IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR GAS, PETROLEUM, AND OTHER LAMPS OR LIGHTING APPARATUS."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Siemens, of Dresden, in the German Empire, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR GAS, PETROLEUM, AND
OTHER LAMPS OR LIGHTING APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Siemens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th September 1879.
FREDERICK SIEMENS, of Dresden, in the German Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BURNERS FOR GAS, PETROLEUM, AND OTHER LAMPS OR LIGHTING APPARATUS.”
According to my present Invention I divide or split up the air supply to burners
at the point where it comes in contact with the flame into a number of small
separate jets, whereby a more brilliant and steady flame is produced, enabling the
burners to be used without chimney glasses, an ordinary globe, by preference of
oval shape, or shade, affording sufficient draught for maintaining a steady flame.
For this purpose I provide, at or about the level of the orifice of the gas burner
or of the wick of the oil burner, a shield having a number of small apertures or
notches along or round its inner edge in close contiguity to the edge of the burner,
such notches being by preference of Van Dyke or angular form, as I find that by this
form the most effective action of the air jets is obtained.
In order effectually to direct the air supply through such notches the space below
the shield is formed as a closed chamber surrounding the burner, having openings
at the lower end through which the air enters.
For flat burners the notches would be formed in two straight rows, one on each
side of the burner, while for ring shaped or argand burners there is, firstly, an
annular shield with the said notches arranged in a ring round the outside of the
burner; and, secondly, there is a circular shield covering the central aperture of the
burner, and having the said notches arranged round its circumference.
The form and size of the notches may be greatly varied according to circum-
stances, thus, instead of being of Van Dyke or angular form, they may be rounded
or corrugated, or of rectangular shape.
The points of the shields should be at or about the level of the top of the burner
or wick, and it is found advantageous to raise the other part of the shields somewhat
above that level.

page_text: •
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Siemens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
March 1880.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
FREDERICK SIEMENS, of Dresden, in the German Empire.
BURNERS FOR GAS, PETROLEUM, AND OTHER LAMPS OR LIGHTING APPARATUS."
According to my present Invention I divide or split up the air supply to burners
at the point where it comes in contact with the flame into a number of small
separate jets, whereby a more brilliant and steady flamo is produced, enabling the
burners to be used without chimney glasses, an ordinary globe, by preference of
oval shape, or shade, affording sufficient draught for maintaining a steady flame.
For this purpose I. provide, at or about the level of the orifice of the gas burner
or of the wick of the oil burner, a shield having a number of small apertures or
notches along or round its inner edge in close contiguity to the edge of the burner,
such notches being by preference of Van Dyke or angular form, as I find that by
this form the most effective action of the air jets is obtained. In order effectually
to direct the air supply through such notches the space below the shield is formed
as a closed chamber surrounding the burner, baving openings at the lower end
through which the air enters. For flat burners the notches would be formed in two
straight rows, one on each side of the burner, while for ring shaped or argand
burners there is, firstly, an annular shield with the said notches arranged in a ring
round the outside of the burner, and, secondly, there is a circular shield covering
the central aperture of the burner, and having the said notches arranged round its
circumference.
The form and size of the notches may be greatly varied according to circum-
stances, thus, instead of being of Van Dyke or angular form, they may be rounded
or corrugated, or of rectangular shape.
Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying Drawings shew variously modified forms of such
notches; Fig. 5 shews a vertical section, and Fig. 6 shews a plan of an argand burner
provided with such shields according to my Invention.
A is the annular shield or air deflector surrounding the outside of the burner B,
and having a number of Van Dyke notches a, a, the points between which approach
closely the edge of the burner. Below the shield A is formed the air chamber C,
having apertures c at bottom through which the air enters, and in rising issues in a
number of small separate jets through the notches a, which in impinging against the
flame of the burner have the effect of considerably increasing its brilliancy and
steadiness. D is the circular shield or air deflector covering the central space of the
burner, and having Van Dyked notches & on its circumference, the points between
which are presented to the inner edge of the burner, as shewn.
The points of the shields should be at or about the level of the top of the burner
or wick, and it is found advantageous to raise the other part of the shields some-
what above that level, as shewn. Care should be taken to make the notches uniform
in size; size and form will depend on particular conditions and requirements.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9, shew respectively a vertical section and sectional plans on line
X, X, of an arrangement in which the above described Invention is applied to a lamp
burner with heated air supply, according to the Invention described in my Patent
No. 2231, of 1879. The gas passes through the pipe g and branch pipes g¹, g¹, into
the annular chamber h, and also through the branch 9 into a small central burner
k. On the chamber h are a number of small tubes i, i, from the upper ends of which
the gas issues and is burnt. The chamber h also carries two concentric tubes, of
which the inner one f contains the heating or flame regenerator, while in the annular
space between this and the outer one is formed the air regenerator, such regene-
rators consisting of wire gauze, or other suitable porous material that will readily
take up and give off heat, as described in my before mentioned Patent. The gas
issuing from the central burner k through holes c being mixed with air entering

page_text: through the holes e burns with a blue flame, giving considerable heat, and the heated
products of this combustion pass up through the inner regenerator imparting their
beat thereto and escaping through the contracted throat at top. The heat thus
taken up by the inner regenerator is imparted by conduction and radiation to the
outer regenerator and to the gas tubes i between the two, by which means both the
gas and the air supply are heated before entering into combustion. The contracted
throat carries at a certain height above the top of the gas tubes i and outer tubes
Z the circular air deflector D with Van Dyked notches, through the centre of which,
and consequently through the centre of the flame of the lamp, the products of
combustion from the heating jet escape.
The air regenerator or heater, which is surrounded by a jacket as shewn to prevent
loss of heat, is also somewhat contracted at top, as shewn, and is there provided with
the outer annular vandyked air deflector A, by which the heated air issuing from
the regenerator is made to impinge in separate jets upon the flame at some distance
below the inner deflector D, which in like manner causes a portion of the air that
passes from between the upper ends of the gas tubes to the inner side thereof to
impinge in separate jets upon the inner surface of the flame which surrounds it. As
the heated air of itself tends to flow upwards no glass cylinder or chimney is requisite
for creating a draught for this purpose, and the flame can therefore burn quite free;
but in order to prevent it from being disturbed by external draughts or air currents,
as also to prevent danger of fire, it is enclosed in a lamp. For this purpose, and to
increase as much as possible the beneficial effect of the light, the following arrange-
ment is employed :-An inverted bell shaped lamp glass Z, of opal or other suitable
glass, is mounted upon the outer tube 7 of the burner in such a position that the
flame is situated about in the middle of the glass, air passing freely to it through
the small opening at the lower end of the glass. On the upper edge of the glass
rests a circular mirror S of an inverted conical form, having a central hole in which
is suspended a short cylinder of metal or glass through which the gaseous products
of combustion escape. The mirror S serves to reflect the light that is thrown
upward in a lateral direction against the sides of the lamp glass, thereby utilising
such light to greater advantage in increasing the amount of light radiated in a
horizontal or downward direction from the glass.
I do not claim the construction of burner and lamp above described with reference
to Figs. 7 to 9, except in so far as regards the application thereto of the before
described notched shields or air deflectors.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and, in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,―
First. Dividing the air supply to burners of lamps and other lighting apparatus
at the point where it meets the flame into a number of separate jets which cut into
the flame, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
Second. The use, for dividing the air supply of burners into separate jets, of
shields or air deflectors having Van Dyked or other shaped notches arranged sub-
stantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Siemens, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
FREDERICK SIEMENS. (L.S.)