IMPROVED ELECTRICAL APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE LIGHTING OF GAS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVED ELECTRICAL APPARATUS APPLICABLE
TO THE LIGHTING OF GAS." -A communication from abroad by Robert
Cornelius, of Philadelphia, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th June 1862, and dated the 2nd May 1862
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd May 1862.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED ELECTRICAL APPARATUS APPLICABLE
TO THE LIGHTING OF GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain novel means of generating an electric spark
by frictional electricity, which may be applied to the lighting of gas or to other
uses. The gas burner to be lighted is fitted with an electric conductor, con-
sisting of a pointed wire, which is carried by a bracket of vulcanite or hard
rubber, or other good non-conductor, and bent over the top of the burner. A
chain leading from this wire is carried to some accessible point, and being
touched by the electric apparatus will convey the electricity upwards, and cause
the ignition of gas issuing from the burner. This apparatus admits of various
modifications in form and arrangement, but it consists simply of conducting
and non-conducting surfaces, between which a highly electric substance such

page_text: as silk or lamb's skin is interposed; a slight friction therefore set up will
generate electricity sufficient to give off a spark. One form of apparatus con-
sists of a disc of metal, which is covered with lamb's skin, and the other half
with silk, and fitted with a non-conducting handle. One half of the lamb skin
is overlaid with silk. The apparatus is completed by a disc of metal fitted with
a disc of bard rubber, and fitted with a metal handle, the attaching metal pin of
which passes through the hard rubber disc. The covered and uncovered dises
being slightly rubbed together, sufficient electricity will be generated to give off
a spark when brought to the gas burner; or the apparatus may be made by
substituting a metal bell or cylinder coated inside with lamb skin for the metal
disc, and making the non-conducting surface of corresponding form to receive it.
Within the hard rubber or other non-conductor, which is made hollow, is
placed a roll of tinfoil, which is in contact therewith and with a metal stand or
pedestal that supports the same. The lifting off of the bell or cylindrical-shaped
cover will suffice to generate the electricity.
In order to give the apparatus the property of a Leyden jar, a cylinder
with a closed bottom and .coated inside with a non-conducting surface is
employed. Within this cylinder fits a closed metal cylinder covered on its
periphery and lower end with lamb's skin. By applying to this apparatus a
non-conducting handle it may be used as a portable gas lighter; but when
placed on a suitable bracket and connected electrically with the pointed wire
of the gas burner, it will be ready for instant action.
A further modification of the Invention consists in forming the apparatus
of two metal tubes, closed at their outer ends, and connected together at their
inner ends by a collar of vulcanite. The tubes are lined with lamb's skin or its
equivalent, and enclosed within the tubes is a metal rod coated with vulcanite.
The depression or clevation of one end of the tube will cause the metal rod to
slide downwards by its own gravity, and thus electricity will be generated. The
act therefore of raising the compound tube to the gas burner will suffice to
create a spark for lighting the gas.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS er most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Iler reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE LIGHTING OF GAS," being a communi-
cation from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed; and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
A is a small
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, relates
to certain novel means of generating an electric spark by frictional electricity,
As all the
which may be applied to the lighting of gas or to other uses.
improvements herein-after described require a peculiar construction or arrange-
ment of the gas burner, I will proceed first to describe such arrangement.
Fig. 1, Sheet I., represents the arrangement of the burner.
metallic wire insulated by passing through a piece of hard rubber or vulcanite
B attached to the burner. One end of this wire extends to within a short
distance of the orifice from which the gas issues, and is directly over the
orifice, being so arranged that a spark of electricity passing from it will pass
to the jet of gas issuing from the burner. The other extremity of the wire
A is connected with a chain C, which may either be attached to an insulated
part of the bracket, as at D, or it may hang down.
The apparatus forming the subject of the Invention admits of various
modifications in form and arrangement, but it may be described simply as
consisting of a conducting and non-conducting surface, between which a

page_text: bigbly electric substance, such as silk or lamb skin is interposed, a slight
friction therefore set up between these surfaces will generate electricity
sufficient to give off a spark.
In Sheet II. Fig. 1 represents an arrangement of the apparatus in vertical
section, wherein D is a metallic handle or stand, the stem of which passes
through a metallic plate I carrying a disc of hard rubber C, and through that
disc, and is attached thereto. G is a hard rubber or non-conducting handle,
which is screwed into the metallic plate A. To this plate A is attached a
lining of fur and silk, which lies between the hard rubber disc C, and the
metallic plate. Fig. 2. represents a view of the upper disc, showing its surface
covered with lamb's skin entirely, and one half of the skin overlaid by silk.
Fig. 3 represents in plan view a thin disc of hard rubber, which covers and is
made fast to the metallic plate I. At the centre of the hard rubber dise the
stem of the handle D projects like a small metallic button about one thirty-
second part of an inch, it being about one-eighth part of an inch in diameter.
The mode of using the apparatus is as follows:-The hard rubber section
is held by its metallic handle D in the left hand, and the metallic plate A
held by its non-conducting handle G in the right hand, it is then to be slightly
rubbed, and brought into proximity with the metallic chain C,. Sheet I.,
extending to the burner. The metallic plate need not be brought into
immediate contact with the metallic chain, but only into its vicinity. The
electric spark which escapes from the metallic plate ignites the gas as it issues
from the burner. The advantage of the employment of a metallic handle D,
terminating in the small button H, is that electricity is always developed by
the electrophorus by merely grasping the handles without touching the metallic
plate with the band. Instead of the hard rubber other well-known non-con-
ducting electric materials might be substituted. By covering the metallic
plate A (Fig. 1) with soft lamb skin, or other fur, or leather, a much more
effective electrophorus is obtained.
A modification of this apparatus is shown at Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Fig. 4 represents an outside view of the improved lighting apparatus; Fig. 5
is a vertical section; Fig. 6 an outside view, shewing the two parts composing
the apparatus separated; Fig. 7 is a top view; and Fig. 8 a bottom view of
the apparatus.
A is a hollow metallic bell-shaped piece (brass preferred).
This is attached to a hard rubber. handle B above with a small shield D; C
is a hollow bell-shaped piece of hard rubber, somewhat smaller than the inner
surface of the metallic bell piece A. This hard rubber piece C is secured to
a metallic base or pedestal F, having a disc or saucer-shaped top E, E, rather
larger in diameter than the base of the hard rubber bell C. Inside of the

page_text: hard rubber bell C is placed a roll of tin foil G, which tin foil is in contact
with the inner surface of the hard rubber bell, and also rests upon the plate
E, E, of the metallic stand F within the hard rubber bell. The inside of
the metallic bell A is lined with a very thin sheet of lamb's skin secured to
the metallic bell by gum shellac. It is also preferable to attach strips of silk
to the inside of the lamb skin, as a combination of silk and fur give the best
electrical action in practice. Instead of hard rubber it will be obvious that
glass, shellac, or other non-conductor might be used, but hard rubber is
preferred. Plumbago or other good conductor might also be used in place
of tin foil. Instead of a bell shape the hard rubber piece C and the cover A
might be made cylindrical or semi-sperical.
The apparatus is used as follows in connection with the arrangement of
burner shown in Sheet II., and described above. The lighting apparatus can
stand in any part of the room in the condition shewn in Fig. 4, the metallic
bell cover A resting upon the lower stand D, the hair lining of the bell-shaped
cover being in contact with the hard rubber bell piece C. When it is desired
to light the burner the gas is turned on, and the metallic bell raised by means
of the handle B to touch the chain which hangs from the burner. The mere
act of lifting and replacing the piece A charges it with electricity, and as soon
as it touches the chain the spark passes to the burner, and instantly ignites
the gas. This modification has the advantage of giving an increased spark
over the simple electrophorus, and also from its construction it is apparent that
the parts liable to be impaired in action by atmospheric influence are in a
great measure excluded from contact with the atmosphere by reason of the
hard rubber surface being nearly always closely enveloped by metal lined with
fur. The metallic bell-shaped piece is so constructed as to form a metallic
connection with the plate E whenever the cover is placed on the hard rubber
bell. This secures a more certain spark than could be otherwise obtained.
This apparatus may be secured to a bracket or pendent burner, as shewn in
Sheet I., where M represents an inverted metallic bell, having a hard rubber
bell inside attached to the metallic top N. The chain C passes to the metallic
bell, and is attached to it at D. When the hard rubber bell is lifted out of
the metallic bell, the electricity developed passes along the chain, and ignites
the gas, being prevented by the non-conducting neck X from passing.into the
bracket.
Figures 9, 10, and 11 show another modification of the Invention. The
object of this modification being to produce a combination of the Leyden jar
with the electrophorus; Fig. 9 represents in outside view, the electrophorus ;
Fig. 10 is a vertical section; and Figs. 11 shew the parts separated.

