IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LANTERNS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Harvie, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LANTERNS."
Sealed the 25th May 1880, and dated the 27th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Harvie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1879.
WILLIAM HARVIE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
“IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LANTERNS."
This Invention which relates to improvements in lamps and lanterns is based
partly upon the improvements in lamps and lanterns set forth in the Specification
filed in pursuance of Letters Patent, No. 1493, A.D. 1868, granted to the said
William Harvie.
The first head of the present improvements relates to the construction of the
lanterns for lamps intended for being placed against a wall or in some analogous
position. The lantern has a double top, back, and bottom, with an air-space between
the said top, back, and bottom, into which air is conducted from one or more
vertical tubes or passages, and passes through a double casing surrounding the oil
vessel, thence leading the air to the burner. In the improved lantern the door is
at one side or on the front, and is by preference arranged to slide for the purpose
of opening and closing the lantern in order to take the lamp in or out therefrom,
as for the purpose of trimming it. When the door is shut the air passes through
the lantern to the burner in the manner described in the aforesaid Specification, but
when the door is opened the current of air is interfered with.
The object then of this first head of the present improvements is to cause the air
to continue to pass through the space between the two bottoms of the lantern, and
to be supplied to the burner at the times when the door is opened, and this is effected
by forming perforations or openings in that side of the casing enclosing the space
between the two bottoms, so that they become opened when the door is opened, thus
admitting the air, and closed when the door is closed, the air being then again
supplied through the vertical tube.
The upper part of the improved lantern is provided with a chimney, the top of
which is made conical, the conical part projects in over the lower cylindrical part,
and has a partly spherical or conical cap a short distance above it.

page_text: The second part of the improvements relates also to lamps where the oil vessel is
enclosed within a casing through which the air is drawn and passes up to supply
the burner. In such lamps it has hitherto been the practice to admit the air
through the bottom of the outer casing, but under the present improvements a deep
ring of thin metal is placed for forming an annular space between itself and the
outer casing. In the upper part of this annular space perforations are formed for
the purpose of allowing air to be drawn into the lamp and to pass up through a
second annular space surrounding the oil vessel whence it passes on to the burner.
The gallery on or in which the lamp shade or globe is carried is formed in two
portions hinged to the casing, and these are provided with a pinching screw and
spring for closing them so as to hold the glass shade or globe, or to release it as
required, thus producing a more elastic scat or holder for the shade or globe than
the pinching screw ordinarily used. At the upper part of the glass shade or globe
is a chimney whose top is formed conical with a cap above it like that herein
described under the first head of the present improvements, but in this case the
conical part and cap may project to the outside of the chimney.
The third part of the improvements consists in applying opal glass, which is some-
times called cornelian glass, or glass whose surface is ground or otherwise rendered
translucent for lamps which are used for illuminating the glass tube of the water
guages of steam boilers, thus facilitating the correct reading of the guage.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Harvie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th May
1880.
WILLIAM HARVIE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LANTERNS."
My said Invention relates to improvements in lamps and lanterns, and is based
partly upon the improvements in lamps and lanterns set forth in the Specification
filed in pursuance of Letters Patent granted to me, dated the Sixth day of May,
A.D. 1868, and numbered 1493.
The first head of the present improvements relates to the construction of the
lanterns for lamps intended to be placed against a wall or in some analogous
position. Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in front elevation,
partly in section, Figure 2 in side elevation, and Figure 3 in transverse vertical
section a lantern constructed according to this part of my Invention. The said
lantern has a double top, back, and bottom with air spaces marked respectively
a, b, and c, between the said top, back, and bottom, into which air is conducted by
one or more vertical tubes or passages d, the said air passing through the openings
6 into the space b, thence into the space c, and thence through the space formed by
the casing e surrounding the oil vessel f of the lamp contained in the said lantern,
the said air thence passing to the burner, as shewn by the arrows, this method of
conducting the air being in accordance with the improvements described in the
aforesaid Specification of the Patent, No. 1493, A.D. 1808. When the door of the
lantern thus constructed according to the said Specification was opened, the current
of air was interfered with and passed in a contrary direction, causing the flame to
be extinguished when the current was re-established in its proper direction on the
door being closed. The object of this part of my present Invention is to remedy
this defect by causing the air to continue to pass in an upward direction through
the space e of the lamp when the door is opened. This is effected by forming an
opening or perforation, or openings or perforations, as at g, in the side of the
double casing at the bottom of the lantern. The door h of the lantern is at the
side at which these openings are situated, and is by preference arranged to slide in
grooves i for the purpose of opening and closing the lantern in order to remove or
replace the lamp or to trim it. The lower part of the door h when it is shut, that
is to say, when it is in its lowest position in its grooves i (as shewn in dotted lines
in Figure 1) covers the opening or openings g, and the air passes through the
passages d and spaces a, b, and c to the lamp in a manner similar to that described
in the Specification of my aforesaid Patent, No. 1493, A.D. 1868, and as shewn by
the arrows in the Drawings. When however the door h is opened the said
opening or openings g is or are uncovered (as shewn in full lines in Figures 1 and 2),
and the space c is then in communication by the opening or openings g with the
external air, which passes through the said opening or openings g and prevents
the change of direction of the current through the lamp to the burner herein before
referred to. The door h and the openings g may be at either side or at the front
of the lamp. The upper part of the lantern is provided with a chimney j, the top
of which is made conical, as at A, the said conical part projecting in over the lower
cylindrical part, as seen more clearly in Figure 3. Supported a short distance
above the opening of the said conical part is a partly spherical or conical cap or
cover l. This construction of chimney top is analogous to an arrangement in use
for preventing down-draught in ventilating shafts and the like, and therefore I lay
no claim to it.
Another part of my present improvements relates also to lamps wherein the oil
vessel is enclosed within a casing through which the air is drawn, and passes up
to supply the flame. In such lamps as hitherto constructed the air is admitted

