CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION AND DIFFUSION OF LIGHT
Year: 1841

page_text: GURNEY'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GOLDS-
WORTHY GURNEY, of Bude, in the County of Cornwall, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Goldsworthy Gurney, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege,
and authority, that I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney; my exors, admors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney, 'my exors, admors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and veid, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PRODUCTION AND DIFFUSION OF LIGHT;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney, shall cause a par-
ticular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar mouths next and immediately after

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Goldsworthy Gurney, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement hereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the Figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say)-
My Invention relates,
First, to a mode of improving the illuminating powers of coal gas, by sub-
jecting it to the chemical action of certain substances hereafter mentioned in
its passage from the gas main to the burners.
Secondly, my Invention relates to a mode of applying reflectors, whereby
the light produced may be more beneficially diffused, and in conjunction with
the use of such reflectors the application of certain glass refractors of light.
Thirdly, my Invention relates to the application of gas burners made of
concentric rings of tubing, perforated on the upper surfaces for the passage of
gas, when such burners are used in combination with glass chimneys for
lighting apartments and other places. And,
Fourthly, my Invention relates to a mode of applying conical glass chimneys
to lamps, in order to keep the flames thereof quiet, and most beneficially to
.supply them with air.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
.carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me in
.carrying out my Invention. It is well known that the use of gas, as a means
.of lighting rooms and internal parts of buildings, is comparatively littlo
resorted to, owing to offensive smell, its great heat, and other objections arising
from other causes; now, the first part of my Invention has for its object
the submitting gas in its passage from the supply main to the burner or
burners to the chemical action of certain matters hereafter mentioned, whereby
the gas will not only be greatly improved in its illuminative powers, but at the
same time the heat of the burning gas will be reduced, and its use in rooms
and apartments rendered inoffensive. The materials I employ for this pur-
pose are muriate of zinc, sub-acetate of lead, chloride of baryta, and sulphate
of manganese, and these materials are to be used either dry or slightly
moistened, in similar vessels to what are used in purifying gas by what is called
the dry lime process, by which the gas in its passage through the vessel is
caused to pass in contact with as extensive a surface of the materials used as
possible; and the object of the Invention is to give to the consumer the oppor-

page_text: tunity of treating the gas to be consumed by him according to my Invention,
after it has passed through the ordinary processes of the gas works, and for
this purpose I apply a vessel of the description above mentioned to the gas
supply pipe, by which the gas in passing from the gas main of the gas com-
pany may pass amongst and be chemically acted on by the matters above-
mentioned, or some of them, before coming to the burner or burners. The
most important of the above-mentioned materials is the muriate of zinc, and
the use of that material alone will be found of great benefit; but I prefer to
use therewith a mixture of the other matters above mentioned, and the mix-
ture I have found best for the purpose is as follows:-Five parts muriate of
zine, two parts sub-acetate of lead, two parts chloride of baryta, four parts
sulphate of manganese; and I have found that about 6 lbs. of the mixture,
placed in a vessel of the description above mentioned (and which is well known)
of about the following dimensions, two feet six inches long, one foot six
inches wide, and one foot deep, to a supply pipe of three quarters of an inch
internal diameter, and in proportion for larger or less supply pipes, fully
answers the purpose; and when in constant use the materials above mentioned
should be changed about every three to four weeks.
I would remark that, although I prefer the above described means of apply-
ing the above-mentioned materials, I do not confinė myself thereto so long as
the means resorted to are such as to bring the gas in contact with muriate of
zinc, with or without other suitable matters, in the passage of the gas from the
gas main to the burner or burners.
I will now proceed to describe the. second part of my Invention, which
relates to a mode of applying reflectors and refractors to lamps or burners,
and consists of using reflectors with two surfaces, whereby a portion of the
light may be diffused downwards, and the other portion of the light may be
diffused upwards, the reflecting surfaces being placed intermediate of the
length of the flame, consequently part of the flame will be below the reflect-
ing surfaces, and the other portion of the flame will be above the reflecting
surfaces, and by such means any determined portion of the light of a flame.
may be directed downwards or upwards, for it will be evident, that according
as the reflectors are placed higher or lower, in respect to the length of the
luminous part of the flame, so will the larger or less portion of the light be
diffused downwards or upwards.
Figure 1 shews the section of a glass chimney of a gas burner, with a
reflector according to my Invention. a is the gas flame, 6 is the chimney,
and e, f, are two reflecting surfaces, the reflecting surface e diffusing the light
of that portion of the flame which is below it downwards, and the reflecting

page_text: surface fidiffuses all the lightiof the part of the flame which is above it up:
wards; and it is only desirable further to remark, that the reflectors are made
of the usual materials, which are well understood; and to be of such figures or
curves as to diffuse the light to the extent:desired.; The dotted lines shew the
application of a ground glass refractor above the refractors:;the shape of such
refractor maybe-varied. The reddiness represent the application, of what I
call a refracting zone, which is placed above the reflectors, and may be used
either. separately: or combined, with ground glass ona!This refractor consists of
a cylinder of glass cut on the outside into prismatic projecting rings at such
angles as.to direct the light in the desired: directions. By this.means the light
will be refracted in such manner as to produce a very agreeable effect, and will
be an economical application of "lighter Figure 1 and Figure 2.shew a section
and plan' of a burner made of centric rings 9h is of tubing;. perforated on
the upper surface, as-is shewn, care, being observed not to perforate the tube,
by which the concentric rings are connected, and by which the supply of gas is
made to the concentric rings. 6 shews the upper glass chimney of the burner;
which is supported at a point above the commencement of the flame, as, is
shewn. I is the lower cone, the upper opening of which is larger than tlie
outer ring of the burner, and there is an open space around the flame, between
the upper chimney-band the lower cone ; as is shown
Having thus described the nature of my Invention; I would wish: it, to be
observed that what I claim as my Inventionis,
ì :|
First, the mode of treating coal gas in its passage:from: the gas main.to the
burner or burners, as herein described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of applying reflectors intermediate. of the length
of the flame; and I also claim, combined therewith and placed thereon, the
use of a ground glass shade or refracting zone; or both together; as above
described;
M
Thirdly, I claim the mode of lighting apartments or rooms by means of
burners. composed of concentric rings of tubes, combined with suitable glass
chimneys, as above described. And,
Fourthly, I claim the mode of applying conical glass chimneys to gas
burners, as above described
1.
"In witness whereof; I, the said Goldsworthy Gürney, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
GOLD (L.S.) GURNEY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid Goldsworthy Gurney came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the. year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.