Novel or Improved Means for Automatically Extinguishing Oil Lamps in Cases of Accident.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Novel or Improved Means for Automatically Extinguishing Oil
Lamps in Cases of Accident.
I, EDWARD DUDWELL, Junior, of 185 Great Brickkiln Street, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Turner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to prevent. the recurrence of those serious
accidents which are due to the upsetting of lighted oil lamps; and consists in
novel or improved means for automatically extinguishing a lamp as it is being
upset.
This invention comprises, as an essential feature, a weight which may be placed
on some portion of the lamp, or of a case or chamber which contains the lamp,
from which it is sure to fall if the lamp is upset, and means by which the falling of
the weight extinguishes the light.
According to a convenient application of the invention, the weight is connected
by means of a chain, or other flexible connector, with the outer end of an arm or
lever which is formed at its other end to be conveniently fixed to the spindle by
which the wick is raised and lowered, or to the button or flange by which such
spindle is operated, the means employed for fixing such arm being such as will
enable it to be readily detached. When the lamp has been lighted, and the wick
adjusted to the proper height to give the required flame, the arm is fixed to the
spindle, button or flange, aforesaid, in such position that if it is pulled down it will
turn down the wick and extinguish the light, and the weight is rested upon the oil
reservoir or chamber. It will thus be seen that if the lamp is upset the weight
will fall from off the reservoir or chamber and thus pull down the arm, and
extinguish the light.
The weight may be formed of a spherical shape, or as a roller, or of other shape
which will facilitate its slipping from the top of the reservoir or chamber.
The inner end of the arm, aforesaid, may be forked to pass on each side of the
button or flange, and be provided with a screw, which passes through one side of
the fork, by means of which it is tightly fixed in place.
In lieu of the arm or lever, aforesaid, the button or flange of the spindle may be
formed of a sufficiently large diameter for the purpose, and have holes formed
therethrough with any of which a hook on the end of the chain may be engaged;
in which case it is necessary, for the purpose of properly connecting the weight
with the spindle, merely to hook the chain into one of the holes which is in proper
position to ensure that the weight when it falls will act with sufficient leverage on
the spindle to turn down the wick and thus extinguish the flame.
Dated this 24th day of June 1906
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Novel or Improved Means for Automatically Extinguishing Oil
Lamps in Cases of Accident.
I, EDWARD DUDWELL, Junior, of 185 Great Brickkiln Street, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Turner, 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 :-
This invention has for its object to prevent the recurrence of those serious
accidents which are due to the upsetting of lighted oil lamps; and consists in
novel or improved means for automatically extinguishing a lamp as it is being
upset.
This invention comprises, as an essential feature, a weight which may be placed
on some portion of the lamp, or of a case or chamber which contains the lamp,
from which it is sure to fall if the lamp is upset, and means by which the falling of
the weight causes the extinction of the light.
According to a convenient application of the invention, the weight is connected
by means of a chain, or other flexible connector, with the outer end of an arm or
lever which is formed at its other end to be conveniently fixed to the spindle by
which the wick is raised and lowered, or to the button or flange by which such
spindle is operated, the means employed for fixing such arm being such as will
enable it to be readily detached. When the lamp has been lighted, and the wick
adjusted to the proper height to give the required flame, the arm is fixed to the
spindle, button or flange, aforesaid, in such position that if it is pulled down it will
turn down the wick and cause the extinction of the light, and the weight is rested
upon the oil reservoir or chamber. It will thus be seen that if the lamp is upset
the weight will fall from the reservoir or chamber and thus pull down the arm, and
cause the extinction of the light.
A practical application of the invention is shewn by the drawings herewith, in
the case of an ordinary paraffin lamp such as is placed upon a table for the
purpose of lighting a room. Figure 1' is an elevation of the lamp, shewn as if the
lower portion or base, and also the upper portion of the globe, were broken away,
for convenience of illustration. The extinguishing appliance is shewn attached.
Figure 2 is a plan of the lamp with the globe removed, and of the extinguishing
appliance; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of the lever or arm of the extinguishing
appliance, and of the lamp spindle and flange by which it is turned, with the arm
shewn fixed to the flange.
The arm A of the extinguishing appliance is formed with jaws a a which may be
passed, respectively, on opposite sides of the button or Hange of the lamp
spindle c, and the arm may then be fixed to such button or flange by means of the
set-screw B having a milled head d. The outer end of the arm A is connected by
means of a chain C with a weight D. When the wick of the lamp has been turned
up to the extent to give the required flame, the arm A is fixed to the flange 6 of
the spindle in the manner described and shewn, unless it happens that before
turning up the wick the arm is fixed to the flange b in such position that when the
wick is turned up the arm is in the required position for being operated upon by
the weight when it falls. The weight D is rested upon the top of the oil reservoir
of the lamp, as shewn, and if the lamp is upset the weight D will fall from the
reservoir and will pull the arm into its downward position, indicated by broken
lines Figure 1, thus turning down the wick and causing the flame to be
extinguished. If the top of the reservoir is slanted, as shewn, and made of glass,
or is otherwise so smooth that the weight is liable to slip off too readily, a piece of
rubber e, or of emery cloth or sand paper with its rough side up, may be stuck

page_text: upon the top of the reservoir so as to prevent the weight from slipping off too
readily.
The weight may be formed of a spherical shape, or as a roller, to facilitate its
slipping from off the top of the reservoir if such is of a shape and character which
makes it advisable to so form the weight; or the weight may be of any shape
which adapts it conveniently for the special lanp with which it is used.
In lieu of the arm or lever A, the flange b of the spindle may be formed of a
sufficiently large diameter for the purpose, and have holes formed therethrough
with any of which a hook on the end of the chain C may be engaged; in which
case it is necessary, for the purpose of properly connecting the weight with the
spindle c, merely to hook the chain into one of the holes which is in proper position
to ensure that the weight when it falls will act with sufficient leverage on the
spindle to turn down the wick and thus cause the flame to be extinguished.
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. Novel or improved means for automatically extinguishing an oil lamp in case
of accident, which comprise a weight which may be placed upon some portion of
the lamp, or of a case or chamber which contains the lamp, from which it is sure to
fall if the lamp is upset, and means by which the falling of the weight causes the
extinction of the light, substantially as described.
2. Novel or improved means for automatically extinguishing an oil lamp in case
of accident,, which comprise a weight, a connector connected at one end with the
weight and at its other end with a part through the medium of which the pull of
the connector is exerted through a leverage upon the lamp spindle in a direction to
turn it axially, the said connector forming a flexible connection between the
weight and spindle, and being of a length which permits of the weight being rested
upon the reservoir of the lamp, or other convenient part thereof, or on a part of a
case or chamber within which the lamp is contained, and from which the weight
can readily fall if the lamp is upset, substantially as described.
3. Novel or improved means for automatically extinguishing an oil lamp in case
of accident, which comprise a weight, an arm or lever for connection with the lamp
spindle, and a flexible connector which connects the outer end of the arm or lever
with the weight, substantially as described.
4. The novel or improved means for automatically extinguishing an oil lamp
in case of accident, substantially as described and shewn by the drawings
herewith.
Dated this 7th day of October 1896.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.