Improvements in and connected with Lamps for Burning Light or Volatile Oils.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1:90-Accepted, 28th June. 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Lamps for Burning Light or
Volatile Oils.
I, JACOB PONTIUS of Pokrowski Most Semenowskaja, Moscow in the Russian
Empire, Manufacturer, 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 relates to lamps constructed to burn paraffin and other light and
volatile hydrocarbons and it has for its object to prevent fire and explosions in the
event of the breakage of the lamp reservoir.
For this purpose these Improvements consist in surrounding the reservoir with a
chamber or annular space which will be broken in the event of the breakage of the
oil reservoir.
The annular chamber is supplied with a liquid which should be of such a nature
that it will mix readily with the hydrocarbon, be almost or entirely uninflammable,
and when mixed with the hydrocarbon either in the liquid or vapourous condition
should be capable of rendering the mixture uninflammable. Such liquids are well
known, and among the most suitable are the tetrachloride of carbon, C C₁₂, and
chloroform CH Cl
The accompanying drawings will illustrate in what manner these Improvements
may be carried into practical effect, and are hereinafter referred to.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation and Figure 2 is a sectional plan of a lamp
reservoir constructed according to and for the purpose of this Invention.
The reservoir which may be of any suitable design and dimensions, consists of two
chambers a and d, respectively enclosed by the walls b and c.
These chambers are
not in communication with each other but have their contents completely separated
by the material of which the reservoir is constructed.
The inner chamber a serves to contain the petroleum benzene or other hydrocarbon
with which the lamp is supplied, and the outer chamber d to contain the tetrachloride
of carbon, chloroform, or other suitable uninflammable liquid having the properties
hereinbefore specified.
The chamber a has the usual opening or openings for the wick and for filling; the
chamber d is provided with an opening for supplying the liquid thereto and this
opening is thereafter hermetically or securely closed.
The lamp reservoir constructed as hereinbefore described is used in precisely the
same manner as the reservoir of ordinary construction. If, when a lamp with such
a duplex reservoir is in use, the reservoir is broken from any cause such as from its
receiving a blow or from the lamp being upset, the two liquids in escaping at once
mix with each other because of the fracture of the dividing wall c, and the hydro-
carbon is thereby rendered uninflammable and any flame is at once extinguished.
In the case also of the explosion of the reservoir, the two liquids would immediately
become mixed and no fire would result.
In a lamp having a reservoir constructed according to these Improvements the
most perfect protection against fire is provided in the event of the breakage of the
lamp reservoir from any cause whatever as in that event the hydrocarbon is
immediately rendered uninflammable. The safety arrangement when in use is
indistinguishable from an ordinary reservoir and cannot interfere with the operation
of the lamp but at the instant of danger it automatically comes into action.

page_text: 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,
In a lamp for burning paraffin and other light and volatile hydrocarbons, con-
structing the reservoir with a surrounding closed chamber in which tetrachloride of
carbon, chloroform, or other liquid having similar properties is contained; substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described ard as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.