Improvements in and connected with Gas-lamps and Lanterns.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1899-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Gas-lamps and Lanterns.
I, EDWARD JOHN SHAW, of Astral Works, Walsall, Staffordshire, Lamp and
Glass Manufacturer, 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-lamps and lanterns and, more
particularly, to those generally known as "outside" lamps, such as are used for
shop-front and street lamps.
"
The objects of my invention are, first, to provide means for enabling, in a
lamp having what I
may term two powers," either power to be used at will.
Thus in a lamp fitted with, say, three bye-pass fitted burners in its globe, I can
arrange for them to be all extinguished save the bye-passes or jack-lights, to
be all lighted from their respective bye-passes, or for, say, the centre burner only,
to be lighted, the others not being supplied with gas, excepting only to their
jack-lights. This I effect by means of a special valve device.
The other object of my invention is to enable such lamps to be lighted through
the globe from underneath, an automatic closing device again closing the globe
and preventing deleterious draught or the entrance of dust etc. This latter portion
of my invention is particularly applicable in the case of lamps fitted with acety-
lene gas burners, when no bye-passes are employed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a
gas arc-lamp, fitted with my improvements.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the left-hand side of the seat of the special
valve.
Figure 3 is a similar view of the corresponding right-hand side.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the valve-plug, on line 1-2 of Figure 5,
but when the lever D is horizontal. Figure 4ª will then be the corresponding
section on line 3-4 of Figure 5.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the valve plug when lever D is depressed to the
right.
Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the automatic closing device.
I have illustrated my invention fitted to a lamp of the type illustrated in my
Patents Nos. 18777 of 1896, and 3797 of 1897, but the improvements may, of
course, be applied to any other gas lamp or lantern.
The lamp now shewn is provided with three burners a a¹ enclosed in a globe
secured by bayonet catches to a casing C. The service pipe A supplies gas to
a valve B whence the gas passes to the burners by means of bye-pass pipes b b¹
and main pipes c c¹. The pair of outer burners are always alight or extinguished
together, and are fed by pipe c, which is branched off to both burners as illus-
trated, whilst their bye-passes are supplied by pipe b. On Figure 1 only the
centre burner a and front one a¹ can be seen; the rear burner a¹ is situated
behind a.
When the lever D, which controls the valve B and which is fitted with chain
pulls d, is horizontal, the valve plug occupies the position shewn in section on
Figures 4 and 4ª, and all three burners are extinguished although their bye-
passes, of course, remain alight.
In this position gas enters from A, passes through passages ay and az in

page_text: valve B, and corresponding or meeting channels s in Figure 3, and v in Figure 2.
Channel y it will be noticed is prolonged vertically upwards by means of a slot.
These channels s and lead to pipes 6 b¹.
On pulling down right-hand side of lever D, the plug B is rotated until the
passage f is uppermost, as shewn in plan on Figure 5. Gas can then enter from A
passing through f to y and thence to passages z, x and g. The passage z is also
prolonged upwards by a slot.
These passages lead respectively to u, s and v, which communicates with b, v
with 6', and u with main pipe c', and in this position of valve B, all burners a a¹
are full on, being lighted from their respective bye-passes. The outer burners a¹
are supplied through passage t¹ leading to pipe c.
"..
If, instead of depressing right-hand side of lever D, the left-hand pull be
drawn down, lever D will assume the position shown in Figure 1, in which only
the centre burner is full on, whilst the outer burners are extinguished..
In this arrangement the passage is uppermost but only a portion thereof
coincides with the inlet from A, and gas passes down into openings u and v
on left-hand side, and openings on right hand side, through passages f, h and
slot extension of y. Instead of using one burner on all three burners, any other
desired numbers might be employed connected together according to requirements.
Thus the " powers of the burner might be five burners (assuming that there
were in all five burners) or any two of these five, suitably connected together.
The opening t communicates with a chamber containing a spring-pressed ball
for the purpose indicated in my Patent No. 3797 of 1897, and this chamber is
in front of the extension of passage s. A corresponding depression in valve B
(not shewn on Fig. 5) is made for the ball.
A suitable stop to the movements of the lever D is provided; on the drawing,
I have shewn a pin on valve plug B working in an arc of a circle, limiting
the travel of the lever to an angle of 90 degrees.
The other portion of my invention is shewn on Figure 6, and consists of a
hole m formed in the base of the globe into which a glass or other similar ball n
of larger diameter will normally seat itself. An ordinary electric or any other
convenient lighter having been passed through this hole m will, in its passage
displace the ball, and the burner or burners may then be lighted. Upon with-
drawing the lighter, the ball will roll back and locate itself in its seat m. The
ball being of glass casts practically no shadow and therefore does not detract from
the advantages of "shadowless" lamps.
This automatic closing device may be applied to the globe of any overhead lamp
which is fitted with a part-spherical or concave globe.
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). In gas lamps or lanterns the burners of which are fitted with bye-passes,
a rotatable valve by means of which gas may be caused to pass (a) to all burners
in the lamp, (b) to any one or one set only of the said burners, or (c) to feed only
the bye-passes to all burners, the said valve in all three positions allowing gas
to pass to the various bye-passes, substantially as herein described and set forth.
(2). In the globes of gas lamps and lanterns, the use of a ball or sphere of
glass or other suitable material normally located in a seat in the lowermost
portion of the globe and acting as an automatically closing device, substantially
as herein described.
Dated this Tantiath dox of Tule 1800