IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING PUBLIC AND OTHER GAS LAMPS OR LIGHTS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Bennett, of 42, Parliament Street,
in the City of Westminster, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING PUBLIC
AND OTHER GAS LAMPS OR LIGHTS."-A communication from abroad
by Alexander Fairlie Wilson, Gas Engineer, of Belem, Para, North
Brazil.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Bennett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th July 1872.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BENNETT, of 42, Parliament Street, in the City
of Westminster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING
PUBLIC AND OTHER GAS LAMPS OR LIGHTS," to be as follows:
This Invention relates to the lighting and extinguishing of public or
other gas lamps or lights, so as to render the action automatic, the
actuating power being the pressure of the gas itself.

page_text: The apparatus by which these effects are produced consists of a circular
and covered chamber or small tank, partially filled with mercury, and
with an inlet pipe for the gas passing through its centre and rising
within to some distance above the bottom. Near the circumference and
on opposite sides of the bottom of the chamber are introduced two outlet
pipes which rise also above the level of the mercury. Within the
chamber just described is another chamber or gasholder closed at the
top and open below, but dipping into the mercury the same as an
ordinary gasholder does into water. This is furnished with partitions
BO as to prevent any communication between the two outlet pipes
under certain conditions, the partition surrounding one of the outlet
pipes is, however, shorter than the other. Attached to the crown of the
gasholder is a float so as to render the gasholder more buoyant. The
outlet pipe by which gas is conveyed to the ordinary burner is attached
to the bottom of the exterior chamber, one end rising within it while
the other is bent round on the outside and made to enter the supply
pipe or nose piece of the burner. The other outlet pipe is connected
to the chamber in a similar manner, one end rising within the chamber,
and the other which is furnished with a jet burner and wind guard
extends upwards to within a very short distance of the ordinary burner.
The partition that divides the outlet pipe to the jet burner from the
body of the gasholder has a very small hole or "permanent leak” made
in it so as to allow at all times a sufficient quantity of gas to pass to
the jet to maintain a diminutive flame. The exterior chamber has one
or more holes.made in it at or near the top so as to subject the gasholder:
to the atmospheric pressure. The chambers may be placed within the
lantern, but it is preferred to put them on the outside at the top of
the lamp post.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The exterior chamber
being connected to the service pipe on the top of the lamp post, gas is a
admitted to the interior through the inlet pipe, the gas passing from
thence through the small orifice in the partition to the iet burner where

page_text: <
then reduced, whereon the gasholder descends and seals the partition
in connection with the jet burner outlet pipe, the gas escaping to it only
through the small orifice, or permanent leak" before mentioned.
When it becomes necessary to extinguish the lamps the pressure at the
works is still further reduced, whereby the gasholder will fall still lower
and seal the partition in connection with the ordinary burner outlet pipe
also. Communication between the gas and the ordinary burner being
consequently cut off, the flame will be extinguished until the time arrives
for its being relighted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Bennett in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY BENNETT, of 42, Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Henry Bennett, Her special licence
that I, the said William Henry Bennett, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry Bennett, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING PUBLIC AND OTHER GAS LAMPS OR
LIGHTS," being a communication to me from abroad by Alexander Fairlie
Wilson, Gas Engineer, of Belem, Para, North Brazil, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Henry Bennett, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to

page_text: be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Bennett, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, and to the letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the lighting and extinguishing of public or
other gas lamps or lights, so as to render the action automatic, the
actuating power being the pressure of the gas itself.
The apparatus by which these effects are produced consists of a
circular and covered chamber or small tank partially filled with mercury,
and with an inlet pipe for the gas passing through its centre and rising
within to some distance above the bottom. Near the circumference,
and on opposite sides of the bottom of the chamber, are introduced two
outlet pipes which rise also above the level of the mercury, their bottom
ends communicating with channels or gas ways formed in the tank.
Within the chamber just described is another chamber or gasholder
olosed at the top and open at the bottom, but dipping into the mercury
the same as an ordinary gasholder does into water. This gas holder is
furnished with partitions so as to prevent any communication between
the two outlet pipes under certain conditions, the partition surrounding
one of the outlet pipes is, however, shorter than the other, or what is
equivalent thereto has a slit cut up a portion of its height. A float
may be attached to the gasholder so as to render the gasholder more
buoyant, but it is not always necessary. The outlet pipe by which gas
is conveyed to the ordinary burner is attached to the tank, one end
being in communication with one of the pipes which rise within the
tank, while the other is made to enter the supply pipe or nose piece of
the burner, The other outlet pipe is connected to the chamber in a
similar manner, one end rising within the chamber, and the other which
is furnished with a jet burner and wind guard extends upwards to
within a very short distance of the ordinary burner. The partition that
divides the outlet pipe to the jet burner from the body of the gasholder
has a very small hole or "permanent leak" made in it, so as to allow
at all times a sufficient quantity of gas to pass to the jet to maintain
"

page_text: a diminutive flame. The exterior chamber has one or more holes made
in it at or near the top, so as to subject the gasholder to the atmospheric,
pressure. The chambers may be placed within the lantern, but it is
preferred to put them on the outside at the top of the lamp post.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood a Drawing
is attached hereto of which the following is a description. The Figure
represents in general a vertical section of the apparatus.
the
-=
Gi H.is
A is the inlet for the gas; B the tank; C the gasholder; D, E,.
two. outlet pipes surrounded by their respective: partitions F,
the continuation of the outlet pipe D, and, enters either an ordinary
public lamp governor I, or a common nose piece, and from thence the
gas is conveyed to the burner J; K is a continuation of the outlet,
pipe E which proceeds upwards to the jet burner L, and M is a wind:
guard to protect the small flame and prevent it from being blown, out;
N is the small hole or permanent leak before mentioned. The Drawing
is supposed to represent the position of the apparatus at the moment of
lighting up the burner J, and the arrows indicate the direction in which
the gas is passing.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The exterior chamber
being connected to the service pipe on the top of the lamp post gas is
admitted to the interior through the inlet pipe A, the gas passing from
thence through the small orifice in the partition to the jet burner L
where it is lighted and kept continuously burning. When it is desired
to light up the ordinary burners extra pressure is put on at the gas
works, the consequence is that the gasholder O herein described rises
and unseals both partitions F and G, and allows the
gas.to pass freely
to both burners, and as the flame of the jet burner is increased thereby
it readily sets light to the gas issuing from the ordinary burner. The
pressure at the works is then reduced, whereon the gasholder descends
and scals the partition G in connection with the jet burner outlet
pipe K, the gas escaping to it only through the small orifice or per-
manent leak before alluded to, a free gas way to the burner J being
maintained by reason of the partition F being either shorter than the
one marked G, or through a slit in F cut for that purpose. When it
becomes necessary to extinguish the lamps the pressure at the works
is still further reduced whereby the gasholder will fall still lower and
seal the partition F in connection with the ordinary burner outlet pipe H

page_text: also. Communication between the gas and the ordinary burner being
consequently out off the flame will be extinguished until the time
arrives for its being relighted when on a suitable increase of pressure
at the works the same operation is repeated.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
described or referred to as variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the construction and application of apparatus for lighting
and extinguishing public and other gas lamps or lights, substantially as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Bennett, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.