CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Georges Danré, of Marseilles, in the Empire of
France, and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn, London, for the Invention'
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS."
Sealed the 6th March 1855, and dated the 23rd September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Georges Danré at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd September 1854.
I, GEORGES DANRE, of Marseilles, in the Empire of France, and of 16,
Castle Street, Holborn, London, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS" to be as follows:--
These improvements relate to burners, which I call self-reflecting, and
consist, first, in certain contrivances for heating, expanding, and regulating the
volume of air and of gas, for the purpose of effecting a complete combustion;
second, in adding to this threefold action a double reflection of light, one of
them being produced by an appendage or part of the burner, and the other
being produced by the first reflection being received and sent back by means
of an ordinary reflector added.
To carry out the first improvement, I form at the upper portion of the
burner a bulb or other suitable capacity above the burner hole or holes. The

page_text: flames of the burners, impinging upon the bulb or capacity, heat the gas, so as
to cause it to expand and exit in a fitter state for combustion. For regulating
the volume of air, I leave at the globe usually used for gas lights an aperture
round the gas pipe. The entrance of air into the globe by this hole is facili-
tated or impeded, as the case may be, by a plate of suitable size, which has, as
far as it extends, the saine shape as the globe, and may be screwed up and
down on the gas pipe, towards or from the globe. The air passing between
this regulating plate and the heated sides of the globe, is heated so as to
facilitate combustion of the gas. The first reflecting surface may also be
surrounded with a second and larger one; this outer shell then is heated by
gas playing round and upon it, thus heats the air entering into the outer
shell by a regulator, as before, which air again heats an interior or gas shell,
to the top of which the gas is led by an innermost gas pipe reacting nearly to
the top of the gas shell.
the
--
In order to carry out the second part of my improvements, I make the
burner of some bright metallic or porcelain surface, which reflects the light
given out by the gas escaping from holes at the under part of the burner.
This reflecting surface may be either on the burner itself, or it may be a sepa-
rate part from the burner, to be hung on it or secured to it when required.
As to shape, it may have any suitable curved, concave, or convex contour, such
as sperical, paraboloidal, meniscus-like in section, etc.; or these curves
combined so as to reflect light most advantageously, as well as to heat the gas
contained in it. As to the shape and arrangement of the burner or burners
they may be on any of the known plans, viz., bat's-wing, Manchester, etc.,
and they may issue from or be applied to the gas and air shells, or reflecting
and heating surfaces above mentioned, at any points that are thought most
convenient.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Georges Danré in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGES
'DANRE, of Marseilles, in the Empire of France, and of 16, Castle Street,
Holborn, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our

page_text: time
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Georges Danré, Her special licence that I, the said Georges Danré,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Georges Danré, my éxecutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
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 of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GAS BURNERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Georges Danré, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Georges Danré, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
These improvements relate to burners which I call self-reflecting, and
consist, first, in certain contrivances for heating, expanding, and regulating the
volume of air, and of lighting gas, for the purpose of effecting a complete
combustion of the latter. Second, in adding to this threefold action a double
reflection of light, one of them being produced by an appendage or part of
the burner, and the other resulting from the rays first reflected being received
and sent back by means of an ordinary reflector superadded.
To carry out the first improvement, I form at the upper portion of the
burner a bulb or other suitable capacity above the burner hole or holes. The
flames of the burners, impinging upon the bulb or capacity, heat the gas, so
as to cause it to expand and exit in a fitter state for combustion. For regu-
lating the volume of air that enters for combustion, I leave at the globe usually
employed for gas lights an aperture round the gas pipe. The entrance of air,
into the globe by this hole is facilitated or impeded, as the case may be, by a
plate of suitable size, which has, as far as it extends, the same shape as the
globe, and may
be screwed up and down on the gas pipe. The air passing,
between this regulating plate and the heated sides of the globe is heated so as
to facilitate the combustion of the gas. The first reflecting surface may also
be surrounded with a second & larger one; this outer shell is then heated
by the gas playing round and upon it, & thus heats the air entering the outer

