IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS SAFETY LAMPS FOR MINES AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Franz Sebastian Schütze, of Featherstone Buildings,
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GAS SAFETY LAMPS FOR MINES AND OTHER PLACES." A communication
from abroad by Wilhelm Effer, of Bonn, in the Empire of Germany.
Scaled the 17th December 1878, and dated the 19th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Franz Sebastian Schütze at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th June 1878.
FRANZ SEBASTIAN SCHÜTZE, of Featherstone Buildings, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS SAFETY LAMPS FOR MINES AND OTHER
PLACES." (A communication from abroad by Wilhelm Effer, of Bonn, in the Empire
of Germany.)
The object of this Invention is to construct and apply safety lamps of such a
construction and mode of operation as to allow the safe application of hydrocarbon
lighting gas in the same, either for stationary purposes to light mines or other
places, or for portable miners' lamps.
For this purpose the gas is supplied to the lamp by means of metallic pipe, or
hose pipe, or a combination of both. The gas is admitted to the lamp by means of
a two-way cock, of such a construction as to admit gas to an annular argand
burner or to a small central burner, which I call the lighting burner, and which
serves to light the argand or main burner. For this purpose the plug of the cock
may be made with a large hole through for communicating with the argand burner
and with the gas supply passage, and this plug has also a small spiral recess com-
municating above with the large through hole, and below with a small passage
from the gas supply. This recess then in one extreme position of the plug effects
a limited or slight communication between the lighting burner and the gas supply
pipe, and in the other extreme position full communication between the argand
D...AJ

page_text: burner and the gas supply pipe, the supply to the lighting burner being then cut
off; in the medium position gas is admitted to both burners.
The gas admission to the lighting burner may be regulated by means of a sinali
screw plug passing across or into the passage leading up to the two-way cock. The
air supply enters a casing above the cock by one or more openings. The argand
burner is surrounded by a ring or cap, terminating below in an annular disc fitting
in the aforesaid casing or air supply chamber. The disc is provided with openings
for admitting air to the upper outer part of the argand burner. Air passages are
also provided leading to the space between the argand burner and the lighting
burner.
On the top of the air casing there is a round or polygonal open casing or
framing suitable for receiving a pane or panes of thick glass, mica, or other suitable
strong transparent substance, to show light all round, or only partly so. In the
latter case a metallic or other reflector is or may be placed on one side, and the
pane or panes in the other part; or an entire cylinder of thick glass or other trans-
parent material may be applied. On the top of this lantern part there is a metallic
ring or cylinder, the upper part and top of which is formed with wire netting; or
a separate wire netting case may be fitted therein or thereon, so as to be vertically
adjustable for the proper exit of the products of combustion through the meshes of
the wire netting. If the metallic cylinder is of a suitable length it serves to cool
these products. A small pipo is passed through the lantern casing just over the
burner. This pipe is of such a size that an ordinary lucifer match will just pass
through it. A roughened friction plate inside the lantern casing can be moved by
a small outside lever, the spindle of which passes through a sinall tube; a spring
brings it back to its normal position.
The mode of lighting the lamp is as follows:-Insert a match through the small
pipe, and move the friction plate across the end thereof; the argand burner or the
lighting burner (according to the position of the cock) will then be lit, and the
match on being withdrawn from the lamp will be quite extinguished, the pipe being
made sufficiently long for that purpose. If the lighting burner only is lit, turn the
cock so that the gas admission is shifted to the argand burner, which will then be
lit. To extinguish the argand burner turn the cock the other way, when the gas
will be turned on to the lighting burner, which will be lit by the argand burner,
and the flame of the latter will then go out as the gas supply thereto is cut off. The
lighting burner serves to light the argand burner whenever required.
Should the lamp at any time happen to be extinguished, it may be assumed that
this is caused by the presence of dangerous gases or insufficient ventilation.
If on insertion of a lucifer match, in the manner above described, either of the
burners refuse to light, it is a certain indication of the presence of dangerous gases.
If, on the other hand, the lamp does light, it may be inferred that the danger has
been removed by ventilation.
Should there be an accumulation of noxious or dangerous gases in the mine or
other place where the lamp is used, the consequence would be that the light in the
lamp is extinguished, and no explosion takes place, by reason of the use of the
argand" burner, which will not burn except with a due supply of oxygen.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Franz Sebastian Schütze in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th December 1878.
FRANZ SEBASTIAN SCHÜTZE, of Featherstone Buildings, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS SAFETY LAMPS FOR MINES AND OTHER
PLACES." (A communication from abroad by Wilhelm Effer, of Boun, in the Empire
of Germany.)
The object of this Invention is to construct and apply safety lamps of such a
construction and mode of operation as to allow the safe application of hydrocarbon
lighting gas in the same, either for stationary purposes to light mines or other
places, or for portable miners' lamps.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front elevation of a lamp constructed
according to this Invention, and adapted particularly as a portable miners' lamp;
Figure 2 is a plan of same; Figure 3, a vertical section; and Figure 4, a vertical
section at right angles to Figure 3; Figures 5 to 12 are detail views.
