Certain Improvements in Spirit Lamps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Dec., 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Spirit Lamps.
I, EDWIN BENNETT, of Southam, Selly Park, Birmingham, Warwickshire,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to those spirit lamps in which cotton wool or other
absorbent material is used in the body of the lamp below wire gauze and saturated
with the spirits which pass through the wire gauze and burn above it.
It is well known that in an ordinary spirit lamp the wire gauze and the cotton
wool soon become charred causing the lamp to burn very indifferently.
One of the objects of my invention is to so construct the said spirit lamps
that the wire gauze can readily be cleaned and the cotton wool or other
absorbent material removed and renewed. This I accomplish by making the
wire gauze removable from the lamp (instead of being permanently fixed thereto
as at present). When the wire gauze is removed it can readily be cleaned with
a brush and the cotton wool or other absorbent material can be removed from
the body of the lamp and replaced. The wire ganze may be strengthened by a
metal rim round its edge and be arranged to fit in the recessed open top of the
lamp where the wire gauze is secured by a metal ring screwed or otherwise
removably fixed in the recess. Or the wire gauze may be otherwise fixed to the
top of the lamp and the said top may be made as a lid to open and afford access
to the inside of the same and to the underside of the wire gauze.
Another object of my invention is to so construct the said lamps that they
will burn for several hours without refilling with spirits. I make the body of
the lamp which is usually filled with cotton wool or other absorbent material
much deeper than heretofore and I provide a wire gauze or other perforated
partition therein so as to divide the said lamp body into two compartments, the
lower of which forms a reservoir for the spirits and the upper compartment is
filled with cotton wool or other absorbent material to absorb the spirits. Above
the cotton wool is wire gauze as usual where the spirits burn. A part or parts of
the bottom of the compartment which contains the cotton wool is or are continued
down into and by preference to the bottom of the compartment containing the
spirits so that the spirits are continuously absorbed by the lower part of the cotton
wool as they are burned at the top until the reservoir is emptied.
Another object of my invention is to provide improved means for increasing or
diminishing the flame and for extinguishing it. Adjacent to the flame opening at
the upper part of the lamp I provide two covers or a single cover or more than
two may be used. One of these covers is solid and serves as an extinguisher and
the other has a small opening for the flame. Each of these covers is carried by
an arm on a horizontal shaft turning in bearings on the lamp body and at the ends
of these shafts are milled or other knobs by which the shafts can be turned so as
either to raise the covers or one of them from the flame opening or turn the covers
or one of them down thereon. When the cover which has the opening is turned
down on to the flame opening the area of the wire gauze and flame is thereby
diminished and when the solid cover is turned down thereon the flame is
extinguished.
There may be two or more of the said covers each with smaller openings
arranged to be turned down upon the flame opening and wire gauze as above

page_text: described so as to enable several sizes of flame to be obtained from the lamp as
may be required for various purposes.
Dated this 29th day of April 1892.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Spirit Lamps.
I EDWIN BENNETT, of Southam, Selly Park, Birmingham, Warwickshire,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention has reference to those spirit-burning lamps in which cotton wool
or other absorbent material is used in the body thereof, and below wire gauze,
and saturated with the spirit which passes through the wire gauze and burns
above it.
It is well known that in an ordinary spirit lamp, the wire gauze and the cotton
wool soon become charred, causing the lamp to burn very indifferently.
One of the objects of my invention is to so construct the said spirit lamps, that
the wire gauze can readily be cleaned, and the cotton wool or other absorbent
material removed, and renewed. This I accomplish by making the wire gauze
removable from the lamp, (instead of being permanently fixed thereto as at present).
When the wire gauze is removed, it can readily be cleaned with a brush, and the
cotton wool or other absorbent material can be removed from the body of the lamp
and replaced. The wire gauze may be strengthened by a metal rim round its
edge, and be arranged to fit in the recessed open top of the lamp where the wire
gauze is secured by a metal ring, screwed, or otherwise removable fixed in the
recess. Or the wire gauze may be otherwise fixed to the top of the lamp, and the
said top may be made as a lid to open and afford access to the inside of the same
and to the underside of the wire gauze.
Another object of my invention is to so construct the said lamps that they will
burn for several hours without refilling with spirits. I make the body of the lamp,
which is usually filled with cotton wool or other absorbent material, much deeper
than heretofore, and I provide a wire gauze or other perforated partition therein,
so as to divide the said lamp body into two compartments, the lower of which
forms a reservoir for the spirits, and the upper compartment is filled with cotton
wool or other absorbent material, to absorb the spirits. Above the cotton wool
is wire gauze as usual, where the spirits burn. A part or parts of the bottom
of the compartment, which contains the cotton wool, is or are continued down
into, and by preference to, the bottom of the compartiment containing the spirits,
so that the spirits are continuously absorbed by the lower part of the cotton wool
as they are burned at the top until the reservoir is emptied.
Another object of my invention, is to provide improved means for increasing or
diminishing the flame, and for extinguishing it. Adjacent to the flame opening at
the upper part of the lamp, I provide two covers or a single cover or more than two
may be used. One of these covers is solid, and serves as an extinguisher, and the
other has a small opening for the flame. Each of these covers is carried by an arm
on a horizontal shaft, turning in bearings on the lamp body, and at the ends of these
shafts are milled or other knobs by which the shafts can be turned so as either to
raise the covers, or one of them from the flame opening or turn the covers or one of
then down thereon. When the cover which has the opening is turned down on to
the flame opening, the area of the wire gauze and flame is thereby diminished, and
when the solid cover is turned down thereon, the flame is extinguished.
There may be two or more of the said covers each with smaller openings arranged

