IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LAMP WICKS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Palmer, of Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
AND LAMP WICKS."
Sealed the 1st April 1862, and dated the 9th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Palmer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
October 1861.
I, WILLIAM PALMER, of Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LAMPS AND LAMP WICKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lamps and lamp wicks.
For these purposes, in place of constructing the wick tubes or pipes of lamps
in an upright position as heretofore, they are constructed in such manner that
the wicks pass out in a lateral direction, two wick tubes or pipes being used.
The wick rises up one wick tube or pipe, and passes out laterally, and then
enters the mouth of the other wick tube or pipe, so that the wick stands
horizontally or nearly so across a space between the two wick tubes or pipes,
and it is in this position that it is lighted. The wicks each contain a wire or
wires of copper or other material which will not burn, so that a wick may be
moved a distance across the space between the two wick tubes or pipes by the
wick in the second-mentioned tube or pipe being caused to draw a fresh
portion of the wick out of the first-mentioned tube or pipe. In constructing

page_text: the plunger or pistons of pressure lamps it is found desirable in some cases to
employ springs below the cupped material with which the plunger or piston is
provided in order to insure the cupped material springing outwards. For this
purpose thin brass is used by preference, which is formed into a disc, and is
raised at its circumference into a cylindrical form; the raised edges are then
divided and bent outwards to an inclined position. This arrangement of
springs is fixed to the under side of the piston or plunger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Palmer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PALMER, of Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Palmer, Her special licence that I, the said William
Palmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Palmer, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LAMP WICKS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Palmer, 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 William Palmer, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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, that is to say:-
.. This Invention has for its object improvements in lamps and lamp wicks. For
3

page_text: these purposes, in place of constructing the wick tubes or pipes of lamps in an
upright position as heretofore, they are constructed in such manner that the wicks
pass out in a lateral direction, two wick tubes or pipes being used. The wick
rises up one wick tube or pipe, and passes out laterally, and then enters the mouth
of the other wick tube or pipe, so that the wick stands horizontally or nearly
so across a space between the two wick tubes or pipes, and it is in this position
that it is lighted. The wicks each contain a wire or wires of copper or other
material which will not burn, so that a wick may be moved a distance across
the space between the two wick tubes or pipes by the wick in the second-
mentioned tube or pipe being caused to draw a fresh portion of the wick out
of the first-mentioned tube or pipe. In constructing the pistons of pressure
lamps it is found desirable in some cases to employ springs below the cupped
material with which the plunger or piston is provided in order to insure the
For this purpose thin brass is used by
cupped material springing outwards.
preference, which is formed into a disc, and is raised at its circumference into
a cylindrical form; the raised edges are then divided and bent outwards to an
inclined position. This arrangement of springs is fixed to the under side of
the piston or plunger.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a vertical section of the upper parts or burner of a lamp
constructed according to part of my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan thereof;
Figure 3 is a horizontal section thereof; Figure 4 shews a vertical section of
the socket or lower part of the burner; and Figure 5 shews a vertical section
of the upper parts of the burner separately.
a, a, is the ordinary burner, socket, or holder to be fixed to the top of the
reservoir of a lamp; b is the burner platform; c and d are the two wick
tubes; e is the wick which passes up the tube c, and descends in the tube & to
O the spindle f. Intermediate of the tubes c and d there is an arch or bridge
which supports the part of the wick which is for the time ignited. When it
is desired to bring up a fresh portion of the wick the spindle f is turned so as
to wind thereon the wick. The spindle f is carried by the piece g, which is
The wick is capable of being
soldered or otherwise fixed to the wick tube c.
means of the button and axis h', there being
5 raised or lowered in the tube c
a wheel h on such axis with points which penetrate the wick. When the wick
is raised by the wheel h, a greater quantity of the wick may be made to pro
trude through the space between the tubes c and d.

page_text: Figure 6 shews a back view, and Figure 7 a transverse section, of an
ordinary flat lamp wick, but with a tape of fine woven wire, the warp of which
I prefer to be of very thin flat copper wire, which tape I sew to the back of
the wick, and this is readily done by an ordinary sewing machine. I have
used the sewing machines known as Wheeler and Wilson's lock-stitch sewing
machines for these purposes.
Figure 8 is a transverse section, and Figure 9 a plan, of a plunger or piston
made according to my Invention. The flexible material a of which the piston
or plunger is composed has a disc 6 fixed on its under surface, and in the inte-
rior or upper surface thereof is applied a cupped metal plate c, the turned-up
edge of which is formed into numerous short springs d, d, so that they will
constantly tend to press outwards the turned-up or cupped edges of the flexible
material a which forms the piston. The parts c, d, may be of any suitable
material, but I prefer to employ thin sheet brass for the purpose; or, if
ferred, the parts d, d, may be soldered to a disc c of different metal.
pre-
Figures 10 and 11 shew a side or edge view and a plan of the parts c, d,
separate from the other parts of the piston or plunger.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,
First, the combined arrangement, above described, of a burner for a lamp;
and I also claim the application of wire or non-combustible material in com-
bination with a wick, as herein explained.
Secondly, I claim the application of the parts c, d, to flexible cupped pistons
or plungers of pressure lamps, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Palmer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. PALMER.
L.S.)