Improvements in Electric Igniting Devices for Lighting Gas and like Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 31st Mar., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Igniting Devices for Lighting Gas
and like Lamps.
I, ERNEST SCHMIDT, of No. 101, Wilhelmsaue, Wilmersdorf, near Berlin, in
the Empire of Germany Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The devices for igniting gas lights or lamps by means of electricity as hitherto
employed have the disadvantage that they are liable to break down owing to the
deficient formation of sparks and the friction of the plug of the cock is often so
great that the armature has not sufficient power to open the same.
According to the present invention these disadvantages are obriated in that a
weight is employed to assist in turning the plug of the cock whilst the proper
generation of sparks is attained by means of an induced current having an
extremely high vibratory effect.
In order to render the present specification easily intelligible reference is had to
the accompanying urawings in which similar letters of reference denote similar
parts throughout the several views:
-
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are diagrams of electromagnets necessary for explaining the
present device, Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the igniting device showing the
cock closed, Fig. 5 a similar elevation showing the cock open, Fig. 6 a sectional
elevation showing the arrangement of the armature and the igniting flame, Fig. 7
a sectional plan on a plane through the centre of the cock plug and Fig. 8
a diagram showing the electric wires.
In Fig. 1 a divided ring is illustrated having the upper half formed to an electro-
magnet, the lower part being the armature. If current is passed through the
windings of the upper part, the armature will be attracted, and if the current is
cut off, the armature will fall back, but it will remain hanging a short period
owing to the magnetism remaining in the magnet for a space of time after
the current has been cut off. If a flat armature, as illustrated in Fig. 2 is
employed, the same will, when the current has been cut off, fall off the magnet
somewhat more quickly than the curved armature, and if a divided armature such
as illustrated in Fig. 3 is employed, the same will fall back from the magnet
almost immediately the current is cut off. These facts have been proved by
experiment. In connection with electric igniting devices it is of great
importance to have the various phases of the making and breaking of the
current follow each other with great rapidity, and this has hitherto been prevented
by the residue of magnetism remaining in the magnet after the current has been
cut off.
The device consists of the following parts: -The plug a of the gas cock is
provided with a plate b attached to its end, and having at its lowest part a pivot c
to which is loosely attached a weighted lever f having a rearwardly extending pin
adapted to engage a slot of a slide e. 'This slide e is mounted on two pins à d
of the plate b, and is capable of lateral movement on, or over, the said pins by
means of slots. The slide e is further provided with hooks vv at each end, which

page_text: are adapted to engage with the upwardly turned ends g and g¹ of the armature A.
The armature A, as will be seen from Fig. 6 and 7, is formed by the two wings A A
connected up by means of a saddle piece A¹ of brass, or the armature may be of
iron and made in one piece of a saddle shape. I prefer brass however. Above
the armature A is the second armature B (Fig. 6) which is guided on suitable
pins and normally held out of contact with A by means of upwardly operating
springs. On this part of the armature is mounted the igniting tube F, insulated
from the said armature by means of an insulating layer h. This tube is in cou-
nection with a gas supply through the valve N, the stem of which is also
operated by the rise and fall of the plate B as herein after set forth, and the
tube is connected up to the supply of gas by means of a flexible pipe G. To
the top of the tube F is attached a contact p adapted to cooperate with the contact
mounted in the top of a stationary tube T, so that when the plate B vibrates sparks
will be formed at this contact.
The device operates in the following manner;
If current is sent through the electromagnet E, assuming the parts to be
in position shown at Fig. 4 with the gas cock closed the effect will be to attract
armature A, and this in turn will attract B. The armature A, will, by means
of its arm g¹ push up the slide e, opening the cock, and at the same time throwing
the weighted lever f partly over, that is, far enough to allow it to pass the dead
centre, and subsequently be in a position to throw the plate 6 entirely over.
The gas has now been turned on, and valve N opened by the armature A, on which
its stem rests, and since the plate B has been drawn down against the action of
its springs, the springs of plate B will push the latter upwards. Now the con-
struction of the armature enables such a rapid vibration of the plate B, which
rises and falls as the current is successively made and broken at d, that sparks will
be formed at p and ignite the flame at the end of the tube F. The plate B
vibrates so rapidly that it will not touch either the armature A or its stops
at the other end of its stroke, the said plate swinging in mid air and generating a
sufficiently quantity of sparks at p to thoroughly and reliable effect the main
flame, the cock being open.
The current is now cut off by releasing the electric button D indicated at Fig. 8
and armature A consequently falls back. The slide e is thus released and the
weighted leverf completes its stroke over to the left (Fig. 5) thus throwing the
slide e completely over, and bringing its opposite hook in position to be engaged
by the other side of the armature A when it is again attracted. The armature A
consequently falls, allowing valve N to close by its spring, thus turning out the
igniting flame and plate B returns to its normal position.
When
Thus it will be seen that by pressing the button D the cock a is first opened
and the weighted lever thrown partly over past its dead centre, and on releasing
the said button D the weighted lever will be allowed to complete its stroke, placing
the slide with its hook in position to engage the other side of the magnet at the
next operation, whilst the release of the armature allows the plate B to rise,
opening the valve N and allowing gas to pass to the igniting tube F, and at the
same time making and breaking contact at p with great rapidity, and vibrating
the plate B to form the necessary sparks at p to light the igniting flame.
the gas is turned off it is necessary that the igniting device should not again be
brought into operation, and this is prevented by means of the contact spring i
(Figures 4 and 5) which is insulated, and connected by a conductor passing
round the tube F' and back to the magnet E and battery. Thus when the gas
cock is open (Fig. 5) the spring is free and contact at the same broken, but when
the leverf is thrown back to close the cock, its pin c contacts with the spring i
and makes the circuit back to the battery direct through the conductor just
described, and without vibrating the plate B.
In the diagram (Fig. 8) the arrangement of the conductors is illustrated, the
same being provided with the contact button D, the pole clamps K passing from
the battery through the magnet. E, thence around the tube F to the spring i, and

page_text: from the battery at the other line to the stationary tube T as will be readily
understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1
1: An electrical gas igniting device having a saddle shaped divided
armature (A) provided with operating arms 9 gl at either side for opening or
closing the cock a, the said armature having a second armature plate B spring
pressed away from the said armature A, the said plate B being adapted to operate.
the igniting device, by being exceedingly rapidly vibrated, and thus causing an
energetic generation of sparks by self induction substantially as described.
2: In the device covered by Claim 1, the combination of means for operating
the cock plug a, consisting of a guide plate 6 rigidly attached to the plug adapted
to be alternately operated by the arms g g' of the armature to open and close the
plug, with the aid of a slide plate e mounted on said guide plate, and having
hooks at each end, the said slide plate being operated by means of a weighted
lever f pivotally supported on the guide plate b and engaging the slide by means
of a pin, so as to bring the hooks into position to be engaged by the armature
arms substantially as described.
T11011
n 1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant..
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant..