AN IMPROVED METHOD OF ILLUMINATING BY MEANS OF THE INCANDESCENCE OF " REFRACTORY SUBSTANCES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Heather Spence of 8 Quality Court Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent for an Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF ILLUMINATING BY MEANS OF THE INCANDESCENCE OF
"
REFRACTORY SUBSTANCES communicated to him from abroad, by Otto
Fahnehjelm, of Stockholm Sweden, Chemist
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Heather Spence
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December 1883.
WILLIAM HEATHER SPENCE of 8 Quality Court. Chancery Lane in the county
of Middlesex Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF ILLUMINATING BY MEANS
OF THE INCANDESCENCE OF REFRACTORY SUBSTANCES." (A communication to me
from abroad by Otto Fahnehjelm of Stockholm. Sweden. Chemist)
The object of this invention is the production of light of superior quality by the
action of an economical and suitable flame upon refractory substances prepared in
such a form that the necessary state of incandescence may be obtained thereby
And this Invention consists in the manufacture of refractory substances suitable
for this purpose in the form of small wires, pins, or lamello, fixing these in suitable
holders that they may be capable of the necessary nice adjustment and then
causing their incandescence by means of a flame produced by burning the mixture
of gases commonly known as "water-gas" in air at the ordinary pressure and
under the ordinary conditions of the atmosphere.
The heat necessary to produce the required incandescence of the refractory
substance is generated by the combustion in air at the ordinary pressure and under
the ordinary conditions of the atmosphere of the mixture of gases commonly known
as "water-gas."
The modes of producing this gas are well known and have been made the subject
of several patents, one method being by passing steam over coal or coke at a high
temperature, the mixture of gases produced consists principally of hydrogen and
=

page_text: carbonic oxide. This "water-gas" may be conveniently burnt in gas-burners of
the ordinary form such as are used for the combustion of common illuminating or
coal gas; the description of burner which has been found preferable is that known
as a fish-tail burner.
The hot flame thereby produced is made to act on a number of fine round or flat
pins or wires or thin lamello made of refractory oxides, such as magnesia, lime,
zirconia, or silica, either singly or mixed together in suitable proportions.
Magnesia has generally been found preferable
It has been found that there is sometimes an advantage in adding a flux (such as
for instance silicic-acid, kaolin, or boric acid) to magnesia or lime (when these are
the refractory substances chosen) as they are thereby rendered more flexible when
heated
It has also been found that the moulding of the small pins or lamello has been
made easier by well mixing with the finely powdered refractory substance a
solution of starch, gum or other glutinous substance But then after drying it has
been found advantageous to heat the pins or lamellæ in a strong fire previous to
using them for this purpose
A number of these small pins or lamellæ are fixed in groups or rings in a socket
so arranged as to be capable of accurate adjustment so as to obtain the best effect
The apparatus for holding the small pins or lamelle must be also so constructed
that they may be conveniently replaced since although made of a refractory
substance it has been found that the different materials used are all more or less
volatile at the high temperature of the water-gas flame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Heather Spence in the Patent Office on the 3rd June 1884.
WILLIAM HEATHER SPENCE of 8 Quality Court Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex Patent Agent "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF ILLUMINATING BY MEANS
OF THE INCANDESCENCE OF REFRACTORY SUBSTANCES a Communication to ne
from Abroad by Otto Fahnehjelm of Stockholm Sweden Chemist
.
"
The object of this Invention is the production of light of superior quality by
convenient and economical means.
And this Invention relates first to the manufacture of suitable refractory
substances in the form of small wires pins or lamelle these being fixed in suitable
holders that they may be capable of the necessary adjustment; and Secondly, to a
method of causing the incandescence of these refractory substances so prepared and
arranged by the action of the heat caused by the combustion of the mixture of
gases commonly known as "Water gas" in air at the ordinary pressure and under
the ordinary conditions of the atmosphere.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention I proceed to describe the
manner of carrying it into effect.
The substances out of which the small wire pins or lamellce are constructed are
refractory oxides such as those of magnesium calcium zirconium or silicon either
singly or mixed together in suitable proportions, magnesia has been found to be
generally preferable.
