New or Improved Electrical Lighting Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: VISIONAL SPECIFI
TION.
New or Improved Electrical Lighting Apparatus.
I, ERNEST OLDENBOURG, of 1 Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide apparatus whereby a light may be readily
obtained without the use of lucifer matches or the like by the employment of a
combination of electricity and gas or inflammable vapour.
For this purpose I so mount a spirit, gas, or other inflammable torch or burner that
it may be brought into contact when desired with a wire brush or other suitable
electrical conductor, and in so doing complete an electrical circuit and thus cause
sparks to pass between the said brush and a suitable metallic part of the torch or
burner, whereby the spirit or gas is ignited.
is ignited. The flame may then be employed as
desired, for lighting a cigar for example; or the torch may be retained in a suitable
position to serve as a lamp, or the lamp portion of the torch may be removed and
carried about as desired. In order to extinguish the light the torch is returned into
its normal position by means of a spring or otherwise, the escape of vapour or gas
being prevented either by causing the end of the torch to bear against a suitable valve
surface, or by causing a shut-off valve to be operated automatically by the movement
of the torch.
In some cases instead of the torch being caused to move, it may be fixed, and the
brush or other electrical sparking device be adapted to be moved in any convenient
manner for the purposes above described.
The current of electricity for effecting the lighting may be derived from a battery
or other suitable source of electricity which may be contained in a box forming part
of a portable lighting apparatus, or the lighting apparatus may be put into circuit
with the conductors of any ordinary electrical installation.
Dated this 4th day of June 1896
E. OLDENBOURG,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London E.C., Agent.
New or Improved Electrical Lighting Apparatus.
I, ERNEST OLDENBOURG, of 1 Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, Merchant,
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 this invention is to provide apparatus whereby a light may be readily
obtained without the use of lucifer matches or the like, by the employment of a
combination of electricity and gas or inflammable vapour.
For this purpose I so mount a spirit, gas, or other inflammable torch or burner that

page_text: it may be brought into contact, when desired, with a wire brush or other suitable
electrical conductor, and in so doing completo an electrical circuit, and thus cause
sparks to pass between the said brush and a suitable metallic part of the torch or
hurner, whereby the spirit or gas supplied by the said torch or burner is ignited.
The flame may then be employed as desired for lighting a cigar for example; or
the torch may be retained in a suitable position to serve as a lamp, or the torch may
be removed and carried about as desired. In order to extinguish the light the torch
or burner is returned into its normal position by means of a spring or otherwise;
the escape of vapour or gas being prevented in the case of a spirit torch by causing
the end of the torch to bear against a suitable valve surface, or in the case of a gas
burner by causing a shut-off valve to be operated automatically by the movement of
the burner.
In some cases instead of the torch or burner being caused to move, it may be fixed,
and the brush or other electrical sparking device be adapted to be moved in any
convenient manner so as to make and break electrical contact with it for the purpose
of igniting the vapour or gas delivered by it.
The current of electricity for effecting the lighting may be derived from a battery.
or other suitable source of electricity which may be contained in a box forming part
of a portable lighting apparatus, or the latter may be put into circuit with the
conductors of any ordinary electrical installation.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I will now proceed to
describe, with the aid of the accompanying three sheets of drawings, certain arrange-
ments of apparatus given by way of example whereby the invention may be carried
into practical effect.
In the said drawings
Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus in which a spirit lamp or torch is
arranged to be brought into contact with the electrical sparking device in order to bo
lit by the electric spark, Figure 2 is a sido elevation of same with the side of the box
or case removed,
Figure 3 is a sectional sido elevation of a gas burner arranged to be lit in the
same way,
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus in which the lamp, torch or
burner remains stationary while the electrical sparking device is adapted to be
brought into contact with the same in order to light it, and
Figure 5 is a detail view of part of the apparatus shown in Figure 4.
Referring in the first place to Figures 1 and 2, A is a box or case containing a
galvanic battery B and a wire coil C provided with a soft iron core D. One end of
the wire coil C is connected by a wire C to one polo of the battery B, and the other
end of the coil C by a wire C2 to an axis E adapted to rotate in a sleeve F secured
by a flange F to the front of the case A. G is a post secured on the front of the
case A and connected by a wire G' to the other pole of the battery B. The post G
carries the brush or other suitable electric contact maker G 2. His a torch carrier
secured on the axis E by means of a set screw H¹ or otherwise, and provided with a
handle H 2 of wood, ebonite, or other suitable non-conductor of electricity. The torch
carrier H is made in the form of a hollow cylinder or is otherwise adapted to receive
and carry the spirit lamp or torch I which may be of any suitable known construction,
but preferably with a curved wick tube J the end of which is pressed normally into
an extinguishing cup K carried by a post K1 secured to the front of the box A, by
means of a clock spring L the outer end of which is secured to the box A and the
inner end to the axis E. The tendency of this spring I. is always to turn the carrier H
and torch I in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 so as to press the end of the
wick-tube J into the cup K.
L
It will now be understood that when the carrier H and the torch I carried by it
are standing in the position shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2 the electric circuit
through the battery B is broken; but if the carrier H and torch I be turned by the
handle H 2 into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 the metallic wick-tube J
of the lamp or torch will have come into contact with the brush G 2 as it passed the

