IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS FITTINGS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. James Webster, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS FITTINGS."
Sealed the 25th July 1862, and dated the 4th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Webster at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
February 1862.
I, JAMES WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said' Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GAS FITTINGS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
My Invention refers, firstly, to improvements in the knibs or burners, and
secondly, to the slides of movable pendents or gasaliers. In making my
improved knibs or burners I cut the aperture for the gas in such direction
that the flame jets out downwards, and then rises upwards slightly in a
mushroom form. In the argand burner I perforate the holes in a ring round
the side of the burner, instead of upon the top; the effect of this arrangement
is that the air acts upon the flame immediately as it issues from the burner,
and more perfect combustion is ensured. My improvements in the sliding
parts of moveable pendents or gasaliers, consist in the employment of a
substitute for the balance weights and chains, connected to the ordinary water
slide, which substitute is thus formed:-Upon the water cup I secure a gland

page_text: or stuffing box provided at the top with a screw or nut, for the purpose of
tightening the parts. Round the fixed tube I wrap loosely a strip of thin
metal or metal gauze, overlapping the joint, and I prefer for this purpose
block tin in the form of thin sheets. Over this runner and completely
surrounding it, I place a short tube of vulcanized rubber acting with equal
pressure all round the metal runner. The rubber keeps the metal runner
always in immediate contact with the fixed gas tube. A loose collar is
employed to work upon the top of the india-rubber tube compressing it, but
without affecting the metal runner, and this loose collar is kept to its work by
a screw and cap working into the stuffing box.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Webster, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Webster, Her special licence that I, the said James Webster,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Webster, 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 GAS FITTINGS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Webster, by an instru-
ment 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 immediately after the
date of the said.Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Webster, 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

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures.marked thereon (that is to say):—
My Invention refers, firstly, to improvements in the knibs or burners,
and secondly, to the slides of moveable pendents or gasaliers. In making my
improved knibs or burners I cut the aperture for the gas in such direction
that the flame jets out downwards and then rises upwards slightly in a
mushroom form. In the argand burner I perforate the holes in a ring round
the side of the burner instead of upon the top, the effect of this arrangement
is that the air acts upon the flame immediately as it issues from the burner,
and more perfect combustion is ensured. My improvements in the sliding
parts of moveable pendents or gasaliers consist in the employment of a
substitute for the balance weights and chains connected to the ordinary water
slide, which substitute is thus formed:-Upon the water cup, I secure a gland
or stuffing box, provided at the top with a screw or nut for the purpose of
tightening the parts. Round the fixed tube I wrap loosely a strip of thin metal
or metal gauze overlapping the joint, and I prefer for this purpose block tin
in: the form of thin sheets. Over this runner, and completely surrounding it,
I place a short tube of vulcanized rubber acting with equal pressure all
round the metal runner; the rubber keeps the metal runner always in
immediate contact with the fixed gas tube. A loose collar is employed to
work upon the top of the india-rubber tube, compressing it, but without
affecting the metal runner, and this loose collar is kept to its work by a
screw and cap working into the stuffing box.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. represents one of my improved single slit knibs or burners.
Figure 2, one with a double slit. Figure 3, one of my improved argand
burners. Figure 4, shews in vertical section one of my improved slides;
Figure 5 being a transverse section on the line A B. Figure 6 represents in
vertical section a modification of the slide shewn in Figure 5; Figure 7,
a transverse section of the same on the line C D. Figure 8 shews in vertical
section a second modification of my improved slide, and Figure 9, an elevation
of the slotted screw, used in Figure 8. A, Figure 1, is a single knib or
burner of the usual form employed for a bats' wing burner. It is fixed on the
inner edge of the gallery or glass holder (6), and not centrally as with ordinary
burners. The aperture for the gas is cut as at (C), in the form of a slit and
in a direction rising slightly towards the centre of the burner, this causes
the flame to issue in a flat sheet downwards, the draught through the gallery
driving it upwards and maintaining it in almost a horizontal position. To

page_text: avoid the flame coming in contact with the glass, if a glass be required to
be used, I prefer to make it of the form shewn in the Drawings so that by
making the gallery sufficiently large to receive this form of glass, all danger
of breakage from the heat is avoided. Figuré 2 represents a double slit
burner upon the same principle, this burner is placed within the gallery
centrally, the Drawing shews it out of centre, but I prefer to place it
centrally. The slits are cut in the sides of the burner instead of in front;
that is to say, the flame issues in a line at right angles, or thereabouts, with
the tube (D). In this description of burner it is necessary to divide the stream
of gas before it reaches the orifice for lighting in order to avoid flickering in
the flame, therefore the burner is divided internally by a metal diaphragm.or
partition placed vertically within the burner, 'and. forming two channels, each
semicircular in section. If a glass be used with this burner I prefer to use
the same form as in that last described, the form shewn in. the Drawings.
Figure 3 shews one of my improved argand burners in which the openings
or gas jets are pierced around the sides of the burner, at a little distance from
the edge as at (e, e) instead of upon the top of the burner; this allows the air
to come in contact with the flame at the immediate point at which the gas
issues from the burner ensuring more perfect combustion. Figures 4 and 5,
represent sections of one of my improved slides for gas pendents, by which
I avoid the use of balance weights, chains, or pulleys. (f) is the fixed
tube conducting the gas from the pipe to the burners; (9), the water slide
tube; (h), the water cup on which is fixed a stuffing box (j), tapped
internally to receive the screw cap (k); 1) is a metal runner which may
be formed either with overlapped edges, or not quite closed into a tube, so that its
capability of being expanded or contracted may not be destroyed. This
runner is placed round the fixed tube (f), and over the runner is placed a
thick piece of vulcanized india-rubber (m), which acts as a spring closely
binding the metal runner upon the fixed tube, and thus causing a certain
impact between the runner and the fixed tube. The force of this impact is
increased by every additional turn of the screw cap (k), which as it compresses
the india-rubber vertically, compels it to exert its force horizontally, and thus
close the inetal runner more firmly round the fixed tube, by which it makes
the impact between the runner and the fixed tube sufficiently strong to
support the requisite weight. In this manner the screw cap (k) acts as a
regulator by which the strength of the slide may be adjusted to the weight
to be maintained. A modification of this description of slide is shewn in
Figures 6 and 7 in which, in lieu of the metal runner and india-rubber
spring I employ two metal springs (o), each lined with a leather or other

page_text: pad (p). These metal springs are nearly semicircular in cross section, and
are pinned loosely to a ring or collar (r) within the stuffing box, the screw
cap (k) acts also in this instance as a regulator, for as it is screwed down it
forces a greater length of the spring pad to impinge against the fixed tube,
and thus produces a greater amount of friction between the pad and the tube
and enables the slide to sustain a greater weight. The same result is attained
by the arrangement shewn in Figures 8 and 9, in which the stuffing box is
tapped with a tapering screw (s) whilst the cap is made with a parallel-sided
screw, as in Figure 9, slotted to enable it to bear a certain amount of contrac-
tion without producing a "set." In screwing down this cap the internal or
female screw being tapered, it follows that the male screw will be closed
round the fixed tube and thus produce the necessary amount of friction to
support the weight.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim, without limiting myself to the
precise details described, the several improvements in burners and fittings for
gas, and in slides for pendent gasaliers substantially as herein more fully set
fortli and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Webster, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
(L.S.) JAMES WEDSIER.