Improvements in Apparatus for Lighting Gas by Electricity.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Lighting Gas by Electricity.
We, ADOLF GEYER, Manager, and JOHANN STEGMEIER, Electrician, both of
Gmünd, in the Kingdom of Würtemberg, German Empire, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to an apparatus, in which gas is lit by electric sparks, and
our improvements in such apparatus relate to special arrangements and combinations
of parts, as will be more fully described hereinafter. We have shown one mode of
construction of our improved apparatus in the annexed sheet of drawings, in which
similar letters denote similar parts, and in which:
Fig. 1.is a vertical section through the whole of the apparatus, and
:
Fig. 2 a horizontal section through a detail, viz. the burner, taken on the
line 3-4 of Fig. 1.
Before entering into the details of the construction, we wish to remark that the
burner shown is intended for the so-called gas-glow-light, in which a hollow cylinder
consisting of special mineral substances is brought to intense glowing by a very hot
and non-luminous flame, as produced by a burning mixture of gas and air, that,
however, also in other forms or constructions of burners our invention may be
employed with just the same advantageous result.
The burner-tube a is in its upper part enlarged to the burner proper a¹ and is
fed from below by the gas-pipe b terminating with a nozzle . This nozzle
reaches into tube a and is surrounded by apertures c¹ provided within the casing or
body c.
The air entering through said apertures e mixes with the gas within
tube α, and the mixture is mixed at the top a² of the burner, so that the hollow
mineral-cylinder arranged above the burner (but not shown in the drawing) is
brought to intense glowing as explained in the foregoing paragraph.
Burner-tube a with its enlarged head a' are surrounded by a tube d d of
corresponding shape, resting on body c and adapted to be turned around the
parts a a' for about one fifth of one rotation as indicated in Fig. 2.
The head dr
of said outer tube has an opening d² passing a similar opening a³ when tube d is
rotated. A small casing e is secured to head d¹ in front of opening d², and gas will
flow into the channel formed by said casing out of head a¹ as soon as the openings d²
and a³ begin to coincide.
A metal bar ffixed to body c, and isolated from the latter by rubber-pieces f¹ is
provided at its head f2 with a so-called contact-brush g, the projecting elastic
wires g¹ of which extend into the casing e before mentioned; that is to say, extend
into said casing when the openings d2 and a³ coincide, as is shown in the drawing,
so that, when casing e in the course of its motion is passing away over the
extremities of the wires g' contact will be established between said wires and
the casing. If, now, bar as well as body c are connected with the poles of a
galvanic battery, or any other source of electricity, and if, further, tube d d¹ is
turned (for instance by handle h), the gas escaping through the openings d² a³ now
coinciding will be ignited by the sparks arising between the edge of casing e and
the wires ', and by the flame thus produced also the main-part of the gaseous
mixture will be ignited at the top a² of the burner.
The parts described up to here are the main-parts of the apparatus, and are
sufficient for effecting the desired result, if the apparatus can be operated directly
by hand (as by means of handle h before mentioned), and if body c and bar
n constant connection with the electric generator. "If, however the burner with
are

page_text: its electric igniting-device is arranged within the lamp of a street-lantern, we prefer
to employ a special intermediate or auxiliary device by aid of which the apparatus
may be operated and connected with both poles of an electric generator at a
time. This auxiliary device is also shown in Fig. 1, and is constructed as follows:
A bell-crank lever i fulcrumed to body c is provided at the end of its shorter arm
with a toothed sector k meshing with a cog-wheel k¹ on tube d, whilst the longer
arm of said bell-crank lever carries a weight i¹.
A metallic socket of funnel-like shape is fixed to the bottom s of the lamp, and
is isolated from said bottom by rubber-rings 1112, ring 12 supporting the weighted
arm of lever i when the latter is in its normal position, or out of use. Socket and
bar fare connected by wire m.
The lamp-lighter carries with him a wooden rod n containing in its under part
any device by which an electric current may be generated, as for instance a small
but powerful primary or secondary battery. To the top of said rod n is fixed
a metallic rodo and a tube p, which are connected by the wires with the two
poles of the electric generator, and, as a matter of course, isolated from each
other.
If, now,
the top of this rod is introduced into socket 1, and tube p is brought in
contact with it, and if, further, lever i is lifted by rod o, the electric circuit will
be completely closed as soon as contact is established between the parts e and g',
and the gas will be ignited by the arising sparks, as has been fully explained
hereinbefore.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for lighting gas by electricity: The combination with the
burner a having side-aperture a³, of a slide or tube d' having channel e and
aperture d adapted to connect said channel with burner a, the gas entering the
channel being ignited by electric sparks, and lighting the main-flame, substantially
as described.
2. In an apparatus for lighting gas by electricity: The combination with the
burner-head a having side-aperture a³, of a slide or channel d' adapted to turn
around said head and having channel e with inner aperture d², the latter being
adapted to connect said channel with head a', the gas entering the channel being
ignited by electric sparks arising between the edge of the channel and a conductor y,
said ignited gas lighting the main-flame, substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus for lighting gas by electricity: The combination with the
burner-head a having side-aperture a³, of a slide or channel d' adapted to turn
around said head and having channel e with inner aperture d², the latter being
adapted to connect said channel with head a', the gas entering the channel being
ignited by electric sparks produced by the movement of channel e
conducting-brush g g', said ignited gas lighting the main-flame, substantially as
described.
over a
4. In an apparatus for lighting gas by electricity as characterised by Claims 1, 2
or 3, the combination with the burner a a¹, the rotatable outer tube d d¹ and the
electric contact gle, of means for establishing the communication a³ d² for the gas,
and the connection of the contact e g¹ with the electric generator simultaneously,
substantially as described.
5. In an apparatus for lighting gas by electricity as characterised by Claims 1, 2,
or 3, the combination with the burner a a¹, the rotatable outer tube d d', and the
electric contact gle, of lever i electrically connected with channel e, and adapted
to turn the latter, and of socket / electrically connected with the contact-brush g g'
substantially as described.
6. In an apparatus as characterised by Claims 1, 2 or 3, the combination with
burner a a¹, tube d d', electric contact e g', lever i and socket 1, of a portable rod n
having at its top electrodes o p, and at its foot an electric generator, the electrodes

page_text: being adapted to make contact with socket and lever i when lifting the latter by
said rod, substantially as described.
1
1040
ww
ADOLF GEYER,
JOHANN STEGMEIER,
By Geo. H. Rayner,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.