IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO LAMPS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBON AND OTHER FLUIDS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alban Edward Ragg, of Bebington, in the County of
Chester, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO LAMPS
FOR BURNING HYDROCARBON AND OTHER FLUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alban Edward Ragg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th March 1880.
ALBAN EDWARD RAGG, of Bebington, in the County of Chester.
" IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO LAMPS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBON AND OTHER
FLUIDS."
My first improvement relates to argand burners of the class usually employed in
connection with what are known as student's or queen's reading lamps, or such as
are used for lighthouse burners, and is applicable both to small single wick argand.
burners as well as, to burners in which two or more concentric wicks are employed,
and consists as follows:-
First. In the employment of a much larger disc or button than has hitherto been
used for deflecting the inner current of air upon the flame, which button, disc, or
deflector I preferably pierce with holes on the circumference, and sometimes use it
in connection with a perforated tube or cone rising up from the internal wick tube
or supported upon the same pedestal or wire. By this means I am enabled to
obtain a much more intense draught, and at the same time supply air to the higher
portions of the flame.
Second. In the employment of an air chamber which is held upon the wick tube,
not as before, fixed or held in its place by three or more divisions composed of strips-
of metal or projections, but by forming its base of a size and conformity such that
it may slide over the wick tube, and be held there concentric with them without
the employment of vertical strips or projections of metal. This air chamber by its
construction can be either a fixture, or preferably for economy of manufacture and
for purposes of cleanliness be made removable, or to regulate the flame may be
raised or lowered, and for the supply of air to this chamber I form any number of
holes in its base, such that the current of air shall be equally admitted and
distributed to the flame, and not, as heretofore, where the air had free access to the
flame at all points, except where the three or more metal strips or projections
which held the air chamber checked or stopped the current, causing jets of

page_text: unconsumed flame to rise and smoke in those portions of the flame which were
directly over the said partitions. By this means I am enabled to gain a much
larger and more perfect flame than has hitherto been obtained.
Third. In the employment of a gallery upon which the chimney is held, which
gallery is likewise perforated with any number of holes in such a manner that the
current of air shall be more equally distributed than where the chimney rests upon
a tripod or a plain base only. This perforated portion of my gallery I make loose
and removable to facilitate the manufacture and add to the ease in cleaning it.
Fourth. In the employment of a stop or check, so that the gallery (which in
common with ordinary student's or queen's reading lamps or other argand burners
is movable up or down the wick tube in order best to adjust the irregularities of
the chimney to the flame) cannot be lowered to such a point that the flame can be
converted from the proper and most effective tulip shape to a cylindrical flame. I
employ the ordinary and well known rack and pinion to raise and lower the wick,
as also the ordinary shape of chimney; but by the improvements above related
am enabled with the same oil to very greatly increase the illuminating power of a
given lamp.
My second improvement relates to the font or oil container used in connection
with the above burner, and consists in an appliance whereby the level of the oil
may be fixed at will, that is to say, in the employment of one or more "stops"
working into slides, preferably in the inner or inverted tin or font, which stops
may be drawn in or out according to what level is necessary for the oil to be in a
given lamp. By this means I am enabled to utilize the same oil container or font
for oils of any specific gravity, and regulate the level of oil in the wick tubes as is
best for the most perfect economy and combustion of the oil to be consumed.
My third improvement consists in an improved mechanism for connecting the
burners of lamps to the font or oil container, such that the whole can be struck or
stamped out of sheet metal, thereby gaining greater economy and simplicity of
manufacture; which improvement, as well as being applicable to argand burners,
is applicable to burners having one or more flat wicks. To effect this I form
the bottom of the ring which is attached to the font or oil container, so that there
shall be a ring smaller than the internal diameter of the bottom of the said ring. In
this ring which, as above described, partially fills up the base of the font ring, I
stamp or cut out one or more slots and one or more hollow cams, preferably I use
two slots and two cams, which cams serve to tighten up the burner when it is
turned partially round in them; but instead of, as heretofore, raising a projection
upon the base of the burner to work into the said slots and be tightened up by
turning in the cams. I employ the wick tubes themselves for this purpose, so that
by placing that portion of the wick tubes which project beyond the base of the
burner into the slots, and turning the burner round from right to left or left to
right, as the case may be, it is held firmly in its position; and to prevent any
possibility of the joint thus formed giving way, as also to give a vertical as well
as a horizontal hold, I widen out the ends of the projecting portions of my wick
tubes until one or each ends of the said projecting portions forms a wedge shaped
rather than a parallel projection.
This wedge shaped projection of the bottom of the wick tubes in flat wick
burners being common to many in order to facilitate their manufacture, I do not
include in my improvements, except in so far as I utilize it for the novel purpose
of effecting a union betwixt the burner and the font.
By this means I gain an effective and economical fastening stronger than here-
tofore and better able to resist the wear and tear of continual use, and am also
enabled to employ a smaller sized base of burner, and correspondingly smaller sized
font ring for the same size of wick tube. than is capable of being used with any
other previous "internal" fitting.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alban Edward Ragg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
August 1880.
