IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND BURNING GAS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alfred Beresford Bennett, of King's Heath, in the
County of Worcester, and Bernard Peard Walker, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MIXING AND BURNING GAS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alfred Beresford
Bennett & Bernard Peard Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 17th November 1881.
JAMES ALFRED BERESFORD BENNETT, of King's Heath, in the County of
Worcester, and BERNARD PEARD WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND BURNING GAS."
Our Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for mixing and
burning gas, which enables us to obtain inore perfect combustion and therefore less
disagreable smell, and perfect security against what is known as "flash back," with
the further advantage that these burners are far more durable than those at present
in use, and therefore cheaper.
According to our Invention we construct our mixing apparatus for burners used
for heating purposes by forming a slit in the supply gas pipe, so that the gas issues
into the mixing tube or chamber in a thin sheet. The mouth of this mixing
chamber is elongated into a similar shape to the mouth of the supply pipe, and is
also inclined outwards around the mouth of the supply gas pipe, and the air is
thus drawn into the mixing chamber and comes in contact with an exceedingly
thin flat sheet of gas, and is thus easily and perfectly mixed with a larger volume
of air than can be accomplished by the present circular jets now in use.
Of course
we may use circular or other slits instead of straight ones, with a corresponding
opening to the mixing chamber.
Our improvements for the prevention of "flash back" consist in the construction
of burners from thin plates of metal having narrow interstices between them,
through which the mixed gas and air issues, which we use instead of wire gauze
or perforated sheet metal.

page_text: · These burners may be constructed by taking a narrow strip of metal and coiling
it round like a watch spring, with suitable provision for keeping the various winds
at a set distance apart. This may be done by simply forcing out projections with
a centre punch at intervals, or by slight corrugations formed by passing the strip
through rolls, and in various other ways. Thus our circular burners would be most
simply constructed.
The rectangular burners would be made from strips of metal laid together and
sometimes fastened into one burner of grating, the distance between the various
strips being kept by projections formed on the sides, as previously explained, or
separate distance strips might be laid between them, or they might drop into
grooves formed in the side of a suitable case or frame.
Another way of producing a similar effect and preventing "flash back," is to
make a long slit in a tube or chamber into which the gas issues, upon which we
place thin rings or a strip coiled edgewise, the various coils or rings being kept a
proper distance apart by the beforementioned projections or by other convenient
means. The gas and air properly mixed issues through these slits and burns on
the face, appearing like a solid fire.
Thus in either of the before mentioned cases the strips or slits or interstices are
of sufficient depth to insure their under edges being sufficiently cool to prevent the
outside fumes going back or the gas igniting in the chamber.
For special purposes we employ a single pair of plates brought together to form
a long deep slit, through which the gas passes and is burnt. In other cases we use
an annular burner formed of an outside case and inside plug. The mouth of the
outside case being contracted in bevelled lines from its body, and the point of the
plug is bevelled in like manner to match the mouth of the outside case.
The base of the plug and case are provided with differential screws and collar,
-so-that-the-inside plug may be regulated to produce any desired width of opening
or to close the opening entirely, thus answering the double purpose of regulator and
tap. We employ this burner chiefly for illuminating purposes, indeed, it is suitable
in most positions where the argand burner can be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Alfred Beresford Bennett & Bernard Peard Walker in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th May 1882.
"
JAMES ALFRED BERESFORD BENNETT, of King's Heath, in the County of
Worcester, and BERNARD PEARD WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND BURNING GAS."
Our Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for mixing and
burning gas, which enables us to obtain inore perfect combustion and therefore less
. disagreable smell, and perfect security against what is known as "flash back,"
with the further advantage that these burners are far more durable than those at
present in use, and they are therefore cheaper.

