Improvements in Igniting Devices for Gas Jets, and a Process of Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Igniting Devices for Gas Jets, and a Process of
Manufacturing the same.
I, ALFRED NEUMANN, of 84 Charlottenstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of
Germany, Banker, 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 :-
This invention relates to improved igniting devices for gas jets and a process of
manufacturing the same. This process is based upon the fact that platinum in a
finely divided state readily absorbs oxygen. Platinum in the form of platinum
black has already formerly been used in oxymuriatic matches to serve as automatic
igniting devices for hydrogen gas. It has however been found, that for igniting
gas jets platinum black is not applicable. I have therefore experimented upon
other metals of the platinum group and have found that a mixture which contains
platinum, osmium and iridium in certain definite proportion, will fulfil the intended
purpose in a perfect manner.
It has been found that a convenient proportion is obtained by combining these
three metals in equal parts.
The process of production is as follows:
One part of osmium and one part of iridium are dissolved in aqua regia and the
solution evaporated to dryness. In the same manner one part of platinum is
dissolved in aqua regia and the obtained solution which contains the platinum in the
form of the chloride, is evaporated. The residues thus obtained are mixed and
heated to incandescence in a vacuum. During this operation the mixture forms a
cohesive slag which is capable of being divided into small coherent pieces, when
taken out of the vacuum, which pieces then absorb atmospheric oxygen and then
serve for the production of the igniting devices.
For this purpose a small piece of the material is secured above a gas burner of
any construction by means of a thin platinum wire or in any other convenient
manner in such a manner that on opening the gas cock, the jet of gas will impinge
on the said substance and thus will become ignited. The igniting substance may
however also be arranged in another manner, for instance it may be inserted
within a small pipe, according as the one or the other way is found most
suitable.
The result is obtained by the fact, that the oxygen absorbed by the mixture, has
assumed the qualities of ozone.
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 1
claim is :-
1. An improved process for producing an igniting substance to serve as an
automatic igniting device for igniting gas jets having the characteristic feature that
osmium, iridium and platinum, in a finely divided state, are mixed with each other
and then exposed to the air so as to absorb oxygen substantially as described.
2. The process wherein on the one hand iridium and osmium and on the other
hand platinum are dissolved in aqua regia, the solutions evaporated to dryness, the
residues mixed together and the mixture then heated to incandescence substantially
as described; and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 3. A particular mixing proportiou of the three metals in the process described
in the first claim, according to which the metals are mixed with each other in
equal parts.
4. The production of automatic igniting devices by the aid of the igniting
substance produced according to the process described in the first claim, having this
characteristic feature that a portion of the mixture is suspended on a platinum wire
or in any other convenient and suitable manner, above a gas burner so that on
opening the gas cock or tap the gas jet will meet the igniting substance and will be
ignited, substantially as described.
1L 1
1903
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.