IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GAS LIGHTING AND HEATING
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Thorp of Whitefield in the County of Lancaster
Architect for an invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GAS LIGHTING
AND HEATING
>>
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Thorp at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th March 1882.
THOMAS THORP of Whitefield in the County of Lancaster Architect " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR GAS LIGHTING AND HEATING."
My improvements relate to apparatus for gas lighting and heating, the object of
my invention being to increase the amount of light and radiated heat emitted
during the combustion of gas
I employ a central pipe which supplies gas from above the burner, at the bottom
of this pipe is a flat circular chamber projecting from the upper surface of which
are a number of small tubes forming the burner through which the gas issues and
forms a circular flame: the burner is surrounded excepting at the top, by an opal
or other deflector; the air for combustion is admitted by a tube which surrounds
the gas pipe and terminates at its lower end inside and below the tops of the tubes
forming the burner; the upper end of the air tube is provided with a flange in
which are fitted a number of upright tubes which are fitted into a disc at their
upper ends; the disc forms the base of the chimney with which the last nained
tubes communicate. The burner is enclosed in a globe which excludes the air and
is provided with a small inlet which is closed when the gas has been lighted; the
bottom of the globe rests on a socket fixed below the burner the upper rim of the
globe bears against a circular shield which is secured to the flange and surrounds
the tubes that communicate with the chimney: to the shield is attached a deflecting
cone between which and the air tube the products of combustion pass through the
tubes above the flange into the chimney. I place inside the gas supply pipe a
metal rod that will expand more or less than the pipe when heated, and to one end
of the rod and inside the circular chamber I fix a disc that allows little gas to
issue from the burner when the gas is turned on until the gas has been lighted
19

page_text: long enough to heat the pipe and rod: the unequal expansion of the pipe, and rod
will move the disc so as to allow a full flow of gas.
When the gas has been lighted which may be done through the inlet in the
globe or by removing the globe, which is at once replaced-the air for combustion
passes between the tubes above the flange down the tube surrounding the gas pipe
from which it issues inside the burner in a highly heated state, thus causing a great
increase of light and beat.
The products of combustion may pass to the chimney between horizontal tubes,
through which the air for combustion may be admitted.
For heating, and in some cases for lighting, or for both, instead of a circular
burner a flat or other shaped burner may be used and the gas may be supplied
from a pipe either from above or below or at the side; but in all cases I heat the
air for combustion in a manner substantially the same as that herein before
described.
•
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Thorp in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th September 1882.
THOMAS THORP of Whitefield in the County of Lancaster, Architect. "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR GAS LIGHTING AND HEATING
"
The object of my invention is, first, to produce an Argand flame that will burn
brightly and steadily without being closely surrounded by a chimney to prevent
any downward shadow and to cause the air supply as well as the gas to become
highly heated before being delivered at the burner and secondly, to construct
apparatus that may be used for heating as well as lighting in which a steady
extended flame is obtained without glass or other material in close proximity to
the front of the flame and in which the air supply is highly heated before being
delivered to the burner.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan, also in section and Fig. 3 is an
elevation of one form of my improved apparatus.
a, is the gas supply pipe at the bottom of which is a chamber b from which rise
a number of small tubes c which together form an annular or 'Argand' burner,
the gas issues through holes in an annular plate fitted at the top of the tubes: dis
a deflector surrounding the burner: e is a tube or chamber surrounding the pipe a;
the upper part of this chamber is divided longitudinally so as to form two annular
chambers or passages e'. e². provided with segmental or other shaped gills or
projections the outside of the chamber e. rests on a flange f to which is connected

