IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHAMBER LAMPS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Pim Spiller, of Holborn Hill, in the City of
London, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF CHAMBER LAMPS."
Sealed the 7th November 1856, and dated the 3rd September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Pim Spiller at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd September 1856.
I, EDMUND PIM SPILLER, of Holborn Hill, in the City of London, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHAMBER LAMPS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct an economical and cheap lamp,
suitable for burning in place of night lights or mortars, and capable of being
moved about without the risk of the oil being spilt. To this end, I fit in the
centre of the lamp a vertical tube to receive and guide the float which carries
the wick, and I make an opening in this tube to permit of the oil flowing from
the surrounding reservoir to feed the floating wick. Within the central tube
is a ring, carried by a rack, into which gears a pinion for raising and lowering
the rack; this ring is provided for raising the float up in the tube to permit
of the wick being lighted, or to remove the wick tube (which is loose) for the
purpose of cleaning or filling it without removing the float. I also propose
(when a brighter light is required) to mount, concentric with the central tube,

page_text: a glass vessel for containing the floating wick; this glass vessel I attach to
the vertical rack, and I fill the vessel by causing it to descend into the oil;
when filled, I raise it above the level of the oil chamber, and the lamp when
lighted will then throw a light around the room. To regulate the time the
lamp shall burn, I graduate the rack, so that the lifting ring may be raised to
any required elevation; I thus prevent the descent of the float beyond a certain
point, and consequently cut off the oil from the wick. The same effect will be
produced by filling or partially filling the glass cup and raising it up clear of
the oil reservoir.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edmund Pim Spiller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND PIM
SPILLER, of Holborn Hill, in the City of London, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edmund Pim Spiller, Her special license that I, the said Edmund Pim
Spiller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edmund Pin Spiller, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHAMBER LAMPS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Edmund Pim Spiller, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 Edmund Pim Spiller, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-

page_text: The object of this Invention, of "Improvements in the Construction of
Chamber Lamps," is to construct an economical and cheap lamp, suitable for
burning in place of night lights or mortars, and capable of being moved about
without the risk of the oil being spilt. To this end, I fit in the centre of the
lamp a vertical cylinder or tube to receive and guide the float or carrier which
supports the wickholder, and I make an opening in this cylinder or tube to
permit of the oil flowing from the surrounding reservoir to feed the wick.
Within this central cylinder or tube is a ring, attached to a vertical rack, into
which gears a pinion, whereby the rack may be raised and lowered when
required. When the wick is a floating one the wickholder is placed in or on
a float above this ring, and when oil is placed in the reservoir it will raise the
float up in the cylinder or tube, lifting it off the ring, and allowing it to float
on the surface of the oil. By means of this ring the wickholder and float
may be lifted up out of the oil, so that the wickholder (which is a loose tube)
may be removed for the purpose of cleaning or filling it without the necessity
of removing the float.
In order to regulate the time the lamp shall burn, I graduate the vertical
rack, so that the lifting ring attached thereto may be raised to any required
elevation. As the oil becomes consumed, the floating wick of course descends,
until it rests on the ring, and by thus preventing the descent of the float
beyond a certain point, the supply of oil to the wick will be cut off, and the
lamp will consequently be extinguished.
The same effect will be produced by filling or partially filling a vessel or
reservoir, and raising up and adjusting the wick holder at any given point clear
of the oil reservoir, so that the wick may dip to only a certain and pre-
determined depth into the oil.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn various views of chamber
lamps or night lights constructed according to my improvements. Fig. 1 is
a transverse vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan view, of one form of lamp in
which the reservoir and most of the other parts of the lamp are made of metal.
Other materials, such as glass or earthenware, may, however, be employed in
place of metal if preferred. a, a, is the body of the lamp, and forms the
reservoir for the oil; b, b, is a cylinder or tube, fixed in the centre of the
reservoir, and forming a chamber to receive the float c, c, and also serves as a
guide for the latter in rising and falling.
The wickholder d is formed of a piece of copper or brass tube, open at one
side for the purpose of allowing the oil to reach the wick, as shewn at Fig. 1,
and also in the detached views, Figs. 3, of the said wickholder. The wick
consists of a short piece of wax taper, and when placed in the holder & the

page_text: latter is dropped into the central hole of the metallic plate of the float c, (shewn
detached in plan at Fig. 4,) on which it rests by means of a shoulder at the
upper part of the holder.
When it is required to renew the wick the holder
need not be taken out of the float, as the old wick can be removed and a new
one put in its place without trouble. The float c is placed in the central tube
or cylinder b, b, immediately above a horizontal ring e, which, being connected
by means of the arm f to the vertical rack 9, may be moved up and down
vertically in the central space of the cylinder or tube b, b, by means of a
pinion, which is actuated by turning the knob h. Oil is supplied to the reservoir
through the opening a¹, and is admitted to the interior of the tube or
eylinder b, b, through an opening or hole i at the bottom, or through the
vertical slot, in which works the arm that connects the ring e to the rack g.
The lamp is provided with a glass chimney or shade j, for the purpose of pro-
tecting the flame from accidental currents of air. The face of the rack g may
be graduated to indicate the hours that the lamp will burn (after being filled),
when the ring e is raised to different altitudes. It will be seen that by raising
the ring e, as shewn by dots in Fig. 1, the descent of the float with the wick
may be arrested at any point, and the lamp allowed to go out for want of
supply of oil to the wick. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view, and Fig. 6 a
side elevation, of another lamp upon precisely the same principle, but differing
somewhat in external form from that just described; and in order to avoid
recapitulation in the description, similar letters of reference are marked upon
corresponding parts in these as in the Figures above described. The reservoir a
is made of glass, as is also the central tube or cylinder b, b, which receives the
float c, c, and serves as a guide to the latter, as shown in the detached plan
view, Fig. 7. The glass cylinder b, b, rests upon studs or projections made on
the upper surface of a brass collar k, for the purpose of allowing air to pass
under to the interior of the reservoir. The collar k is fixed or fitted to the
top of the reservoir, as shewn in Fig. 5, and as the glass 6 is made simply to
rest thereon, it may be easily taken out when required to clean the inside of
the reservoir. The bearing for the rack g and its pinion is fixed on a cap or
cover l, which, being made slightly conical inside, fits over the brass collar k, as
shewn in the Drawings.
Fig. 8 is a plan view, and Fig. 9 a vertical section, of another form of lamp,
in which, however, the wickholder is not allowed to float, as in the former
instances. The reservoir a is made of metal or other suitable material, and is
closed, a small hole only being left, as at a", for the purpose of admitting air
to the interior of the lamp. The wickholder is similar to those shewn in the
other Figures, but instead of being placed in a float, it is dropped into a hole

page_text: of the screwed cap m, which is capable of being screwed higher or lower,
according to the length of time the lamp may be required to burn. A glass
or chimney may of course be adapted to this lamp, as also to that shewn in
Figures 5 and 6, if desired.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the construction of
chamber lamps, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim the
use of the central tube or cylinder in combination with the float, for which the
said cylinder serves as a guide, as well as to prevent the oil from spilling over.
I also claim the wickholder constructed and adapted as shewn and described,
and also the combination of the floating wick, with the ring e and its
appendages, or other equivalent contrivances, for raising up the wick to any
required altitude, for the purpose of determining the length of time the lamp
is desired to burn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Pim Spiller, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
EDMUND PIM SPILLER. (L.B.)