Improvements in and relating to Automatic Gas Lighting Appliances.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1898-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Automatic Gas Lighting
Appliances.
I, EDUARD BRESLAUER, of 7, Goethestrasse, Leipzig, in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to those lighting appliances for gas burners in which
the gas impinges upon platinum black or the like, the heat evolved from which
renders a platinum wire sufficiently incandescent to ignite the gas.
In gas lighting appliances, the porous blocks of which are heated by the current
of gas, and which are intended to bring about the spontaneous ignition of the
gas, it has hitherto been the practice to employ fine platinum wire for trans-
mitting the heat and for kindling the flame. It has been usual to employ as the
igniting body or block, a stout porous substance and one as refractory (fire-
resistant) as possible. This kind of igniting block, however, does not spon-
taneously ignite illuminating gas in a reliable manner. Accordingly, platinum
wire, for example, was also employed in order that, by the help thereof, ignition
should be brought about or effected. The platinum black or spongy platinum by
reason of its large surface initiates the generation of heat and the platinum wire
transmits this heat through contact.
It is, consequently, of importance in order to secure satisfactory ignition, that
the contact between the platinum black and the platinum wires should be a very
close one. This is very difficult to effect between two such bodies as platinum
wire, and platinum black spread over the fine pores of a solid block or substance,
because only a contact at points (or from point to point) is possible between the
two. So long as the igniting body is new, the number of contact points between
the two bodies will be sufficient (owing to the tension of the wire) to transmit
the heat of the igniting block. Through concussion or other accident, however,
and more particularly by reason of the gradual destruction of the block or wire,
or both, in the flame, the contact between the wire and the body becomes con-
tinually more imperfect, until the platinum wire is no longer in a suitable
condition for receiving the heat from the block.
In order to avoid this disadvantage I employ, instead of the fine platinum
wires, sheet platinum of suitable thickness, thin enough to lie closely on to the
igniting block and to render possible an effective surface-contact. By means of
such surface-contact, a lasting effect of the igniting block is made far more
certain than was the case with the point to point contact hitherto used.
Hereafter the platinum sheet, which is here considered, will be referred to as
metal-foil, in the first place because a very thin sheet is employed, for which
the technical term platinum-foil or sheet-platinum is usual, and further, because,
besides platinum, other metals can be used for the purpose.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a section, and Figures 2 and 3
are elevations of an igniting appliance, the central opening in the block of which
is filled with metal foil.
Figure 4 shows an igniting appliance with metal foil and platinum wires,

page_text: Figure 5 illustrates such an appliance with metal foil and platinum wire-
gauze.
Figures 6 and 7 represent an igniting appliance filled with metal foil and
wound round with platinum wires.
Figure 8 shews a form of the invention in which the igniting appliance and
the metal-foil are placed inside a wire or metal-gauze capsule.
Figures 9 to 12 represent an elevation and sections of an igniting appliance
having a two-part block between which parts the metal-foil is tightly inserted.
Figures 13 and 14 illustrate a star-shaped form of the lighting appliance.
Figure 15 shows an igniting appliance with a metal tube, and Figure 16
illustrates such appliance with a metal sheet rolled up, forming a tube.
The hollow space in the igniting block K of the appliance, Figures 1 to 3, is
filled with metal foil F. This can be inserted as a bundle of metal wires, or as
a roll of metal foil, or very thin metal foil in any other rolled or similar shape
may be pressed into the hollow space. By means of the intimate contact of the
metal fail with the igniting block, the heat is transmitted by the metal foil,
when heated by the igniting block, with the assistance of gas, and the projecting
ends (points) of the metal-foil ignite the gas.
The igniting-block may, as shewn in Figure 3, be composed of two parts K¹
and K. Instead of employing the heat of the metal foil direct for the ignition,
platinum wires D as shewn in Figure 4, which project over or beyond the igniting
block, may be embedded in the metal foil, so that, in this case, the metal foil
plays an intermediate part as heat carrier, somewhat resembling that of sulphur
in lucifer matches.
