US628365A - Gas-generating gas-fixture. - Google Patents

Description

No. 628,365. Patented July 4, i899. .1. .1. suvmzn. GAS GENERATING GAS FIXTURE.

(Application filed Sept. 8, 1898.]

(No Model.)

TNE mums PETERS w. Pnorauwa, WAsNmGrcu. u. c.

UNITED WSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. SNYDER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

GAS-GENERATING GAS-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,365, dated July 4, 1899. Application filed geptember 8, 1898. SerialNo. 690,512. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas-Generating Gas-Fixtures, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gas-generating gasfixtures-that is to say, fixtures capable of to generating gas from liquid hydrocarbons, mixing the same with a suitable quantity of air, and delivering the mixture to the ignitiontube; and it consists'in the peculiar and advantageous construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings,- Figure l is the si deelevation, partlyin section, of my improved gas-fixture. Fig. 2 is a detail section taken in a plane at right angles to Fig.

1 and illustrating the suspension mechanism. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section illusv trating the vaporizing or generating tube and the gas and air mixing tube. Fig. 4. is a de- 2 5 tail plan view of a portion of the hydrocarbon reservoir, illustrating a modification. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation illustrating the use of a torch to effect the initial generation of gas. I

0 Referring by letter ;to said drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 3 thereof, A

is a reservoir for liquid hydrocarbons, which has a filling-aperture normally closed by a screw-plug Band also has a guide 0 at one side, and D E are upright tubes arranged about the proportional distance illustrated apart and having inwardly-directed branches at their lower and upperends, as illustrated. These tubes D E have'their lower ends con- 40 nected by a T with the lower 'end of an ignition-tube G, which is arranged midway between them and is equipped with a burner H, mantle I,chimney-holder J, and chimney K after the manner common to this type of 5 gas-fixture. The upperend of the tube E is closed by a coupling L, which connects it to a supply-pipe M and a gas generating or vaporizing tube N. Said coupling L has a pas sage P, effecting communication-between the supply-pipe and the generating-tube, and is provided with a cock Q, which has for its purpose to control the passage of the liquid hydrocarbon to the generatingtube. The generating-tube N is arranged in a horizontal position slightly above the chimney K, and, as shown in Fig. 3, it has a small passage S for the liquid hydrocarbon, which is tapered or gradually-reduced in size toward its outer end to prevent a too-free passage of the same and to allow a free back pressure created by expansion of the gas or vaporized hydrocarbon. The tubeN being about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, thus it afiords a heavy body of metal, which is adapted to retain the heat and render the vaporization of the hydrov carbon as regular and thorough as possible.

U is my improved gas-tip, which may be formedin one or more pieces and separate from or integral with the chamber T, as desired, although I prefer to form it in one pieeeqol'g and dctachably connect it to the said chamher, as shown. This tip U is provided with a minute central aperture afor the escape of gas, and on its inner side it has a central coneshaped projection b,which has for its purpose 7 5 to lessen the liability of sediment finding its way into the minute aperture a and partially or completely closing the same. When it is remembered that the partial stoppage of the aperture in the gas-tips of this type of fixture results in the light flickering and sometimes going out,which is frequent in other fixtures, the" advantage of the projection 11 will be apparent.

T is my improved gas receiving or expansion chamber, formed by a section of tube which has its inner end interiorly threaded to engage the threaded outer end of the-tube N. This expansion-chamber is made as large as practicable in order to hold a large quan- 9o tity of gas. It is a decided ad vantage to have this expansion-chamber contain 'as large a space for the reception of gas as is practicable, for the reason that while the fixture is in operation the vaporization of the hydrocarbon 5 is at times irregular on account of the passage S in the vaporizing-tube being necessarilyso small and becoming partially'clo'gged at times by particles of sediment and also unconsumed residue from the hydrocarbon at times collecting temporarily in said'passage and partially clogging the same. Therefore by having the expansion-chamber T to hold a large amount of gas which is on storage and in reserve thus the flow of gas through the minute opening a is regular and steady, be-

' cause of the larger quantity of gas in reserve said chamber with the torch.

in the chamber to be drawn from, and the regularity of the flow is thereby not disturbed by the temporary stoppage of the passage S, which is common to like fixtures, causing the light to waver and flicker. Hence by reason of the enlarged expansion-chamber and by reason of the cone-shaped projection 11 my fixture produces a regular and a steady light.

