Improvements in Lamps for Burning Petroleum with Special Reference to Street Lighting.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1889.
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Feb.. 1889
Improvements in Lamps for Burning Petroleum with Special
Reference to Street Lighting.
We WILLIAM DAVID GOOOH, FREDERICK HENRY VARLEY, and FREDERICK
BARTLETT LIDSTONE all of 2 Victoria Mansions, Westminster Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved system of street lighting by
oil lamps whereby greater regularity and increased efficiency of light is obtained
whilst the cost of trimming cleaning and charging with oil and the general incidents
of maintenance are reduced to a minimum.
According to this invention we make the base of the lamp post hollow and obtain
access to the space by means of a hinged door, sliding panel.or similar device secured
by lock or bolts. This space we may employ for holding the oil reservoir or container
and convey the oil by means of a pipe to the burner in the lantern and in cases
where the Lamp Posts are already erected we use a well of brick or cast iron or
other suitable material in which the container is placed and which is excavated in
the pavement at the foot of the lamp post, or, where the ornamental design of the
post does not admit of a space inside the post sufficient for the container and it cannot
be placed laterally we place the container in an excavation or well underneath and
forming the base of the post.
We prefer to employ where practicable regenerative or semi-regenerative burners
to get increased efficiency, the burners being at a considerable height above the
reservoir it is necessary to employ hydrostatic pressure to force a column of oil into
the burner.
There are several ways in which this pressure .can be applied i.e. by means of a
sliding piston fitting the oil reservoir, actuated by a weight or spring, such weight or
spring being proportioned to balance the column of fluid or to force it into the burner
at the required pressure or instead of a sliding piston fitting fluid tight in the.
reservoir the reservoir itself may be made of a collapsable or bellows like construction
and be actuated by weight or spring pressure.

page_text: According to one. arrangement of apparatus when the oil is consumed and the
bellows closed we pour oil into an outer reservoir up to a certain level. Upon
pulling a chain or cord we lift or raise the top of the bellows when the valve will
open and allow the oil to enter and fill the same, upon releasing the chain or cord.the
valve closes under the pressure of the weight and the oil is then forced into the pipe.
It is obvious that a spring may be employed in place of a weight and that likewise
the valve may be placed at the lower portion of the bellows or any suitable place.
We use preferably to a chain or cord in many instances a rack and pinion to lift
the top of the bellows and thus cause the inflow of oil, the pinion being rotated by a
handle carried by the workman in attendance for the purpose and we use the top of
the rack rod, as an indicator to show the supply of oil at any time remaining in the
reservoirs.
According to another plan, the piston can be employed at the top of the oil to
descend by its own weight and force the oil through the pipe. The process of
charging being repeated each time the reservoir is refilled, a check valve being used
to prevemt any back flow of oil when the reservoir is removed from the supply
pipe.
The
The wick which is made of porous incombustible stone made either artificially or
selected from suitable natural stones is fitted or luted into the wick socket so as to
prevent any passage or escape of oil, between the socket and the wick, the only
passage for oil being that which is furnished by the porosity of the stone.
pressure under which the oil is supplied to the wick is in excess of that required to
balance the column of fluid and this excess pressure is to a great extent obtained by
the resistance offered by the porous stone but in large burners it is advisable to have
a regulating chamber or subsiduary reservoir to collect the overflow and check the.
pressure: With properly constructed burners in which incombustible wicks are
used practically no trimming or cleaning is requisite except that which is quite of a
nominal kind we therefore take advantage of this and reduce the labour or attendance
by keeping the lamps constantly burning merely lowering the light in day'time and
turning it on full again at night. This we effect by raising a sleeve which, surrounds
the stone wick and reduces the evaporating area and by the same movement we at
the same time reduce the supply of air to the burner in proportion to the diminished
rate of combustion by partially closing the air apertures which is accomplished by a
simple sliding or twisting mechanism under the control of the lamp attendant. By
this means the attendance required is practically reduced to recharging the reservoirs
which are constructed to carry a nights supply, a week, fortnight, or even a month's
supply according to the size of reservoir and the amount consumed by the burners.
We prefer to employ where practicable regenerative or semi-regenerative
burners.
By regenerative as distinguished from semi-regenerative we mean such burners in
which combustion is kept up by a supply of heated air.
By semi-regenerative we mean burners in which two services of air are supplied to
the burner, one the ordinary cold air service and the other in addition to this is a
service of heated air applied to the upper portion of the flame to promote a greater
intensity of light.
These latter whilst giving high efficiency are not of course as efficient as a truly
regenerative burner but possess some merits on the simplicity of the construction and
ease with which they are managed.
In order to work the regenerative burner effectually it is necessary in the first
instance that the same should be lit and the air supplied in the usual manner and
when the air tubes of the regenerative burner are heated the cold air service is cut off
and the lamps fed entirely by the hot air service.
In street lighting this attention to a lamp renders the use of regenerative burners
almost impracticable. In order to meet this difficulty we place in the lantern or. near
to the 10generator a Thermostat which when the temperature has reached the required
degree expands sufficiently to cause a movement. or partial rotation of a damper plate
which closes or partially closes the cold air service' passages or apertures and as the

page_text: regeneration increases still further moves the damper and entirely cuts off the cold air
service, by the time the heat is sufficient to burn the lamp upon the complete
regenerative system.
+
This arrangement is practically automatic and it enables us to obtain the fullest
advantages of regeneration in oil burners for street lighting without entailing extra
labour in supervision.
་་
The filling of the reservoirs may be effected by means of a pump or similar
contrivance or from pressure tanks, or oil carts.
The oil reservoir may for convenience be at the base as a well or absolutely
below the lamp post and also one reservoir may supply several lamps where
contiguous.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said W. D. Gooch,
F. H. Varley, and F. B. Lidstone.

page_text: We, WILLIAM DAVID GOOCH, FREDERICK HENRY VARLEY, and FREDERICK
BARTLETT LIDSTONE, all of 2 Victoria Mansions, Westminster, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved system of Street Lighting by
oil lamps, whereby greater regularity and increased efficiency of light is obtained
whilst the cost of trimming, cleaning, and charging with oil and the general incidents
of maintenance are reduced to a minimum.
According to this invention, we make the base of the lamp hollow and obtain access
to the space by means of a hinged door, sliding panel, or similar device secured by
lock or bolts. This space we may employ for holding the oil reservoir or container
and convey the oil by means of a pipe to the burner in the lantern and in cases where
the Lamp Posts are already erected, we use a well of. brickwork, or cast iron,
or other suitable material in which the container is placed and which is excavated in
the pavement at the foot of the Lamp Post, or, where the ornamental design of the
Post does not admit of a space inside the Post sufficient for the container and it
cannot be placed laterally we place the container in an excavation or well underneath
and forming the base of the Post."
We prefer, when practicable, regenerative, or semi-regenerative burners to get
increased efficiency, the burners being at a considerable height above the reservoir it
is necessary to employ hydrostatic pressure to force the column of oil into the
burner.
There are several ways in which this pressure can be applied i.e. by means of a
sliding piston fitting the oil reservoir actuated by a weight or spring. Such weight
or spring being proportioned to balance the column of fluid, or to force it into the
burner at the required pressure or instead of a sliding piston fitting fluid tight in
the reservoir. The reservoir itself may be made of a collapsible, or bellows like
construction and be actuated by weight or spring pressure, or the oil may be forced
from the reservoir into the burner by means of compressed air.
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings, illustrates a lamp A of the conventional
form with hinged door B for getting access to the base C, and showing a bellows
reservoir D actuated by the weight E for forcing the oil through the pipe F to
burner G.

page_text: · Figure 2 is a bellows reservoir D charged with oil placed in an outer reservoir H to
facilitate re-filling and to prevent loss by any leakage, or overflow, this reservoir H
being in an excavation in the ground at a short distance from the lamp. In this view
the oil supply pipe F is outside the lamp but it may be led up the interior, as at
Figure 1.
5,
Figure 3 represents a bellows in an excavation directly under the lamp post and
forming part of the base, the bellows in this view being closed. The bellows is fitted
with an inlet valve I for refilling so that when the bellows is expanded and the
reservoir charged with oil, the oil will flow through the valve I and charge the bellows,
but the bellows may be expanded by inflowing pressure of oil through the pipe J by
means of a pump temporarilly attached to the nozzle K. Said pump may be operated
by hand or otherwise.
When the oil is consumed and the bellows are closed as at Figure 4 we may pour
oil into the reservoir H up to a certain level. Upon pulling a chain or cord L we
lift or raise the top E of the bellows when the valve I opens and allows the oil to enter
and fill the same.
Upon releasing the chain or cord L the valve I closes under the
pressure of the weight E and the oil is then forced into the pipe F.
It is obvious that a spring M (see Figure 5) may be employed in place of the
weight E to close the bellows or to force a plunger N down for forcing the oil through
the pipe F when the tap P is open.
We use preferably to a chain or cord I, in many instances a rack and pinion Qas
seen at Figure 6 to lift the top of the hellows and thus cause the inflow of oil, the
pinion being rotated by a handle carried by the workman in attendance for the
purpose, and we use the top of the rack rod as an indicator to show the supply of
oil at any time remaining in the reservoirs in which case the base or lower part of
the post forms the oil reservoir.
In lieu of a portable hand pump a tank such as we show at Figure 7 like a cart
may be drawn to a lamp and by means of a pump R and flexible hose S the bellows
or the reservoir can be charged, the bellows or the plunger being simultaneously
raised or expanded for a renewal of pressure to supply the burner. In this
way the
cart can be taken from lamp to lamp to charge each one separately, or if a series of
lamps A such as we show at Figure 8 the pipes F may be simultaneously supplied from
one pipe T which is common to all. There may be a second check valve to close
the inlet pipe after the reservoir is filled.
H, Figure 9, is a reversible reservoir. This contains a plunger N, and when the
reservoir H is filled through the filling hole K the plunger N would be at the bottom,
but when the hole or nozzle K is closed, the reservoir is reversed into the position
indicated, the plunger being then at the top so that when the tap P is opened, the
oil will flow up the pipe F to feed or to charge the burner, the weight of the plunger
in all cases being in proportion to that of the consumption.
It will be understood the connections PI on this reversible reservoir are alike so
that by simply loosening the, union joint the reservoir can be moved for recharging
and can be replaced either end uppermost.
In Figure 9 a check valve is shown in the pipe F to prevent any back flow of oil
when the reservoir is removed from the supply pipe.
In place of the stop cocks P, check valves may be employed.
Modifications of our reservoir are shown at Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13, to all of
which, stone or composition wicks are permanently attached. These reservoirs
arranged as shown; serve as Table lamps if fitted with a foot, or as hand lamps, or as
reading lamps to be suspended from brackets fitted into stands, or into the sockets of
Candlesticks, or be carried in the hand, or be affixable to any appliance for Railway
Carriage, or other reading purposes in a similar way to which candle lamps are at
present used.
According to Figure 10, the reservoir H is provided with an internal tube U
encircled by the weighted plunger N for forcing the oil up the central tube and
charging the burner & for feeding the flame. The burner in this Figure is circular

page_text: .
and hollow but it may be of other shape, into the centre of which an air feed tube V
is fitted for the purpose..
According to Figure 11, the stone wick or burner G is in two strips in contact and
enclosed in a tube U, into which the oil is forced by the descending force of the weight
or plunger N.
According to Figure 12, the burner is attached to the, reservoir H and the plunger N
works upwards under the action of a spring M.
W is a guide rod connected to the plunger and passes through a socket X which
may be of such a shape as to fit into an ordinary Candlestick. If a glass globe, or
chimney be fitted on the upper part of the reservoir. H, the flame would be protected.
A shade may be employed for concentrating the light, if desired.
The plunger N in this Figure would be provided with a valve opening inwards, so
that when the reservoir has to be recharged, a simultaneous raising the plunger and
pouring in of the oil through the aperture, otherwise occupied by the spring; it would
How through the valve. The plunger would be so fitted, that little or no escape of oil
would pass it and if any should pass, it would be retained within the socket X.
According to Figure 13; the reservoir H is charged by suction, a small pipe Y of
an oil can Z is attached to the reservoir above the plunger and as the button u is
turned by hand, the loose nut will draw the plunger N downwards drawing the
oil from the can Z for the purpose of charging the chamber between the plunger and
the burner G.
Figure 14 shows a table lamp with a reservoir H weighted plunger N within it.
The oil from the reservoir H, under the pressure of the plunger, rises up the
tube U and feeds the stone wick burner, which may be of circular or other shape.
This burner is. hollow and has branch passages for feeding the interior of the flame
with air the gallery, or glass holder being perforated in the ordinary way for feeding
the exterior of the flame.
.
Having thus described the best method we are acquainted with for constructing
the pressure reservoir we now proceed to describe the oil service to the burner, which
service is practicably the same whether flat, circular, or multiple wicks be employed
we will therefore describe this service as being applied to a single flat wick burner.
The wick which is made of porous incombustible stone made either artificially or
selected from suitable naturál stones is fitted or luted into the wick socket so as to
prevent any passage or escape of oil, between the socket and the wick 'the only
passage for oil being that which is furnished by the porosity of the stone.
The pressure on which the oil is supplied to the wick is in excess of that required
to balance the column of fluid and this excess pressure to a great extent is obtained
by the resistance offered by the porous stone, but in large burners it is advisable to
have a regulating chamber or subsiduary reservoir to collect the overflow and check
pressure. With properly constructed burners in which incombustible wicks are used,
practically no trimming or cleaning is requisite except that which is quite of a
nominal kind, we therefore take advantage of this, and reduce the labour or attendance
by keeping the lamps constantly burning,. merely lowering the light in day time
and turning it on full again at night. This we may effect by raising a sleeve which
surrounds the stone wick and reduces the evaporating area and at the same time
reduce the supply of air to the burner in proportion to the diminished rate of
combustion by partially closing the air apertures which is accomplished by a simple
sliding or twisting mechanism under the control of the lamp attendant.
By this means the attendance required is practically reduced to recharging the
reservoirs which are constructed to carry a nights supply, a week, fortnight, or even
a months supply according the size of the reservoir and the amount consumed by the.
burners.
We prefer to employ where practicable regenerative or semi-regenerative burners
as shown at Figure 15.
By regenerative as distinguished from semi-regenerative we niean such burners in
which combustion is kept up by a supply of heated air. By semi-regenerative' we

