Improvements connected with the Ignition of Gas Lights by Means of Electric Sparks.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 5th May, 1898-Accepted, 11th June, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements connected with the Ignition of Gas Lights by Means of
Electric Sparks.
I, RIDLEY JAMES URQUHART, of 57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, which has been communicated to me by The Actien-
gesellschaft für Fabrikation von Broncewaaren und Zinkguss vorm. J. C. Spinn &
Sohn, Manufacturers, and S. J. von Romocki, Engineer, both of Berlin, in the
German Empire, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the electrical ignition of gas lights and more particu-
larly of incandescent gas lights and consists in the hereinafter described improve-
ments connected therewith.
In lighting gas burners more particularly burners with incandescent mantles
by electricity it has been usual to arrange a special small burner fed from the
same supply as the main burner which was ignited by means of an electric spark
or a wire raised to incandescence by a current, so that the ignition of the main
burners was indirect. This arrangement did not offer sufficient certainty of acting
for any length of time, when required, or correctly. The removal of this incon-
venience is one of the objects of this invention and is effected by using an
intermittent or an alternating current of such high tension that the sparks produced
between fixed points are capable of striking or igniting the gas through a
Welsbach or similar mantle,
For this purpose a special igniter is used consisting of a wire surrounded by a
tube of glass, ceramic clay, mica or other nonconductor and inserted into an outer
metal tube, the wire and metal tube each carrying a platinum point distant by 1
to 2 millimetres from each other. This igniter is so attached to the gas burner
that when an electric current of sufficient force is passed through it, the spark
ignites the gas.
When an alternating current is employed an alternating current inductor pre-
ferably fixed in a wallbox is used, which box also contains a flat dry element the
current from which excites the field magnets of the inductor. For an intermittent
uniform current a galvanic battery preferably composed of dry elements, and an
induction bobbin are used, which latter to improve insulation is placed into an
oil vessel covered with an india rubber cap. If possible the induction bobbin is
placed as near to the burner as possible so as to have as short a circuit as possible
for the induced high tension current, a Wagner hammer or toothed wheel being
used for producing intermittent contact.
The main gas cock may be used as a switch for closing the circuit, the shell of
the cock being provided with a sector of non-conductive material containing a
contact or more than one connected to the terminals for the leads, while the plug
is provided with a sliding contact which when the gas cock is opened, slides upor
a long contact on the sector or if the lights are not all to be used simultaneously,
on several contacts successively.

page_text: If the separate burners are provided with electrical appliances for opening or
closing the gas outlet which by their construction permit of the use of alternating
or intermittent currents, and if the leads are short and the current required is in
consequence not of too high a tension for use on a primary induction bobbin, both
the bobbin and the electro-magnet may be placed into the same circuit. But if
the case is different, a separate low tension current should be used for exciting the
induction the circuit of which is best closed by the same motion by which the
circuit of the electric current exciting the magnets for opening the gas outlet is
closed. For this purpose an apparatus having an outward resemblance to the
usual push button is employed, which contains two pairs of spring contacts above
each other, and insulated from each other. When the button is depressed, it
closes one of the contacts in the usual way and the other through a second plunger
on which the button presses at the same time, so as to close both circuits simul-
taneously and cause the sparking of the igniter to take place at the same time that
the gas outlet is opened.
Dated this 5th day of August 1897
is
T
!..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with the Ignition of Gas Lights by Means of
Electric Sparks.
I, RIDLEY JAMES URQUHART, of 57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention which has been communicated to me by The Actien-
gesellschaft fur Fabrikation von Bronce waaren und Zinkguss vorm J. C. Spinn &
Sohn, Manufacturers, and S. J. von Romocki, Engineer, both of Berlin, in the
German Empire, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the electrical ignition of gas lights and more particu-
larly of incandescent gas lights and consists in the hereinafter described improve-
ments connected therewith.
}
In lighting gas burners more particularly burners with incandescent mantles
by electricity it has been usual to arrange a special small burner fed
from the same supply as the main burner and turned on or off with
the same which was ignited by means of an electric spark or a wire
raised to incandescence by a current, so that the ignition of the main
burners was indirect.. This arrangement hitherto used for electrical ignition at a
distance requires a rather complicated construction of the burners and parts and
does not offer sufficient reliability or permanence for any length of time. The
removal of this defect is the object of this invention, which consists in the arrange-
ment of an improved compact igniter, capable of igniting the gas issuing from the
burner directly without the use an auxiliary small burner.
On the drawing, appended hereunto the improved igniter is represented in
vertical section. The burner itself and the arrangements for switching the current
on or off are not shewn, as they do not form part of this invention and may be
constructed in any suitable way.
The improved igniter consists of a short bar formed of the small tube R and á
wire or rod S surrounded. by an insulating material I inserted into the tube. The
tube R and rod S are provided at their upper ends with the short platinum
wires p p. The lower ends of the parts forming the igniter are preferably of
different length, so that the conductive rod or wire S projects from the insulating
tube I and the latter from the conductive tube R, in order to be able to connect

page_text: the tube R and rod S with the conductive wires for the electric current, or if the
gas conduits themselves are used as conductor, to connect the improved igniting
bar with one part to the burner, and the other to the conducting wire.
The improved igniting bar not being used for conveying the gas can be made
very slender and nevertheless in consequence of its compact arrangement possess
unlimited durability.
With the specimen represented on the drawing the ignition is effected by means
of the electric spark between the wires on closing or opening the electric circuit
which should have sufficient tension for the spark to ignite the gas when required
through an incandescent mantle. Instead of ignition by a spark, obviously also
ignition by incandescence may be used, in which case instead of platinum points a
wire connecting the conductive parts R and S and offering the required resistance
to the current is arranged, which is raised to incandescence when the circuit is
closed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The construction of an electric igniter for incandescent and other gas lamps
having a central conductive rod or wire surrounded by an annular insulator
inserted into a conductive tube, substantially as hereinbefore described and illus-
trated by the drawing.
Dated this 4th day of May 1898.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester,
Harrington Chambers, 24, North John Street, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.