IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS FOR PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lewis of Arbour Square Stepney in the County
of Middlesex, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS FOR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lewis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd March 1882.
JAMES LEWIS of Arbor Square Stepney in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GAS BURNERS FOR CONSUMING A MIXTURE OF GAS AND AIR FOR
ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES
This invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and construction of
gas burners of the character described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to me and dated 14th April 1881 No 1665 in which a cage of platinum wire gauze
is used for the gas burner.
Now I have found in practice that the great heat developed by the platinum wire
gauze when in an incandescent state is conducted from the burner to the metal gas
pipe on which it is mounted and when the pipe becomes over heated the action of
the burner is impaired and the brilliancy of the light is reduced and the object of.
my present improvements is so to construct and arrange the platina wire gauze
burner that the heat cannot be transmitted from the burner to the gas or supply.
pipe so as to affect the condition of the mixture of gas and air or the brilliancy of
the light injuriously.
For this purpose in order to prevent the transmission of the heat from the burner
to the supply pipe according to one part of my improvements I introduce any
suitable non-conductor of heat between the burner and the supply pipe such for.
example as steatite or soap stone..
In one arrangement according to my present improvements the platinum wire
gauze burner is mounted upon a tube of steatite which is connected with the
combined gas and air supply pipes.
I would remark that either all or only part of the mixing chamber between the

page_text: i
burner and the supply pipe may be made of any suitable non-conductor of heat
such as steatite glass cane plumbago or other suitable low or non-conductor
of heat.
According to another part of my improvements a platinum wire gauze burner is
arranged with a conical regulator or adjustable valve at the end of the supply pipe
to open or contract the passage of the combined gas and air into the burner as may
be required.
The cone is carried or supported by a bridge piece its metal stem being formed
with a screw thread which passes through the bridge so as to be screwed up or
down therein by means of a key from below or by a screw driver acting on a cross
cut in the top of the cone when the burner is detached from the supply pipe. Or
other means may be employed for adjusting the position of the cone or regulating
the flow of the gas and air.
The transmission of the heat from the burner to the supply pipe may also be
prevented in accordance with my improvements by connecting part of the supply
pipe which supports the burner with the gas and air supply pipe by means of
a series of comparatively small tubes which are kept cool by the surrounding air
spaces.
A ring of steatite or other suitable non-conductor of heat is inserted between the
lower end of the burner and the supply pipe or chamber which supports the burner
in order to serve as a non-conductor of heat between the burner and the supply
pipe or the upper part of the supply pipe may in each case be made of steatite or
other suitable non-conducting material.
: I find it advantageous to introduce the jet of compressed air and the gas (at the
ordinary pressures from the gas main) into the mixing chamber at a point situated
a little above the inlet (or inlets) for the induced currents of air.
The form and arrangement of the passage or chamber in which the gas and air
are mixed or combined may be considerably varied and the upper part of the
mixing chamber may be made longer than the supply pipe in these burners if
desired and a current of air may be directed through a central passage into the
burner.
The mixed gas and air may pass through a perforated plate before it enters the
burner or the mixed air and gas may pass through a cage of wire-gauze inserted in
the mixing chamber before entering the burner.
: The gas and air may be mixed or combined just below the burner the air under
pressure and the induced current passing through the finely perforated cap or gauze
top of the air pipe.
Or the mixed gas and air may pass through a finely perforated block of
steatite placed between the platinum wire gauze cage or burner and the supply
pipe.
On the gas supply. pipe from the main to each burner or series of burners a self-
acting regulator (of any suitable construction) is applied to adjust and regulate the
pressure of the gas supplied to the burner so that the mixture of air and gas may
always be uniformly the same. The pressure of the current of air in its passage to
the mixing chamber is also regulated by suitable valves the size of the jet nozzles
being also varied to suit the pressure which is found to be most economical in
working as the pressure of the air in the main may be varied from 1 pound to
100 pounds or more on the square inch.
The proportion of the mixture of gas and air is advantageously the same always
viz; 1 of gas to 4 of air or thereabout independently of the supply of air from the
induced current caused by the pressure of air issuing from the small inlet nozzle of
air under pressure to the mixing chamber.
The induced enrrent may be varied by making the top of the nozzle with several
fine holes and increasing the pressure of the air which will have the effect of
lessening the quantity of air supplied under pressure.
In practice I find that the best results are obtained from the arrangements of
burners previously described-when the mesh of the platinum wire gauze is made

page_text: '
with 390 to 400 holes or thereabout more or less to the quarter of a square inch
but the degree of fineness will depend in a great measure upon the proportions and
character of the mixture of gas and air consumed and of the pressure at which the
same is supplied to the burner the fineness of the mesh of platina wire gauze
increasing in proportion as the pressure of the mixture of gas and air is increased.
The best and most uniform light is obtained when there is a slight flame around
the burner when in use.
The length of the burner in relation to its diameter should be regulated in
accordance with the quantity of mixed gas and air it is required to consume in
order to produce a light equal to a given number of standard candles and I find
in practice that a burner of half an inch in diameter should be about twice its
diameter in length."

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Lewis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd September 1882.
JAMES LEWIS of Arbour Square Stepney in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GAS-BURNERS FOR. CONSUMING A MIXTURE OF. GAS AND AIR FOR
ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES ".
This invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and construction of
gas burners of the character described in the specification of Letters Patent granted
to me and dated 14th April 1881 No 1665 in which a cage of platinum wire gauze
is used for the gas burner
Now I have found in practice that the great heat developed by the platinum
wire gauze when in an incandescent state is conducted from the burner to the
metal gas pipe on which it is mounted and when the pipe thus becomes overheated
the action of the burner is impaired and the brilliancy of the light is reduced and
the object of my present improvements is so to construct and arrange the burner
that the heat cannot be transmitted from the burner to the gas or supply pipe so
as to affect the condition of the mixture of gas and air or the brilliancy of the light
injuriously.
For this purpose in order to prevent the transmission of the heat from the burner
to the supply pipe according to one part of my improvements I introduce any
suitable non-conductor of heat between the burner and the supply pipe such for
example as steatite or soap stone as represented in Figure 1 of the drawings hereto
annexed.
a is the platinum wire gauze burner mounted upon the tube of steatite b which
is connected with the combined gas and air supply pipes c and c¹.
I would remark that either all or.only part of the mixing chamber between the
burner and the supply pipe may be made of any suitable non-conductor of heat
such as steatite glass cane plumbago or other suitable low or non-conductor of
heat.
Figure 2 shows a similar burner in which a conical regulator or adjustable valve d
is arranged at the end of the supply pipe to open or contract the passage of the
combined gas and air into the burner as may be required.
The cone d is carried or supported by the bridge piece d¹ its metal stem being
formed with a screw thread which passes through the bridge d' so as to be screwed
up or down therein by means of a key from below or by a screw driver acting on
a cross cut in the top of the cone & when the burner is detached from the supply
pipe. Or other means may be employed for adjusting the position of the cone or
regulating the flow of gas and air.
The transmission of the heat from the burner to the supply pipe may also be
prevented in accordance with my improvements by connecting the part cx of the
supply pipe which supports' the burner with the gas and air supply pipe c by
means of a series of comparatively small tubes c², c², as shown in Figures 3, 4 5
and 5* which are kept cool by the surrounding air spaces their small diameter also
acting to prevent the flame from the burner travelling backwards to cause slight
explosions of the mixed gas and air within the supply pipe.
a is a ring of steatite or other suitable non-conductor of heat inserted between
the lower end of the burner a and the supply pipe or chamber cxx which supports
the burner a in order to serve as a non-conductor of heat between the burner a
and the supply pipe or the upper part of the supply pipe may in each case be made
of steatite or other suitable non-conducting material.

