Improved Device for Regulating and Controlling the Height of the Wick in Spirit and Petroleum or Paraffin Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 2nd Dec.,
1899
Improved Device for Regulating and Controlling the Height of the
Wick in Spirit and Petroleum or Paraffin Lamps.
I, MANNY EHRENBACHER, of 115/116, Leipziger Strasse, Berlin, Empire of
Germany, Patent Agent, 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: —
The present invention consists of an improved device for regulating and
controlling the height of the wick in spirit and petroleum or paraffin lamps
and, although applicable to all classes of oil or spirit lamps, relates more
particularly to incandescent oil or spirit lamps.
In order to render the present specification easily intelligible reference is
had to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters of reference denote
similar parts throughout the several views: -
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a side elevation taken at an angle
of 90° to that of Figure 1, both the said views showing the simplest form of
carrying the invention into practice; Figs. 3 and 4 are similar elevations of
a modified form of the device and Fig. 5 a detail elevation of a modified form
of disc used in connection with the wick controlling mechanism. Figs. 6 and 7
are sectional side elevations taken at right angles one to the other and showing
a modified form of the device designed particularly for use in connection with
incandescent lamps of the class mentioned. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of
a modification of the device covered by Figures 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a sectional
elevation, Fig. 10 an elevation and Fig. 11 a plan taken at right angles to that
of Figure 9, of a further modification of the device.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2:-In connection with oil or spirit lamps
and particularly with incandescent lamps of this class, the wick, in the normal
position for producing the best light, is advantageously kept down very low,
in fact almost within the wick sleeve. It is therefore impossible to light the
wick, when it is in the low position in the wick tube, necessary for obtaining
the best illuminating results. Consequently the wick has to be turned up
when the lamp is being lighted and afterwards turned down again to the normal
position.
The present invention comprises means for adjusting and controlling the
position of the wick under the circumstances above set forth.
The wick D is raised and lowered in the ordinary manner by means of the
outer sleeve b, to which the rack a is attached, said sleeve being guided in
the inner sleeve c and provided with outwardly extending spikes o which
e of the
engage the wick. The adjusting spindle f is mounted in the bearing
lamp and carries the button d which may be slid longitudinally thereon being
mounted on the key r and normally pressed towards the wick by means of a
spring y. The button d is further provided with a horizontally extending arm h
which extends towards the wick and when the spindle is turned contacts with one
of the arms g fast on spindle bearing e
The device is manipulated in the following manner:

page_text: When the wick has been adjusted to its normal position for burning, the
armrests on the stationary stop g (Fig. 1). In order to light the lamp the
spindle is turned half a turn (or any other traction of a turn according to the
position of the arms g,) when the wick will be raised sufficiently to light
the lamp and, on turning back the spindle after ignition, the stop g will
determine the position of the wick by arresting the spindle. The arm h may be
arranged on the opposite side of the stop to that shown in Figure 1 so that
the wick may be turned down to extinguish the lamp and then returned to
its normal position. In this case either the arm or the stop may be of
elastic material so that the wick may be slightly raised by the bending of one
or the other of these parts, when it is required to light the lamp, whereupon
the elasticity of the said part will return the wick, after ignition to its normal
position. With incandescent lamps it will be necessary to hold the wick a
few seconds in the extended position to enable the flame to develope.
When adjusting the wick in the first place, the button d may be drawn
back on the spindle f, against the pressure of the spring y, so that the end of
the arm h will be withdrawn, from the stop and the spindle f may be freely
turned in either direction.
In the modification shown in Figures 3 and 4 a disc G, having shoulders m
and is substituted for the arms y, the device being otherwise the same as
in Figures 1 and 2. In Figure 5 the disc G is provided with graduations in
which case the arm must be elastic to enable it to spring into either one of
the notches.
According to the device shown in Figures 6 and 7 the rack B is fast on the
slide A having spikes E and is operated by the spindle with button C in the
well known manner. A flat spring, L is attached to the slide A which strikes
the bottom plate F2 of the lamp body when the wick has reached its normal
position, but on turning the button C still further, the spring F will be bent
and the wick may be projected further out of the tube to enable the same to
be lighted, when the spring will return to its normal position, lowering the
wick to the proper burning position. The spring F is adjustable by means
of the slot and screw connection L (Fig. 7), so that its position may be
adjusted.
In the modification shown at Figure 8 a spiral spring H is substituted for
the spring F, which spring normally retains the wick in its proper position.
The wick may be raised by the spindle and button against the action of this
spring when the lamp is being lighted and a stop F advantageously provided
to prevent the wick from being raised too high, which stop strikes the bottom
plate of the lamp as previously explained with regard to Figure 6 and spring F.
In Figures 9, 10 and 11 the button S is provided with an arm N, which
strikes an adjustable stop Q. screw threaded in a bracket P fast on the lamp
body. The arm N is mounted on a key V of the spindle K, which is guided
in the sleeve O, the said key not extending as far as the sleeve and when it
is required to adjust the position of the wick previous to bringing the mechanism
into operation, i.e. when the lamp is cleaned or a new wick is introduced, the
arm N may be slid off the key V towards the sleeve O and the spindle K may
be turned by means of the button S without turning the arm N. In this case
as in the previously described devices either the arm N or the adjusting screw
may be resilient or elastic to enable the wick to be momentarily raised.
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: Device for adjusting lamp wicks consisting of a stop attached to the wick
raising mechanism, which is adapted, when the position of the wick is altered,
to abut against a stationary part of the lamp body and thus to determine a t
certain position of the wick and in connection with which device one of the

page_text: said abutting parts may be of a resilient nature so that the wick may be
removed slightly from the predetermined position but will return to the same
under the action of the said resilient part as soon as the same is released.
2: An embodiment of the device covered by Claim 1, for lamps having a
pinion and rack mechanism for adjusting the position of the wick, which
consists of an arm mounted on the pinion spindle or on the button of the same,
said arm extending towards the lamp in a direction parallel to the said spindle
and adapted, when the spindle is turned a certain part of a revolution to abut
against a stop provided on the spindle guide sleeve or against one or more
shoulders provided on a stationary disc as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.
3: In the device covered in Claim 2 the combination of the arm aforesaid,
mounted on a boss connected to or forming of itself the button for turning the
pinion spindle, said boss or button being longitudinally moveable on the said
spindle to pass on and off a key on the said spindle substantially as described.
4: A modification of the device covered by Claim 1: for use in connection
with lamps having a wick carrying sleeve and rack and pinion mechanism to
operate the same, which consists of a flat upwardly extending spring (F),
attached to the wick operating sleeve (A) said spring being adapted to abut
with its upper end against a stationary part of the lamp body when the wick
lias reached the predetermined position in the wick tube, and being further
adapted to bend, on forcibly turning the wick higher than the normal position,
and straighten after the wick raising mechanism has been released,. thus
turning back the wick to its normal height substantially as described.
5: A modification of the device covered by Claims 1 and 4: which consists
in substituting a pin (F1) for the flat spring (F) and providing a spiral spring (H)
to return the lamp to its normal position substantially as described.
6: A modification of the device covered in Claims 1, 2 and 3 which consists
in providing an arm on the wick adjusting spindle extending parallel to the
same towards the lamp and an adjustable set screw (Q) acting as a stop for the
said arm substantially as described.
1000
Ն
}
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents.