IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joshua Kidd at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th June
1873. A communication from abroad by Theodore Clough, of the
City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
I, JOSHUA KIDD, of 27, Leadenhall Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS BURNERS," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates,—
Firstly. To that kind of gas burner which has a cylindrical hollow
flame, with an outside and inside draft usually termed an Argand
burner. It consists of a concentric hollow ring having its sides or
bottom made of brass or other suitable metal, while its top or tip is made
of the metal aluminum, pure or alloyed, through which a series of small
holes are drilled or punched for the emission of gas; this is supported and
supplied with gas by two small hollow arms, which are connected with a
central distributer, said distributer being connected to a socket or base,

page_text: I place in the interior of this base a wire gauze or check, and also a
valve adjustable from the outside of the base, and in such a manner that
the gas can be raised or lowered at will, and also set so that on the
opening of the cock to which the burner is attached the flame will not
rise above the height to which it had been adjusted. The same a
adjustable valve is also provided with longitudinal corrugations, which
divide the gas, and in combination with the wire gauze checks the flow,
and thus insures perfect combustion and prevents the singing noise so
objectionable in this class of burner. This base is also provided with
holes for attaching the chimney and shade holder supports. When the
perforated ring which constitutes the top or tip of Argand burner is
made of iron or brass they soon corrode or oxidize, and leave an
incrustation in and around the holes which obstructs the flow of
gas, and
which makes frequent cleaning necessary or the burner becomes
useless.
By the use of aluminum, pure or alloyed, I thoroughly overcome all
the objection referred to above, as none of the gases or acids evolved by
the combustion of illuminating gas effects in the least this metal, and I
am enabled to use smaller holes than formerly, and thereby get a better
light with a less consumption of gas, and by the peculiar construction of
my burner it casts no shadow, consequently the light is much better
distributed, and I am also enabled to get more oxygen to the flame, and
thereby get more perfect combustion.
The operation of this burner is as follows:-The base or socket being
screwed to the fixture the cock of said fixture is fully opened, the
gas lighted at the ring, a pin or wire operating a cam is then turned
until it opens the valve inside the base sufficiently to cause the flame to
burn to the proper height, when once adjusted it wants no further
attention, the gas being shut off in the usual manner with the cock
provided for that purpose on the fixture. When thus adjusted the cock
can be fully opened and the gas lighted, when it will be found that the
flame is noiseless and at the proper height.

page_text: 2. I claim as a new article of manufacture a ring Argand burner, the
tip or top of same being formed of a strip or ring of the metal aluminum,
pure or alloyed, through which the holes for the emission of gas are
drilled or punched, together with the general arrangement of the several
parts forming my burner when combined as described.