IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS;
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
EDWARD CASSELL, of Mill Wall, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the Seventeenth day of December, in the second year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Edwin
Edward Cassell, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Edwin Edward Cassell,
my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin Edward
Cassell, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the terms of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said Edwin Edward Cassell, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there
unto had, will more fully and at large appear:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edwin Edward Cassell, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
to consist,-
First, in a new formation of burner or burners, as herein-after described,
for burning essential oils, spirits, mineral tar, wood tar, resin, petroleum,
naptha, or other inflamable liquid, or the products or mixtures thereof.
Secondly, in a new method or methods of directing the flow of such fixed
or essential oils or spirits or other liquids or mixtures, as the case may be, for
the said purpose. And,
Thirdly, in a new method or methods of directing atmospheric air or other
supporter of combustion, so that it may cut over or blow over the flame in the
manner herein-after described, whether such flame be obtained by the combus-
tion of any oily, bitumenous, resinous, or fatty matter, or of any gaseous body.
And in further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Edwin Edward
Cassell, do hereby describe the manner in which my said Invention is to be
performed, by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, similar letters
being used to denote similar parts in all the Figures..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a section of one of my flat burners for obtaining light from the
combustion of the essential oil of coal tar, spirits of turpentine, or a mixture
of either of these with spirit of wood or with alcohol, and which may be used
with other liquids or mixed fluids which will burn at a low temperature.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same, and Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
A, Figure 1, is the point at which I ignite and burn the spirit of coal tar or
naptha. When I use that liquid the naptha is caused to ascend in the
direction of the arrow
by a slight pressure from any suitable fountain or
(1) by
other suitable contrivance between the sides B, C, of the flat frame. The
pressure must be sufficient to cause the naptha to rise through the small holes
(shewn at A, Figure 3) and to form a pool in the groove or gutter (at A,
Figure 1 and Figure 3). If the burner be not lighted immediately when the
naptha is turned on, the naptha will not only fill the groove A, but will
overflow in the direction of the small arrows, and descend through the ducts or
descending passages D, D. On Figure 1, E represents the supply pipe for
the flow of the naptha from any suitable fountain or other supply reservoir to
the burner, and, on the same Figure, I shews the outlet for the overflow which

page_text: has passed through and over the top of the burner, and which is allowed to
flow into any suitable reservoir. I prefer having my supply reservoir placed a
little higher than the top of my burner, so that the supply may have a
sufficient pressure to overflow the burner at A. The reservoir may be placed
near to, or at a considerable distance from, my burner, according to the
situation in which the light is required. On the supply pipe I have a small
regulating cock for increasing or diminishing the quantity of the supply. I
light this lamp by applying a light at A, where the naptha is overflowing the
burner; and where the burner is lighted I prefer having a constant overflow
at A; by this means the groove or gutter at A is kept full, or nearly so, and
the lamp does not get too hot. Sometimes I have the groove or gutter at A
made with small holes in the bottom for the naptha to ascend through, as
shewn on the plan, Figure 3, and I sometimes have a fine slit or cut, as shown
in plan on Figure 4, instead of the small holes shewn on Figure 8. The
current of atmospheric air or other supporter of combustion ascends by
G, G. H is the glass chimney, and J is the gallery or support to chimney.
Figure 5 is a section of one of my lamps, made so as to give a circle of
light similar to what is commonly known as an argand flame. The supply is
through the pipe E up through the burner in the direction of the arrows, and
the overflow is prevented by the rim or ledge L from running down the
interior cylinder of the burner, and it escapes in the direction of the arrows
at F, F. Sometimes I prefer making my burner of two concentric rings, as
shown in this Figure, the rings not being united at the top by any groove or
gutter, as in Figures 1, 10, 14, &c.
Figure 6 is a plan of Figure 5, and Figure 7 is a reserved plan view of
the bottom of Figure 5. M, Figures 5 and 6, is a disc or plate, which I
call my regulating plate; it is supported and acted upon by the spindle or
vertical rod N, which rod I sometimes use hollow. This regulating apparatus
is made of iron, brass, or any suitable metal, and the rod N is passed through
a bridge with a female screw O, Figures 5 and 7, by means of the small
handle or thumb piece P, this regulating plate is brought down near to the
line or plane of flame, the air or supporter of combustion passing up the
hollow cylinder Q, Q, is caused to pass in centrifugal and deflected lines in
direction of the arrows over the top of the burner A. with considerable force.
When the regulating plate is raised higher off the flame it will burn higher, but
with smoke, and by elevating or depressing this regulating plate the requisite
quantity of atmospheric air or other supporter of. combustion may be given
and continued. It will be seen that the exact and proper distance between
the regulating plate and the top of the burner will vary according to the