ALBAN EDWARD RAGG, of Bebington, in the County of Chester. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO LAMPS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBON AND OTHER
FLUIDS."
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a lamp fitted with the first portion of my improvements;
Fig. 2, sectional elevation of the same; Fig. 3 shows plan and elevation of gallery
for supporting chimney; Fig. 4, ring with perforations forming the bottom of the
gallery; Fig. 5, plan and elevation of air chamber, shewing holes in the bottom;
Fig. 6, plan and elevation of the disc or button for deflecting the inner current of
air upon the flame; Fig. 7 is an elevation of improved font for regulating the level
of oil; Fig. 8, elevations of flat wick burner, shewing projections on the wick tube
for fastening burner to font ring; Fig. 9, plan of font ring shewing slots and inner
ring, into which the wick tube fits and works in order to fasten the burner; Fig.
10, sectional elevations of same.
In Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive A is the wick tube; B, the disc or button; C, the rod
upon which the disc B is supported; D, the gallery for holding the chimney; E, the
perforated circular plate forming the bottom of the chimney gallery D; F is the
annular air chamber; G, a stop or check upon the wick tube, upon which the air
chamber F rests; H, rack for raising or lowering the wick by means of the pinion K
and the handle O; J is the stop or check to prevent the chimney gallery being
lowered beyond the desired point.
In Fig. 7 R is the inner tin of an oil font or container having tubes or slides Q
fitted into it, so as to allow of the stops P being moved up or down in them; S is
the outer tin, into which the inner one R is inserted when at work; L is the valve
through which the oil passes from the inner or inverted tin R to the outer tin S for
supplying the flame by means of the outlet N.
In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 inclusive W is the body of a flat wick burner; X is the
lower portion of the wick tube, which is made to project below the bottom w of the
burner; 2, 2, shews projections raised upon this lower portion X of the wick tube;
3,y, shews a similar means to obtain like results by the two ends of the said
portion X being widened out into a wedge shape. In Fig. 9 T is a plan of the font
ring shewing the slots u, u, and the ring t, t, cut to the form of two hollow cams,
into which the lower portion X of the wick tube fits, and by being turned partially
round is held with a firm grip.
My Invention consists,―
First. In the employment of a much larger disc or button B than has hitherto
been used for deflecting the inner current of air upon the flame, which button, disc,
or deflector I preferably pierce with holes on the circumference, and sometimes use_
it in connection with a-perforated-tube (as shewn at M, Fig. 1) or cone rising up
from the internal wick tube, or supported upon the same pedestal or wire. By this
means I am enabled to obtain a much greater internal draught, and at the same
time supply air to the higher portions of the flame.
Second. In the employment of an air chamber F, which is held upon the wick
tube, not, as before, fixed or held in its place by three or more divisions composed
of strips of metal or projections, but by forming its base of a size and conformity
such that it may fit upon the wick tube, and be held there concentric with it

page_text: without the employment of vertical strips or projections of metal. This air chamber
by its construction can be either a fixture, or preferably for economy of manu-
facture and for purposes of cleanliness be made removable, or to regulate the flame
may be raised or lowered; and for the supply of air to this chamber I form any
number of holes fin its base, such that the current of air shall be equally admitted
and distributed to the flame, and not, as heretofore, where the air had free access to
the flame at all points except where the three or more metal strips or projections
which held the air chamber checked or stopped the current, causing jets of uncon-
sumed flame to rise and smoke (when subjected to a very keen draught or current
of air) in those portions of the flame which were directly over the said partitions.
By this means, through being able to employ a greater current of air, I gain a much
larger and more perfect flame than has hitherto been obtained.
Third. In the employment of a chimney gallery D separate from the air chamber
F, which gallery is formed of a tripod frame or gallery D having a preferably loose
circular plate E fitted into it, which plate is perforated in such a manner that the
air is supplied in an equal manner all round the wick tube to feed the flame, both
through the air chamber F as well as to the space between it and the chimney. The
distinguishing point between my chimney gallery and others formerly employed
being that whilst some allow no passage of air to the flame except through the air
chamber proper, that is to say, have a chimney gallery in which there are no air
passages, or others use a tripod or other form of support only upon which to hold
the chimney, allowing a free passage of air (except where the strips forming the
tripod or other method of support intercept the current), or have merely a gallery
perforated with holes, I use a combination of the tripod and the perforated plate
(the said perforated plate for convenience of cleanliness and manufacture being
loose). In Fig. 4 I have shewn this perforated plate. D (Fig. 3) shews the gallery
with the bottom E removed.
Fourth. In the employment of a stop or check J, so that the chimney gallery
(which in common with ordinary students' or queen's reading lamps or other argand
burners is movable up or down the wick tube in order best to adjust the irregu-
larities of the chimney to the flame) cannot be lowered to such a point that the
flame can be converted from the proper and most effective tulip shape to a cylin-
drical flame. I employ the ordinary and well known rack and pinion H and K to
raise and lower the wick, as also the ordinary shape of chimney; but by the
improvements above stated, including the stop or check J, I am enabled with the
same sized lamp to greatly increase the illuminating power.
