IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR CONSUMING GAS AND AIR COMBINED
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Thomas Wentworth, of Queen Street,
Cheapside, in the City of London, Gas Fitter, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR CONSUMING GAS AND AIR COMBINED."
Sealed the 15th November 1872, and dated the 3rd June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Thomas Went-
worth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 3rd June 1872.
I, STEPHEN THOMAS WENTWORTH, of Queen Street, Cheapside, in the
City of London, Gas Fitter, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR CONSUMING GAB AND AIR
COMBINED," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in what are generally known
as Bunsen's gas burners, which are arranged to consume a mixture of gas
and air combined for heating purposes. It is well known that such
burners are liable under certain conditions to explode at the point of
ignition, and ignite at the point where the gas and atmospheric air
enters the passage leading to the burner, thereby causing the gas to be
Pine 871

page_text: consumed wastefully, and thus destroying the utility of the arrangement.
Now in order to obviate these objections and prevent the ignition of the
gas at the point where it enters the passage with the air below the
burner, I interpose a diaphragm (by preference) of wire gauze or finely
perforated metal in the passage between the burner and the opening
where the gas and air enter it. By this means when the gas is turned
down the flame from the burner is prevented from passing downwards so
ns to ignite the gas jet as is commonly the case with such burners.
I prefer to place or arrange the perforated diaphragın in a chamber of
larger dimensions than the gas and air passage to which it is applied in
accordance with my Invention, and although I prefer to employ wire
gauze or perforated metal for the diaphragm I do not confine myself
thereto, as shot, small pieces of metal, mica, or other substances, or small
tubes may be employed so as to leave a number of small interstices for
the air and gas to pass through, and thus prevent the passage of the
flame from the burner to the gas jet. By this arrangement the
diaphragm of wire gauze or other equivalent is protected from being
choked with grease or otherwise corroded by fluids or other matters
falling upon it as is the case with those arrangements of burners where
the mixture of gas and air are ignited and consumed immediately above
the wire gauze or other perforated diaphragm.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Stephen Thomas Wentworth in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 3rd December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COMF, I, STEPHEN
THOMAS WENTWORTH, of Queen Street, Cheapside, in the City of
London, Gas Fitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Stephen Thomas Wentworth, Her special
license that I, the said Stephen Thomas Wentworth, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Stephen

page_text: $
Thomas Wentworth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR CONSUMING GAS AND AIR
COMBINED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stephen
Thomas Wentworth, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Stephen Thomas Wentworth, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:--
This Invention relates to improvements in what are generally known
as Bunsen's gas burners, which are arranged to consume a mixture of
gas and air combined for heating purposes. It is well known that such
burners are liable under certain conditions to explode at the point of
ignition and ignite at the point where the gas and atmospheric air
enters the passage leading to the burner, thereby causing the gas to be
consumed wastefully and thus destroying the utility of the arrangement.
Now in order to obviate these objections and prevent the ignition of the
gas at the point where it enters the passage with the air below the
burner, I interpose a diaphragm (by preference) of wire gauze or finely
perforated metal in the passage between the burner and the opening
where the gas and air enter it. By this means when the gas is turned
down the flame from the burner is prevented from passing downwards so
as to ignite the gas jet as is commonly the case with such burners.
I prefer to place or arrange the perforated diaphragm in a chamber of
larger dimensions than the gas and air passage to which it is applied in
accordance with my Invention, and although I prefer to employ wire
gauze or perforated metal for the diaphragm I do not confine myself
thereto, as shot, small pieces of metal, mica, or other substances, or small
tubes may be employed so as to leave a number of small interstices for

page_text: the air and gas to pass through, and thus prevent the passage of the
flame from the burner to the gas jet. By this arrangement the
diaphragm of wire gauze or other equivalent is protected by the burner
from being choked with grease or otherwise corroded by fluids or other
matters falling upon it as is the case with those arrangements of burners
where the mixture of gas and air are ignited and consumed upon the
surface of the wire gauze or other perforated diaphragm.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side view, and Figure 2 a vertical section of a
Bunsen gas burner for consuming gas and air combined, arranged in
accordance with my improvements.
a is a chamber or enlargement formed in the pipe a leading to the
burner b; and a² is a disc or diaphragm of wire gauze, perforated metal,
or other suitable material secured in position in the chamber a, which is
placed or interposed between the burner band the point where the gas
from the pipe cand the air through the apertures a³ enters the pipe
a¹ to combine in their passage to the burner.
In place of or in addition to the diaphragm of wire gauze or perforated
metal, the chamber a may be filled with shot, small pieces of metal, mica,
or other substances, or with a series of small tubes in order to cause the
combined gas and air to pass through small interstices in its passage to
the burner, and thus prevent the backward passage of the flame to the
gas jet.
I prefer to form the burner b with two discs or flat surfaces, as shown,
in place of a series of holes as heretofore, so that when lighted the gas
ignites entirely around the burner. The upper surface b' of the burner
b serves to protect the diaphragm a² from being choked or injured from
corrosion by water, grease, or other matters falling thereon.
Figure 3 shows another form of gas burner having my improvements
applied thereto, the flame being allowed free escape from the pipe a
without having a burner b applied thereto.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would remark
that I am aware that wire gauze, fibrous materials, shot, granulated

page_text: substances, and other materials have before been introduced into pipes
or chambers combined with ordinary gas burners for illuminating
purposes in order to regulate the pressure and flow or passage of the gas
to the burner. I am also aware that wire gauze or perforated metal has
been used for burning gas and air combined at the point of ignition or
directly upon the surface of such wire gauze or perforated metal. I
therefore make no claim to the employment of such means for those
purposes except when used as previously described; but what I claim is,
the interposition of wire gauze, perforated metal, shot, or other materials
forming small interstices between or intermediate of the point of ignition
and the point where the gas and air enter to combine in the pipe a¹,
leading to the burner b, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein described and shown in the Drawing hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Thomas Wentworth, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
S. T. WENTWORTH. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.