'The hydrocarbon as it passes through the tube N is vaporized or converted into gas by the heat from the burner H, and in such form it escapes through the aperture (1 of the gastip U and, together with air, passes into the receiving end of the mixing-tube D. To facilitate the entry of the gas and air in proper proportions the tube D is provided with a properly-flaring mouth V, the center of which is coincident with the aperture a of the tip U, as shown.

In order to prevent ignition of the gas or vapor at a point between the tip U and the receiving end of the tube D while the expansion-chamber T is being heated with the torch X for the initial vaporization of the hydrocarbon, (which would result in an explosion of the vapor in the tube D and the destruction of the delicate mantle 1,) I provide the said tip U with a shield which is calculated to effectually prevent the gas being lighted at said point, thus preventing such explosion of gas in the tube D and the destruction of the mantle.

A supply of hydrocarbon is not admitted through the cook or valve Q into the vaporizing tube N and chamber T until the said chamber isheated with the alcohol torch sufficiently to vaporize the hydrocarbon. Hence, ordinarily, no gas is generated while heating However, at times there is a small quantity of the oil or hydrocarbon in the expansion-chamber T, because of the cook or valve Q leaking or not being closed sufficiently tight to effectually cut off the supply of the same. IVhen such is the case, sulhcient gas is generated during the process of heating said chamber to destroy the mantle I if the gas or vapor is ignited at the point of the tip U after a small quantity of the vapor has escaped into the tube D. Thus the shield \V efifectually prevents such explosion and destruction of the mantle, which is so common to this class of fixtures.

In using the fixture an alcohol-torch X is hung from the expansion-chamber T,as shown in Fig. 5, and after said chamber is heated sulliciently to vaporize the hydrocarbon a supply of the same is admitted into the said chamber by opening the cock Q, and the 11ydrocarbon is immediately vaporized in the expansion-chamber and is driven back a certain distance into the vaporizing-tube through the passage S in said tube by reason of the expansion and pressure of the gas in said chamber. Thus a small stream of gas escapes with force through the minute opening a into the flaring mouth of the mixing-tube at V, and by the end of the said mixing-tube at V being properly flared and its being the right distance from the minute opening a the proper amount of air is thus taken into the receiving end of the mixing-tube and mixed with the gas to produce perfect combustion, or, in other words, to produce an admixture of gas and air that will burn with a blue flame at the burner H when lighted, the mantle being off of the burner, and when the mantle is on the burner the blue flame brings the mantle to a state of incandescence and gives a bright light, and the combustion being perfect no soot or black spots will appear on the mantle. Returning to the point of starting to light the burner, when the expansion-chamber T is sufficiently heated with the alcohol-torch to vaporize the hydrocarbon a supply of the same is turned on at the cock Q, and the torch is permanently removed from the fixture and is used to light the burner II. \Vith this done the heat from the burner, acting on the tube N, keeps the tube sufficiently heated to vaporize the hydrocarbon, and hence an ample quantity of gas is supplied to the burner as long as the same is lighted and the hydrocarbon lasts. 7

As will readily be appreciated from the foregoing, the main frame of my improved fixture, being made up of the tubes or pipes D E, supply-pipe M, (all of which is ordinary gas-pipe bent into the proper shape,) and the couplings connecting the same, embodies but a minimum amount of metal and of labor to form the same, and hence my fixture can be produced very cheaply, which is a desideratum.

"With a view of permitting of the fixture being lowered when the burner is lighted or the reservoir A filled and afterward conveniently raised to its normal position, I have provided the very simple and cheap suspension mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. This mechanism comprises a rod 0, which rests in the guide C on the reservoir A and has a hook at at its lower end engaging a hook e on the coupling L; a pulleyf, connected to the ceiling of an apartment or some other suitable support; a cable g, of chain, heavy cord, or the like, taking over the pulley f and having a hook 7t engaging a book i at the upper end of rod 0, and a ringj, connected to the cable g at an intermediate point of its length and designed to be placed in engagement with a hook on coupling L after the manner shown in Fig. 2. The surplus portion Z of the cable 9 is designed to enable ,a person standing on the floor to conveniently disengage the ring j from hook 70 and, after moving the fixture as desired, to conveniently replace the ring in engagementwith the said hook k. WVhen not in use, the surplus portion of the cable may be coiled and hung on the hook m,which is provided on the tube E, as shown in Fig. 1.