page_text: A is a brass cylinder jar; B is a hard rubber jar, which fits closely inside
of the brass jar A; C is a metallic cylinder or jar, which fits inside of the
hard rubber jar B, the three thus forming a non-conducting jar with a metallic
lining this is the arrangement of the Leyden jar. In order to make this
generate electricity the inner brass jar Cis surrounded with a coating of lamb's
skin, or other fine wool or fur. The whole apparatus is then either placed
permanently on a bracket and used as described in regard to the one shewn
at Fig. 4, or by placing on it the non-conducting handle G; it may be used as
a portable gas lighter.
Another modification of the Invention is shewn in exterior view at Fig. 12,
in vertical section at Fig. 13, with the parts separate at Figs. 14. The
only difference between this and the last-described arrangement is that the
relative positions of the electric conducting and non-conducting surfaces aro
here reverse<l.
In Sheet I. a further modification is shewn, Fig. 3 being a side view
and Fig. 4 a longitudinal section of the apparatus. A, B, A', is a hollow
tube, consisting of the two metallic parts A and A', and the central bard
rubber cylinder or ring which insulates the parts A and A' from each other.
This tube is about sixteen inches long, and about three-quarters of an inch in
diameter, Inside of this tube A, B, A', a short cylinder D slides. This
cylinder D, shewn separate at Fig. 5, is composed of hard rubber, with a
metallic rod E inside, connected with two metallic ends f, f. This cylinder D
is about six inches long. The inner surface of the metallic parts A and A' of
the tube A, B, A', is lined with soft lamb's skin. The three parts of the tube
A, B, A', are so fitted together as to make a close case for the cylinder D to
slide in. These joints can be cemented by using bees'-wax or other ordinary
cement. This has the effect of excluding the interior case perfectly from the
effect of the atmosphere. This apparatus may be thus considered as a double
electrophorus. Like the others described; it is used with the arrangement of
burner shewn at Fig. 2. The tube A, B, A', is grasped in the hand in such
manner that the interior cylinder D shall slide from oue extremity to the other
inside of the tube A, B, A'. The extremity of the metallic- tube from which
the interior cylinder is sliding is then to be instantly placed in contact with the
chain connected with the burner, lighting the gas in the manner herein-before
described. This tube is always to be held at the opposite end to that which is
applied to the burner.
The advantage of this apparatus is its simplicity, being easily made and not
liable to get out of order, its efficiency and freedom from atmospheric influence,
for the operative parts are at all times enclosed securely from atmospheric

page_text: contact. Instead of a double tube A, A', a single tube A could be used,
through which the cylinder D would slide, but the double tube has the
advantage that you can light the gas from either end.
It is also evident that the metallic tube A, B, A¹, might have been lined
with a bard rubber lining, and a small metallic cylinder covered with fur or
wool slid inside of it, so as to produce the same effect.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of Improved Electrical
Apparatus applicable to the Lighting of Gas," as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim the construction of apparatus above described for obtaining
electric sparks and applying the same to the ignition of gas and like
inflammable matters.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the First day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)