IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS." -A communication from abroad by
Madam Marie Chausy, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 2nd October 1868, and dated the 15th July '1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th July 1868.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," a communication to me from
abroad by Madam Marie Chausy, of Paris, in the Empire of France;
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a cheap and simple form of lamp intended
for burning by the aid of a wick highly volatile, vegetable, and mineral
oils, and consists in making the whole of the body and burner of
the lamp of glass, porcelain, earthenware, or any ceramic material in
lien of metal, and in employing a cotton or other wick as an absorbent

page_text: of the volatile oil introduced into the body of the lamp so that no
free liquid will be contained therein, the vapour alone emitted from
the top of the wick being ignited, and hence liability to accidents
from spilling the oil is greatly reduced. The burner should project
from two to three inches above the neck of the lamp in order to
prevent any transmission of heat to the interior of the body of the
lamp, and a small transverse pin hole for the insertion of a pin for
raising and lowering the wick may be provided therein. This burner
has a longitudinal opening made therein for the passage of the wick
which should fit it tightly. The exterior of the lower part of the burner
is ground and accurately fitted into the neck of the lamp in order
to prevent all access of air to the interior, and the wick itself should
be of sufficient length to absorb oil enough to last the required time
of burning.
*SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JoпN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
year
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, cxercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," a communication from abroad by Madam
Marie Chausy, of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thercon, that
is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a cheap and simple form of lamp
intended for burning by the aid of a wick highly volatile vegetablo
and mineral oils.
The accompanying Drawings represent two full sized sections of
lamps constructed according to this Invention, one of the essential
features of which consists in making the whole of the body and stand A
and burner or wick holder B of the lamp of glass, porcelain, earthen-
ware, or any ceramic material in lieu of metal, the use of metal
and the labor of the ordinary lamp manufacturer being entirely dis-
pensed with. Also in employing a cotton or other wick C as an
absorbent of the volatile oil introduced into the body A of the lamp
so that no free liquid will be contained therein, the vapour alone
emitted from the top of the wick being ignited, and hence liability
to accidents from spilling the oil is greatly reduced. The burner or
wick holder B should project from two to three inches. above the
neck of the lamp in order to prevent any transmission of heat to the
interior of the body of the lamp, and a small transverse pin hole for
the insertion of a pin for raising and lowering the wick may be pro-
vided therein. This burner has a longitudinal opening made therein
for the passage of the wick which should fit it tightly. The exterior
of the lower part of the burner is made slightly tapered, as shown
at a, a, and is ground and accurately fitted into the neck 6 of the
lamp in order to prevent all access of air to the interior of the wick
itself which may be composed of cotton or other suitable material
should be of sufficient length to absorb oil enough to last the required
time of burning, the excess of oil being poured back into the filler
so as to leave no free or unabsorbed oil in the lamp. This wick serves

page_text: as a substitute for the absorbent sponge employed in what are known
as "sponge lamps."
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the use and
manufacture of lamps composed exclusively of glass, crystal, earthen-
ware, porcelain, china, terra cotta, or other like substance or com-
binations of the same, and the substitution of an absorbent wick for
the sponge or other absorbent material employed in what are known
sponge lamps," substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth
day of January, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.