IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF REGENERATIVE GAS LAMPS
Year: 1885

page_text: Regenerative Gas Comp
We WILLIAM PIKE GIBBONS and GEORGE BENJAMIN ALBERT GIBBONS both of
Edgbaston in the County of Warwick Gas Engineers do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION
OF REGENERATIVE GAS LAMPS" to be as follows
This invention relates to an arrangement whereby the air supplied to the flame
is heated by the waste heat of combustion and at the same time the gas is also
heated and a considerable increase in the illuminating power of the gas is thus
obtained-Our invention is applicable for lamps intended for interior and exterior
lighting.
In carrying our invention into effect we use any low pressure burner which by
preference is carried by a vertical pipe down the centre of the chimney or in some
cases groups of burners which are so arranged and placed in such a position that
the draught of the chimney causes the flame to take that shape or direction which
is found to give the best illuminating results For circular pendant lamps our
invention is carried into effect in the following manner.
We provide an inner cone or reflector made of sheet iron or other suitable metal
to which is attached a shaft or chimney for carrying away the products of
combustion and this we fix over the burner, the supply pipe for gas being carried
down the chimney or flue.
On the inner side of this inner cone we place a moveable cone or reflector of
asbestos sheeting which has the under side dressed and coated as hereinafter
described.
Our object in using asbestos sheeting is as follows
From its nature it readily holds the coating hereinafter mentioned and it is
found that being partially a non conductor it will not interfere with the perfect
combustion of the gas to the same extent that a metal or other reflector will do,
but at the same time it will allow sufficient heat to pass through it to assist in
raising the temperature of the incoming air.
.
The outer cone is by preference made of sheet iron and this to is coated inside
with asbestos for the purpose of preventing radiation of heat to the exterior of the
lamp and it is attached to a short shaft The air enters from between the inner

page_text: and outer cones at the top of the short shaft heat is taken up by the incoming air
by passing between the outer and the inner chimneys and cones To the lower
part of the outer cone is fixed a flange and to this flange is attached by means of
hinges or other fastenings the globe carrier and it is understood that the shape of
the globe may be varied as desired.
The products of combustion in passing up the inner tube heat both the incoming
gas and air.
To avoid the chemical action of the heated gas in contact with the metal on the
gas inlet we prefer to protect the inside of this pipe by enamelling or plating or by
any other preventative with which the sulphur in the gas will not combine.
It will be understood that in all sized lamps any convenient shape may be
adopted and the before described cones or reflectors may be made in any desired
shape or number of segments.
The inner asbestos cones or reflector is dressed and coated on its under side with
common white or lime wash or tinted coloring and this is found to be a much
softer reflector than those now generally in use and it is of course inexpensive and
easily replaced.

page_text: Improvements in the Arrangement and Construction of
Regenerative Gas Lamps.
We WILLIAM PIKE GIBBONS and GEORGE BENJAMIN ALBERT GIBBONS both of
Edgbaston in the County of Warwick, Gas Engineers do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION
OF REGENERATIVE GAS LAMPS 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 an arrangement whereby the air supplied to the flame
is heated by the waste heat of combustion, and at the same time the gas is also
heated and a considerable increase in the illuminating power of the gas is thus
obtained.
Our invention is applicable for lamps intended for interior and exterior lighting.
In carrying our invention into effect we use any low pressure burner which by
preference is carried by a vertical pipe, and in some cases down the centre of the
chimney, or groups of burners may be used which are so arranged, and placed in
such a position that the draught of the chimney causes the flame to take that
shape or direction which is found to give the best illuminating results.
To avoid the chemical action of the heated gas in contact with the metal in the
gas inlet we prefer to protect the inside of this pipe by enamelling, or plating, or
by any other preventative with which the sulphur in the gas will not combine.
The inner Asbestos cone or reflector hereinafter particularly described is dressed
and coated on its under sides with common white or lime wash or tinted colouring,
and this is found to be a much softer reflector than those now generally in use; and
it is of course very inexpensive and easily replaced. The principle of our said
invention is described in our Provisional Specification, but so that it may be better
understood we will now fully describe the details thereof reference being bad to.
the accompanying drawings.
Similar letters of reference denote the same parts in all the figures. For circular
Pendant Lamps as illustrated in the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 our invention is
carried into effect in the following manner. We provide a cone A made of Sheet
Iron or other suitable material to which is attached a shaft or chimney B for
carrying away the products of combustion.
On the inner side of this cone we place a moveable cone or reflector of Asbestos
sheeting, "C," or other suitable material which is a partial conductor of heat, the
thickness of which may be varied at any desired point, and this is held in position
by a projecting ring, or clips, or by other suitable means; the under side of this
cone has the surface dressed and coated as herein before described with common
white or lime wash or tinted colouring matter.
This cone or reflector above described has the double object of
1st That it acts as a reflector.
2nd Being to a certain extent a non-conductor of heat it does not so rapidly.
cool the edges of the flame which would be prejudicial to its illuminating power
but at the same time sufficient heat passes through it to raise the temperature of
the incoming air sufficiently to ensure perfect combustion.
3

