IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO LAMPS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Nicol Porteous, of Edinburgh, Engineer,
and George Cadell Bruce, of Edinburgh and Glasgow, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO
LAMPS,"
Sealed the 17th October 1872, and dated the 30th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Nicol Porteous
and George Cadell Bruce at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 30th May 1872.
We, ANDREW NICOL PORTEOUS, of Edinburgh, Engineer, and GEORGE
CADELL BRUCE, of Edinburgh and Glasgow, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
APPLICABLE TO LAMPS," to be as follows:-
:-
Our Invention has for its object the adaptation and application to the
wick holders of oil lamps of a burner of the kind herein-after stated,
by means of which crude oil may be burnt in lamps as advantageously
as refined oil, and in which tar and other substances may be burnt. For
this purpose the burner referred to consists of a hollow shield or cover
of metal, open at top and bottom, and adapted in form to fit over
the wick holder. In the sides of the said burner are formed slots or
apertures opposite to each other and corresponding in size, and at or

page_text: nearly on a level with the top of the wick, through which passages, and
others at the bottom of the burner or shield, air is admitted in order
to support partial combustion of the oil at the wick, and thereby to
form gas, which is ignited at the top of the burner and there burnt as
required.
By the application of a burner or shield of this kind to the wick
holder is prevented the formation of a thick crust on the wick when
crude oils are burned, and which has hitherto caused the lamp to
smoke.
The said burner or shield may be adapted in form for either a flat or
circular wick and flame. In the latter case, on the upper part of the
burner or shield may be formed two or more circular tubes, having a
thin or narrow space between them, through which the gas formed as
above stated escapes, and is ignited at the top. A passage is made
which communicates with the air at the bottom through the inside
tube, by which means air is applied to both sides of the circular
flame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Andrew Nicol Porteous and George Cadell Bruce
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ANDREW
NICOL PORTEOUS, of Edinburgh, Engineer, and GEORGE CADELL Bruce,
of Edinburgh and Glasgow, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Andrew Nicol Porteous and George
Cadell Bruce, Her special licence that we, the said Andrew Nicol
Porteous and George Cadell Bruce, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Andrew Nicol Porteous and
George Cadell Bruce, our 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom

page_text: an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO LAMPS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Andrew Nicol Porteous
and George Cadell Bruce, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Andrew Nicol Porteous and George
Cadell Bruce, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
Our Invention has for its object the adaptation and application to
the wick holders of oil lamps of a burner of the kind herein-after
stated, by means of which crude oil may be burnt in lamps as advan-
tageously as refined oil, and in which tar and other substances may be
burnt. For this purpose the burner referred to consists of a hollow
shield or cover of metal open at top and bottom, and adapted in form
to fit over the wick holder. In the sides of the said burner are formed
slots or apertures opposite to each other and corresponding in size, and
at or nearly on a level with the top of the wick, through which passages
and others at the bottom of the burner or shield, air is admitted in order
to support partial combustion of the oil at the wick, and thereby to
form gas which is ignited at the top of the, burner, and there burnt as
required.
By the application of a burner or shield of this kind to the wick
holder, is prevented the formation of a thick crust on the wick when
crude oils are burned, and which has hitherto caused the lamp to
smoke.
The said burner or shield may be adapted in form for either a flat or
circular wick and flame. In the latter case on the upper part of the
burner or shield may be formed two or more circular tubes having a
thin or narrow space between them, through which the gas formed

page_text: as above stated escapes, and is ignited at the top. A passage is made
which communicates with the air at the bottom through the inside
tube, by which means air is supplied to both sides of the circular flame.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, we will proceed
to describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed
by the aid of the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented
different forms of shields or burners, and modes of applying them to
lamps.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a side elevation, Fig. 3 an end elevation, Fig. 4
an underneath plan, Fig. 5 a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 6
a transverse vertical section of a shield or burner adapted for lamps
now in use. This shield or burner is hollow, and is open at top and
bottom, the opening a at the top (see Fig. 1) being more narrow than
the opening b at the bottom (see Fig. 4). A, A, are apertures in the
sides of the shield or burner, at or nearly on a level with the top of the
wick, corresponding in size and opposite to each other. There are also
other air passages A, A, at the bottom of the shield or burner, and the
course of the air is shewn by the blue arrows, the red arrows and
the letters G, G, shew the course of the gas in its passage towards the
top of the burner. W is the wick holder.
On reference to the foregoing and the following Figures it will be
seen that air is admitted through the air passages A, A, at the sides
and bottom of the shield or burner, in such a manner as to support
a partial combustion of the oil at the wick, thereby forming gas
which ascends through the passages indicated by the letters G and
the red arrows, and is ignited at the top of the burner, and there burnt
as required.
Figures 7 and 8 shew a burner of the same description as the above
adapted for two wicks combined.
Figures 9, 10, and 11 represent a mode of introducing three or more
burners, the gas from which is combined and when ignited makes one
large flame.
Figures 12 and 13 represent in plan and elevation a burner in which
air is introduced through small holes in the side of the shield or tube,
to mix with the ascending gas previous to the gas being ignited at the
top of the burner.

page_text: Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17 represent a circular burner on the argand
principle, in which a round hollow flame is produced from a flat wick,
the air passage being through the centre of the flame.
Fig. 18 shews a lamp in section fitted with our improved burner on
the argand principle. It will be seen that the weight of the oil and
lamp is low down and thus secures the lamp against the liability to be
easily overturned.
Fig. 19 represents a small burner fitted to a common lamp.
Fig. 20 shews a burner fitted to a lamp adapted for cooking.
Fig. 21 illustrates another mode of cooking with a lamp fitted with
our improved burner, which is shewn detached and on a larger scale in
Fig. 22. Fig. 22 also shews a slide to admit air to mix with gas as it
ascends.
It will be seen on reference to the several Figures that the shields or
burners, although differing in form in order to adapt them for their
several uses, are all constructed so as to form gas, which is afterwards
burned at the top of the burner.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we hereby declare that what we
claim as of our Invention is, the adaptation and application to the wick
holders of oil lamps of burners of various forms, but each consisting
of a hollow shield with air passages as represented and described for
the purpose of forming gas to be afterwards consumed at the top of the
burner.
In witness whereof, we, the said Andrew Nicol Porteous and
George Cadell Bruce, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
the Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
ANDREW NICOL PORTEOUS. (L.S.)
GEO. C. BRUCE.
(L.S.)
Witness,
ALEXANDER FAIRLIE BRUCE.