Year: 1887

page_text: I, HENRY SOHLICHTER, of 41, 42, 43, and 44, Fore Street, in the City of London,
Doctor of Natural Science, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to my invention light is produced by causing illuminating gas and air
to flow in contact with platinum in suitable form such as wire-ribbon, or strip
previously heated to a suitable temperature whereby with suitable apparatus an
efficient light can be produced without flame, although it may be advantageous in
some cases to have at some suitable point a small burner at which unburnt gas
escaping past the platinum may be consumed. A light may be maintained according
to my invention so long as the supply of gas and air in suitable quantity to the
heated platinum is continued. Various forms of apparatus may be used for lighting
in this way, so long as the arrangement be such that the platinum can be conveniently
heated, and the gas and air supply can be directed, suitably regulated, to the heated
platinum so as to flow in, contact therewith. Such an apparatus may comprise a
burner with a platinum coil and a tap, and orifices for admission of air, so that a
flame may be produced for heating the platinum, and afterwards such flame can be
extinguished, and the supply of gas and air to the platinum in suitable quantities can
be continued.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: W43
1, HENRY SCHLICHTER, late of 41, 42, 43, and 44, Fore Street, in the City of
London, but now of 95, Milton Street, Fore Street, aforesaid, Doctor of Natural
Science, 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:-
According to my invention, light is produced by causing illuminating gas and
air to flow in contact with platinum in suitable form such as wire, ribbon, or strip
previously heated to a suitable temperature whereby with suitable apparatus an
efficient light can be produced without flame, although it may be advantageous in
some cases to have at some suitable point a small burner at which unburnt gas
escaping past the platinum may be consumed. A light may be maintained according
to my invention so long as the supply of gas and air in suitable quantity to the heated
platinum is continued. Various forms of apparatus may be used for lighting in this
way, so long as the arrangement be such that the platinum can be conveniently
heated, and the gas and air supply can be directed, suitably regulated, to the heated
platinum so as to flow in contact therewith. Such an apparatus may comprise a
burner with a platinum coil and a tap, and orifices for admission of air, so that a
flame may be produced for heating the platinum, and afterwards such flame can be
extinguished, and the supply of gas and air to the platinum in suitable quantities can
be continued.
Lamps or apparatus for lighting in accordance with my invention may be
constructed in various forms. Two convenient forms are illustrated in the sheet of
drawings hereto annexed, of which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of such a lamp
intended to stand or rest on a table. Fig. 2 is a modified form of lamp intended for
suspension. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detail views which will be referred to more
particularly hereinafter. The same letters of reference are used to denote like parts
wherever they occur. A is the burner or jet which is supplied with mixed air and
gas in suitable proportions from the chamber B, the air being conveyed to the
chamber B by the pipo B₁ and the gas being conveyed to it by the pipe B²
or vice versa.
The illuminating gas employed may be ordinary gas, water gas, or hydrogen, or
any other gas in which hydrogen is free to act in the manner set forth.
The pressures and consequent rates of delivery of the gas and air to the chamber B
are regulated in any suitable manner. C is a platinum wire, ribbon, or strip which
is suspended from a cross bar or plate D (shewn in plan in Fig. 5.); the platinum
wire is held approximately straight by a weight E attached to its lower end. The
weight is formed with radial arms as shewn in plan Fig. 3. These keep the lower
end of the platinum wire approximately central and also enable the burner or jot to
pass conveniently above the level of the weight as seen in Fig. 1. F is a glass tube

page_text: in which the combustion takes place surrounding the platinum wire. For the table
lamp this glass tube may conveniently rest at its lower extremity in a gallery G and
may be held in a vertical position by springs H, (four of which are shewn in the
drawings but of which the number may be varied as desired). The upper part of the
glass tube may conveniently be covered with a cap I which prevents the entry of
dust etc. but which is provided with a series of holes to permit the escape of the
products of combustion.
In the suspended lamp the glass tube is held in position by its upper end being
slightly flanged outwards so that it cannot pass through the screwed ring K which
takes into a screwed socket L; the lower end of the glass tube is provided with a
perforated inverted cap I as seen in the drawing.
As light is emitted only from the surface of metal (when the same is rendered hot
enough to give light) I find it advantageous in constructing lamps according to my
invention to increase the surface area of the metal to the greatest extent consistent
with its having sufficient strength and durability.
For this purpose instead of using a single solid platinum wire or strip of foil or
ribbon I sometimes use a number of very fine wires which I form into a kind of gauze
or fine net work, or I may form them into a loosely plated or twisted rope or coil
(Fig. 6) as by such means I obtain a greatly increased surface area (and consequently
increased light giving power) in proportion to the weight of metal used.
In order to avoid the inconvenience of removing the glass tube every time it is
required to light a lamp such as is described above, a small quantity of " spongy
platinum" or platinum: black may be placed in a convenient position within the
tube, so that the gas issuing from the burner or jet will be ignited in the well known
manner.
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A convenient arrangement for doing this is to wrap a small quantity of asbestos
covered with " spongy platinum от "platinum black" around the platinum at a
point opposite or nearly opposite to the jet or burner (as seen at M in the drawings)
so that the gas immediately on entering the lamp at this point would be ignited.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The method of lighting by causing gas to act upon platinum and keep it in a
state of incandescence without flame in manner and by means hereinabove described.
2. My apparatus for lighting by means of gas comprising a platinum wire or strip
(or wires or strips) in a glass tube or vessel, and a burner or jet for the supply of gas
and air, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference respectively to
Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, and to Fig. 2 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 28th day of October 1887.
HENRY SCHLICHTER.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Applicant's Agent.