IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMP BURNERS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Holt, of the City of Newark, in the County of
Essex and State of New Jersey, United States of America, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMP BURNERS."
Sealed the 18th January 1878, and dated the 22nd November 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Francis Holt at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd November 1877.
FRANCIS HOLT, of the City of Newark, in the County of Essex and State of
New Jersey, United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMP BURNERS."
My Invention relates to burners for lamps, and it consists in dividing the wick
tube in two parts, the two parts being connected by posts, or, in other words, in
providing the wick tube with a series of openings at any suitable point between its
upper and lower ends.
My Invention further consists in the construction of the wick tube at the point
where the openings are made, and in the combination of parts, as will be herein-
after more fully set forth.
The object of my Invention is, primarily, to prevent the explosion of lamps, and
this is accomplished by preventing the heat from the flame being communicated to
the oil in the reservoir.
•
In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my Invention appertains to
make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation,
referring to the annexed Drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is a vertical section, showing my Invention applied to an argand
burner.
Figure 2 is a side view of the wick tube.
Figure 3 is a detailed view of the burner.
Figures 4 and 5 show my Invention as applied to flat wick tubes.
A represents the base of an ordinary lamp burner, with screw collar B for attach-
ment to the lamp reservoir.
C represents the wick tube, which for an argand burner is made in tubular form,
and provided with an interior tube D to hold the wick in the proper circular form.

page_text: When the wick tube C is made flat for lamps using the ordinary flat wick the
interior tube D is of course not used.
The wick tube C is at any suitable point between its upper and lower ends
provided with a series of openings a, a, arranged preferably on a horizontal line
around the tube, with posts b, b, separating said openings, or, in other words, the
wick tube is vertically made in two parts, one above the other, separated a suitable
distance, and connected together by the posts b, b.
The wick passes up within the tube C, and is raised and lowered by the usual
means.
G represents the cap or dome of the burner provided with the holder H for
receiving the chimney. The dome G is so constructed as to extend above the
openings a in the wick tube, and to leave an air space i between its upper edge and
the wick tube for the passage of air upwards around the tube to the flame.
The air is admitted to the inside of the dome G through suitable perforations,
and strikes the wick at the openings a, a, cooling the same, so that no heat can be
transmitted through the wick. These openings or break in the wick tube also
prevents the heat from the flame at the top of said tube being transmitted down to
the oil in the reservoir.
By practical experiments I have found that no matter how hot the upper part of
the wick tube may be, the lower part is absolutely cold; and as it is well known
that it is the transmission of heat through the wick tube to the oil in the reservoir
that generates gas, and this gas under certain contingencies will explode, it follows
that by my construction of the burner no explosion can occur.
To facilitate the movement of the wick through the thus divided wick tube the
adjacent ends of the two parts are made flaring, as shown at d, d; otherwise the
wick would swell or bulge outwards in the openings a, and catch on the edges of
the metal.
In an argand burner the interior tube D will be provided with openings corre-
sponding with the openings a in the wick tube, and said interior tube contracted
above and below said openings.
Having thus fully described my Invention, what I claim as new and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,-
1st. A wick tube made of a single piece of metal, and provided with openings at
or near its centre, and at a point below the flame, for preventing the heat from com-
municating with the oil reservoir, substantially as herein set forth.
2nd. In a lamp burner a wick tube C provided with openings a, and having the
metal above and below said openings made bulged or flaring outwards, substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth.
3rd. The combination in a lamp burner of a perforated or slotted wick tube C,
and an exterior hood G, said hood extending slightly above the perforations, but
falling short of the point of combustion sufficiently to prevent the downward con-
duction of heat, an air passage i being formed around the wick tube at the terminus
of the hood, as and for the purposes herein set forth.
4th. A lamp burner constructed substantially as described with air spaces in the
wick tube, whereby the heating of the metal of such wick tube is cut off from the
oil reservoir, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 3rd day of
November 1877.
Witnesses,
EDWARD T. HOLT.
ORNAN N. WRIGHT.
FRANCIS HOLT. (L.S.)