Improvements in Gas Burners.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Gas Burners.
We, GEORGE AI HALL, Carpenter, of 132, Edgecomb Avenue, New York, in
the County and State of New York, EDWARD OWEN, Commissioner of Accounts,
of 280, Broadway, New York, in the County and State of New York, and GEORGE
EMOTT DAYTON, Merchant, of 74, University Place, New York, in the County
and State of New York, all in the United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to burners of the incandescent type, and more particu-
"Welsbach" burners. A serious
larly to the variety commonly known as
difficulty encountered in the use of these burners is the short life of the incan-
descent hollow cone or "mantle," which, being made of earthy salts, is exceed-
ingly delicate and fragile and under the most favorable conditions has limited
durability by reason of the deteriorating and disintegrating effects of the intense
heat to which it is subjected in use. We have discovered by repeated and con-
tinued experiments that the burning out and disintegration of the mantle are
more rapid under an uneven flow and consumption of gas than when the flow
is even and regular and the flame steady, and one of the objects of my invention,
therefore, is to regulate and control the flow of gas to produce uniform consump-
tion under varying pressure. Other sources of difficulty are the breaking of the
mantle by shocks, jars, &c., to which the burner is often subjected in use, and
its disruption by the expansion of the metal burner when by accident or through
carelessness the mantle is fixed too low or in too close proximity to the burner.
In use the mantle should be set as low as possible in order to prevent the flame
or any part thereof from escaping between the burner and the mantle to the
exterior of the latter. Heretofore both care and skill have been required to set
it in proper position to allow for expansion under heat of the metal shell of the
burner, for if set too low the metal in expanding would come in contact with the
base of the mantle and break or disrupt the same, while if set too high to leave
an open space between the base of the mantle and the metal burner when the
latter was expanded by heat inferior lighting effects were the result.
object of this invention is to remedy or remove these difficulties and to avoid
injury to the mantle from the causes referred to.
A further
To these ends the invention comprehends, first, a governor or regulator com-
bined with a gas-burner and operating automatically to produce a form flow
of gas to the burner under varying or variable pressure: second, a non-expan
sible covering or jacket for the burner or such part thereof otherwise in immediate
proximity to and liable to come in contact with the mantle and to injure or
break the same by expansion under heat, and this part of the invention also
comprehends the use of a non-heat-conducting covering or jacket to protect the
metal burner and prevent the same from becoming highly heated and unduly
expanded, and third, a support for the base of the mantle to hold the same

page_text: against lateral movement relatively to the burner and to prevent injury by
shocks, jars, &c.
We screw a governor or pressure-regulator on the nipple of the gas bracket
or chandelier and mount the burner on the top of said governor. The governor
comprehends an internally-threaded tube provided with diaphragms which are
screwed thereinto and adapted to be vertically adjusted to vary the distance
between them. One of the diaphragms has through it a central tapered opening,
in which is fitted a needle valve which by its vertical movement opens and closes
the opening in which it works more or less to regulate the flow of gas there-
through. The other diaphragm has also a central opening of sufficient size to
supply the burner with gas under the lowest ordinary pressure.
The needle-valve has at its upper end a flat head or disk and at its lower end a
concavo-convex disk, the concavity being on the under side. The two disks
are approximately of the same size. Their function and purpose will be explained
presently.
A fitting or coupling has its lower end screwed upon the top of the governor
and the upper end receives and holds the base of a Bunsen tube.
This coupling is provided with a stop-cock which controls the flow of gas from
the governor to the burner above.
The top of the Bunsen tube projects into a gauze burner formed with and sus-
tained by a tubular neck through which the tube extends. The burner consists
of a cylindrical shell provided with a wire-gauze can which is held thereon by a
flanged ring that fits around the upper portion of the burner tube or shell, the
inturned flange at the top overlapping the edge of said cap.
The burner is fitted with a tapered or cone-shaped ring counterbored from the
top to provide space for the flanged ring. This cone-shaped ring rests on and
is sustained by a shoulder preferably formed by crimping or upsetting the shell
of the burner at the base thereof.