A convenient method of manufacturing the small wires pins or lamello is by
well mixing the finely powdered oxide with a solution of starch gum or other
gelatinous substance in such proportions as to obtain a plastic mass.-By pressing
this through a small hole or die or by other suitable means a thread may be
obtained of a thickness corresponding with that of the desired wires pins or
lainelloe. This thread while still soft may be cut into pieces of the required length
and these may be made straight or bent into any suitable form.
This should then be dried and afterwards burnt at a high temperature.-If the
burning be omitted the said wires pins or lamello are liable to twist and bend
when exposed to the heat of the "water gas" flame.
"
A number of these small wires pins or lamello are fixed in rows or rings in a
socket or other suitable arrangement so as to be capable of accurate adjustment in
order to obtain the full effect of the heat.-Such an aggregation of wires pins or
lamelle is termed a "comb."
The socket is preferably constructed of iron brass or other suitable metal and
may be in section of a shape of a U.-It is filled with a plastic mass such as
damp clay or magnesia and the wires pins or lamello are fixed in such a manner as
may be desirable by inserting one end in the soft mass which is afterwards well
dried.
These sockets may be straight curved or circular according to the kind of flame
to the action of which it is intended to subject the wires pins or lamelle and they
should be provided with ears loops or other suitable arrangements for fixing them
to a support by which they are suspended in the flame. This support must be
capable of being moved at will in every direction in order that the necessary
adjustments of the comb may be thereby obtained.
If the wires pins or lamello are bent into the form of loops a comb may be
formed by arranging them on a metal wire or hook. In any case the wires pins
lamelle or combs must be so arranged on the supports that they may be easily
replaced because at the high temperature of the "water gas" flame all the
refractory substances of which they are composed are more or less volatile,

page_text: The modes of producing "water gas" are well known and have been made the
subjects of several patents.-A convenient method of production is by passing
steam over coal or coke at a high temperature the mixture of gases thereby
produced consists principally of hydrogen and carbonic oxide.
This "water gas" may be conveniently burnt in gas burners of the form
generally used for the combustion of ordinary illuminating coal gas the description
of burner which has been found preferable is that known as a fish tail burner.
The accompanying drawings show convenient arrangements of the apparatus.
In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5 F is a frame made of iron brass or other suitable metal
In section it has the form of. U-It is filled with a plastic mass such as moist clay
or magnesia and straight pins are arranged in one or more rows by inserting
one end in the soft mass which is afterwards dried.-These frames may be straight
as in Figures 2, 3, and 5 or curved as in Fig: 1.-They are provided with means
of attachment to a support as shewn in the drawing.-In Figures 1, 2 and 5 these
are ears or loops and in Fig: 3 a clip.-In Figures 1, 2 and 5 the pins are arranged
vertically but in Fig: 3 horizontally.
In the latter case when the pins are exposed to the heat of the "water gas'
flame they bend and assume a vertical position.
"
A different arrangement is shewn in Fig: 4 where loops or hair pins of refractory
material are suspended on a hook.
The supports to which the refractory substances are attached can be made
capable of the necessary adjustment by means of some such convenient arrange-
ment of screws as shewn in the drawings.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed (communicated to me from abroad as aforesaid) I hereby
declare that what I claim as of the said Invention is.
First: The manufacture of wires pins or lamello composed of magnesia lime
zirconia silica or other suitable refractory or fireproof oxide either singly or mixed
together in forms suitable for incandescence when exposed to the heat of a "water
gas" flame substantially as described.
And secondly: The use for the production of light by incandescence of oxides of
magnesium calcium zirconium silicon or other similar refractory or fireproof oxides
either singly or mixed together when such oxides are formed into wires pins
lamelloe or other similar shapes the oxides being acted on by the heat of the flame
of "water gas" burning in the air at the ordinary pressure and under the ordinary
conditions of the atmosphere substantially as described.
In witness whereof 1 the said William Heather Spence have hereunto set my
band and seal the third day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.