AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS LAMPS BY GALVANIC AND ELECTRO-MAGNETIC INFLUENCE
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Horatio Jones and
Richard George White at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 13th October 1874.
We, GEORGE HORATIO JONES, Surgeon Dentist, 57, Gt. Russell Street,
Bloomsbury, and RICHARD GEORGE WHITE, 3, Edith Grove, West
Brompton, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING
GAS LAMPS BY GALVANIC AND ELECTRO-MAGNETIC INFLUENCE," to be as
follows:-
Firstly and essentially of an improved stop-cock or tap with a sliding
plunger or plug with horizontal movement, by which the gas is allowed
exit or is shut off; the plunger or plug has at each end an oblong piece
or disc of soft iron; in about the middle of the plunger or plug and round
it or diametrically through it there is a narrow groove or slott or other
opening which gives exit or escape to the gas when placed opposite to a
corresponding opening or slott in the lower portion of the tap, coincident

page_text: also with one in the upper portion of the tap leading to the burner, thus
necessitating only a very slight distance or movement being required for
the plunger or plug either to open or close the tap.
Secondly. Of two electro-magnets perferably of a horse-shoe shape,
one of which being placed permanently in close proximity with the soft
iron plates at each end of the plunger or plug of the tap which is
attracted alternately as occasion requires, either to open or shut the
stop-cock or tap when a current of galvanic electricity is sent to the
magnets.
Thirdly. Of single wire with a platina point so arranged as to be
sufficiently near the burner or nipple of the tap as to cause a spark when
a discharge of electricity is sent from the battery.
Fourthly. One and the same battery being only necessary for opening
and shutting the stop-cock and lighting the gas, the former being done
by electro-magnetism, the latter by electricity.
This Invention is most applicable for lighting street gas lamps
simultaniously from one point.
The following particulars have reference to the plate; A, plunger or
plug with armatures screwed on; B, body of tap; C, C, armatures of
electro-magnets; D, plunger or plug; E, lamp fitted with our apparatus;
F, wire for opening tap; G, the lighting wire; H, the extingushing
wire; I, the wire to extingush next lamp; J, wire to light next lamp;
K, the wire to open next tap; L, electro-magnet to attract "opening
armature; L, electro-magnet to extingush gas; M, body of tap or stop-
cock; R, stand. For example, to light up a street of gas lamps fitted-
with our apparatus, connect the " opening wire" F with a galvanic
battery (preferably of Bunsen's elements); when the circuit is made
complete a current passes through all the electro-magnets in that circuit,
consequently attracting the armature adapted to each tap or stop-cock
(a seperate series of magnets & wire being used for the contra effect),
thus pulling out the plugs and allowing the gas to escape; the "opening
wire" is immediately disconnected from the battery, and the battery
connected with the binding screws of an "induction coil" which is
connected with the lighting wire G when a spark is passed instantaneouly
through the gas issuing from each jet, by which means it is ignited; the
battery may then be disconnected from the coil; when it is required to

page_text: extingush the gas, the circuit is completed with the wire H, a current is
sent through all the magnets in that circuit, the armatures attracted and
the gas shut off. The battery being only in use a few minutes
daily the expense per annum for maintaining it would only be a few
shillings.