page_text: shell by a regulator, as before described, which air again heats an interior or
gas shell, to the top of which the gas is led by an innermost pipe, reaching
nearly to the top of the
gas shell.
In order to carry out the second part of my improvements, I make the
burner of some bright metallic or porcelain surface, which reflects the light
given out, by the gas escaping from holes at the under part of the burner.
This reflecting surface may be either on the burner itself, or it may be a sepa-
rate part from the burner, to be hung on it or secured to it when required.
As to the shape of the reflecting surface, it may have any suitable curved,
concave, or convex contour, such as spherical, paraboloidal, meniscus-like, in
section, &c.; or these curves combined, so as to reflect light most advan-
tageously, as well as to heat the gas contained in it. As to the shape and
arrangement of the burners, they may be on any of the known plans, viz.,
bat's-wing, single jet, &c., and they may be made to issue from or be applied
to the gas and air shells or reflecting surfaces above mentioned, at any points
that are thought most suitable.
Having thus briefly set forth the nature of my Invention, I will now fully
describe the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, and for
this purpose I have represented on the annexed Sheets of Drawings several
forms of my improved burners and mountings relating thereto.
Figs. 1, 12, 1, 1, 1ª, Sheet 1, relate to a self-reflecting burner, with one
reflecting face. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the burner complete; Fig. 2,
a front view of the same, the remaining Figures shewing details. A is
the meniscus-like reflector; B, gas-heating chamber or capacity contained
in the same; C, air-heating cup, of plain or cut crystal; D, tap, by which the
admission of the gas is regulated, and which is secured on the left hand, on a
main pipe, feeding one or more self-reflecting burners, and which is screwed
at the other extremity on the right hand to an elbow pipe, which leads the gas
to the chamber B. E is a screw nut for regulating the introduction of air, by
raising and lowering the cup C; F, chamber of the burner, in which the gas
is heated additionally; G, elbow pipe, by which the gas enters from the
chamber B, and which carries a stem, on which the regulating nut E is
screwed. Fig. 1, plan of the burner, which is perforated with twenty or any
suitable number of holes that have the same angle as the cone. The number
of these holes may be increased, and there may even be a central row of holes,
as in the single jet or candle burner, Fig. 5. These central holes are drilled
perpendicular, being intended to feed the flame, and giving steadiness to the
light. The apertures at the extremities of the flattened cone must be drilled
perpendicular, or rather slightly inclined in a contrary direction, to the others,

page_text: thus spreading or widening out the flame. H is a burner cone, shewn in ⚫
section at Fig. 1, in elevation Fig. 1, and in plan Fig. 1. I is a chimney made
of crystal, being flattened at the top & bottom, as shewn in horizontal section
Fig. 1, and at K in the horizontal section Fig. 1ª, respectively, and conical
about the burner cone, as shewn in Fig. 1. J, Figs. 1, 1, 1, 1d, shews the
form of the flame produced. This burner acts in the following way:-The
gas is heated in the chamber F, on the elbow G. The flattened conc H is for
dividing the jets of gas before they unite at the top, and owing to this
temporary division each jet may saturate itself with the necessary atmospheric
air, the latter being guided by the conical shape of the glass against the conical
portion of the burner, on which each jet of gas is made to pass, owing to the
inclination of the jet holes. By this arrangement the air and the gas is better
combined than in the split or fish-tail burner, and a better light is obtained with
the same quantity of gas. The surface of the burner from which the gas issues
must either be iron or porcelain, if the gas is obtained from sulphuretted sub-
stances; if not so, this surface may be of copper or brass. The crystal chimney
I, being flattened in the same direction as the cone of the burner G, as seen
at I and I", is intended to keep the flame flat, this form being more suitable
for reflection than the round one. The crystal cup C is made to receive more
or less air, according to the size of the light, and this is done by screwing this
cup higher up or lower down, by means of the nut E. The conical shape of
the chimney causes much heat to descend into the cup, and, moreover, the air
is heated whilst descending into the cup, by the galleries of the burner and of
the chimney, and upon the portion of the self-reflecting burner, which it plays
against whilst sinking into the said cup, out of which it is sucked by the
.draught of the chimney I. Lastly, the self-reflecting burner or self-reflector,
having a chamber B, communicates to the gas, which descends from D to G,
playing upon its entire interior surface, the heat which it receives from the
flame, in such manner that the gas attains a tolerably high temperature before
receiving the final heating in the chamber F, of the burner G.
Fig. 2, on Sheet 2, and Figs. 20, 2b, 2º, on Sheet 1, refer to a self-reflecting
.burner, with two faces for street lighting; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through
the two reflecting surfaces of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of
one of the burners, taken at right angles to Fig. 2; and Fig. 2b is a plan of
the same. A, reflector; B, pipe, in which the gas is heated by the hot air
of the chamber C, contained in the reflector. This chamber is formed by the
two concave reflecting surfaces being soldered on two side plates and a copper.
<top, which is quicked, silvered, or tinned over outside. This chamber is open
at the bottom, and the air is heated in it by the internal faces of the reflectors

