Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left 13th May 1897-Accented 26th June 1897
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I FREDERICK RICHARD BOARDMAN of 238 Tottenham Court Road in the County
of London, Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
These improvements relate to means or apparatus for effecting the movements of
valves for controlling the supply of gas to gas burners by the aid of electrical
energy.
In carrying out my invention I employ two distinct and separately operated
solenoids or electro magnets, each solenoid being energized by the current through,
or by means of, separate circuits, or connections at the respective periods when it is
desired to actuate the valve for the control of the gas supply in one or the other
direction. Thus to open the valve the one solenoid is energized and the armature
is drawn up lifting the valve.
When lifted to a certain point the valve is raised accordingly by means of a
spindle connecting the two, and gas is free to pass to the burner. The spindle also
carries a ball, or enlargement of equivalent form, which comes in contact with a
suitable spring or springs, overcomes its power and passes it when it rests thereon,
until by means of a current passed to and so as to energize the lower coil the
armature is attracted downwards, passing the supporting spring and returning to its
seat it closes the valve, stopping the supply of gas.
The form of burner and means of ignition may be of the ordinary, or other
convenient description.
In place of employing a spring or springs to be displaced by the upward movement
of a part of or attachment to the valve stem I may employ an equivalent means of
temporary support capable of being overcome by the energizing of the solenoid.
In cases where the gas issuing from the burner is lighted by means of a "pilot,"
or permanent jet I find this arrangement of particular utility as I can arrange the
valve to close all but a small cut, or indent by which a thread of gas is allowed
constantly to flow and remain as a source of ignition for the greater current, or flow
of gas which is electrically controlled.
Doted the 12th day of Angust 1806
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with Burners for Use in Gas Lighting.
I, FREDERICK RICHARD BOARDMAN, of 238 Tottenham Court Road, in the County
of London, Electrical 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 :-
These improvements relate to electrical means or devices for actuating valves
which control the supply of gas to gas burners.

page_text: In carrying out my invention I use two distinct and separately operated solenoids
or electro magnets, each being energised by an electric current when passing through
its special coil or circuit, separately operated by suitable connection with a source of
electricity, when it is desired to actuate the gas controlling valve in either direction.
One solenoid or electro magnet is employed, when energized, to lift its core or
attract an armature whereby the valve is opened to admit gas to the burner;
while the other solenoid or electro magnet, when energised, is used to reverse this
action and close the valve, the first circuit being simultaneously or previously
broken.
When the core is attracted to a certain point within the first solenoid (hereinafter
called the opening solenoid) the gas valve is opened by a spindle connecting the
core and the valve, so that gas may pass freely to the burner. The spindle has an
enlargement of a ball form, or of other suitable shape, adapted when attracted by
the opening solenoid, to press aside a spring or springs, and to rest thereon with the
valve in its opened position. When the second solenoid (hereinafter called the closing
solenoid) is energized, the core or armature is attracted in the opposite direction,
which closes the valve and the gas supply is cut off. The form of the aforesaid
enlargement again assists in pressing aside the spring or springs which held the valve
spindle in its open position, and the valve drops upon its seat, the weight (in some
cases) assisting the attractive action of the closing solenoid in shutting off the supply
of gas to the burner.
Instead of employing a spring or springs to support the valve spindle in the open
position, I sometimes use an equivalent supporting device, such as one or more pivoted
levers or detents which is or are normally adapted to take the supporting position
for the valve spindle, but from which it is easily deflected or pushed aside either
directly by the axial movement in either direction of the enlarged part of the
spindle, or by the magnetic action of one or both of the solenoids.
The form of the burner, and means of ignition, are of any convenient description;
but in those cases where an attenuated jet of gas (or pilot light) is kept burning by
means of a bye-pass around the main gas passage, my improvements are of special
utility, as the valve or its seat is easily formed with a small cut or indendation upon
the same, so that a slight flow of gas passes through when the valve is upon its seat,
thus supplying the pilot light as a means of ignition, but becoming merged in the
main supply when the electrically controlled valve is fully opened.
In the further description of my invention, reference is made to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is an exterior elevation of a gas burner, Fig. 2 a vertical section through
the same, Fig. 3 an elevation thereof but with the outer casing and burner tip
removed and showing the two solenoids ;
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively plans of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
Fig. 7 is an exterior, and Fig. 8 a sectional elevation of the central part of a burner,
Figs. 9 and 10 being respectively plans thereof;
Figs. 11, 12, 15, 17, 19 and 21 are also sectional elevations of the central portion
of burners, with various modifications of the means whereby the valve is supported, and
Figs. 13, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 are respectively plans thereof.
In these drawings, a is the base of a burner by which it is attached to the gas pipe,
bis the outer casing thereof, c is the inner tube through which the gas flows when the
valve is opened, d is the tip or burner composed of a refractory material, e is the
valve adapted to close the orifice in the base a, e' is an enlargement on the spindle of
the valve, or separately made and placed as in Figs. 17 and 19, to engage with the
springs or equivalent devices and hold up the valve e; and e2 is the core or cores
conveniently formed on the valve spindle which is or are acted upon by the solenoids.
The springs, levers, or equivalent detent or holding up devices are indicated by f
and may take various forms as before stated.
In Figs. 2 and 3 the opening solenoid is indicated by 9, and is placed at the
top, while the closing solenoid is placed at the bottom, but these relative positions
may be changed without affecting the nature of the invention. On energizing

page_text: the solenoid g, by the passage of electrical energy through the coil, the core e is
drawn upward into the interior of the coil (in accordance with the well known
magnetic action thereof) and the valve e is lifted off its seat, the ball shaped enlarge-
ment el pushing aside projections formed on the springs f, which, closing at the
bottom of e', thus hold the valve e in its opened position. This opened position of
the valve is shown in Fig. 15.
The current circuit through the opening solenoidy, if desired, may then be
broken, the gas having been lighted electrically by heating the platinum wire i
(Figs. 1 and 4) in the well known manner, or by any other convenient means.
When it is desired to extinguish the light, the current circuit is established through
the closing solenoid h, which, attracting the core e² within its coil, causes the
springs to give way from the pressure thereon of the ball shaped enlargement e',
thus allowing the valve e to close upon its seat in the base a and thus shut off the
supply of gas to the burner d.
The positions of the opening and closing solenoids and h relatively to the inner
tube c are indicated by dottel lines in Figs. 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 17, 19 and 21, to save
unnecessary drawing. In Fig. 2, two separate cores are shown as formed on the
valve spindle, so placed as to be in a suitable position for attraction within the
respective solenoids g and h, the ball shaped enlargement, and the position of
the springs being midway of the two cores. In Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10, the springs f
and enlargement e are placed at the bottom or valve end of the spindle, so that the
former double core e may be prolonged into one, and so disposed as to act as a single
core for both solenoids g and h. In Figs. 11 to 22, the same arrangement of a
single prolonged core e² is employed, but in Figs. 11 to 16 inclusive, the ball shaped
enlargement is at the upper end of the valve spindle, where it engages with
different forms of springs, or the equivalent pivoted levers (as in Fig. 15); while
in Figs. 17 to 20, the ball shaped enlargement e' is entirely separated from the valve
spindle and fixed in position, the springs being secured to the core portion of the
valve spindle and moving with it for opening or closing purposes. In Figs. 21
and 22, inclined pivoted levers are shown instead of springs.
I am aware that a single solenoid or electromagnet has been employed hitherto
for the regulation or control of gas burners, but I make no claim thereto, nor do
I claim any part of the gas burner by itself, but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The herein described improvements in electrically controlled gas burners, con-
sisting of the combination of a base piece a having a valve seat, with a valve e,
an iron core e², an opening solenoid g and a closing solenoid adapted to act upon
the said core and valve e to open and close a supply of gas, means such as levers
or springs engaging with an enlargement el to support the said valve in its
opened position, and a suitable casing and burner, substantially as and for the
purpose specified and shown by the drawings.
AL 191 1
1007
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
37 & 39 Essex Street, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.