page_text: I find it advantageous to introduce the jet of compressed air and the gas (at the
ordinary pressures from the gas main) into the mixing chamber at a point situated
a little above the inlet (or inlets) for the induced currents of air as represented in
Figures 1, 6 and 7 the gas pipe being marked c the compressed air pipe c¹ and the
induced currents of air c* c*.
1
The form and arrangement of the passage or chamber c** in which the gas and
air, are mixed or combined may be considerably varied as shown in Figures 3. 4
and 6 of the drawings, the upper part of the mixing chamber being made larger
than the supply pipe in these burners.
In Figures 3 and 4 a current of air is directed through a central passage into
the burner.
.
In Figure 6 the mixed gas and air passes through a perforated plate a* before
it enters the burner and in Figure 7 the mixed air and gas passes through
a cage of wire gauze a* inserted in the mixing chamber before entering the
burner a.
In Figure 8 the gas and air are mixed or combined just below the burner the
air under pressure and the induced current passing through the finely perforated
cap or gauze top of the air pipe.
Or the mixed gas and air may pass through a finely perforated block of
steatite placed between the platinum wire gauze cage or burner and the supply
pipe.
Figure 9 shows the section of a regulating tap for regulating the supply of air
and gas simultaneously by turning the pipe c so that the proportion of each may
be the same when less light is required. The combined air and gas supply
pipe c, c¹, terminates in a conical plug which rests in a conical socket e which is
formed with passages e¹, e², of suitable size for the admission of air and gas in
proper relative proportions to corresponding passages formed in the conical plug of
the combined air and gas supply pipe c c².
Figure 10 shows a separate view of the conical socket e with air and gas supply
passages e¹ e²
The platina wire-gauze cap a may also be arranged so as to be raised and
lowered by the same motion so that a small bright light or otherwise may be
obtained at will.
On the gas supply pipe from the main to each burner (or series of burners) a self
acting regulator (of any suitable construction) is applied to adjust and regulate
the pressure of the gas supplied to the burner so that the mixture of air and gas
may always be uniformly the same,--The pressure of the current of air in its
passage to the mixing chamber is also regulated by suitable valves the size of the
jet nozzles being also varied to suit the pressure which is found to be most
economical in working as the pressure of the air in the main may be varied from
1 pound to 100 pounds or more on the square inch. The proportion of the mixture
of gas and air is advantageously always the same viz, 1 of gas to 4 of air or
thereabouts independently of the supply of air from the induced current caused by
the pressure of air issuing from the small inlet nozzle of air under pressure to the
mixing chamber.
The induced current may be varied by making the top of the nozzle with several
fine holes and increasing the pressure of the air which will have the effect of
lessening the quantity of air supplied under pressure.
In practice I find that the best results are obtained from the arrangements of
burners previously described when the mesh of the platina wire gauze is made with
390 to 400 holes or thereabout more or less to the quarter square inch but the
degree of fineness will depend in a great measure upon the character qualities and
proportions of the mixtures of gas and air consumed and also upon the pressure at
which the same is supplied to the burner as the degree of fineness of the mesh of
the platina wire gauze will increase in proportion as the pressure of the mixture of.
gas and air is increased. These conditions will be readily arrived at and provided

page_text: for in practice. The best and most uniform light is obtained when there is a slight
Blame around the burner when in use.
The length of the platina wire gauze burner in relation to its diameter should be
regulated in accordance with the quantity of mixed gas and air it is required to
consume in order to produce a light equal to a given number of standard candles
and I find in practice that a platina wire gauze burner of half an inch in diameter
should be about twice its diameter in length.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements and the manner of
carrying the same into practice I would remark that I do not claim any of the
parts separately which are well known and in common use but what I claim
15-
First. The improved arrangement and construction of platinum wire gauze
burners for consuming a mixture of gas and air (the latter under pressure) for the
.production of light and heat in such manner as to prevent the transmission.of heat
from the burner to the supply pipe by the introduction of steatite or other non-
conductor of heat between the burner a and the supply pipe substantially as herein
before described and represented in the drawings hereto annexed.
Secondly. I claim the method of preventing the transmission of heat from the
platinum gauze burner a to the supply pipe by connecting the upper part or seat
of the platina wire gauze burner with the supply pipe by means of small tubes c² c²
substantially in the manner represented in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 5* of the drawings
annexed.
Thirdly I claim the improved arrangement and construction of platinum wiro
gauze burners and the method of supplying mixed gas and air under pressure to
such burners substantially in the manner herein before described with reference to
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Fourthly. I claim the improved general arrangement and construction of
platinum wire gauze burners for consuming a mixture of gas and air under
pressure for the production of light and heat substantially in the manner and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented in the drawings hereto
annexed.
In witness whereof I the said James Lewis have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty second day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness
J. G. TONGUE
Patent Agent
34 Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lanc
W.C.
JAMES LEWIS (L.S.)