An Improved Automatic Gas-lighting and Extinguishing Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Gas-lighting and Extinguishing Apparatus.
1 RICHARD FRANCIS BRIDEWELL of San Francisco California in the United States
of America, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a very sure certain and efficient apparatus
for automatically lighting and extinguishing a gas flame.
To carry out this object at a suitable distance from the burner I fit a casing in the
walls whereof may be the passages for the gas and on the face of this casing is a
dial. Any suitable clockwork causes an hand on this dial to make a complete revolution
in twenty four hours and on the arbor of this hand wheel is a wheel over which are two
cams which can be adjustably secured on and to the wheel in the desired positions.
As the wheel revolves with the hand at the proper time one of these cams comes in
contact with the arm of a bell crank lever mounted in the casing, pushing it back
whereby the other arm of this lever through suitable links rods or levers causes a
pawl to engage a fresh tooth in a ratchet wheel on the gas supply valve which valve
is an horizontal cylinder through which are a series of diametrical passages and when
the cam releases the arm of the lever a spring applied to the same causes it to regain
its former position whereby the pawl moves the valve in such wise as to open one of
these passages and allow the gas to pass to the burner. The cam also comes in
contact with the arm of another bell crank lever mounted in the casing pushing it
back whereby the other arm of this lever is lifted off a shoulder on a link jointed to a
curved lever also mounted in the casing which lever is connected to one arm of a bell
crank lever mounted near the burner the other arm whereof carries the sparking.
wire or other device for lighting the gas and a spring is applied to this lever in such
wise that when the shoulder on the link is released as aforesaid the horizontal arm of
the sparking lever is raised and the sparking wire or other device is kept away from
the burner. The cam then releases the arm of this lever shortly after the arm of the
other lever has been released as aforesaid and a spring applied to this lever causes it
to regain its former position engaging the shoulder on the link and pressing the same
down causes the sparking wire or other device to pass over or near the burner thus
lighting the gas. To prevent this motion being too rapid the intermediate curved
lever is provided with teeth which engage a pinion and through gearing, revolve a fan
by which the motion is duly retarded.
As the wheel still revolves with the hand as aforesaid at the proper time the other
cam comes in contact with the arm of the bell crank lever which by the same
sequence of operations moves the valve in such wise as to close the passage and shut
off the supply of gas.
It may sometimes be desired that the gas shall not be lighted during the period of
the full moon in which case a wheel is caused by the clockwork to make a complete
revolution in twenty-eight days and over this wheel is a disc with a projecting lug
which disc can be secured on and to the wheel with this lug in the desired position. As
this whel revolves at the proper time the lug comes in contact with the aforesaid
bell erak levers and forces them back so that they cannot be actuated by the cama

page_text: and they are thus held until in the revolution of this wheel at the proper time the
lug releases the levers allowing them to regain their former positions.
If electricity is used the battery if any can be placed in any convenient position
near this apparatus and one wire therefrom is connected to the buruer while the other
as aforesaid is connected to the sparking lever but any mechanical devices may also
be used to light the gas such as flint and steel or the like.
1000
An Improved Automatic Gas-lighting and Extinguishing Apparatus.
I RICHARD FRANCIS BRIDEWELL of San Francisco California in the United States
of America 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:-
The object of my invention is to provide a very sure certain and efficient apparatus
for automatically lighting and extinguishing a gas flame.
In the necompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of this my apparatus
Figure 2 is a cross section of the gas supply valve Figure 3 is a cross section of the
dial and Figure 1 is a general elevation of the whole apparatus as fitted in a street
lamp shewing the battery and circuit.
A is a casing having in its walls pussages a for the gas. The lower ends of these
passages join in the pipe a' which communicates with the gas pipe B and the upper
ends thereof communicate with the burner C.
The pipe a is controlled by a valve D which is cylindrical in cross section and is
horizontally arranged in its sent transversely to the pipe. The cylinder is provided
with diametrically arranged ports which by the rotation of the valve can be
surcessively brought into alignment with the passage in the pipe thus opening the gas
communication as shewn in Figure 2 and allowing the gas to pass to the burner the
space between these ports serving to eut this communication off. The projecting end
of the valve D is provided with a ratchet wheel which can he actuated by a pawl d²
and is held in position by a retaining pawl both pawls being duly weighted or
counterweighted as may be desired.
pon the face of the casing A is a dial over which moves an hand e and within
the centre of the dial is mounted upon the hand arbor a wheel F. Pivoted on this
arbor are also the oppositely arranged cams G and I which eams can be clamped and
set in any required positions on the face of the wheel F by set screws which pass
through the rams and into curved slots or grooves in the face of the wheel F.