Within the burner, immediately above the Bunsen tube is a bell-shaped
spreader formed with a tubular stem, the end of which is secured in a central
opening in the gauze cap.
A small tube, screwed into the coupling rises through the Bunsen tube and
extends through the tubular stem of the spreader, terminating just above the
gauze cap. This tube forms a central jet-burner receiving gas from the governor
through a central opening provided for the purpose in the coupling and communi-
cating with a corresponding opening in the stop-cock.
The stop-cock is formed with a central chamber and with an opening which
communicates with the governor to receive as therefrom through a central
passage in the lower end of the coupling. It is also formed with openings
(smaller than the other opening in the stop-cock and the said passage in the
coupling) leading from the central chamber and communicating with correspond-
ing passages formed in the upper end of the coupling to admit gas to the Bunsen
tube or. rather, into a chamber at the base thereof formed by an inverted cup
from which chamber the gas passes into the tube through openings. For the more
thorough admixture of air and gas the air-openings should correspond in number
with and should be located opposite the gas-openings.
A circumferential groove or channel formed in the stop-cock extends from the
opening in the stop-cock a sufficient distance to form a gas-passage between
said opening and the central passage in the coupling when the cock is turned
to cut off the gas from the main burner.
We will now describe the means for protecting the mantle from injury by
shocks.
We use a non-expansible ring or jacket which surrounds the upper portion of
the burner above the cone-shaped ring and preferably extends slightly-sav
one-eighth of an inch-above the burner tube or shell. This ring may be made
of any suitable material having the property of non-expansibility by heat; but
we preferably make it of prepared asbestos or asbestos cloth, this material serving

page_text: also as a non-conductor of heat to prevent the metal of the burner from becoming
unduly heated; also, by reason of its soft and spongy character it will when
made of sufficient thickness take up any expansion of the burner under the
influence of heat within the same.
It will be understood that the ring or jacket being non-expansible by heat
and being adapted to take up or absorb the expansion of the metal which it
covers the mantle may be set in close relation thereto or even in contact there-
with without liability of injury, rendering unnecessary the care and skill hereto-
fore required in making the proper adjustment to secure the best lighting effects
and at the same time guard against damage by expansion of the burner; also,
that this property of non-expansibility, which permits the mantle to be set in
contact with the ring adapts the latter to serve as a stay or support to prevent
lateral movement of the base of the mantle relatively to the burner, giving
material security against injury by shocks, jars and vibrations and adapting
these lights for use on ships, boats, railway-trains, elevated stations, &c., where
it would otherwise be inexpedient to use them.
The cone-
We have a modification which consists in extending the jacket down over the
cone-shaped ring. It subserves the same purpose in both cases.
shaped ring is, so far as we know, a new feature, and its purpose is two-fold-
first, to adapt the burner to mantles of different sizes, and, second, to prevent
the upward draft of air from coming in contact with and chilling the mantle.
Incidentally it subserves also another purpose, which is to transmit the heat
from the interior of the mantle to the asbestos jacket and to prevent the mantle
from being cooled or chilled when in contact therewith. The mantle is supported
from the top by a vertically-adjustable standard as usual.
1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Gas Burners.
We, GEORGE AI HALL, Carpenter, of 132, Edgecomb Avenue, New York, in
the County and State of New York, EDWARD OWEN, Commissioner of Accounts,
of 280, Broadway, New York, in the County and State of New York, and GEORGE
EMOTT DAYTON, Merchant, of 74, University Place, New York, in the County
and State of New York, all in the United States of America, 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:-
This invention relates to burners of the incandescent type, and more particu-
Welsbach' burners. A serious
larly to the variety commonly known as
difficulty encountered in the use of these burners is the short life of the incan-
descent hollow cone or "mantle," which being made of earthy salts, is exceed-
ingly delicate and fragile and under the most favorable conditions has limited
durability by reason of the deteriorating and disintegrating effects of the intense
heat to which it is subjected in use. We have discovered by repeated and con-
tinued experiments that the burning out and disintegration of the mantle are
more rapid under an uneven flow and consumption of gas than when the flow
is even and regular and the flame steady, and one of the objects of this invention
therefore, is to regulate and control the flow of gas to produce uniform consump-
tion under varying pressure. Other sources of difficulty are the breaking of the
mantle by shocks, jars, etc., to which the burner is often subjected in use, and

page_text: its disruption by the expansion of the metal burner when by accident or through
carelessness the mantle is fixed too low or in too close proximity to the burner
In use the mantle should be set as low as possible in order to prevent the flame
or any part thereof from escaping between the burner and the mantle to the
exterior of the latter. Heretofore both care and skill have been required to set
it in proper position to allow for expansion under heat of the metal shell of the
burner, for if set too low the metal in expanding would come in contact with the
base of the mantle and break or disrupt the same, while if set too high to leave
an open space between the base of the mantle and the metal burner when the
latter was expanded by heat inferior lighting effects were the result. A further
object of this invention is to remedy or remove these difficulties and to avoid
injury to the mantle from the causes referred to.
