US375414A - System of electric gas-lighting - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

w. H. DOERING. SYSTEM 0F ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING.

Patented Dec. g'Z, 1887.

uwlmw u M@ @l I M MMM? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. noname, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA..

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,414. dated December 27,l 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be i't known that WILLIAM H. DOERING, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Philadelphia, Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Electric Gas-Lighting,` of which the following is a specification. The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus Afor controlling the ow of and igniting the gas employed for illuminating and other purposes by electricity'. In accomplishing this objectI construct the devices attached to or surrounding an ordinary gasburne-r and the key by which the electric current employed is controlledin such a manner as to cause the gas-cock to be opened and closed with the expenditure of a minimum current; and I produce a series of sparks across the path of the escaping gas and continuethe production ot said sparks at will until the gas has been actually ignited. The reduction of the batterypower required for vopening and closing the gas-cock I achieve by a peculiar construction of the'magneticsystem employed'for this purpose. The arrangement is such that the maximum powerof a magnet vupon a polarized armature is utilized bythe action of each pole of the magnet upon a distinctive -and opposite pole of the armature, both for open-ing'and closing the cock. A current-reversing' key or push-button being necessaryfor the operation of a gas-lighter of this description, my invention embraces such pushbutton as specially ladapted to the igniten The continued production of sparks across the escaping gas I have also improved by removing from the circuit the obnoxious resistance of the electromagnet which actuates the cock, thus obtaining the benefit of the whole current-for producing sparks.

4The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description, with refercnceto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my improved gaslighter; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation of the same slightly modified. Fig.

3 shows a sectional elevation of a modied from of my gas-lighter with the pushbutton,

5,0 battery, and spark-coil. Fig. 4 is a similar view of another species of my improvement with its appurtenances, and Figs. 5 and 6 are Serial No. 232,405. (No model.)

sectional views of the push-buttons adapted for the operation of my system.

into a square box\2,"and it terminates in a short tube, 3, at its lower end. -This tube is screw-threaded internally to be screwed upon a gas supply pipe, as usual. Surrounding the burner'and concentric therewith lis a tubular vpermanent magnet, 4, split longitudinally, as shown, and magnetized to have one of its poles at one of its longitudinal edges, 5, and the other pole at the other edge, 6. Both the burner and the mag-net are supported by a base-plate, 7, from which a binding-post, 8, insulated therefrom, projects.

An electro-magnet, 9, provided with square pole-pieces 10, is -placed in front of box 2 and within the slit in the permanent magnet, and a strip, 11, of any desired material-#as brass or copper-extendsparallel with the electro-magnet and behind the same, and is secured to the pole-pieces, as shown. The strip 11 thus becomes part ofthe electro-magnet. Its only purpose is to serve as a means electro-magnet toY be actuated by the same. Said cock is attached to and projects from the rear side of strip 1l, asindicated at dotted lines at12. It enters the box 2, and is of ordinary construction. The electro-magnet is thus pivoted at its middle, and when moved to the right or'left it will turn the cock to shut or open the passage for the gas to the tip of the burner.

In the position of the electromagnct shown in Fig. 1 the gaspassage is closed and is held closed by the attraction of the permanent magnet upon the pole-pieces of the electro-magnet, one of these polepieces being attracted by one pole, 5, of the permanent magnet, and the other pole-piece by the other pole, 6, of the permanent magnet. If, now, the electromagnet be energized by the passage ot' a current through its coils to produce at the upper and lower pole'pieces, respectively, poles of the same names as the poles 5 and 6 of the permanent magnet, the upper end of the electromagnet will be repelled by 5, While the lower end willgbe repelled by 6 and attracted by 5. The electro-magnet will therefore swing about upper pole-piece comes in contact with 6 and In Fig. 1 the burner 1 is shown to expandk for attaching the cock of the burner to the IOC its pivot-the cock of the burner--until its turn the cock to close the gas-passage it is only is held open by the continued attraction of thel permanent magnet upon the pole-pieces of the eleetromagnet,even if the latter be discharged by the interruption of the current. To again necessary to reverse the current in the coils of the electro-magnet, as will readily be understood by those skilled in the art. It will also be understood that the arrangement of magnets may be reversed without in the least modifying the operation-that is to say, the split tubular -magnet may be the electro-magnet and the magnet connected with the cock may, bc the permanent magnet.

In the circuit of the electro-magnet or in a circuit acted upon inductively by the circuit which includes the electro-magnet is an elastically-inounted and insulated standard, 15, which in Fig. 1 is shown bent twice at right angles, and which is in the path of the electro-magnet when the same swings into position to open the gas-passage'. From the upper end of the standard 15 extends a platinum contact, 16, which, when the -magnet is iu the position shown in Fig. 1, makes contact with a platinum contact,'14, extending from a short standard, 13, xed to the burner.

IVhen the electro-.magnet swings into position to open the gas-passage, the upper polepiece, 10, shortly before it comes in contact with edge 6 of the permanent magnet, encounters the elastically-mounted or elastic standard 15, and forces the same over behind the edge 6, and thereby carries platinum 16 ont of coutact with platinum 14. As will be presently shown, the standards 13 and V14 are in an electric circuit, which, when broken at 14 16, produces a spark at this point and ignites the escaping gas. The arrangement may be changed so that the standard 415 is always ont of reach of the swinging magnet and that the platinums 14 and 16 are always out of contact, thespark being in that case produced by an inductorium, as will be explained with reference to Figs. 4 and 6.

Fig. 2 shows the interior and circuit connections of a construction substantially like that shown in 'Fig'. 1. The standard 15 is there shown as an insulated rod ,pivoted at its lower'lend and pressed forward by a spring, 17, toestablish contact at 14 16. The spring is shown carried by a' pin projecting from a rod parallel with standard 15; but thisis of no importance, for the spring may be mountedin any suitable manner. The currententers at the bindingpost S, which is insulated from the other pole of which is grounded. The pushbutton is constructed to operateasa combined circuit maker and current reverser, and a spark-coil`is included in the circuit, all of ,which will be clearly explained further on.

The operation of this device will now be easily understood. Supposing the electromagnet to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, thegas-passageclosed, and the circuit open at the distant push-button. If, now, the'circuit is closed at the distant push-button to send a current-through the magnet that will polarize the same, so as to cause it to swing about its pivot to the position shown in Fig. 2, said magnet before it reaches the end of its stroke will impinge upon standard 15 and break the circuit at 14 16, producing a spark at this point, which may or may not ignite the gas now escaping at the tip of the burner. The circuit being thus interrnpted,the electro-magnet becomesinert, and spring'17,reacting upon standard 15, forces the same back to reestabthe circuit at 14 16, whereby another spark is produced. It will thus be seen that the electro-magnet, in conjunction with standard 15 and platinum contacts 14 16, operates as a rheotome, and that it will continue to operate as such as long as the circuit is closed at the push-button, producing a number of 'sparks in rapid succession,which operation should be continued until the gas shall have been ignited.

In Fig. 3 the structural element 15 is a standard movable vertically in guides provided in au insulated metal frame, 2l. The standard itself is in this case not insulated, but moves in electrical contact with frame 21. The lower part of the standard is screw-threaded, as shown, and an insulating-washer, 23, upon this portion of the standard is engaged by, an arm, 24, projecting from the magnet 9 orfrom the gas-cock. XVhen the magnet is thrown over tothe position shown in Fig. 3, arm 24- lifts the standard against the action of spring 17,whercby contact at 14 16 is broken, aspark produced, and the production ot' sparks con# tinued by the rheotomic action, which now ensues, as has been explained with reference to Fig. 2. A current-reverser of any suitable construction-such as a puslnbutton, 25-a spark-coil, 28, and a battery, 29, are properly connected in the circuit. The push-button herein described is peculiarly construct-ed with a View to the requirements of my method of actuating the devices so l'ar described,` and I prefer to use the same with my igniter, though of course any other suitable circuit controller may be used.

Fig. 5 shows such push-button in seetimml elevation. Inthe body S2 ot' the device, which is o1 wood, hard rubber, or othcr insulating material, are two recesses, 2!) 25), for the reccp tion of plungers 26 27, also of insulating nmtcrial. The faces ol' the proicrting thumb `\vith different colors-say white and black, re-

suitable distance from the same.

spectivel-y. y, In the drawings .the thumb-piece of 26 ,is` shown white and that of 27 black. These plungers are held in an elevated position by springs 30 30, asV usual. Between the two-recesses thereis. a web or partition, 31 vand metal pieces 32 33 are .inserted in said partition parallel to each other and tlu'sh with 'the faces ofthe partition on both sides. In

alignment with these metal pieces are metal pieces 34 35 36 37, inserted in the body of the device, 34 and 35l being Hush with the wall of one chamber 29, and 36 and'37 flush with the wall ofthe other chamber 29. The whole arrangement is such that metal pieces 34, 32, and 36 are in one line, and metal pieces 35, 33, and 37 in anotherline parallel to the first and at a Parallel to these lines the two plungers are perforated, therebeingA two perforations in each plunger at distances from each other equalto the distances of the lines of the parallel metal piece in the body 82 andin the partition 31. In each of these perforations there isa metallic ,Y pin, 38, surrounded by helical spring 40, and

a metal cap is placed upon the head of each pin, so as to be capable of sliding with little friction upon the sanne.l These caps are marked in the drawings with the numerals 41,-' 42, 43, 44', 45, 46, 47, 48, and each pair of caps is pressed outwardly against thewalls ot' the chamber in which the respective plunger is placed. When a plunger is in its elevated position,the outer faces of the caps are in contact with the insulating substance of the body and partition o f the device; but when a plunger is depressed by its thumb-piece olie cap of each pair comes in contact with a metal piece in the body and the other cap with a metal in the partition. f

