hole cut in them and round the edges of these holes
they are fastened to the top of the body of the tap or cock. If a bye-pass be
desired two sheets are used, but one only if no bye-pass be required. The bye-
pass passage ascends through the body of the cock to above the level of the
attachment of the lower sheet and is then diverted laterally so as to discharge
into the space lying between the two discs. From this space the bye-pass is
carried to the top of a cone either by a small tube brazed or otherwise fastened
to the outside of the cone, or else by employing two cones, one inside the other,
the bye-pass gas ascending through the space between the two cones.
burner and chimney-gallery are mounted on the top of the cone in the same
manner as they are mounted on the top of the tap in the case of the anti-vibrator
not being used. Through the centre of the top of the cone is drilled a hole giving
the main supply of gas to the burner from the space between the cone and the
upper sheet.
The
The flexible sheet or sheets insulate the cone and the burner and the parts
supported thereby from the top of the stem or pipe on which the tap is screwed so
as to prevent vibrations coming up the stem or pipe from being transmitted to
the burner and its mantel.
When the base of the cone is placed uppermost, the cone is screwed to the top
of the tap and the burner is fastened to the centre of the sheet or sheets. The
sheets may be fastened to the tap and to the cones by any convenient means.
As described above the inner edges of the sheets are attached directly to the
top of the tap, for which purpose a specially designed form of tap is required.
But to make the attachment to any existing tap of form unsuited to this pur-
pose, it is only necessary to screw on to this latter a small lengthening piece,
the upper end of which has turned upon it the steps or grooves or
necessary for the joints with the flexible sheets. This is the ordinary form in
which it is proposed to supply the antivibrator.
screws
The sheets when unloaded may be flat, but when carrying the weight of the
superincumbent parts they are drawn into a more or less conical shape by this
load. This conical shape is that desired as being more efficient in insulating from
horizontal as well as from vertical vibrations than would be the flat form; and
in some circumstances it is desirable to mould the sheets with a considerable
degree of initial conicity instead of to the flat form.
In Fig. 1 is illustrated the form in which a double cone with base downwards
is used. The bye-pass tap of the ordinary pattern is marked T. On this is
screwed the boss B through the centre of which is drilled the main gas port M,

page_text: The
while at one side of this is drilled the small bye-pass port b. To B are fastened
by the metal rings rr the two conical flexible sheets S S. These are fastened at
their outer edges by the metal rings R R to the bases of the two cones CC.
These cones are stamped, pressed, or spun out of sheet metal. They are both
screwed to the top piece P, which may be either of cast metal or turned out of
rolled brass bar. On to this piece Pare screwed the ordinary burner-jet p, the
ordinary air-mixing tube A, and the ordinary small bye-pass tube t.
piece P is centrally bored for the main gas port and the small bye-pass port is
drilled in one side of it. The inner cone C is flanged outwards at its base to fit
the interior of the outer cone and through this flange are cut two or more notches
which permit the bye-pass gas to pass the flange and which also facilitate the
screwing of the inner cone into the piece P by help of a wrench engaging with
the notches. The course of the bye-pass gas port is indicated in Fig. 1 by a
crooked dotted line. It passes between the two sheets S S and between the two
cones C C. If no bye-pass be desired, the upper of the two flexible sheets S S
and the inner of the two cones C C are dispensed with.
Fig. 2 shows a modified construction in which one cone C only is used and
is of cast metal, being cast in one piece with P. The two flexible sheets S S are
both fastened to this cone, and the bye-pass is carried up the outside of the cone
by a small metal tube t hard-soldered to the cone. The ends of this small tube
are plugged up and two small holes drilled in its side near the lower and upper
ends are placed opposite two corresponding small holes drilled in the cone which
form the beginning and the end of the bye-pass port through the cone. In this
construction the sheets S S are fastened in the same manner as in Fig. 1; and,
if no bye-pass be desired, the upper sheet and the small tube t are dispensed with.
Instead of tube being soldered on to the cone, a rib may be cast on the inside
of the cone and the bye-pass port formed by drilling a small hole along the
centre of the thickness of this rib, the lower end of this hole being plugged up.
In Fig. 3 is shewn a construction in which the base of the cone C lies at top.
Here the cone is of cast metal, but if no bye-pass be desired it may be made
by stamping, pressing or spinning thin sheet metal. It is screwed on to the
tap at T. To its upper edge is clamped the flexible sheet S S by a screwed
clamping ring R R. The inner edge of this sheet S S is clamped to the top
piece by a screwed clamping ring 1" 7". The ordinary burner-jet, the ordinary
small bye-pass tube, and the ordinary air mixing tube are screwed on to P.
Through the side of P and through the side of the lower part of C are drilled
small bye-pass ports. Into these are inserted short lengths of small copper tube
projecting a short distance into the space inside the cone C. Over the ends of
these small copper tubes are slipped the ends of a small thin tube t of rubber
or other flexible material. This tube t provides an internal bye-pass port which
does not interfere with the flexibility of the insulator. The thin flexible tube
does not necessarily lie in a straight length as shewn in Fig. 3 but may be bent
in one or more coils between the ends of the two small copper tubes.
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. The use of a thin non-metallic flexible sheet or of two such sheets of a
material having low resilience and unaffected to an injurious degree by contact
with ordinary lighting or heating gas or by moderate heating, such sheet or
sheets being clamped across the base of a cone or other cup-shaped piece of
metal, for the purpose of insulating the burners of incandescent gas lamps from
the vibrations transmitted through the stem-pipe or bracket or pendant carrying
such burners, the burner being clamped to the inner or outer circular edge of
such sheet or sheets and either directly or indirectly through the rigid cone or
other cup-shaped vessel of the insulator, while the other circular edge of the
sheet or sheets is similarly attached to the tap screwed to the end of the stem-

page_text: pipe or bracket or pendant, in the manner substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
2. The use of the material known as asbestos expansion sheeting" for the
making of such flexible non-resilient sheets in an insulator or anti-vibrator for
incandescent gas lamps substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
3. The construction of a bye-pass port through the flexible part of an insulator
or anti-vibrator for incandescent gas lamps by the insertion of two flexible
sheets or diaphragms instead of one such sheet, the bye-pass gas passing along
the space between the two sheets and thence along a passage formed in the rigid
part of the insulator or first along a passage in the rigid part and thence along
the space between the two flexible sheets, substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.
4. The construction of a flexible bye-pass port through the interior of an
insulator or antivibrator for incandescent gas lamps by slipping a short length
of thin tube of rubber or other flexible material over the ends of two pieces of
small copper or other metal tubes inserted in the upper and lower rigid parts
of the insulator substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Fig. 3.
5. The construction of a bye-pass port through the rigid part of an insulator
or anti-vibrator for incandescent gas lamps formed with two flexible sheets or
diaphragms either by (a) making the rigid part in the form of two cones or of
two cup-shaped vessels of any similar forms, one inside the other, the bye-pass
gas being led along the space between the cones or other cup-shaped vessels and
the two flexible sheets being fastened separately to the bases of the two cones
or other cup-shaped vessels, or by (b) hard-soldering a small tube along the
outside of the rigid part of the insulator and causing one end of this tube to
communicate with the bye-pass passage at the small end of the rigid part and
its other end to communicate with the space between the two flexible sheets,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.
6. The combinations of parts to effect the purposes mentioned in Claims (1) to (5)
constituting the insulator or anti-vibrator for incandescent gas lamps sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
Dated this 16th day of February 1800
ROBERT H. SMITH,
53, Victoria Street, London, S.W.