IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAS BY ELECTRICITY
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Henry Samuel, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st August 1872.-A communication from abroad, by the
Electric Gas Lighting Company, of the City and State of New
York, in the United States of America.
I
I, WILLIAM HENRY SAMUEL, of the Firm of Samuel and Peace, of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
LIGHTING GAS BY ELECTRICITY," a communication to me from abroad by
the Electric Gas Lighting Company, of the City and State of New
York, in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to apparatus for developing electricity, to be
used in lighting gas, and it consists in the employment of a burner
in such connection with the frictional generator, that the gas must
pass through the latter to the burner, whereby the apparatus is made
applicable to the gas pipe, drop light, bracket, stand, chandelier, or
other analogous fixture, to which a common burner may be secured.
The Invention consists in mounting the upper section of the clectro-
generator upon a hollow sleeve, in such manner as to enclose the

page_text: tube of the burner, and have an axial as well as a partial rotary
movement upon said burner, for the purpose of generating the elec
tricity, without interfering with the position of the burner, or the
fixed plate of the generator.
The Invention further consists in the arrangement of the means
by which the electro-generator is operated, immediately beneath the
same, in connection with a slotted tube in such a manner as to allow
one of the plates to have a limited axial and rotary movement, and
afford facility for catching hold of it without interfering with the
burner, the shade, globe, or the movement of the plate, to liberate the
electricity.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents an elevation of
an apparatus attached to a gas burner, and embracing my improve-
ments; Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3
represents an elevation, showing the discs of the electrophorus separated
to liberate the electricity generated thereby.
The electrophorus consists of two plates or discs A, B, of suitable
diameter, having their contiguous surfaces covered, the positive A,
with leather, and the negative B, with an enamel of hard rubber, one
of which when set in motion produces what is known as frictional
electricity. One of these plates (in the Drawing, the lower one) is
mounted upon a skeleton tube or yoke, C, the annular open end C¹ of
which fits upon the bracket C or other fixture at the base of the
burner. The other or top plate A, is provided with a sleeve, D, D¹,
projecting a suitable distance beyond either side thereof. One end
or branch, D¹, extends into the skeleton tube or yoke C, of the lower
plate, and into this sleeve the gas burner E, is inserted, and screwed
to the pipe or bracket, so that the open end of the skeleton tube or yoke
C intervenes to clamp its disc B firmly in position, as shown in
Figs. 2 and 3.
The burner therefore passes through the electro-
generator, and forms the stem or shank upon which its movable
section is guided and supported in generating the electricity.