page_text: The burner of this form of lamp may be fixed as shown in fig. 1, where
D represents the supply pipe and E the burner, or as in fig. 2 where the supply
pipe D is divided into two or more branches as shown at DI to the lower ends of
which is fixed a flat flame burner E at such an angle that the flame may issue
advantageously. The outer cone F is made by preference of sheet iron and is
coated inside with Asbestos G; or other suitable non-conducting material, for the
purpose of avoiding radiation to this cone is attached a short shaft H also lined
with Asbestos or non-conducting material.-Over the air inlets and attached to the
chimney B, is a collar I returned as shown so as to guide the air between the two
shafts. To the lower part of this outer cone is fixed a flange K, and to this flange
is attached by means of hinges or other fastenings the glass semi-globe L. The air
enters below the collar I and passes between the inner and outer shafts, and
between the inner and outer cones, as indicated by the arrows and becomes in
its passage heated; it then enters the body of the lamp below the level of the
burners.
.
The products of combustion pass off through the chimney as indicated by
the arrows.
It will be understood that the angles and shapes of the cones may be varied to
suit the circumstances for which the lamp is required, and that the said cones may
be made in any desired number of segments. Fig. 3 represents a lamp suitable for
such places and positions in which the rays of light may be required to pass in a
horizontal rather than in a vertical, or downward direction, and is suitable more
particularly for passages and such like places. In this form of lamp, or lantern,
the incoming air enters between the inner and outer segments A and F which are
lined with asbestos or other suitable material C, and G, in the manner and for the.
purposes herein before described, and passes to the back of the lantern, and descends
between the outer and inner casings, which are also lined with asbestos or other
non-conducting material.
The air then enters into the body of the lamp and strikes against a deflector m
and passes to the burner in the direction indicated by the arrow and the products
of combustion pass away through the chimney.-It is understood that in this form
of lamp the glass front may be flat or curved, and also that the body of the lantern
may be modified to any shape or dimensions and also that any suitable burner, or
group of burners may be employed. Access may be gained to the body of the
lantern by either the sides, bottom, or front being binged or otherwise fastened to
the frame of the lantern.
When the lantern is required for building in a wall with the object of lighting
two adjacent spaces or rooms, the air enters between the upper segments of cones A
and F and passes down the sides into a bottom chamber, and from the bottom
chamber to each side of the burner or burners, and is guided or caused to take the
desired direction by two or more suitable deflectors.-When the lamp is required
for lighting open spaces for which the lamps shown in figs. 1 and 2 may not be
applicable the arrangement as shown in fig. 4 is used; in which we construct the
lantern with a central airshaft, covered or coated as herein described, round which
are grouped the burners; the air enters between the reflector A and the outer
top G and descends the airshaft issuing out from the lower portion of the shaft to
which is attached an outer coating of asbestos or other non-conducting material in
the manner and for the purposes before mentioned.
A sectional plan on line Z Z is also shown in fig. 4-Or the central shaft may
communicate with a lower chamber, and the air may pass through the chamber
and by means of slots and deflectors be caused to issue on each side of the
burners.
In this form of lantern we employ single flat flame burners or groups of flat
flame burners, or a ring burner, or a group of ring burners as may be convenient.
In either form of lamp when the formation of the flame requires a supply of air
in addition to that shown it may be provided in those lamps described in figs. 1
and 2 by small slots or perforations near the junction of the chimney B with the

page_text: inner cone A, and in figs. 3 and 4 in such portions of the reflector as may be most
desirable.
U
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, but without limiting
ourselves to the precise details hereinbefore described as these may be modified
without departing from the nature of our said invention, we declare that what
we claim is
First. The heating of the incoming air by causing it to pass between the inner
or reflecting portion (or cone) and the outer casing, causing it to enter the body of
the lamp below the point of combustion, substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The use of Asbestos or other non conducting material combined or fixed
to the metal support and attached to the framing for the purpose of reflecting the
light in such a manner that no portion of the flame is injured by the too rapid
condensation of the heat, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Third. The use of Asbestos or other non-conducting material combined and fixed
to the outer metal framing for the purpose of lessening the radiation of heat from
the lamp, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Fourth. The dressing and coating of the Asbestos inner cone or reflector with
lime white or coloured wash substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. The construction of lamps as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive having free and open passages arranged for the heating of
the air and having entrances into the lamp for such heated air below the point of
combustion, in combination with a cone, of asbestos or other suitable material,
segmental or vertical reflector and an internally enamelled or plated pipe through
which the gas enters, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.