IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS AND LANTERNS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Sugg, of Vincent Street, in the City of
Westminster, Gas Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
BURNERS AND LANTERNS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Sugg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th April 1880.
WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG, of Vincent Street, in the City of Westminster, Gas
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS AND LANTERNS."
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improvement in flat flame gas burners, the
object being to maintain the proper shape of the flame when the supply of gas is
reduced, and thereby to prevent the flame from giving off smoke, which flat flame
burners are liable to do when not burning at their full brilliancy.
The burner I make of stentito, as usual, and slit the nipple with a rotary cutter
in the manner described in the Specification of my Patent of December 9th, 1874,
whereby the ends of the slit are inclined upwards. On a level with the termination
of the slit I form a flange on the steatite burner, the effect of which is to protect
the base of the flame from the upward rush of air, and deflect it outwards in such
manner as to prevent the flame from becoming forked at its side edges or other-
wise losing the curve which it is intended to take and retain.
The flame produced by this burner when the gas is full on will resemble the
profile of a pear somewhat flattened at the eye, and it will retain this shape while
reduced in size when the supply of gas is diminished.
The Invention relates, secondly, to an improvement in the lantern in which my
flat burners are used.
In the lanterns as hitherto constructed the main and sometimes the only supply
of air to support combustion is obtained from the top of the lantern, and when air
is admitted from below it is liable to affect the steadiness of the light by reason of
gusts of wind passing under the lantern.
To avoid this, and also to obtain a moderate or controlled supply of air direct to
the burners I surround the opening at the bottom of the lantern through which the

page_text: central gas pipe passes with a metal sleeve or cylinder open at top and bottom, and
in this sleeve surrounding the gas pipe I insert a funnel shaped air conductor, which
I so fix as to allow of the air which ascends the sleeve passing in part through the
funnel direct to the burners, and in part below the funnel, by which it is deflected
to the sides of the lantern. This air conductor I by preference enclose in a casing
of coarse wire gauze, or its equivalent, which reaches down to the bottom of the
lantern.
The ascending current of air as it reaches the wido mouth of the funnel will, in
the act of filling that enlarged space, lose all tendency to blow and move gently up
to the gas flames; at the same time the air deflected to the sides of the lantern will
mingle with the descending currents of air from the top, and thus a steady and
efficient supply of air to the burners will be maintained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Thomas Sugg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
October 1880.
WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG, of Vincent Street, in the City of Westminster, Gas
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS AND LANTERNS."
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improvement in flat-bane gas-burners, the
object being to maintain the proper shape of the flame when the supply of gas is
reduced, and thereby to prevent the flame from giving off smoke, which flat flame
burners are liable to do when not burning at their full brilliancy.
The burner I make of steatite, as usual, and slit the nipple with a rotary cutter
in the manner described in the Specification of my Patent of December Ninth, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy four, whereby the ends of the slit are inclined
upwards and outwards. Near the level of the termination of the slit I form a flange
on the steatite burner, the effect of which is to protect the base of the flame from
the upward rush of air, and deflect it outwards in such manner as to prevent the
flame from becoming forked at its side edges, or otherwise losing the curve which it
is intended to take and retain.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of the improved
burner shewing the flame in side view. This Figure, which represents a flat flame
burner calculated to burn from ten to twelve cubic feet of gas per hour, is drawn
four times its real size, the better to shew its peculiar conformation. Fig. 2 is a
plan view of this burner, and Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the same, the
section being taken in the plane of the slit. a is a slit made transversely in the
nipple of the burner, and underlying it is an annular flange b which is intended to
protect the flame from the disturbing influence of an upward rush of air. The slit,
which is made by advancing the burner to a rotating cutting tool along a line that
cuts the axis of the tool, inclines upwards and outwards at its ends, as is clearly
shewn in Fig. 3.
The amount of this inclination is such that the flange b, although placed at or
near a level with the termination of the slit at the inner periphery of the burner,
will be so far below the termination of the slit at the outer periphery of the burner
that while diverting ascending currents of air and preventing them from striking
the flame as it issues from the bottom of the slit, it will enable the flame to take
the pear shaped form of Fig. 1, which is well calculated to ensure an efficient
consumption of the gas. The form of flame produced by this burner, and clearly
shewn at Fig. 1, will be maintained under a properly regulated pressure without
any tendency to fork whether the tap he fully open or partially closed.
The Invention relates, secondly, to an improvement in the lantern in which my
flat flame burners are used.
In the lanterns as hitherto constructed the main and sometimes the only supply
of air to support combustion is obtained from the top of the lantern, and when air
is admitted from below it is liable to affect the steadiness of the light by reason
of gusts of wind passing under the lantern.
To avoid this and also to obtain a moderate or controlled supply of air direct to
the burners I construct my street lantern in the manner shewn in Sheet II. of the
Drawings, in which Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of so much of a lantern as will
explain my mode of controlling the admission of air through the bottom of the
lantern. In this Figure it will be seen that I surround the opening at the bottom
of the lantern through which the central gas pipe A passes with a metal sleeve or
cylinder B open at top and bottom. In this sleeve surrounding the gas pipe I
insert a funnel shaped air conductor C, which I so proportion and fix as to allow
of the air which ascends the sleeve passing in part through the funnel direct to
the burners, and in part outside the funnel by which it is deflected to the sides of

page_text: the lantern. The mouth of this funnel is preferably closed by a plate of perforated
zinc.
The air conductors B, C, I enclose in a casing of coarse wire gauze D, or its
equivalent, which reaches down to the bottom of the lantern.
The ascending current of air as it reaches the wide mouth of the funnel will in
the act of filling that enlarged space lose all tendency to blow, which result will be
assisted by the perforated plate. The air on leaving the funnel will rise gently up
to the gas flames, and at the same time the air deflected to the sides of the lantern
will mingle with the descending currents of air from the top. Thus a steady and
efficient supply of air to the burners will be maintained.
The arrangemement thus described I employ for small burners, but when a larger
group is used an additional amount of air will be required; the mode of obtaining
this is shown best in the sectional plan, Fig. 5, where E, E, E, E, are circular
openings made in the bottom of the lantern under or within the conical wire gauze
casing D. The air passing up through these openings will mingle with the air
which is passed up outside the funnel, and will afford an adequate supply to the
larger burner. Fig. 6 shews a slight modification of the lantern just described
suitable for a group of small burners; this Figure, which is a partial vertical
section on a smaller scale, shews the funnel C as fitting closely to the open ended
cylinder or sleeve B. In this example the mouth of the funnel is closed by a solid
plate which deflects the ascending currents of air through the sides of the funnel,
the funnel being in this instance composed of perforated plate, thus all the air
entering by the cylinder B will be deflected to the sides of the lantern instead of a
portion only as in the first example.
When this modification is used for a larger burner I construct it as shewn at
Figures 7 and 8, that is to say, I admit an additional quantity of air to the lantern
by means of tubes E, E, answering to the openings in the bottom of the lantern,
as shewn at Figures 4 and 5. These tubes I bend over at their upper ends towards
the sides of the lantern, and pass them through the circumscribing case of wire
gauze D.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in Gas
Burners and Lanterns," and explained the manner of carrying the saine into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, I clain,-
First. The construction of flat flame burners as described, whereby I am enabled
to obtain and maintain a steady pear-shaped flame of uniform or nearly uniform
shape while the burner is in use.
Secondly. Adapting to the bottom of lanterns in which flat flame burners are
used a funnel shaped air conductor, in the manner and for the purpose above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Sugg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.