Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1887
Complete Left, 12th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 15th June, 1888
I JAMES ASHWORTH of The Hall Stanley in the County of Derby Mining Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates chiefly to safety lamps for miners use of type known as the
Gray lamp and to others which receive the air supply to support combustion above
the flame the object of it being to obtain a better control of the wick flame when fire
damp burns or explodes within the lamp.
In one or more of the inlet tubes which are now open at the top (where such are
used) or in the circumference of the frame of the lamp a hole or holes are formed to
supplement the air admission from above. These holes are covered by movable, pivoted
or sliding, covers so that they may be opened or closed at will to regulate the air
admission.
Around the oil reservoir is placed a ring consisting of a perpendicular flange, at
intervals in which at or near its base are cut holes or slots for the air entering to pass
through. The air is by this ring directed to impinge upon the flame and thereby
better combustion is produced and the illuminating power of the flame increased.
This ring may be placed upon the oil reservoir or attached to it or it may form a
flange to the ring that secures the glass in position or be otherwise affixed or
retained in position so that the current of air or part of it which is supplied to the
wick flame shall pass through the perforations or slots in it and be caused to pass
in close proximity to, or impinge upon the flame. The top of the oil chamber will be
made or covered with a metal or substance which is a poor conductor or non-conductor
of heat so that excessive radiation of heat therefrom is checked thereby allowing of the
better current of air through the holes in the encircling ring.
The sieve ring which carries the gauze through which the air is admitted to the
combustion chamber of the lamp is formed with a rectangular groove or cut, with holes
bored through the solid side of the groove and thereby the area of the gauze available
for the admission of air is increased. A ring of gauze fits over or covers the outer
circumference of the rectangular groove.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester,
Patent Agents.

page_text: I, JAMES ASHWORTH; of The Hall, Stanley, in the County of Derby, Mining Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
This invention relates chiefly to safety lamps for miners use of that type in which
the air supply to support combustion is admitted through openings placed above the
flame, the object being to obtain more perfect control over the wick flame when fire
damp or explosive gases burn or explode within the lamp, to increase the illuminating
power of the flame and check or prevent excessive radiation from the oil reservoir.
It consists essentially in forming in the air inlet tubes or in the circumference or
frame of the lamps one or more holes or openings with adjustable slides or shutters
which may be opened or closed at will to regulate or augment the air supply: in pro-
viding a perpendicular ring or flange with suitable air holes at its base around the
burner to direct the air to the flame; and in constructing the oil reservoir with a top
of some metal or other material which is a poor or bad conductor of heat.
It will be best described by aid of the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1, is a sectional elevation of lamp known as "The Gray lamp," fitted with my
improvements.
Fig. 2, elevation of air inlet tube provided with air hole and fitted with slide or
shutter.
Fig. 3, sectional plan of air inlet tube and shutter.
Fig. 4, elevation of lamp showing auxiliary air openings, and shutter in the form of
a ring fitted to the frame of the lamp.
Fig. 5, sectional plan of fig. 1 on line x-x.
Fig. 6 sectional plan fig. 1 on line y―y.
Fig. 7, elevation partly in section of gauze or sieve ring.
Fig. 8, elevation partly in section of double shield lamp with my improvements
applied.
Fig. 9, plan of same on line 2-2, fig. 8.
Fig. 10, sectional elevation of perpendicular air deflecting ring.
Fig. 11, plan of same.
a
In these A is the frame of the lamp. B the oil reservoir, screwed or otherwise
removably connected with the frame A. Cthe air inlet tubes fitted to the frame of
the lamp at and extending upward to the top where they are covered by a movable
and adjustable cover D. This cover as shown forms a part of the top or hood of the
lamp through which the products of combustion pass and escape by the holes or
perforations d. By moving the top D more or less to the right or left the tops of the
air tubes Care covered or uncovered and the admission of air to some extent
controlled. In certain conditions of the atmosphere or if gas be present this
adjustment is inadequate and I provide one or more openings c in the bottom of the

page_text: air tubes C or in the frame A of the lamp, both forms of opening are shown in fig. 1,
for the purpose of illustrating the invention, but one only will be necessary on each
lump. The holes c may be cut in one or more of the air tubes C near the base and
they are covered by a movable shutter or cover E preferably sliding on the tube C.
Where the air holes are placed in the frame one two or more, a¹, may be cut round
the circumferance of the lamp and covered by the ring F, sliding in a groove, to form
a shutter. The ring F is provided with holes f corresponding with the holes a¹ cut in
the frame. The shutters E and F can be moved at will to open or close the holes c
and a. Through these holes the wick flame can be supplied with fresh air and kept
alight whilst. gas, entering from the top of the lamp down the other tubes, burns
within the lamp without extinguishing the wick flame.
In order to promote better combustion and increase the illuminating power of the
wick flame I place a ring or flange G surrounding the oil reservoir B provided with
air holes or passages g through which the air is directed to the flame. This ring may
be placed upon the oil reservoir or attached to it or it may as shown in Figs. 8 and 10
form a flange to the ring that secures the glass in position or be otherwise affixed or
retained in position so that the current of air or part of it which is supplied to the
wick flame shall pass through the perforations or slots in it and be caused to pass in
close proximity to, or impinge upon the flame.
In fig. 1 the admission of air to the combustion chamber of the lamp is through
the gauze or sieve ring H. I construct this ring so as to increase the surface of gauze
through which the air passes by cutting a rectangular groove or ring h around the
outside of the air holes bored through the ring. A ring of gauze I, is then placed
around and covers the outer circumference of the rectangular groove.
The top of the oil reservoir is made or covered with a metal or substance which is
a poor conductor or non-conductor of heat so that excessive radiation of heat therefrom
is prevented or checked..
In figs. 8 to 11 my improvements are shown applied to a double shield and
deflector lamp. The auxiliary air inlets k are formed, (at the base of the shield or
bonnet K), in the ring or middle frame L of the lamp, to which the bonnet K is
connected. The sliding ring or shutter M revolves between the lower edge of the
shield or bonnet K and the top of the middle frame L. It is provided with a series
of slots or holes m, and is moved by means of the pin or handle N which passes
through one of the inlet holes k. In fig. 9 the shutter is shown half open. Instead
of placing the auxiliary inlets and the moving shutter as shown, the shutter may be
formed in a ring placed outside the frame Las shown in connection with the Gray
lamp in figs. 1 and 4. The air passes in through the holes k and m and then through
the hole in the inner shield. The stays which connect the middle frame L with the
bottom frame A of the lamp are shown at O.
The glass P is held in position in the usual way by means of a screw ring R and
is packed top and bottom with asbestos or other suitable packing p. The screw ring R
is formed with a perpendicular annular flange G on its inner edge, perforated at its
base or provided with holes g through which the current of air passes and is directed
towards the flame. The perpendicular ring G may be applied to other existing types
of lamps for the purpose described without altering their construction in other
respects, though I prefer to use it in combination with an oil reservoir constructed
with top of bad or poor heat conducting material. As hereinbefore stated the ring G
may be attached to the oil reservoir or otherwise constructed but the arrangement
shown I consider the best.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not claim broadly the supplying of air to miners safety lamps by means of air inlet
tubes which open above the flame but I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A miners safety lamp of the type or construction referred to having auxiliary
air inlets in the air tubes or in the frame of the lamp-covered and controlled by
sliding shutters substantially as and for the purposes described.

page_text: 2. In a miners safety lamp, the combination with the oil vessel and burner, of a
perpendicular ring having air passages or holes at its base, forming part of the ring
which secures the glass, (or otherwise connected to the oil vessel) to direct the current
of air upon the flame, with or without a top of bad heat conducting material to the
oil vessel, substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. In miners safety lamps in which the air enters the combustion chamber below
the flame, the use of a gauze or sieve ring, constructed to increase the available area
of gauze, having a groove cut around the air holes or perforations and the gauze
placed outside thereof, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.
4. A miners safety lamp constructed and arranged substantially as herein described
and shown either on sheet 1 or sheet 2 of the drawings annexed.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester,
Patent Agents.