IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS OR APPARATUS FOR BURNING MAGNESIUM AND OTHER METALLIC SUBSTANCES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Solomon, of Red Lion Square, in the County
of Middlesex, Optician. and Alonzo Galord Grant. of Nottingham,
Photographer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS OR
APPARATUS FOR BURNING MAGNESIUM AND OTHER METALLIC SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 28th February 1865, and dated the 31st October 1864.
3
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Solomon and
Alonzo Galord Grant at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 31st October 1864.
We. JOSEPH SOLOMON, of Red Lion Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Optician, and ALONZO GALORD GRANT, of Nottingham, Photographer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
OR APPARATUS FOR BURNING MAGNESIUM AND OTHER METALLIC SUBSTANCES," to be
as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to feed forward the wire which produces the
light. As the light is produced by the combustion of the wire, and this
latter gradually burns away with a certain and uniform speed, according to
the thickness of the wire, the feeding forward of the wire in a regular manner
to a given point, so as always to keep the spark or ignited end of the wire at
the same spot, is a matter of great importance. We effect this object in our
improved lamp by means of a clockwork movement. According to one
Price 8d1

page_text: arrangement the magnesium wire is wound upon a spool or spools, which are
placed in a cylinder connected with the clockwork movement, which when in
action draws the wire off the spool, and passes it through a tube and between
a pair of feeding rollers to a tubular holder, from the outer end of which it
projects, and when lighted burns with an intensely brilliant light.
This spark
or spot of light may be placed in the focus of a parabolic or other reflector,
so that it may be thrown forward in any desired direction. The whole
apparatus is of an extremely portable character, and is provided with a
handle, whereby it may be carried or held in any position. For some
purposes we dispense with the spools, and introduce the wire at once to a pair
of feeding rollers, which being actuated by the clockwork will carry it forward
to the point of combustion. The wires may consist simply of magnesium, or
of magnesium wire twisted or combined with wires or bands of other metals,
such as rinc, cadmium, lithium, strontium, barium, or other metals or alloys
with magnesium. These metals or alloys when ignited burn with different
coloured lights, as will be well known to chemists and pyrotechnists, and
therefore signals for naval, military, telegraphic, or other purposes may be
made with the magnesium or alloys.
As a modification of this improvement asbestos, cotton, flax, or other
textile substance capable of absorbing any concentrated solution or pre-
paration of the above-named metals may be combined with magnesium wire
or bands. The best preparations for this purpose are the chlorates, nitrates,
and chlorides.
Our next improvements consists in adapting to the break or stopping
mechanism of the clock movement a wedge, which is introduced into the
tube so as to keep the stop or break out of action when the clockwork is
required to be in motion, and when the clockwork is to be stopped the wedge
is withdrawn, and the break stops the movement. We also mount some
kinds of lamps on three legs, so that they may be placed on a table or stand,
and allowed to remain in any given position without being held by the hand.
The tubular wick or wire holder' is screwed into its place. so that should it
become damaged it may be unscrewed and removed with facility, and another
one screwed in its place, and we prefer to construct this tube of platinum, or
some other metal which is difficult to melt, or the tube may be provided with
a platinum nose, the object of this improvement being to prevent the tube
from being fused by the heat of the burning wire.
The next improvement consists in combining sodium, potassium, or other
alkaline metal with magnesium. This alloy will give a red but strong heat
and light, and will greatly facilitate the ignition of the magnesium or other

page_text: wire. To adapt this improvement the alloy of sodium and magnesium is cut
up into small pieces, and protected from the atmosphere by being coated over
with varnish, and then wrapped in tinfoil. One of these pieces is attached
to the end of the magnesium wire by being squeezed on it, and when it is
required to ignite the wire this may be done at once by applying thereto a
lighted match.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Solomon and Alonzo Galord Grant in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 29th April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
SOLOMON, of Red Lion Square, in the County of Middlesex, Optician, and
ALONZO GALORD GRANT, of Nottingham, Photographer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Joseph Solomon and Alonzo Galord Grant, Her special license
that we, the said Joseph Solomon and Alonzo Galord Grant, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Joseph Solomon
and Alonzo Galord Grant, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS OR APPARATUS FOR BURNING MAGNESIUM AND OTHER
METALLIC SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Joseph Solomon and Alonzo Galord Grant, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and scals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed. and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alonzo Galord Grant, on behalf of
myself and of the said Joseph Solomon, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly. described and ascertained in and by the following statement,

