IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Rennick, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING
AND EXTINGUISHING GAS." A communication from abroad by Eddy Taylor
Thomas, of New York, in the State of New York, United States.
Sealed the 4th January 1878, and dated the 10th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Rennick at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1877.
CHARLES RENNICK, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Merchant.
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS." (A commúnica-
tion from abroad by Eddy Taylor Thomas, of New York, in the State of New York,
United States.)
My Invention relates to an improved device for automatically lighting and extin-
guishing street, station, hall, and other gas lamps at any desired time without the
necessity of visiting the lamps oftener than required for cleaning the same, when
the device is wound up, regulated, and set in the proper manner.
To the gas pipe and burner of the lamp my improved gas lighting and extin-
guishing device is securely attached by suitable clamps or other fastenings.
A clock train is supported between side plates that are fastened to (or cast in one
piece with) the clamp. The clock train serves to turn an arbor, on which loose
cams are placed, one cam moving by a sleeve or tube on the arbor, and the other by
an encircling sleeve on the first-mentioned cam. These cams may be set on a
recessed movable dial keyed to arbor by means of arms and clamp screws, and
to a stationary dial of the side plate, so that one cam indicates the time when the
lamp is to be lighted, and the other when the same is to be extinguished.
The dials are graduated to twenty-four hours, as the device is intended to make
one revolution per day.
The slots of a movable dial adınit the moving and setting of the cam arms after
the fastening screws are loosened, the arms being secured again after they have been
set to admit the running of the device for the required time.

page_text: The cams engage spring-acted presser rods, which slide in suitable guides of the
supports, and extend to diametrically extending arms or spurs of the stop-cock, one
presser rod serving to open the cock, the other to close the same. The presser rods
move along the excentric cams until they arrive at the notched part of the same,
when they are suddenly thrown by their springs downward, and produce thereby
the opening or closing of the stop-cock.
The presser rod that turns on the gas is connected by a fulcrumed lever with a
side piece that is guided sidewise of the gas pipe, and extended nearly up to the
burner, where a match receptacle is arranged in which a number of small matches
are stored, and gradually fed forward to the action of the slide piece by a spring.
The recessed upper end of slide piece takes up one of the small matches from the
match receptacle, and carries it up by the sudden dropping of the presser rod so
as to strike it against a friction spring, ignite the match, and light thereby
the gas.
The matches may be provided with a small lateral groove, or the friction spring
with a sharp top edge, to prevent the sliding back of the spent match without inter-
fering with the regular feeding of the matches.
The device may be wound and set once a week to the required time, which
may be done when the lamps are cleaned, the match receptacle being filled at the
same time, so that the automatic lighting and extinguishing of the device is regularly
and reliably kept up as long as the clock train is running.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Rennick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th January
1878.
"
CHARLES RENNICK, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Merchant.
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS." (A communica-
tion from abroad by Eddy Taylor Thomas, of New York, in the State of New York,
United States.).
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of my
improved gas lighter and extinguisher; Fig. 2 is a sectional end view; and Fig. 3 a
vertical longitudinal section of the same on line c, c, Fig. 2.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
My Invention relates to an improved device for automatically lighting and extin-
guishing street, station, hall, and other gas lamps or lights at any desired time
without the necessity of visiting the lamps or lights oftener than required for
cleaning the same, when the device is wound up, regulated, and set in the proper
manner.
In the Drawing A represents the gas pipe and burner of the lamp, to which my
improved gas lighting and extinguishing device is securely attached by suitable
clamps or other fastenings.
A clock train C is supported between side plates B that are fastened to or cast in
one piece with the clamp. The clock train serves to turn an arbor C¹; on which
the loose cams D and Di are placed, the cam D¹ moving by, a sleeve or tube on the

page_text: arbor, while the cam D moves by an encircling sleeve on that of cam D¹. The
cams D, D¹, may be set on a recessed movable dial D keyed to arbor C¹ by means
of arms and clamp screws a and b, and to a stationary dial B¹ of the side plate B,
so that one cam indicates the time when the lamp is to be lighted, and the other
when the same is to be extinguished.
The dials are graduated to twenty-four hours, as the device is intended to make
one revolution per day.
The slots of the movable dial D admit the moving and setting of the cam arms
after the fastening screws are loosened, the arms being secured again after they
have been set to admit the running of the device for the required time.
Cams D and D¹ engage the spring-acted presser rods E and E¹, which slide in
suitable guides of the supports B, and extend to diametrically extending arms or
spurs & of the stop-cock, one presser rod serving to open the cock, the other to close
The presser rods moves along the eccentric cams until they arrive at the
notched part of the same, when they are suddenly thrown by their springs down-
ward, and produce thereby the opening or closing of the stop-cock.
the same.
The presser rod E that turns on the gas is connected by a fulcrumed lever F¹ with
a slide piece F that is guided sidewise of the gas pipe, and extended nearly up to the
burner, where a match receptacle G is arranged in which a number of small matches
are stored, and gradually fed forward to the action of the slide piece by a spring e.
The recessed upper end of slide piece F takes up one of the small matches from
the match receptacle, and carries it up by the sudden dropping of the presser rod so
as to strike it against the friction spring f, ignite the match, and light thereby the
gas or lights.
The matches may be provided with a small lateral groove, or the friction spring f
with a sharp top edge, to prevent the sliding back of the spent match without inter-
fering with the regular feeding of the matches.
The device may be wound and set once a week to the required time, which
may be done when the lamps or lights are cleaned, the match receptacle being filled
at the same time, so that the automatic lighting and extinguishing of the device is
regularly and reliably kept up as long as the clock train is running.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, I hereby declare that I claim the said Invention of "Improved Apparatus
for Lighting and Extinguishing Gas," combined and arranged substantially as
herein-before set forth and described, and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings,
wherein the following are important and peculiar points or features:-
First. The combination of the cams D, D¹, spring-acted presser rods E, E¹, and
diametrical arms (d) of stop-cock, substantially as herein-before set forth and
described.
Second. The combination of presser rod, fulcrumed rod F¹, and slide piece F with
the match receptacle feeding and friction devices near burner, substantially as
herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Rennick, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
W. HILLIER,
21, Cockspur St.,
London,
S.W.
C. RENNICK. (L.S.)