Electric Gas Lighting: How to Install Electric Gas Ignition Apparatus — Reading Companion

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In Category - Mechanical Engineering

Authors: Norrie, H. S. Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2013 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Gas -- Electric ignition Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 19,609

Reading time 86 min

Text sections 4

Before opening Electric Gas Lighting: How to Install Electric Gas Ignition Apparatus — Reading Companion, the edition data offers a quick orientation: 19,609 words, 1 hr 26 min estimated reading time, and 4 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 17.9 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Gas -- Electric ignition,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #42073

An early 20th-century practical manual on installing electric gas ignition systems, covering induction coils, wiring, batteries, and burners for houses, churches, and large buildings. The author's instructional voice shifts from general principles to detailed construction steps, using water analogies to explain electrical concepts.

Editorial Edition Score 4.5/5

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Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
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File: pg42073

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INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

Introduction; means of producing sparks; Induction--Simple induction coils--Ruhmkorff Coils 1

MULTIPLE GAS LIGHTING.

Application of induction coils to gas-lighting--Forms of burners used--Pendant Burners--Ratchet Burners--Stem Burners--Welsbach Burners--Burners for Acetylene Gas--Burners for Gasolene--Automatic Burners 7

CONNECTIONS AND WIRING.

How to connect up apparatus--Wiring a house--Locating breaks or short-circuits--Wiring in finished houses--General remarks 26

PRIMARY COILS AND SAFETY DEVICES.

How to make a simple induction coil--Automatic Cut-outs--The Syracuse Cut-out--Boston Cut-out--Edwards’ Cut-out 46

LIGHTING OF LARGE BUILDINGS.

Series or Jump Spark System--Burners used--How to Wire--Edwards’ Condenser System--Switches for series lighting--How to make a 2-inch spark, Ruhmkorff Coil 55

HOW TO SELECT BATTERIES FOR GAS LIGHTING.

Electrical Rules--Electromotive force--Amperes--Resistance--Selecting a battery--Arrangement of battery--Series--Multiple--How to get high voltage or large current--The Leclanche Cell--The Samson Cell--The Dry Cell and how to make one--The Edison-Lalande Cell--The Fuller Cell--Care and maintenance of batteries 78

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FRONTISPIECE--COMPLETE WIRING PLAN FOR A HOUSE. 1 DIAGRAM OF SIMPLE CIRCUIT 2 2 DIAGRAM OF SIMPLE CIRCUIT WITH SPIRAL 2 3 DIAGRAM OF SIMPLE CIRCUIT WITH SPIRAL AND GALVANOMETER 2 4 DIAGRAM OF CIRCUIT WITH IRON CORE 4 5 DIAGRAM OF RUHMKORFF COIL 4 6 ELEVATION OF RUHMKORFF COIL 6 7 PENDANT BURNER 7 8 BURNER CIRCUIT 8 9 PLAIN BURNER 10 10 RATCHET BURNER 11 11 STIFF-PULL PENDANT 12 12 STEM BURNER 14 13 ARGAND BURNER 15 14 WELSBACH BURNER 16 15 ACETYLENE BURNER 17 16 PUSH BUTTON 19 17 BARTHOLDI BURNER 21 18 BOSTON AUTOMATIC 22 19 CONCEALED AUTOMATIC 24 20 DIAGRAM WIRING ONE “AUTOMATIC” FROM TWO PUSHES 27 21 DIAGRAM WIRING ONE “AUTOMATIC” AND TWO PENDANT BURNERS 28 22 SIMPLE SWITCH CONNECTIONS 33 23 DETAILS OF AUTOMATIC CONNECTIONS 35 24 DETAILS OF CELLAR AUTOMATIC CIRCUITS 35 25 NUT WRENCH 40 26 AUTOMATIC OPERATED BY DOOR-TRIP 44 27 PRIMARY COIL 46 28 SYRACUSE CUT-OUT 50 29 BOSTON CUT-OUT 51 30 DETAILS CUT-OUT ROD--NORMAL 52 31 DETAILS CUT-OUT ROD--OPERATING 53 32 BULB CUT-OUT 54 33 JUMP SPARK BURNER 56 34 WELSBACH BURNER FOR SERIES LIGHTING 56 35 PILLAR BURNER 56 36 CIRCUIT FOR JUMP SPARK GAS LIGHTING 57 37 INSULATOR 59 38 EDWARDS’ CONDENSER 60 39 EDWARDS’ BURNER 61 40 EDWARDS’ BURNER 61 41 DIAGRAM OF EDWARDS’ CONDENSER CIRCUIT 62 42 CIRCUIT FOR JUMP SPARK SWITCH 64 43 ELECTROMAGNETIC TRAILER 66 44 DIAGRAM OF RUHMKORFF COIL CIRCUIT 68 45 WINDINGS OF SECTIONS 73 46 SECTIONAL DIAGRAM 74 47 CONTACT BREAKER 75 48 CONTACT KEY 76 49 FALL OF POTENTIAL DIAGRAM 79 50 SERIES ARRANGEMENT 81 51 MULTIPLE ARRANGEMENT 82 52 LECLANCHE CELL 84 53 SAMSON CELL 87 54 NEW STANDARD CELL 90 55 EDISON-LALANDE CELL 92 56 FULLER CELL 94 57 GRENET CELL 95

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

The enormous number of fires arising from the use of matches, and the great convenience and freedom from danger of the electric method of gas lighting, are alone sufficient reasons for the issue of these pages.