The electrical connections are as follows; A wire, ,49, from the positive pole'of the battery is connectedwith the metal pieces 34 and 37, andfrom the negativepole of the battery a wire,50, is connected with metal pieces 35 and 36. Metal piece 33 inthepartition 'is connected with the ground' by a wire, 5l, and

4 metalfpiece 32 is connected by a wire,52, with wire 20, which leads to the bindingpost 8 onthe gas-lighter proper, as shown in Figs. 2 'and 3.. Asindicated in Fig., 3, there is a sparkcoil, 28, inserted lin one of thewire's, 49, coming from the battery.' I Y The whole .operation will now be easily understood.. l

Assuming the gas cock. to be closed, and consequently the electro-magnet in the'positiony shown in Fig. 1 and the circuit closed at 14'16, ifA it is now desired yto turn, on and lightl the gas, the White thumb-piece of plunger. 26 is depressed. This brings caps 41 and 42 in'` contact wit-h metal pieces 34 and 32, respec tively and caps 45. yand 46 with metal ypieces `35l and 33, and the circuit of the gas.l

lighter is .thereby completed-as follows: from the positive pole of the battery through sparkvis connected with standard'l.

eoil28,by wire 49, to metal piece 34, then through caps 41 and v42 (connected by pin 38 and spring 40) lto metal piece 32 and wire 52 to wire 20 (seeFigs. 2 and3) and binding-post 8, where it enters the gas-lighter proper. The course of the circuit through the gas-lighter has been described above, and it is here only necessary to remember that it passes to ground by the pipes of the distributing system. rlhe current therefore returns to the push-button by ground-wire 51 and continues to metal piece 33, caps 46 and 45 to metal piece 35, and by wire back to the negative pole of the battery. The current which, is thus sent through the electro-magnet has such direction in the coils of the saine as to cause it to swing over into the position shown in Figs. 2 and- 3.

`The rheotomic action and production of sparks ensues and continues so llongas the white thumb-piece remains depressed, and the operator will hold it depressed until the gas shall have been ignited by one of the numerous sparks produced. Vhen the thumb-piece is released, the sparks cease, but the electro.- magnet remains in the same position assumed in the preceding action.

If it is desired to turn the gas oil", the-black ,thumb-piece 27 is depressed, wherebya current in a reversed direction is sent through the coils of the electro-magnet, as follows:

from the positive .pole of the battery through the sparkcoil,.by wire`49 to metal piece 37,

caps 48 and 47, to metal piece 33, and by wire' 51 to ground. The current now returns through the ground to the distributing system and enters the gaslighter by the burner, from -which it passes, by a standard, 13, platinum contact 14 and 16, to standard 15, and then continues by wire 19 to and through magnet l9, wire 18, and binding-post 8.` Freni this binding-post 8 the current proceeds by wires 20.52 back to the push-button, to metal piece 32, and then by caps 43 44 'to metal piece 36, and by wire 50 to the ngative pole of the battery. The currentbeing thus reversed, the

electro-magnet will again return to the position shown in Fig. 1, whereby the gasis turned oli'.

In the forni of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6 an inductorium, 28', is substituted for IOO the spark-coil, and the rheotome is transferred f from the burner to said inductorium. Standard 15 is in this case fixed, and platinum wires 14 and 16 are out of contact, but within comfoi-table striking distance. of the secondary of the induetori'uln. Binding-post 8 is again connected with theelectro-magnet by wire 18, but wire y19, coming from the magnet, is in this instance directly connected wit-h the body of the burner, and, consequently, through the distributng'system with the ground.` Asecond l' insulated binding-post, 8', is provided, which ln the wire 49, coming from the positive pole ofthe battery, are included the primarylof the inductoriumandthe rheotome 53and oneterminal,

