IMPROVEMENTS IN MINERS' SAFETY LAMPS
Year: 1886

page_text: I HENRY WILDE, of Rockside, Alderley Edge, in the County of Chester,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
MINERS' SAFETY LAMPS, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in miners' safety lamps whereby a
greater amount of security is afforded to the miner without unduly diminishing
the illuminating power of the lamp.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying Drawing which is a sectional elevation
of a miners' safety lamp constructed and arranged according to my Invention.
In this view. a is the frame or body of the lamp, b the glass cylinder and c the
burner portion. Air for combustion is admitted to the lamp through a series of
narrow passages formed between a number of sheet metal rings placed con-
centrically over each other. The width of the passages for admitting the proper
amount of air to support combustion without danger of explosion is determined by
the thickness of metal washers which are placed between and equidistant around
the rings. The superposed rings and washers when riveted or otherwise secured
together form with the alternating passages the compound laminated ring d. This
ring is fixed into an annular gallery e which is or may be cast with part of the
frame and is of sufficient width to leave a space on each side of the ring d. The
top of the gallery e is closed by the annular cover f which together with the
laminated ring d is held in position by the screws g.
Air is first admitted to
the lamp through a number of holes e¹ in the bottom of the gallery e and after
passing through the passages in the ring and through a number of holes h formed
in the frame a enters the lamp and passes to the flame to support combustion.
These holes are at a sufficient distance from the base of the glass cylinder 6 to
prevent its fracture by the ignition of gas in the interior of the lamp. Instead of
building up the compound laminated ring d with washers and passages as herein
shown and described I may substitute a solid metal ring of suitable section, or like
that shown in which case the lamp would be supplied with air through a number
of small holes drilled through and around the ring or through a number of radial
slits sawn through and around the ring which may be cast either with or without
the annular cover f. Underneath the gallery e is fitted an annular perforated

page_text: shutter which is supported by means of screwed studs ; which pass through slots
in the shutter i and are screwed into the gallery e. The perforated shutter i is
provided with a button i¹ so that whenever it is found necessary to extinguish the
lamp on account of the presence of explosive gas, or for other reason, the shutter i
is moved by means of the button i¹ so as to close the inlet holes e¹ and shut off the
supply of air or gas to the lamp. The inlet holes e¹ being placed as shown the
external side of the gallery e acts as a shield to prevent the entrance of strong
currents of air or gas.
The products of combustion pass up the conical chimney k and through the cap
of wire gauze into the atmosphere through holes m³ in a cap m which is screwed
on to the cylinder n. The gauze cap which is also secured to the cylinder n is
protected from injury by the perforated cap m.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is―
1. The construction, combination, and general arrangement of parts forming
the improved miners' safety lamp, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and as illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.
2. In a miners' safety lamp, the use and application of a compound laminated
ring formed or provided with passages for admitting the air to support combustion,
substantially as herein shown and described.
3.-The construction, use and application of a solid ring perforated or radially
slit as a substitute for the compound ring d, substantially as herein set forth.
4. The compound laminated ring d, or its equivalent the solid ring perforated
or radially slit as described, in combination with the gallery e, cover f, and the
perforated shutter i, substantially as herein set forth,
5. The combination with the annular gallery e arranged with inlet and outlet
for air and with annular spaces on either side of the ring d or its equivalent as
above defined, of the cover f and means such as the shutter i for closing the inlet
holes e' when required, substantially as herein set forth for the purposes specified.
Tthis ach to of Tina 1006