The veriest tyro in electrical operations knows that electricity will cause a spark, and most persons are aware that the spark possesses considerable deflagratory powers, varying with the character of the spark. In electric gas lighting a spark of the proper character is passed across a jet of gas and ignites it. Sparks can be produced by various means: friction, battery current, induction either galvanic or electro-magnetic, by a Wimshurst or Toepler Holtz machine, or an induction coil operated by a battery. For our purposes we will consider only the latter; the former are rarely used, being uncertain and unwieldy.

Of batteries there are many kinds, and although all will produce sparks, yet for electric gas lighting those made for intermittent work and classed as open circuit cells are to be preferred. Open circuit batteries, which will be fully described in a subsequent chapter, include the Leclanche, and most of the so-called “dry” cells.

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H. S. Norrie's 1901 manual opens with a direct comparison: the electric light can be turned on from a distance, while gas requires a match or taper, which is 'both dangerous and often inconvenient.' This practical framing sets the tone for a guide that promises reliability and ease of application for anyone with 'ordinary mechanical ability.' The preface thanks several firms for illustrations, grounding the work in contemporary commercial practice.

The book's structure moves from introductory spark-production methods through specific burner types, wiring instructions, and battery selection. Norrie's voice is instructional and occasionally colloquial, as when he notes that a Ruhmkorff coil's base 'generally resembles an oblong shallow box.' The text balances theoretical explanations—such as the water analogy for voltage and current—with hands-on construction details, like layering tinfoil and paper for a condenser.

From General Principles to Specific Construction

Norrie's narrative voice shifts noticeably between chapters. In the preface and early sections, he adopts a broad, persuasive tone, emphasizing the advantages of electric ignition over matches. By Chapter IV, the language becomes granular and procedural: 'An outside coat of paraffin wax is now given to the coil and a wrapping of waxed paper laid on.' The author assumes the reader will follow sequential steps, using phrases like 'the coil can now be attached to the base by means of screws.'

This change in pace mirrors the book's pedagogical intent. Norrie begins with general electrical rules—volts, amperes, ohms—illustrated by a water-tank analogy (Fig. 49), then narrows to specific components. The condenser construction, for instance, is described with exact sheet counts: '70 sheets of tinfoil each about 4 inches by 7-1/2, and 80 sheets of clean white paper 5 by 8 inches.' Such precision suggests the reader is expected to replicate the apparatus, not merely understand it.

The Water Analogy as a Teaching Tool

One of the most distinctive features of Norrie's exposition is his use of a hydraulic metaphor to explain electricity. In Chapter VI, he writes: 'Two tanks, A B, on the same level, are connected by a pipe C. Supposing tank A be filled with water and the pipe, C, to be opened; the water will flow along C into B until the level in each tank is equal.' This analogy recurs throughout the electrical rules section, mapping 'difference of level' to 'difference of potential' and 'pounds pressure' to 'electromotive force in volts.'

The metaphor is not merely decorative; it structures the entire explanation of current, resistance, and Ohm's law. Norrie states: 'As the quantity of water passing in a given time is regulated by the size of the pipe and its own pressure, so the quantity of electricity is also regulated.' This consistent imagery helps a mechanically inclined reader grasp abstract concepts without formal electrical training. The analogy also reappears in the discussion of battery arrangement, where series and multiple connections are likened to adding water pressure or flow.

Pace and Detail in the Construction Chapters

The later chapters, particularly those on building induction coils and selecting batteries, exhibit a markedly different pace from the opening. Where the preface moves briskly through general advantages, Chapter IV lingers on each step of coil construction: 'The base for a Ruhmkorff coil generally resembles an oblong shallow box. The coil is mounted on the lid, and the condenser inside the box.' Norrie includes specific measurements, materials (paraffin wax, tinfoil, hard rubber), and even optional refinements like a 'vibrating contact breaker.'

This shift from overview to workshop manual is deliberate. The author notes that for gas-lighting work, 'it is generally preferable to use a contact or strap key ... instead of a vibrator,' showing awareness of practical trade-offs. The prose becomes almost checklist-like: 'The condenser is laid in the box under the coil and attached as in Fig. 44.' Such passages reward careful reading but may challenge a casual skimmer. The book thus serves dual audiences: the curious homeowner and the hands-on installer.

Norrie's manual is best approached as a period-specific technical reference rather than a historical overview. Readers interested in the evolution of domestic gas lighting will find value in the detailed burner descriptions and wiring diagrams, while those building replica apparatus can follow the construction steps. The water analogy offers a clear entry point for electrical novices, though the later chapters assume familiarity with tools and materials. For a full understanding, read the preface and first chapter for context, then focus on the sections relevant to your project.

My grandfather’s workshop smelled of copper and paraffin, and I remember him tracing circuits in a dog-eared manual much like this one, his finger hovering over the water-analogy diagrams. It made electricity feel like plumbing—patient, forgiving. That same quiet patience returned in Letters of a Radio-Engineer to His Son — Background and Themes, where fatherly instruction turns static into a form of tenderness. Both books hum with that old, trusting faith in hands-on knowing.