54, of the secondary is connected with the wire tion of the system that involves the use of an inductorium. The two plungers are fitted to move in recesses of greater depth, so that on depressing them the electrical connections described with reference to Fig. 5 will be first established, and then upon continued depression these connections will be again interrupted. This extended stroke is necessary only for the white plunger 26, but may also be given to the black plunger 27 for the sake of uniformity of construction. The recess in which plunger 26 moves is extended at its bottom both axially and laterally, and spring 30, which has thefunetion of returning the plunger to its elevated position, rests'with one end upon a leaf-spring, 57, iixed at one end in the lateral extension of the recess. Under the free end of 57, but not in contact with the same; extends the free end of another spring, 58, and a third spring, 59, is placed with its free end under that of spring 58. In consequence of this construction it will be seen that if plunger 26 is depressed to iirst make 32 33 34 35 and the metalcapsthe helical sprin'g 30 will thereby be compressed to such a n degree that spring 57 will yield and make contact with spring 58, which latter spring will yield in its turn and make contact with spring 59. The electrical `connections to tdi@ metal pieces and caps are identical with those of push-button shown in Fig. 5; bu't, in addition thereto, spring 57 is connectedto wire 50 by a wire, 61, spring 58` to wire 49 by a conductor, 60, and spring 59 to binding post 8 by a conductor, 56.

lThe operation of a' system employing the inductorium will now be easily understood.

0n depressing plunger 26 the contacts 32 33 34 35, with the caps actuated by springs 40 in the plunger, are first established, and the current from the battery reaches the pushbutton by wire 49 after having passed through the rheotome 53 and primary of the inductorium. This current takes its course through the push-button and gas-lighter, as follows: by wire 49 to metal piece 34, caps 41 and 42 to metal piece 32, and by wires 52 and 20 to the binding-post 8 on the gas-lighter. From this binding-post the current proceedsby wire 18 to and through magnet 9 and by wire19 to the distributing system and ground. Returning by ground, the current again enters the push-button by wire 51 and continues by metal piece 33, caps 46 and 45, metal piece 35, and wire back to the battery. The effect of this current, which has the required direction through the coils of the electro-magnet, is understood. The gas will be'turned on. As the plunger continues to descend the circuit just described is again interrupted and new circuitconnections established by contact of springs 57, 58, and 59. The battery-current, after having passed through the rheotome and primary of inductorium, again enters the pushbutton by wire 49, but now proceeds bywire to spring 58, spring 57, connection 61, and wire 50 back to the battery. The electro-mag- `.net being now eut out of the circuit, the eurrent is strong enough to operate the rheotome,

\ and the high-tension currents generated inthe secondary coil are discharged, as follows: from terminal 54 of the secondary coil by wire 49 to the push-button, then by connection 60 to springs 58 and 59, and from the latter by wire 56 to binding-post 8 of the gas-lighter. From binding-post S the current continues over standards l5 and 13, crossing the space at 16 and 14 in the form of a spark, and then by the burner to the distributing system and ground, returning by the ground to the other terminal, 55, of the secondary coil.

So long as the push-button is held depressed the production of sparks at 14 16 will continue, and the operator will not release the thumb-'piece until the gas shall have been ignited. By depressing plunger 27 a current of reversed direction is Sent through the coils of the magnet and the gas is turned oli', as has been explained with reference to the other tigures of t-he drawings.

From the above it will be seen that my invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement of the devices set forth, but that many modifications maybe madetherein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention,and which need not be specifically set forth.

I claim as my inventionv 1. In a gas-lighter, the combination of a slitted tubular magnet surrou nding the burner and an actuating-magnet connected to the gascock, one of the magnets being an electromaguet, substantially as described.

2. In a gaslighter, the combination, with a IIO slitted tubu-lar magnet surrounding the burner,

magnets, whereby the gas-cock is operated to 4 turn the gas on or o by the direct force of all the magnetic poles, substantially as described.

4; In a-gas-lighting apparatus, the combination of a tubular permanent magnet having a longitudinal slit and its poles along the edges of the slit, with a bar electro-magnet connected with the gas-cock and having its poles extending within the slit, and aeircuit closing 'and reversing push-button controlling the action of the electro-magnet to open and close the gas-cock, substantially as described.

5.' In :ligas-lighting apparatus operating by reversed currents to turn the gas on and off, a

push-button composed of two independent plungers actuated by. suitable thumb-pieces, two pairs*of-spring-actuated contact pieces or caps, and one pair of xed. contact-pieces for cach plunger, a pair of xed contact-pieces in operative relation to both plungers, and circuit-connections, substantially as described.

6. In a gas-lighting apparatus operating by reversals of current to turn the gas on and off and to light the gas by the inductive action of intermittent currents, 'apush-button for directing the current to turn the gas on, and springcontacts for completing the currents for the intermittent and induced currents located near the end of the stroke of the plunger and actuated by the same, substantially as described.

7. In agas-lighting apparatus, the combination of an electro-magnet for turning the gas on and off and an inductorium for igniting to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. DOERING.

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. EISENHARDT, HERMAN DIENELT.

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