US375118A - Electric gas-lighting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

- (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. B. BOSWORTI-L ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

w ffimssc M lmmw A jwid /y Q (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. U. B. BOSWORTH. ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS.

No. 375,118 Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

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'. v Mam UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BOSWORTH, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING COMPANY, OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.375,1 18, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed January 19, 1887. Serial No. 324.740. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1,. CHARLES B. BOSWORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Gas-Lighting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to automatic electric gas-lighting apparatus in' which a current of electricity in passing over a single circuit effectuates' three things: the opening of the gascock, the vibration of the movable electrode, andthe producing of a primary igniting-spark, as illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 130, 7 7 0, 184,807 ,and 206,057 to J. P. Tirrell and Reissue No. 9,743 of No. 180,770 to an assignee of the saidTirrell.

This invention consists in improvements in the form, construction, and arrangement of the elements of such burners, particularly in 'the gas-cock, circuit-changing devices, cam

and ratchet wheels, and the manner of combining these with the other elements of the burner.

Before defining my invention more fully I Wish to explain, by reference to the drawings, the mode of operation of a burner containing the same, and. in these drawings similar letters refer to similar parts.

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are side views ofan entire burner containing said improvements in four several positions. Figs. 5 and 6 are both views of the gascoolr, spindle, and camwheel. Fig.7 is aview of amodified form of the circuit'shifting devices in which the nonconductor cam-wheel .is on the outside of the ratchet-wheel and the circuit-connections correspondingly arranged. The gas cock used with Fig. 7 is constructed with but one way through it, and thenon-conductor cam-wheel is proportioned accordingly. The difference be tween this and the other arrangement of cam and spring will more clearly appear in de scribing their several modes of operation.

Fig. 8, in which ratchet-wheel L is supposed to be removed, shows the non-conducting camwheel, its conducting tire or rim, with cam 8, and the circuitsprings 2, 3, and 4. Fig. 9 is a front View of the brass button, which may, however, be made in any of the well-known forms of that device. In the form shown the knobs X Y are supported by stiff springs running from the metallic center screw, Z. Fig. l 10 is a side view of the same form of pushbutton, and by following the circuit-connections from the battery 15 the admission of the current to the burner will be readily understood, as follows: The ground-wire 14 runs' from battery 15 to the burner, or otherwise to ground. The wire 16 runs from the battery 15, through the ordinary spark'coil 17, to the screw Z in the press-button. the current to the lighting-circuit, X is pressed againstX, when the current passes by the connection thus made to wire 5, and its subsequent operation is described hereinafter. To admit the current to the extinguishing-oircuit, Y is pressed against Y, when the current passes by the connection thus made to wire 1, 0

and its subsequent operationis described hereinafter.

In the drawings, A represents the pillar or tube of the gas-burner, having a lower platform, B, and an upper platform, 0. The 7 lower platform holds the magnet and the support or. base of the circuit-shifting and gascoclr mechanism. The armature is pivoted to the burner and has a leverarm, as shown 'in Fig. 2, to which is to be attached a looped 8o pawl. This looped pawl is kept in place by an opening in the platform B, through which the loop is seen projecting at 1?. The free end fits into the ratchets of thewheel L. This wheel L is rigidly attached to the spindle J 8 of the gas-cock, and with that spindle is held in place by the spring 0, adjustably attached to the block M by means of the screw N. This arrangement secures a perfect fit, combined with sufficient elasticity to result in accurate 9o its contact with the fixed electrode by means of screw 10, and its constancy of pressure against fixed electrode G is regulated by the helical spring 11, which surrounds the breakerrod. The shoulder S directly below the armature enables the movement of the armature to control the downward movement of the circuit'breakerywhich, instead of moving up from To let on or laterally away from, moves down from the fixed electrode in order to cause the spark which follows the interruption of the circuit. The position of the armature in relation both to the circuit-breaker and to the spring-pawl for moving the ratchet-wheel is regulated by the spring R, whose tension is controlled by the screw 12, to which it is attached, and by adjusting-pin I. The spindle J, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is cone-shaped for about onethird of its distance, and has one side cut away for the purpose of allowing the gas to escape during three-fourths of a revolution, in order that the length of time during which the sparks are made may be sufficient to insure ignition of the gas. The camwheel is made of a non-conductor,preferably vulcanized fiber or hard rubber, with a tire or circle fixed to it of any suitable conducting material for the purpose of constituting a part of the electric circuit, as shown in Fig. 2, and has one cam, as shown at 8 in Figs. 2 and 5, cut in said rim or tire, but not in the noncondnetonso that when the springs 2 or 4 fall into this cam they rest upon the non-conductor, and so break the electric circuit. It will be noticed by examining Fig. 2' that the cam-wheel'K is next to the burner and the ratchet-wheel outside, with a space between the two sufficient for full play of the spring 4, as shown in Fig. 3.