To these ends the invention comprehends first, a governor or regulator com-
bined with a gas-burner and operating automatically to produce a uniform flow
of gas to the burner under varying or variable pressure; second, a non-expan-
sible covering or jacket for the burning or such part thereof otherwise in immediate
proximity to and liable to come in contact with the mantle and to injure or
break the same by expansion under heat, and this part of the invention also
comprehends the use of a non-heat-conducting covering or jacket to protect the
metal burner and prevent the same from becoming highly heated and unduly
expanded, and third, a support for the base of the mantle to hold the same
against lateral movement relatively to the burner and to prevent injury by
shocks, jars, etc.
Other features of the invention will be hereinafter described, and set forth in
the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a vertical central section
through a burner embodying the improvements; Fig. 2, is a detail sectional
view showing a modification; Fig. 3, a sectional view of the governor or pressure-
regulator Fig. 4, a detail in plan and section; and Fig. 5, a plan view of the
plug of the stop-cock for controlling the flow of gas from the governor to the
burner.
Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the arm of a gas-bracket or chandelier,
and 2, the nipple thereof, on which the burner-tube or pillar is usually screwed.
In the present instance I screw a governor or pressure-regulator 3 on the nipple 2
and mount the burner on the top of said governor as shown in Fig. 1, where the
burner as a whole is designated by the letter A. The governor 3, comprehends
an internally-threaded tube provided with diaphragms 4, 5, which are screwed
thereinto and adapted to be vertically adjusted to vary the distance between them.
The diaphragm 5 has through it a central tapered opening, in which is fitted a
needle-valve 6, which by its vertical movement opens and closes the opening in
which it works more or less to regulate the flow of gas therethrough. The upper
diaphragm 4 has also a central opening (marked 4") of sufficient size to supply
the burner with gas under the lowest ordinary pressure.
The needle-valve 6 has at its upper end a flat head or disk 7 and at its lower
end a concavo-convex disk 8, the concavity being on the under side. The two
disks and 8 are approximately of the same size. Their function and purpose
will be explained presently.
10 designates a fitting or coupling which has its lower end screwed upon the
top of the governor 3, and the upper end of which receives and holds the base
of a Bunsen tube 11. This coupling is provided with a stop-cock 12 which
controls the flow of gas from the governor 3 to the burner above.
The top of the Bunsen tube 11 projects into a gauze burner 13, formed with
and sustained by a tubular neck 13", through which the tube 11 extends. The
burner 13 consists of a cylindrical shell provided with a wire-gauz cap 14,
which is held thereon by a flanged ring 15, that fits around the upper portion
of the burner tube or shell, the inturned flange at the top overlapping the edge
of said cap.

page_text: The burner is fitted with a tapered or cone-shaped ring 16, counterbored from
the top to provide space for the ring 15. This ring 16 rests on and is sustained
by a shoulder 17, preferably formed by crimping or upsetting the shell of the
burner at the base thereof.
Within the burner 13 immediately above the Bunsen tube 11, is a bell-shaped
spreader 18, formed with a tubular stem 19, the end of which is secured in a
central opening in the gauze cap 4.
