Improvements in and relating to Oil Lamps.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec.. 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Oil Lamps.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK OSTINS, trading as Messrs. John Hall & Co. of
Reality Works, Henrietta Street Birmingham, in the County of Warwick Art
Metal Worker and Designer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to
be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in and relating to oil lamps
whereby such lamps are rendered perfectly safe in use, the improvements being
equally applicable to all kinds of burners and lamps.
According to my invention as applied to a single flat wick burner I solder or
otherwise fix a short length of tube to the underside of that portion of the burner
which enters the bowl or reservoir. A movable tube of a somewhat greater length
than the before-mentioned fixed tube is also provided, the lower end being fitted
with a wad of close felt or other suitable material, the wad having a slot cut
therein, through which the wick passes on its way to the burner. The movable
tube is of such a diameter as to tightly surround the fixed tube and is provided
with means for retaining the wad in position.
It will thus be seen that the oil is separated from the burner by the wad, whilst
the tubes afford sufficient space to enable the wick to be lowered without lowering
the upper portion of the same into the oil in the reservoir, thus rendering the lamp
safe should the same be upset and preventing the "lighting back or flashing
so prevalent with lamps now in general use, when it is desired to extinguish the
lamp by blowing down the chimney.
"
It will be obvious that with suitable modifications my invention may be applied
to either, single, duplex, central draft or other form of burner.
Dated 3rd Annil 1805
GEO.
DOWNING,
8 Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Oil Lamps.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK OSTINS, trading as Messrs. John Hall & Co., of
Reality Works, Henrietta Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Art
Metal Worker and Designer, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in and relating to oil
lamps, whereby they are rendered perfectly safe in use; my improvements being
equally applicable to all kinds of burners and lamps.
According to my invention I provide a tubular receptacle for a portion of the
wick below the burner, and pass the lower end of the wick through or past a
diaphragm consisting of a wad of close felt fitted to the tube in such a manner
as to shut off such tube from the bulk of the oil, while at the same time the
oil is capable of travelling up the wick to the burner by capillary attraction.
The result of this arrangement is such that, in case the lamp should be

page_text: upset, the bulk of the oil is held in the reservoir by the diaphragm or wad, and
is therefore prevented from being spilt in any appreciable quantity."
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which
similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating the application of my invention to a
double flat wick burner.
Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the perforated disc 7.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation illustrating the application of my invention to a
central draught lamp with an annular wick."
Referring to Fig. 1 :-4, 4, are the wick tubes of a double flat-wick burner. 5 is
an additional piece of tube, soldered or otherwise fixed to the underside of the
burner. 6 is a movable tube, sliding tightly into or over the tube 5, so as to
be held firmly in position. 7 is a metallic disc having a slotted mouth piece 8,
which acts as a guide to the cottons. The disc 7 is soldered or otherwise
fixed to the tube 6. 9 is a disc or wad of hard felt or other suitable material,
having a slot 10 cut therein, through which the wick "passes on its way to the
burner.
It will thus be seen that the oil is separated from the burner by the wad,
and that the tubes afford sufficient internal space, to enable the wick to be
lowered without lowering the upper portion of the wick into the oil, thus
rendering the lamp safe should the same be upset, and preventing the "lighting
back" or "flashing" so prevalent with lamps now in general use, when it is desired
to extinguish the lamp by blowing down the chimney.
For single flat-wick lamps the construction is similar to that shown in Figs. I
and 2, with the exception that the slots are narrower, to suit the thickness of the
single wick.
Referring to Fig. 3, 11 is the central draught tube. 9 is an annular disc or wad
of hard felt or other suitable material. 12 is a tube fitted to the body of the
burner, as shown. 13 is the annular wick, the inner surface of which embraces the
central draught tube 11. 15 is a sliding tube, having longitudinal slots 16 at
intervals. 17 is a toothed rack soldered to the tube 15 at 18. This rack is in gear
with the regulator pinion 19. The wad 9 is attached to a flange at the lower end
of the tube 15 by tapped wires and nuts 14. The wick 13 is held in position by
the friction of the wad 9 and the tube 15, and is raised and lowered with the tube
and wad. The lower end of the wick is preferably unravelled and extended, as
shown.
By means of the annular wad 9 the oil is effectually secured in the lamp, in a
similar manner to that described in reference to Fig. 1.
My invention may be applied to other forms of burners, the lower portion of
the wick being in all cases encased, and the body of the oil shut off by the wad.
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. The improvements in and relating to oil lamps, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
2. In oil lamps as aforesaid, the method of rendering the same perfectly safe by
means of wads of close felt or other suitable material, so fitted that the bulk of the
oil is effectually enclosed and secured against the ordinary effects arising from
upsetting the lamp or blowing down the chimuey, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated 12th December 1895.