IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of 3 Vernon Chambers, Southampton Row, in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING to be as follows:-
My invention relates to Improvements in Lighting, and consists in the employ-
ment of electricity to volatilise or heat a suitable body which may then be burned
from a jet, and to ignite the same.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a current of electricity flowing
through an electric circuit to heat a part of such circuit through the resistance
which it offers. This part of the circuit which is to be heated, and which is
hereinafter called the "heating resistance," may conveniently be formed of metallic
wire, foil or other mass of conducting or semi-conducting material offering a greater
electrical resistance than the rest of the circuit, and may conveniently consist of
wire arranged in a spiral or other suitable form. This heating resistance may be
in proximity to, or surround, or be immersed or embedded in, or in contact with a
hydrocarbon or other suitable combustible body.
The
The action of my invention is as follows-The current being caused to pass
through the heating resistance will raise the temperature of the latter.
heating resistance will communicate its heat to the hydrocarbon or other suitable
combustible body hereinbefore mentioned so as to cause the latter if it be a solid
or a liquid to be volatilised or converted into a gas so that it may be burned from
a jet; or if it be a gas instead of a solid or a liquid, it will be heated so as to give
a greater amount of light upon combustion than if it had not been so heated.
The electric current may be caused to pass through a platinum or other wire or
conductor suitably disposed with regard to the orifice of the jet in order to ignite
the issuing gas as in a well known form of electric gas lighter.
The heating resistance may be in electrical connection by primary, secondary or
other circuit with cut-outs, safety fuses, generators, converters, condensers, dynamos,
thermal or chemical batteries, either primary or secondary, adjustable resistances,
or other sources, reservoirs, transformers, controllers, regulators or adjusters of
electrical energy, and either in the main circuit or in derived circuit therefrom.
More than one heating resistance may be arranged in the electric circuit, either in
series or in multiple arc, or both.

page_text: I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of 3 Vernon Chambers, Southampton Row, in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in Lighting wherein electricity is employed
to volatilise or heat a suitable body which may then be burned from a jet or its
equivalent and, when desired, to ignite the same.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a current of electricity flowing
through an electric circuit to heat a part of such circuit by reason of the resistance
which it offers. This part of the circuit which is to be heated and which is
hereinafter called the "heating resistance" is conveniently formed of metallic wire
foil or other mass of conducting or semi-conducting material offering a compara-
tively greater electrical resistance than the rest of the circuit, and conveniently
consists of wire arranged in a spiral form.
This heating resistance is so arranged that it is in proximity to or surrounds or
is immersed or embedded in or in contact with a hydrocarbon or other suitable
combustible body.
The electric current being caused to pass through the heating resistance will
raise the temperature of the latter. The heating resistance will communicate its
beat to the hydrocarbon or other suitable combustible body hereinbefore mentioned
so as to cause the latter if it be a solid or a liquid to be volatilised or converted
into a gas so that it may be burned from a jet as for instance from an ordinary gas
burner; or if it be a gas instead of a solid or a liquid it will be heated so as to
give a greater amount of light upon combustion than it does when it is not so
heated.
I sometimes cause the electric current to pass through a platinum or other wire
or conductor suitably disposed with regard to the orifice of the jet for the purpose
of igniting the issuing gas as in a well known form of electric gas lighter, This
conductor I prefer to connect as a shunt to the conductor whose function is to heat
the combustible body. In order that electrical energy may not be wasted in
heating this igniting wire after the gas has been ignited I employ an electric
thermal contact of any suitable known form to break the circuit when no longer
required, such for example as a compound metal band consisting of two or more
strips of metal having different coefficients of expansion under the influence of
heat. The strip having the highest coefficient of expansion is placed on the same
side as the contact point, so that when the action has proceeded far enough to
ensure the gas or vapour having been ignited the heat given off will cause the
thermostatic band to bend in such manner as to open the circuit and no longer
allow the current to pass through the igniting wire.
With the view of economising the electric current and instead of employing it
continuously to heat the combustible body I sometimes employ it simply to start
the operation and use the heat of the burning jet to carry on the process. For this
purpose I sometimes place the jet under or close to the reservoir or holder con-
taining the combustible body so as to impart heat to the same. I prefer however

