APPARATUS FOR THE INSTANTANEOUS LIGHTING OF GAS BURNERS IN TOWNS, THEATRES, PUBLIC ROOMS, PRIVATE DWELLINGS AND OTHER PLACES, APPLICABLE ALSO AS AN AUTOmatic Gas Gauge
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Sheppard Scott and
Edouard de Poilly at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 23rd November 1875.
We, JAMES SHEPPARD SCOTT, of Hare Court, Temple, London, E.C.,
Barrister-at-Law, and EDOUARD DE POILLY, of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"APPARATUS FOR THE INSTANTANEOUS LIGHTING OF GAS BURNERS IN TOWNS,
THEATRES, PUBLIC ROOMS, PRIVATE DWELLINGS AND OTHER PLACES, APPLICABLE
ALSO AS AN AUTOmatic Gas Gauge," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is as follows:-To effect in a practical
and economical manner the instantaneous lighting of gas burners in
towns, public buildings or private dwellings by means of the mere
variation of the pressure of the gas in the pipes, and to gauge the
pressure of supply of gas. The nature and character of this Invention
will be best explained by describing in detail certain forms of applica-
tion thereof, it being understood that such forms of application are
capable of modification in practice.

page_text: An ordinary pipe brings the gas to the burner or burners of the street
lamp. Into this a pipe of the new apparatus is screwed and brings the
gas under a bell cap, or into chamber divided by diaphragm or fitted
with a valve. The bell cap dips under the liquid and is provided at top
with a metal or other tube. The bell cap and tube are soldered together
and rest on the new pipe by means of a ring with shoulders or epaul-
ments which forms part of such pipe. This mode of fixing them may
be modified in several ways, for instance, by means of a screw nut fixed
on a stem resting on said pipe. A metallic, glass, or other tube of very
small diameter ascends to the main burner either internally or externally,
as may be necessary. This tube has an opening of the size of the point
of a needle or minute gas nipple. A bell with an opening in the top
cap communicates with the pipe of the main burner; a supply pipe
brings the gas to the main burner. A chamber communicates with the
outer air by a hole of the size of the point of a needle made in the
screw cap by which the liquid is supplied to the chamber, which liquid
may be water, oil, or mercury, or any other fluid substance, or non-
fluid (or in substitution therefor india-rubber or other valve or valves).
A double casing is provided with compartments containing substances
which are non-conductors of heat. This casing is screwed on the base
of a chamber which is fixed on a metal circle or roundle; the latter
usually is screwed into the top of the lamp post, but it may be applied
in any situation or position in accordance with the main supply pipe.
There is a hole to supply the chamber screwed up, and a closing neck
with a small hole to allow of the action of atmospheric pressure in the
chamber. Plug or tap is provided to empty liquid from the chambers
and also a guage or manometer. A plug enables communication to be
interrupted between the liquid and the guage or manometer during the
prevalence of frost. Wire guage is provided intended to break the
flickering movement, which gas bubbles passing through the liquid
would impart to the gas of the main burner, or little buoyant floaters
of cork or other substances are used to break the flickering produced
by gas bubbles escaping. All these parts of the apparatus may be made
of various metals or of any other other material.
In some cases the outer bell cap may be omitted, and in some cases
the inner bell cap also, the gas being conveyed through the main supply
pipe into the chamber, such pipe being provided with a valve or valves
which by varying pressure of the gas supplies a sufficient quantity of

page_text: Sometimes the flow of the gas is regulated by its introduction into a
chamber acting in connection with a perforated diaphragm suitably
arranged.
In some cases we use a cloth fixed on the sides, but not stretched in
order that it may form a bag in the centre. This cloth is edged at its
lower portion towards the centre, forming a floater. A chamber is
provided with plates perforated with small holes or fine wire gauze and
pipe supplying the burner; also the pipe of the jet and main supply
pipe.
In order to better exemplify the nature of this Invention we will
now explain the working of the apparatus which we have above detailed,
and in so doing will divide the period of action into three stages,
viz. 1. When the pressure in the pipe is very low. 2. When the
pressure is normal.
3. When the pressure again becomes very
slight.
1. Low Pressure in the Pipe.-When the pressure is low in the pipe
the gas has not enough clastic force to drive back the liquid and is
forced to remain under the cap, consequently supplies the narrow pipe
only and lights a little burner; this little burner being constantly
supplied with gas whether at low or normal pressure is always burning,
and in fact takes the place of the lamplighter. This shows how
important it is to protect from the wind this little burner, and as its
duty is to light the principal burner its flame must be in proximity to
the latter, therefore it is placed if not in the middle of the principal
burner at least close to its opening.
2. Normal Pressure. When the pressure of gas in the supply pipe
increases and becomes normal, the liquid which forms a valve when
liquid is used, and for which a valve can be substituted, is first driven
back or so put in action that the bell cap filling in turn drives the fluid
into the chamber. Now in this operation the gas having to conquer the
resistance of the liquid would arrive by jerks, and would produce a
flickering of the flame of the burner. To obviate this inconvenience the
column of liquid is so regulated that the flickering may be reduced to a
minimum, and by the aid of the floaters the gas will be supplied to the
main burner as regularly as in the ordinary system. When the gas
comes in contact with the lighting burner the main burner is at once
lighted.

page_text: 3. Pressure Diminishing and becoming Low again.-When the
pressure falls off, the elastic force of the gas under the cap being no longer
sufficient to drive back the liquid the liquid closes the communication
with the main burner and shuts off the gas. The little burner in its
capacity of lamplighter, however, still remains burning supplied as it is t
by its little tube. It is obvious that the valve or valves for opening and
closing the communication with the pipe to the burner, and the other
arrangements herein-before described may be of any suitable kind, so
that the pressure of gas from the main pipe be kept sufficient to open
the communication to the burner, such pressure being capable of 1
* regulation by suitable controlling power, whether water, oil, or other
means.
If desired the arrangements may be used and applied to the lamps at
present in existence, whereby by mere actuation of a lever the lights to
a number of street lamps may be by actuation of same turned on or off 1
as required. Further, these arrangements may be adopted as a gas
guage to keep the gas burning at a given height or size of flame.