page_text: same, and the circuit through the coil C and battery B will thereby have been
completed, and when the wick-tube J in passing beyond the brush G2 breaks contact
therewith, an electric spark will be produced which ignites the spirit vapour given off
by the wick at the end of the wick-tube J, and the flame M is thereby produced, and
a cigar, a taper, a candle, or other combustible article can be lightod from such flame,
and the carrier H and torch I can then be allowed to be returned by the spring L
into the position shown by full lines in Figure 1 with the end of the wick-tube J
pressed into the cup K, whereby the flame M is extinguished. If desired, however,
the torch I may be removed in its lighted condition from the carrier H and carried
about, either for the purpose of giving illumination or for igniting gas or other
combustible matter. Instead of removing the torch from the carrier, or returning
both to the position shown by full lines in Figure 1, they may be held in position so
that the lamp or torch remains alight, by turning the handle H 2 to the right in
Figure 1 until it is raised above the level of the sliding bolt N, which then being
drawn out below the handle into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 affords
a support for such handle, and the torch 1 is thus held in a more or less horizontal
position with the end of the wick-tube J pointing upwards. The same means may be
employed for holding the carrier H and handle H2 in the same position when the
torch I is removed; or if preferred a stop O may be fixed to the front of the case
against which the carrier H is pressed by the spring L when the wick-tube J of the
torch is not present to bear against the cup K. When it is desired to extinguish
the torch it is only necessary to return the same with its carrier and handle into the
position shown in full lines in Figure 1, when the end of the wick-tabe J comes to
bear against the bottom of cup K and the flame is immediately extinguished.
The battery B is preferably hermetically closed, except as to one or more glass
tubes B1 provided with cork or other stoppers B2 which latter are preferably
perforated as shown in order to allow for the escape of gases generated during the
working. This tube or these tubes B1 also serve as conduits through which fresh
exciting fluid may be introduced when required.
The torch I may be secured in the carrier H by means of a pin I' on the body of
the torch taking into a slot I2 in the body of the carrier H after the manner of a
bayonet joint, or it may be secured in any other suitable way.
Referring in the next place to Figure 3 of the drawings A represents the front
of a box somewhat similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 and containing a
galvanic battery and a coil connected electrically to the post G and brush G2 and
to the swivelling gas bracket or arm P in a manner similar to that described for the
electrical connections in Figures 1 and 2. The swivelling gas bracket or arm P is
connected to the plug Q of a gas tap Q1 fixed to the front A of the box and
receiving a supply of gas from any suitable source of supply through the pipe Q2.
It will now be understood that when the handle H 2 is turned downwards the
plug is turned also so as to bring the passage through it into communication with
the passage in Q1 leading to the gas pipe Q2, and gas is thereby allowed to pass
through the arm P to the burner R. This movement of the handle H2 causes the
arm P to move outwards so that the metallic burner R makes and breaks contact
with the brush G2 whereby an electric spark is produced which ignites the gas
issuing from the said burner and a flame is thereby produced; then on raising the
handle H2 the plug Q is turned so as to close the communication between the pipe Q2
and the arm P, thereby extinguishing the flame and returning the arm to the normal
position shown in the figure.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 4 the lamp, torch or burner I may either be
secured permanently to the base board S or be adapted to slide between dovetail
guides T thereon so that it can be easily removed and replaced. The figure U is
mounted on the end of a spindle V which can be turned on its centre by means of a
lever W so as to cause the end of the metallic wand X held by the figure to make
and break contact with the metallic end of the wick-tube or burner so as to produce
an electric spark which ignites the vapour or gas, as the case may be.
The electrical connections in this arrangement may be quite similar to those

page_text: described in reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3. The lever W may be provided with a
spring W 1 adapted to return it into a normal position when released after
effecting a lighting operation, and when the lamp or torch I is arranged as a gas
burner the axis V may form the plug of a tap for admitting gas to, and cutting
it off from the said burner in a manner similar to that described in reference to
Figure 3.
In all the above described arrangements there is no action of the battery except
at the moment when the torch or burner is passing the brush, or vice versa, so that
the consumption of battery power is exceedingly small, unless the circuit is purposely
kept closed longer than is necessary.
Instead of each apparatus having its own battery and coil it may be connected
with any other source of electric energy that may be available.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. An electrical lighting apparatus which consists of a spirit, gas, or other
inflammable torch or burner, a brush or other electrical contact-inaker, and suitable
connections for connecting the torch or burner and contact-maker with a source
of electricity, the said torch or burner being so adapted that it can be brought
into contact, when desired, with the brush or other electrical contact-maker whereby
an electric spark is produced which ignites the vapour or gas issuing from the
said torch or burner, substantially as described.
Second. An electrical lighting apparatus which consists of a spirit, gas or other
inflammable torch or burner, a brush or other electrical contact-maker and suitable
connections for connecting the wick or burner and contact maker with a source
of electricity, the said brush or other electrical contact-maker being so adapted
that it can be brought into contact when desired with the torch or burner whereby
an electric spark is produced which ignites the vapour or gas issuing from the
torch or burner, substantially as described.
Third. Electrical lighting apparatus constructed and operating substantially as
described.
E. GLDENBOURG,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.