page_text: the air being renewed very slowly. D, regulating tap for both burners;
D', D", gas taps for each burner, which are for maintaining the two flames
at the same height; E, nut for lowering or raising a glass washer E', so as to
increase or diminish the entrance of air into the lantern, according as the
weather is windy or calm; E' is a glass washer, which begins heating the air
by forcing it to pass upon the bottom of the lantern, upon which all the heat
of the burner is deflected. When the air thus heated in some degree gets
into the lantern through the opening E"; its température is further raised by
its contact with the very hot air which fills the chamber C, towards which it
tends to rise before being attracted under the burners by the draught of the
chimneys. F, F, chambers of the burners, in which the gas is heated; G, G',
elbow pipes, which receive the gas from the brass pipe B. These burners have
four rows of jet holes, the two corresponding rows on opposite sides being
united by a semicircle of jets, as seen at G", in plan, Fig. 2. The holes of
the inner rows are inclined; those of the outer rows are straight or perpen-
dicular, as seen at G, G, Fig. 2 H, H; represent three rows of holes, for
sifting the air, and feed in divided air at the centre of the flat column of gas,
whose component jets are also divided; and in order that the air and gas may
mix in a chemical proportion and also for preventing this inner air jet
dividing the flame into two sheets, its admission may be regulated by sinall
dampers h, h, Figs. 2 and 2. 1, 1', crystal chimneys. J, J', Fig. 2, shows
an end view of the flames; Fig. 2, a front view; Fig. 2, a plan of the
same. K, lantern; L, pipe for conducting the gas from the tap D to the top
of the tube B, in which it is heated by the hot air of the chamber C, and from
whence it goes to the elbow pipes G, G', by passing through taps D', D¨.
By the above arrangement of a burner with two reflecting and heating faces,
the results as obtained with one. reflecting and heating face are still further
improved. The single reflecting burner has a chamber B, which is cooled
from behind by the atmospheric air, whilst, the reflecting burner with two
reflecting faces. acts by both of its interior faces towards heating the atmo-
spheric air, which passes through it very slowly. This air being thus raised to
a
high temperature heats the gas chamber or tube of Fig. 2. This apparatus,
which is for streets, squares, and public thoroughfares; may have 3, 4, 5, 7,
& 8 faces, according to the position in which it is to be used, so as to throw
the light in as many directions as may be desired. With four faces.at least
the apparatus throws no shadow in any direction, if there is a spherical reflect-
ing surface of a large diameter, and if the extremities which meet are made to
form right angles. In this form the burner is particularly applicable to public
thoroughfares, to lanterns of steam ships, and locomotives. These lanterns,