A small tube 20 screwed into the coupling 10, rises through the Bunsen tube 11,
and extends through the tubular stem 19 of the spreader, terminating just above
the gauze cap 14, as shown. This tube forms a central jet-burner receiving gas
from the governor through a central opening 21, provided for the purpose in the
coupling 10 and communicating with a corresponding opening 22 in the stop-
cock, 12.
The stop-cock 12 is formed with a central chamber 23, and with an opening 24,
which communicates with the governor to receive gas therefrom through a
central passage 25 in the lower end of the coupling 10. It is also formed with
openings 26, 27 leading from the chamber 23 and communicating with corre-
sponding passages 28, 29, formed in the upper end of the coupling 10, to admit
gas to the Bunsen tube 11 or, rather into a chamber 30 at the base thereof,
formed by an inverted cup 31, (shown in plan view and in section in Fig. 4,)
from which chamber the gas passes into the tube 11 through openings 32. Four
openings are shown in Fig. 4, but a greater or less number may be provided,.
as may be found expedient, the purpose being to distribute the gas in order that
it may become more thoroughly mixed with air entering the tube through
openings 33. For the more thorough admixture of air and gas the air-open-
ings 33 should correspond in number with and should be located opposite the gas-
openings.32.
The corresponding and communicating openings 24, 25, are larger than those
26, 27, 28, 29, the purpose of which is to enable the gas to be entirely cut off
from the tube 11, while still permitting it to flow into the chamber 23, a further
object being to turnish a constant or continuous supply to the tube 20, which
as before stated, forms a jet-burner and which being kept constantly burning
serves to ignite the gas above the gauze cap 14 when the supply is turned on.
A circumferential groove or channel 34, formed in the stop-cock 12 extends from
the opening 22 a sufficient distance to form a gas-passage between said opening
and the passage 21 when the cock is turned to cut off the gas from the main
burner.
The operation of the apparatus thus far described is as follows: Referring
first to the governor or regulator 3, it is well known that the volume of gas, air,
or any suitable fluid that can be forced through a passage or orifice depends
largely upon the directness or indirectness of its course, the volume being larger
as the course is more direct and smaller as it is less direct, and this knowledge
we have utilized in constructing the governor. Gas being admitted at the bottom
of the governor, the pressure thereof against the under side of the disk 8 raises
the needle-valve 6 and opens the same, the gas then passing into the chamber
between the two diaphragms 4 and 5, around the disk 7, to and through the
opening 4 in the diaphragm 4, and so on toward the burner. The valve being
opened by pressure from below, it follows that the extent to which it is opened
must depend upon the amount of pressure, being greater as the pressure is higher
O and less as it is lower. The opening of the valve to any extent raises both of
the disks 7 and 8, making the course of the gas from the edge of the latter to the
valve-opening and from the edge of the former to the aperture 4 and through
the latter, more tortuous the further the valve is opened and so retarding the flow,
the effect of such retardation being a tendency toward an equalization of pressure
5 on opposite sides of the disks 7 and 8. Inasmuch, however, as the flow of gas
through the aperture 4 tends constantly to destroy such equilibrium, there is
always an excess of pressure on the under side sufficient to keep the valve open,

page_text: the
and so long as the pressure remains constant the valve will remain in the same
position. Any augmentation of the pressure from below will at once raise the
valve and increase the valve-opening, and so by making the course of the flow to
and through the aperture 4" less direct retard the How, such retardation being in
proportion to the increase in gas-pressure. On the contrary, any diminution in
the gas-pressure will leave a momentary excess of pressure above the
disk 7, between the latter and the diaphragm 4, whereby the valve
will be forced down and partly closed, the effect being that
course from the edge of disk 7 to and through the aperture 4" becomes more
direct and the flow through said aperture more free, so that approximately equal
volumes of gas flow through the regulator in equal times under the same or vary-
ing pressures, giving uniform consumption and an even and steady flame, con-
ducing to greater durability of the mantle, as well as to an improvement of the
When the gas-pressure
light, the latter being rendered more steady and even.
is unusually heavy, so that the range of movement of the valve and its disk 7 is
insufficient to retard the flow to the required extent, compensation is made by
adjusting the two disks or diaphragms 4 and 5 closer together by screwing one
down or the other up to make the direction of the flow more tortuous. On the
other hand, if the pressure be unusually low, so that the necessary opening move-
ment of the valve retards the flow too much, compensation is made by separating
the diaphragms 4 and 5 to render the flow more direct. By reason of the con-
cavity of the disk 8 there is an excess of pressure on the under side sufficient to
overcome the back pressure on the upper or convex surface and keep the valve
open, the action being on the same principle as in Robinson's anemometer.
The means for controlling the flow of gas from the governor to the burner and
the general construction of the latter require no further description, and it only
remains therefore, to describe the improvements for protecting the mantle against
injury by shocks, jars, etc., and for preventing it from being broken or ruptured
by heat expansion of the burner.
Referring to Fig. 1, 35 designates a non-expansible ring or jacket which sur-
rounds the upper portion of the burner 13 above the cone-shaped ring 16 and
preferably extends slightly-say one eighth of an inch-above the burner tube
or shell. This ring may be made of any suitable material having the property
of non-expansibility by heat; but we preferably make it of prepared asbestos
or asbestos cloth, this material serving also as a non-conductor of heat to prevent
the metal of the burner from becoming unduly heated; also, by reason of its
soft and spongy character it will, when made of sufficient thickness, take up any
expansion of the burner under the influence of heat within the same.
It will be understood that the ring or jacket 35 being non-expansible by heat
and being adapted to take up or absorb the expansion of the metal which it
covers, the mantle may be set in close relation thereto or even in contact there-
with without liability of injury, rendering unnecesary the care and skill heretofore
required in making the proper adjustment to secure the best lighting effects, and
at the same time guard against damage by expansion of the burner; also, that
this property of non-expansibility, which permits the mantle to be set in contact
with the ring 35, adapts the latter to serve as a stay or support to prevent lateral
movement of the base of the mantle relatively to the burner, giving material
security against injury by shocks, jars, and vibrations and adapting these lights
for use on ships, boats, railway-trains, elevated stations, etc., where it would other-
wise be inexpedient to use them.
In Fig. 2 we show a modification which consists in extending the jacket
(marked 35 in this view) down over the cone-shaped ring 16. It subserves the
same purpose in both cases. The cone-shaped ring 16 is, so far as we know, a
new feature, and its purpose is two-fold,-first, to adapt the burner to mantles
of different sizes, and second, to prevent. the upward draft of air from coming
in contact with and chilling the mantle. Incidentally it subserves also another
purpose, which is to transmit the heat from the interior of the mantle to the

page_text: asbestos jacket 35ª and to prevent the mantle from being cooled or chilled when
in contact therewith.
The mantle which is indicated in the drawings by broken lines marked 15", is
supported from the top by a vertically-adjustable standard 16ª, as usual.
We do not wish to confine ourselves to the exact details of construction as
shown and described, but reserve the right to make such changes and modifica-
tions as would suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic so long as the prin-
ciple of operation remains the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:―
1. The governor or pressure-regulator herein before described, the same com-
prehending a tube having therein a diaphragm with a central valve-opening, a
needle-valve working loosely in said opening with its pointed end toward the gas-
supply and carrying at its lower end a concavo-convex disk with the concavity
facing toward the gas-supply and at its upper end a plane disk, and beyond said
plane disk, bevond the range of movement thereof, a perforated diaphragm.
2. The combination with a burner of the character described, of a
expansible exterior ring or jacket arranged and adapted to serve as a seat for
the base of the incandescent mantle.
non-
3. The combination of a burner, a luminous or incandescent mantle, and an
exterior non-expansible ring or jacket on the burner, between the same and the
base of the mantle.
4. The combination of a burner of the character described, a cone-shaped
metal ring fitted thereon. a non-expansible jacket or covering on said ring ex-
tending to the top of the burner. and a luminous or incandescent mantle.
5. The combination with the burner, of a tapered or cone-shaped ring sur-
rounding the same, and a non-expansible jacket or covering on said ring to form
a base or support for an incandescent mantle.
Dated this 25th day of February 1899.
BOULT & WADE.
Agents for the Applicants.