Improvements in Automatic Gas-igniters.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1898—Accepted, 7th May, 1898
Date of Application, 2nd July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1898—Accepted, 7th May, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Gas-igniters.
I, JACQUES PERL, of 7, Scharnhorst Strasse, of Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
This invention refers to automatic gas-igniters of the kind in which the ignition
is effected by means of a small ball, disk, or the like, containing finely divided
platinum or another metal of the platinum-group. This ball or disk when coming
in contact with the gas begins to glow and causes thus the ignition of the gas. In
consequence, however, of said ball or disk remaining in the burning gas, or in the
flame respectively, the afore-mentioned property of the finely divided platinum
to become glowing when coming in contact with the gas soon ceases, and the ball
or disk in question can thus be used only for short a time, or must after a short
time be replaced by a fresh platinum ball or disc respectively.
To do away with this drawback a construction has been devised in which the
platinum ball ignites an auxiliary flame which then in its turn ignites the main
flame, whereafter the auxiliary flame is automatically extinguished. Thus, in this
construction the platinum ball is removed from the intense heat of the main flame,
but the construction working in said way is complicated and gets easily out of order.
I have attained the desired effect by means of a very simple device, one form of con-
struction of which is shown as an example in the accompanying drawing. This device
may be regarded in a sense as an inversion of the construction afore mentioned, in
that I do not move the flame away from the platinum-ball but the platinum-ball away
from the flame, or (in the case of an incandescence-lamp) from the incandescence-
body. In the form of construction shown my novel device is applied to an incan-
descence-lamp and the 'platinum-ball a is secured to the outer end of a helix b
formed by a metallic strip or band composed of two different metals. The metal
having the greater extensibility is located at the outer side of the strip or band. The
other or inner end of the helix b is fixed to a bar c secured by a screw d to one of
the chimney-carrying arms e of the burner. An upwardly extending rod f also
fixed to the bar c forms at its upper end a hook f¹ which takes over the helix, and
holds the outer end of the latter with the platinum-ball a in proper working
position.
The strip or band b when heated by the flame of the burner extends, and owing
to said strip or band forming a helix and the outer metal being capable of a greater
extensibility the helix contracts, so that the platinum-ball a assumes the position
shown in dotted lines. In this position the platinum-ball is so far distant from
the flame, or from the incandescence body g respectively, that its glowing-capacity.
is not in the least impaired. The ball a remains active for a very long time.
the trials made up to now, and still in progress, a ball has already been used for
more than one thousand hours of burning without having lost the least of its power.
Of course, instead of forming the helix from a strip or band composed of two
metals I may make use of only one metal which is capable of a great extensibility;
In

page_text: and, further, instead of forming the strip or band into a helix I may form it to a
body of another shape, provided, that body be able to bend so as to move the
platinum-ball away from the flame.
JACQUES PERL,
By Geo. H. Rayner,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Automatic Gas-igniters.
1.1.
I, JACQUES PERL, of 7, Scharnhorst. Strasse, of Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and, in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention refers to automatic gas-igniters of the kind in which the ignition
is effected by means of a small ball, disc or the like, containing finely divided
platinum or another metal of the platinum-group. This ball or disc when brought
in contact with the gas, begins to glow and causes thus the ignition of the gas. In
consequence, however, of said ball or disc remaining in the burning gas, or in the
flame respectively, the afore-mentioned property of the finely divided platinum
to glow when in contact with the gas soon ceases, and the ball or disc in question
can thus be used only for a short time, or must after a short time be replaced by a
fresh platinum ball or disc respectively.
To obviate this drawback, a construction has been devised in which the platinum
ball ignites an auxiliary flame which then in its turn ignites the main flame, where-
upon the auxiliary flame is automatically extinguished. Thus, in this construction
the platinum ball is removed from the intense heat of the main flame; but this last
mentioned construction is complicated and easily becomes inoperative..
I have attained the desired effect by means of a very simple device, one form of
construction of which is shown as an example in the drawing filed with the pro-
visional application, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a sectional elevation of a burner provided with my im-
provements,
Figure 2 a plan view of Figure 1, the chimney being in section.
This device may be regarded in a sense as an inversion of the construction afore-
mentioned, in that I do not move the flame away from the platinum-ball but the
platinum-ball away from the flame, or (in the case of an incandescent lamp) from
the incandescent-body. In the form of construction shown my novel device is
applied to an incandescent-lamp and the platinum-ball a is secured to the outer end
of a helix b formed by a metallic strip or band composed of two different metals.
The metal having the greater expansion is located at the outer side of the strip or
band. The other or inner end of the helix 6 is fixed to a bar c secured by a screw d
to one of the chimney-carrying arms e of the burner. An upwardly extending
rod falso fixed to the bar c forms at its upper end a hook f¹ which takes over the
helix, and holds the outer end of the latter with the platinum-ball a, in proper
working-position.
The strip or band when heated by the flame of the burner expands, and owing
to said strip or band forming a helix and the outer metal being capable of the
greater expansion the helix contracts, so that the platinum-ball a is carried auto-
matically into the position shown in dotted lines. In this position the platinum-
ball is so far distant from the flame, or from the incandescent body g respectively,

page_text: that its glowing-capacity is not in the least impaired. The ball a remains active
for a very long time. In trials made to test durability of the same, a ball has
already been used for more than a thousand hours (burning) without having lost
the least of its power.
Of course, instead of forming the helix from a strip or band composed of two
metals I may make use of only one metal which is capable of a great expansion;
and, further, instead of forming the strip or band into a helix I may form it to a
body of another shape, provided, that body be able to bend so as to move the
platinum-ball away from the flame.
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:-
1. In an automatic gas-lighting device, the combination with a platinum body
adapted to become incandescent upon contact with the gas, of a support carrying
said body, said support being arranged in a position to be heated by the radiating
heat of the flame and to automatically change its position to carry the platinum
body away from the flame, when said support becomes heated, substantially as
described.
2. In an automatic gas-lighting-device, the combination with a gas-burner of a
strip of metal arranged in proximity to the jet orifice of the burner, and adapted to
change positions as described, when heated by the radiating heat of the flame, as
described, and a platinum body carried by said strip in a position to come in con-
tact with the gas and to be automatically carried out of contact with the flame by
its supporting strips when the latter is heated in the manner and substantially as
described..
3. In an automatic gas-lighting-device, the combination with a gas-burner, of
a metal-strip arranged in proximity to the jet orifices of the burner and composed of
two strips, formed of metal, having varying coefficients of expansion, said strips
being so combined as to change position as described, when heated by the flame and
a platinum body carried by the strip in a position to come in contact with the gas
and to be automatically carried out of contact with the flame, when its supporting
strip becomes heated, in the manner and substantially as described.
1
1
1000
1808
Dated the
By Geo. H. Rayner,
JACQUES PERL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.