Improvements in Electric Gas-igniters.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Gas-igniters.
We, FRITZ DEIMEL, of 8, Luisenufer, JACQUES LEHMANN, of 99, Alexandrinen-
strasse, and ALFRED SYLTEN, Dr. Phil., of 20, Schaperstrasse, all in Berlin, in
the German Empire, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a novel electric gas-igniter which has the shape of
an ordinary gas lighter with a handle and is provided at its upper part with a
protecting cap which encloses the ignition device, the said igniter having for
its object to light the flames of gas burners, lamps and the like and also free
burning gas flames, quickly, surely and without danger.
Electric igniters which have hitherto been used and wherein sparking or
incandescence is obtained, for the purpose of lighting the gas, either by elec-
tricity or through the medium of the well known incandescent or porous bodies,
are dangerous in so far as both the poles of the electric igniter and the ignition
bodies project from the apparatus at the upper part without any protective
device, such as a protecting mantle or cap, so that when contact is made and
incandescence effected in the neighbourhood of easily combustible material they
can very easily give rise to danger of fire; furthermore both those portable
igniters which produce sparks by frictional electricity and igniters having
ignition bodies, very easily fail in moist air and have already given rise to gas
explosions.
The construction and operation of our device is as follows, that is to say we
provide an igniter having a hollow handle which can contain one or more
elements or accumulators and is provided with a detachable cover having an
extension in the under part of which are arranged two contact springs which,
when the cover is placed in position, come into contact with the poles of the
elements. In the upper part of the cover there is fitted a switch from which
extends a hollow rod containing conducting wires.
From the upper end of the hollow rod the conducting wires pass laterally
through an extension which is fitted to the hollow rod, the said wires passing
to the inside of a protecting cap within which their ends are connected by means
of a platinum wire; in the loop of this platinum wire there is fitted a porous
or incandescent body, in such a manner that it can be easily placed therein or
removed therefrom. The upper end of the hollow rod is constructed in the well
known manner for turning gas cocks.
The operation of lighting the gas is as follows:-After the gas cock is opened
the protecting cap is held over the flame to be lighted, for example in the case
of a gas lamp with a cylinder over the upper end of the latter.
When now
the switch is pressed inwards by means of the thumb the circuit is closed and
the current, flowing through the platinum wire in the protecting cap, brings
the latter to incandescence and ignites the gas flowing through it.
Ignition takes place with certainty as soon as the current has a tension of at
least 1.8 volts. Should the tension be below 1.8 volts it is necessary, to be suro

page_text: of ignition, to fit a porous body in the loop of the platinum wire as above men-
tioned. The current is always strong enough to warm the said body which is
then brought to incandescence by the gas current and heats the platinum wire
which becomes highly incandescent in the gas current and ignites the gas.
Dated this 26th day of May 1898.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Electric Gas-igniters.
We, FRITZ DEIMEL, of 8, Luisenufer, JACQUES LEHMANN, of 99, Alexandrinen-
strasse, and ALFRED SYLTEN, Dr. Phil., of 20; Schaperstrasse, all in Berlin, in
the German Empire, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement;-
This invention relates to, a novel electric gas-igniter which has the shape of
an ordinary gas lighter with a handle and is provided at its upper part with a
protecting cap which encloses the ignition device, the said igniter having for
its object to light the flames of gas burners, lamps and the like and also free
burning gas flames, quickly, surely and without danger.
Electric igniters which have hitherto been used and wherein sparking or
incandescence is obtained, for the purpose of lighting the gas, either by electricity
or through the medium of the well known porous igniter plugs (composed of
meerschaum, clay, pumice stone etc., which may be impregnated with palladium
or platinum black) are dangerous in so far as both the poles of the electric
igniter and the igniter plugs project from the apparatus at the upper part without
any protective device, such as a protecting mantle or cap, so that when contact
is made and incandescence effected in the neighbourhood of easily combustible
material they can very easily give rise to danger of fire; furthermore both those
portable igniters which produce sparks by frictional electricity and igniters
having ignition bodies, very easily fail in moist air and have already given rise
to gas explosions. Now, our invention has for its object to obviate these dis-
advantages and to this end we construct gas-igniters as shewn in the accompanying
drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a vertical section through the handle portion of the igniter:
Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views illustrating two forms of the upper end
of the igniter stem.
The construction and operation of our device is as follows, that is to say we
provide an igniter having a hollow handle A which can contain one or more
elements or accumulators and is provided with a detachable cover B having an
extension in the under part of which are arranged two contact springs which,
when the cover is placed in position, come into contact with the poles of the
elements. In the upper part of the cover there is fitted a switch E from which
extends a hollow rod G containing conducting wires.
From the upper end of the hollow stem G the conducting wires pass laterally
through an extension H which is fitted to the said hollow stem G, the said wires
passing to the inside of a protecting cap 1 within which their ends are con-
nected by means of a platinum wire C; in the loop of this platinum wire there
is fitted a porous igniter plug F, of the kind above mentioned, the said plug
being fitted in such a manner that it can be easily placed therein or removed
therefrom. The plug is bored to receive a number of thin platinum wires K to

page_text: assist in the ignition of the gas. The upper end I of the hollow stem. is con-
structed in the well known manner for turning gas cocks.
The operation of lighting the gas is as follows:-After the gas cock is opened
the protecting cap D is held over the burner to be lighted, for example in the
case of a gas lamp with a cylinder over the upper end of the latter. When now
the switch E is pressed inwards by means of the thumb the circuit is closed
and the current, Howing through the platinum wire C in the protecting cap 1,
brings the latter to incandescence and ignites the gas flowing through it.
Ignition takes place with certainty as soon as the current has a tension of at
least 1.8 volts. Should the tension be below 1.8 volts it is necessary, to be sure
of ignition, to fit a porous plug in the loop of the platinum wire as above men-
tioned. The current is always strong enough to warm the said plug which is
then brought to incandescence by the gas current and heats the platinum wire,
which becomes highly incandescent in the gas current and ignites the gas.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is;-
1. A gas-igniter having a hollow detachable handle containing an electric
battery and provided with a switch, and a platinum loop to which current can
be supplied from the battery by wires passing through the hollow stem of the
igniter, the said platinum loop being provided with a protecting cap, substantially
as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described and as illustrated.
2. In an electric gas-igniter of the kind described in Claim 1, the arrange-
ment of an igniter plug in the platinum loop, substantially as, and for the
purpose, herein before described.
3. The manufacture and use of electric gas-igniters constructed substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 22nd dox of Waluo 1900
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.