IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS LAMPS BY ELECTRICITY
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Saint George Lane Fox, of Sussex Place, Onslow Gardens,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS LAMPS
BY ELECTRICITY."
ealed the 6th February 1877, and dated the 8th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Saint George Lane Fox at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th August 1876.
SAINT GEORGE LANE Fox, of Sussex Place, Onslow Gardens, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR
LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS LAMPS BY ELECTRICITY."
The object of my Invention is to enable any desired number of public or other
gas lamps to be lighted or extinguished simultaneously.
For this purpose I connect the lamps together by means of insulated metallic
wires, so that an electric current generated at one point or station can operate
simultaneously upon every lamp through the instrumentality of an apparatus with
which the lamp is provided.
The said apparatus consists chiefly of a soft iron core provided with a soft iron
armature at each end, and around this core is a coil of insulated wire, thus forming
an electro-magnet. The wire of this electro-magnet forms part of the electric
circuit by which the lamps are connected. Around the said coil, which constitutes
a "primary" coil, is wound a "secondary" coil of fine wire, and of much greater
length. Just above these coils and between the soft iron armatures is a permanent
steel magnet which is free to turn on a vertical axis.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Upon an electric current from a
battery being sent through the circuit the soft iron core becomes magnetized, the
effect of which is that the permanent magnet is caused to turn on its axis. When
it has made nearly half a revolution it strikes against a lever connected with the
gas cock, so that the cock is turned and the gas escapes from the burner. Then on
breaking contact an electric disturbance is induced in the secondary coil, which
manifests itself in the form of a spark and ignites the gas. This effect is of
course produced simultaneously on all the lamps connected together by the wires.

page_text: When it is required to extinguish the lamps a current is again sent through the
wires, but in an opposite direction. The permanent magnet of each lamp is
thereby caused to return to its former position, and in doing so it again acts on the
lever and turns off the gas.
The battery I prefer to employ is that known as the "bichromate" or "zinco-
ahan hattonsz
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Saint George Lane Fox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
February 1877.
SAINT GEORGE LANE Fox, of Sussex Place, Onslow Gardens, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR
LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS LAMPS BY ELECTRICITY."
The object of my Invention is to enable any desired number of public or other
gas lamps to be lighted or extinguished simultaneously.
For this purpose I connect the lamps together by means of insulated metallic
wires, so that an electric current generated at one point or station can operate
simultaneously upon every lamp through the instrumentality of an apparatus with
which the lamp is provided.
The said apparatus consists chiefly of a soft iron core, and around this core is a
coil of insulated wire, thus forming an electro-magnet. The wire of this electro-
magnet forms part of the electric circuit by which the lamps are connected.
Around the said coil, which constitutes a "primary" coil, is wound a "secondary
coil of fine wire and of much greater length. Above these coils is a permanent
stecl magnet, which is free to turn on a vertical axis.
"
The manner in which I prefer to carry my Invention into effect is represented
in the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 of which is a front elevation, Figure 2
a side elevation, and Figure 3 a plan of my apparatus; Figure 4 is a plan
of the permanent magnet; Figures 5 to 9 represent details, and are herein-after
referred to.
a is the gas pipe leading from any ordinary source of supply; b, b, is a
rectangular frame of white metal or brass, cast or made with a hollow core, and
having two cylindrical portions c, d. The part & is screwed upon the gas pipe a,
which supports the apparatus, and the part c receives the stop-cock; this cock,
which is shewn in sectional elevation in Figure 5 and in sectional plan in Figure 6
is composed of a brass tubo e (shewn separately in Figure 7) which fits into the
cylindrical part c, and has two openings ff, corresponding with the passages g, g,
in the opposite sides of the frame b, b; h is the plug of the cock (shewn separately
in Figure 8), it is made with a very slight downward taper, and has two apertures
or ways i, i, corresponding with the openings f, f, in the tube e, and it is hollowed
out in the middle. When the gas is turned on the apertures i, i, come opposite the
openings the gas having then a free passage from the pipe a through the two
sides of the frame b, b, and into and through the plug h. It will be seen on
reference to Figure 6 that a small turn of the plug is sufficient to open or close the
cock. is a pipe screwed into the tube e and leading to the burner . m is a
projection at the lower end of the plug, and n is a pin passed through the same.
The plug is supported on the point of the pivot on which the magnet (herein-after
described) turns, so that very little power is required to turn the plug. o is a
permanent magnet, which may be either cast in steel with the two projecting pieces
P, P, or made out of a steel bar bent into the proper shape, and in this case the
projections p, p, are produced by screwing in two pieces of metal. g is the pivot

page_text: The
on which this magnet turns; it is passed through a vertical hole in the magnet and
fixed by a screw 1'. The lower end of the pivot rests in a steel step 8, which is
supported by a small wooden beam t secured to the ends of the wooden bobbin u.
vis the induction coil; it is composed of a core of soft iron wires, two layers of
primary wires wound with covered copper wire of about No. 20 BWG, and upon
these about 10 to 15 layers of secondary wire of about No. 40 BWG.
primary wires w, w, form part of the circuit by which the lamps to be lighted or
extinguished simultaneously are connected. One end of the secondary coil is
connected to an insulated wire a leading to the burner l, where it terminates in a
platinum point, and the other end is connected to the frame b, or to any other
metallic part of the apparatus so as to be in metallic connection with the burner.
The insulated wire x passes through an earthenware support y (seen in plan in
Figure 9) fixed to the pipe k. The soft iron core projects about 3/ths of an inch
from each end of the wooden bobbin u. The bobbin is fastened to wooden supports
2,2, which are fixed to the frame b by screws z¹, 2¹.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Upon an electric current from a
magneto-electric machine or other suitable apparatus being sent through the circuit
which connects the whole series of lamps the soft iron core in the apparatus
attached to cach lamp becomes magnetized, the effect of which is that the permanent
magnet o is caused to turn on its axis. When it has made about one-third of a
revolution the projections p, p, thereon strike against the pin n which passes
through the bottom of the plug of the cock so that the plug turns with the
imagnet for the remainder of its movement, and thereby turns on the gas. The
ignition of the gas is effected as follows:-One end of the line having been
connected to one of the armatures of a condenser of very large surface the con-
denser is charged to an electro-motive force of several thousand volts or units by
means of a Rumkorff coil. The other end of the line is connected with any
suitable mechanical arrangement, by which, when it is desired to ignite the gas,
contact is made with the other armature and then instantly broken. A powerful
current is thus set up which ceases abruptly, the result being that a secondary
discharge takes place at each burner, the lamp being thereby ignited.
When it is required to extinguish the lamps a current from the magneto-electric
machine is again sent through the circuit, but in an opposite direction. The
permanent magnet of each lamp is thereby caused to return to its former position,
and in doing so it again acts on the pin n and turns off the gas.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improvements in tho
Means or Apparatus for Lighting and Extinguishing Gas Lamps by Electricity,"-
First. The employment in combination with the gas or stop-cock of each lamp of
a permanent magnet made to turn on an axis or pivot by means of an electric
current so as to open or close the cock, substantially as herein-before described and
represented in the annexed Drawings.
Second. The means or apparatus for lighting or extinguishing gas lamps by
electricity, substantially as herein-before described with reference to the annexed
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Saint George Lane Fox, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of February One thousand eight hundred