Other forms of the invention, of the latter kind, are shewn by Figures 5 to 8.
In the form shown in Figure 5, a wire gauze or webbing D is inserted in the
igniting block K, the inner sides of which are lined with plate foil, and its ends
or points which project beyond the igniting block being intended for causing the
ignition. In place of the wire gauze, a wire spiral can also be employed.
In the forms shown in Figures 6 and 7, the hollow space in the igniting block
is filled with metal foil whilst the igniting body itself is wound round with
wire, so that an intimate contact between the wire D and the metal foil F is
brought about.
The form illustrated in Figure 8 shews a wire capsule D which serves as
carrier for the igniting block as well as for the metal foil. The igniting block K
may fill the whole back space of the wire capsule and the metal foil can be
placed in the front part.
It is also found advantageous to partially cover the lighting appliance with
metal foil.
If a stronger kind of metal-foil be used, the igniting block may be made of
two parts K and K2, as illustrated, see Figures 9 and 10, between which the
metal sheet F is inserted, so that it projects beyond the igniting block, in order
to bring about the ignition by means of its free end. It is desirable that the
projecting end of the metal sheet should be cut out or indented obliquely, as the
points or ends are especially suitable for ignition.
In order to increase the contact surface between the metal plate or sheet F
and the parts K¹ and K2 of the igniting block and to stiffen the projecting end
of the metal plate by means of its form, the contact surfaces of the parts K¹
and K of the igniting appliance may be arched or undulated as shown in
Figures 11 and 12. If the igniting block is to be used for igniting a stream of
gas which is issuing from a chimney (lamp-cylinder, for example) it is desirable
to give it the form of a star, as indicated in Figures 13 and 14, the indented
star-shaped metal-foil F being pressed tightly between the parts K¹ and K2 of
the igniting appliance. In such cases, the stream of gas is not conducted so
surely to the igniting block and it is therefore desirable to make the igniting.
block of such a shape that it is suitable for ignition on its whole circumference.
In Figures 15 and 16 an igniting appliance is illustrated in which the metal

page_text: is inserted in the igniting block in the shape of a tube; Figure 15 shews a
closed tube, and Figure 16, a tube formed by rolling up a metal-plate or sheet.
The application of an igniting appliance of this kind has the advantage that
the projecting end of the igniting block is stiffened, and that air is drawn in
the direction of the arrow by the stream of gas passing over the mouth of the
tube, whereby the ignition, which occurs only when a sufficient quantity of air
is present may be promoted. In the form shown in Figure 16 an ascending air-
channel is let into the ignition block, for the purpose of increasing the draught
or suction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
(1). Igniting appliances for spontaneous gas igniters, the characteristic feature
of which is that the igniting block (K) is brought into intimate contact with a
'metal foil (F), for the purpose of ensuring the transmission of heat between the
same by means of the surface-contact.
(2). A form of 'the igniting appliance mentioned under Claim 1, in which the
igniting block (K) consists of two parts (K' & K³) between which the metal
foil (F) is tightly pressed, this metal foil having one or more projecting free ends.
(3). A form of the igniting appliance mentioned under Claim 2, in which the
contact surfaces of the parts (Ki and K2) of the igniting block are made uneven,
for the purpose of increasing the contact surfaces between the igniting block
and the metal foil.
(4). A form of the igniting appliance mentioned under Claim 2, in which the
metal foil projects over the igniting block in the form of a star, for the purpose
of rendering ignition possible on all sides of the igniting block.
(5.) A form of the igniting appliance mentioned under Claim 1, in which the
metal foil is shaped as a tube and inserted in the igniting block.
(6). A form of the igniting appliance mentioned under Claim 1, in which the
transmission of the heat of the igniting block (K) is effected by one or more
wires, with the aid of the metal foil (F).
Dated this Twents sooner the of Til 1908