Improvements in Acetylene Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Acetylene Lamps.
I, WALTER PHILIP BARLTROP, of 141, Evering Road, Stoke Newington, in the
County of Middlesex, Mercantile Correspondent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This application has reference to improvements in and additions to an acetylene
lamp previously invented by me. In that lamp the two parts, the reservoir or
upper part and carbide chamber or lower part, were united at the waist or central
part of the lamp, but in my present improvements the carbide container to be
hereafter described is introduced from the bottom of the lamp by means of a cap
or cover to screw on to the body of the lamp which latter is screw threaded at that
part for this purpose. This cap has a run extending outwards slightly at the
base which is milled to facilitate the screwing and unscrewing to the body, while
inside on the floor of the cap and fitting in position into the rim is placed
rubber washer so that when the cap is screwed home on the body of the lamp
the lower part or carbide chamber is made gas tight. Instead of the carbide con-
tainer being in the form of a conc I now make it cylindrical in form with two
concentric walls or cylinders the inner one of which is perforated, while the
annular space between the outer and inner walls or cylinders at one end is closed
with one or more thicknesses of perforated metal and with or without the applica-
tion of canvas between the same.
a
About half way up the space formed by the inner wall or cylinder I fix a little
plate or disc so that the water dripping on to it attacks the carbide from the
heart or centre and causes the action to be from the centre outwards. A cap or
cover fits over the lower end of the container so that no part of the carbide or
residue comes in contact with the inside of the body of the lamp and thus avoids
dirt and clogging of the lamp.
A spring surmounts the carbide container to keep the container in position
during the trepidation and jolting of the vehicle and to allow the gradual expansion
of the carbide under the action of the water.
The drip fitting or stem I have also improved and made differently. It is
now extended to a point and passes into the inner space of the carbide container
to ensure the water dropping in the right place and is bored vertically about half
way through in the upper part the walls of which are pierced by one or more
fairly large transverse holes so that the water released by the valve above passes
out of these holes and down the lower pointed part of the drip fitting or stem
drop by drop according to the water feed supplied by the valve above. The object
of this special form of drip fitting or stem is to overcome the irregularity in the
feed of the water which difficulty is frequently met with in the water feeding
arrangement hitherto in use.
In some acetylene lamps it is frequently found that under pressure of the gas
and from other causes water or vapour is forced out with the gas and this makes
the flame act somewhat in the same way that ordinary gas acts when water.gets
into the pipe and even go out on occasions altogether.

page_text: To overcome this difficulty I now extend the gas pipe down a little into the car-
bide chamber and on to this end I screw a small fitting cylindrical in shape and
closed at the other end. In about the middle of this fitting I make one or more
small transverse holes for the exit of the gas, the water or vapour being held in
check. Another important improvement is in the water valve. Instead of
extending the centre tube right down the upper part or reservoir of the lamp I
now only use sufficient tube for the centre rod to work in, said tube being pro-
vided with holes for the inlet of the water as near the base of the reservoir as
possible.
This tube is extended slightly into the carbide chamber below and this lower
part of the tube is of suitable diameter and threaded on the outside to receive
the drip fitting or stem before described. The centre rod is screw threaded only
towards the lower part to work in the centre tube above mentioned and then has
a continuation of smaller diameter and finally ends in a valve the sides of which
are cut diagonally or with facets all designed to assist regulate and control the
water feed. When screwed home the valve fits a seat at the top of the lower section
of the centre tube and forms an effectual seal to the water.
The top of the reservoir is provided with two small holes for the vent while
over and surrounding these is a fixing likewise with two small holes for the
vent while surmounting the fitting and joined to the top of the centre rod is a
winged nut, attached to the underneath part of which is a disc of irregular surface
which serves the purpose of a friction spring for the regulation of the water feed.
The winged nut or disc carries a stop which acts in connection with a fixed stop
on the lamp.
Finally I have improved and altered the form of the burner so that this is
now a fitting screwed at one end to go into the body of the lamp while the other
end is hexagonal in form and receives a lava or other tip of suitable form.
Dated this 13th day of October 1808
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Aconte
I, WALTER PHILIP BARLTROP, of 141, Evering Road, Stoke Newington, in the
County of London, Commercial Correspondent, 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:-
The invention relates to that class of acetylene lamp in which the water reservoir
is at the upper part, the gas chamber at the centre, and the carbide chamber
at the lower part, and the improvements have principally for their object the
continuous supply of a regulated quantity of water to the carbide, means for
causing the water to attack the carbide at about its centre, and means for pre-
venting or materially reducing the entrance of water into the gas conducting tube
and thereby avoiding the flickering or extinguishing of the light.
The improved lamp is more particularly applicable for use with velocipedes, but
is also useful as a hand lamp and for other purposes.
I will describe my invention by the aid of the accompanying drawings, in
which:-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, Fig. 2 a plan or top view and Fig. 3 a front elevation
of the improved lamp.

page_text: Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the water-controlling valve and dropper to an
enlarged scale, and Fig. 5 is an end view of the water-supply valve.
a is the body of the lamp, b the water reservoir, c the gas chamber, d d the
carbide container, e the pipe conveying the gas from the chamber e to the burner f,
and is the reflector.
9
a is the water supply nozzle; which is closed by a screw
plug a. In order to allow air to enter the water reservoir b, and at the same time
prevent the escape of water therefrom in the jolting of the lamp, I form one or
more vent holes a³ in the cover of the chamber b and I fix around such vent hole
or holes a cap h in which I form one or more vent holes which are not
immediately over the vent holes a³. Thus any water that may find its way
through the vent holes a³ will enter the space within the cap h and there lose its
force, whilst it cannot escape therefrom through the vent holes as they are not
immediately over the vent holes a³. In the plate 6' forming the bottom of the
water reservoir and dividing it from the gas chamber c, I fix a tube i i¹, the lower
part of which extends a short distance into the gas chamber c and is externally
screw threaded and has the valve seat formed at the upper end thereof. The
upper part of this tube is internally screw threaded to receive the screw threaded
lower end of the stem j¹ of the valve j, by the rotation of which the valve is
raised and lowered. One or more holes is or are formed in the lower part of the
tube to give access of the water to the drip fitting . The upper end of the
valve stem j passes through the cap and has fixed thereon a winged head jª,
attached to the underside of which is a disc of irregular surface, which acts as
a friction spring to prevent any accidental rotation of the valve stem, thereby
facilitating the regulation of the water feed, and at the same time retaining the
valve securely in the desired position. The winged head or disc j³ carries a
stop, which acts in connection with a fixed stop at on the top of the lamp.
When screwed home the valve ; fits its seat at the top of the short tube i and
forms an effectual seal to the water. In this position the stop is away from
the fixed stop at. The drip fitting I form to a point ; it is screwed on to
the lower part of the valve seat tube i and extends below the plate 6 into the
central space 2 of the carbide container to ensure the water dropping in the
right place. It is bored vertically, nearly half its length, at the upper part, and
the walls thereof are pierced by one or more fairly large transverse holes », so
that the water released by the valve j passes out of these holes and down the
outside of the lower pointed part of the drip fitting, drop by drop,
according to the water feed supplied by the valve j. The sides of the valve j
just above the sealing portion, are formed with facets j', and the valve is con-
nected to the screwed part of the stem by a reduced part jo to assist in regulating
the water-feed.
The object of this special form of drip fitting or stem and valve is to over-
come the uncertainty in the feed of the water which is frequently met with in
water feeding arrangements of small capacity hitherto in use consequent on the
accumulation of water by capillary attraction and other causes, among them
being internal pressure of the gas interrupting the water feed, thereby causing
want of uniformity in the generation of gas; also to avoid choking of the valve
by carbide residue and other substances accumulating in the body of the lamp.
Instead of connecting the carbide chamber to the waist or central part of the
lamp, the carbide chamber hereinafter described is introduced from the bottom of
the lamp by means of a cap or cover to screw on to the bottom of the lamp
body a, which latter is screw threaded at that part for this purpose. This cap
has a hollow projecting rim at the base, which rim is milled to facilitate the
screwing and unscrewing to the body a, while inside, on the floor of the cap a
and fitting into the rim, is placed a rubber washer a, so that when the cap
is screwed home on the lamp body a, the lower part or carbide chamber is made
gas-tight. I also, in lieu of forming the carbide container conical form it cylin-
drical with two concentric walls or cylinders dd, between which the carbide is
packed; the inner wall or cylinder d² is perforated, while the annular space

page_text: between the outer and inner walls or cylinders d, at the upper end, is closed
with one or more thicknesses of perforated metal and with or without the
application of canvas between the same. About half-way up the space formed by
the inner wall or cylinder d², I fix a little plate or disc, so that the water
dripping on to it, attacks the carbide from the heart or centre and causes, the
action to be from the centre outwards. The cap or cover d fits over the lower
end of the outer wall of the container, so that no part of the carbide or residue
comes into contact with the inside of the body of the lamp, and thus dirt and
clogging of the lamp are avoided. A spring & above the carbide container, keeps
it in position during the trepidation and jolting of the vehicle on which it may
be mounted and allows the gradual expansion of the carbide under the action
of the water.