The gas is supplied to the lamp by means of metallic pipe, or hose pipe, or a
combination of both. The gas is admitted to the lamp by means of a two-way
cock A, of such a construction as to admit gas to an annular argand burner e, or to
a small central burner, which I call the lighting burner, and which serves to light
the argand or main burner.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 are detail views of the two-way cock A, the plug a of same
being in the two former views shewn in two different positions. The plug a of the
cock may be, as here shewn, made with a large hole through for communicating
with the argand burner e and with the gas supply passage b, and this plug has also
a small spiral recess a' (here shewn larger than in reality for the sake of clearness),
communicating above with the large through hole, and below with a small passage c
from the gas supply b. This recess a¹ then in one extreme position of the plug
effects a limited or slight communication between the lighting burner a and the gas
supply b, and in the other extreme position full communication between the argand
burner e and the gas supply pipe b, the supply to the lighting burner a being then
cut off; in the medium position gas is admitted to both burners.
The gas admission to the lighting burner a may be regulated by means of a small
screw plug & passing across or into the passage leading up to the two-way cock.
The air supply enters a casing above the cock by one or more openings, two
openings C and D are shewn in this instance for inserting the lamp in an air supply
pipe. A number of such lamps may thus be connected to one coinmon air pipe, or
it may be done by branches from one common air pipe. They may similarly all
be connected to one common gas supply pipo. The argand burner e is surrounded
by a ring or cup, terminating below in an annular disc f fitting in the aforesaid
casing or air supply chamber B. The disc f is shewn separately in plan at Figure 5,
and is provided with openings, as shown, for admitting air to the upper outer part
of the argand burner. Air passages are also provided leading to the space between
the argand burner e and the lighting burner c.
On the top of the air casing B there is a round or, as shewn here, a polygonal
open casing or framing E, suitable for receiving a pane or panes, in this case six
panes, of thick glass, mica, or other suitable strong transparent substance, to show
light all round, or only partly so. In the latter case a metallic or other reflector is
or may be placed on one side, and the pane or panes in the other part; or an entire
cylinder of thick glass or other transparent material may be applied. In places
where the lamp might be exposed to chips of coal flying about, the part E may be
surrounded with a wire gauze protecting case. On the top of this lantern part E
there is a metallic ring or cylinder F, the upper part and top of which may be
formed with wire netting; or, as shewn here, a separate wire netting case G is fitted
therein or thereon, as shewn, Figure 12 being a separate view thereof, so as to be

page_text: vertically adjustable for the proper exit of the products of combustion through the
meshes of the wire netting. If the metallic cylinder F is of suitable length it
serves to cool these products. A small pipe g, Figure 3, is passed through the
lantern casing E just over the burner. This pipe g is of such a size that an
ordinary lucifer match will just pass through it. A roughened friction plate h
inside the lantern casing, shewn separately in Figure 9, can be moved by a small
outside lever j, shewn separately in Figure 10. The spindle of the lever j passes
through a small tube k; a spring brings it back to its normal position.
Figure 11 is a separate view of the lever j and plate h.
The mode of lighting the lamp is as follows:-Insert a match through the small
pipe k, and move the friction plate h across the end thereof. The argand burner e
or the lighting burner a (according to the position of the cock) will then be lit, and
the match on being withdrawn from the lamp will be quite extinguished, the pipe
being made sufficiently long for that purpose. If the lighting burner a only is lit,
turn the cock a so that the gas admission is shifted to the argaud burner e, which
will then be lit. To extinguish the argand burner turn the cock the other way,
when the gas will be turned on to the lighting burner, which will be lit by the
argand burner, and the flame of the latter will then go out as the gas supply thereto
is cut off. The lighting burner serves to light the argand burner whenever
required.
As shewn in Figure 8, the plug handle may be formed with two eyos m for attaching
a wire to each, these wires being led along the wall of the mine to the entrance of
the mine. By pulling one wire the plug may then be turned so as to open for the
argand burner e, and by pulling the other wire the plug is turned so as to put out
the argand burner and light the lighting burner a. All the lamps in a mine may
be connected by wires, so that they may all be simultaneously lit or put out. The
lighting flame always burns when the argand flame is out.
The lamps may also, in the manner described, be regulated according to the
pressure of the gas; or, to obtain a constant flame with varying gas pressure, each
lamp may be fitted with a suitable regulator just below the cock A, in which caso
the cock may be full open.
Should the lamp at any time happen to be extinguished it may be assumed that
this is caused by the presence of dangerous gases or insufficient ventilation.
If on insertion of a lucifer match in the manner above described either of the
burners refuse to light, it is a certain indication of the presence of dangerous gases.
If, on the other hand, the lamp does light, it may be inferred that the danger has
been removed by ventilation.
Should there be an accumulation of noxious or dangerous gases in the mine or
other place where the lamp is used, the consequence would be that the light in the
lamp is extinguished, and no explosion takes place by reason of the use of the
"argand" burner, which will not burn except with a due supply of oxygen.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, I declare
that I claim,
Firstly. The application in mines of safety lamps constructed to burn hydrocarbon
lighting gas, substantially as set forth.
Secondly. The construction of portable and stationary safety lamps, as hero
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Franz Sebastian Schütze, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.