Improvements in or connected with Incandescent Gas Lamps, more particularly applicable for Street Lamps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Incandescent Gas Lamps, more
particularly applicable for Street Lamps.
I, GOTTLOB HIMMEL, of the Institute for Mathematical and Technical
Instruments, Tübingen, Wurtemberg, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The lighting of ordinary incandescent gas burners is, as is well known, effected
by a mixture of gas and air flowing over the mantle being lighted by a non-sooting
flame beneath the said mantle. This is usually done by means of a spirit flame in
order to obtain a smokeless flame and to prevent the incandescent mantle from
becoming black. The mode of lighting is thus in the case of ordinary incandescent
gas light lamps a very inconvenient one, and becomes more difficult in the case of
incandescent gas street lamps.
Attempts hitherto made to utilize the ordinary well known self-igniting or lighting
devices failed precisely because of the sooting up of their igniting flames. The
lighting by means of an electric spark is very difficult in the case of incandescent
gas lamps and requires a powerful spark so that the incandescent body is frequently
destroyed thereby.
In my improved self-lighting apparatus for incandescent gas lamps, which is
shown in vertical section in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, this drawback
is removed by a Bunsen burner being used for the pilot, auxiliary, or igniting
flame, instead of an ordinary burner, which is passed through the wire cover at
the top.
Further this lighting Bunsen burner or rather the continuation of the same to
the lamp gallery is so arranged that the burner top can be conveniently removed
and replaced. The size of the lighting flame is adjustable in the ordinary manner.
According as one, two or more incandescent gas-lights are to be used in a lamp,
care is taken in my lamp that each several lamp may be used aloue or in combination
with the others, or they may all be extinguished whilst all the pilot or lighting
flames burn constantly, immaterially whether one or other of the lamps or all are
extinguished. I attain this by means of a many-way cock, the plug of which may be
suitably adjusted, and which is shown in the accompanying drawing, in Figures 5-10
in elevation and cross sections.
A further improvement relates to the lantern frame itself, and also its cover,
bottom, corner bars and light reflector.
Strange to say up to the present very little attention has been paid anywhere to
the construction of street lamps, so that most of them, notwithstanding the lights
burning, only illuminate the streets very poorly although they render the expense of
lighting somewhat great.
Figure 1 shows an Auer's incandescent gas light, in which, as is well known, a
Bunsen burner is employed. The gallery C of the burner is placed over the upper
part of the Bunsen burner C, whilst gas and air penetrate through its openings and
meet for combustion over the wire top g. The gas for the pilot or lighting Bunsen
burner F is drawn from the tap of the supply pipe and supplied to the flame of the
lighting Bunsen burner (pilot burner) F by means of a small pipe e, the quantity
being regulated by means of a small set screw. At the end of the pipe, which
is carried through the top g of the Bunsen burner, the mixture of gas and air comes
into combustion. The lighting or pilot flame burns entirely free from soot and

page_text: requires a quantity of gas per hour which is scarcely worth mentioning, so that this
little expense is well compensated for by the saving in mantles, and all incon-
veniences when lighting the lamp are removed.
The lighting or extinguishing of the lamps takes place by opening or closing the
gas supply tap. If there be more than one burner for each lamp, a many-way
cock is employed with the object of being able to light or extinguish each burner
separately, or a suitable number of them together. In this case a separate gas-
shutting-off cock is not necessary, but the turning on of the gas for one or more
burners and also the shutting off of the gas, takes place by a suitable adjustment of
the plug of the many-way cock, whilst the gas supply for the lighting or pilot flame
for all the lamps in every position of the cock plug, always remains open.
In the accompanying drawing, this new arrangement is shown in its application to
two burners in Figures 2 and 3. Figures 5-11 are on a larger scale, and show
the many-way cock in various positions in longitudinal and cross section as well as
the method and means of conveying gas from the many-way cock to the burners.
The two incandescent gas lights C are connected by means of an elbow piece e with
a cross piece P (Fig. 5) which is connected with the case of the cock K, by means
of tubes J, and is removably held on the cock by means of the screw i. Washers o
(Fig. 11) with small passages are inserted at each end of the tubes J. For each
tube J there is in the upper part of the cock case K an opening k, whilst in the
lower part of the same there is a gas supply opening k. The cock plug L has in
its centre a passage 1, and on the upper side which is turned towards the tubes J an
elbow-shaped channel or groove, the centre part of which communicates with the
passage of the plug, whilst the bent end parts may be placed in or out of
communication with the openings k of the body of the cock separately or in
common.