In some acetylene lamps it is frequently found that, under pressure of the gas
and from other causes, water or vapor is forced out with the gas into the gas
conducting tube e, and this makes the flame to flicker and even, on occasions,
altogether to go out, as is frequently the case with ordinary gas lights when water
or other fluid enters or accumulates in the pipes.
To overcome this difficulty I extend the gas pipe e down a little into the carbide
or gas chamber 6, and on this end I screw a small fitting e' cylindrical in shape
and closed at the lower end. In about the middle of this fitting I make one or
more small transverse holes for the exit of the gas from the chamber into
the tube c. Water or vapor is thus prevented from disturbing the equilibrium of
the flame.
I have also improved and altered the construction of the burner by forming it
of a hollow fitting screw threaded at one end to screw into the body of the lamp, while
the outer end is externally of hexagonal form, and in its interior receives a lava
or other tip f¹ of suitable form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In an acetylene lamp having a water chamber at the upper part and a gas
chamber containing a carbide holder at the lower part, the combination therewith
of a tube fixed in the bottom of the water chamber and extending a short distance
above and below the same, an internal screw-thread in the upper, and an external
screw thread on the lower, part of said tube, side perforations in such tube just
above the water chamber bottom, a valve scat formed in the lower part of said tube,
a valve fitting the valve seat and formed with facets at its upper part, a valve
stem screw-threaded near its lower end and fitting into the internally screw
threaded tube, a reduced portion of the valve stem between the screwed portion
and the valve, a head on such valve stem by which it can be rotated, a friction
spring to prevent accidental rotation and stops to limit the rotative motion given
to such valve stem, an air-vent fitting fixed on the lamp cover and through which
the valve stem passes, one or more air vent holes in the lamp cover enclosed by
the fitting, one or more air vent holes in the top of the fitting not immediately
over the air vent hole or holes in the lamp cover, and a conical drip fitting screwed
on to the valve seat tube and extending a short distance into the carbide con-
tainer, such drip fitting being solid at the lower part, hollow at its upper part,
and formed with holes in its sides communicating with the bore thereof, sub-
stantially as herein set forth and for the purpose stated.
2. In an acetylene lamp having a water chamber at the upper part and a gas
chamber containing a carbide holder at the lower part, the combination therewith
of a tube fixed in the bottom of the water chamber and extending a short distance
above and below the same, an internal screw thread in the upper, and an external
screw thread on the lower, part of said tube, side perforations in such tube just
above the water chamber bottom, a valve seat formed in the lower part of said
tube, a valve fitting said valve seat and formed with facets at its upper part, a

page_text: valve stem screw threaded near its lower end and screwing into the internally
screw threaded tube, a reduced portion between the screw thread and the valve,
an air vent fitting at the top of the lamp through which the valve stem passes, a
head on such valve stem by which it is operated, stops to limit the rotary motion
of the valve stem, a friction disc to prevent accidental rotation of the valve stem,
a drip fitting fixed to the lower part of the valve seat tube, a hollow upper part
to said drip fitting, a solid conical lower part to said drip fitting, side perforations
in the hollow part of the drip fitting, a carbide container consisting of concentric
cylinders, the outer cylinder being imperforate and the inner cylinder perforated,
a solid disc fixed about midway of the inner cylinder, a cap or cover closing the
lower end of the carbide container, perforated plates with interposed canvas form-
ing the upper part of the carbide container, and a spring acting upon the upper
side of the carbide container, substantially as herein set forth and for the purpose
stated.
3. In an acetylene lamp having a water chamber at the upper part and a gas
chamber containing a carbide holder at the lower part, the combination there-
with of a carbide container consisting of concentric cylinders, the outer cylinder
being imperforate and the inner cylinder perforated, a solid disc fixed
about midway of the inner cylinder, a cap or' cover closing the
lower end of the carbide container, perforated plates with interposed canvas
forming the upper part of the carbide container, and a spring acting upon the
upper side of the carbide container, substantially as herein set forth and for the
purpose stated.
4. In an acetylene lamp, the novel construction of burner consisting of a hollow
metal fitting screw threaded at one end and hexagonally formed at its other
end, and having a lava or other tip of suitable form, substantially as herein set
forth.
1
101
C + 1
1000
0
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.