Improvements in Devices for Lighting Gas-lanterns.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Lighting Gas-lanterns.
I, CARL WILHELM MUCHALL, of Wiesbaden, in the Province of Hesse-
Nassau, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Manager of the Gas-supplying
Company, 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 refers to devices, by means of which lanterns or street-lamps
may be lighted without necessitating the opening of the casing enclosing or
surrounding the burner proper, and my improvements in such devices relate to
the arrangement of a horizontal or but very slightly inclined tube in the top of
the casing of the lantern or street-lamp, and in providing the inner end of said
tube with an enlargement formed best by an inverted spoon or funnel and being
situated in the space above the burner or shortly above a chimney proper or a
chimney-like part adapted to receive as well as conduct the fresh gas issuing
from the burner, before the latter has been lighted.
Before entering into the details of the construction I beg to state, that I am
well aware of the existence of devices in which the desired effect has been sought
to attain also by a tube, which, however, was arranged vertically or very nearly
so, and which, further, did not possess any enlargement or an equivalent part, by
the aid of which the lighting-gas, or a mixture of this latter with air, could be
collected and conducted into the ignition-tube as well as prevented from entering
the remaining inner space of the casing.
In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawing,
in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different views, and in
which:
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the lamp of a street-lantern, provided with
my improved lighting-device, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the ignition-tube
proper.
The burner shown in this lamp 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 is produced for instance,
by a burning mixture of gas and air.
The ignition-tube may be used, however, also for other constructions of burners
and I have preferred to show the same in connection with a gas-glow-lamp, as the
ignition-tube most suitable just for lamps of this kind. The construction proper
is as follows:
The casing a enclosing the burner with its glowing-body c and with the
chimney d surrounding the latter, is provided in its top a¹ with the tube e, the position
of which is but a very slightly inclined one, or which, with other words, extends in
the direction to the top of the chimney d. The inner end of tube e carries the
spoon-like enlargement el, which may be adapted to be displaced telescopically on
tube e, or which may be movably secured to the latter by means of a hinge e³, so
that in either case the chimney may be freed from part e for being enabled to be
taken off the burner, if the lamp shall be cleaned, or a fresh glowing-body shall be
set in. The same effect may be attained, however, by arranging tube e displaceable
in the lantern-top a¹ and by providing it with two shoulders or other projections
for the purpose of limiting its movements in either direction.
If, now, cock f of the gas-conduit g is opened, the gas entering the cylinder
mixes with air within the latter; this mixture, when leaving the top of the
chimney, is catched up by the inverted spoon-like end or enlargement e¹, and is led

page_text: then by tube e to the outer orifice of the latter. This orifice is narrowed by a
tongue e for the purpose of causing a slight compression of the mixture within
tube e, and of preventing wind and rain from entering the latter.
The lighting proper is effected by bringing the flame of a common lighting-rod
quite near to the outer orifice of tube e, so that the mixture of gas and air, which
is easily inflammable and flows upwards within the tube e with but slight velocity,
is ignited; this ignition then proceeds inwards and is transferred to the mixture
within chimney d, so that finally also the burner is lighted.
I here think it necessary to expressly point out the great importance of the
tube e with regard to its slight inclination; by making the inclination but very
slight, I prevent the mixture from escaping too quickly out of the tube and I,
further, hinder the latter itself from exerting too strong a draught on the burner-
flame, so that the latter is lighted with perfect security, and is kept burning with
continual steadiness; results, never attained heretofore by other constructions
resting on the above principle.
I wish it to be understood, that I do not confine myself to the spoon-like
configuration of the part e', but that I may use also other configurations, provided
the latter he also adapted to catch up the gases rising from the burner; such
configuration is represented, for instance, by an inverted funnel or hopper, the
diameter of which is somewhat like that of the chimney.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A gas-lantern, having a horizontal or slightly inclined tube extending from
the outside of the lantern to the space above the burner, the inner end of said tube
being enlarged and having its orifice opening downwards, for the purpose as
described.
2. A gas-lantern, having a horizontal or slightly inclined tube extending from
the outside of the lantern to the space above the burner, the inner end of said tube
carrying a movable casing having its opening directed downwards, for the purpose
as described.
3. A gas-lantern with chimney, having a horizontal or slightly inclined tube e
extending from the outside of the latter to the space above the chimney, the
inner end of said tube having secured to it an inverted casing e¹ by means of a
hinge e, said casing being arranged a short distance above the chimney, for the
purpose as described.
4. A gas-lantern with chimney, having a horizontal or slightly inclined tube e
held by the top of the casing, and extending from the outside of the latter down to
the space above the chimney, said tube having secured to its inner end an inverted
casing e¹ by means of a hinge e, said casing being of spoon-like configuration and
having its opening a short distance above the chimney, for the purpose as
described.
5. In a gas-lantern with a Bunsen-burner and with a glowing body surrounded
by a chimney, a horizontal or slightly inclined tube e held by the top a' of the
casing and extending from the outside of the latter down to the space above the
chimney d, said tube having secured to its inner end an inverted casing e¹ by means
of a hinge e', and having at its outer end a tongue e narrowing the respective
orifice, the said casing being of spoon-like configuration and having its opening a
short distance above the chimney, for the purpose as described.
Dated this 15th day of December 1893.
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CARL WILHELM MUCHALL,
By Geo. H. Rayner,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant,