Improvements in Means for Automatically Extinguishing Lamps
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1887
Complete Left, 5th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 1st June, 1888
Improvements in Means for Automatically Extinguishing Lamps,
I ADALMAR BREDEN of 14 Wollzeile Vienna, f. in the Empire of Austria, Captain of
Horse, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to means for automatically extinguishing lamps.
In a certain class of automatic extinguishers for lamps two spring clacks are provided
on opposite sides of the wick tube, these clacks being under normal circumstances
placed beneath the upper edge of the wick tube, and rising, when the lamp assumes
an inclined position, so as to unite together above the flame. Now, it has been
observed that such clacks do not afford a tight joint, and that, therefore, the flame will
in some instances continue to burn notwithstanding the clacks being closed together.
According to this invention, the drawback referred to above is overcome by
replacing one of the said spring clacks by rigid walls or plates, which enclose the wick
tube on three sides, the remaining clack being articulated between the lower ends of
the lateral walls of the said rigid walls, and penetrating between the same under the
action of its spring, when the extinguisher is actuated. By these means a sufficiently
tight casing is formed around the upper end of the wick tube to prevent the access to
the flame of the quantity of air necessary for sustaining combustion.
The said rigid walls or plates and the clack are by preference mounted on a weight,
which surrounds the wick tube and is supported by a coiled spring, the power of this
spring being so regulated that the spring raises the weight as soon as, in consequence
of the lamp's assuming an inclined position, the weight no longer exerts its full pressure
on the spring.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Automatically Extinguishing Lamps.
I, ADALMAR BREDEN, of I. Wollzeile 14 Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, Captain
of Horse, 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 means for automatically extinguishing lamps.
The invention has for its purpose to provide an extinguisher which forms a perfectly
tight joint round the flame when it is actuated.
.
The invention consists in the combination with a socket adapted to move forward
on the wick sheath when the lamp assumes an inclined position, of a plate or wall
rigidly connected to the said socket and surrounding the wick sheath on three sides,
and of a spring clack hinged to the socket on the fourth side of the wick sheath and
adapted to enter between the lateral sides of the said plate, so as to bear by its upper
edge against the back plate and thus to form a more or less tightly closed casing about
the flame.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a petroleum flat burner provided with the
automatic extinguisher, shown in front elevation.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the burner and extinguisher on a plane at right
angles to the plane of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a top side view of the burner and extinguisher.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation similar to Figure 2 but showing the burner in
horizontal position with the extinguisher socket moved forward and the spring clack
having entered between the lateral sides of the rigid plate.
In a well known class of automatic extinguishers for lamps, two spring clacks are
hinged, on opposite sides of the wick tube to a socket or ring loosely surrounding the
said tube. Under normal circumstances the said socket or ring is placed sufficiently
far below on the wick tube, as to keep the free edges of the spring clacks beneath the
upper end of the wick tube, but when the lamp assumes an inclined position, the socket
or ring rises along the wick tube and thus the two clacks are allowed to unite together
above the flame, under the action of their springs. Now it has been observed that
such clacks do not afford a tight joint and that therefore, the flame will sometimes
continue to burn notwithstanding the clacks being closed together.
According to this invention, the drawback referred to above is overcome by
replacing one. of the said spring clacks by rigid walls or plates which enclose the wick
tube on three sides; the remaining clack being articulated between the lower ends of
the lateral walls of the said rigid walls and penetrating between the said lateral sides
when the extinguisher is actuated.
In the drawing a movable socket a is shown formed of an annular weight, which is
supported by a coiled spring b, the power of this spring being so regulated that the
spring raises the weight as soon as in consequence of the lamp's assuming an inclined

page_text: position, the weight no longer exerts its full pressure on the spring. This arrangement
however is not novel and therefore it formis no part of the invention, and may be
replaced by any other arrangement producing a similar effect, for instance by a light
socket or ring supported by a spring or springs and held in its lower position by a
suspended weight which acts as a strut and falls out between the socket or ring and
its own point of suspension when the lamp is upset.
To the upper surface of the movable socket a are fixed rigid walls or plates c, c¹,
which enclose the wick sheath g on three sides while at the fourth side of the wick
sheath, there is hingo jointed at e, to the socket a between the lateral plates c', a clack d.
A spring continually tends to turn the clack d inward and when the lamp is in its
normal position, the socket a occupies a sufficiently low position on the wick sheath g,
as to cause the free edge of the clack d to bear against the said sheath a small distance
below the top of the latter, where the wick protrudes, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
On the contrary, when the lamp is turned aside, as shown in Figure 4 the socket a
rises alongside of the wick sheath g and as soon as the free edge of the clack d has
moved beyond the top edge of the wick sheath g, it fully enters between the lateral
sides c¹, of the rigid plate c, c', and when the said free edge has swung as far under
the action of the spring as to touch the backside c of the rigid plate the said plate and
clack will form about the flame a sort of casing which is closed sufficiently tight
as to prevent the access to the flame of the quantity of air necessary for sustaining
combustion.
It will be easily understood that automatic extinguishers of this kind can also be
constructed for use on circular burners as well as for flat burners. Indeed the special
form of the rigid plate may be of any suitable kind provided that it is able to form a
closed casing with the spring clack and so a circular burner may be surrounded by a
right angled plate, or a half cylindric plate may be used in combination with a half-
elliptic clack.
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
In an automatic extinguisher for lamps the combination with a socket or ring loosely
surrounding the wick sheath and adapted to move toward the top end of the said
sheath when the lamp assumes an inclined position, of an upright plate or wall rigidly
secured to the top surface of the said socket or ring and surrounding the wick sheath
on three sides and of a spring clack hinged to the socket or ring on the fourth side of
the wick sheath, and adapted to bear by its whole free edge against the rigid plate
when allowed to penetrate under the action of its spring, between the lateral sides of
the rigid plate substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
בד
1000