IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAS BY ELECTRICITY
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Mackenzie, of the Firm of Strode and Company,
Engineers and Gas Fitters, of 48, Osnaburgh Street, Regents Park, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR LIGHTING GAS BY ELECTRICITY."
Sealed the 15th June 1880, and dated the 17th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Mackenzie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th December 1879.
JAMES MACKENZIE, of the Firm of Strode and Company, Engineers and Gas
Fitters, of 48, Osnaburgh Street, Regents Park, in the County of Middlesex.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAS BY ELECTRICITY."
"
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus employed for lighting gas
chandeliers or groups of gas burners placed in positions which are difficult of
access, and where the simultaneous lighting of a number of gas burners is of
importance.
My improvements are applicable to electrical apparatus which has been employed
for this purpose, consisting of a galvanic battery, an induction coil, and a switch
for transmitting the current from one series of burners to another.
For this purpose in carrying out my improvements I employ a battery of one,
two, or more cells of any of the ordinary kinds, but I find it advantageous to use
what is known as the bichromate battery. The electric current from this battery
is conducted to an ordinary "Rhumkorff's induction coil," from the secondary coil
of which wires are led to any number of gas burners in the ordinary way; but
according to my improvements, instead of placing the induction coil near the battery
as heretofore, I place it close to the chandelier or other assemblage of burners to be
lighted, so that the wires that convey the secondary current to the burners may be
as short as possible. To effect this object I employ a circular switch plate arranged
with studs or connections for connecting the several wires. The plate carries a
rotating arm put in motion by clock or wheel work, actuated either by a weight
and cord, or a coiled spring, and which is prevented from moving by a lever and
detent. The detent is released when the apparatus is set in motion by an electro
magnet which attracts a keeper or piece of iron fixed on the lever detent. The
wires of this magnet are connected or brought into the primary circuit which

page_text: conveys the battery current to the induction coil, so that when by means of a
pulley the battery plates are lowered into their cells and the battery is put into
action, the electro magnet is made and attracts the detent, allowing the arm of the
switch to revolve and thus make connection in succession with the several studs
or terminals of the wires leading to each series of burners, and so completing the
secondary current circuit and causing sparks to pass over each burner, and thereby
lighting them, the gas having been turned on by a cock in the pipe conveying gas
to these burners immediately before or after the battery is put in action.
By this improved arrangement of apparatus for lighting gas by electricity a great
saving in the quantity of insulated wire is effected.
I would remark that I do not claim as my Invention either the use of the
galvanic battery, the induction coil, or the lighting of gas by electricity, nor do I
claim the plate and revolving arm or switch which has been used before, but
actuated by hand, neither do I claim the use of clock work for moving the switch,
nor the starting of same by a magnet, my Invention consisting simply in the
starting and stopping the clock work which actuates the switch by means of the
same battery current which produces the secondary current, and so light the gas,
and thus admitting of the induction coil and the switch being fixed close to the
chandelier or other series or groups of gas burners to be lighted; for instance, in the
roof of a theatre, from which a chandelier depends, whilst the battery may be on
the ground level and put in and out of action by the same person who turns the
gas on and off.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Mackenzie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th June
1880.
JAMES MACKENZIE, of the Firm of Strode and Company, Engineers and Gas
Fitters, of 48, Osnaburgh Street, Regents Park, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAS BY ELECTRICITY."
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus employed for lighting gas
chandeliers or groups of gas burners placed in positions which are difficult of
access, and where the simultaneous lighting of a number of gas burners is of
importance.
My improvements are applicable to electrical apparatus which has been employed
for this purpose, consisting of a galvanic battery, an induction coil, and a switch
for transmitting the current from one series of burners to another.
And in order that my improvements may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed which
show electrical apparatus arranged in accordance with my improvements.
In carrying out my improvements I employ a battery of one, two, or more cells
of any of the ordinary kinds, but I find it advantageous to use what is known as
the bichromato battery.
The electric current from this battery is conducted to an ordinary Rhumkorff's
induction coil A (see Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings annexed), from the secondary
coil of which conducting wires A¹ are led to any number of gas burners B in the
ordinary way; but according to my improvements, instead of placing the induction
coil A near the battery as heretofore, I place it close to the chandelier or other
assemblage of burners to be lighted, so that the wires that convey the secondary
current to the burners may be as short as possible. To effect this object I employ
a switch plate C arranged with studs or connections C' in a circle for connecting
the several wires A'. The plate C carries a rotating arm C³ put in motion by clock
or wheel work actuated either by a weight and cord or by a coiled spring, and
which is prevented from moving by a lever and detent. The detent is released
when the apparatus is set in motion by an electro magnet D, which attracts a
keeper or piece of iron fixed on the lever detent D¹. The wires of this magnet are
connected or brought into the primary circuit which conveys the battery current
to the induction coil, so that when by means of a pulley the battery plates are
lowered into their cells and the battery is put into action the electro magnet is
made and attracts the detent, allowing the arm of the switch to revolve, and
thus make connection in succession with the several studs or terminals C¹ of the
wires leading to each series of burners B, and so completing the secondary current
circuit and causing sparks to pass over each burner, and thereby lighting them, the
gas having been turned on by a cock in the pipe conveying gas to these burners
immediately before or after the battery is put in action.
By this improved arrangement of apparatus for lighting gas by electricity a great
saving in the quantity of insulated wire is effected
Figures 3, 4, and 5 show several improved forms of gas burners E, F, and G,
made of steatite and arranged with wires e¹, f¹, g', to connect the burner with the
wires A¹ which conduct the electric current to the burners for lighting the gas by
electricity as previously described.
The wires e, f, gl, are formed with eyes at one end, to which the conducting
wires A' are attached, the other ends of the wires passing through the steatite and
terminating close to the holes, slits, or passages from which the jet or jets of gas
issue from the burner, the electric spark at the ends of the wires serving to ignite
the gas, as is well understood.

page_text: I would remark that I do not claim as my Invention either the use of the
galvanic battery, the induction coil, or the lighting of gas by electricity, nor do I
claim the plate and revolving arm or switch which has been used before, but
actuated by hand, neither do I claim the use of clock-work for moving the switch,
nor the starting of same by a magnet, but what I claim as my Invention is the
starting and stopping the clock-work which actuates the switch by means of the
same battery current which produces the secondary current, and so lights the gas,
thus admitting of the induction coil and the switch being fixed close to the
chandelier or other series or groups of gas burners to be lighted; for instance, in the
roof of a theatre from which a chandelier deponds, whilst the battery may be on
the ground level, and put in and out of action by the same person who turns the
gas on and off, the apparatus being arranged to act substantially in the manner
and for the purpose herembefore described and represented in the Drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Mackenzie, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
JAMES MACKENZIE. (L.S.)