An Improved Electrical Device for Lighting and Extinguishing Incandescent Gas Lamps.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by JULIUS BILFINGER, of Stuttgart, Wurtemberg,
in the German Empire, Hotel Owner.]
An Improved Electrical Device for Lighting and Extinguishing
Incandescent Gas Lamps.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 31, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County
of Lancaster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Civil 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 :-
The object of the device to which this invention relates is to enable incandescent
gas lamps to be either lighted or extinguished from a near or distant place in a
manner similar to that generally adopted for electrical incandescent lamps. It is
well known that incandescent gas lamps have already been fitted with small
kindling flames or pilot lights but hitherto lamps of this description have been
extinguished or lighted, exactly like any ordinary gas lamp by manually turning
on or off the cock which controls the gas supply through the usual pipes. Now
the present improvement consists in enabling the cock or tap of an incandescent
gas lamp to be turned on or off from any suitable place in the apartment to be
lighted, or from any convenient spot outside such apartment. For this purpose I
connect the cock with two electro-magnetic apparatus which in their turn are
placed in circuit with a small battery of the class now existing in almost every
dwelling house for the operation of bells or the like. The object of one
electro magnet is to turn on the gas cock, while the other is adapted to turn
it off. By means of the electric current the apparatus may be operated from any
distance.
In the accompanying drawings the improved arrangement is illustrated by way
of example.
Fig. 1, is an elevation of an incandescent gas lamp fitted with my improved
apparatus.
Figs. 2 to 6 are views drawn on a larger scale, aud intended more particularly to
illustrate the construction of the two magnet devices d and d¹ and their action, as
described above upon the gas cock E. The latter, together with the two magnet
devices d and d', is concealed within a casing P, between two plates D and D'
immediately underneath the Bunsen burner a of the lamp. To one projecting end
of the plug F of the cock or tap there is attached a small disc G with projecting pins
or studs g upon which thin rods h, h' are adapted to impinge, such rods being
secured to the plates H, H¹. These plates are pivoted at one end at i, while their
opposite ends are attracted by the two magnets à, d', whenever an electric current
is sent through the said magnets. This may be effected from any desired place or
part of the building through the medium of conducting wires k aud k', so that by
simply depressing a knob or button o, o', Fig. 1, for example, either of the plates H
or H may be operated according as it is desired to open or cut off the gas supply.
The operation of the plates H,H' may be effected from a number of different
positions or stations; or a number of taps may be turned on or off from one
station only. The tap or taps may also be opened and closed in any other than
the direct way, for example by opening and closing a door.

page_text: The operation of the device is as follows:-
The flame is fed in the well known manner from the main gas pipe by means of
the narrow tube b, which may or may not be provided with the small tap b¹
enabling it to be opened or closed as required. Instead of the ordinary flame or
burner, a small Bunsen burner, such as c, or a "creeping" flame may be used, if
required. Supposing, for example, that the cock or tap E of the lamp is opened
and occupies the position shown in the drawings; then the plate or disc G upon
the plug F of the cock will take the position indicated in the Figs. 1 and 3 and,
when the magnet d is energised, the plate H will be attracted with the result that
the rod or projection h will move with its upper end to the right, so that the said
disc G, and with it the plug F of the cock, will turn to the position in which the
cock E is closed. As soon as the electrical connection with d is interrupted, the
plate H automatically descends to its position of rest. The plate H' is operated
in an identical manner by the apparatus d, except that in this case the plug is
turned in the opposite direction, i.e. moved to its open position.
It will thus be seen that the incandescent gas lamp may be lighted and
extinguished at will from any suitable part of the apartment or building in which
it is used.
This invention will be found particularly valuable when applied to travellers'
bedrooms in hotels and the like. By a suitable arrangement each occupant of a
room in an establishment of that class may be enabled to light the gas by the
mere act of opening the door of his room, and, when he so wishes, to extinguish it
by closing the door. Or means may be provided for the gas to be lighted or
extinguished from a point at or near the bed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A device for lighting and extinguishing from a distance incandescent gas
lamps having kindling flames or pilot lights the main feature of such device being
that the gas supply tap is opened or closed by means of two electro-magnet devices
which are in a circuit capable of being closed from any convenient spot, one of
two pivoted iron plates being in each case attracted by the corresponding magnet
of the magnet devices, whereby the plug of the tap is turned either to the left or
to the right and the gas supply either opened or cut off.
2. The improved device for use with incandescent gas lamps constructed and
operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings, for the purpose specified.
Dated this 15th day of January 1895.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
31, High Holborn, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.