Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 20th May, 1899
We, JOSEPH BLASCO DE LÉRY, Gentleman, and WILLIAM APLIN ARMINGTON, Gas
Engineer, both of 256, West Twenty-third Street, in the City of New York, County
and State of New York, U.S.A., 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in gas burners, especially such as are
used in street lamps.
Incandescent mantles and other incandescent elenients are now much used in
street lamps, and it is important that the burners shall be lighted and turned out
with the least explosion possible, in order to reduce the consequent breakages of
the fragile incandescents.
To effect this purpose, the invention comprises the following essential elements;
(1) a flash tube, termed a "lighter" extending below the lantern and communi-
cating with the gas way by a channel of small diameter, which admits only a small
stream of gas to the "lighter." This lighter is perforated with a series of small
holes, or is slit from end to end, the gas issuing from the holes or the slit, so that
when the torch is applied to a lower hole outside the lantern a small flame will
flash up the tube to a point within the lantern and adjacent to the main burner;
(2) a valve or cock body and a plug therein, the body containing but one main
gas way and a small channel leading to the "lighter" as aforesaid, and the plug
containing transverse ports so arranged with reference to the aforesaid gas way
and channel of the body, that, in one position all the ports will be shut off; in the
next position, corresponding to the beginning of the opening of the cock, the
lighter will be put in communication with the gas way and at the same time a
small stream of gas will be allowed to pass through a secondary port to the burner,
to be there ignited from the lighter with only a very small explosion; and that,
when the cock is turned full open the main port of the plug will alone be in com-
unication with the main gas way, allowing the full stream of gas to go to the
burner, while the channel to the lighter and the secondary port will be closed.
With the aforesaid parts is combined a check to inform the operator when he has
opened the channel to the lighter and the secondary port sufficiently to get the
necessary streams of gas without violent explosion.
Referring to the drawings, which accompany the specification;
Fig. 1 is a general view of a lantern with the burner assembled in position;
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the burner, the main gas tube and the lighter being
broken away and all ports closed.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the burner on a plane perpendicular to that of
Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the plug, as it would appear to one looking from
the left and above Fig. 8;

page_text: Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are cross sections of the plug as seen from the right of Fig. 3
and respectively showing the plug fully shut, opened to allow gas to go to the
lighter and secondary port, a little more open so as to begin to allow gas to go
through the main port to the burner, and full open;
Fig. 9 is a broken detail of the slit lighter;
Fig. 10 is an elevation, partly broken away, of the cock equipped with the
spring check, which indicates when gas is turned on to the lighter;
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are end elevations of the cock, respectively in the full closed
position, with the lighter open, and the cock fully open.
A is a street lantern. the improved cock, connecting with the gas supply
and equipped with the lighter b, which passes up from said cock through the
sleeve w in the bottom of the lantern and to a position adjacent to the burner a.
Said lighter b is connected with the cock by the nipple f and cross e.
c is the main gas way 'or' channel through cock B; and d a channel of smaller
diameter establishing communication from the way c to the lighter b.
The plug G has the main through port h, which communicates with the way c
in the full open position (Fig. 8), the somewhat smaller port i which crosses
port hat an acute angle (about 45°) and communicates with the way c in the
intermediate position of Fig. 6, and the still smaller port j, which extends
diagonally through the plug, at its lower end preferably communicating with the
lower end of port i. Port j does not connect with port h, and, instead of con-
necting witli port i, it might have a separate outlet through the under side of the
plug.
Said several ports h, i, j are so positioned with reference to the way c and
channel d, that, when the plug is in the full closed position, all said ports are shut
off by the solid. metal of the cock body (Fig. 5); when the plug is given its first
turn (so that the bottom of knob on arm is just level with the bottom of
plug g), port i communicates with way c (Fig. 6), and port j connects channel d.
with said way c, permitting small streams of gas to go to the lighter and to the
burner; and that, as plug G turns further to the full open position, ports and i
momentarily both communicate with way c (Fig. 7); port h finally, in the full
open position, fully communicating with way c, and port i being closed by the
solid metal of the cock body (Fig. 8).
The arms K, L fixed on the end of plug G are adapted to be operated by the
end of the torch or some other instrument carried by the lamp lighter.
The lighter b may be perforated with holes b' arranged at suitable intervals, or
it may be slit from end to end at 62 as indicated in Fig. 9.
The burner a will be of any suitable kind, as, in case of incandescent gas lights
using the well known kinds of mantles or other incandescent elements, Bunsen
burners. The adjustable screw o (Fig. 2) threads into the way c and serves to
regulate the effective area thereof and therefore the quantity of gas passing
through.
4
While the person who lights the lantern can observe when the knob is at the
level of plug 9, and thus know when the plug is at that position wherein gas is
admitted to the lighter b, yet a more positive indication of this position is desir-
able and this is provided by the spring check, which is constructed as follows: A
barrel v carried on the hub t of the plug contains a spring-actuated pin w¹. On
the end of the cock body is a notch y, positioned so that the pin will enter the
notch when the plug is in the position of Fig. 6, wherein a small stream of gas
is passing to the lighter. The engagement of the pin with the notch produces an 5
increased resistance to the effort to turn the plug farther, and this resistance,
together with the click of the pin as it enters the notch, informs the lamp-lighter
man that the plug has attained the proper position for applying his torch to the
lighter b. He does so, the flame flashes up the lighter, and ignites the small
stream of gas that is issuing from the burner a without injurious explosion. The 5
man then turns the plug full open, the pin w' pushing back into its barrel as
additional force is applied to turn the plug..

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;-
1. The combination with a gas burner and a lighter therefor, of a cock having
a main port, a second port adapted to permit a small stream of gas to go to the
burner in one position of the cock, and a third port adapted to connect the second
port with the lighter, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a gas burner and a lighter, a cock-body having a main gas
way to the said burner, and a channel d to said lighter, and a plug having a
main port h, a port j adapted to admit gas to the lighter in one position of said
plug, and a secondary port i adapted to admit a partial flow of gas to the burner
in the same position of the plug, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a gas burner and lighter, a plug ported substantially as
described, and a check to indicate when the plug is in the position wherein gas
goes to the lighter.
1
1121
1
1
1000
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.