Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture and Mounting of Devices for Automatically Igniting Combustible Gas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 17th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture and Mounting of
Devices for Automatically Igniting Combustible Gas.
A communication from LEO ELSBACH, Doctor of Philosophy, and BERNARD POLLINI,
Doctor of Philosophy, both of Oranieburgerstrasse 75, Berlin, Germany.
We, THE AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL GASLIGHTER LIMITED, of Throgmorton House,
15, Copthall Avenue, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows;-
The igniting bodies heretofore employed in conjunction with fine wires or
filaments of platinum for automatically igniting combustible gas, and comprising
porous material impregnated with finely divided metal such as platinum black,
are found to rapidly lose their automatic igniting property, and an object of
this invention is to increase the durability of such bodies.
For this purpose infusorial or silicious earth, i.e., kieselguhr, in a pure and
finely levigated condition, is formed, as heretofore, into small blocks, preferably
of rectangular cross section, which are impregnated with a solution of salts of
platinum and thorium, the impregnated blocks being dried and afterwards heated
to a high temperature in a stream of reducing gas, such as hydrogen, to form
the improved igniting bodies.
The invention may conveniently be carried out by placing the raw blocks of
porous material in a solution composed of about one part by weight of bichloride
of platinum (deutochloride of platinum), decimal four part by weight of nitrate
of thorium (thorium nitricum), and four or five parts by weight of water, the
quantity of the solution used being such that the weight of the bichloride of
platinum and nitrate of thorium therein is about three times that of the raw
blocks to be treated. The blocks are allowed to remain for one or two hours
in the solution, which is then nearly evaporated to dryness in a suitable
apparatus, such as a drying stove, at a tenperature of about 60° C. The
blocks are then placed on a plate of glass, china or the like material and
completely dried at a temperature of about 100° to 110° C., after which
they are placed in a tube of hard glass and gradually heated up to a high
temperature in a stream of pure and dry hydrogen which is simultaneously
passed through the tube. By this means the salts of platinum and thorium are
reduced, the platinum and thorium being deposited in a very finely divided
condition in the porous body, and water, chlorine, and hydrochloric acid being
eliminated. When the elimination of these substances has nearly ceased, the
temperature of the tube is raised still higher, or to a white heat or nearly so,
which is maintained until the white sublimate, which is evolved during this
heating, is completely volatilized and the interior of the tube left quite clean.
The source of heat is then removed and the impregnated blocks, which will then
be quite black, are allowed to cool in the stream of hydrogen gas until they
attain a temperature of about 70° C., whereupon they are caused, as by inclining
the tube containing them, to fall into a glass bottle or other like receptacle. The

page_text: finished igniting blocks are then ready to be mounted, preparatory to which
each of them is tested by being subjected to the action of a stream of combustible
gas, such as coal gas, to ensure that it will be rendered red hot thereby. The
finished igniting bodies can be mounted in any suitable way and be combined
with fine platinum wires or filaments. to produce a complete automatic igniting
device.
It has been found in practice that although the igniting pills or blocks hereto-
fore used, glow in a gas stream, the ignition of the gas does not take place
readily unless the fine platinum wires or filaments (hereinafter called wires)
combined therewith occupy such a position relatively to the bye-pass burner to
which the igniting device is applied and consequently to the gas flame formed at
such burner by the ignition of the gas escaping therefrom, that they will be located
in the outer luminous portion of the gas flame and in proximity to the inner
non-luminous portion of the flame formed at the burner to which the automatic
igniting device is applied. It has also been found that the ignition of the gas
takes place more quickly if the platinum wires are stretched tightly around the
igniting pill or block.
In order to facilitate the mounting and adjustment of the igniting device so
that the platinum wires may be easily, quickly and accurately adjusted into the
best igniting position, there is provided a holding device adapted at its upper
end to hold the igniting block and at its lower end to be slipped over the top
of the bye pass pipe of a gas burner and provided at an intermediate part with
an adjusting device to which the lower portion of the fine platinum wire or each
wire is secured and by which the position thereof with reference to a vertical
line can be varied, and by which also such wire can be tightened if desired.
According to one construction, the holding device comprises a vertical bar
provided at its upper end with a clamp or socket for the igniting block and at
its rear side with one or more hooks or projections, and at its lower end with a
vertical tube arranged to one side of the vertical bar and adapted to be slipped
over a bye-pass pipe. Between the clamp or socket and tube, the vertical bar is
provided with a laterally adjustable screw the free end of which, located above
the tube, is provided with an eccentrically arranged hook or projection. With such
a holding device, the igniting body, the upper and end surfaces of which are
previously channelled by a suitable instrument, for example a needle, is fixed
in the clamp or socket, and the screw suitably adjusted so that when applied to
the bye pass pipe and the jet of gas escaping therefrom is ignited, the hook or
projection on its free end reaches the outer portion of the flame. The flame is
then extinguished and a fine platinum wire is passed around the channelled block
and the hooks or projection on the vertical bar and screw and suitably fastened
at its ends, after which by partly turning the screw, the eccentrically arranged
hook or projection thereon will further tighten the wire and hold the same in
proper position for use. In lieu of the screw, there may also be employed a
sliding adjustable device which may carry the attachment screw; or a combined
sliding part and screw or the like, may be used.
To ensure uniformity in the size of the flame caused by the ignition of the
gas escaping from the bye pass pipe irrespective of the size of such pipe, the
tube carried by the holder and designed to fit the said bye pass pipe is closed by
a cap or cover formed with a centrally arranged gas exit aperture of definite
size.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture and Mounting of
Devices for Automatically Igniting Combustible Gas.
A communication from LEO ELSBACH, Doctor of Philosophy, and BERNARD POLLINI,
Doctor of Philosophy, both of Oranieburgerstrasse 75, Berlin, Germany.
We, THE AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL GASLIGHTER LIMITED, of Throgmorton House,
15, Copthall Avenue, in the City of London, 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 igniting bodies heretofore employed in conjunction with fine wires or
filaments of platinum for automatically igniting combustible gas and comprising
porous material impregnated with finely divided metal such as platinum black,
are found to rapidly lose their automatic igniting property, and an object of
this invention is to increase the durability of such bodies.
For this purpose infusorial or silicious earth, i.e., kieselguhr, in a pure and
finely levigated condition, is formed, as heretofore, into small blocks, preferably
of rectangular cross section, which are impregnated with a solution of salts of
platinum and thorium, the impregnated blocks being dried and afterwards heated
to a high temperature in a stream of reducing gas, such as hydrogen, to form
the improved igniting bodies.
The invention may conveniently be carried out by placing the raw blocks of
porous material in a solution composed of about one part by weight of bichloride
of platinum (deutochloride of platinum), decimal four part by weight of nitrate
of thorium (thorium nitricum), and four or five parts by weight of water, the
quantity of the solution used being such that, the weight of the bichloride of
platinum and nitrate of thorium therein is about three times that of the raw
blocks to be treated. The blocks are allowed to remain for one or two hours
in the solution, which is then nearly evaporated to dryness in a suitable
apparatus, such as a drying stove, at a temperature of about 60° C. The
blocks are then placed on a plate of glass, china, or like material and
completely dried at a temperature of about 100° to 110° C., after which
they are placed in a tube of hard glass and gradually heated up to a high
temperature in a stream of pure and dry hydrogen which is simultaneously
passed through the tube. By this means the salts of platinum and thorium are
reduced, the platinum and thorium being deposited in a very finely divided
condition in the porous body, and water, chlorine, and hydrochloric acid being
eliminated. When the elimination of these substances has nearly ceased, the
temperature of the tube is raised still higher, or to a white heat or nearly so,
which is maintained until the white sublimate, which is evolved during this
heating, is completely volatilized and the interior of the tube left quite clean.
The source of heat is then removed and the impregnated blocks, which will then
be quite black, are allowed to cool in the stream of hydrogen gas until they
attain a temperature of about 70° C., whereupon they are caused, as by inclining
the tube containing them, to fall into a glass bottle or other like receptacle. The
finished igniting blocks are then ready to be mounted preparatory to which
each of them is tested by being subjected to the action of a stream of combustible
gas, such as coal gas, to ensure that it will be rendered red hot thereby. The
finished igniting bodies can be mounted in any suitable way and be combined
with fine platinum wires or filaments to produce a complete automatic igniting
device.
