Improvements in Gas-lighting Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 11th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas-lighting Apparatus.
I, FERDINAND FRITZ of 44, Wilhelmstrasse, Gross-Lichterfelde, near Berlin,
Prussia in the Empire of Germany, Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for electrically lighting
gas-flames, and particularly to that part of apparatus of such class, by which the
passage of gas from the feed-pipe to the flame is opened and shut through the
agency of the current, which serves to light the flame.
Lighting gas-flames from any suitable distance through the medium of the
electric current, and also opening and closing the burner-cock or valve through
which gas is admitted to the flame, in general, is well known. The improvements
of this invention serve to provide means for obtaining the purpose in
reliable manner and by a greatly simplified construction.
a most
According to this invention, the admission of gas from the gas-pipe to the
burner is controlled by a bolt or body, preferably of cylindrical shape, arranged
to slide in a channel across the passage of gas; the sliding motion of said bolt
being obtained by electro-magnets arranged at either side of the said gas-passage
and attracting said bolt the moment when one or the other of said electro-magnets
is being energized by the current sent through the same.
The said bolt or body, being drawn to one side by one of the said magnets, will
leave the gas-passage free for the admission of gas to the burner, while the same
bolt or body, being drawn to the opposite side by the other magnet, will shut the
said passage.
To prevent any escape of gas, in case the said sliding bolt should fail to establish
a perfectly tight cutting off of the gas, a further auxiliary device may be employed
to prevent the least escape of gas, such auxiliary device consisting of a cap arranged
to fit the upper end of the gas-pipe and to slide thereon, in a manner to be lifted
by the pressure of the gas, as long as the. gas-passage is open, to permit the free
passage of gas, while, as the said gas-passage is being shut by the bolt, the
pressure of gas will cease and the said cap automatically drop by its own weight,
thereby closing the upper end of the gas-pipe and performing a second or auxiliary
stop to the flow of gas, which might escape through the main shut-off-valve.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates one modification of this
invention, the apparatus for cutting off the supply of gas to the burner being
shown in central vertical section; Figure 2 serves to illustrate another modification
of this invention.
Referring to Figure 1, a is the valve-apparatus secured to the gas-feed-pipe f
and having a passage or conduct n leading to the burner of any convenient
construction, not shown in the drawings. The means of lighting the Hame through
the agency of the current, are not illustrated, either, as they are generally known.
From the main conduct or passage n, two side conducts are branched off and
placed opposite each other, the said branch-pipes being closed at the ends and
027

page_text: provided with electro-magnets c and c which, by means of conducting wires, are
connected to contacts vv of a suitable source of electricity.
Within the cross-channel formed by said branch-pipes, a bolt or body d, pre-
ferably of cylindrical shape, is arranged to slide with but very slight friction;
the said bolt d, being made of a metal attracted by the electro-magnets, will be
moved to either side of the cross-channel, as one of the other of the two electro-
magnets c and d is being energized by the current flowing through it, if the
contact or is being closed.
According to the modification illustrated by Figure 1, the said bolt d has a
circular grooves in its periphery, the said groove, however, being placed nearer
to one end of said bolt than to the other end. It will be easily seen, then, that,
as the said bolt d is attracted by one of the two electro-magnets, say by c, at the
left side, the said bolt d, being shifted to that side, will place its groove s into
the path of the gas within the channel n, and thereby allow of the free admission
of the gas to the burner. But as soon as the said bolt d is being shifted to the
opposite side, attracted by the electro-magnet c¹, the grooves of said bolt will be
placed out of the way or channel n, and the bolt d will shut said passage and cut
off the flow of gas to the burner.
The modification illustrated by Figure 2 consists in omitting the circumferential.
groove in the cylindrical body d and in providing in the ends of said body pins
or studs of different length. It will be seen, that when the said bolt dis
attracted to that side, where the shorter pin projects, as illustrated, the channel n
of the main pipe a is free for the passage of gas to the burner, but if the said
bolt d is shifted to the opposite side it will extend across the said channel and
shut the passage.
This modification is preferable for the reason that the bolt or body d, by itself,
may be made of brass or any other non-magnetic material, which is not liable to
rust, as an iron bolt will be. The two pins or studs are made of iron, but they
have no sliding contact with the cross-channel, within which the bolt is being
shifted. By being attracted by the electro-magnets, the said pins or studs will
carry the bolt d along to the respective side of the cross-channel, as if the attraction
had been exercised on the body d itself.
The auxiliary device for obtaining a perfectly tight shutting off of the gas, is
shown in Figure 1.
The upper end of the main pipe is reduced in diameter, as at a¹, and upon said
reduced portion a cap k is arranged to slide, said cap being lifted by the pressure
of the gas, as the passage n is being opened, and dropping again by its own weight
as the main passage n is shut. The sides of said cap k are perforated to allow
the gas to pass, as the said cap is raised, but as soon as the said cap is down, the
said perforations k¹ are closed by the sides of the part a¹ of the pipe.
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. In electrical gas-lighting apparatus the combination, with the valve-cylinder
having a passage for the admission of gas to the burner, of side-cylinders placed
opposite each other and forming a cross-passage to the gas-way, electro-magnets
carried by said side cylinders, and a bolt or body arranged to slide within said
cross-passage, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In electrical gas-lighting apparatus, the combination, with the valve-cylinder
having a passage for admitting gas to the burner, of side-cylinders placed opposite
each other and forming a cross passage for the gas passage, electro-magnets carried
by the said side-cylinders, and a bolt or body arranged to slide within the said
cross-passage, said bolt having a circumferential groove; substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
3. In electrical gas-lighting apparatus, the combination, with the valve-cylinder,

page_text: having a passage for the admission of the gas to the burner, of side-cylinders placed
opposite each other and forming a cross-passage to the gas-passage, electro-magnets
carried by said side-cylinders, and a bolt or body arranged to slide within said
cross-passage, said bolt having pins or studs projecting from its ends, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In electrical gas-lighting apparatus, the combination, with the valve-box
having a passage to admit gas to the burner, of side-ways placed opposite each
other and forming a cross-passage to the gas-passage, electro-magnets carried by
the said side-ways, a bolt or body arranged to slide within the said cross-passage,
and a cap having lateral apertures arranged to slide on the upper end of the
gas-passage, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of August 1897
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicaut.