IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LAMP STOVES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING in lamp burners
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Alexander Rippingille, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
Sealed the 1st February 1876, and dated the 29th November 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Alexander
Rippingille at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th November 1875.
I, EDWARD ALEXANDER RIPPINGILLE, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LAMP STOVES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING," to be
as follows:-
The Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in lamp burners.
"
In "argand burners in which two or more "cotton wheels" or
pinions are employed to raise the wick the latter is frequently raised
higher on the one side than on the other in consequence of the play or
"back lash" between the "cotton wheels" or pinions gearing together.

page_text: "
I obviate this difficulty by the employment of an extra pinion or pinions
on a separate shaft acting simply to give motion to the "cotton wheels
or wick raising pinions, which latter alone are in contact with the wick,
and do not gear together or drive each other.
I also according to my Invention form "argand" burners in an oval
form instead of circular, and in order to prevent the flame at the ends
of the oval from smoking I provide an extra supply of air to those parts
by fixing or forming in the interior of the cone suitable air deflectors;
and in order to facilitate the insertion of flat wicks into fixed wick tubes
in such description of burners I form the lower ends of such fixed wick
tubes in a similar manner to that described for a moveable wick tube in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, dated September 2,
1872, No. 2604.
I also according to my Invention supply an extra current of air to
act upon the exterior of the flame; this may be variously effected.
"
According to one arrangement I form a "jump or step around the
cone, through the top of which I form a number of openings in such a
direction as to guide the current of air towards the flame and not away
therefrom; this last mentioned improvement is equally applicable to
"argand" and to flat wick burners.
In some descriptions of lamps and lamp stoves I employ instead of
the above arrangement a short cone, which is fitted into the top of a
tube surrounding the burner, or fixed to the cone plate, taking care to
leave spaces between the two for air by the employment of suitable
projections or distance pieces on the one acting to hold the cone in the
desired position.
When employing extra wide flat wick burners I stiffen the upper
edge of the cotton or wick tube by forming corrugations thereon close to
or a little below the top edge thereof, the corrugations being parallel to
such top edge.
The Invention also relates to that class of lamps and lamp stoves
shown and described in the Specifications of Letters Patent herein-before
referred to, and of other Letters Patent granted to me, dated March 13,
1874, No. 920, in which the upper part is sealed off from the lower, and
air to support combustion is supplied through passages communicating
with the space at the upper part of the lamp or lamp stove, and with an
air space below the conc plate.

page_text: In carrying this part of my Invention into effect instead of forming
the top of the lower air space solely by the sliding cone plate I form
the top of such lower air space partly by a fixed plate communicating
with the passages, and partly by the sliding cone plate, which is carried
by the reservoir as before, but occupying according to my present
Invention comparatively a small space in the centre of the top of lower
air chamber, and I close or seal the opening in the lamp through which
the reservoir and cone plate are introduced by a plate carried by either
the reservoir or cone plate.
This arrangement of the parts is also especially applicable to semaphore
lamps, in which no separate outer lantern is employed, as by placing
one of the air tubes upon one side of the centre line between the lenses
the reservoir and cone plate may be placed in position in the lamp
through an aperture in the side thereof, midway or thereabouts between
the lenses or at or about right angles therewith. In wall lamps the
air tubes are placed at the back instead of at the side of the lamp.
In applying this part of my Invention to inside lamps, in which
sliding fronts are employed as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent herein-before referred to, No. 920, I place the air tubes inside
the lamp and connect them to a fixed plate forming a portion of the
top of the lower air space, and in order to assist in sealing the lower air
space, and at the same time facilitate the sliding of the reservoir into
position, I connect to the fixed plate at each side of the lamp a false
side or vertical plate extending only a short distance up the inside of
the lamp, and instead of employing a sliding front and back to the
lamp I sometimes employ slides at the sides of the lamp for a similar
purpose.
In some descriptions of lamp stoves I employ a similar arrangement
of air spaces and air passages to those above referred to, but I form the
base of the stove, which contains the reservoir, and forms the lower air
space, larger in area in plan than the upper portion, by which means I
am enabled to employ a much larger reservoir than when the stove is
of equal size from top to bottom without unduly enlarging the upper
part thereof. The opening in the top plate of the lower air space is
sealed by the cone plate in the manner herein-before described, except
that instead of the false sides or vertical plates extending upwards from
such top plate they extend downwards therefrom.

page_text: And my Invention further consists in hinging or pivotting the mètal
drop chimney or one side thereof at the upper end, or in otherwise
making it moveable, and in making such chimney large enough to act
in combination with two or more burners, by which means I am enabled
readily to obtain access to the wicks for lighting or otherwise by simply
pushing the chimney or the moveable side thereof on one side. I also
employ a perforated plate fixed to the upper end of the chimney, and
occupying the entire area thereof, which acts as a diffuser of the pro-
ducts of combustion, and may be used as a counterbalance.
And in order that facility may be afforded for viewing the flames from
the outside of the lamp stove without the necessity for opening or dis-
placing any part of the lamp I fix at any suitable part thereof
an eye piece, and I connect to the chimney a tube, through which by
looking through the eye piece a view of the flame or flames may be
obtained.
For lighting and other purposes I employ a sliding or other door, as
will be well understood, and in order to render the lamp stove suitable
for warming an apartment, as also for cooking, I form around the sides
thereof a number of openings, which may be closed when desired by a
suitable slide.
When an oven is employed at the side of the lamp stove I employ
combinations of moveable and fixed slides or deflectors, which may at
will cause the entire or part of the products of combustion to pass into,
over, under, or around the oven previous to their passing away by the
flue, which may be placed at any desired part.
A moveable deflector may also be employed to cause the products of
combustion to heat a plate for heating irons, or for other purposes, and
in order to prevent the radiation of heat from any article on such plate
downwards on to the burners I so arrange the passage for the products
of combustion that a second plate forming the lower side of such
passage is interposed between the heating plate and the burner or
burners.
When employing a fountain feed to lamps I form the reservoir of a
vertical or nearly vertical tube connected to one or more horizontal or
nearly horizontal legs or tubes, which are connected to a chamber
formed by the burner socket tube; and in order to enable such reservoir

page_text: to be readily supplied with oil I lay it down with the horizontal tube or
tubes standing upwards, and I pour the oil therein through a nozzle or
opening provided for such purpose in one of the horizontal tubes close
to the burner tube, which nozzle or opening may be closed by means of
a screw stopper. I also connect to the vertical oil tube an air tube, the
upper end of which, when the reservoir is placed in proper position,
communicates with a fixed or moveable opening or passage leading into
the upper air chamber, whilst the lower end of such air tube communi-
cates with the air chamber formed by the burner socket tube. This
peculiar arrangement of fountain reservoir is applicable to various
descriptions of lamps, but when used in a wall lamp, or without an outer
lantern, the air tube is dispensed with.
The Invention also relates to lamp heads to be employed with lamps
constructed as herein-before described, or with other descriptions of
lamps, and consists of means for causing the heated products of com-
bustion to pass away, and not re-enter the lamp through the head with
|the inward current or currents of air. This may be effected in various
ways, but according to one arrangement I form in the outer chimney
under one wind guard two annular lines of openings, by preference
through projecting annular lips; I also fix around the outside of the
upper end of the inner chimney a conical descending flange, and to the
inside of the outer chimney just above the lower openings I fix a conical
deflector, which passes under the outer edge of the conical flange, and
near to the lower end of the conical deflector I form another series of
openings in the outer chimney, through which the heated products of
combustion are caused to pass, and in connection with the lower line of
openings in the outer chimney I emply tubes, guides, or passages to
conduct the products of combustion past the current or currents of air
entering the lamp head.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Alexander Rippingille,
Her special licence that I, the said Edward Alexander Rippingille, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edward Alexander Rippingille, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
AND LAMP STOVES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Alexander Rippingille,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Alexander Rippingille, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, similar parts being marked with similar letters of reference in
all the Figures, that is to say :—
The first part of the Invention relates to improvements in lamp
burners, and is represented at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
In "argand" burners in which two or more "cotton wheels" or pinions
on different axes are employed to raise the wick, the latter is frequently
raised higher on the one side than on the other in consequence of the
play or "back lash" between the cotton wheels or pinions gearing
together. One mode in which I obviate this difficulty is represented
applied to the burner shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, which consists
in the employment of an extra pinion or pinions a³, on a separate shaft a,

page_text: "
gearing with pinions 61, 61, on the shafts b, and acting simply to give
motion to the "cotton wheels or wick raising pinions 63, 63, which
latter alone are in contact with the wick and do not gear together nor
drive each other. The arrangement of the pinions a¹, b', 6³, may be
varied so long as the "cotton wheels or pinions 68 do not gear together
nor communicate motion to each other, but receive motion from a
pinion or pinions on an extra shaft.
I also, according to my Invention, form argand burners in an oval
form, as shewn in plan view at Figure 5, instead of circular, and in
order to prevent the flame at the ends of the oval from smoking I
provide an extra supply of air to those parts by fixing or forming in
the interior of the cone c suitable air deflectors c', by which means a
portion of the air which would otherwise pass to the sides of the flame
will be diverted to the ends thereof. And in order to facilitate the
insertion of flat wicks into fixed wick tubes in argand" burners, I
form the lower ends of such fixed wick tubes d, sec Figures 2 and 4,
with an opening din one edge thereof in a similar manner to that
described for a moveable wick tube in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me, dated September 2nd, 1870, No. 2604.
66
I also, according to my Invention, supply an extra current of air to
act more directly upon the exterior of the flame than has heretofore
been the case. This may be variously effected.
According to one arrangement, as shown at Figures 2 and 5, I form
a "jump" or step c² around the cone, through the top of which I form
a number of openings c³ in such a direction as to guide the current of
air towards the flame and not away therefrom. This last mentioned
improvement is equally applicable to argand and to flat wick burners,
the shape of the cone simply requiring to be adapted to the shape of the
burner.
In some descriptions of lamps and lamp stoves I employ instead of
the above arrangement a short cone c which is fitted into the top of a
tube c* surrounding the burner, as shown at Figures 6 and 7, and 19
and 20, as applied to fountain or drip supply burners, or fixed to the
cone plate c³, as shown at Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, and 18, taking
care to leave spaces c³ between the two for air by the employment of
suitable projections or distance pieces on the one acting to hold the
cone c in the desired position.

page_text: When employing extra wide flat wick burners I stiffen the upper
edge of the cotton or wick tube d by forming corrugations & thereon,
as shown at Figures 8, 9, 10, close to or a little below the top edge
thereof, the corrugations being parallel to such top edge.
The Invention also relates to that class of lamps and lamp stoves
shown and described in the Specifications of Letters Patent herein-
before referred to and of other Letters Patent granted to me, dated
March 13th, 1874, No. 920, in which the upper part is sealed off from
the lower, and air to support combustion is supplied through passages
communicating with the space at the upper part of the lamp or lamp
stove and with an air space below the cone plate.
In carrying this part of my Invention into effect instead of forming
the top of the lower air space, as heretofore, solely by the sliding cone
plate I form the top of such lower air space in the modes represented
at Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, and 27, partly by
a fixed plate e communicating with the passages f, f, and partly by the
sliding cone plate ct, which is carried by the reservoir as before, but
occupying according to my present Invention comparatively a small
space in the centre of the top of lower air chamber; and I close or
seal the opening in the lamp through which the reservoir g and cone
plate care introduced by a plate c carried by either the reservoir or
cone plate.
This arrangement of the parts is also especially applicable to sema-
phore or other lamps, in which no separate outer lantern is employed,
as by placing one or both of the air tubes ƒ upon one side of the
centre line between the lenses h, i, as shown at Figures 11 and 12, the
reservoir g and cone plate c³ may be placed in position in the lamp
through an aperture in the side thereof midway or thereabouts between
the lenses, or at or about right angles with a line passing through the
centres thereof. In wall lamps the air tubes f are placed at the back 3
instead of at the sides thereof, as shown at Figures 13 and 14; whilst
if desired instead of employing two of such tubes only one may be
employed at the back of the lamp, as shewn at Figures 17 and 18.
In applying this part of my Invention to inside lamps in which
sliding fronts are employed, as described in the Specification of Letters 3
Patent herein-before referred to, No. 920, I place the air tubes finside
the lamp, as shown at Figures 15 and 16, and connect them to a fixed

page_text: plate e forming a portion of the top of the lower air space. And in
order to assist in sealing the lower air space, and at the same time
facilitate the sliding of the reservoir into position, I connect to the
fixed plate e at each side of the lamp a false side or vertical plate e¹
extending only a short distance up the inside of the lamp; and instead
of employing a sliding glazed front and back to the lamp I sometimes
make the glazed front and back fixtures and employ slides at the sides
of the lamp for a similar purpose.
In some descriptions of lamp stoves, as represented at Figures 24, 25,
26, 27, I employ a similar arrangement of upper and lower air spaces
and air passages f to those above referred to, but I form the base / of
the stove, which contains the reservoir 9 and forms the lower air space
larger in area in plan than the upper portion 7, by which means I am
enabled to employ a much larger reservoir than when the stove is of
equal size from top to bottom without unduly enlarging the upper part
thereof. The opening in the top plate of the lower air space is sealed
by the cone plate in the manner herein-before described, except that
instead of the false sides or vertical plates e¹ extending upwards from
such top plate e they extend downwards therefrom.
The above mode of sealing the air space at the lower part of the
lamp and the opening through which the cone plate and cones are
passed into the lamp by fixed plate e, false sides or vertical plates e¹,
conc plate c³, and plate co, is also applicable, as shown at Figures 28,
29, 30, and 33, to lamp stoves (as also to lamps) in cases where the air
space at the upper part of the lamp is not connected with that below
the cone plate by tubes fbut where the space below the cone plate has
free communication with the outer air.
The lamp stove shown at Figures 24, 25, 26, and 27, is specially
adapted for use in the open air, whilst the other arrangements of lamp
stoves herein shewn and described are more particularly adapted for
indoor use.
And my Invention further consists in hinging or pivotting the metal
drop or inner chimney m (or it may be, only one side thereof) at the
upper end, as shown at Figures 22, 23, 25, 26, and 27, or in other-
wise making it moveable; and in making such chimney large enough
to act in combination with two or more burners, by which means I am
enabled readily to obtain access to the wicks for lighting or otherwise

page_text: by simply pushing the chimney m, or the moveable side thereof, on one
side. I also employ a perforated plate m¹ fixed to the upper end of
the chimney m and occupying the entire area thereof, which acts as
a diffuser of the products of combustion, and may be used, as shown in
the last mentioned Figures, as a counterbalance to the moveable
chimney or moveable side thereof.
And in order that facility may be afforded for viewing the flames
from the outside of the lamp stove without the necessity for opening or
displacing any part of the lamp I fix, as shown at Figure 22, at any
suitable part thereof an eye piece l, and I connect to the inner
chimney m a tube through which by looking through the eye piece / a
view of the flame or flames may be obtained.
For lighting and other purposes I employ a sliding or other door l³,
see Figures 24, 25, and 27, as will be well understood, and in order to
render the lamp stove suitable for warming an apartment, as also for
cooking I form around the sides thereof a number of openings &³ which
may be closed when desired by a suitable slide 1, as shown at
Figures 22 and 23. By simply closing the openings and removing
the cover, the lamp stove may be used for cooking purposes by placing
a kettle or other cooking utensil on the top thereof.
When, as shown at Figures 28, 29, and 30, an oven n is employed at
the side of the lamp stove I employ combinations of fixed deflectors n'
and moveable deflector or deflectors or slides n³, which may at will be
so arranged as to cause the entire or part of the products of combustion
to pass into, over, under, or around the oven previous to their passing
under the cooking utensil on the top of stove, and away by the flue o
which may be placed at any desired and convenient part of the lamp
stove or oven.
A moveable deflector, such as that represented at Figures 31 and 32,
may also be employed to cause the products of combustion to heat irons
or to heat a plate for other purposes. This moveable deflector is placed
on the top of the lamp stove with the descending flue p immediately
over the inner or drop chimney m, and in order to prevent the radiation
of heat from any article on the plate p¹ downwards on to the burners and
reservoir, I so arrange the passage for the products of combustion
that a second plate p* forming the lower side of part of such passage is

