Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Igniting and Extinguishing Gas Flames from a distance.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1898
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Igniting and
Extinguishing Gas Flames from a distance.
I, EMIL HEINRICH CONRAD OEHLMANN, of 131, Linien Strasse, Berlin, in the
German Empire, Apothecary, 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 apparatus for igniting and extinguishing gas flames
from a distance and consists in improved arrangements or constructions of such
apparatus by which the outflow and ignition of the illuminating or heating gas
and the extinction of the flame are effected by means of compressed air or gas or
a liquid under pressure at any distance from the operating place, and in the com-
bination therewith of arrangements for mixing compressed air with the gas prior
to combustion.
On the drawing appended hereto Figure I shows an apparatus constructed
according to my invention with the gas valve for the illuminating flame closed and
the valve for supplying the igniting jet, hereinafter called by-pass valve opened,
in combination with a mixing tube as usually employed for incandescent gas
burners..
Figure II shows the apparatus in combination with a slit burner with the burner
valve opened and by-pass valve closed.
Figure III shows a vertical section of a similar apparatus specially intended
for incandescent gas lights, in which the compressed air operating the same is so
conducted that it mixes with the gas and promotes its combustion.
The gas igniting apparatus Figures 1 and 2, consists in its essential parts of a
chamber arranged below the burner and divided by an elastic plate or membrane e
into two parts, of which the upper part a forms the gas chamber and the lower
part 6 the fluid pressure chamber. The gas is introduced through the passage c,
the compressed air through the pipe d. The gas valve g and by-pass valve glare
arranged above each other on one spindle which
to the elastic plate e.
A spring f surrounds the valve through and is attached
spindle; a screw h regulates
the flow of gas through the ignition tube i to the igniting jet. A gas nozzle
opens either into the mixing tube m, as shewn on Fig. 1, or into a slit burner or
its equivalent, as shewn on Fig. 2.
The apparatus can be used for any kind of illuminating or heating gas flames,
and the ignition tube i is always conducted to the point where the ignition of the
main flame is to be effected.
The apparatus acts as follows:
The gas enters through the passage c, Fig. I, into the chamber a and passing
the valve gl flows to the ignition tube i on which a small flame burns and is always
ready for igniting the main flame. The set screw serves to adjust the small
flame. When now compressed air or gas of any sort, such as carbonic acid, or a
liquid, under a higher pressure than the gas in the chamber a, is introduced into
the chamber b, the plate or membrane e provided with a stiffening plate e¹ is bent
upwards by the pressure. In consequence the two valves g and g₁ are lifted and
the valve gl closes the opening to the ignition tube i, while the valve g allows the
gas to pass to the burner, as shewn on Fig. 2.

page_text: As the increase of pressure is gradual, the valves move slowly so that while the
valves are midway, gas flows to both the burner and ignition jet, which becomes
extinguished immediately afterwards, when the valve g¹ closes the passage i
When the burner flame is to be extinguished, the pressure is allowed to escape
from the chamber b, when the spring f will depress the plate e again to its
original position. The valve g closes the gas outlet to the burner, while the by-
pass valve again opens the passage to the ignition tube i. The ignition jet is
relit in consequence, so that the burner flame can at any time be ignited again.
The valve g may be omitted, if it is preferred, to allow the igniting jet to burn
continuously.
If the outlet from the passage c to the chamber a is fitted with an adjusting
screw or otherwise contracted and the chamber 6 placed into communication with
the gas supply pipe by a bore through the wall separating the chamber 6 and
passage c, or otherwise, then when gas under a somewhat high pressure is used,
the inlet and supply of compressed air or other fluid can be dispensed with, as
under these conditions the gas pressure in the chamber b will be higher than in
the chamber a. The apparatus is then worked by turning on the full gas pressure
to ignite the burner flame, and the latter is extinguished by reducing the gas pres-
sure to what is just sufficient for keeping the ignition jet supplied.
Figure III represents an apparatus for incandescent gas lights in which com-
pressed air supplied from the conduits is mixed with the illuminating gas for
promoting the combustion, whereby the illuminating power of the incandescent
body is enormously increased. The ignition and extinction of the burner flame is
in this case effected by compressed air in the manner herein before described.
The burner o carries the incandescent mantle o¹, which is surrounded by a cage
of a round or prismatical glass bars, which may be put close together or with open
interstices. The mixing tube is provided with air inlet openings p, which may be
made adjustable in the well known manner.
The igniting apparatus with the chambers a and b, the ignition tube i and the
valves 9 and gl, is identical with that represented on Fig. I. The compressed air
conduit q is in this case arranged at the side and communicates with the chamber b
through a small bore r. In the positions of the parts shewn on the drawing, the
valve g is closed while the valve g¹ uncovers the passage to the ignition tube and
the igniting jet continues to burn. If compressed air is admitted to the conduit q,
it enters the chamber b through the hore r, raises the plate e and the valves and,
and lets the gas flow through the nozzle 1. At the same time compressed air flows
through and the pipe s to the nozzle t from which it issues into the mixing
tube m, and carrying along the gas issuing from the nozzle arrives at the
burner o and mantle o¹, where the mixture is ignited by the small gas jet u. On
the way to the burner further air may be added to the mixture through the open-
ings p.
The valve g in this apparatus closes the passage to the ignition jet as in
the apparatus represented by Fig. I so that the ignition jet becomes extinguished
or reduced. By this mixture of forced air and gas, the flame attains an extra-
ordinary degree of heat, and in consequence produces a very intense incandescent
light; which result is obtained without much expense as no increased pressure
has to be imparted to the gas.
In the manner hereinbefore described, a perfectly certain control of the lighting
of the public gas lamps can be effected from a distance by means of compressed air
apparatus, all the lights being automatically lit and extinguished from a central
station. If any incandescent lights should not act correctly, they are shut off
from the gas main by means of suitable stop valves.
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:-
1. The construction or arrangement of apparatus for igniting and extinguishing

page_text: or without a by-pass valve (91) controlling an igniting jet is opened and closed by
means of a fluid under pressure acting on an elastic plate in such a manner that
when the pressure on the plate increases, the gas valve is opened and the by-pass
valve, when used, partly or entirely closed, but when the pressure decreases the
gas valve is closed and the bypass valve opened substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. In combination with an apparatus for igniting and extinguishing incandes-
cent gas lights from a distance constructed or arranged as specified in the preced-
ing claim and operated by compressed air, the arrangement of a compressed air
nozzle inside the mixing tube, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figure III of the drawings.
1000
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade Manchester,
Harrington Chambers, 24, North John Street, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.