Improvements in the Manufacture of Appliances for Effecting Self- lighting of Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th July, 1897-Accepted, 28th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Appliances for Effecting Self-
lighting of Gas.
We, FRANK BARNES GRUNDY, Chemist, and JULIUS MOELLER, Manager, both of
No. 14 Palmer Street, Westminstor, in the County of London, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It has been proposed to use platinum black along with various substances, such
as clay or meerschaum in making appliances for effecting the lighting of gas
playing upon them. According to our invention, we manufacture appliances for
this purpose in the following manner.
We intimately mix pulverised kaolin with about 30 or 40 per cent. of a gritty
substance such, for instance, as amorphous silica obtained by drying the gelatinous
silica precipitated upon decomposing sodium silicate by hydrochloric acid, or it
may be amorphous titanic acid, prepared by fusing titanic acid or a compound
thereof with acid sulphate of potash, dissolving the cooled melt in water, and
boiling the solution, amorphous titanic acid being precipitated. We make the
mixture into a thick paste of which we mould balls, rods or other suitably shaped
bodies. We dry these and bake them at a high temperature, and, after they are
cooled, we immerse them in a strong solution of platinum salt, such for instance as
the chloride. After they are dried at a moderate heat, we treat them so as to
convert the platinum salt into platinum black which permeates the pores of the
appliances. The reduction of the chloride may be effected in the known way by
heating the appliances to about 170° C. and subjecting them to the action of coal
gas. Or this may be effected by immersing the appliances for some time or
repeatedly in heated oil or melted paraffin wax, burning off the combustible matter,
and cooling the appliances in inert gas such as coal gas.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Appliances for Effecting Self-
lighting of Gas.
We, FRANK BARNES GRUNDY, Chemist, and JULIUS MOELLER, Manager, both of
No. 14 Palmer Street, Westminster, in the County of London, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the saine is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
It has been proposed to use platinum black along with various substances, such

page_text: as clay or meerschaum in making appliances for effecting the lighting of gas
playing upon them.
According to our invention, we manufacture appliances for this purpose in the
following manner.
We intimately mix pulverised kaolin with a gritty substance such, for instance,
as amorphous silica obtained by drying the gelatinous silica produced ou decomposing
sodium silicate by hydrochloric acid, or it may be amorphous titanic acid such as
can be prepared by fusing titanic acid or a compound thereof with acid sulphate of
potash, dissolving the cooled melt in water, and boiling the solution, amorphous
titanic acid being thus precipitated. The proportions of the silica or titanic acid
to kaolin may be varied. I find equal weights form a good proportion.
We make the mixture into a thick paste of which we mould balls, rods or other
suitably shaped bodies.
We dry these and bake them at a moderate red heat, not so high as to give them
a ceramic character, and, after they are cooled, we immerse them in a strong
solution of platinum salt, such for instance as the chloride. After they are dried
at a moderate heat, we treat them so as to convert the platinum salt into platinum
black which permeates the pores of the appliances.
The reduction of the chloride may be effected in the known way by heating the
appliances to about 170° C. and subjecting them to the action of coal gas.
Or this may be effected by immersing the appliances for some time or repeatedly
in heated oil or melted paraffin wax and burning off the combustible matter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
An appliance for effecting self lighting of gas consisting of a composition of
kaolin with amorphous silica or titanic acid presenting pores filled with platinum
black, substantially as described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.