page_text: interposed between the heating plate p or iron and the burner or
burners.
Another part of my Invention which relates to fountain feed lamps is
represented at Figures 19, 20, and 21.
According to this part of my Invention I form the reservoir of a
vertical or nearly vertical tube q connected to one or more horizontal or
nearly horizontal legs or tubes q³, which are connected to a chamber q*
formed by the burner socket tube, and in order to enable such reservoir
to be readily supplied with oil, I lay it down with the tube q in a hori-
zontal position, and with the horizontal tube or tubes q' standing upwards,
and I pour the oil therein through a nozzle or opening 9³ provided for
such purposes in one of the horizontal tubes q¹ close to the burner
tube q, which nozzle or opening may be closed by means of a screw
stopper. I also connect to the vertical oil tube an air tube 7, the upper
end of which when the reservoir is placed in a proper position com-
municates with an opening or passage s¹ leading into the upper air
chamber 8, whilst the lower end of such air tuber communicates with
the air chamber formed by the burner socket tube. This peculiar
arrangement of fountain reservoir is applicable to various descriptions
of lamps, but when used in a wall lamp or without an outer lantern
the air tuber is dispensed with.
At Figures 11 and 15 I have represented the application to lamps of
lamp heads constructed in the manner described in my Provisional
Specification, but as doubts have arisen as to the novelty thereof, I desire
to disclaim and I do hereby disclaim such arrangements of lamp
heads.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode
in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,―
First. The mode substantially as herein shewn and described of pre-
venting the wick in "argand "burners from being raised more on one
side than on the other.
Secondly. I claim forming argand burners in an oval form, and
supplying an extra current or currents of air to the ends of the flame in
manner and for the purpose substantially as herein shewn and
described.

page_text: Thirdly. I claim the mode of constructing the lower ends of fixed
wick tubes of argand burners in order to facilitate the insertion of flat
wicks therein in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
Fourthly. I claim the modes of supplying an extra current of air to
act more directly upon the exterior of the flame in either argand or flat
wick burners, substantially as herein shown and described.
Fifthly. I claim the mode of stiffening the upper edges of the cotton
or wick tubes of extra wide flat wick burners by forming corrugations
thereon parallel to the top edge of such wick tubes in manner substan-
tially as herein shown and described.
Sixthly. I claim the mode of forming the tops of the lower air spaces
of lamps and lamp stoves partly by a fixed plate, and partly by the
sliding cone plate, aided in some cases by ascending, and in other cases
by descending false sides or vertical plates, substantially as herein- shewn
and described.
Seventhly. I claim the mode of sealing the space through which the
reservoir and cone plate are introduced into lamps and lamp stoves by a
plate carried either by the reservoir or by the cone plate, substantially as
herein shewn and described.
1
Eighthly. I claim the modes of arranging the air tubes f, substantially 2
as shewn and described with respect to Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14.
Ninthly. I claim forming the base of a lamp stove larger in area in
plan than the upper portion thereof in manner and for the purpose sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
Tenthly. I claim forming the inner metal or drop chimney large 2
enough to act in combination with two or more burners, also hinging or
pivotting the said chimney or one side thereof, and fixing a perforated
metal plate or diffuser at the upper part thereof in manner and for the
purposes substantially as herein shewn and described.
Eleventhly. I claim the mode substantially as herein shown and 3
described of enabling a view of the flame or flames to be obtained
through suitable eye pieces, without the necessity for removing any part
of the lamp stove for that purpose.
Twelfthly. I claim the mode of providing a lamp stove with apertures
in the sides thereof capable of being closed by a slide to enable the lemn 3

page_text: stove readily to be adapted for either warming or cooking purposes, sub-
stantially as herein shewn and described.
Thirteenthly. I claim in a lamp stove, having an oven at the side
thereof, the combination of fixed and moveable deflectors in manner and
for the purpose substantially as shown and described with respect to
Figures 28, 29, and 30.
Fourteenthly. I claim the arrangement of moveable deflectors repre-
sented at Figures 31 and 32, to be employed for heating irons and for
other purposes, as also the interposition of a plate between the iron or
heating plate and the burner or burners, in manner and for the purpose
substantially as herein shown and described.
Fifteenthly. I claim in fountain feed lamps the mode of constructing
the reservoirs thereof, and of filling said reservoirs, as also the mode of
connecting the upper air space with the air space in the burner socket,
substantially as shewn and described with respect to Figures 19, 20,
and 21.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Alexander Rippingille,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six.
ED. ALEX³. RIPPINGILLE. (L.S.)