The arrangement which has been thus far described may be modified in several particulars without departing from the invention herein set forthe. 9., it is. very evident that, although in the drawings the insulated fixed electrode is shown to be connected with the wire 7 near the tip of the burner, it would be easy to insulate an arm in the upper platform to extend down through the same and connect with a wire from the magnet and connect with the movable electrode at the burner-tip. In this case the rim H and the usual insulation would be unnecessary. It is also evident that the adjustable pin I, for the purpose of fixing the proper normal distance of the armature from the top of the magnet, might be dispensed with. These alterations are so evident that they have not been shown in the drawings. I desire, however, to show a difierent arrangement for the cam-wheel, which cannot be well understood without the drawings, and Fig. 7 will illustrate this variation in the form with the following explanation:

The gas-cock spindle has a circular gasway instead of that shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The lever-arm of the armature is somewhat shorter, since the ratchet-wheel L comes next to the burner-pillar and has a cam-wheel, K, without a metal tire outside of it. When in place, the flat spring 0 would bear against the little project-ion 13 as in Fig. 4 it bears against 13. This cam-wheel is rigidly attached to the metal gas-cock spindle, and is made in the form shown in Fig. 7, so that the electric circuit will be made or broken, either in turning on or turning off the gas, in one-half a revolution. As shown in Fig. 7, the gas has been turned on and lighted, and in order to turn it off the magnet must be energized by admitting the current from the battery over wire 6 to spring 5, to spring 4', to wire 7, which leads to the magnet. As the wheel revolves it is evident that the wire 4 will fall into the cam and rupture the circuit between 5and 4. By this time the wire 3 will have been put in connection with the wire 2 by pressure of the cam-wheel, and when it is desired to turn on the gas the current is admitted and follows the circuit-wire 1, flat spring 2, fiat spring 3, wire 7 to the magnet. As soon as the ratchetwheel has sutfieiently revolved to allow flat spring 2 to separate from spring 8, this circuit will be ruptured, and at the same time the connection between the flat springs 4 and 5 will be restored, as shown in Fig. 7.

I will now explain the operation of the apparatus. Assuming the construction to be that shown in all the drawings, excepting Fig. 7, a current of electricity is admitted, as usual, by the press-button over wire 1 and flat spring 2. This flat spring rests against the conducting tire or rim encircling the cam-wheel K and projecting beyond the. non-conducting portion of the wheel, except at the cam 8. Thence the current passes by this conducting-rim to flat spring 3, thence to wire 6, connecting with the magnet, and to the magnet D ,which, being energized, attracts the armature E, pivoted to the burner at 9. A twofold result ensues: First, the fiat spring P, attached by a screw to the lever-arm of the armature and looped, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to fit into the ratchet wheel L,eauses the ratchet-wheel to turn. The second result is that the circuit-breaker F is, by the downward action of the armature upon the shoulder S, separated from the fixed tip or electrode G, thereby interrupting the circuit, de-energizing the magnet, and allowing the armature to be returned to its previous position by the action of the helical spring R. The circuit being thus reestablished, this twofold operation is again repeated, causing the partial revolution of ratchet-wheel Land ca1nwheel K until the spring 2 drops into the cam 8, ceases to press against the conducting-rim, and comes in coutactwith the non-condueting portion of the cam-wheel. This interrupts the circuit and the magnet becomes permanently de-energized. In this revolution of the two wheels the gas cock has been completely opened. The form of the gas-cock is such that athree-quarter revolution of the spindle and wheels is made before spring 2 falls into the cam 8, during which time a constant succession of sparks has been made by the repeated interruption of the contact between F and G, and the result has been to turn the gas on and leave it lighted. To turn the gas off," the operation is as follows: A push of the proper press-button admits the current over wire 5 to spring 4, the conductingrim of the cam-wheel K, the fiat spring 3, the wire 6, and so to the magnet, as before. The magnet again attracts the armature, causing the vibrations ICO which synchronously turn the ratchet-wheel and rupture the circuit at the burner-tip, as before, until in course of revolution the head of the spring 4 falls intothe cam-wheel at 8, whereby this circuit is interrupted and the vibrations of the armature, cease. \Vhen these vibrations cease, the gas has been shut off by the solid part of the spindle coming over the gasway. To light the gas,:the operation above detailed may then be repeated.

It is unnecessary to further explain the entire operation when the gas-cock, cam-wheel, and circuit-connection of Fig. 7 are substituted for the form shown in the drawings of the completed burner, since the operation and arrangement of the alternative. form will be readily understood.

I do not limit myself to flat circuit-springs.

. For the cam-wheel any non-conductor may be used.

Having thus described the forms of constrnction of the apparatus as a whole and in its details and shown the functions of the parts so far as necessary, I wish to disclaim as my invention the method of operating such apparatus by a single circuit and the broad invention of the combination of a ratchetwheel and cam-wheel with a gas-cock and circuit-shifting devices, the same having been known and used in such apparatus as shown in Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to;

but

\Vhat I do claim as my invention is- 1. In an automatic electric gasburner, the

"combination of the spindle J, having a three quarter gasway, with a non-conducting camwheel, K, having 'a conducting circle or tire, and a cam, 8, in said tire ofabout one-fourth its circumference, and with a ratchet-wheel, L, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In an automatic electric gas-burner, the means of holding the gas-cock, spindle, and ratchetwheel in place by adjustable pressure to prevent leaking and to counteract the effects of wear and tear, consisting in the block M, ad-

justing-screw N, and spring 0, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In an automatic electric gas-burner, the combination of the spindle J, non-conducting cam-wheel K, having a conducting tire or rim, and ratchet-wheel L with the block M, adj usting screw N, and spring 0, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. Incombination with the spindle J, nonconducting cam-wheel K, having a conducting tire on rim, ratchet-wheel L, block M, adjusting-screw N, and spring 0, the springs 2, 3, and 4, supported upon the base of an automatic electric gas-burner and connected with the battery-wires, and so arranged in relation to the cam-wheel K as to control the passage of an electric current in proportion or due relation to the gasway in the spindle 'J, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In combination with the gas-cock and spindle J, having a three-quarter gasway, and the non-conducting cam-wheel K, having a conducting tire or rim with one cam of about one-fourth its circumference, and the ratchetwheel L, and the connecting- springs 2, 3, and 4, electrically connected with the wiresl and 5 and 6, and the block M, screw N, and spring 0, all arranged upon the lower base of an automatic electric gas-burner, the magnet D, having its armature E pivoted or properly affixed tothe pillar of the gas-burner, and also having a lever-arm with a looped spring-pawl, 1?, attached thereto and held at its loop in the lower base of said burner at P, a circuit breaker adjustable by the screw 10, controlled by a helical spring, 11, and arranged to be carried down and away from normal contact a with a fixed electrode, G, at the burner-tip by the downward stroke of the armature upon the shoulder S, a fixed electrode, G, insulated from the tube of the burner and electrically connected with said magnet, a spiral spring, R, and adj usting-pin, all combined and arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In combination with a gas-cock and spindle having a gasway, and a cam-wheel of nonconducting material having a tire or rim of metal or other electric conductor containing a cam proportional to the gasway, and a ratchetwheel, and connecting circuit'springs electrically connected with the battery-wires, and an v adjustable pressure device for holding thespindle in place, all arranged upon the base of an automatic electric gas-burner, a magnet, a lever-armature loosely pivoted to the pillar of the burner, a looped springpawl attached to IOO said lever-armature and held at its loop in a notch in the lower platform, a circuit-breaker having two shoulders above and below the armature, an adj usting-screw controlling the circuitbreaker below the lower platform, a helical spring about the circuit-breaker and normally holding its lower shoulder against the armature, a fixed electrode at the burner-tip, insulated from the burner, and electrically connected with the battery, and a spiral spring for securing the position of the armature as to both the circuit-breaker and the spi'ingpawl, all combined and arranged and operating substantially as described.

7. The combination, in an automatic electric gas-lighting burner, of a gas-cock, a spindle, a ratchet-wheel, a non-conducting wheel having a conducting-rim with a cam therein, an armature with an arm and pawl, a magnet to be energized by a current whose periodicity through said magnet is controllable by the camwheel attached to said spindle, and circuitshifting springs connected with the battery and the conducting-rim and arranged to interrupt the current periodically" by falling into the cam, and movable and fixed electrodes in normal contact, and the movable electrode controllable by the armature, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. In combination with a gas-burner having an upper and lower platform, and a gas-tube, gascock, and spindle connected therewith, a

magnet, an armature, a lever, a pawl looped in a notch in the lower platform so as to play into a ratchet-Wheel, a ratchet-wheel firmly attached to the spindle of the gascock, a non-conducting cam-wheel having a conducting-tire with the cam therein, said tire constituting part of the electric circuit, metal circuit-springs connecting with the wires from the battery and so arranged as to be in alternate and proper contact with said metal tire, a circuit-breaker having one shoulder above and one below the armature, and also an adjusting-screw below the lower platform, a helical spring surrounding the circuit-breaker, and

a fixed electrode insulated from the burner and connected with said battery, all so combined and arranged that when the gas has been completely turned on by the revolution of said spindle and ignited by the repetition of sparks at the burner-tip one of said springs which has constituted the igniting-circuit falls into said cam and interrupts the passage of the current, leaving the gas ignited, all substantially as and for the purposes described. t

CHARLES B. BOSWORTH. \Vitnesses:

WILLIAM E. SPEAK, OHARLEs H. HANSON.

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