page_text: reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of our Invention of "Improvements in Lamps, or Apparatus
for Burning Magnesium and other Metallic Substances," is to feed forward in
a constant and regular manner the wire which produces the light. As the
light is produced by the combustion of the wire, and this latter gradually
burns away with a certain and uniform speed, according to the thickness of
the wire, the feeding forward of the wire in a regular manner to a given point,
so as always to keep the spark or ignited end of the wire at the same spot,
is a matter of great importance.
In the accompanying Drawings we have shewn a convenient arrangement
for effecting this object by means of a clockwork movement.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the lamp, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of
the same.
The magnesium wire is wound upon a spool or spools a, which are placed
in a cylinder a¹ mounted on a stand, on which is placed a box containing the
clockwork movement b, which when in action draws the wire off the
through a tube c, and between a pair of feeding
rollers d, d, to a tubular holder e, from the outer end of which it projects, and
when lighted burns with an intensely brilliant light. This spark or spot of
light may be placed in the focus of a parabolic or other reflector t, f, so that
the light may be thrown forward in any desired direction. The reflector is
enclosed in front by a case f, provided with a glass, to protect it from
currents of air. The whole apparatus is of an extremely portable character,
and is provided with a handle g, whereby it may be carried or held in any
position. We prefer that this handle g should be cranked or bent down, as
shewn in the Drawing, and thus form a foot, so that with the feet h³, h³,
Fig. 2, attached to the outside of the reflector, three rests or supports for the
lamp will be formed. For some purposes we dispense with the spools, and
introduce the wire at once to a pair of feeding rollers, which being actuated
by the clockwork will carry it forward to the point of combustion. The wires
may consist simply of magnesium, or of magnesium wire twisted or combined
with wires or bands of other metals, such as zinc, cadmium, lithium, strontium,
barium, or other metals or alloys with magnesium.* These metals or alloys
when ignited burn with different coloured lights, as will be well known to
chemists and pyrotechnists, and therefore signals for naval, military, telegraphic,
or other purposes may be made with the magnesium or alloys.
As a modification of this improvement asbestos, cotton, flax, or other textile
substance capable of absorbing any concentrated solution or preparation of the

page_text: above-named metals may be combined with magnesium wire or bands.
The
best preparation for this purpose are the chlorates, nitrates, and chlorides of
the metals.
Our next improvement consists in adapting to the break or stopping
mechanism of the clock movement a wedge i, which is introduced into the
tube containing the break lever i. By inserting this wedge above the break
lever i, as indicated by dots in Fig. 1, the stop or break i will be kept out of
action when the clockwork is required to be in motion. When the clock-
work is to be stopped, the wedge is to be withdrawn, and the break i will
stop the movement.
This tubular holder e should
Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4, a side view of another mode of holding
the stop lever down. In this instance the wedge is dispensed with, and the
stop lever is held down by a stud at the end of the flat spring j'. As the
lamp is mounted on three legs it can be placed on a table or stand, and
allowed to remain in any given position without being held by the hand. The
tubular wick or wire holder e is screwed into its place, as seen at e', Fig. 1,.
so that should it become damaged it may be unscrewed and removed with
facility, and another holder screwed in its place.
by preference be constructed of platinum, or some other metal which is
difficult to melt, or the tube may be provided with a platinum nose, the object
of this improvement being to prevent the tube from being fused by the heat
of the burning wire. The vapours evolved by the combustion of the wire
escape up the chimney k, in which an upward draft is produced by means of
a fan or ventilator 1, Fig. 2, which is worked by clockwork, as shewn in the
Drawing. The reflector case is perforated with holes m, m, Fig. 1, for the
admission of air to the combustion chamber. The air as it is drawn in by
the ventilator or fan will ascend the chimney k, and pass down the downward
flue into a vessel n, containing an acid or other solution capable of taking
up and absorbing the metallic vapours. Sometimes we do not enclose the
reflector in front with casing and glass, as shewn in the Drawing, and wlien
this casing is dispensed with the long chimney and downward flue and the
ventilating apparatus f' will not be required.
The next improvement consists in combining sodium, potassium, or other
alkaline metal with magnesium. This alloy will give a red but strong heat
and light, and will greatly facilitate the ignition of the magnesium or other
wire. To adapt this improvement the alloy of sodium and magnesium is cut
up into small pieces, and protected from the atmosphere by being coated
over with varnish, and then wrapped in tinfoil. One of these pieces is
attached to the end of the magnesium wire by being squeezed on it, and when

page_text: it is required to ignite the wire this may be done at once by applying thereto
a lighted match.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements in Lamps, or
Apparatus for Burning Magnesium and other Metallic Substances," and
having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we claim as the
Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the general arrange-
ment and construction of apparatus herein shewn and described for feeding
forward magnesium or other wire to be burned for lighting purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alonzo Galord Grant, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
HENRY F. HAILES,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. G. GRANT.
(L.B.)