page_text: to heat the combustible body by means of separate jets arranged for that special
purpose and hereinafter referred to as heating jets. In order to prevent the
combustible body being heated to a higher degree than is desirable I employ a
regulator which consists of a valve attached to or actuated by a thermal device
such for example as a compound band consisting of two or more strips of metals
having different coefficients of expansion under the influence of heat, or other
suitable device capable of expanding or of altering its size shape or position under
the influence of heat. This regulator is so arranged that when the temperature
rises it partially closes the pipe or passage leading to the heating jet and so allows
less gas or vapour to pass to such jets to be burned. I employ an electric thermal
contact of any suitable known form (such for example as that herein before referred
to as used to open or break the igniting circuit) for the purpose of opening or
breaking the electric heating circuit when the electric current is no longer required
and the operation of heating the combustible body can be carried on by the
heating jets.
I sometimes use the jet of gas or vapour as hereinbefore described to heat a solid
body to incandescence and so produce light. This body may conveniently consist
of platinum wire or of other suitable material capable of withstanding a high
temperature.
The heating resistance may be in electrical connection by primary secondary or
other circuit with generators, reservoirs or converters of electrical energy, condensers,
cut-outs, safety fuses, regulators, or adjustable resistances, and either in the main
circuit or in derived circuit therefrom.
More than one heating resistance may be arranged in the electric circuit either
in series or in multiple are or both whichever may be most suitable in particular
cases.
It will be readily understood that instead of the heating resistance communi-
cating its beat directly to the combustible body it may do so indirectly by means
of a suitable body or medium by conduction convection or radiation.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood I shall now proceed
to describe a few typical modes of carrying the same into effect and for that
purpose shall refer to the several figures in the accompanying sheets of drawings
which diagramatically represent certain features of my invention.
Figure 1 illustrates one arrangement in accordance with my invention in which
the combustible body is a solid. A is a bracket resembling an ordinary gas-
bracket within the base of which is a vessel B supported on a small bracket b¹.
In this vessel is a block of the combustible body C which is heated by the electric
current passing through the heating resistance consisting of a coil D which sur-
rounds it. This coil is connected to a source of electricity by the wires d¹ d².
E is a screw plug which is removed when it becomes necessary to renew the supply
of combustible material. The heat causes C to vaporise and the vapour passes
through A to be burned at the jet a¹.
Figure 2 shows my invention applied to a liquid combustible body. A is a
bracket with two branches a¹, a'. A vessel B attached to and communicating
with a, a contains the liquid combustible body C. Immersed in the liquid is the
heating resistance D which is connected to a supply of electricity by the wires ď ď
from the terminals ds d'. Heating D drives off vapour from C which passes
along a¹, a¹ and is burned at the jets a² only one of which is shown.
Figure 3 shows an application of my invention in the case of a gaseous com-
bustible body. At any convenient part of the supply pipe or passage A as for
example in the chamber B I place the heating coil D connected to the wires d' d³.
By this means the gas is heated on its way to the burner a¹. In this figure I also
illustrate the igniting arrangement. hereinbefore mentioned. A shunt circuit d³ is
carried to the orifice of the burner and arranged in such position as to readily
ignite the gas when heated by the passage through it of the electric current.
I sometimes make the part just beside the orifice of the burner of higher resistance
than the rest of the circuit. In this shunt is the thermal contact, symbolically

page_text: represented by the letter C in a circle, which automatically breaks or opens the
igniting circuit when the temperature of the gas proceeding to the burner is
sufficiently high to make it certain that ignition must have taken place. It will
be readily understood that this means of ignition may be used in all the applications
of my invention.
Figure 4 shows diagramatically a portable lamp made according to my invention.
Chamber B of the lamp contains the combustible body C (in this case shown as a
liquid) and the heating resistance D which is connected as shown to an electric
battery E contained in the base of the lamp. The burner a¹ is attached to the
cap A which is unscrewed when the lamp requires replenishing.
Figures 5 and 6 show how my invention may be used to supply the initial heat
necessary to start the action when a liquid combustible body is used. It will be
readily understood that similar arrangements to those in Figure 5 may be applied
to solids or gases. In these two figures the current is stopped after the process
has been started and the heat is maintained by a separate jet, but the lighting jet
may sometimes be used for this purpose. In Figure 5 A is a lustre with two
branches a¹, a¹ and having burners or jets a², a². B B are vessels each containing
combustible material C shown as a liquid and a heating resistance D. F is a pipe
leading to the jets f¹ f¹ which maintain the heating of the combustible body.
Two vessels B are used so that one may be removed and refilled when necessary
while the apparatus is being used. A valve b¹ is provided to prevent the escape of
vapour from A when B is unscrewed. C¹ symbolically represents the thermal
contact employed to open or break the electric circuit when the electric current is
no longer required to heat the combustible material. In Figure 6 A is a portable
lamp with handles a' a¹ and burner a². C is the combustible material and D the
heating resistance. This is connected to contact strips dd in the base of the
lamp. A pipe F in the lamp projects above the liquid at the top and at the other
end carries a jet f¹ in the lower chamber G of the lamp which is perforated with
holes g¹¹ to admit air. A battery E is provided in a recess and its poles are
connected to contact strips e¹ el let into the shelf H. When the lamp is to be
lighted it is drawn forward until dd' make contact with e¹, e¹. A current then
flows through D and causes C to give off vapour. A light is then applied to as
and f1 and the lamp is pushed back to the position shown in the drawing or it is
carried away as required. When the igniting arrangement shown in Figure 3 is
employed in conjunction with this form of lamp it is of course unnecessary to
apply a light to a² and f¹.
In Figure 7 is shown diagramatically a form of regulator as herein before referred
to. A is a part of the lustre or bracket carrying the vessel B which contains the
combustible body or material. F is a pipe leading to the heating jet which
maintains the heat of B and K is a valve regulating the supply of vapour to F.
K is attached to a thermal strip of two dissimilar metals k¹, 2 of which k¹ has a
higher coefficient of expansion than k². When the vapour temperature rises
Ik will, bend to the right and so partially close the valve K; and vice versa
when the vapour temperature falls the thermal strip will bend to the left and
admit more vapour to F. The amount of opening at a given temperature is
regulated by a set screw L.
The actions herein before referred to may be brought about either directly or
indirectly through intervening transmitting or energy-converting mechanism or
devices.
My invention may be applied to the lighting of Streets, Docks, Ships, Factories,
Buildings, Apartments, Mines, Sewers, Railway Carriages and the like.
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
i
1. The improvement in lighting consisting in the heating of a suitable solid or
liquid body by means of an electric current so as to cause the said solid or liquid

page_text: body to give off a combustible gas which may be burned at a jet substantially as
set forth.
2. The improvement in lighting consisting in the heating of the gas previous to
its combustion by means of an electric current so as to increase the light given by
the said gas during combustion substantially as set forth.
3. The improvement in lighting consisting in the heating of a suitable com-
bustible solid or liquid body by means of an electric current so as to vaporize the
same or drive off vapour therefrom for a period and thereafter utilizing the heat
given off by the combustion of such vapour to continue the process of vaporisation
substantially as set forth.
4. The improvements in lighting consisting in the combinations and arrange-
iments of parts constituting the apparatus substantially as set forth with reference
to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.