page_text: being suspended from a ball and socket joint, will be able to turn in all direc-
tions, and on ships will always keep the vertical position, notwithstanding the
ship's rolling or pitching; they may also be hung by a rope or chain, and receive
the gas through an elastic tube. It would be better still to let the burner
have six and even eight faces, using the burner shewn at Fig. 2, &c., which
will give the most powerful light by means of a portable compressed & highly
carburetted gas, this kind of gas being indispensable for locomotives and
When used for signal lights, each reflecting and vertical face of
these apparatus should have a cap on the top, having a paraboloidal shape, and
being slightly inclined from the reflector upwards, so as to receive the rays of
light from the reflector, and project them as far as possible on the railroad or
on the water.
steamers.
Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is an elevation of a complete self-reflecting in-door burner
or chandelier with four faces, which I prefer making either of porcelain or any
other silvery or platinized substances. A is the reflector with four reflecting
faces, and containing a chamber both like those C at Fig. 2; B is a brass
tube, in which the gas is heated by the hot air of the chamber which is con-
tained in the centre of the four reflecting faces. The gas is heated whilst
descending from the main tap D to the particular tap of each burner. C is
the open bottom of the above-mentioned chamber, which is formed by four
reflecting surfaces which are soldered to vertical plates and to a top plate of
quicked or silvered copper, in case the burners are made of iron or silvered
copper; but if the burner is made of porcelain, the reflecting surfaces and other
portions of the reflector may be made of one piece. The air is thoroughly
heated in this chamber, as it is but slowly renewed. D is the main gas tap for
the complete apparatus; D', D", taps for each separate burner, and for keeping
the two flames at the same height; E is a screw for lowering or raising a
cup E', E', which contains the four burners, so as to diminish or increase the
opening for the entrance of air into said cup; E", E", cup of cut or plain
crystal, which, with the nut E, form a contrivance for regulating the admission
of air. This cup starts the heating process of the air by causing it to pass in
contact with the glass and the gallery of the chimney, and also by imparting
to it the heat it receives from the burners radiating downwards, and from the
inner and outer cones y, 9, 9", and h, h, h". The air which descends into
the cup E', E', being attracted by the chimneys I, I, I", is further heated by
contact with the hot air of the chamber C, into which it tends to rise. F, F',
shews a vertical section of a heating chamber of one of the burners.
G, G', G", are the three burners or lights, which are in sight. Fig. 3º is a
top plan of one of these burners. The burners have two circular rows of gas

page_text: jets, the holes of which are drilled perpendicular, being very small and
numerous, so as to better divide the gas, and cause it to be more thoroughly
mixed with air. These burners have internal cones h, h', h" which force the
air to divide into two columns, one of which is directed upon the gas jets of
the inner row, and the other of which rises towards the centre of the flame for
aiding the combustion of gases which in ordinary burners are wasted. The
burners also have each an outer cone g, 9, 9", acting in the same manner
upon the gases that form the outer surface of the flame. This action is
especially effective for the more carburetted kinds of hydrogen gas, as it
prevents waste of gas, smoke, and soot. II is a rod of brass or any other metal,
which is soldered to the bottom of the iron or brass pipe B, and serves to
support the nut part of the air regulator E, E"; I, I, I", are three chimneys
of crystal or crown glass, which are cylindrical round the flame, conical around
the foot of the flame, so as to throw the air back upon the gas jets, and cylin-
drical, but wider at the part which fits into the gallery; J, J', J", are
cylindrical flames. The surface of the burners with the jet holes must be of
iron, or of porcelain if the gas is sulphuretted.
In Fig. 2 the air enters below the lantern; and in Fig. 3, above the crystal
cup E", E".
In both Figures the top of the reflector has a square hole for
receiving the square end of the rod on the brass tube B, Figs. 2 & 3, for
carrying the apparatus. The whole apparatus is easily taken off this square
supporting rod and put on again, so as to get into the proper relative position
with regard to the burners.
In Fig. 4, Sheet 1, G represents a burner, like those shewn at Fig. 3; L is
a double cone, which is placed on the inner edge of the burner, and descends
into its centre. This cone gives passage only to one current or column of air,
but this column widening out above the burner remains in better contact and
for a longer time with the gases that form the flame, and in similar manner
gives rise to a more complete combustion than with the column of air that is
obtained in burners whose central part is entirely cylindrical or open, as in
Argand burners, or whose conical form does not cause the rising current of air
to be arrested, as in the present contrivance.
This burner and those shewn at Fig. 3 offer less illuminating surface to the
reflector than the burners with a flat flame; hence they are less apt for
reflection and less economical to use. However, as the flame produced by them
has a more pleasing appearance, and the space to be lighted up in-doors being
generally small, in comparison to that which street lamps have to radiate
through, they will be found to give sufficient brilliancy of light for in-door use.
In Fig. 5, Sheet 1, G shews a burner, which is intended to be a substitute