page_text: n.
through the bottom of the outer casing, but under the present improvements the
air is first caused to pass or be drawn by the flame of the lamp downwards and
then upwards to the burner. Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings represents
in vertical section a lamp for burning mineral oil constructed according to my
present improvements. The outer casing is marked m and the oil vessel is marked
The outer casing is shewn as being of a spherical form, and the oil vessel of a
cylindrical form, but they may be of other suitable form if desired. Between the
said casing m and vessel n a deep ring or division plate p of thin metal is placed,
being secured to the casing m, so as to form an annular space q between itself and
the outer casing m, and another annular space q between itself and the oil vessel
n. In the upper part of the casing m are perforations m², forming communications
for the passage of air from the exterior of the lamp to the upper part of the space q,
down which space it is drawn, thence passing up the second annular space q³ to the
burner of the lamp, as shewn by the arrows. The lamp is shewn with a glass
chimney over the flame, but this may be dispensed with if desired. The oil vessel
nis supported by the bracket pieces n² fixed to the ring p. At the upper part of
the glass shade or globe r is a metal chimney 8, which is formed with a conical
upper part and a cap 1, essentially similar to that described with reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3, but in the example here shewn the said conical upper part is
affixed to the outside of the chimney, and the cap Z also projects beyond the
opening of the said chimney.
In Figure 5 is represented a vertical section of the lower part of a lamp for
burning colza or other vegetable or animal oil, the said lamp being constructed in
a manner essentially similar to that described with regard to Figuro 4, the outer
casing having perforations m² at top, and having attached to it a ring or
division plate p. The oil vessel n is provided with a continuation n³ of its outer
skin, which continuation extends below the ring p, and has perforations n* at this
part. The air passes (as shewn by the arrows) in by the perforations m³ down
through the space between the casing m and ring p, through the perforation_nt,
and thence up to the burner by the air passages no formed through the oil vessel n.
In place of using pinching screws to secure the lamp shade or globe in the
gallery, the said gallery is formed in two portions or half rings t and u, as shewn
in plan in Figure 6, and in elevation in Figure 7. These half rings have a bent
over upper portion forming a groove for the reception of the lower rim or flange
of the shade or globe, as shewn in Figure 4. The one half ring t is fixed in
position on the lamp, and the other half ring u is hinged thereto at v, so that it
can be turned from the said half ring t for placing the shade or globe in position,
and then be closed into the position shewn in the Drawings, and secured in this
position by a screw nut w running upon a screw fixed to the body of the lamp,
the said nut w bearing upon a spring piece y fixed to and depending from the half
ring u, and slotted to take over the said screw when the said half ring u is
closed upon the shade or globe. By this arrangement an elastic seat or holder is
provided for the shade or globe, which will yield under the expansion of the parts
by heat; and thus the liability to fracture of the shade or globe, which exists when
ordinary pinching screws are employed, is avoided.
Another part of my present Invention consists in applying opal glass (which is
sometimes called cornelian glass), or glass which is ground or otherwise rendered
translucent, to enclose the flame of lamps which are used for illuminating the glass
tubes of the water guages of steam boilers, thus facilitating the correct reading of
the guage owing to the water line in the said gauge becoming distinctly marked
and readily visible when the light of the lamp passes on to the water tubes
through the said opal or analogous glass.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same may be carried into practical effect, I
observe in conclusion that I do not claim the whole of the lamps and lanterns
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawinws, as I am aware
that certain parts thereof have been previously in use, and are described in the

page_text: Specifications and Drawings filed in pursuance of Letters Patent granted to myself
and others, but what I do consider as novel and original and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The improvement in lanterns herein before described with reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, providing the
said lanterns with an opening or perforation, or openings or perforations, by which
communication between the outer air and the bottom casing of the lantern is
established when the door of the said lantern is opened, essentially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described with reference to the openings g in the aforesaid
Figures 1 and 2.
Second. The improvement in lamps described with reference to Figures 4 and 5
of the accompanying Drawings, consisting in providing the said lamps with a ring
or division, and perforations or openings, so that the air to supply the flame of the
lamp is first drawn into the lamp casing from the upper part, and then passing
downwards afterwards ascends to the flame, essentially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the said Figures 4 and 5.
Third. The ring or holder (for holding the shade or globe) in position, constructed
essentially as described with reference to Figures 4, 6, and 7 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. The improvement in lamps for illuminating the glass tubes of the water
guages of steam boilers, consisting in applying to such lamps opal, or cornelian, or
ground glass, or other translucent (as distinguished from transparent) glass, through
which the light from the lamp is thrown upon the said glass tubes of the water
guages.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Harvie, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
WILLIAM HARVIE. (L.S.)