IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL LAMPS
Year: 1886

page_text: I, DONALD BARNS MORISON of 9 South Crescent Hartlepool in the County of
Durham Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN OIL LAMPS to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of oil lamps and is
especially applicable to lamps such as are used without globes and have the wick
enclosed in a spout or tube.
:
The object of my invention is to intensify the light given by the flame, and to
partially prevent the formation of smoke.
A method of carrying out my invention is to place within the tube containing
the wick another tube for supplying air to the flame, as in an Argand burner; the
space between the outer diameter of the inner tube and the inner diameter of the
outer tube being for the wick. This air tube terminates preferably in the bottom
of the vessel containing the oil, so as to form no obstruction to the passage of the
wick, and is preferably conical, the largest diameter being at the air inlet at the
bottom of the vessel, so that the velocity of the air on its arrival at the top of
the tube may be as high as possible. The air inlet may be in any suitable position
other than at the bottom of the vessel.
Either or both tubes may have longitudinal corrugations or flutes to facilitate
the insertion and adjustment of the wick, or on the top of the spout may be fitted
a cap for holding the wick, the form of the cap depending on the kinds of wick
and oil used.
The wicks may be of the ordinary tape nature, or there may be a number of
small wicks, each wick being kept in position by the corrugations in the tube, or
by a suitable cap fitted on the top of the spout.
The cap may also be formed so as to admit air to the centre of the flame or series
of flames, and could be used either with or without the air tube within the lamp
spout; for example the cap may be formed of a cluster of small tubes, each tube
having within it a wick, whilst between each tube there would be a space to
admit air to the centre of, and among, the cluster of small tubes composing the
cap for the lamp spout.
'

page_text: I, DONALD BARNS MORISON, of No. 9, South Crescent, Hartlepool, in the County
of Durham, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of oil lamps of that
class which are used without globes and in which the wick is enclosed in a spout
.or tube.
The object of my invention is to intensify the light given by the flame and to
partially or entirely prevent the formation of smoke.
For this purpose, I place within the tube containing the wick, another tube for
supplying air to the inside of the flame as in an Argand burner. The space
between the outer diameter of the inner tube and the inner diameter of the outer
tube being for the wick. The air tube terminates preferably in the bottom of the
vessel containing the oil so as to form no obstruction to the passage of the wick
and is preferably conical the largest diameter being at the air inlet at the bottom
of the vessel so that the velocity of the air, on its arrival at the top of the tube,
shall be as great as possible. The air inlet may be in any suitable position other
than at the bottom of the vessel. Either or both tubes may have longitudinal
corrugations or flutes to facilitate the insertion and adjustment of the wick or on
the top of the spout may be fitted a cap for holding the wick, the form of the
cap depending on the kinds of oil and wick used.
The wicks are of the ordinary tape nature or, I may use a number of small
wicks, each wick being kept in position by the corrugations in the tube or by a
suitable cap fitted on the top of the spout.
The cap can also be formed so as to admit air to the centre of the flame or series
of flames and can be used either with or without the air tube within the lamp
spout, for example, the cap can be formed with a cluster of small tubes each tube
having a wick within it whilst between each tube a space is provided to admit air
to the centre of and among the cluster of small tubes composing the cap for the
lamp spout.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a longitudinal
Bection of an oil-lamp constructed according to my invention and having an inclined
conical wick-and-air-tube extending to the bottom of the lamp; figure 2 is a
similar view of an oil lamp having a vertical conical wick-and-air-tube also
extending to the bottom of the lamp; figure 3 is a longitudinal section of an oil
lamp suitable for burning heavy oils and constructed according to my invention,
and figure 4 is a similar view of an oil lamp provided with my wick-and-air-tube
which terminates in the lower part of the usual wick tube or spout; figure 5 is a
transverse section, drawn to an enlarged scale, of a wick-and-air-tube formed with
longitudinal corrugations; figure 6 is a vertical section, drawn to an enlarged scale,
shewing the upper part of my wick-and-air-tube fitted with a cap for holding
a circular wick in position; figure 7 is a similar view to figure 6, but shewing the
:

page_text: cap constructed so as to distribute air to the outside as well as supplying air to the
interior of the flame; figure 8 is a plan of the same; figures 9 and 10 are a vertical
section and a plan respectively of the upper part of a wick tube shewing my air
supply tube fitted with a perforated cap for distributing air to the interior of the
flame; figures 11 and 12 are respectively a vertical section and a plan of the upper
part of a wick tube without a central air tube and fitted with a cap for supporting
a cluster of small wicks and figures 13 and 14 are similar views to figures 11 and 12.
respectively but showing the cap fitted with a perforated. air distributing cap.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar or corresponding parts throughout the
several figures of the drawing.
Referring to figure 1, a, is the inclined tube within which the wick b, is contained
and which tube corresponds with the spout of an ordinary spout lamp; c, is my
air tube which passes up through the interior of the tabular or circular wick b.
The tube c, is formed conical, its larger end being secured in the bottom of the
reservoir d, whilst its upper and smaller end extends to the upper end of the tube a,
that is to say, the point at which the wick is ignited; by this arrangement, when
the lamp is lighted, the velocity of the air which enters the tube c, at its lowest
part, is increased to the required extent when escaping from the upper end of the
tube C, into the interior of the circular flame burning at the end of the wick b;
e, e, e, are feet which allow the admission of air into the tube c, when the lamp is
placed upon a flat surface such as upon a table.
In figure 2 I have shewn my central air tube applied to a lamp, the usual wick
tube a, of which is vertical, whilst in figure 3 it is shewn applied to a lamp the
reservoir d, of which is comparatively shallow in depth for the burning of heavy
oils. The wick tube a, and the air tube c, in this construction are preferably
curved in the manner shewn.
In place of arranging the air inlet at the underside of the reservoir d, as herein-
before described with reference to figures 1, 2 and 3, the said inlet may be arranged
in any other suitable position, for example, at figure 4 I have shewn a lamp the
usual spout or wick tube a, of which is curved, my air tube c, being shewn with its
lower end or opening fixed in the bend of such wick tube a.
Either or both of the tubes a, and c, can be formed with longitudinal corruga-
tions, figure 5 shewing such corrugations in the tube c, and by this construction
the insertion and adjustment of the wick b, figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, is facilitated; or,
if desired, a cap can be fitted on the top of the tube a, for holding the wick b, the
cap being constructed so as to conform to the special requirements of the class of
oil and wick used.
f, figure 6 illustrates a cap fitted on the top of the tube a, to hold the wick b in
position, the annular space between the tubes a, and c, being made larger than is
required for the passage of the wick b, for the purpose of facilitating its insertion
on the temporary removal of the cap f.
a¹, is a slot in the air tube c, to allow the wick b, to be raised by means of a pin
or otherwise.
f, figures 7 and 8 shews a cap similar to that herein before described and shewn
in figure 6 but provided with an annular lip h, which is perforated at i, so as to
distribute a supply of air evenly around the outside of the flame and thus cause it
to burn steadily. A similar lip can be formed on the inner tube as shewn in dotted
lines at h¹.
j, (figures 9 and 10) is a cap fitted on the top of the tube c, and perforated at k,
so as to distribute a supply of air evenly to the interior of the flame and thus
cause it to burn steadily, and lessen the risk of it being blown out when moved
about or when in a draught or current of air.
The wicks to be used in my improved lamps can, as herein before stated, be
ordinary tape wicks curved round so as to form circular wicks or they may consist
of a number of small wicks, each wick being kept in position by the corrugations,
figure 2, or other suitable arrangement.

page_text: In figures 11 and 12, 1, 1, 1, represent the small tubes in which each of the
wicks b, (of which there may be any required number) is supported; f, is the cap
in which the tubes 1, are fixed, the central tube being vertical and the outer tubes,
preferably, inclined as shewn. The series of flames produced by the cluster of
wicks b, may form a single flame, to the interior of which air is admitted by
entering the spaces between the tubes ; by inclining the outer tubes in the
manner shewn, the admission of air to the centre of the frame. is facilitated;
o, (figures 13 and 14) shews the perforated cap which I sometimes fit to the cluster
of tubes 1; m, m, are the perforations or air holes therein for the purpose of more
evenly distributing the supply of air to the flame.
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. In lamps which are used without globes and have the wick or wicks placed
within a spout or tube the use of an inner tube for supplying a current of air to
the burner substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 1 to 10
of the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with a lamp constructed in the manner claimed in claim 1
of a cap adapted to be applied to the top of the wick spout or tube substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated in figures 6 to 14 of
the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with a lamp constructed in the manner claimed in claim 1,
of an air distributor fitted on the top of the central air tube substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in figures 7, 9 and 10, or on the exterior of
the outer tube as illustrated in figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination with a lamp for use without a globe and in which the wick
or wicks are placed within a spout or tube, of a cap provided with two or more
wick tubes substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illus-
trated in figures 11 to 14 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The improved lamps herein before described and represented in the accom-
panying drawings.