IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR KINDLING AND EXTINGUISHING OR REDUCING LIGHTS BY ELECTRICITY FOR SIGNALLING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julius Pintsch and Julius Schülke, both of Berlin, in the
German Empire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR KINDLING AND EXTINGUISHING OR REDUCING LIGHTS BY
ELECTRICITY FOR SIGNALLING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 28th June 1878, and dated the 23rd April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julius Pintsch and Julius
Schülke at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd April
1878.
JULIUS PINTSCH and JULIUS SCHÜLKE, both of Berlin, in the German Empire.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR KINDLING AND EXTINGUISHING
OR REDUCING LIGHTS BY ELECTRICITY FOR SIGNALLING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to improved means and apparatus for kindling and
extinguishing gas jets, or for merely reducing the flame at intervals, by the agency
of electric currents for signalling purposes; which means may also be employed
merely for lighting and extinguishing or reducing the gas jets employed for
illumination.
For these purposes, according to one method of operating, there is provided in
the passage through which the gas passes to the burner a chamber containing a
small valve of soft iron, which in seating against an orifice in the passage prevents
the gas from passing to the burner. The part of the gas pipe or passage in
immediate proximity to the valve constitutes the soft iron core of an electro-magnet
being surrounded by a coil, one end of which passes to a battery or induction coil,
while the other passes to earth or to the coil of a similar apparatus to another
burner when more than one are operated. In connection with the electro-magnet
and valve is a permanent magnet, arranged so as to polarise both the core and the
valve in such a manner that when no current is passing through the coil the core
will attract the valve and cause it thus to seat on the inlet orifice so as to cut off
the gas supply. If on the other hand a current is passed through the coil in a

page_text: direction such as to reverse or neutralise the polarity imparted to the core by the
permanent magnet the valve in being repelled by the core or drawn away by the
magnet, or by a spring, will open the orifice and allow the gas to issue through the
burner. At the same time either a portion of the same current that is passing
through the coil or a separate current is passed through two insulated platinum
points immediately above the burner, so that by the electric spark produced the
escaping gas is ignited. On again interrupting the current the valve closes again,
as above described, so as to extinguish the gas flame.
Instead of making the valve of soft iron it may be constructed as a permanent
magnet so as to polarise a piece of soft iron employed in place of the before-described
permanent magnet.
According to another modification the above-described apparatus is so arranged
that instead of actually extinguishing the gas flame and then re-lighting it, the
igniting contrivance is dispensed with by forming a small hole in the valve or a
small by-pass passage, through which, when the valve is closed, sufficient gas passes
to maintain a small flame always burning. This arrangement may be employed for
*producing the description of signal lights known as "flashing" lights, in which the
fame increases and decreases in brilliancy at regular intervals. For this purpose
the electric circuit is provided with an "interrupter," consisting of an electro-magnet
with an armature carried by a spring, and having a contact point, the armature
being provided with the usual well-known arrangement for causing it to make and
break contact automatically at regular intervals, the duration of such intervals
being regulated by making the armature heavier or lighter in proportion to the
spring.
"
In employing the above arrangement, as also that first described for signalling
purposes, signals according to the Morse code "may be produced by connecting
the circuit to a Morse signalling key, whereby flashes of longer or shorter duration,
representing the dots and dashes of the Morse alphabet, may be produced; or any
other code of signalling may be employed.
The above-described system of signalling by gas flames, extinguished and
re-lighted, or merely reduced at intervals, may be employed in all cases where
optical signalling is admissable, such as on railways and for signalling lights at sea.
In the latter case as it is not always convenient to convey gas from gasworks to the
signalling station (which may be at a lighthouse, or floating light, or on board ship),
nor to produce the gas on the spot, the system of lighting by means of compressed oil
gas may be employed, the gas being contained in closed receivers under considerable
pressure, and caused to pass thence to the burners through a regulator, by which
the pressure is reduced to the required degree, as described in the Specifications to
Pintsch's Patent, No. 3101, of 1873, and Abel's Patent, No. 4515, of 1876.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Julius Pintsch and Julius Schülke in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th September 1878.
JULIUS PINTSCH and JULIUS SCHULKE, both of Berlin, in the German Empire.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR KINDLING AND EXTINGUISH-
ING OR REDUCING LIGHTS BY ELECTRICITY FOR SIGNALLING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to improved means and apparatus for kindling and
extinguishing gas jets, or for merely reducing the flame at intervals, by the agency
of electric currents for signalling purposes; which means may also be employed
merely for lighting and extinguishing or reducing the gas jets employed for
illumination.
For these purposes, according to one method of operating, there is provided in
the passage through which the gas passes to the burner a chamber containing a
small valve of soft iron, which in seating against an orifice in the passage prevents
the gas from passing to the burner. The part of the gas pipe or passage in
immediate proximity to the valve constitutes the soft iron core of an electro-magnet,
being surrounded by a coil, one end of which passes to a battery or induction coil;
while the other passes to earth or to the coil of a similar apparatus to another
burner when more than one are operated. In connection with the electro-inagnet
and valve is a permanent magnet, arranged so as to polarize both the core and the
valve in such a manner that when no current is passing through the coil the core
will attract the valve and cause it thus to seat on the inlet orifice so as to cut off
the gas supply. If on the other hand a current is passed through. the coil in a
direction such as to reverse or neutralize the polarity imparted to the core by the
permanent magnet, the valve in being repelled by the core or drawn away by the
magnet or by a spring will open the orifice and allow the gas to issue through the
burner. At the same time either a portion of the same current that is passing
through the coil or a separate current is passed through two insulated platinum
points immediately above the burner, so that by the electric spark produced the
escaping gas is ignited. On again interrupting the current the valve closes again,
as above described, so as to extinguish the gas flame.
Instead of making the valve of soft iron it may be constructed as a permanent
magnet so as to polarise a piece of soft iron employed in place of the before-described
permanent magnet.
According to another modification the above-described apparatus is so arranged
that instead of actually extinguishing the gas flame and then re-lighting it the
igniting contrivance is dispensed with by forming a small by-pass passage, through
which, when the valve is closed, sufficient gas passes to maintain a small flame
always burning. This arrangement may be employed for producing the description
of signal lights known as "floating" lights, in which the flame increases and decreases
in brilliancy at regular intervals. For this purpose the electric circuit is provided
with an "interrupter," consisting of an electro-magnet with an armature carried by
a spring, and having a contact point, the armature being provided with the usual
well-known arrangement for causing it to make and break contact automatically
at regular intervals, the duration of such intervals being regulated by making the
armature heavier or lighter in proportion to the spring.
In employing the above arrangement, as also that first described for signalling
purposes, signals according to the "Morse code" may be produced by connecting
the circuit to a Morse signalling key, whereby flashes of longer or shorter duration,
representing the dashes and dots of the Morse alphabet may be produced; or any
other code of signalling may be employed.
The above-described system of signalling by gas flames, extinguished or re-lighted
or merely reduced at intervals, may be employed in all cases where optical signalling
is admissable, such as on railways, and for signalling lights at sea. In the latter

page_text: 2
Fig. 1 shews a vertical section; Fig. 2, a side view; and Fig. 3, a plan of one
arrangement of our before-described apparatus adapted to the lamp burner or to
each of a number of burners intended to be actuated by electricity.
The pipe A leading to the burner B is of soft iron, constituting the core of an
electro-magnet, and for that purpose being surrounded by a coil C of insulated wire.
The lower end of the pipe A is screwed into a socket of non-magnetic material, such
'as brass..
D is a permanent magnet of horse-shoe form, having its polar extremities d, d,
forked to embrace the pipe A at top and the socket F at bottom, so as to be held
thereby. By this magnet the core A is polarized by induction, and thus tends to
attract a soft iron valve E in the socket F. When the valve E is thus attracted it
seats against a perforated nipple a of ivory or vulcanite, and so closes the passage
through a and A, thereby cutting off the gas supply to the burner B.
Insulated conducting wires G, G₁, lead to and from the coil C, and also to and
from two platinum nibs H, H, situated a little above the orifice of the burner B,
with their points at a suitable distance apart to permit the electrical spark to pass
from the one to the other. Communications are made from the wires G¹ to these nibs
H by conducting pieces h, h, fixed on a piece I of insulating material, such as
vulcanite, which is secured to the burner pipe by a nut i.
When it is desired to kindle the gas flame electrical currents are sent along
the conducting wires G, G¹, from any convenient source of electricity, or from a
:conductor or inductor, the current transmitted through the coil C being of such sign
as to neutralize and overcome the magnetism induced by the magnet D on the pipe
A and the valve E, so that the latter being no longer attracted by A, 'or being
-repelled thereby, drops away from the nipple a and rests on projecting ribs f. The
gas then can flow from the supply pipe K past the valve E, and through the nipple
a to the burner, and issuing therefrom is ignited by the spark passing between the
nibs H, H. The electrical current may then be intermitted until it is desired to
extinguish the light, in which case an electrical current is transmitted by the
wires G through the coil C of such sign as to restore to the core A the polarity it
originally possessed by induction from the magnet D, and to increase the attractive
force thereof sufficiently to draw the valve E and cause is to seat against the nipple a,
thereby cutting off the gas supply.
On now again interrupting the current, the pipe A, being still polarized by the
magnet D, will keep the valve closed against the nipple until it is again required to
ignite the gas jet, this being effected, as before described, by neutralising or
reversing the polarity of A by the passage of a reverse current through the coil.
Should it be desired to provide means for lighting and extinguishing the gas in
the ordinary manner in case the electric apparatus should at any time get out of
order, this may be effected by providing an ordinary stop-cock on the lower part of
the gas pipe, and by arranging the magnet D so that it can be withdrawn from the
burner, in which case the valve E would drop open, and remain so until the magnet
were replaced.
