Improvements in Automatic Gas Lighters.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1899-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Gas Lighters.
I, DAVID JOHN ARCHER, of 2, McCaul Street, in the City of Toronto, in the
County of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, Gentleman, 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 improvements in automatic gas lighters, more particu-
larly constructed for the purpose of being attached to, or forming part of an
ordinary gas burner, and the object of my invention is to provide a device that
will automatically ignite, for instance, the gas issuing from an ordinary gas
burner, without having to apply a flame to the same, and it consists essentially
of a fine wire held in a suitable support, a portion of said wire and said support,
extending into the path of the gas as it escapes from the burner, and means
for causing a friction against the ends of the said wire as hereinafter more particu-
larly explained.
Fig. 1, is a sectional perspective view of a burner, showing my device attached
thereto, and the construction thereof.
Fig. 2, is an enlarged sectional perspective view of my device, showing an
alternative form of the drive and driven paddles, and means for regulating speed
of same.
Fig. 3, is an enlarged sectional perspective view of the chamber and its driven
paddle, and the screw for regulating the speed of the paddles.
Fig. 4, is a detail view, showing the wire before it is twisted together.
In the drawings, like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each
figure.
A, is a gas supply pipe, and B, the burner attached thereto. C, is the nipple,
and D, the passage-way thereof. E, is the ordinary perforated cap secured
near the lower end of the burner B. Preferably secured to one side of the
burner B, is a chamber F. Screwing into the upper internally-threaded end
of the chamber F, is an adjustable plug G. Rigidly secured in the adjustable
plug G, is a tube H, made of carbon, soap stone, or any other suitable material.
A portion of the upper end of the tube H, extends into the path of the gas
(Fig. 1). Passing, preferably, through the centre of the tube H, and held
therein is a wire I, made of platinum, steel, or any other suitable material.
The ends i, i,
The wire I, can be secured in the tube H, in any suitable manner.
of the wire I, are frayed or spread out, as shown, and preferably extend below
the lower end of the tube H. The portion of the wire which extends into the
path of the gas, and is designed to be made incandescent, is, as shown, provided
with a loop J. This loop must essentially extend into the path of the gas as it
escapes from the nipple C, and also the upper portion of the tube or support H,
in order to light the gas.
O, P, are the drive and driven paddles, secured on the spindle Q, within the
burner B, and chamber F, respectively. On reference to Figs. 2 and 3, it will
be seen that I have shown a means for regulating, if desired, the speed of the

page_text: paddles O, and P. One end a, of the spindle Q, is provided with a recessed
bearing 6, in which fits the inner end of the adjusting screw R. It will readily
be understood that to decrease the speed of the paddles, I have only to screw
in the screw R, and to increase their speed, to unscrew the screw R, the point
of the screw R acting as a brake in the recessed bearing b.
S, is a perforated disc secured in the burner B. The object of the disc S, is
to prevent, as much as possible, fluctuations in the flame of the gas, which might
be caused by the paddle O, as it is revolved. It will be understood that should
it be necessary to move the ends i, i, of the wire I, more or less into the path
of rotation of the paddle P, this can easily be done by screwing the plug G, to
or fro in the chamber F.
Having now described the parts involved in carrying out my invention or
discovery, I shall describe its operation.
When the gas is turned on, it causes the paddle O, to revolve and consequently
revolve the paddle P, whose blades, coming in contact with the ends i, i, of the
wire I, cause a friction. As is well known, friction causes heat. This heat
ascends the wire, which, when the loop J, and the top of the tube or support H,
(see Fig. 1) are in the path of the gas as it escapes from the nipple C, causes the
said loop to become incandescent and immediately light the gas. The top of the
tube or support H, which is in the path of the gas, becomes red hot. If the
gas be blown out, it will be immediately lighted again by the incandescent loop J.
From experiment I have found if the loop J, and the top of the tube or sup-
port H, are not in the path of the gas, as it escapes from the nipple C, that the
loop J, will not become incandescent. Immediately I place or move the loop J,
into the path of the gas, the said loop becomes incandescent, and lights the gas.
