An Improved Miners' Lamp.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 11th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Miners' Lamp.
I, ABRAHAM WEIL, Merchant, of Hoxterstrasse, 291, Steinheim, in Westphalia,
in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved miners' lamp, the safety of which in com-
parison with the already known lamps is increased by the arrangement, that the
lamp can neither be opened when burning nor be lighted when opened and that
the lamp cannot be taken apart by loosening the screws holding the closing plate,
when the upper part of the lamp carrying the wire safety guard and glass is un-
screwed. This lamp has the advantage of increased safety with regard to those of
known construction, in which the closure mechanism is disengaged by a pressure
on the ring, which when the lamp is opened can also be effected by hand, as the
real closure element is entirely within the interior of the lamp. It consists essen-
tially of a bolt, operated automatically by the extinguishing device, and bolting
either the screwed on lamp gauze or the extinguishing and lighting device and is
arrested in the latter position by a double stopping device which is disengaged
by the glass when screwed on, but prevents in any other state the operation of the
lighting device.
The annexed drawing shows the new miners' lamp.
Figs. 1 and 2 show partial sections through the under part of the lamp. Figs. 3
and 4 show plan views of the under part of the lamp. Figs. 5 to 7 show views of
the lid which closes the under part of the lamp. Fig. 8 shows the controlling ring,
by means of which the lamp can be opened. Fig. 9 is a general view of the lamp.
Figs. 10-13 show a special form of construction of the lighter, in which there is
provided a principle of locking similar to that of the lamp itself.
The lamp consists of the known upper part, which is screwed by means of a
ring a Fig. 9 on a ring 6. The latter is arranged on the oil receiver c (Fig. 1)
and can be lifted and lowered for a certain distance, as shown in Fig. 2. On the
oil receiver c there moves horizontally a bolt d, which extends with its outer
end through the wall of the ring as shown in Fig. 4. The bolt d has further
at its front end a projection which is a little lower than the distance which the
ring 6 can be lifted. The latter has a projection 6' which lies before the projec-
tion . When therefore the ring 6 is in its lowest position, Fig. 1 the bolt d
cannot move out, as the projection 61 meets the projection. When however the
ring b is lifted, the bolt d is freed, as the projection 6' is above the bolt and does
not then prevent its movement. The displacement of the bolt d is effected by a
fork like recess c¹ of the same with oblique wedge surfaces, in which the wedge e

page_text: moves which is conveniently guided in the under part. The wedge e is screwed
higher or lower by means of a screw f. On the wedge there is attached the exting-
uishing device. The latter consists of a thin socket el lying tightly round the
burner tube, which socket as it is screwed up slides over the wick of the burner and
extinguishes the flame, as by cutting off the supply of air thereto combustion can
no longer take place.
On its other end the bolt d has a hook d³, which forms the second means of
securing the bolt. The hook d³ engages a hook f¹, which is fixed under the lid g
of the under part. The lid rests on the springs 63, which are arranged on the
ring b. The lid is thus movable on these springs. The hook fl is peculiar, as in
its highest position Fig. 6 it keeps the bolt d securely arrested with its end f2.
When however a pressure is effected on the lid g the hook f2 frees the bolt.
For moving the bolt d out there are thus two conditions required, first the ring b
must be in its highest position and secondly the lid g must be pressed down com-
pletely on all sides. The lid g has its fixing hook under corresponding hooks of
the under part and is inserted like a bayonet closure and arrested in this final
position by the lighting case. This lighting case h is fixed by a nose d of the
bolt d, which reaches into a conveniently arranged slot. This nose d¹ reaches
simultaneously into a hollow d5 Fig. 1 of the lighting claw and stops it. The
lighting claw of the lighting case is only freed when the bolt d is slid outwards
into the screw ring. This can only be effected when the extinguishing device is
over the burner tube. For completing the apparatus there is arranged in the under
part also a counting device, which is connected by means of a lever with the ring b
and registers each opening of the lamp. The mounting and the operation of the
lamp is as follows:-
After the bolt d is fixed in its position, the lid g is placed on the under part of
the lamp and fixed by turning it round its axis. The burner must be in the posi-
tion of extinction as otherwise the bolt fwould not reach under the hook d³.
When one has inserted the cover g it is no longer possible, to move the exting-
uishing socket down by means of the screw, as the hook f¹ and projection b¹ lock
it. This is only possible by using a controlling ring, which is shown in Fig. 8
and which is screwed upon the ring b, so as to pull the latter up and have simul-
taneously with its inner border pressure on the lid g. Both locking devices are
thus freed and the screw can then be moved, so that the extinguishing socket
can be moved down and the wick can be regulated.
Whilst the screw is turned down, also the hook d* moves out of the lighting case.
Whilst one could not insert the lighter before the controlling ring was placed
on the lamp, this can now be done.
Suppose, this to have been done. If one tries to unscrew the controlling ring
off, one will find that this is not possible. The end d¹ of the bolt d has also moved
forwards into the position of Fig. 4, whilst the extinguishing socket was screwed
down, and holds the ring. It is now necessary for loosening the ring to screw the
extinguishing device up. When one does this, the lighter h¹ is hereby simultan-
eously fixed, as the nose d* slides into the hollow of the lighting receiver. When
then the controlling ring is unscrewed, the cover g and the ring bare simultan-
eously freed. The inner springs press the ring 6 down, whereby the bolt dis
stopped at d. The lid g is pressed upwards by the spring pressure and closes the
projection of the bolt d at the hook fi so that now neither the lighting device nor
the extinguishing device can be operated. Therefore the miner, if he unscrews
the upper part of the lamp and wants to light the lamp without the safety gauze
cannot do this, as both devices are arrested.
When the lock is to be loosened, the lamp must first be completely closed, Fig. 9.
By means of the under ring a of the upper part the ring b is lifted, and by the
glass the lid g is pressed down, so that one can now screw the extinguishing device
down and operate the lighter.
When one has screwed down the extinguishing device, it is not possible to

page_text: unscrew the upper part of the lamp, as the bolt d with its end d reaches into a
hollow of the under ring and prevents the turning of the same. The lamp can
therefore be only opened when the lighting and the extinguishing device are closed.
A further form of construction of the lighter is represented in Figs. 10-13 and
the principle of this arrangement is that the lighter is closed by a similar double
stopping of the bolt d and can only be operated when the lamp is closed and bolted.
Fig. 10 shows a plan view.
Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section on line 1-2 of Fig. 10.
Fig. 12 shows a section representing the toothed wheel lock.
Fig. 13 shows a section on line 3-4 of Fig. 12.
"
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The " amorce or cap "band i is wound up on a pin which is fixed on the
cover g. The band i is moved by a toothed wheel 2, on which the cap is pressed
by a spring with claw 4, which strikes the cap. The whole is covered by a
cover 25.
The cover extends by means of one or more hooks k through the cover
plate g and engages under a nose of the closure bolt d, which nose stops the
latter. When the bolt so stands that it bolts the lamp gauze, it frees the cover i.
The transporting wheel, corresponds with a small crank y beneath the lid, which
crank is seated concentrically over the ratchet wheel z. When the lid is pressed
downwards, when closing the lamp, the crank y reaches into one of the openings o
of the ratchet wheel z and is carried with it when the wheel is turned by means
of the shaft z¹ and the button 22, so that in this manner the lighting band is moved
under the spring past the claw and ignited. With the ratchet wheel z there
engages the spring pawl p, which lies with the finger q against the bolt d and
prevents thus the movement of the ratchet wheel. When the bolt is moved for-
ward and the lamp is bolted, the hollow r lies before the finger q and the ratchet
wheel z can be turned.
The lighter can thus only be operated when the lamp is closed and bolted and
the closure cover can only be taken off when the ring is screwed on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:
1. An improved miner's safety lamp, having a bolt d, which arrests either the
lighting or extinguishing device or the gauze of the lamp and which has a double
projection d and da which is disengaged by the pressure of the glass or by the
pulling of the gauze.
2. In a miners' lamp as in Claim 1 the locking device consisting of a movable
ring b, the projection 61 of which seizes the hook d² and of a cover plate g the
hook f¹ of which seizes the hook d³ of the same bolt, whereby the bolt in its rear-
ward position closes the lighting case and the lighting claw and stops the extin-
guishing device, so that the lighting case prevents the opening of the lid.
3. In the miners' lamp as in Claim 1 the extinguishing device consisting of
a socket el, fixed on the wedge piece e surrounding the wick tube in an air tight
manner and when rising, cutting off the supply of air to the wick and extinguish-
ing the flame.
4. In the miners' lamp as in Claim 1 the arrangement of a registering device
in combination with the ring b, which registers the number of times it has been
opened.
5. In the miners' lamp as in Claim 1 the attachment of the lid by means of
bayonet closures.
6. In the miners' lamp as in Claim 1 the nose d for securing the lighting
body.
7. In the miners' lamp as in Claim 1 a form of construction of the lighting
device characterized by a cover covering the lighter and reaching through the
lid g, which cover extends with one or more hooks under the projections of the
bolt d and a crank y by means of which the parts and z¹ can be coupled, whereby
a spring operated click p can lie with the finger q into a hollow r for the purpose

page_text: of being able to operate the lighting device only when the lamp is closed and bolted
and to take the closure cover 25 off when the ring is screwed on.
Dated this 7th day of January 1898.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London.