Year: 1888

page_text: We CARL WOLF and HEINRICH FRIEMANN of the town of Zwickau in the Kingdom
of Saxony and German Empire Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in miners lamps of that class generally-
employed in mines where the metallic vein or lode is only of such thickness that they
can only be exploited by the miners assuming a position parallel to the course of the
vein, consequently the same are compelled to occupy nearly a horizontal position.. Now
it is well known in all mining districts that miners working in such mines die very
young it being a very exceptional case where a miner of this class reaches his 50th year.
This mortality is not caused by working underground but arises from the effects of the
respirated products of combustion from the lamps now in use it being well known that
all attempts to prevent a lamp filled with rape oil from smoking when ever the least
draught is present, have proved fruitless and it is even worse in some districts where
the lamps are fed with a mixture of rape oil and pertoleum in order to prevent the
men from purloining the rape oil, which, in many mining districts is used for culinary
purposes. The effects of breathing the unhealthy air in such mines are proved to
evidence by the fact that any person staying for instance two or more hours in the
immediate neighbourhood of a number of such lamps will require 10 to 14 days
before his expectoration is free from colored particles and if this is the case where a
thoroughly healthy person is only exposed to the contaminated atmosphere for about
2 hours what must the effect on the lungs of the miners be who are condemned to
work 10 and 12 hours a day constantly breathing air mixed with the products of
imperfect combustion.
Besides this it is impossible to prevent the rape oil escaping from the lamp; said oil
running down the face and clothes of the miners, mixing with the smoke from the flame
and thus not only producing a perfectly filthy condition of the miner but also tending
to still further contaminate the air and seriously affect the health of the individual
miners.
Now in order to obviate all the aforenamed dangers to the health of the miners and
to produce a clear white smokeless light, we have invented certain improvements in
.

page_text: the lamp itself and have discovered that a far superior material in solid form can bo
employed and thus even the minor disadvantages be overcome. The material which
we employ is paraffine, the good qualities of which are too well known to require
enumeration. The lamp can be filled in two ways; the paraffine can be warmed
in a suitable receptacle and poured into the lamp or the paraffine can be cast in
suitable forms and simply inserted in the lamp. The heat generated by the flame melts
the paraffine in the lamp and the wick draws up the same to the flame.
It will be evident from the foregoing that the main feature of our invention is the
employment of a solid hydro carbon in lamps, said solid hydro-carbon being converted
by the heat of the flame. into a liquid which burns with a pure white flame from the
tip of tho wick or tips of the wicks.
Fig. 1 is a part elevation and part section of a miners lamp as now in use but
adapted to burning paraffine.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the lamp.
A is the receptacle for the paraffine, B the lid to the samo, C is the spoutlike
extension of the receptacle A carrying the wick sheath or sheaths D and the shields E E
which serve to protect the flame. These said shields are arranged in front and to
the rear of the flame and serve not only as wind protector for the flame, but also as
means for rapidly transmitting the heat generated by the said flame to the spoutlike
extension C, or its equivalent and so to the paraffine in the receptacle in order that
that portion of the same in the immediate vicinity of the wick may be melted and
thus the paraffine be enabled to flow to the tip for consumption. The dish like form
of the cap beneath the shields E can if requisite be utilized for rapidly igniting the
wick or wicks F for which purpose a small particle of paraffine can be laid in the same
..which will support the flame for the first few moments until the paraffin in and around
the wick or wicks has become so liquified that it can be readily drawn up by the
capillary power of the wick and this is especially to be recommended when wicks are
employed which have not been previously well saturated with paraffine. In order,
however, to facilitate the operation of the lamp we prefer to employ wicks which are
previously thoroughly saturated. with liquid paraffine and then allowed to cool, before.
insertion in the lamp. A single trial will show that the consumption of wick is
marvellously small.
From the foregoing it will be evident that our improved system can also be applied
to enormous advantage for other kinds of lamps than the miners lamp as represented
in the accompanying drawing and we desire to have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the employment of paraffine as filling for miners lamps alone but
also for other lamps and lanterns.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what.
we claim is :-
:―
1. The use of solid paraffine as filling for miners and other lamps substantially as
set forth.
2. The use and construction of the wind shields E for protecting the flame in miners
and other lamps substantially as set forth and shown on the drawings.
3. The combination of the receptacle A, lid B, spont like extension C, .wick
sheath or sheath D and wick shields E, substantially as set forth and shown on the
drawings.
:
Dad th 1
1. C A 1000
PHILLIP M. JUSTICE,.
Associate Agent.