'lccause of the suspension-rod a being conto move a slight distance away from the rod 0, and the lower portion of the frame moves a correspondingly-slight distance to the left, causing the fixture as a whole to rest slightly out of the perpendicular. This I prevent by the use of the guide (see Fig. 4) in lieu of the guide 0. Said guide C comprises a body p, which is connected to the reservoir and has three seats gr 5 at various distances therefrom for the reception of the rod c, and akeeper t, connected in a hinged manner to the body p and designed to have its free end detachably secured thereto by a pin or the In order to balance the lamp perfectly and keep it perpendicular, itis simply necessary to place the rod 0 in the seat q of the guide Oflwhen the reservoir is full or almost full, in the seat 0" when the reservoir is about half full or less, and in the seat .9 when the reservoir is almost empty.

It will be readily appreciated from the foregoing that my improved gas-fixture is-very simple and may be sold with profit for such a price as will place it Within the reach of all. While this is so, the lamp is highly efficient in operation and affords a strong, steady, and a very economical light.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A gas-generating gas-fixture comprising an'elevated reservoir, a supply-pipe depending therefrom, parallel upright tubes having inwardly-directed branches at their lower ends, a burner arranged between the upright portions of said tubes and connected with the branches thereof, a horizontal, vaporizing or generating tube arranged above the burner and having one of its ends arranged adjacent to one of the upright tubes and provided with a restricted discharge, and its other end connected with the adjacent upright tube and the supply-pipe, and a suspension-rod connected at its lower end with the vaporizingtube, the supply-pipe and one of the upright tubes, and also connected at an intermediate point of its length to the side of the reser voir, substantially as specified.

2. A gas-generating gas-fixture comprising an elevated reservoir having a guide at its side, a supplypipe depending from said reservoir, parallel upright tubes having inwardlydirected branches at their lower ends, a

burner arranged between the upright portions of said tubes and connected with the branches thereof, a horizontal vaporizing or gas-generating tube arranged above the burner and having one of its ends arranged adjacent to one of the upright tubes and provided with a restricted discharge, a coupling connecting the other end of the vaporizing-tube, the other upright tube and the supply-pipe, and a suspension-rod resting in the guide on the reservoir and connected at its lower end to said coupling, substantiallyas specified.

3. The combination with a gas-generating gas-fixture comprising an elevated reservoir having a guide at one side, and a frame arranged below and connected to the reservoir and having a hook 7c; of a rod extending through the guide on the reservoir and connected at its lower end to the frame, a pulley adapted to be connected to ceiling or the like, a cable passed through the pulley and connected at one end to the rod, anda ring connected to the cable at an intermediate point in the length thereof and adapted to be placed in engagement with the hook on the frame, substantially as specified.

4. A gas-generating gas-fixture comprising a reservoir having a guide at its side; said guide being made up of a body having a plurality of seats at various distances from the reservoir and a keeper pivotally connected to the body at one end and having its other end adapted to be detachably connected thereto, a supply-pipe depending from thereservoi a frame connected to the supply-pipe, and a suspension-rod connected to the frame and adapted to be arranged in the seats of the guide, substantially as specified.

5. In a gas-generating gas-fixture, the combination of a burner, a horizontal vaporizing or generating tube disposed above the burner and having a minute discharge-aperture in one end and also having the shield XV surrounding said end; the said shield having for its function to prevent flame from a torch from reaching and igniting the gas as it leaves the dischargeaperture of the generatingtube, and a mixing-tube connected with the burner and having one end arranged adjacent to the discharge end of the vaporizingtube, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnes'ses.

' JOHN J. SNYDER. Witnesses:

JOHN P. BRODERICK, HARRY T. HORNER.

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