Patent GB-190812286-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Miners' Lamp Lighting Appliances.
Inventor: DARRAH HENRY MOSTYN
Filed: 1908-06-06
Granted: 1909-05-20
Abstract: 12,286. Darrah, H. M., and Perrins, F. June 6. Miners' and like safety lamps are electrically ignited in an enclosed apparatus arranged to prevent sparks from being formed except when a lamp is in position and the apparatus is closed. The door of the apparatus is arranged to move a guard which normally prevents a number of spring- pressed terminals from contacting with the lamp. In the preferred form of apparatus, a preferably sheet-metal gas tight box 1, Fig. 2, is divided into compartments 3, 4 for containing an accumulator or dynamo, and the lamp respectively, and is closed by doors such as 7, Fig. 3, the door of the chamber 3 being fitted with a padlock, while the door 7 is fitted with a bolt 8, which is actuated against the action of springs 17 by a handle 9 together with a bolt 8, which is actuated against the action of springs 17 by a handle 9 together with a lever 11 and link 12, and is guided by a slotted bracket 13, which causes the bolt to be engaged between plates 14 fitted to a flange 5 on the box. The closing of the door 7 actuates a disk 21, Fig. 6, by means of a link 22, the disk being provided with a series of holes which normally protect similar openings 20, Fig. 7, in the lamp-dish base 18, but are made to register with these openings when the door is closed. The disk 21 is mounted between the dish 18 and a ring 23 carried by rods 24, fixed to the outer rim of the disk and to a fixed segmental ring 33. Spring-raised terminals. 26, 27 are mounted on plates 30, 31, connected together, and the terminals are passed through the openings 20 to contact with the lamp by means of mechanism comprising a tripod-like bracket 36 with lugs 37 connected by a link to a lever 38, which is actuated by the movement of the bolt 8 when the lamp chamber is bolted. The bolt 8 depresses a spring- controlled fitting 'arranged between the plates 14, and this fitting is connected. to the lever 38, Fig. 2, by means of a link 43. The terminals 26, 27 when they contact with the lamp, do not complete the circuit, this being only effected when, on farther raising the plates 30, 31, spring contacts 45 contact with flanges 29 on the terminals. The height of the box is preferably such that the upward movement of the lamp will be resisted by the lamp ; or the chamber 4 may be fitted with an adjustable top plate which may complete a break in the electric circuits ; or the lamp may be gripped by jaws, actuated by pins and eccentric slots 50 in a ring 49. The dish 18 is formed in a false floor, and a plate 52 protects the terminals below the lamp dish. The disk 21 may be arranged above the lamp dish, and is preferably formed of insulating-material. The disk may be made to move eccentrically to the dish, or it may be made to slide. The disk may be, dispensed with, and only one terminal may be used instead of employing a number of terminals. The dish floor may be revoluble, the disk 21 being stationary ; or each hole in the disk may be fitted with a cover, the series of covers being operated collectively by say a toothed ring or gear-wheel connected to the link 22. The centre of the light-. ing-dish floor is preferably raised, and the central terminal 26 is made slightly longer than the others to allow for the recessed formation of the lamp base. According to the Provisional Specification, the handle 9 may actuate the terminal plate without actuating a bolt ; the terminal plate, may be raised by the movement of the door and this plate may be rotated to cause the terminals to register with openings.