Improvements in Gas Burners.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar.. 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Burners.
A communication by THE INTERNATIONAL SELF-CLOSING GAS BURNER
COMPANY, of Milwaukee, in the County of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin,
United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both
in the County of Lancaster and 323, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, 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 invention relates to improvements in gas burners, whereby the flow of gas
through the burner is automatically shut off, and prevented from escaping, when
the flame has been extinguished; the device being especially intended and adapted
for shutting off the flow of gas through a burner when by accident or otherwise
the flame of gas has been extinguished in some manner other than by sbutting off
the gas.
In the drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved device;
Figure 2, is an inverted plan view of Figure 1, with the base removed; and
Figure 3 is a view, partly in section, of a slightly modified construction.
The letter A indicates the base of a gas burner, B its shell or body connected
thereto by means of screw threads, and C the tip provided with the usual slit or
aperture I, for the escape of gas, and also to one side thereof with a screw threaded
aperture C
The base A and the lower end of the shell or body B are provided with right
angular flanges A'B', respectively, having annular screw threaded rims which form
the screw threaded connection between the two parts, and serve as means for
disconnecting the same, whereby the interior mechanism may be properly inserted
in place, or removed, as desired. These registering right angular flanges form an
annular valve chamber D in which an annular disc valve E has vertical play. Said
valve, at its circular edge or circumference, is upturned slightly, as indicated at E';
and seats itself gas tight against the flange B¹. Also, as shown in Figure 1, the
valve is formed with an upwardly-extending guiding tube K, which fits and slides
freely in the shell or body B, below which it is provided at diametrically opposite
points with ports or openings L, or with a series of such openings arranged
annularly. The tube bas the function of accurately guiding the valve, and in
its vertical movement bringing it evenly and truly to its seat against the flange B'.
It is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the structure to a
complete tubular guiding stem for effecting this purpose, as it is obvious that a
series of arms or projections extending from the valve up into the shell or body will
accomplish the same purpose.
The valve is composed of any desired metal best adapted to accomplish the
purpose, the essential feature, however, in the construction shown in Figures 1
and 2 being that it should be of thin metal so as to yield or spring readily when
pressure or force is applied thereto, that is to say, what is conveniently termed
"flexible" valve is employed, the function of which will hereinafter more fully
appear.
a
upper end
The letter F indicates an expansible and contractible rod having its
screw-threaded and passing through the threaded aperture C₁ of the tip, thus
forming a rigid connection therewith, and having its lower end also screw threaded
and passing through a threaded central aperture of the valve, the under surface of

page_text: the valve at this point being somewhat thickened to form a boss whereby a greater
surface is afforded for the threads and also a projection presented for turning the
valve, and thereby adjusting the same from the lower end. A jamb-nut G takes
upon the end of the rod and bears against the boss. It will thus be seen that the
rod also has a rigid connection at its lower end with the valve. The valve may
be adjusted either from the upper or lower end of the valve rod. To accomplish
the former, the upper end of the valve rod which projects through the burner tip is
turned, and to accomplish the latter the boss at the bottom of the valve is engaged
and turned, which may be done either by removing the base to gain convenient
access thereto, or a tool may be inserted into the bore of the burner base, and made
to engage the boss, without the necessity of removing the base.
The construction shown in Figure 3 is similar in all essential respects to that
shown in the other figures. The rod F, however, instead of being straight
throughout its entire length is provided near its lower end with coils F'. The
guide K is also somewhat different. Instead of extending a tube or arms
vertically from the valve into the shell or body, said valve is provided with lugs K'
extending horizontally from the valve and acting against the inner surface of the
rim of the right angular flange formed upon the shell or body. The interior of the
burner is provided with a wire screen or gauze H, which prevents the entrance of
any solid particles which would have a tendency to clog the valve opening and
thereby prevent the closing of the valve.
The rod F, when heated by the application of a lighted match to the burner
tip, expands and causes the opening of the valve by a downward movement thereof.
The moment the valve is thus opened, a clear passage for the gas to the tip is
afforded. Upon the extinguishment of the flame, the subsequent contraction of the
valve-rod serves to return the valve to its seat, and thus shuts off the further flow
of gas.
Practical experiments have demonstrated the fact that the shell or body is also
affected somewhat by the action of the heat, so that while the rod F is expanded
very quickly, and sufficiently to force the valve clear of its scat, said shell or
bracket is also elongated or lengthened to some extent. The moment the flame is
extinguished, the rod being of small area, and being surrounded by the gas which
has now lost much of its heat, cools more readily than the surrounding shell or
body, which retains its heat longer. This cooling immediately causes the rod to
contract and seat the valve carried thereby. It is apparent, however, that when
this occurs the shell or body has not yet contracted sufficiently to assume its
normal position, and the consequence is that considerable strain is experienced
which it is necessary to provide against. To do this, a valve, is constructed, as
préviously stated, of thin metal, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, which gives it a
certain degree of flexibility; or, as indicated in Figure 3, the rod is provided with
a series of coils F¹ which accomplish the same function, that is, holds the valve
yieldingly to its seat. In this latter instance, the valve may be either of thin
metal or not, as desired.
•
An important advantage possessed by the invention is that the entire device may
be stamped out of metal instead of being cast, thereby saving time and labour in
the manufacture of the invention and greatly decreasing the cost thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is-
1. In a self closing cut off for gas burners, the combination, with a valve, of a
vertically acting expansible and contractible rod constructed by its expansion to
effect the opening of said valve and by its contraction the closing thereof,
substantially as set forth.
2. In a self closing cut off for gas burners, the combination of the burner proper,
a valve located therein, and a vertically acting rod having rigid connections at
epposite ends with the burner tip and with the valve respectively, said rod adapted

page_text: by expansion to open the valve, and by contraction to close the same, substantially
as set forth.
3. In a self closing cut off for gas burners, the combination of a gas burner
provided with an interior valve seat, a valve located in said burner, and an
expansible and contractible valve rod having connection with the valve and adapted
to effect the opening and closing thereof and to allow for the excess of its contrac-
tion over that of the burner shell so as to properly seat the valve and hold the
same yieldingly to its seat without undue strain, substantially as set forth.
4. In a self closing cut off for gas burners, the combination of a burner proper,
provided with an interior valve seat, an expansible and contractible valve rod
having rigid connection at its upper end with the burner tip, and a flexible valve
secured rigidly to the lower end of the valve rod, and adapted, through its
flexibility, to allow for the excess of the contraction of the rod over that of the
burner shell, substantially as set forth.
5. In a self closing cut off for gas burners, the combination, with a burner
proper, of a valve located therein formed or provided with a projecting guide
bearing and guided in the cylindrical inner wall of the burner tube, substantially as
set forth.
6. In a self closing cut off for gas burners, the combination of a valve casing
having its upper end provided with a screw threaded aperture, a valve within the
casing and a valve rod for operating the same, the upper end of said rod being
threaded and passing through the threaded aperture of the burner to the exterior
thereof whereby the position of the valve may be regulated exteriorly of the upper
end of the burner, substantially as set forth.
7. In a self closing cut off for gas burners, the combination of a valve casing, a
valve therein provided with a screw threaded aperture, and a valve rod having a
threaded end passing through the aperture, whereby the position of the valve may
be regulated from the lower end of the burner, substantially as set forth.
8. In a self closing cut off for gas burners, the combination of a valve casing,
the upper end thereof provided with a screw threaded aperture, a valve within the
casing also provided with a screw threaded aperture, and a valve stem having its
opposite ends threaded, and passing through the threaded apertures of the burner
and valve respectively, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 13th day of February 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.