I have found, from experiment, it is essential that the wire I, be provided with
a loop at its upper end, or that portion which becomes incandescent. Although
I have shown the wire I, twisted around itself, and passed through the tube or
support H, by means of a single passage-way, it will of course be understood that
I may form a loop similar to the loop J, and pass the portions 2, 2, of the
wire I, through two separate passage-ways in the said tube or support, leaving
the ends of the said wire extending into the path of movement of the paddle P.
I notice the finer the wire is that I use, the quicker will the loop J, become
incandescent. In experimenting, I have found that if I remove the paddles O,
and P, and their support or spindle Q, and either close or leave open the lower
end of the support or chamber F, the wire I, and tube or support H,
being in the position shown in Fig. 1, that the loop J, will become incan-
descent and ignite the gas. From this I believe that it matters not whether
the ends i, i, of the wire I, are exposed to the atmosphere or not, or whether the
paddles are retained or not, in order to enable the loop J, to become incandescent.
When I use my device with the paddles removed, in a room where there is
considerable draught, the loop J, will become incandescent much quicker than
if I use the device, with the paddles removed, in a room where there is very little
draught. By causing a friction against the frayed or spread-out ends i, i, of
the wire I, in, for instance, the manner shown, the loop J, when in the path of
the gas, becomes incandescent and ignites the gas shortly after it has been turned
on.
The device, when the paddles O, and P, are used, or any other suitable
means for causing a friction against the ends i, i, of the wire I, ignites the gas
independant of the draught in a room. I therefore find it preferable to employ
some suitable means to come in contact with the ends i, i, of the wire I, in order
to cause a friction. From observation during my experimenting, I have found
that the loop J, becomes incandescent before any other portion of the wire I,
and that the heat works backwardly, so to speak, for a short distance, towards
the upper end of the tube or support H.
I have found that it is necessary to make the loop J, an unbroken loop. If
I were to sever the said loop, the ends will not become incandescent.
The material of which I make the tube or support H, is that which when

page_text: ted, will retain the heat, as long as possible, in said wire.
cess, carbon and soapstone, in making the above mentioned tube.
If a portion of the tube or support H, is not in the path of the gas as it
capes from the nipple, the loop J, no matter in what position it may be, will
t become incandescent.
'
In experimenting, I made the paddles O, and P, of brass. It will of course
e understood that I can make them of any suitable material.
It will of course be understood that I do not confine my invention to the details
f construction herein shown and described, which may be varied in many ways
ithout departing from the spirit of my invention.
I have found that if I mix silicate of soda, platinum black and Fullers' earth
ogether, and dust the compound into the hole in the tube or support H, and
hen insert the wire I, that my device lights the gas somewhat quicker than
without the compound.
It will of course be understood that the substance out of which I make the
wire I, is that which is capable of standing heat. I use platinum and steel wire.
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. A gas igniter comprising one or more fine wires, and suitable means for
holding or supporting said fine wire or wires, as set forth and for the purpose
specified.
2. A gas igniter comprising one or more fine wires, suitable means for holding
or supporting said fine wire or wires, portion of said fine wire or wires intended
to project or extend into the path of the gas as it flows or escapes, and a portion
of the supporting means for said wire or wires extending into the path of the
gas as it flows or escapes, substantially as set forth and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination of one or more fine wires, and a support or holder for the
same made of carbon, soap stone, or any other suitable material, substantially
0 as described.
4. The combination with a gas burner and nipple thereof, of one or more
fine wires, loops in said wires, a suitable support or holder for said wire or wires,
made of carbon, soap stone, or any other suitable material, the said loops of
said wires, and a portion of said support for said wires, extending, essentially
35 into the path of the gas, substantially as described.
5. The combination with a gas burner and nipple thereof, of one or more fin
wires, loops in said wires, frayed ends of said wires, a suitable support for hold
ing or supporting said wire or wires, said loops of said wires, and a portion of sai
suitable support, for said wires, extending, essentially into the path of the ga
40 and a suitable means for causing a friction against the said frayed ends of sa
wire or wires, as set forth and for the purpose specified.
6. The improved method of lighting gas without applying a flame to the sam
which consists essentially in maintaining a loop, formed in a fine wire, in t
path of the gas, and also at the same time maintaining a portion of a suital
45 support for said wire in the path of the gas, and simultaneously causing a fr
tion against the ends of said wire, substantially as set forth and for the purp
ified
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