IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO NIBS OR BURNERS FOR GAS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the
City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO NIBS OR BURNERS FOR GAS."-A communica-
tion from abroad by Monsieur Legris, of Paris, Mechanical Engineer.
Sealed the 26th June 1860, and dated the 4th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
January 1860.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO NIBS OR BURNERS FOR GAS," (a.communication
from abroad by M. Legris, of Paris, Mechanical Engineer,) to be as follows:―
It is well known that in the combustion of gas for lighting purposes, the
flame which is obtained by means of the ordinary nib or burner is partially of
bluish tinge, which part of the said flame gives little or no light, and it is to
remedy this imperfection that the present Invention is designed.
The Invention consists principally in applying to such nibs or burners
metallic wicks of various forms and dimensions, according to circumstances.
This system of metallic wicks may be applied to all kinds of nibs or burners,

page_text: and according to the form of nib or burner, and the pressure of the gas will
give an increase of from 20 to 50 per cent. of illuminating power.
The wicks can be made of any metal or material that will resist the heat,
and may be cylindrical, conical, spherical, hollow, solid, flat, or of other form,
or they may be made of one or more wires twisted or interwoven, or of a thin
plate perforated, or otherwise, according to the form of nib or burner employed.
The object of these wicks is to guide the gas in any required direction, and to
divide, enlarge, and expand the flame, and at the same time the wick being
elevated to a high temperature elevates that of the gas also, causing it to mix
more intimately with the air, renders its combustion more easy, quicker, and
more perfect, and consequently the flame is more intense and possesses greater
illuminating power.
Another improvement consists in forming a nib with one or more holes
pierced obliquely, and so arranging the wick that the gas shall impinge against
its surface, and produce a large flat flame, similar to the bats-wing burner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Davies, Her special licence that I, the said George Davies, my ex-
ecutors, administrators and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Davies,
my executors, administrators and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter, during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO NIBS OR BURNERS FOR
GAS," being a communication to me from abroad by Monsieur Legris, of Paris,
Mechanical Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Davies, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing

page_text: under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals; should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calender months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Georgo Davies, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
It is well known that in the combustion of gas for lighting purposes, the
flame, which is obtained by means of the ordinary nib or burner, is partially of
a bluish tinge, which part of the said flame gives little or no light, and it is to
remedy this imperfection that the present Invention is designed.
The Invention consists principally in applying to such nibs or burners
metallic wicks of various forms and dimensions, according to the circumstances.
This system of metallic wicks may be applied to all kinds of nibs or burners,
and according to the form of nib or burner, and the pressure of the gas, will
give an increase of from 20 to 50 per cent. of illuminating power.
The wicks can be made of any metal or of any other material that will resist
the heat, and may be cylindrical, conical, spherical, hollow, solid, flat, or of
other form, or they may be made of one or more wires twisted or interwoven,
or of a thin plate, perforated or otherwise, according to the form of nib or
burner employed. The object of these wicks is to guide the gas in any
required direction, and to divide, enlarge, and expand the flame, and at the
same time, the wick being elevated to a high temperature, elevates that of the
gas also, causing it to mix more intimately with the air, renders its combustion
more easy, quicker, and more perfect, and consequently the flame is more
intense and possesses greater illuminating power.
Another improvement consists in forming a nib with one or more holes.
pierced obliquely, and so arranging the wick that the gas shall impinge against
its surface, and produce a large flat flame, similar to the bats-wing burner:
Such being the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to describe more.
in detail the manner in which the same is to be performed, and in order that
the method of carrying the Invention into practical effect may be explained in
detail and perfectly understood, I have annexed hereunto a sheet of illustrative-
Drawings, and have marked thereon figures and letters of reference corre--
sponding with those in the following explanation thereof.
The Drawings represent (in full size) four kinds of gas burners ordinarily.
used, and to which the improved metallic wicks are shown as applied.

page_text: There are an infinite variety of other forms of burners to which the wick is
equally applicable, but the results being the same, I do not consider it necessary
to illustrate them individually.
The fifth kind of burner (which is entirely new, having a hole or holes
pierced obliquely on one side only, causing the gas to impinge against the wick)
gives a new result, as the gas by its oblique percussion against the wick gives
a very thin flame as large as a "bats-wing," and possessing great illuminating
power relatively to the consumption of gas.
In all the figures of the Drawings, A is the burner; B, the opening for the
issue of the gas; and C, the wick.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of an "argand" or cylindrical burner,
having either a circle of small holes or a circular opening; the wick (which is
cylindrical like the burner) is placed over the centre of the holes or the opening;
or it may (if preferred) be placed inside or outside of the same. It may be
conical, as shown in Figures 2 or 3; cylindro-spherical, like Figure 4; or
bell mouthed, as in Figure 5.
Figures 6 and 7 represent longitudinal and transverse vertical sections of a
"bats-wing" burner; the wick, which is flat, is mounted over the centre of the
slit, but it may also be placed at the side (if preferred) and may be made con-
cave or convex. It may also, for the sake of deflecting or spreading the flame,
be placed in an inclined or oblique direction.
Figures 8 and 9 represent similar views of a "fish-tail" burner. The wick
is mounted over the opening of the holes, and may be placed either between or
at one side of them. It may, as in the case of the "bats-wing," be either flat,
curved, concave, or convex, and for the sake of deflecting or spreading the
flame, it may be placed in an inclined or oblique direction.
Figure 10 represents a vertical section of a plain jet with a small central
hole. The wick may be solid or hollow, cylindrical, conical, bell-mouthed,
trifoliated, spiral, or of any other suitable form.
Figure 11 represents a similar view of a burner with a single hole pierced
obliquely, so that the gas on its exit is caused to impinge against the wick, and
produces as above mentioned a flame as large as a "batswing," and of great
illuminating power, with a single hole. The wick may be pierced with several
holes (also oblique) and ranged in a straight or curved line, or in a circle; and
as mentioned with regard to the "batswing" and "fishtail" burners, it may be
flat, curved, concave, or convex, and may be mounted in an inclined or oblique
direction.
It will be perceived that the wick serves to guide the exit of the gas, and to
give it any direction that may be desired; to divide, enlarge, and spread the

page_text: flame, and at the same time the wick becoming raised to a high temperature,
raises also that of the gas, giving it the property of mixing more intimately
with the air, and renders its combustion more easy, rapid, and complete, and
consequently the flame is more intense and possesses greater illuminating power.
Having now fully described the nature and object of the said Invention for
Improvements applicable to Nibs or Burners for Gas," together with the
manner in which the same may be performed, I would remark in conclusion,
that I claim as the Invention communicated to me by the above-named
Monsieur Legris, the application of wicks to all kinds of gas burners, for the
purposes above described, whatever may be the material, form, dimensions, or
position of the said wicks.
And, secondly, the particular construction of gas burner shown at Figure 11
in the Drawings, and herein-before particularly described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
GEORGE DAVIES.
(L.B.)