Improvements in Lamp Wicks.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
Improvements in Lamp Wicks.
1, STEPHEN BURROWS MORSS, of Rahway, in the County of Union, State of
New Jersey, United States of America, Merchant, 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 :-
In carrying out my invention I provide a non-combustible body or carrier
provided on top with a flange or lip, and in contact with said body I place a cotton
or other suitably constructed fibrous wick, the upper end of which rests beneath
said flange or lip and in contact therewith. Said flange or lip is made porous or
perforated to permit the passage through it of oil by capillary action, the oil being
fed to said flange by said fibrous or cotton wick. The flame burns on the upper
edge of said flange or lip, and consequently does not reach the fibrous or cotton
wick, the result being a pure white light without combustion of the wick
material.
The invention further consists in the novel details of improvement and the
combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed
out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof,
wherein,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the non-combustible body forming part of my
improved wick; Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof;
Figure 3 is a corresponding view showing the fibrous oil feeder in position on the
non-combustible body;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the body or carrier having a perforated flange
or lip;
Figure 5 is a central section of the wick having double walls forming a space to
receive wicking material;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a flat wick having two walls and a flat top;
Figure 7 is an end view of a rectangular wick body having a central space;
Figure 8 is a perspective view showing a flat wick body having a flange and a
porous wicking attached thereto.
In the accompanying drawings the letter A indicates a non-combustible wick
body or carrier having a flange or lip a, at its upper end, and B is a fibrous wicking
material placed contiguous to said body and resting against the under surface of the
flange or lip a. The body A is preferably made of suitable clay and is also
preferably made porous in the course of manufacture in any well known or desired
manner of making porous non-combustible bodies, or it may be a longitudinally
perforated body made in well known manner. The flange or lip a is also made
porous or perforated to convey oil by capillary action to its upper surface from the
fibrous wicking.
The wicking B may consist of the ordinary cotton wicking of commerce, or may
be of any other desired material which will serve to convey oil to the flange a.
I have shown the body A and flange a in a single piece of material which is the
preferred construction. I have shown the body A in tubular form which will
Serve with the well known central draft lamps or burners, being made of suitable
size to pass over the central tube of the lamp. The fibrous wick B is also shown
of tubular form fitted. over the body A and lying in close contact therewith; but

page_text: whether my wiak is made in tubular form or otherwise. is not material to my
invention so long as it embraces the characteristics of a body having a porous or
perforated flange or lip and a fibrous wick in contact with said body and resting
against the under side of said flange. By preference the body A extends down
about to the bottom of the fibrous wicking B so that both parts of the complete
wick will be equally supplied' with oil.
When the body A is made of porous material, as baked clay, it assists in
conveying oil to the flange or lip a; and the crevice between the body A. and
wicking B also serves to carry up the oil by capillary action in addition to the
inherent capillary capacity of the fibrous wicking B.
In Figure 5 the wick. body has double, walls forming a space b.. The wicking B
when placed in said space carries the oil to the flange, lip or bridge a, while the
double walls serve to thoroughly protect the wicking B.
In Figures 6, 7, and 8 I have shown.the body or carrier A as flat or rectangular,
Figure 6 showing two flat walls A, A, joined to the flange or bridge a, the sides or
edges being open to permit the insertion of the wicking B between said walls.
In Figure 7 the body A is rectangular, all four sides forming a central space b
for the wicking.
In Figure 8 a single flat plate A. is shown having the flange a, and 'the wicking B
may be secured thereto by suitable means.
When my improved' wick is in use the top of the wicking B'preferably extends
slightly below the top of the outer metal tube of the lamp burner so that the flame
will be prevented from reaching said wicking; but the flange a projects above said'
tube and presents a proper surface for the fame which burns above the flange a:
As flange a does not consume it will'at all times be level on the top to produce-an
even flame and there is no necessity of trimming the wick. My improved 'wick is
practically indestructible under ordinary uses as flange a. is unaffected by the heat
from the flame. The flame burns uniformly and evenly, and there is no burning of
the wick; smoking and creating of odours is prevented. A perfect combustion of
the cil takes place and the qualities of the light are improved because flange a
becomes heated and volatilizes a portion of the oil or converts it into gas before it
reaches the flame. My improved wick is simple in construction, cheap to manu-
facture and can be made to fit almost any make of burner, provision being made to
enable the wick to be raised and lowered:
I do not limit my invention to the details of construction shown as they may be
varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner: the same is to be performed I. declare that, what I
claim is:
1. As a new article of manufacture a wick consisting of a non-combustible body
having a flange or lip and fibrous wicking, material carried by said body in contact.
with said flange or lip.
2. A wick consisting of a non-combustible body having a porous flange or lip and
a supplemental fibrous wicking in contact with said flange or lip.
3. A wick consisting of a porous body having a porous flange or lip and a fibrous
wicking in contact with said. flange or lip.
4. The combination of a hard baked mineral body having a porous flange or lip
and a fibrous wick of absorbent material in contact with said flange or lip.
5. A wick consisting of a tubular body of non-combustible material having
a.flange or lip at its top and a wicking, of fibrous, absorbent material. surrounding
said body and in contact with said flange or lip.
6. A wick consisting of a body having a non-combustible flange or lip adapted to
cause oil to pass. by capillary, action and a fibrous wicking in contact with said flange
or lip
7. A. wick consisting of a non-combustible, body having a flange, lip or bridge and
an absorbent material in contact with said flange, lip or bridge.

page_text: 8. A wick consisting of a non-combustible body having a perforated or porous
flange, lip or bridge and a fibrous or absorbent wicking material in contact with said
flange, lip or bridge.
9. A wick consisting of a non-combustible tubular body having double walls, a
perforated or porous flange or bridge over said walls and a fibrous or absorbent
wicking material in contact with said flange or bridge.
10. A wick consisting of a non-combustible flat body having a perforated or
porous flange or lip at its end and a fibrous or absorbent wicking material in contact
with said flange or lip.
11. A wick consisting of a non-combustible body having two flat walls and a
perforated or porous bridge between said walls and at their ends, and an absorbent
or porous wicking material between said walls and in contact with said bridge.
12. A wick consisting of a fibrous or absorbent wicking material and a porous or
perforated non-combustible baked clay or mineral top.
Dated this 4th day of June 1895
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.