An Improved Safety Lamp for Use in Mines or other Places where Explosive Gases are Present.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 18th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 25th Jan., 1887.
An Improved Safety Lamp for Use in Mines or other Places where
Explosive Gases are Present.
I, JOSEPH ELLIS WILLIAMS Lillie Bridge Works London S.W. Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The construction of a lamp in such a manner that a portion of the products of
combustion are retained in the upper part of the lamp whereby the following result is
obtained. In case of explosive gas gaining access to the flame and becoming ignited
the carbonic acid gas or other incombustible product aforesaid, immediately descends
and extinguishes the flame.
The incombustible products referred to are retained in a chamber or vessel of gauze
wire fixed above the flame and which on the ignition of explosive gases at the flame
below immediately descend in consequence of the vacuum thereby caused and the
flame is extinguished.

page_text: Explosive Gases are Present,
I JOSEPH ELLIS WILLIAMS of Lillie Bridge Works, West Brompton London, W.C.,
Engineer 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 construction of a Lamp in such a manner that a portion of the products of
combustion are retained in the upper part of the Lamp whereby the following result
is obtained. In case of explosive gas gaining access to the flame and becoming
ignited the carbonic acid gas or other incombustible product aforesaid immediately
descends and extinguishes the flame. The incombustible products referred to are
retained in a chamber or vessel of gauze wire fixed above the flame and which on
ignition of explosive gases at the flame below immediately descend in consequence of
the vacuum thereby caused and the flame is extinguished.
The boundaries of the said chamber are of gauze and by preference of two domes
the lower smaller than the upper, leaving the chamber space between, both being
carried by a ring shaped plate, the smaller dome being fixed inside the larger and
upper dome, forming the cover to the outer and inner cylinders of glass of which the
body of the lamp is composed. This cover has a series of holes or slots arranged in a
circular position communicating with the annular space between the two glass
cylinders and thereby with the inlet chamber at the base of the lamp. This latter is
an annular chamber formed in the metallic base of the lamp above the oil reservoir
and is in communication with the outer air by means of small holes in the outer case
and with the inner cylinder or chimney of the lamp by means of circularly arranged
holes in the top plate of the chamber on which the glass cylinder rests. Direct
communication with the flame of the outer atmosphere is prevented by a wire gauze
protector (which is fixed in the inlet air chamber) consisting of a washer shaped
piece of wire gauze immediately under the last mentioned holes and this is attached
to a sloping or conical shaped ring of gauze the bottom or larger rim of which rests
on the bottom of the chamber close to its circumference the two rings or plates of
gauze forming a protection to both sets of openings.
The wire gauze chamber at the top is covered by a cap or cowl, and is made easily
separable for cleaning or otherwise. The base with inlet chamber is also screwed
together to admit of the fixing of the gauze protector and for other purposes. The
upper and lower parts of the lamp with the intermediate glass cylinders are firmly
secured by the usual connecting rods and lock.
I now proceed to particularly describe and ascertain the said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed reference being had to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the Lamp partly in section.
01

page_text: Similar letters of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the whole of
the drawings.
A is the Oil reservoir and burner of a safety lamp as usually constructed. a a¹ are
the gauzes as I prefer to construct them a being the washer shaped piece of gauze
before described and a' the sloping or conical shaped ring of gauze. B is the inner
glass chimney of the Lamp and 6 the outer glass case and 6¹ the connecting rods for
securing the parts of the lamp and 62 are lugs or ears which may be locked or secured
in the usual manner. The part to which this Invention more particularly refers is
now to be described. The upper frame of the Lamp C encloses a gauze chamber as
shewn consisting of an upper dome of gauze e and a lower dome c¹ forming together
with the casing a chamber mainly of wire gauze boundaries for arresting or suspending
a portion of the incombustible products previously referred to which products
immediately on ignition of explosive gases in the lamp descend and extinguish the
flame. The screwed head e secures the gauzes in place and is removable for cleaning
but it is itself locked by bolts e³ ³ ³ and are the upper and lower plates of the
lamp between which the glass cylinders are interposed. By means of the slot shaped
openings b and c a current of air is maintained through the annular space between
the upper and lower parts of the lamp. D is a cowl or cap of any usual construction
for preserving a steady action of the lamp. Many obvious variations in the mode or
details of constructing the gauze chamber at the outlet of the lamp may be adopted
without departing in any way from the nature of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The construction of Safety Lamps provided at the upper part with the chamber (
or with a chamber the upper and lower sides of which c. care formed wholly or
partially of wire gauze of suitable mesh in which a portion of the incombustible or
noninflamable products of combustion are held in suspension substantially as and for
the purposes herein before described.
THOS. R. THOMAS,
7, Lincoln's Inn, Birmingham,
Agent for the Applicant.