Pivoted to the face of the easing A at the point is a bell crank lever I the vertical
arm of which is in the path of the cams G and El and can be operated thereby and
the horizontal arm of this lever is connected by a link ♬ with a pivoted arm K
whereto the actuating pawl is attached. Pivoted also at the point is another beli
crank lever L the vertical arm of which is also in the path of the cams G and R
through at a point higher up and therefore can also be operated thereby after the
aforesaid lever and the horizontal arm of this lever rests on a shoulder m on the
lower end of a link M the upper end whereof is connected with a curved lover N which
is pivoted to the face of the casing A at the point n.
O is a lever pivated on the burner and carries the sparking point o by which the
gas is lighted and the other end of this lever is connected by a link P with the curved
lever N.
A spring is arranged in connection with the lever T in such wise as to press its
horizontal arm downwards and a spring / is similarly arranged in connection with the
lever L also to press its horizontal arm downwards. A spring is arranged in
connection with the lever O in such wise as to press its horizontal arm upwards.
Within the casing A is any suitable clockwork mechanism not shown in the
drawing as it may be of any ordinary character.

page_text: The action of this apparatus as herein before described is as follows.
The clockwork mechanism is arranged to turn the hand e through a complete
revolution in twenty-four hours and therefore the wheel F mounted on the hand
arbor is also turned therewith in twenty four hours. The cams G and I are set
properly on the wheel F so that their points indicate on the dial E the proper desired
times. I will consider that the cam G causes the gas to be lighted and that the
cam H causes the gas to be extinguished.
When the cam G in its rotation reaches and comes in contact with the vertical arm
of the lever I it forces the same backwards thus raising the horizontal arm of this
lever I which through the link J and arm K moves the pawl over one tooth of the
ratchet wheel on the valve D. As soon as the cam & in its rotation releases the
lever I the spring depresses the horizontal arm of this lever 1 thereby through
the link J and arm K bringing the pawl forwards and turning the valve D so that
one of its ports is in line with the passage in the pipe a¹ thus opening the gas
communication and holding it open whereupon the gas passes up the passages a to
the burner.
The cam G while it is operating as aforesaid the lever I also comes in contact with
the vertical arm of the lever L forcing it backwards likewise and raising the
horizontal arm of this lever L which therefore releases the links M and P allowing
the spring of the sparking lever to raise its horizontal arm and throw the
sparking point o backwards into position. In Figure 1 the lever 0 is shewn in its
normal position with its spring tending to throw the upper arm of this lever over
to the left of the burner. This tendency is resisted by the lever L whose spring /
keeps its horizontal arm down on the shoulder m of the link M. Now when as
aforesaid the cam G lifts this arm of the lever L off this shoulder m the spring of is
permitted to throw the upper arm of the lever O over to the left of the burner and to
keep it in such position until the cam G in its rotation releases the lever L and the
spring thereof depresses its horizontal arm down on the shoulder m and thus
through the links M and P throws the sparking lever back to the position shewn in
Figure 1 so that its sparking point » moves across the burner thereby lighting
the gas.
The movement of the sparking lever to the left of the burner is for the purpose
of getting it into a position where the link M may he readily engaged by the lever L
when released by the cam G and also to permit this lever and its adjuncts to be
operated during the movement of the lever that controls the gas communication.
The lever L is released by the cam G shortly after the lever I is released by the
same cam G and this gives sufficient time for the gas to reach the burner before the
sparking point o moves across it.
The apparatus remains in this position until the cam H comes round in its turn and
operates the lever I in a similar manner whereby the valve D is so turned as to clos
the gas communication and cut off the supply of gas.
In order to prevent the spring which actuates the lever L from bringing the
links and P down with a jerk and to avoid a too rapid movement of the sparking
lever I connect the links M and P with the curved lever N on one face of which
are formed teeth m, which through any ordinary train of gearing if necessary such
for example as the gear wheels Qq and r mounted on the studs 7' and ' shewn in
Figure 1 drive a fan R by which arrangement the movement of the lever N is
sufficiently retarded.
In places where the gas is not lighted when the moon is full or is just approaching
or past it I render the mechanism inoperative during the desired period as follows.