page_text: to be turned down upon the flame opening, and wire gauze as above described, so as
to enable several sizes of flame to be obtained from the lamp, as may be required,
for various purposes.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a complete vertical section of a
spirit burning lamp for heating purposes, constructed, arranged and provided
according to my invention. In the said view, both the hinged cover, which
constitutes the extinguisher, and also the flame area stopping-off ring, which is
jointed to the opposite side of the top of the lamp to which the said cover is jointed,
are shown turned back, or out of use. thus leaving the whole of the mouth or
entrance to the reservoir of the lamp, clear.
Figure 2 represents a topside plan of Figure 1, showing the closed or unpierced
cover joint, and also the ring or disced annulus, and also the mouth securing ring of
the wire gauze.
Figure 3 represents a top side plan of the said lamp, with only the cover thrown
back, and with the flame area diminishing ring stopping off portions of the outside
edge of the wire gauze, to the extent of the breadth of the unpierced part of the
said ring or unpierced disc, leaving only the middle part clear for burning.
4
Figure represents a section of the lamp, showing a modified form of securing
the wire gauze ring in position.
Figure 5 is the gauze ring separately.
Figure 6 represents a further form of gauze securing ring, and Figure 7 represents
the same applied to the spirit lamp.
In Figures 1 to 3, a is the spirit reservoir, having a semi-enclosed top a³, with an
open mouth a³, enclosed by a wire gauze diaphragm b, which is secured in position
by a flanged and outside wormed ring c,,,screwing into an inside screwed
neck a, whose lower end has an annular shell flange a, upon which the outside
boundary edge of the wire gauze, which is encompassed by a solid edging 62, rests,
and is there clamped in position by the coming down upon it of the annular
flange of the affixing ring c, so that on the screwing home of the said ring, the
attachable and detachable wire ganze diaphragm b, is affixed in position, and
entirely fills up the entrance, or the mouth entrance to the interior of the spirit
reservoir and chamber of the lamp.
Located within the interior of the middle of the lamp is a wire gauze well d,
comprehending at its upper end, the walls of the mouth entrance, whilst at its lower
end it is contracted, and may rest upon the bottom of the interior of the body of
the lamp, hence a reticulated chamber, cut off from the spirit chamber a, by
perforated sides d', and within which chamber d, cotton wool or other like absorbent
material
is placed.
e,
It will be seen from the drawings that the spirit chamber surrounds the cotton
wool chamber, and that the spirit from the former is fed to the latter through the
reticulations.
The removal of the wool, after the same has become deteriorated by being
charred, and fresh being supplanted in its stead, is readily and expeditiously effected
by the removal of the screwed clamping ring of the top gauze, which latter is also
removable, on the said ring coming away.
Mounted upon one side of the top of the lamp, is a closed cover f, having a small
arm, at its inner end, which is made fast to the inner end g, of a turn stem g,
which is capable of rotating or turning within knuckle bearings h, affixed to the
top a, of the spirit reservoir a, so that by turning the knobbed end g¹, the said cover
is removed from, or taken over, the burning area of the lamp, or the wire gauze
flame area thereof, in the former case for clearing the flame area, and in the latter
for extinguishing.
i, is the flame area stopping off ring, having an arm i³, made fast to the inner
end, of a turning stem, whose said inner end turns within knuckle bearings k,
attached to the body part, opposite to the hinge of the cover, so that by turning the
terminal end j', of the stem j, the flame reducing ring, which has a piercing, at its
middle, is turned onto or from off the entrance or wire gauze diaphragm b.

page_text: Thus, when the said ring, as in Figures 1 and 2, is turned back from off the
gauze, then a large flame is admissible, but by turning over the gauze as in Figure 3,
the flame is contracted, by exposing a less wire gauze area.
In the arrangement Figures 4 and 5, the affixing of the ring c, of the wire gauze
diaphragm b, is performed by raised studs or projections c³, on the outside edge of
the said affixing ring, taking into, and engaging with, sunken bayonet slots a², made
within the inside of the neck at the entrance of the lamp.
In Figures 6 and 7, the affixing ring of the said wire gauze diaphragm is affixed,
by making the same split at intermediate points upon its lower edge, and springing
the said lower edge, which is formed into a beading or swell, into a like shaped
annular depression a', formed within the inside of the lamp.
Access to the body of the lamp for filling is obtained through the passage I, which
is stoppered by a cap 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First In spirit lamps, providing or fitting the same with an attachable and
detachable wire gauze diaphragm b, for gaining access to the interior of the lamp,
for the purpose substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly-In spirit lamps, securing an attachable and detachable wire gauze
diaphragm b, in position by means of an attachable and detachable securing ring,
which is affixed in the mouth entrance to the lamp by screwing, by bayonet slot and
stud arrangements, or by springing, as set forth.
Thirdly-In the body parts of spirit lamps, placing or locating within the
interior of the middle part, a wire gauze or reticulated well or chamber, wherein
cotton wool or other absorbent material is placed, for the conduction of a spirit to
the wire gauze diaphragm, substantially as described and set forth.
Fourthly-In spirit lamps, restricting, when desired, the flame or combustion
area of the lamp, by a jointed or hinged stopping-off ring or pierced disc, substan-
tially as described and set forth.
Fifthly In spirit lamps, the combination with a flame or combustion area
restricting ring, of a jointed closing and extinguisher lid, as set forth.
Sixthly: In spirit lamps, the construction, arrangement and combination of the
parts as set forth in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
Dated this 30th day of November 1899
EDWIN BENNETT,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.