Fifth. In the employment of a font or oil container, in which an appliance is
placed whereby the level of the oil may be fixed at will, that is to say, in the
employment of one or more "stops" P working into tubes or slides Q preferably in
the inner or inverted tin or font R, as shewn, which stops by being drawn out or
in decide the height which the bottom of the inner tin shall be above that of the
outer one, and thus decide the level of the oil supply in any given lamp. By this
means I am enabled to utilize the same oil container or font for oils of any specific
gravity, and regulate the level of oil in the wick tubes as is best for the most
perfect combustion and economy of the oil to be consumed. This is shewn in the
Drawings at Fig. 7, in which S is the outer tin or font; R, the inner or inverted
one; P, the stops working in the slides Q; L, the valve through which the oil
passes into the outer tin S; N, the outlet for the oil to the wick. By drawing the
stops P in or out, the bottom of the inner tin R, in which is fixed the valve L, can
be raised or lowered at pleasure, and correspondingly the level of the oil in the
outer tin S regulated at will.
Sixth. In the employment of improved mechanism for connecting the burners of
lamps to the font or oil container in lamps other than those known as "fountain
lamps," as shewn in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, where a connection is shewn so constructed

page_text: that the whole can, if desirable, be "struck" or stamped out of sheet metal, thereby
gaining greater economy and simplicity of manufacture, which improvement as well
as being applicable to argand burners is also applicable to burners having one or
more flat wicks. In the accompanying Figs. 8, 9, and 10, it is shewn applied to a
flat wick burner only, but the same form of mechanism is equally applicable to both
flat and round burners, that is to say, I form the bottom of the ring T, Fig. 9, which
is attached to the font or oil container, with an inner ring or flange t upon which
the bottom or base w of the burner rests; in this ring or flange t I stamp or cut
out one or more slots u, Fig. 9, forming with the ring tone or more hollow cams
(preferably I use two slots and two cams), which cams serve to tighten up the
burner when it is turned partially round in them; but instead of as heretofore
raising a projection upon the base w of the burner to work into the said slots and
be tightened up by turning in the cams, I employ the bottom of the wick tubes
themselves for this purpose, so that by placing that portion X of the wick tubes
which I project. beyond the base w of the burner W into the slots and turning the
burner round from right to left, or left to right, as the case may be, it is held firmly
in its position, and to lessen any possibility of the joint thus formed giving way, as
also to give when desirable a vertical as well as a horizontal hold, I widen out each
or one end of the bottom portions of my wick tube until one or each end of the said
projecting portions ✗ forms a wedge shaped (y, y, Figs. 8 and 10) rather than a
parallel projection. This wedge shaped projection of the bottom of the wick tubes
in flat wick burners being common to many in order to facilitate their manufacture,
I do not include in my improvements, except in so far as I utilize it for the novel
purpose of effecting a union betwixt the burner and the font, or when a horizontal
hold is sufficient I form merely projections z, z, Figs. 8 and 10, upon the projecting
ends of the said wick tube. By this means I gain an effective and economical
fastening stronger than heretofore and better able to resist the wear and tear of
continual use, and I am also enabled to employ a smaller sized base of burner, and
correspondingly smaller sized font ring for the same size of wick tube than is
capable of being used with any other previous "internal" fitting.
Having now described my Invention, and the best nodes known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be
new and desire to protect under the. herein before in part recited Letters Patent
is,-
First. The manufacture of lamps for burning hydro-carbon or other fluids,
having circular burners, with a disc or button (B), either used separately or
combined with a perforated tube (preferably pierced with holes to support com-
bustion in the higher parts of the flame) and of such large size as to extend vertically
over the entire area embraced by the inner wick tube and the greater portion or
whole of the wick, so as to deflect the flame outward to a much greater extent than
heretofore, and at the same time to cause the central current of air to be deflected
into the flame above the wick with a correspondingly greater force.
Second. The manufacture of lamps for burning hydro-carbon or other fluids
having circular burners, with an air chamber (F) surrounding the wick tube,
separate from and working independently of the chimney gallery, not supported at
one, two, or three points only, but by a bottom perforated flange or its equivalent
so arranged as to give an equal supply of air all round the flame, substantially as
and for the purposes described.
Third. The arrangement of gallery (D) with perforated and preferably removable
bottom, and stop (J) or their equivalent, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Fourth. The apparatus for regulating the level of oil in the font and wick tube,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fifth. The improved mechanism for connecting the burners of lamps to the
font or oil container by means of the wick tubes, whether the latter be circular or

page_text: flat, or be formed with projections wedge shaped or otherwise, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alban Edward Ragg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
JOHN O. O'BRIEN,
Clerk to
W. P. Thompson, & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Liverpool and London.
ALBAN EDWARD RAGG. (L.S.)