AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Kenneth Trull, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING
GAS."
.
L.-
Sealed the 10th July 1877, and dated the 2nd March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Kenneth Trull at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1877.
CHARLES KENNETH TRULL, of the City and State of New York, United States
of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR LIGHTING GAS."
This Invention relates to an improved portable apparatus which I call a torch for
lighting gas, and which affords convenient means for igniting gas in fixed or
suspended gasaliers, 'brackets, and other burners not conveniently accessible for
lighting in the ordinary manner.
The said apparatus or torch communicates light to the gas by the ignition of a
prepared tape, or strip of paper, or other suitable material which forms a tape fuse
and which is ignited by percussion.
The said Invention is carried into practise as follows:-The said torch has a rod
or stem of convenient length and formed of iron, brass, or other suitable material.
This stem is provided with a suitable handle and has at its other end a pair of jaws
or other means for opening and closing the taps of the gas burners. The said rod
or stem has at its side another rod or stem projecting from the handle and which
at its other end is bent or curved. This curved rod is hollow or tubular and has at
its curved end a fuse holder provided at its extremity with a small bell-shaped
piece. Just above the latter is a small chamber which contains the tape fuse. In
the passage between the said fuse chamber and bell there is an anvil and a spring
hammer, between which the tape fuse passes. The said hammer is raised by a
small slide which feeds the tape forward a determined distance every time the
torch is used. The end of this slide extends through the neck of the fuse holder to
the curved portion of the tubular rod, in which are placed segments of a rod, which

page_text: segments form a continuation of a rod that extends through the said tubular rod
to the handle of the torch. The neck of the fuse holder is provided with a spring
which tends to keep the end or head of the slide in contact with the segment which
forms the termination of the said inner rod. The other end of this inner rod is
connected with a trigger arranged near the handle in a convenient position. By
applying the said bell or cup-shaped piece over the gas burner and pulling the trigger
the gas will be ignited.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Kenneth Trull in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
August 1877.
CHARLES KENNETH TRULL, of the City and State of New York, United States
of America, now of S, Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR LIGHTING GAS."
This Invention relates to an improved portable apparatus or torch for lighting
gas, and affords convenient means for igniting gas in fixed or suspended gasaliers,
brackets, and other burners not conveniently accessible for lighting in the ordinary
manner.
The said apparatus or torch communicates light to the gas by the ignition of a
prepared tape, or strip of paper, or other suitable material which forms a tape fuse
and which has on it fulminate pellets that are ignited by percussion.
In the accompanying Drawing, I have shewn a side view, partly in section, of a
torch constructed according to this Invention, and which somewhat resembles in.
appearance the apparatus known as the "electric gas torch." A is the rod or stem
which may be of any convenient length and which is constructed of brass, iron, or
other suitable material. The said torch is provided with a gas collecting bell B, a
bent neck C, a handle D, and a wrench or pair of jaws E for opening and closing
the gas cocks or taps. The curved neck C and the straight connecting piece C¹ are
made tubular and serve to guide a rod a which is made in sections, that is to say,
the said rod consists of a straight section or piece passing through the straight part
of the guide tube and of several curved pieces or sections in the curved or neck
portion of this tube. This rod a may be made of pieces of wire of suitable thickness,
or of india-rubber or other suitable material. And instead of the sectional rod a
continuous flexible wire rod may be employed. The said rod a is moved forward
by means of a trigger D¹ on the handle; this trigger is worked by the thumb or
otherwise to operate mechanism for feeding and igniting the fulminate ribbon, tape,
or strip F, which is arranged intermediately between the gas bell B and the end of
the neck C. A coil or roll of the fulminate ribbon F is placed in a small chamber
or magazine F¹, and is fed forward by the sliding feeder G, which is guided by its
slotted enlarged part G¹ on the centre pin of the fuze chamber or magazine F, and
extended back through a guide slot into the straight end of the neck C. The
feeder G has, inside of the neck C, a circular shoulder a¹ on which the aforesaid
rod a acts to move the feeder in one direction when the trigger is pulled while
a strong spiral spring G³ interposed between the end of the closed neck tube and
the shoulder a¹ forces the feeder and rod back as soon as the trigger is released.
The chamber or magazine F¹ has a detachable cover.
By the forward motion of the rod and feeder the fulminate ribbon is moved
forward and exposes a pellet to the action of a spring hammer H which is operated
by the feeding device.
By the ignition of the pellet, light is instantly communicated to the gas collected
in the funnel or bell B when the same has been placed in the proper position above
the burner, while the spring of the feeder carries the same and the piston rod
back and sets the trigger into position for lighting the next burner, and so on.

page_text: Any suitable mechanism for igniting the fulminate pellets may be used instead
of that shown in the Drawing.
The fulminate ribbon F is guided to the anvil in a suitable manner and retained
thereon by a cross pin b to be struck by the hammer; the spent ribon passes off
behind the bell through a recess or opening d and may be removed from time to
time as desired.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The gas lighting apparatus or gas torch provided with a funnel or bell and
with mechanism for moving and igniting a fulminate ribbon or tape, as above
specified and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The combination of parts comprising the stem or rod, the trigger, the
guide tube with a curved neck, the funnel or bell, the sliding and spring actuated
mechanism for moving and igniting the pellets of the fulminate ribbon or tape at
the end of the said curved neck, and the chamber or magazine for holding the said
ribbon or tape, as above described.
Third. The chamber or magazine provided with a guide pin near the anvil, and
an opening at the back of the bell to guide the ribbon to the anvil and away from
the same, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Kenneth Trull, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
C. K. TRULL. (L.S.)