page_text: mean burners in which two services of air are supplied to the burner, one the
ordinary cold: air service and the other in addition to this is a service of heated
air applied to the upper portion of the flame to promote a greater intensity of
light. These latter whilst giving bigh efficiency are not of course as efficient as
a truly regenerative burner but possess some merits in the simplicity of the con-
struction and ease with which they are managed.
In order to work the regenerative burner effectively it is necessary in the first
instance that the same should be lit and the air supplied in the usual manner and
when the air tubes of the regenerative burner are heated the cold air service is
cut off and the lamp fed entirely by the hot air service as indicated by c, c,
Figure 15.
In street lighting this attention to a lamp renders the use of regenerative
burners almost impracticable. In order to meet this difficulty we place in the
lantern or near to the regenerator a Thermostat which when the temperature has
reached the required degree expands sufficiently to cause a movement or partial
rotation of a damper plate which closes, or partially closes the cold air service
passages or apertures and as the regeneration increases, still further moves the
damper and entirely cuts off the cold air service by the time the heat is sufficient
to burn the lamp upon the complete regenerative system.
This arrangement is practically automatic and enables us to obtain the fullest.
advantages of regeneration in oil burners for street lighting without entailing
extra labour in supervision.
The filling of the reservoir, which may be at the top of the lamp post as
indicated at Figure 15, may be effected by means of a pump or similar contrivance
as before described for the base reservoirs, or from pressure tanks, or oil carts.
If the oil reservoirs H of all the lamps in the series be at the top as at
Figure 15 they may be singly or collectively supplied from a common source by
the pipe F, or the base reservoir may be first charged with say a weeks supply
and the top reservoir H be charged daily with sufficient oil for a nights supply
the stone wick burning itself dry each morning.
By this means no incrustation or formation of carbon can exist consequently
this will increase the life of the stone wick and give the same amount of brilliancy
at each burning from one month to another without attention.
We do not propose to charge reservoirs connected throughout houses except.
when the reservoirs are charged from each floor if such lamps be used for internal
lighting the same may be said with street lighting, we prefer only to charge a
series of lamps on or about the same level so that the moment additional pressure
is required it will indicate that the reservoirs are charged, it being impossible to
force the oil through the stone wicks except under excessive pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. As improvements in Lamps in which stone or composition wicks are used
for lighting, the several arrangements or means by which oil can be supplied and
retained under pressure for feeding the burners, whether each oil receptacle be
supplied singly or in series and whether forming a holder for the burner or other-
wise, as described with reference to the annexed drawings.
.
2. In connection with Lamp post for Street Lighting, utilizing the lower part of
the lamp post or its base or a chamber in proximity as an oil reservoir and con-
taining means by which oil can be forced therefrom to the burner or burners at
a proportionate rate to the consumption, as described with reference to Figures 1..
2. 3. 6. 7 and 8 of the annexed drawings.
3. Supplying oil reservoir or reservoirs situated at the upper part of a Lamp post
or posts by a pipe or pipes connectable to a force pump, when such reservoirs
are chargeable daily and the burners be permitted to dry off for their preservation,
as described with reference to the drawings Figures 8 and 15.

page_text: 4. In connection with Oil Lamp Street Lighting systems, the arrangements of
reservoir described with reference to Figures 4 and 5, also the reversible reservoir
shown at Figure 9, as and for the purpose described.
5. The arrangements of Table, Railway, or other Lamps as Hand Lamps or
otherwise applied, as described with reference to Figure 10. 11. 12 13 and 14 of
the annexed drawings.