AN IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE ROOF LAMPS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER FOUNTAIN LAMPS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Defries, of the Firm of Jonas Defries and
Sons, of No. 147, Houndsditch, in the County of Middlesex, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE ROOF LAMPS,
APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER FOUNTAIN LAMPS,'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Defries at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th October 1874.
I, HENRY DEFRIES, of the Firm of Jonas Defries and Sons, of
No. 147, Houndsditch, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE
ROOF LAMPS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER FOUNTAIN LAMPS," to be as follows:-
In ordinary railway carriage roof lamps the reservoir is filled with oil
through an aperture at the top, closed by a "thumb bit" or "feeder
screw cap or stopper, and when filling the reservoir the "trimmer” must
keep one hand firmly pressed upon the top of the burner to prevent the
oil from flowing out through the burner as he pours it into the reservoir,

page_text: retaining it in this position until he has with the other hand filled the
reservoir and screwed the stopper into the feed opening. It will be
evident that if the man pouring in the oil should inadvertently lift his
hand from the top of the burner there will be an overflow and waste of oil,
that if he does not carefully fit the screw stopper there will be an intro- {
duction of air into the reservoir, which will result in an overflow into
the lamp glass when the lamp is burning. Further it happens that the
screw stoppers are not all exactly of the same pitch, and that getting
mixed together while the lamps are being cleaned and filled they do not
secure in a perfectly air-tight manner the orifice into which they arc 1
inserted, and the washers by which it is endeavoured to secure an air-
tight fastening are often not applied, and when used soon lose their
elasticity.
The object of my Invention is to simplify the filling of the oil
reservoir, so that the accidents above mentioned cannot occur, however 1
hurried or careless may be the person supplying the lamp with oil, and
I propose to obtain my object by fitting the reservoir with a double-
action valye, consisting of a lower valve or plug, opening and closing the
feeder pipe leading to the burner, and an upper or back valve opening
and closing the botton of the cup or opening through which the oil is 2
poured into the reservoir.
When about to fill the reservoir the “ trimmer" will simply press upon
a lever or button, which will lower the valve rod and close the feeder pipe
leading to burner. Having filled the reservoir he will release the lever
or button, and the valve rod rising under the action of a spiral spring 2
coiled around it or of other spring pressure will bring the back valve
against the bottom of the cup or feed aperture, the same movement
lifting the lower valve from the feeder pipe and permitting the oil to
flow to the burner, the simultaneous opening of the feeder pipe and
closing of the feed cup rendering any overflow impossible.
I propose to apply my Invention not only to railway carriage roof'
lamps but also to fountain lamps of all kinds.
3

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Defries in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
DEFRIES, of the Firm of Jonas Defries and Sons, of No. 147, Hounds-
ditch, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Defries, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Defrics, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Defries, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE ROOF LAMPS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER FOUNTAIN LAMPS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Heury Defries, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Defrics, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
In many railway carriage roof lamps the reservoir is fed with oil.
through an aperture at the top closed by a thumb bit or feeder screw,
cap, or stopper. When filling the reservoir the trimmer must keep one
hand firmly pressed upon the top of the burner to prevent the oil from
flowing out through the burner as he pours it into the reservoir, retaining
it in this position until he has with the other hund filled the reservoir and

page_text: screwed the stopper into the feed opening. It will be evident that if the
man pouring in the oil should inadvertently lift his hand from the top of
the burner there will be an overflow and waste of oil, that if he does not
carefully fit the screw stopper there will be an introduction of air into
the reservoir, which will result in an overflow into the lamp glass when
the lamp is burning. Further, it happens that the screw stoppers are
not all exactly of the same pitch, and that getting mixed together while
the lamps are being cleaned and filled, they do not secure in a perfectly
air-tight manner the orifice into which they are inserted, and the washers
by which it is endeavoured to secure an air-tight fastening are often not
applied, and when used soon lose their elasticity.
The object of my Invention is to simplify the filling of the oil
rescrvoir so that the accidents above mentioned cannot occur, however
hurried or careless may be the person supplying the lamp with oil, and
I propose to attain my object by fitting the reservoir with a double-
action valve, consisting of a lower valve or plug opening and closing the
fceder pipe leading to the burner, and an upper or back valve opening
and closing the bottom of the cup or opening through which the oil is
poured into the reservoir.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing represents a railway carriage
roof lamp embodying my Invention, Figure 1 being an elevation of
lamp with a portion removed to show position and general arrangement
of valve while the reservoir is being filled; Figure 2, a similar view,
but with the upper or charging aperture closed, and the supply open to
the feed pipe of burner; and Figure 3 is an enlarged section through
the valve and portion of the reservoir.
When about to fill the reservoir A the trimmer will simply press upon
the lever D, which will lower the valve rod or spindle E, bringing
the lower valve c on to the feeder pipe C, and thereby shutting off passage
of oil to the burner. Having filled the reservoir he will release the lever,
and tho valve spindle E rising under the action of the spiral spring F
coiled around it will bring the upper or back valve b against the bottom
of the cup or feed aperture B, the same movement lifting the lower
valve c from the feeder pipe C and permitting the oil to flow to the
burner, the simultaneous opening of the feeder pipe and closing of the
feed cup rendering any overflow impossible.
I propose to apply my Invention not only to railway carriage roof
lamps, but also to fountain lamps of all kinds.

page_text: Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement
hercin-before described and shown on the accompanying Drawing, as
such may be varied without departure from my Invention, for example,
the lever D might be replaced by a button and the spiral spring F by
other means of working the double-action valve, but that what I claim
as secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the use of a double-action valve, substantially as described, for operating
the feeding of railway carriage roof lamps and other fountain lamps,
substantially as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Defrics, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
five.