AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF LAMPS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederick Gruet, of Bordeaux, in the Empire
of France, Merchant, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF LAMPS."
Sealed the 18th March 1856, and dated the 4th October 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Frederick Gruct
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition on the
4th October 1855.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK GRUET, of Bordeaux, in the Empire of France,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LAMPS" to be as follows :-
The object of this Invention is to construct a cheap and convenient lamp,
which may be used as a bracket lamp, or mounted on a candlestick, and from
possessing no internal mechanism will not be liable to get out of order.
The oil chamber consists of a small glass vessel, the mouth of which is
inverted, and fitted into a copper, tin, zinc, or other tube, from which projects
at right angles or nearly so a pipe with a wick carrier. The bottom of this
tube is closed by a screw plug or other stopper, which is withdrawn when the
oil chamber is required to be filled. To prevent the overflow of the oil at the
burner, care must be taken that a suitable thickness of cotton is employed to
diminish the outlet passage for the oil to a degree that will permit only such a
supply of oil to the wick carrier as will suffice for keeping up the illuminating
power of the lamp. Tubular or other wicks may be used in this lamp, and the
oil may be introduced at the top of the glass vessel, if thought desirable, the
same afterwards being hermetically closed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Frederick Gruet in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
FREDERICK GRUET, of Bordeaux, in the Empire of France, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Frederick Gruet, Iler special license that I, the said
George Frederick Gruet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Frederick Gruet, my 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 Channels Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LAMPS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said George Frederick Gruet, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Frederick Gruet, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention of "An Improvement in the Construction of
Lamps," is to construct a cheap and convenient lamp, which may be used as a
bracket lamp, or mounted on a candlestick, and which, as it possesses no
internal mechanism, will not be liable to get out of order.
The oil chamber consists of a small glass vessel, the mouth of which is
inverted, and fitted into a copper, tin, zinc, or other tube, from which projects
at right angles or nearly so a pipe, at the end of which is the burner and wick
carrier. The bottom of this tube is closed by a screw plug or other stopper,
which must be withdrawn when the oil chamber is required to be filled. To

page_text: prevent the overflow of the oil at the burner, care must be taken that a
suitable thickness of cotton is employed for the wick, so as to diminish the
outlet passage for the oil to such a degree as to permit only such a supply of
oil to the wick carrier as will suffice for keeping up the illuminating power
of the lamp. Tubular or other wicks may be used in this lamp, and the oil
may be introduced at the top of the glass vessel instead of at bottom, if thought
desirable, and the opening above may be afterwards hermetically closed by a
suitable stopper, when the lamp will act precisely in the same manner as that
above described.
The Figures in the accompanying Drawing represent two views, in elevation
and section, of my improved lamp. a is the cistern for holding the oil; the
lower part or neck thereof is secured in a metal tube b, into the lower end of
which is screwed another tube c, having an opening at its lower end, but which
may be closed when required by the screw stopper d. This tube c with its
stopper dare enclosed in and covered by a tube e, which being cylindrical will
admit of the lamp being fixed into a common candlestick. A tube f conducts
the oil from the cistern to the burner g, and as the wick consumes the oil the
latter descends in the vessel a until all is burned.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improvement in the Con-
struction of Lamps," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim, in conclusion, the mode herein shewn and described, or any
mere modification thereof, of constructing oil lamps.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Frederick Gruet, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
GEORGE FREDERICK GRUET. (L.S.)