IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO GAS BURNERS
Year: 1848

page_text: ARTHUR BIDDELL, of Ipswich, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the twelfth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Arthur Biddell, my exors, admñiors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said George
Arthur Biddell, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Arthur Biddell, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO GAS BURNERS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said George Arthur Biddell,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Arthur Biddell, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully

page_text: described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to-the-Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements applicable to gas burners relate to the
regulation of the supply of gas to them, and also to the shutting off the gas
from them. By these improvements a flame may be maintained at any desired
height or size under all ordinary variations of pressure, and should any flame
(above a certain low light) be extinguished, the gas will be shut off from the
burner through the same means by which the flame was regulated. The
means by which I accomplish these ends is by exposing to the heat of a flame
substances whose rates of expansion are unequal; the difference of expansion
of these substances is made to act upon a valve or cock so as to regulate the
flow of gas to the burner, according to the variation of the pressure, as the
rates of expansion of these substances vary with the height of flame; and the
apparatus is so arranged, that when the flame is extinguished the substances
contract in cooling, and allow the valve to close and shutt off any gas
that might otherwise have escaped. The valve which I prefer using for this
purpose is a spindle, one of a new description; it answers the purpose of a
regulating valve as well as a stop-cock; it is subject to very little friction, and
consequently very little wear. The communication with the valve is made by
passing its stalk or spindle through a deep and well fitted guide, which
answers the purpose of a stuffing box.
:
I will now describe the accompanying Drawing which represents my appa-
ratus as applied to a common argand burner. All the figures are drawn full
size, and the same letters in each Figure refer to the same parts.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, represent my improvements as applied to a single
burner, for the purpose of regulating its own flame only.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section; Figure 2 is an end elevation;
Figure 3 is a plan.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, represent my improvements as applied to a single
burner, the flame from which is made to regulate those from several burners
besides itself. This drawing shews an apparatus capable of regulating any
number of burners less than twelve. If the apparatus is to be used for a
greater number of lights, the size of the valve will be required to be
enlarged.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section; Figure 5 is an end elevation;
Figure 6 is a plan. a is an ordinary argand burner; b is a metal ring for supporting
the glasses. On the outside of this ring are three projecting pieces to support
the ornamental glass, and into these projections three wires c, c, c, are fixed for

page_text: g
the purpose of keeping the chimney glass perpendicular and steady. To the
top of the bent tube d, which is firmly attached to f, the burner a, and ring b
are tightly fixed; e is the piece to the bottom of which the inlet pipe is to be
screwed, the top being connected to the piece f, through the centre of which
the valve grises and falls freely, the stalk being made to fit in the guide
sufficiently well so as to be gas-tight without the use of a stuffing box The
bottom edge of the valve g is coned and ground into its seat which is formed
in the piece e, so that the gas shall be perfectly shut off from the burner when
the valve is seated. The largest cylindrical part of the valve g fits nearly gas-
tight in that portion of f, from which the gas is conveyed to the burner; this
cylindrical part of the valve has a narrow flat face formed upon it (shown by
dotted lines in Figures 1 and 4) to prevent the flame being entirely extin-
guished when the valve is raised. By lifting the valve g from its seat, the gas
is admitted to the burner by passing between the upper edge of the largest
cylindrical portion of the valve and its corresponding edge in the piece f; the
distance these edges are from each other determines the quantity of gas
supplied to the burner. The upper or external portion of the stalk of the
valve is recessed so as to form a shoulder, by which it can be suspended
from the forked lever h, which moves on a centre pin i, which is screwed into
one side of the lever h. k is a steel wire, the lower part of which is screwed
into a piece of metal projecting from the tube d, and to which it is firmly
attached; through this projecting piece the pin i passes freely. I is a piece of
ivory, wood, or any suitable bad conductor of heat, having a mortice hole
through its centre which tapers in its width in the direction of its depth;
the lower part of the steel wire le is made to fit this mortice by means of this
piece; the wire k can be conveniently turned when it is hot; m is a small
nut which keeps the piece l up to its proper position; n is a brass tube which
should slide freely upon the steel wire k, before it is joined to it at the top; or,
instead of being joined, the steel wire k may have a head formed upon it, so
as to form an abutment for the brass tube; o is a collar resting upon the two
curved edges of the short arms of the lever h; this collar is retained in its
place by the steel wire.k, which passes through a hole in its centre; p is a
counterbalance weight attached to the lever h to ease the tube n and wire k
from an excessive weight; this is not necessary for a single light regulator ;
q is the outlet from which the gas is conveyed to the other burners not required
for a single light regulator.
I will now describe the method of using the apparatus:-The drawing
represents the valve g as closed, the gas being entirely shut off from the
When the gas is to be lighted, the piece is to be turned round
burner.

page_text: from right to left; by this means the long end of the lever his raised, which
lifts the valve.g from_its_seat, thus allowing a portion of gas to pass to the
burner, which can then be lighted; but however great the quantity of gas
which is let on when the light is applied to it, the flame is instantly brought
down to a low one by the elongation of the brass tube n, so that to procure
any other than a low flame, the piece l, after the gas is once lighted, must be
turned in a contrary direction, videlicet, from left to right, so as to lower the
valve f, and this must be persisted in for a few seconds if a high flame be
required, because the tube n and wire k put all high flames down until they
are expanded to lengths which are always proportioned to the heat of a certain
height of flame. After having the valve set so as to give the desired height of
flame, should the pressure of the gas be increased the flame would rise higher;
but this is quickly counteracted by the lengthening of the tube n, which shuts
off a portion of the gas; should the pressure of the gas be decreased the
reverse action takes place. Should it be required to obtain a low flame
quickly, after having the valve set for a high one, the piece 7 is turned from
right to left; a low flame is instantly obtained without a possibility of being
extinguished by this means. All heights of flame are easily and quickly
extinguished by turning the piece 7 sufficiently far from left to right, and thus
allowing the valve to close.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the particular
arrangement of the parts nor to the kind of valve described, but what I claim
is the application of two substances to the heat of a flame, the difference of
expansion of which substances shall be made to regulate that flame only, or
other flames beside.
I also claim the construction of regulators, whereby the same substances
that regulate shall also be the means of shutting off the gas when the flame is
extinguished.
I also claim the peculiar construction of valve, whereby the gas shall be
'totally shut off by the motion of the valve in one direction, and shall not be
totally shut off by the motion in an opposite direction.
I also claim the method of keeping those parts gas-tight, through which any
rod or spindle passes, by making them long, and having them well fitted
together, thus dispensing with a stuffing box.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Arthur Biddell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
GEORGE ARTHUR (L.S.) BIDDELL.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineteenth day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid George Arthur Biddell came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-ninc.