page_text: the shield g to which is hinged an annular frame h that carries the globe i: a
catch is provided to allow the globe to be opened and to retain it in position
when closed: is a conical deflector secured to the shield g having asbestos or
other non-conductor of heat interposed to prevent the transmission of heat to the
shield surrounding the lower part of e is a deflector which gives the desired
form to the flame: in the gas pipe a is a rod m of brass or other material secured
at the bottom of the chamber 6: at the top of the rod m is a disc or valve n.
in a chamber formed in the pipe a, this disc when the gas is newly lighted admits
only a small quantity of gas to the burner, but as soon as the pipe a and the
rod m become heated the expansion causes the disc to recede from the taper part
of the chamber and thus allows the full amount of gas to pass to the burner:
one or more openings o are provided for the admission of air into the chamber c¹.
through which it passes, as indicated by the arrows, to the inside of the Argand
burner, the air in a highly heated state rises through a mesh or perforated plate p
and ensures perfect combustion of the gas issuing from the burner and a brilliant
flame. The top of the flame is drawn in between the upper part of the deflector /
and the lower part of the deflector k and the products of combustion pass upward
to the chimney through the annular chamber e². imparting a great amount of heat
to the gills which heat is transmitted by the gills in the chamber e¹. to the air
passing through it: q is a cover secured to the lower part of the chimney which
keeps dust from entering the apertures o and protects the same from draughts.
The inner wall or tube of the chamber e¹. is of sufficient diameter to allow the
chamber in which is the valve n to be passed through it.
Fig. 4 shows in section a modification of this part of my invention in which
the tube for supplying gas and the burner are similar to that already described but
the air for combustion passes down through the outer part of the beating chamber
and through oval tubes e³. and between the tubes forming the burner as indicated
by the arrows the products of combustion pass up through the inner part of the
heating chamber. The shape of the deflectors is modified as shown.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section. Fig. 6. is a plan partly in section, and Fig. 7 is a
front elevation of my improved apparatus for heating and lighting.
t is a tube or chamber extending from one end of the apparatus to the other
to which gas is supplied by the pipe t'. in the tube t are fitted the lower ends of a
number of small tubes u which form the burner from the upper ends of which
issues the gas: vvare the passages up which the products of combustion pass to
the flue or chimney. at the lower edge of the plate forming the front of the
passage v is a deflector: ww are the passages down which the air for combustion
passes and it is caused by the deflector to issue in an upward direction in a
highly heated state and mingle with the gas from the tubes : y is a deflector to
give form and steadiness to the flame: z is a convex door preferably of glass
through which heat and light from the flame are radiated; When a hob is required
for heating purposes the vertical flue shown in full lines is dispensed with, the top
of the apparatus is extended and the vertical flue placed further back as shown in
dotted lines.
Having stated the nature of my invention and described the manner of performing
the same.
I declare that I claim.
1. The construction of gas burning apparatus in such a manner that the gas
is led into a chamber or reservoir whence it flows through a series of upright
tubes and is burnt as it issues from the top of the tubes forming a ring shaped or
Argand flame substantially as shown and described.
2. The construction of gas burning apparatus in such a manner that the air for
combustion is led into the interior of the burner through a heating chamber around
which the products of combustion pass on their way to a central chimney and is
then deflected upward so as to enter into combustion with the outcoming gas
substantially as shown and described.
3-The combination with gas burning apparatus in which in a closed globe a

page_text: ring shaped or Argand flame is obtained of a circular deflector surrounding the air
supply tube and inside the flame by means of which and of a deflector outside and
above the flame, the flame is so directed as not to require a glass or other chimney
surrounding the flame.
4. The combination with gas burning apparatus in which a ring shaped or
other form of flame is obtained of the valve n substantially as and for the purpose
herein shown and described.
5 The combination with gas burning apparatus in which the flame is enclosed
and in which the air for combustion is led downward through a heating chamber
around which the products of combustion pass of a deflector fitting in front of the
air tube and inside the flame as also a deflector outside and above the flame by
means of which the flame is so directed as not to require glass or other material
immediately in front of the flame substantially as shown and described in reference
to Figs. 5, 6 and 7.
6-The general combination and arrangement of the parts forming improved
apparatus for illuminating substantially as and for the purpose herein described
and as shown on Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
7. The combination and arrangement of the parts forming improved apparatus
for heating and lighting by gas as herein described and as shown on Figs. 5, 0
and 7.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Thorp have hereunto set my hand
and seal this sixteenth day of. September, One thousand cight hundred
and eighty two.
THOMAS THORP. (L.S.)