Improvements relating to Incandescent Gas Burners.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 9th May, 1896
Improvements relating to Incandescent Gas Burners.
I JOHN HENRY WILLIAMS STRING FELLOW of Elm Terrace Works, Andrews
Road, Hackney in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the production of a means for obtaining light by
incandescence.
The object of the present invention is to produce a body capable of giving out
incandescent light after the manner of the well known lime-ball,-that is to say,
giving light from the surface of a more or less solid form of incandescer,-as
distinguished from incandescers of the mantle series, such as the "Sellon-Lewis,"
the "Clamond," or " Welsbach inventions, or the more recent De Mare
invention. My invention, however, differs from the lime-ball and the other
existing incandescing burners, on general principles, as will be perceived from the
description.
"
For attaining the objects of my invention, a systematic investigation has been
necessary, and it may be pointed out, in support of my invention, (1) that the
lime-ball placed in an ordinary gas flame will not become white incandescent; .
(2) that such a material is subject to disintegration by ordinary atmospheric
exposure, and consequently is unfit for constant utility; (3) that the heat
required to render a lime-ball or other solid refractory body, hitherto available,
incandescent, is so great that this method of lighting is not applicable to
general uses.
Then, in regard to the use of fire-clay or like material, there would be the
additional drawbacks of weight of material and of high conductive power.
As the result of my investigations, with the view to produce a small or large power
incandescent light by means of a solid body or solid burner, I now propose to make a
burner, the foundation part of which is composed of substances having the nature
and properties of meerschaum, i.e., materials possessing a combination of lightness,
coherence, and slow conduction. This foundation part I coat or
cover with
materials capable of becoming readily incandescent, such as certain of the metallic
or natural oxides, asbestos filament or dust, and other suitable materials, these
materials being used sometimes alone, and at other times in combination, also with
and without the aid of suitable cementing matter for attaching the incandescing
material to the foundation or body of the incandescer.
When the gas flame is caused to impinge upon, or to travel over the surface of
such an incandescer, the non-conductivity of the interior part of the burner allows
the exterior incandescing material to absorb and economically utilize the energy of
combustion for production of luminosity.
It is palpable that within the lines of my invention I am able to employ a
combination of materials capable of sustaining the highest temperature, and of
affording support to incandescing materials, which can only under such high
temperatures attain to great power of light-giving, diffusion, and penetration, in the
rays given off.
It is also evident that I may use the materials referred to in various states. For
example, I may cut the meerschaum to shape for a burner, or I may macerate and
mould it to shape. Then, in lieu of using natural meerschaum, I may use &

page_text: compounded silicate of magnesia to imitate it, or a preparation of steatite. Again,
I may use a silicate of alumins and magnesia; also I may introduce magnesiate of
lime, or micaceous material, reduced to a suitable form for use, by heat, or chemical
or mechanical means. In all cases introduce a material containing magnesia,
or make a compound of it, so as to fulfil one of the essential conditions of my
invention, for securing a light, coherent, and slow conducting foundation material
for the incandescer.
The incandescer may be formed egg-shaped, cylindrical, globular, flat, or other
shape desired, without departing from the essentials of my invention, viz., of the
interior or foundation part being light, coherent, and non-conducting, whilst the
exterior is formed of materials having ready incandescing power.
An incandescer may, under my invention, he formed for burners by utilizing a
mixture of incandescing material, and of the light gravity foundation materials, but
except for small burners I consider such incandescers of greater relative cost to
produce, and to be wasteful of heat for luminosity results.
The incandescer bodies may be formed with holes through them, or be made
more or less hollowed out, so as to reduce the bulk of material used, or for other
special purposes.
Dated this 30th day of May 1895.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements relating to incandescent Gas Burners.
1 JOHN HENRY WILLIAMS STRINGFELLOW of Andrews Road, Hackney in the
County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to the production of a means for obtaining light by
incandescence.
The object of the present invention is to produce a body capable of giving out
incandescent light, after the manner of the well-known lime ball,-that is to say,
giving light from the surface of a more or less solid form of incandescent body,
as distinguished from the mantle series, such as the Sellon-Lewis, the Clamond,
or Welsbach inventions, or the more recent De Mare invention. My invention,
however, differs from the lime ball and the other existing incandescing burners, on
general principles, as will be perceived from the description.
For attaining the objects of my invention, a systematic investigation has been
necessary, and it may be pointed out, in support of my invention,-(1) that the
lime ball placed in an ordinary gas flame will not become white incandescent;
(2) that such a material is subject to disintegration by ordinary atmospheric
exposure, and consequently is unfit for constant utility; (3) that the heat
required to render a lime ball, or other solid refractory body hitherto available,
incandescent, is so great, that this method of lighting is not applicable to
general use.
Then, in regard to the use of fire-clay or like material, there would be the
additional drawbacks of weight of material and of high conductive power.
As the result of my investigations, with the view to produce a small or large
power incandescent light, by means of a solid body, I now propose to make an
incandescent body, the foundation part of which is composed of substances having
the nature and properties of meerschaum, i.e, materials possessing a combination of
lightness, coherence, and slow conduction. This foundation part I coat or cover
with materials capable of becoming readily incandescent, such as certain of the
metallic or natural oxides, asbestos filament or dust, and other suitable materials:

page_text: these materials being used sometimes alone, and at other times two or more in
combination; also with and without the aid of suitable cementing matter for
attaching the incandescing material to the foundation.
When the gas flame is caused to impinge upon, or to travel over the surface of
such an incandescent body, the non-conductivity of the interior part allows the
exterior incandescing material to absorb and economically utilize the energy of
combustion for production of luminosity.
It is palpable that, within the lines of my invention, I am able to employ a
combination of materials capable of sustaining the highest temperature, and of
affording support to incandescing materials, which can only, under such high
temperatures, attain to great power of light giving, diffusion, and penetration,
in the rays given off, equally with the adaptability to low temperatures.
For
It is also evident that I may use the materials referred to in various states.
example, I may cut the meerschaum to shape for a burner, or I may macerate and
mould it to shape. Then, in lieu of using the natural meerschaum, I may use a
compounded silicate of magnesia to imitate it, or a preparation of steatite. Again,
I may use a silicate of alumina and maguesia; also I may introduce magnesiate of
lime, or micaceous material, reduced to a suitable form for use by heat, or chemical
or mechanical means. In all cases, I introduce a material containing magnesia, or
my invention
make a compound of it, so as to fulfil one of the essential conditions of
for securing a light, coherent, and slow-conducting foundation material for the
light-giving body.
The incandescent body may be formed egg-shaped, cylindrical, globular, flat, or
other shape desired, without departing from the essentials of my invention, that is
to say, that the interior or foundation part is light, coherent, and non-conducting,
whilst the exterior is formed of materials having ready incandescing power.
An incandescent body may, under my invention, be formed for burners by
utilizing a mixture of the incandescing material, and of the light-gravity foundation
materials, but except for small burners, I consider such bodies of greater relative
cost to produce, and to be wasteful of heat for luminosity results.
The incandescent bodies may he formed with holes through them, or be made
more or less hollowed out, so as to reduce the bulk of material used, or for other
special purposes.
I find that the incandescing coating or matter on the exterior face of the core or
foundation part may be varied to suit requirements of high or low intensities of
flame or heat. For example, instead of the incandescible matter being made thick,
and of fairly close texture, for certain high intensities, it can, with advantage for low
intensities, be made of open cellular or interstitial material. Also, the material may
be fixed so as to extend from, or hang from, the solid part, in the form of loops,
laminæ, threads, or spikes, these being adapted to the form and shape of the
substructure which is worked upon.
One mode of carrying out my invention is as follows:-
I take a piece of meerschaum, and turn it to the cylindrical or other desired
shape, say about 3 inches long by of an inch diameter at its larger part. Then,
for the sake of convenience in fixing it on a gas burner, and to aid in nou-
conduction, I drill a hole through the central length of it. Then I take a piece of
thick cloth, preferably of cotton, uncoloured, and after making it jagged on one
face of it (if it is not so originally), I immerse it in a solution of oxides capable of
producing suitable incandescence. This cloth I then dry, cut to shape, and attach
to the meerschaum body at certain points by means of any suitable refractory
cement, say silicate of alumina, taking care to make allowance for subsequent
shrinkage of the cloth. Then I again dry it, and afterwards subject it to a
destructive non-carbonaceous heat, to dispose of organic and volatile matter.
When this has proceeded far enough, the incandescent body will be ready for use
by being affixed to a suitable Bunsen burner, or to a luminous flame burner,
provided, in the latter case, that the incandescent body and the flame are so
adjusted, that only the zone of complete combustion of the flame passes over or in

page_text: contact with the incandescing material,-the effect being merely to utilize the inner
non-luminous face of a luminous flame, such as an argand flame, in order to increase
its power and luminosity. By placing a rod in the centre of any circular gas flame,-
luminous or non luminous, the incandescent body can be supported, owing to the
hole through it, or it may be suspended. It is, however, self-evident that a hole
through the incandescent body is not imperative, but it is herein described in order
to guide anyone in operating my invention in this particular way.
Or I may
proceed in the following manner, that is to say :-I take silicic acid and carbonate of
magnesia in the proportions by weight of four of the former to one of the latter,
bringing them to a plastic state by a suitable quantity of water. I then take
silicate of alumina, and bring it to a plastic state by means of water. Next, I take
equal proportions by volume and approximate weight of the two compounds, and
mixed them together. I then mould some of this compounded plastic material into
such a form as may be desired, which can then be stoved and dried ready for use.
Or I mould a rough shape, larger than body required, which I stove, dry, and
then turn to the required shape by the lathe, and drill the hole through it.
Then I affix the incandescing material upon it, as described for the meerschaum
body, or I may take strips of cotton rendered durable and incandescible as before
described, which I affix in the form of vertical wings or leaves from bottom to top
of the solid body, and preferably extending about ths of an inch from the face of
it, but this distance may be more or less, provided the wings or leaves are in the
suitable flame zone for producing incandescence.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would here remark
that I do not intend to confine myself to the illustrations above mentioned, which
are given by way of example only; but what I claim is :-
1. A. body for giving out light on becoming incandescent in a gas flame,
consisting of a base or foundation of meerschaum, or of some other material having
a like nature, and possessing the qualities of lightness, coherence, and slow
conductivity, coated, covered, or provided with a material consisting of certain of
the well-known metallic or natural oxides, or of some fabric coated with a solution
of these oxides, or of other matters, natural or artificial, which have the facility of
becoming readily and rapidly incandescent, as herein set forth.
2. The methods herein described of producing bodies for giving out light on
becoming incandescent in a gas flame.
Dated this 30th day of March 1896.