Process for the Manufacture of Self-igniting Mantles for Incandescence Gas Lights.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1898-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process for the Manufacture of Self-igniting Mantles for Incandescence
Gas Lights.
1, LOUIS STOECKLIN, of Bastervorstadt Strasse, 3, Mulhausen, in the Province
of Alsace, in the German Empire, Analytical Chemist, 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 subject of the present invention is a process for the manufacture of mantles
for incandesence gas lights which without any preliminary heating
and without any auxiliary ignition-means, such as preliminary igniters,
ignition pilules and the like, become heated of themselves by the
in-streaming gaseous mixture to such extent that automatic ignition of the
gas takes place directly and wholly of itself.
The process consists in treating the mantle, before being burned in well known
manner, with a platinum salt solution, in an alkaline bath (ammonia, soda or pot-
ash-lye), whereby the material of the mantle is acted upon chemically in such
manner that the mantle is rendered capable of taking up the necessary quantity
of platinum salt in order to produce self-ignition, without its solidity being thereby
deteriorated.
The detailed procedure is as follows:
The mantle, ready prepared with thorium nitrate, cerium nitrate and the like
(incandescent salts) and dried, as found on the market, that is, therefore, before
being burned, is saturated with an alkaline solution, e.g. ammonia, potash or soda-
Ive preferably with an alcohol-ammoniacal or alcohol-alkaline solution.
This preliminary treatment has the purpose of depositing the incandescence
oxides in insoluble (i.e. insoluble in water) form upon and in the fibres of the
mantle; without this treatment it would be impossible to produce upon the mantle
a platinum-black deposit which would not chip off at once after the burning process.
The mantle is next well washed for some time in running water in order to
completely remove the superfluous alkali and the alkaline salts which have formed,
and then thoroughly dried.
The mantle is now ready to receive the platinum salt for which purpose it
is dipped with its head into a concentrated solution of platinum or iridium, but
only so far that the said solution is absorbed up to the seam. The mantle is
then introduced into an ammoniacal solution, in order to convert the platinum again
into an insoluble platinum compound.
By this latter treatment a double purpose is attained; firstly, the platinum salt
is prevented from being soaked up too far, so that it may be taken up exactly
to the desired height, the platinum salt being at once converted by the ammonia
into an insoluble platinum compound; secondly, the ammonia carries the acid of
the salt with it, and thus effects afterwards a more homogeneous division and
burning of the platinum.
After this treatment with ammonia, the mantle is again washed in running
water and dried.
In order now to prevent that part of the mantle which is covered with platinum

page_text: oxide from losing its platinum through crumbling or chipping off, it is slightly
impregnated with wax or paraffin.
The mantle so prepared can be introduced upon the market in this condition, or
after the usual preliminary burning and collodionising. The burning process
can be effected as in the case of any ordinary mantle. The mantle prepared in
the above named manner effects a self-ignition of the mixture of gas and air upon
simple opening of the cock of the gas pipe.
In order to promote a more rapid and better ignition, a fine coating of diluted
platinum salt solution may be given to the mantle (either before or after the
burning process) by means of a fine pencil, the said coating reaching from the
platinum-black of the head downwards over one-half the mantle.
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:-
A process for the manufacture of self-igniting mantles for incandesence gas
lights without the employment of preliminary heating means, or the use of igniters,
according to which an incandescence mantle of any suitable kind after treatment
in an alkaline bath by impregnation of a part of its surface with platinum or
iridium salts is so prepared that the said salts form a platinum or iridium-black
over the incandescence oxides-thorium oxide, cerium oxide and the like-which
platinum or iridium-black on contact with the mixture of gas and air effects
ignition of the same, all substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of March 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.