page_text: According to our Invention we construct our mixing apparatus for burners used
for heating purposes by forming a slit in the supply gas pipe, so that the gas issues
into the mixing tube or chamber in a thin sheet, or through an ordinary burner.
The mouth of this mixing chamber is elongated into a similar shape to the mouth
of the supply pipe, and is also inclined outwards around the mouth of the supply
gas pipe, and the air is thus drawn into the mixing chamber and comes in contact
with a thin flat sheet of gas, and is thus easily mixed with a larger volumn of air
than can be accomplished by the present circular jets now in use. Of course we may
use circular or other slits instead of straight ones, with a corresponding opening or
otherwise to the mixing chamber.
Our improvements for the prevention of "flash back" consists in the construction
of burners from thin plates of metal having narrow interstices between them,
through which the mixed gas and air issues, which we use instead of wire gauze or
perforated sheet metal.
These burners may be constructed by taking a narrow strip of metal and coiling
it round like a watch spring, with suitable provision for keeping the various winds
at a set distance apart. This may be done by simply forcing out projections with
a centre punch at intervals, or by slight corrugations formed by passing the strip
through rolls, and in various other ways. Thus our circular burners would be most
simply constructed.
The rectangular burners would be made from strips of metal laid together and
sometimes fastened into a burner or grating, the distance between the various
strips being kept by projections formed on the sides, as previously explained, or
separate distance strips might be laid between them, or they might drop into
grooves formed in the side of a suitable case or frame.
Another way of producing a similar effect and preventing "flash back" is to
make a long slit in a tube or chamber into which the gas issues, upon which wo
place thin rings or a strip coiled edgewise, the various coils or rings being kept a
proper distance apart by the before mentioned projections or by other convenient
means. The gas and air properly mixed issues through these slits and burns on
the face, appearing like a solid fire.
Thus in either of the before mentioned cases the strips, or slits, or interstices are
of sufficient depth to ensure their under edges being sufficiently cool to prevent
the outside fumes going back or the gas igniting in the chamber.
We will now explain our Invention by reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 is a plan showing our apparatus
in one of its commonest forms. A is the nipple ready for connecting to any gas
pipe. The gas passes through the nipple in the direction of the arrow. The
part B is quite open, so that air may freely enter the pipe C with the current of
gas as it issues from the pipe A, where it is to some extent mixed with the gas.
The cross bar J on the upper inside surface of the tube is important. It stretches
from side to side across the duct.
The issuing gas inpinges on the slanting side nearest the jet, and is directed
downwards towards the incoming air. In some cases we even place the projecting
pieces on the inside of sides of the chamber for the purpose of bringing the gas
and air in contact the one with the other. The imperfectly mixed air then rises
through the slot C₁, C¹, in the pipe or chamber C, and thence through the burner M
of thin metal plates. As it passes through the burner it is most effectively mixed,
because the thin sheets of mixed gas and air passing through the lower portion of
the burner M' are again chopped up crosswise by the thin plates of the second
grating M crossing the lower portion M. The feet E, E, E, E, form a convenient
support for resting anything upon requiring to be heated, and the projections F
form suitable feet for the apparatus to stand upon.
We make the various parts in
the following manner:-
made by laying a number of
The parts, or grating, or burners M and M', are
thin strips together having slight projections ŉ on their sides, as shown by Figure 3,

page_text: or the distance may be temporarily maintained by strips of paper or wood. These
gratings might be dropped into the outer casing G, G, or they may be placed in
the mould like a core filled in between with sand and the metal run around them,
which would make a strong permanent burner, but in this case the cleaning and
renewal would be difficult, as the whole of G, G, would require renewing.
However, this would not be very expensive, as the part G is quite separate from
the part K, K, although in some cases we make both together and drop in the
grating from the top. The lower chamber or pipe part we make partly of cast
iron and partly of wrought iron. N, N, is the wrought iron part, which forms
three sides of the chamber or pipe, which is shown in section by Figure 4. This
U plate 1, 1, 1, is filled with sand, and really forms the core and part of the casting
when the cast iron top p is joined to the edges 1, 1, of the U plate.
Figures 5 and 6 are sectional elevations and plan of a modification of our
system of burners. In this case a series of square plates t, t, t, are used.
The gas
enters at R in the same manner as in Figure 1, mixing with air which is drawn
in, entering the burner outside the plates at 8, 8, and issuing at the centre L in a
solid flame.
Figures 7 is another modification of one of these burners which forms a ring of
fire; the gas being consumed around the edge of the centre plate W at w¹.
Figure is a modification of another burner similar to the former ones, shown
by Figures 5 and 7, only that we provide a separate entrance Y for air.
Having now described our said Invention of improvements in apparatus for
mixing and burning gas, and some of the ways of carrying the same into practice,
which will serve to illustrate how largely applicable our Invention is to heating
purposes where gas is used, we would have it clearly understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the exact shapes and forms shown, as they_may_be_varied_to_a
very great extent without departure from the principle of our Invention, but what
we do claim is,-
First. Gas burners formed by strips of metal placed side by side to form a
grating with deep slits or interstices between, and as herein explained.
Second. The construction of gas burners with the tubes or chambers constructed,
substantially as explained, with the projections J placed across the upper part or
vertically in various positions along the sides of the chamber.
Third. The construction of burners with the plates arranged horizontally and
the gas issuing to burn either at the centre or outside, and as illustrated by
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 on the Drawings.
Fourth. The construction of gas burners, substantially as illustrated on the
Drawings, with modifications of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Alfred Beresford Bennett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.