On the under side the cock plug L has a tangential groove (Fig. 10) with
the object of always maintaining the passage in communication with the gas
supply opening of the cock K, by turning the plug L when adjusting it to only
one opening ; on the other hand this channel has also the object that when the
gas supply is cut off for both lights C, that is to say when both lights are to be
extinguished, the opening k for the supply of gas to the lighting flame (pilot
burner) always remains open.
The plug L may thus be adjusted to four different positions, as shown in
Figures 6, 8, 9 and 10.
In Figure 9 the cock is open for both the incandescent gas lights.
Figures 8 and 10 the cock is open only for one light and in Figure 6 the cock is
entirely closed for both lights, whilst as before stated in all the positions of the plug
the access of the gas to the lighting or pilot flame m is unimpeded.
Thus by means of one and the same cock each separate lamp or both lamps may
be lighted or extinguished, and further the channel 12 of the plug L forms the
supply passage for the gas from the main pipe through a tube m and socket E to
the lighting or pilot burner tubes e. By means of a set screw the size of the two
lighting or pilot flames may be adjusted in the ordinary manner. If street lamps
with one or two lamps are to be lighted or extinguished in the manner herein before
described, this is effected by having suitably-shaped channels or grooves on the
cock plug L.
A lamp proper A arranged for two incandescent gas light burners, is shown in
elevation and horizontal section in Figures 2 and 3. It differs from the lamps
hitherto employed in that it expands to the top rapidly in a conical shape so that
within the lamp, above the burner chimneys, a large light-reflector R of suitable
form may be arranged, by means of which all the rays of light encountering the
reflector are reflected downwards at an angle of from 20° to 25° from the horizontal.
The edge or frame bars a are very light and yet extremely resistant in consequence
of their double T-shaped section, Figure 4, and the bottom al of the lamp is made
of glass, whereby a very important lighting effect is obtained, as the light is only
slightly impeded in its lateral radiation from the lantern case. The cover D of the

page_text: lamp is formed in a cupola form from one piece of sheet metal, and the cap d is
mounted on the same, and is equally closed by a small cupola.
The lantern is mounted on a post B by means of a fork b in such a way that the
radiation of the light downwards is impeded as little as possible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in incandescent gas lamps more particularly for street lamps,.
consisting in the employment of Bunsen burners for the pilot or lighting flame, the
supply of gas to which may be automatically adjusted if desired substantially as
described.
2. In street lamps or the like having two or more incandescent gas lights, such as
described, the arrangement of a many-way cock (K) instead of an ordinary gas tap,.
the plug (L) of said cock having on its upper side an elbow or other shaped
groove () and beneath, a tangential or semicircular groove (2), both of said grooves
being in communication with the through passage (1) of the plug, and adapted to be
so adjusted against the exit openings (k, k and k²) of the cock case (K) that each
of the two lights or both, or any suitable number of such may be lighted or
extinguished together, or separately, whilst in every position of the plug the
opening (2) for the supply of gas to the pilot flame of the lamp remains always
open, substantially as described.
3. In street lamps or the like having two or more incandescent gas lights such as
described, the combination of a many-way cock, an upper cross piece P for the gas
supply, having elbow pieces c to carry the burners (C) and tubes (J) connecting
said cross and cock by means of a screwed rod, and washer rings (o) in such a way
that after loosening the nut of the screw or screwed rod (i) the crosspiece (P).
together with the burners (C) can be conveniently removed, cleaned, and equally
easily replaced, substantially as described.
4. In street lamps such as described, a lamp proper or lantern of conical form or
rapidly widening towards the top with a cupola-cover, a glass bottom (a') and edge-
or frame bars (a) of one piece of double T-shaped section and also provided with a
reflector (R), the whole in combination with the object of obtaining as great an
effect of light as possible, and whereby the lantern frame, whilst interfering as little
as possible with the light retains sufficient strength and rigidity, substantially as
described.
Dated this 19th day of March 1800
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents..