IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING LIGHT AND HEAT AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, We, GEORGE
HENRY BACHHOFFNER, of Grove Road, Saint John's Wood, in the county of
Middlesex, and NATHAN DEFRIES, of Grafton Street, Fitzroy Square, in the
county of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the fourteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said George Henry Bachhoffner and Nathan Defries, our exors, admors,
and assigns, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
we, the said George Henry Bachhoffner and Nathan Defries, our exors,
adiñors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Henry Bachhoffner
and Nathan Defries, our exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING LIGHT AND HEAT AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that we, the said George Henry Bachhoffner and Nathan Defries or
one of us, should cause a particular description of the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
George Henry Bachhoffner and Nathan Defries, do hereby declare that the
nature of our said Invention and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed are fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention refers in the first place to improvements in constructing and
applying wicks to candles, so that while burning they will not require snuffing.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of the candle; the candles are cast in the usual
manner of hollow mould candles, videlicet, with holes passing directly through
them; the upper ends we prefer to be of somewhat larger dimensions and of the
shape of an inverted cone, and through which holes the wicks hereafter to be
described are introduced. The wicks are constructed in the following manner,
that is to say: one or more pieces of the cotton (about three inches long) prepared
in the usual manner for candle wicks, either plaited or plain, varying from fifty
to one hundred threads, the number of separate pieces, of course, depending
upon the size of the candle.
We take a piece of fine wire about three inches
long (that which we employ is known in the trade as binding wire). To one end
of this piece of wire a vulcanized india rubber ring, about three quarters of an
inch in diameter, is attached by twisting the wire into a loop, as shewn at
Figure 2, this loop is then brought close together so as to reduce its size as
much as possible, see Figure 3, where (a) is the flattened loop, and (b) the
india rubber ring, the long end of the wire c is then coiled into a spiral (this
spiral may be dispensed with if the candles are to be burnt in the ordinary
candle lamps), Figure 4, through or into which the wick is passed, taking care
that the spiral surrounds the wick at the distance of about one eighth to
one fourth of an inch from the bottom point where it is made fast to the india
rubber ring at the other end of the wire, Figure 4; this is effected by fastening
the piece of cotton in the middle to the short end d of the iron wire, and then
bringing up the two ends so as to form one wick. We do not confine
ourselves to this peculiar mode of attaching the wick, as it is evident many
other plans might be employed. If two or more wicks are to be employed
the spiral is made larger so as to surround the whole, and two or more india
rubber rings are employed to increase the elastic force; or, instead of the single
wick shewn in Figure 4, a divided wick may be employed as shewn at
Figure 5, but if two or more distinct wicks are used the india rubber rings

page_text: will require to be made of stouter materials; or two or more rings may be
employed to increase the elastic power. After the wicks have been thus
prepared, the india rubber ring is passed through the stem or shank of
Figure 6, which may be formed of bone, porcelain, tobacco pipe, clay, or
any non-conductor of heat, of this piece of non-conducting matter being to
prevent the too rapid transmission of the heat of the flame downwards. The
wick or wicks being thus prepared, a long wire having a small flat hook at
one end is then introduced through the hollow axis of the candle to which the
the india rubber ring or rings. are to be attached; these are then stretched
down through the candle and made fast to the bottom of it by a. small piece
of wood or other suitable material placed through the ring, so as to prevent
their retracting to their original size. By this arrangement the wick is
always kept immersed in the melted matter of the candle, the spiral surround-
ing the wick preventing the flame from descending too low on the cotton; and
as the tallow or other candle stuff is decreased by combustion, the elasticity
of the india rubber ring presses or pulls the wick in close contact with the
fused matter, so that no elongation of the wick occurs, and consequently
the candle burns without the necessity of snuffing, the wick being preserved
all the time in a perpendicular position.
The second part of our Invention relates to the modes of producing a
bright incandescent fire in imitation of an ordinary coal fire. Figure 8.
represents a moveable fire grate, similar in appearance to some commonly
employed in an ordinary fire place or chimney, the horizontal bars being
replaced by perforated iron tubes for the admission of gas, as commonly
employed in the present day and well known to all gas fitters, or the ordinary
bars of the grate may be covered with wire gauze, perforated talc or platina
foil or iron balls to be hereafter described; beneath this three or more jets of
gas, as shewn in the Drawing, are allowed to discharge their gas through
the perforated tale or wire gauze, on the top of which is placed shreds,
parings, thin plates, or stout leaves of metal, or the metal platina in
a finely divided state, commonly known by the name of spongy platina,
or the metallic compound produced by the following process, which forms
an admirable substitute for the former, and at little comparative cost.
To a saturated solution of sulphate of copper mix with it a saturated
solution of bichromate of potash, then add to the mixture a solution of car-
bonate of ammonia. Or the following proportions of the above salts, in their
ordinary crystalline state, may be employed: videlicet, sulphate of copper, one
hundred and twenty-five parts; bichromate of potash, one hundred and fifty-
two; carbonate of ammonia, thirty-nine parts. These being separately dis-

page_text: solved are to be mixed together. A yellowish brown precipitate is thrown
down (called a basichromate of copper), which when washed and dried is then
submitted to a red heat in a crucible, and may be used as and for the same
purpose as the spongy platina. We make no claim to the making of this
compound. Either of these, with or without a mixture of asbestos, by which
means the gas mixed with atmospheric air, on being ignited and playing on the
above bodies, renders the whole incandescent, thereby producing a large
amount of radient heat, and giving at the same time an appearance similar
to an ordinary coal or coke fire. Any of the metals that admit of being
brought to a red heat without undergoing fusion may be employed, but we
give the preference to very thin lamina of iron or platina. The latter metal
is by far the best, as it suffers no oxidation and admits of being reduced to
the thinnest lamina. Figure 9 is a modification of the stove, grate, or fire box
described above, differing from it simply in having the metallic lamina, with
or without asbestos, arranged pyramidly, as shewn in Figure 9, where the gas
burners are under each surface of perforated tale, platina foil or wire gauze
or iron balls.
Our next improvement under this head refers to a mode of burning what
is commonly known as diluted gas. This is ordinarily done by passing the
gas through wire gauze or lumps of pumice-stone before it is ignited. By
this mode a pale non-fuliginous flame is obtained. The imperfections con-
nected with the use of wire gauze depends upon the rapid oxidization of the
wire and the consequent breaking up of the meshes of the gauze by which
the gas becomes ignited below, and thus a smoky flame is obtained.
Our first improvement under this head of the Invention consists in substi-
tuting for the gauze perforated platina foil or tale, these being pierced with
holes in the ordinary manner of perforating zinc or paper, taking care not to
have less than thirty holes to every square inch of surface.
Our second improvement consists in the employment of layers of small
balls varying from one eighth to half an inch in diameter, formed of any
substance not entering into combustion at the ordinary temperature of a gas
flame. We prefer balls of iron or iron bullets, as shewn at Figure 10, where
A, A, is a cylinder of sheet iron, which is attached to the ring gas burner D.
The cylinder A, A, is then filled to the height of about two inches above the
burner with the balls above described, or, if a very high flame is required,
then balls must be added until it ceases to give off smoke. The air to mix
with the gas enters at the bottom portion of the cylinder A, A, as shewn by
the arrows, and upon the flame so obtained we place any of the bodies before
described for imitating a coal or coke fire. Another use we make of these

page_text: balls is shewn at Figure 13, where A, A, is a cylindrical sheet-iron stove, the
bottom of which is perforated, as shewn at B, for the admission of atmospheric
air. C is an ordinary ring burner. a, a, the fire bars, for supporting the balls
of iron, which in this case should not be less than one inch in diameter,
to admit of the heated products of combustion passing up between the inter-
stices, and passing out through the chimney F; the balls in this arrangement,
absorbing the heat from the gaseous products given off during combustion,
become a powerful reservoir of radient heat.
Figure 11 is an improved form of gas ventilating stove. A', A, A, A, is
the central descending and ascending flue, about two inches in diameter,
which passes up into a chimney or is carried out into the open air.
H, H, H, H, is a cylinder of glass or talc. D, D, M, C, and O, the pipes for
carrying the gas to the stove for the pipe D, D, which carries three or more
Argand burners, or a series of fish tales or single jets burners, having wire
gauze, perforated tale, perforated platina, or the balls before described,
arranged so that the gas may be passed in a diluted state through the per-
forations, as before described. The burner C is for producing a downward.
draft through the pipe A, A, and which is to be extinguished as soon as the
draft is obtained. B, B, B, is the air supply pipe, for carrying on the
combustion, and which is to be conveyed in an angle of the room to the
height of the ceiling, by which means the air to feed the flame is drawn from
that portion of the room containing the heated and vitiated air, which is,
thus drawn through the stove, and after having served the purpose of
combustion, is, carried up through the flue A, A, into the chimney,. thus
acting as a most efficient ventilator. E, E, E, E, is an iron cylinder, attached
to the base of the stove, and into which passes the feed pipe B, B, and through
which is carried the flue, as shewn in the Drawing. P is a deflector, to
assist in directing the downward current. F, F, F, is a glass or iron dome,
covering the fire box G, G, and reaching down to E', E', there fitting into a
groove of sand. In the fire box G, G, surrounded by the glass or tale
H, H, H, H, we place the thin plates of platina foil or iron, or the metals or
compounds of metal in a finely divided state, before described, with or
without a mixture of asbestos. Figure 7 shews the above fitted into an
ordinary chimney, with the addition of a reflector A, A, placed behind the
fire box.
Figure 14 is an improved form of gas cooking stove. a, a, a, a, is formed
of tin, sheet or cast iron, or slabs of slate, and will of course vary in size in
proportion to the work to be done, the size for an ordinary family being three
feet six inches high and eighteen feet square, with parallel sides. B is the

page_text: usual gas burner employed in gas stoves for culinary purposes, being simply
an iron or copper pipe perforated so as to afford a regular series of small jets.
E, E, are two shelves for baking. c, c, c, c, are two tin, copper, or iron vessels
or boilers, which are fitted into the sides of the stove. They may be for this
sized stove fourteen inches long, fourteen inches high, ten inches wide at the
top, and fifteen inches at the part that enters the stove over the gas burners.
D, D, are two vessels fitting steam-tight into the boilers c, c, c', c'. A pipe
d passes from the latter to the bottom of the steamers D, D; these are fitted
with lids in the usual manner. These outer vessels or boilers c, c, c', c', are,
when in use, to be filled with water through the screw plug ff', to within
about an inch and half of the top. The plug is then screwed up, and the
steamer put into its place, the gas flame beneath causing the water to boil,
the steam passes over through the pipe d, d', into the steamer, the part
claimed as new being the arrangement of the steamers, by which means the
one gas burner is made sufficient for the several purposes of baking, steaming,
and roasting.
Figure 15 shows another form of open stove heated by gas. a, a, are
perforated rings for the escape of the gas, which then passes through the
perforated metal plate b, upon which is placed materials as before described,
the gas being ignited as also described. d is a hollow dome of water, forming
a reservoir, supported by the columns e, which communicate with the reservoir d.
f is a collector to collect the vapours as they rise from the combustion of the
gas, and conduct them away by the pipe g, which is also a means of aiding to
heat the water contained in the reservoir d. Such water may be drawn off
by a tap in the chamber at the bottom of the columns c. h are coils of pipe
for heating liquids placed therein through the covers h', and such liquor may
be drawn off by cocks at 2. In some cases the lower parts of the pipes h
may make a coil or coils through the incandescent matter, as shown by the
red lines h³.
The next part of our Invention refers to our improved mode of con-
structing the glass shades or deflectors of gas, oil, or candle lamps, &c., on a
wire frame, Figure 16, the upper and lower ring B, G, being formed of
perforated metal; on this frame pieces of glass, ground or plain, porcelain or
enamel, as rods, plates, or prisms, or any other bodies capable of reflecting
light, as rods or strips of polished metals, &c., or tubes of glass silvered on the
inner side; these are placed side by side round the frame, and are retained in
their position by being fastened by fine wire to the perforations in the upper and
lower ring, thus forming a covering to the frame, Figure 17, which of course
may be varied as to form and colour. From the framic being of a conical

page_text: form, it is necessary in laying on the pieces, should they be of one uniform
size, to place them close together at the upper ring, by which spaces will be
left at the lower; these spaces are to be filled up by other shorter pieces,
these pieces, previously drawn out by the blow pipe tapering to a point; we,
however, prefer to have the pieces cut or moulded so that the lower end shall
be wider in proportion than the upper, the necessary dimensions, of course,
being dependent upon the form of the wire cone and the relative width of the
two rings.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we are aware that it
has before been proposed to employ the flame of gas from hollow bars or
pipes acting on pumice stone; we do not, therefore, claim the same, the
second part of our Invention, so far as it relates to employing gas to produce
an incandescent fire, consisting of causing the gas to flow out in jets and not
to ignite till the gas is mixed or diluted with air, so as to inflame when passing
up amongst the matters to be heated thereby, and to produce an incandescent
fire. And we wish it to be understood that what we claim is,―
First, the use of india rubber springs to draw down the wicks of candles.
Secondly, we claim the means and apparatus described for burning gas for
the purposes of heat. And,
Thirdly, we claim the mode herein described of constructing shades for
lamps.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Defries, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
NATHAN (LS DEFRIES