Improvements in Lamps and Lamp-wicks.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1850
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps and Lamp-wicks.
I, ALFRED ELLIS HARRIS, of 64, Finsbury Pavement, in the county of London,
Dentist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to lamp-wicks having incombustible tips, and to means for
providing "pilot" flames in lamps for permitting the same to be turned down without
smelling.
In manufacturing a wick according to my invention I incorporate with the upper
end of a cotton or other feeding wick or conductor particles or grains of metal such as
iron, brass, copper or other metal filings or chips, or an amalgam of suitable metal
and mercury.
Or I can incorporate with the upper end of the feeding wicks a number of fine
wires which are extended to form a continuation of the said wick, a sufficient number
of wires being employed to form a bunch or bundle.
In order to hold the wires in their proper relative positions I preferably bind around
their lower portions and around the adjacent part of the feeding wick a band or ferrule
of metal or other suitable material.
In order to prevent a lamp from smelling when turned low I provide for leaving
what 1 term a pilot flame.
This occupies only a small portion of the width of the wick, which portion is made
thinner than the other portion so as not to supply the oil faster than it can be
consumed.
Or I form the wick in two or more parts which can be turned up and down together
or separately, so that, in case it is desired to leave a pilot flame, the main part of the
wick can be lowered and extinguished leaving the other part burning.
Although I have described the use of metal for forming the tip of my wick I wish
it understood that I may employ mica or other suitable incombustible material.
Dated the 27th day of August 1889.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps and Lamp-wicks.
I, ALFRED ELLIS HARRIS, of 64, Finsbury Pavement, in the county of London,
Dentist, 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 stateinent:―
My invention relates to lamp-wicks having incombustible tips, and to means for
providing "pilot" flames in lamps for permitting the same to be turned down without
smelling.
A lamp wick constructed according to my invention comprises a cotton or other
feeding wick or conductor with the upper end of which I incorporate particles of
grains of metal such as iron, brass, copper or other metal filings or chips or an
amalgam of suitable metal and mercury.
Or I can incorporate with the upper end of the feeding wick a number of fine
wires which are extended to form a continuation of the said wick, a sufficient
number of wires being employed to form a bunch or bundle.
In order to hold the wires in their proper relative positions I preferably bind around

page_text: their lower portions and around the adjacent part of the feeding wick a band or
ferrule of metal or other suitable material.
To prevent a lamp from smelling when turned low I provide for leaving what I
term a "pilot" flame.
This occupies only a small portion of the width of the wick, which portion is made
thinner than the other portion so as not to supply the oil faster than it can be
consumed.
Or I form the wick in two or more parts which can be turned up and down
together or separately, so that in case it is desired to leave a "pilot" flame, the
main part of the wick can be lowered and extinguished leaving the other part
hereinafter termed the "pilot" wick burning.
Although I have described the use of metal for forming the tip of iny wick
I wish it understood that I may employ mica or other suitable incombustible
material.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which-
Figures 1 and 2 are sectional and face views respectively of a wick, the tip of which
has incorporated with it particles of metal; and
Figure 3 is a view similar to figure 2 of a wick, the upper end or tip of which has
wires incorporated therewith:
Figure is a sectional view of the said wick; and
Figure 5 is a view shewing the method of applying the wires:
Figure 6 is a sectional view of a wick tube, the wick within which is so constructed
that one part will serve as a "pilot" wick:
Figure 7 is a section of the same on the liner x.
Figure 8 is an elevation shewing the "pilot'
burner; and
Figure 9 is a section on the line y y figure 8.
" flame applied to a round wick
In manufacturing a wick of the kind shewn in figures 1 and 2 I advantageously
proceed as follows, that is to say, I first of all soak the upper part of the feeding wick
in paraffin, then coat this part with gum and afterwards spread over the gum the
particles of metal to be incorporated.
The upper part of the wick thus treated is then subjected to considerable pressure
to force the particles of metal into the body of the feeding wick, and then placed in a
mould in order to bring it to the required shape to pass through the wick-tube of
a lamp.
When the tip of the wick has wire more or less incorporated with the feeding wick
as shewn in figures 3 and 4, I advantageously apply a number of wires a, a as shewn
in figure 5, which wires are turned down at the ends as at b, b, so that, when they are
bent over the end of the wick, as shewn in figure 4, the ends b, b will enter the body
of the wick and be partly incorporated therewith.
c is the ferrule which is placed around the lower ends of the wires a, a to prevent
the ends b, b from becoming detached from the wick.
$$
One arrangement for providing a pilot" flame is shewn in figures 6 and 7, in
which d indicates a wick-tube, e the main-part of the wick, and the "pilot" wick,
which "pilot" wick f may, at its lower end, be connected to the wick e as shewn, or
be entirely separate therefrom, so that the wick e can be raised and lowered indepen-
dently of the said "pilot" wick.
In order to prevent the "pilot wick from moving with the main wick e 1
advantageously pass a pin g through the same and through the wick-tube, which pin
can be readily removed when it is desired to raise the pilot wick. The said pilot wick,
in addition to being made very narrow, is also advantageously made very thin, so that
it will only carry a very small quantity of oil.
It is obvious that, when the wick is turned below the level of the wick-tube d
only the flame of the pilot wick will remain alight and that, when the wick e is
again raised, this "pilot" flame will serve for lighting the same.

page_text: Instead of placing the pilot wick in the same tube as the wick e, as shewn in
figure 6, it may be placed in a separate tube. The arrangement of a separate tube is
shewn in figures 8 and 9, where the pilot wick is represented as applied to a round
wick burner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A lamp-wick, the upper end or tip of which is rendered incombustible by having
incorporated therewith particles or grains of metal or the like, substantially as
described.
2. A lamp-wick, the upper end or tip of which has incorporated with it a series of
wires, substantially as described.
3. A lamp-wick, the upper end or tip of which is rendered incombustible by the
application thereto of wires, substantially in the manner herein before described and
illustrated in figures 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawing.
4. A lamp provided with a pilot wick arranged adjacent to the main wick in such a
manner that the flame of the main wick can be extinguished without extinguishing
that of the pilot wick, substantially as described.
5. A lamp in which a pilot wick is arranged beside the main wick, substantially as
described with reference to figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawing.
6. A lamp having a pilot wick arranged in a separate tube adjacent to the main
wick, substantially as described with reference to figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying
drawing.
Dated the 27th day of May 1890
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.