Improvements in Gas Igniting Devices.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct.,. 1898
Improvements in Gas Igniting Devices.
I, ALFRED JACOB STERNE, of 114, W. 34th Street, New York County and
State of New York, United States of America, Inventor, 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:-
-
This invention relates to improvements in gas igniting devices and its object
is to provide a device of this character which shall be certain and effective in
its operation and shall not deteriorate by repeated and continued use.
In that class of gas igniting devices wherein the ignition is effected by the
action of finely divided platinum it has been found that if the platinum is allowed
to remain for any considerable length of time in contact with the gas flamie it
loses its igniting power. To obviate this difficulty it has been proposed to ignite
an auxiliary flame or igniter which, in turn, ignites the principal flame or jet
and is then extinguished.
In order to maintain the platinum igniter in effective condition without recourse
to any such complication of devices as is entailed by the means heretofore used
for this purpose, I arrange the igniting device so that it is movable into and out of
proximity to the. jet or burner tip and is adapted to fall or move automatically
away from the gas. jet. With such a device the platinum igniter may be brought
into operation only at the moment when it is desired to light the gas and this
having been effected it can be immediately removed or allowed to fall away from
the gas flame and thereby protect it from the action of the flame.
A further feature of my invention relates to the extension of the igniting
surface of the platinum igniter. It has been found that while the generation
of the heat necessary for ignition requires a mass containing or consisting of finely
divided platinum, the communication of this heat to the jet of gas so as to ignite
it is best effected by a wire of metallic platinum extending from the mass of
divided platinum to the immediate vicinity of the burner tip or jet. Moreover
in order that this wire should act in the most efficient and certain manner, it is
necessary that it should lie in such relation to the jet of issuing gas as to be in
contact with both gas and air simultaneously or in other words that it should be
in a plane or place where the air and gas meet, the air being on one side and the
gas on the other. It is obvious that the adjustment of the wire to this exact
position would be a very delicate and difficult matter and owing to the constantly
changing conditions such as draughts of air or slight bending of the parts the
chances will be very much against its occupying the right position for any con-
siderable time. I find, however, that by using a plurality of wires each in contact
with the porous mass consisting of or containing finely divided platinum that it is
possible to always ensure the presence of one or another of these wires in the
igniting zone of the jet when the igniting device is brought into operation.
In order that the fine platinum wires shall be permanently retained in proper
relation and not be bent out of place by reason of their weakness and flexibility,
I support them by stringing or stretching them over a frame, and they are prefer-

page_text: ably stretched in a direction substantially parallel with the plane of the gas jet,
so that when the wires are brought up over the jet, one or other of the wires will
be sure to lie in the "igniting zone" of the jet, that is the plane where there
is the proper mixture of gas and air to inflame on contact with the red hot wire.
The occluding body" or mass containing finely divided or porous platinum
is also supported on said frame, and is in contact with the plurality of wires at a
plurality of points, the operation of the device bringing this body together with
the wire, into the proximity of the jet so that the " zone "of mixture of gas and
air will include not only one or more of the wires but also the said occluding
body. This body will then begin to heat, but it will not neat uniformely all over.
Experience shows that the heating starts up in spots and slowly creeps from one
spot to another, probably on account of the movements of the gases in the jet, as
only a certain mixture of the gas and air gives the incandescing effect. It has
also been found that the occluding porous body cannot of itself ignite the jet or
at least with any certainty, and that it is necessary to provide a solid metallic
mass such as a wire which takes up the heat from the occluding mass and itself
ignites the gas. This wire, in order to be always operative must always be in
contact with an incandescing part of the occluding mass, and to this end I use
a plurality of wires, making contact with the said mass at a plurality of point3,
extending in fact over substantially all of the part thereof liable to be exposed
to the active mixture of gas and air at any time in the operation. With such
an arrangement ignition must and does unavoidably ensue in so short an interval
after movement of the device into operative position as to be practically instanta-
neous.
In applying my invention to the ignition of "incandescent" gas lights, I find
that it is not necessary to use a special igniting wire or wires but that ignition
can be obtained by bringing the mass of platinized material in direct contact with
the mantle of the incandescent gas light. If the mantle has previously been
marked upon or treated with a suitable platinum bearing material or mass so as
to leave a platinized streak thereon, then when the platinized igniting body is
brought into contact with this streak incandescence will at once spring up at the
point of contact and will travel along the streak and in a very short time the gas
will become ignited. In this case the contact of the igniting body seems to
revivify the streak on the mantle after the latter has previously been subjected
to the action of the gas flame for a long continued time.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specifi-
cation:-
Figure 1 is an elevation of a gas burner with my improved igniting device
applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan view of same.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the device.
Figure 4 shows the block of igniting material separately.
Figure 5 shows my invention applied to an incandescent gas burner.
In Figures 1 and 2 A represents the burner or gas fixture having cock B and
tip C. To this fixture is attached a support D on which is pivoted a lever E
which by means of a chain F or other suitable device may be operated so as to
bring the upper end of said lever into proximity to the burner tip or to remove
it or allow it to fall away therefrom. G is a mass or body of igniting material
containing or consisting of finely divided platinum or platinized material, the
same being preferably a porous platinized block of about the shape indicated in
Figure 4. This block G of igniting material is supported in the upper end of
lever E preferably by being inserted in a socket e on said lever and fastened with
a suitable cement indicated at e¹, the said block G projecting from the socket
as shown. A plurality of fine platinum wires p are strung or otherwise supported
on armsh projecting from the lever E and these wires pass over and in
contact with the block G. Said wires are secured firmly in place on said arms,
as by resting in notches therein as indicated in Figure 3, and being stretched

