Year: 1897

page_text: 1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and, 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for its object an improved gas burner operating with cubic
expansion of the gas and yielding a maximum lighting power.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which :
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of a form of fan burner,
Figure 3 a similar view of a circular crown burner in which the gas emerging
from the holes a and b heats the upper reservoir c,
Figure 4 a vertical section of a form of burner with a fan flame and provided
with two flanged shoulders xx in the metallic upper part,
Figure 5 a cross section on the line m n of Figure 4, and
Figure 6 a plan of Figure 4.
In order to obtain the maximum luminous effect of lighting gas, it is indispensable
that it be caused to emerge from the orifices of combustion in very thin streams in
such a way as to give the flame the greatest superficial extension compatible with
the unity of volume of the gas emerging in a unit of time.
The richer a gas is in carbon the more indispensable is this condition in order to
obtain a good and perfect combustion with a maximum luminous effect. For a gas
of common richness in carbon the luminous intensity is proportionate to the surface
of the flame, and it does not increase with the thickness of the layer of burning
gas. But in employing the mechanical means known hitherto, it was impossible to
exceed a certain limit which has only been exceeded by means of the burner forming
the object of the present invention.
According to the present invention the burner is arranged in such a way that as
soon as a flame as thin as possible has been obtained by means of a slotted or
perforated burner the obscure part of this flame comes in contact at the upper
part of the burner with a metallic plate in such a way as to transmit a certain
quantity of heat to the gas before it emerges from the combustion orifices.
The gas thus heated increases in volume and consequently becomes lighter, so
that the same effect is produced as would have been obtained by a thinner flame.
In order that the gas may emerge in the most perfect state of rarefaction
possible, the burner is formed in the manner shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 in which
the
gas is forced one or more times in contact with metallic parts heated directly
by the obscure part of the flame.
Further description of the arrangement of the various burners is unnecessary, the
different arrows being sufficient to indicate the passage of the gas and render the
construction intelligible.

page_text: The parts of the burner encountered by the flame and the interior parts are
constructed of a metal which is a good conductor of heat, the other external parts
are constructed of metal or material which is a bad conductor, such for instance as
steatite in order to prevent the escape of the heat.
The form of fan burner shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 is provided with two
shoulders in the metallic upper part, with the object of increasing the quantity of
caloric transmitted to the gas and of producing a longer passage of the gas itself
in the interior of the burner in order to give it the necessary time for a large
cubic expansion. The present arrangement is more particularly applicable for
acetylene gas and in general to all other lighting gases which are less rich in
carbon.
This improved arrangement of burner has the advantage over other burners in
that with an equal consumption of gas a greater intensity of light is obtained and
with an equal intensity of light a greater economy in gas.
The right is reserved of introducing in the invention hereinbefore described all
the modifications and all the improvements which appear useful, or necessary in
practice without however departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A burner for lighting purposes with a cubic expansion of the gas, characterised
by an arrangement such as that shown in Figures 1-6 of the accompanying
drawings, by means of which the obscure part of the flame of the burner is utilised
by being caused to play upon the upper part of the burner in such a way as to.
raise the temperature of the gas contained in its interior, the gas being forced by
means of a series of passages one or more times in contact with a metallic piece or
plate (a) causing it to be rarefied before emerging from the combustion orifice,
whereby a thinner flame is obtained, the whole substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 17th day of May 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.