Sis a gear wheel driven by the clockwork mechanism and is mounted on a stud s
whereon also is loosely mounted a disc T having a projecting lug which can come
in contact with both the levers I and L. The disc T can be clamped and set in any
required position on the face of the wheel S by a set screw which passes through
the disc or the lug thereof and into a curved slot or groove in the face of the
wheel S. To facilitate the adjustment of the disc T. I can place on the face of the
casing A a representation of the full moon U and projecting from the periphery of

page_text: the dise T is a pointer. The wheel S is so geared up as to make a completo
revolution in twenty eight days a lunar month and the disc T is so arranged and is
set on this wheel S in such wise that when the pointer is turned towards the moon U
or nearly so the lug forces both the levers 1 and I backwards out of the path of
the cams and H so that they cannot be operated thereby and retains them in such
positions during the period in which the gas is not to be lighted and then by the
rutation of this wheel the lug releases the levers allowing them to regain their former
positions and be operated by the cams in manner as herein before described.
I preferably use electricity to light the gas and in Figure I have strewn one
method of arranging the necessary apparatus for this use in and with a street lamp
wherein is the electric battery and the electric circuit which includes the sparking
lever as shewn in Figure 1. "I do not wish however to confine myself to this use of
electricity for the lighting of the gas as aay usual or suitable mechanical devices may
by employed which can be operated by the movement of the levers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that
what I claim is
1. In a gas lighter and extinguisher a burner a valve controlling the supply of gas
to the burner and a pivoted lever and connections with the valve for operating it in
combination with a fighting apparatus for lighting the gas at the burner a pivoted
lever and connections with the lighting apparatus for operating it and rotating cams
for operating the two levers successively whereby the gas is turned on and off at the
valve and lighted and extinguished at the burner substantially as herein before
described.
2. In a gas lighter and extinguisher a burner a valve controlling the supply of gas
to the burner a pivoted spring-actuated lover and connections with the valve for
operating it a lighting apparatus for lighting the gas at the burner and a pivoted
spring-actuated lever and connections with the lighting apparatus for operating it in
Combination with a rotating cam for operating the two levers successively whereby the
gas is turned on at the valve and lighted at the burner and a succeeding rotating
cam for operating the first before named lover whereby the gas is turned off at tho
valve and thus extinguished at the burner substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In a gas lighter and extinguisher a burner and a pivoted sparking lever and a
spring for netunting this lever in combination with rotating cams a pivoted bell crank
lever our arm of which is in the path of the cams and a spring for actuating this
lever a pivoted curved lever and apparatus for regulating its movement a link
connecting the bell crank lever with the curved lever and a link connecting tho
curved lever with the sparking lever substantially as herein before described.
4. In a gas lighter and extinguisher a burner a rotary valve controlling the supplyof
gas to the burner and a pivoted sparking lever having a spring to return it to position
in combination with succeeding rotating cams independent bell erank levers each
having one arm in the path of the cams whereby each lever is operated successively by
each cam springs to return these levers to position a pawl and ratchet mechanism for
operating the valve an arm and a connecting link between this mechanism and one of
the hell crank levers and connecting links between the other bell crank lever and the
sparking lever substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In a gas lighter and extinguisher a burner a rotary valve controlling the supply
'of to the burner and a pivoted sparking lever having a spring to return it to
position in combination with succeeding rotating cams mounted adjustably a fixed
dial by which these cams can be accurately adjusted independent bell crank levers
each having one arm in the path of the cams whereby cach lever is operated
successively by each cam springs to return these levers to position a pawl and ratchet
mechanism for operating the valve an arm and a connecting link between this
mechanism and one of the hell crank levers and connecting links between the other
hell crank lever and the sparking lever substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. In a gas lighter and extinguisher a burner a gas-conduit a valve controlling the

page_text: supply of gas to the burner and a pivoted sparking lever for lighting the gas at the
burner in combination with a fixed dial an hand moving over this dial to indicate the
time a wheel moving with the hand cams adjustably clamped and set on the wheel
pivoted levers operated by the cams and connections from these levers by which the
valve and the sparking lever are operated substantially as herein before described.
7. In a gas lighter and extinguisher a burner a casing having passages for the gas
in its walls and a communication to the gas pipe from the bottom of these passages
and to the burner from the top thereof in combination with a valve controlling the
supply of gas to the burner a sparking lever for lighting the gas at the burner
adjustable rotating cams on the face of the casing a fixed dial by which these cams
can be adjusted to the proper times pivoted levers operated by the cams and connections
between these levers and the valve and the sparking lever substantially as herein before
described.
8. In a gas lighter and extinguisher a burner a gas-conduit a valve controlling the
supply of gas to the burner and a sparking lever for lighting the gas at the burner in
combination with rotating cams pivoted spring-actuated levers operated by the cams
connections from these levers by which the valve and the sparking lever are operated
and an adjustable rotary disc having a lug which can come in contact with these
levers and by which they can be held out of position during any desired period
substantially as herein before described.
.