Fig. 4 shews a diagram of electrical apparatus, such as may be employed for
operating the above-described apparatus, either for merely lighting and extinguishing
the gas jet, or for signalling purposes, or for producing a flashing light.

page_text: The battery I has its poles connected to the inner coil of the inductor J, the
outer coil of which has its one pole connected by the wire G¹ to the one platinum
nib H of the burner, Fig. 1, so that the other pole of the coil and the other
platinum nib being put to earth, a series of induced currents will be passed
through the circuit, producing the requisite sparks between the nibs for igniting
the gas.
The battery K has its one pole connected to the one contact 7 of a Morse key L,
the other pole being connected to the other contact , while the middle pair of
elements of the battery is connected to earth, and the pivot of the key is electrically
connected through wires M, M, and contacts N, N¹, with the wire G leading to the
coil C, Fig. 1; thus, if it be desired to ignite the gas jet a contact plug is put in
the contact at n, whereupon, assuming the key L to be in the position shewn,
making contact at l, a current will pass from the left-hand end of the battery
through and L to the coils of the electric lighting apparatus, as before described,
and will neutralise or reverse the polarity of the electro-magnet so as to cause the
gas valve to drop open. On now removing the contact plug at n the circuit is
broken, and the valve remains open as the polarity now imparted to the core A by
D is not sufficiently powerful to draw it up. If it be desired to extinguish the gas
the contact at n is again made, and the key L is caused to make contact at 1,
whereupon a current will pass from the right-hand end of the battery K of such
sign as to increase the polarity of A, whereby this is enabled to draw up the valve
so as to cut off the gas supply. On now again removing the plug n, so as to break
the circuit, the valve being brought sufficiently near to A to be attracted thereby,
remains closed.
It will be seen that by leaving the plug n in the contact, and actuating the
key L so as alternately to send positive and negative currents through the electro-
magnets, the gaslight will be alternately lighted and extinguished, and according
as the key is kept a longer or shorter time on the contact that effects the lighting,
the gas flame, will. burn a longer or shorter time so as to correspond with the
dashes and dots of the Morse or other similar code.
At Q is shewn an automatic interrupter for producing flashing lights. It consists
of an electro-magnet a, the armature b of which is connected to a spring c, and
provided with a weight d, by adjusting which the armature may be caused to
make and break contact with the contact spring e quicker or slower, according as
the flashing light is required to be of shorter or longer duration. This apparatus
is brought into the circuit of the lighting apparatus by inserting the contact plug
at n, this being connected to the coil of a while the contact spring e is connected
to the battery K. By establishing a connection between the wire f of the inductor J
and the contact N' the wires G and coils of the lighting apparatus, as also the coil
of the interrupter Q, can be connected with earth by inserting a stopper at n² on
the occurrence of a thunderstorm so as to protect those parts.
Fig. 5 shews a vertical section of a modification of the before-described apparatus,
in which, instead of providing two separate electric circuits, one for effecting the
ignition of the gas and the other for operating the valve, a single circuit G is
employed, which is provided with a branch G¹ passing to the platinum nibs. In
this case, in order to insure that a portion of the current shall pass through G¹, the
coil C is made of considerably greater size than in Fig. 1 in order to offer greater
resistance to the passage of the current; or in place of this arrangement the entire
current might be passed first through the coil and thence through the platinum
nibs. In this arrangement the supply of gas is by a lateral branch O, and an
adjustable screw P forms the stop, on which the valve E rests when the gas
passage a is opened.
As before stated the valve E may be a permanent steel magnet instead of soft
iron, in which case the magnet D would be dispensed with, the core A being
magnetised by E, which would be attracted thereby so as to close the nipple a
until the polarity of A is neutralised or reversed by passing a current of the required
sign through the coil C, as above described.

page_text: .
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we claim,-
First. The use in electrical gas-kindling and extinguishing apparatus of a gas
valve, either permanently magnetic or magnetised by induction, operating sub-
stantially as herein described.
Second. The use for admitting and cutting off the gas supply to a burner of .a
soft iron or steel valve enclosed within the gas pipe, and so arranged in com-
bination with a portion of the gas pipe operating as the core of an electro-magnet
that on the passing of an electric current of suitable sign through the coil of the
core, the valve will be attracted so as to close the gas passage, while on passing a
current of contrary sign the valve will be repelled by the core so as to open the gas
passage, substantially as herein described.
Third. The use in combination with the apparatus described in the second claim
of a permanent steel magnet, so arranged as to polarise the core of the electro-
magnet and cause it to attract and keep closed the valve when no current is passing
through the coil.
Fourth. The combination of the gas burner B with the iron pipe A constituting
the core of an electro-magnet, the valve E, the conductors G, G³, and platinum
nibs H, H, constituting apparatus for kindling and extinguishing gas by electricity,
operating substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Julius Pintsch and Julius .Schülke, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-seventh day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.