It has been found in practice that although the igniting pills or blocks (herein-
after called blocks) heretofore used glow in a gas stream, the ignition of the

page_text: gas does not take place readily unless the fine platinum wires or filaments (herein-
after called wires) combined therewith occupy such a position relatively to the
bye-pass burner to which the igniting device is applied and consequently to the
gas flame formed at such burner by the subsequent ignition of the gas escaping
therefrom, that they will be located in the outer luminous portion of the gas
flame and in proximity to the inner non-luminous portion of the flame formed
at the burner to which the automatic igniting device is applied. It has also
been found that the ignition of the gas takes place more quickly if the platinum
wires are stretched tightly around the igniting pill or block than is the case
where the wires only bear lightly on the pill or block.
In order to facilitate the mounting and adjustment of the igniting device so
that the platinum wires may be easily, quickly and accurately adjusted into the
best igniting position, there is provided a holding device adapted at its upper
end to hold the igniting block and at its lower end to be slipped over the top of
the bye pass pipe of a gas burner and having an intermediate part provided with
an adjusting device to which the lower portion of the fine platinum wire or each
wire is secured. and by which the position thereof with reference to a vertical
line can be varied by which also such wire can be tightened if desired.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying illustrative drawings show in side and
front elevation respectively one construction of holding device according to this
invention. The holding device in this example comprises a vertical bar 1
provided at its upper end with a clamp or socket 2 for the igniting block 3 and
at its rear side with one or more hooks or projections 4 (one is shown), and at
its lower end with a vertical tube 5 arranged to one side of the vertical bar and
adapted to be slipped over a bye pass pipe 6. Between the clamp or socket 2 and
tube 5 the vertical bar 1 is provided with a laterally adjustable screw 7 the free
end of which, located above the tube 5, is provided with an eccentrically arranged
hook or projection 8. With such a holding device, the igniting block 3, the
upper and end surfaces of which are previously channelled by a suitable instru-
ment, for example a needle, is fixed in the clamp or socket 2, and the screw 7
suitably adjusted so that when applied to the bye pass pipe 6 and the jet of gas
escaping therefrom is ignited, the hook or projection 8 on its free end reaches
the outer portion of the resulting flame, the hook or projection being left in a
raised position. The flame is then extinguished and a fine platinum wire 9 is
passed around the channelled block and the hooks or projections 4 and 8 on the
vertical bar 1 and screw 7 respectively and suitably fastened at its ends, after
which by partly turning the said screw, the eccentrically arranged hook or pro-
jection 8 thereon will further tighten the wire 9 and hold the same in proper
position for use.
In lieu of the screw arranged as described, there may also be employed a sliding
adjustable device which may carry the attachment screw. Fig. 3 shows in side
elevation a holding device of this kind in which the screw 7 to which the platinum
wire 9 is attached, is carried by a slotted slide block 10 that can be moved end-
ways on the vertical bar 1 to tighten the wire and then be fixed in place by a
screw 11 that extends through the slot in the slide block and into the vertical
bar.
To ensure uniformity in the size of the flame caused by the ignition of the
gas escaping from the bye pass pipe 6 irrespective of the size of such pipe, the
tube 5 carried by the holder and designed to fit the said bye pass pipe, is closed
by a cap or cover 12 formed with a centrally arranged gas exit aperture 13 of
definite size.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we
do not broadly claim the use in a gas igniting body of finely divided platinum
and thorium but what we do. claim is:
-
1. The manufacture of bodies for automatically igniting combustible gas hy

page_text: impregnating blocks of infusorial or silicious earth with a solution of salts of
platinum and thorium, drying the impregnated blocks, and heating them to a
high temperature in a stream of reducing gas, substantially as described.
2. A holder adapted to carry an automatic gas igniting body and provided
with an adjusting device whereby the position of the platinum wire used in
connection with the igniting body can be varied and by which such wire can be
tightened if desired, substantially as described.
3. The herein described improved gas igniting device comprising an igniting
body, a holder provided with an adjusting device, and platinum wire attached
to the igniting body, holder and adjusting device, the said parts being constructed,
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figs. 1 and 2, and to Fig. 3 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 17th day of Navambor 1900
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.