page_text: quality of the liquid to be burned. I sometimes make the regulator of hollow
cone as in Figure 8, or a cup shape as in Figure 9. I find the hollow shape
of the regulator sometimes useful for lighting my lamp when I have to burn
animal oil mixed with naptha. By placing a little of highly inflamable
naptha in the recess of such a regulator as Figure 8 or 9, and setting it on
fire, heat is communicated through the metal to the less inflamable mixture in
the lamp, which is thus hereby fitted for ignition by the time the small quantity
in the regulator has been burnt out.
Figure 10 is a section of another arrangement of my lamp, shewing how
the overflow may run down from both sides of the frame and escape to the
waste reservoir. Figure 11 is a cross section of Figure 10 at the dotted
line R, R'. Figure 12 is a plan of Figure 10. Figure 13 is a plan of a
similar burner without the regulating plate, but in this case I have represented
a burner with a slit or cut in the groove or gutter, instead of the small holes
shewn in Figure 12. This slit is intended for the same or similar purpose to
that above described in Figure 4.
Figure 14 exhibits another arrangement for closing in the top of the over-
flow.D, D, so as to prevent any evaporation escaping to the flame from the
overflow, and this arrangement I find most useful when I employ spirits of
turpentine or the most inflamable products of coal tar. When I use a circular
light of more than one concentric circle of flame, I employ the arrangement
shewn in section, Figure 15, and in plan at Figure 16. In this case it will be
seen by the Figures 15 and 16 that I use a fork-shaped support to the regu-
lating plates M and M³, and this forked apparatus is raised or lowered by the
screw and bridge O and the thumb piece P. Figure 17 shews the section of
a burner similar in the arrangement of the supply and overflow to Figure 10,
but in this case I recommend that the hollow truncated cone T, T, which
regulates the direction of the atmospheric air or other supporter of combustion
from the outside, should be so formed as to be raised or lowered by the screw
shewn at U, U.
Figure 18, exhibits the plan of a hollow square burner with a square
regulating plate.
Figure 19 exhibits a vertical section of a lantern; and Figure 20 a plan of
the bottom of the same, X, X, is the situation of any one of my improved
burners in the inside of a lantern or street lamp. In the top of the lantern
will be seen the cistern Y, Y, containing the liquid to be burnt.
The supply
tube. E, E, is brought down a corner of the lantern; the pipes which supply
the atmospheric air to the burner are placed in the corners of the lantern Z, Z,
and these pipes may be made to form the frame and bottom of the lantern so

page_text: as to cause the least possible shade.
close into the rim at the top of the
suspended above the reflector, which effectually prevents too great a rush of
air, even during a gale of wind or otherwise, upon the flame. The air for the
support of combustion is admitted at holes E, and descends by the tubes Z, Z,
and then up through the burner. He is a chimney formed through the re-
flector. I sometimes use a globular lantern, in which case as in the square
or common lantern I employ three or more tubes for conducting air or other
supporter of combustion, as may be most convenient to the burner.
W is a conoidal or other reflector fitting.
lantern.
CE is a hollow inverted cone
Sometimes I make my regulator as shewn in Figure 21, where N is the
spindle considerably enlarged, and formed hollow, so as to become, in fact, a
tube capable of containing water or other fluid for the purpose of keeping the
tubes and burner from getting too hot when I burn highly inflamable liquid,,
such as spirits of turpentine. This spindle or tube N may be made stationary,
or to move up and down, by a screw or other suitable contrivance. In this
case the flange M may be advantageously used as the regulating plate. Some-
times also I make the cone G double, as shewn on the same Figure, in order to
admit of its containing water or other fluid for the purpose of keeping cool as
aforesaid.
Now I do not claim as my Invention the burning of spirits of coal tar,
naptha, turpentine, or any of the fluids obtained by distillation or rectification
of vegetable tar, coal tar, indian rubber, or other oleaginous, resinous, or
inflamable substance without a wick, or by capillary attraction; neither do
I claim as my Invention the supply of atmospheric air or other supporter of
combustion either externally to the flame or from the internal part of the
burner to the flame; but I do claim as my Invention the groove or gutter
above described, whether such gutter or groove be filled or partially filled by
combustible liquid, supplied through holes, or supplied through one or more
cuts or slits in any part of the said gutter or groove. Further, I do claim as
my Invention the use of the regulating plate above described, whether the
said plate be made round, or curved, or square, or polygonal, or plane, or
cupped, and whether it be supported and acted upon from below the light, or
from above the light, or on one side of the burner or lamp; provided always,
that such regulator be used as a means of regulating and directing the
atmospheric air or other supporter of combustion from within the circle or
other hollow figure of the flame. Further, I claim as my Invention the use
of the hollow tube or enlarged spindle for containing cooling fluid, and of the
hollow cone for the same purpose. Further, I claim as my Invention the
supply of atmospheric air or other supporter of combustion for a lantern by

page_text: means of pipes or tubes brought down at the corners of such lantern, whether
such lantern be used for the purposes of my burner or for any other burner or
light whatsoever, and whether the lantern be formed by three or more separate
pipes. And I do not limit my claim to one or other of the inflamable products
or mixtures above named; nor do I limit my claim to any particular material
suitable for constructing the same. And such my Invention being, to the best
of my knowledge and belief, entirely new, and never before used within any
of that part of Her Majesty's Dominions called England and Wales and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declare this to be my Specification
of the same, and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth hereby
comply in all respects, fully and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso
in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent contained, wherefore I
do hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and title to my said improvements
in lamps.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Edward Cassell, have hereunto set
my. hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
EDWIN EDWARD (L.S.) CASSELL.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the
within-named Edwin Edward Cas-
sell. in the presence of