IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF LIGHTING GAS BURNERS
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I ALFRED STENT, commonly known as Fred Stent of 52 Queen Victoria Street
in the City of London, Architect do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF LIGHTING GAS BURNERS (a communication to me
from abroad by Isaac D Guyer, of New York City, United States of America
Gentleman) to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in self-lighting gas burners and consists
in the combination with the burner of a platinum wire or coil so arranged as to
be heated to incandescence, and of a small pilot jet of gas which is maintained in a
state of flameless combustion by the incandescent wire and which serves in turn to
maintain the incandescence of the wire when the main jet is extinguished. By this
means the main jet will be immediately lighted when the gas is turned on or
relighted in case of accidental extinction.
The Invention consists further in enclosing the small and main burners in a
chamber provided with air inlets and with a conical top slotted for the emission of
the main flame, the said chamber serving to raise the temperature of the air supply
to the main jet and thus ensure more perfect combustion, effect a saving of gas, and
assist in maintaining the incandescence of the platinum wire.

page_text: I, ALFRED STENT, commonly known as Fred Stent of 52 Queen Victoria Street
in the City of London Architect do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-LIGHTTING GAS BURNERS (a communication to me from
abroad by Isaac D. Guyer of New York City, United States of America Gentleman)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My Invention relates to improvements in self-lighting gas burners and consists
in the combination with the burner of a platinum wire or coil so arranged as to be
heated to incandescence, and of a small pilot jet of gas which is maintained in a
state of flameless combustion by the incandescent wire and which serves in turn to
maintain the incandescence of the wire when the main jet is extinguished, the
whole being enclosed in a chamber whereby an atmosphere of heated air is main-
tained around the burners and supplied to the main flame thereby improving the
combustion and consequently the illuminating power of the gas and thus effecting
a corresponding economy in its consumption. By this means the main jet will be
immediately lighted when the gas is turned on or relighted in case of accidental
extinction.
The invention consists further, in enclosing the small and main burners in a
chamber, provided with air inlets and with a conical top slotted for the emission of
the main flame, the said chamber serving to raise the temperature of the air
and ensure the proper admixture of the heated air with the auxiliary jet and
thus ensure the flameless combustion of said jet and assist in maintaining the
incandescence of the platinum wire.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification wherein figure 1 is a side elevation, figure 2 a plan, figure 3 a sectional
elevation and figure 4 a plan (with the upper part of the chamber removed) of a
burner provided with the improvements of this invention.
a is the auxiliary or pilot jet tube, alongside the main burner and communicating
with a by-pass b in the cock c thereof so as to receive a constant supply of gas
whether the said cock be turned on or off, the quantity of gas emitted at the
orifice of this auxiliary burner being only just sufficient to maintain the incan-
descence of the platinum wire. b is a regulating screw for the bypass. d is a
platinum wire coil placed in the line of the orifice of the secondary jet tube a so
that the gas issuing from the latter shall impinge directly upon the whole length
of the coil which is attached at one end to the secondary jet tube a and at the
other to the nipple e of the main burner in close proximity to the main flame, so
as to be heated thereby as well as by the small jet. f is the chamber enclosing the
two jet nipples. It is constructed of sheet metal and preferably in two parts fitted
together, as shown, the upper part being made conical in order that it shall cast the
least possible shadow. The top is flat and a slot g is made in it of the form shown 4
in figure 2 for the emission of the main flame, which as nearly as possible fills the
slot. There are two rows hi of perforations for the admission and circulation
of air which becoming heated by conduction and mixing with the gas emitted
by the auxiliary burner a produces the flameless combustion of the auxiliary jet,

page_text: whereby the platinum coil d is constantly maintained at the proper degree of
incandescence to ensure the relighting of the main jet, even in case it.should be
blown out by a gust of wind. The chamber serves to protect the platinum wire
from the cooling effect of external draughts, the heated atmosphere of gas and air
in which the platinum wire is constantly enveloped maintaining its efficiency
unimpaired even when the burner is exposed to the strongest winds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained. the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The combination with a gas burner provided with an auxiliary burner, of a
platinum wire arranged in relation thereto, as described, and a perforated enclosing
chamber, whereby the auxiliary jet is maintained in a state of flameless combustion
and the platinum wire in a state of incandescence, substantially as shown and
described for the purpose specified.