page_text: across and supported at both ends are not liable to accidental displacement. The
wires are strung in parallelism to the plane of the jet for the reason above stated,
and they make contact with the occluding body G at a corresponding plurality of
points. The end of the wire is however crossed over the others, as indicated in
Figure 3, and this has the beneficial effect of transmitting the heat from one
wire to another, giving more rapid ignition. By drawing down the chain F
the lever E may be turned up as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 so as to
cause the block or mass of igniting material to come in proximity to the gas jet
whereupon if the gas has been turned on the said mass of igniting material will.
quickly become incandescent. This incandescence is communicated to the wire p
and owing to the number of these wires and the comparatively large space over
which they are distributed one or the other of them will traverse or lie within
the plane or zone where the gas meets with, or is mixing with, the air, such zone
being indicated by dotted lines z Figure 1.
In Figure 5 the lever E is supported on the burner fixture A in such manner
as to be capable of bringing the igniting mass or body G at its upper end into
contact with the mantle M. preferably at the lower end thereof. The platinum
wire may in this case be omitted. S indicates the streak which has been
marked or otherwise produced upon the mantle M and by the application thereto
of platinum bearing material or by otherwise platinizing that portion of the mantle.
When the gas is turned on the action of this platinized streak will not in general
be of itself sufficient to light the gas ou account of the effect of the previous
exposure of same to the action of the gas flame but by bringing the igniting body G
into contact with this streak the point of contact is rendered incandescent and
the incandescence rapidly travels along the streak and causes ignition of the gas.
My invention therefore effects the protection of the igniting mass or body
from the action of the flame by causing it to be removed from the proximity of
the flame as soon as ignition has been effected. For this purpose the lever may be
made to draw away by its own weight as indicated or by a spring or in any other
suitable way.
I prefer to form the igniting block or body G in the following manner:-
About equal proportions of sand and pulverized asbestos are incorporated with
a sufficient quantity of a saturated solution of platinic chloride to bring the
mass to the consistency of putty. The mixture is then formed into small pellets,
wrapped tightly with asbestos fibre, and fine platinum wire wound around it.
The resulting block is dried and then dipped into a dilute solution of platinic
chloride and again thoroughly dried. The platinic chloride is then reduced to
metallic platinum in any suitable manner. In Figure 4 r indicates the platinum
wire wound over the asbestos fibre wrapping t which is shown as broken away
at one place to show the inner core or pellet g.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1: The combination with a burner, of an igniting device therefor consisting
of an igniting body containing finely divided platinum, a plurality of fine wires
in contact with said body at a plurality of separate points, and a movable support
carrying said igniting body and wires and adapted to move same into or out of
proximity to the burner.
2: The combination with a burner, of an igniting device therefor consisting of
an igniting body containing finely divided platinum, a movable supporting frame
carrying said body and adapted to move same into and out of proximity to the
burner, and a plurality of fine platinum wires strung over the frame and over
the said igniting body and contacting with said body at a plurality of points.
3: The combination with a burner of an igniting device therefor consisting
of an igniting body containing finely divided platinum, a movable supporting

page_text: frame carrying said body and adapted to move same into and out of proximity
to the burner, and a plurality of fine platinum wires strung over the frame in
parallelism with the jet to be ignited and over the said igniting body and con-
tacting with said body at a plurality of points.
4: The combination with a burner, a pivoted supporting frame having two
arms, a plurality of fine platinum wires strung over said arms, and an igniting
body supported by said frame and having the said wires strung over it so as to
contact with different portions thereof, the said supporting frame being movable
to bring the igniting body into or out of proximity to the burner.
5: An igniting body for use in gas igniters consisting of a mass composed of
sand, pulverized asbestos and reduced platinum, a wrapping of fibrous asbestos
surrounding said mass and platinum wire wound over said wrapping.
1000
Ja II5 ~.JIT 0} 0V augusv £909,
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,..
Agents for the Applicant.