Improvements in Oil Lamps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application; 13th July, 1859
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 17th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oil Lamps.
I WILLIAM BLAKELY of Vernon, Princess Road, Bournemouth West in the County
of Hants, Estate Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in oil lamps.
According to the first improvement the cotton wick, instead of being immersed in
the oil, is supplied with oil by woollen or worsted yarn acting only as the medium for
conveying the oil to the wick at which it is consumed, the reserve of cotton wick
being wound on a roller or spindle from which it is uncoilod as required as the wick
is consumed. The oil conveying medium may be so adjusted in relation, either to the
oil in the reservoir, or to the cotton wiek, that capillary action is interrupted when the
lamp is not burning. By this improvement the cotton wick does not become hardened
by prolonged immersion in, or saturation by, the oil, and the tainting of the
atmosphere by vapors escaping in hot weather is avoided.
I make the cotton wick of long stapled Egyptian, Carolina or Sea Island cotton
and, after weaving or braiding, subject the wick to repeated boiling and squeezing
operations in order to extract all matters contained in the cotton tending to impede
free capillary action of the fibres which are in this way cleansed and purified to the
utmost extent, the wick being finally dried by hot air.
My improvements further relate to the construction of the holders for wicks worked
up and down by a pinion and consists of an internal wick holder made in two parts
or segments provided with fine needle points adapted to be thrust through the wick
for the purpose of holding and moving the same, the segments being separately
introduced within the wick and forced apart and then slipped together whereby their
needle points will be driven through the wick so as to hold the latter securely. Or
the segments may be external and hinged together and after being clasped together
around the wick be secured by a suitable fastening. By this means the wick may be
readily adjusted in the holder and may be more entirely consumed.
I also make wick tubes and holders of porcelain in two divisions, and with shallow
grooves, channels or indentations of sinuous form to admit of the oil climbing easily
up both sides of the wick. Metal tubes and holders may be similarly grooved or
channelled for the same purpose. By this means the capillary action of the wick is
assisted so that heavy oils such as Russian petroleum may be supplied to the wick and
made to burn almost as well as light American petroleum.
Another improvement relates to the means of adjusting flat wicks of any width in
such way that they are raised and lowered evenly. It consists of a double action
pendent lever provided with a claw having numerous fine needle points which when
the handle is pressed down are caused to penetrate the wick across its whole breadth
and so raise it evenly, however much the wick may be fouled or encrusted. By this
means the irregularity of adjustinent obtained by the ordinary pinion wheels and the
impediment caused by these wheels to the free ascent of the oil are avoided.
Another improvement relates to means of lighting and extinguishing lamps.
According to this part of my invention I employ a blow pipe bent to pass up the
central tube, there being an oval aperture cut in the cup holding the oil container and
I extinguish the lamp by passing up the tube a blower bent in hook form at the top.
For lighting I employ a taper wound round with a coil of wire or other substance to
protect the light from being put out by brushing against the sides of the central shaft
pipe. This plan is well adapted for the lamp "Vevetas" fixed on pillars or bracket
arms; also other plans of suspending the lamps.
Another improvement relates to the shade supporting rings and has for its object to

page_text: diminish the shadow cast by the ring. The improvement consists in punching out
oval or oblong holes all round the ring and at the top and bottom edges in such
manner as to reduce the breadth of the metal at intervals without materially reducing
its strength. By this means
more light can pass through and the ornamental
appearance of the lamp shade is enhanced.
The button at the top of circular burner I make with an inverted cone. This is
corrugated or lined and the top can be coned likewise and also pierced with holes in
the under inverted cone so that the air will come through in a heated state.
Dated this 13th day of July 1889.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
W. DAREDI
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oil Lamps.
I, WILLIAM BLAKELY of Vernon Princess Road, Bournemouth West, in the County
of Hants. Estate Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the saune is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to improvements in oil lamps.
My improvements in oil lamps are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and
will be described with reference thereto.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an oil lamp embodying some of my improvements;
Figure 2 is a cross-section of the improved wick-holder;
Figures 3 and 4 are a vertical section and enlarged plan of an improved wick
tube:
Figures 5 and 6 are a sectional elevation and perspective view of an adjusting
device for flat wicks;
Figure 7 shews an improved lamp lighter ;
Figure 8 shews a pneumatic extinguisher, and
Figures 9 and 10 shew an edge view and half plan of an improved shade supporting
ring.
By this
According to the first improvement, illustrated in figure 1, the cotton wick or
wicks A A. instead of being immersed in the oil, receive a supply of oil through the
medium of a feeding wick B immersed in the oil reservoir and making contact with the
wick or wicks A A. The wick or wicks A A are of the ordinary kind and the portion
thereof not in use is wound on a central spindle a mounted in the upper part D of
the lamp body, which is removable from the oil chamber Cin order that the wick or
wicks A may be introduced, the reserve wick being uncoiled as required to com-
pensate for the consumption of the wick at the flame. The oil conveying medium or
wick is made of loosely-braided woollen or worsted sliver and it is wrapped round
the central draught tube E and is attached to a supporting ring F adjusted by a
pusher G connected to ring F by a cross-pin working in slots in tube E.
means the oil conveying medium may be so adjusted in relation either to the oil in
the reservoir or to the cotton wick that the supply of oil from the reservoir is
interrupted when the lamp is not burning. Thus by lowering the feeder B contact
is broken with the wick or wicks A and the supply of oil to the latter ceases. By
this improvement the cotton wick or wicks A, not being subjected to prolonged
immersion in or saturation by the oil, will not become hardened thereby and the
tainting of the atmosphere by escape of vapors in tropical or semi-tropical climates
is avoided. The feeder B being made of wool is not liable to be hardened by immersion
in the oil. I make the wicks A of long-stapled Egyptian, Carolina, ór South Sea
Island, cotton and after weaving or braiding, subject the wick to repeated boiling
and squeezing operations in order to extract all sizing or dressing put into the cotton
which would tend to 'impede free capillary action of the fibres which are in this

page_text: way cleansed and purified to the utmost extent, the wick being finally dried by
hot air.
Another improvement relates to the wick aljuster H, which consists of two semi-
cylindrical segments hinged at one side and provided with internal needle points g
adapted to be thrust through the wick for the purpose of obtaining a firm hold
thereof; the segments after being clasped around the wick are securely retained by
the surrounding wick tube. This wick adjuster has a rack formed by punching
longitudinal row of holes in it with which gears the ordinary pinion g². By means
of this clamp H the wick may be adjusted with perfect uniformity.
a
Another improvement, shewn in figures 3 and 4 consists in miking the wick tubes
and holders of porcelain, to avoid the charring effect on the wick caused by the metal,
and they are formed with shallow grooves or channels of straight or sinuous form in
their surfaces adjacent to the wick, to admit of the oil climbing easily up both sides
of the wick and so assist the capillarity of the wick that heavy oils, such as Russian
petroleum, may be made to burn almost as well as light American petroleum. Metal
tubes and bolders may be similarly grooved or channelled for the sam: purpose.
The tubes are preferably made in two parts jointed together as shown.
Another improvement, illustrated in figures 5 and 6, relates to means of evenly
adjusting flat wicks of any width. It consists of a number of fine needle points i
set in a cross-bar I extending the full breadth of the wick and pivoted by end
gudgeons in slots in end brackets attached to the wick casing, the cross har being
provided with a lever handle and the wick casing being formed with vertical slots
respectively corresponding to the needle points. The cross-bar I being journaled
in horizontal slots the needle points may be made to penetrate or be withdrawn from
the wick and by giving the bar a rocking motion on its guigeons the wick may
be raised evenly whatever may be its breadth and thus the irregularity of adjustment
obtained by the ordinary pinion pressure wheels and the impediment caused by these
wheels to the free ascent of the oil are avoided.
The next improvement relates to means of protecting the flame of a lighted taper
when introduced through the central draught tube for the purpose of lighting the
lamp. This improvement is shewn in figure 7 and consists of a cage j formed of a
spirally-grooved wire and adapted to fit upon the taper J, the cage surrounding the
flame so as to prevent it brushing against the side of the tube, the upper edge of the
cage being conically wound, to lead easily to the point required.
Another improvement consists of an extinguisher, shewn in figure 8, being a blow
pipe K bent to a hook form at the upper end and having an india-rubber bulb fitted
with a valve attached to its lower end. By passing the blow pipe up the central
tube, the flame after being lowered in the usual way may be easily extinguished.
Another improvement, shewn in figures 9 and 10, relates to the shade-supporting
ring L, and has for its object to diminish the shadow cast by the ring. The improvement
consists in punching out oval or oblong holes all round the ring and at the top
and bottom edges in such manner as to reduce the breadth of the metal at intervals
without materially reducing its strength. By this means more light can pass through
and the ornamental appearance of the lamp shade is enhanced.
The last improvement relates to the mushroom head for spreading the flame. It
consists of an inverted cone M in. tead of the usual flat disc (see figure 1). It is
corrugated to more thoroughly heat the air passing up the central draught tube to
the flame and it can be adjusted, to more or less spread the flame, by screwing it up
or down through the bridge m fixed within the central draught tube at its
upper end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In an oil lamp, the combination of the immersed and non-immersed wicks
adapted to make contact as described for the purpose of supplying oil to the flame

page_text: -and interrupting the supply when the lamp is not burning and avoiding the prolonged
saturation of the wick proper, substantially as specified.
2. The herein described treatment of cotton lamp wicks by boiling and squeezing
in order to improve their capillarity, as described.
3. The herein described wick adjuster consisting of hinged semi-cylindrical segments
armed with internal needle points adapted to penetrate and obtain a firm hold of the
wick, as specified.
4. In an oil lamp, making the wick tubes and holders of porcelain for the purpose
of avoiding charring of the wick, as described.
5. Making the wick tubes and holders with shallow grooves or channels in the
surfaces adjacent to the wick for the purpose of facilitating the supply of heavy oils to
the flame, as described.
6. The herein described means of adjusting flat wicks consisting of a row of fine
needle points operated by a lever, substantially as described.
7. The herein described means of protecting the flame of a taper when introducing
it through the air tube for the purpose of lighting the lamp, as specified.
8. The herein described lamp extinguisher consisting of a blow-pipe and bellows,
as described.
9. Constructing the shade-supporting ring, substantially as herein shewn and
described for the purpose specified.
10. Making the mushroom head or button above the flame of inverted conical
form, as and for the purpose described.
1 A ALL 1900
WM. BLAKELY.