page_text: for the common single-jet light or candle burners. C is a crystal cup, which,
together with the screw E, forms an air regulator and warmer of the same
kind as those shewn at Figs. 1 & 3; F, large chamber for heating the gas;
HI, circular cone, which is constructed on the same principle as the flat cone of
Fig. 1, Sheet 1. Fig. 5, Sheet 1, is a plan of the burner and the cone H,
shewing the holes which pour out jets of gas around this conc, these jets
uniting into one single jet at the centre. This latter being a very fine aperture
produces a straight jet for feeding, guiding, and balancing the flame produced
by the circular row of gas jets, the latter rising separately up to the apex of
the cone, and thus being saturated with air before they unite, as in Fig. 1,
Sheet 1. A central line of very fine holes acting in the same manner may
also be employed in addition to the flattened cone of the burner shewn at
Fig. 1 I is the crystal chimney, which is cylindrical above the cone,
conical around the same, and cylindrical where it fits into the gallery; this
chimney acts in the same way as those described with reference to Fig. 1,
Sheet 1. J shews an exact representation of the flame, as produced by this
burner. The arrangement of the cone and of the glass, and the more complete
mixture of the air and the gas in this than in ordinary single-jet or candle
burners, allows the gas to be burnt more completely. As an instance of the
economy obtained, a reflector with four reflecting surfaces of four inches and
three-quarters diameter, and four burners, like those at Fig. 5, will be sufficient
to light up a room twenty-four feet square with a consumption of about 7
cubic feet of common coal gas, about 4 cubic feet of hydrocarbon or resin
gas, and 3 cubic feet of oil gas.
of
It will appear from the different arrangements which have been described
above, that all the parts are connected, and each is contributing towards
heating, expanding, and regulating or distributing the volumes of air and
gas, in such manner as to put the two fluids in such chemical proportion as
will produce a perfect economic and consequently innoxious combustion.
Another novel feature of the burning apparatus, above described, is the use to
which I put reflectors for heating the gas previously to its being burnt. The
different improved burners, as described with reference to the above apparatus,
may also be applied to any other lighting apparatus that are used without
reflector, or only with a common onc. Also, without departing from the
principle of this Invention, the form of the reflectors and of the cups or plates
E may be devised in various ways, and the same differently placed to what bas
been described above; for instance, the reflector may be placed under or above
the light, and, moreover, common burners may be used with said reflecting
apparatus. The reflecting face may have any suitable shape, but I generally

page_text: prefer the spherical form, as with this shape the light can be placed outside the
cavity of the reflector, and when several reflecting faces are used, they may be
made to touch each other, so as to avoid the projection of any shadow. For
out-door use I prefer employing reflecting surfaces of silver or platinum, on
account of their great brightness; but for in-door use I generally employ
white opaque porcelain, these reflecting a milder light, which is less offensive
to eye-sight.
Having thus described the manner in which my Invention is or may be
carried into effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not claim the
processes of reflecting the light and heating the air and gas, both of these being
already practised separately or disjointly in several known apparatus; but
what I claim as novel, & being secured to me by the hercin-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, combining or connecting the processes of heating, expanding, and
regulating the air and lighting gas, as in the apparatus above described, and
especially by means of the burners shaped, chambered, and pierced, and having
air regulators, as shewn at the several Figures of the accompanying Sheets of
Drawings.
Second, obtaining heat from the reflectors, which are themselves heated by
the flames of the light, and give off their caloric to the air and gases before
they are burnt.
Third, the application of a chamber to a single reflector for the purpose of
heating the gas therein directly, as shewn at Fig. 1.
Fourth, forming a chamber between several reflecting surfaces; this
chamber, being open at the bottom for the air to enter, gets heated, and then
heats the gas, which is made to pass through the chamber by means of a pipe,
substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 & 2 of the annexed
Drawings.
Fifth, the application of white and opaque porcelain to reflecting surfaces,
being less offensive to eye-sight.
In witness whereof, I, the said Georges Danré, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.