AN IMPROVED SAFETY LAMP
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWARD GEORGE RIVERS of "Rosslyn," Clevedon in the County of Somerset,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
SAFETY LAMP" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved safety lamp for use in mines.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide at the base an oil reservoir
or container which is surrounded by an outer jacket or casing constructed either of
brass, iron, copper or any other suitable metal. The space between the said
reservoir or container and the casing; is filled with vertical tubes bent inward at
their upper end, which tubes convey the necessary supply of air to the flame; and
as they are of considerable length in proportion to their diameter, it is not possible
for any flame to traverse them. The outer jacket or case is surmounted by a
cylinder of glass fixed within a frame, and inside this cylinder I provide a hollow
mnica cone the upper part of which leads into the copper chimney and which is
designed to obviate the danger of cracking the glass by the flame of the lamp or by
gases burning within.
A hood covered with asbestos-cloth encloses the outlet of the said chimney, at
the top thereof. Air inlets are arranged around the base of the casing and the air
entering thereby is, by means of the vertical tubes above mentioned; conveyed
directly to the flame. Gauze is provided at the base of the mica cone and all
gases will be ignited upon passing this gauze before any chance of explosion can
occur; and as a further protection against the passage of flame a lower ring of
gauze is also provided at the point where the upper ends of the tubes are situated.
The chimney outlet is protected by a piece of gauze arranged horizontally at the
upper end of the said chimney, also by other pieces of gauze placed vertically
within the hood.
Transmission of heat to the oil container or reservoir is checked by asbestos
cloth packing at the base of the glass cylinder. The cotton wick is finished with
a woven asbestos fibre tip, and no trimming is therefore required.
.
This lamp may be fitted with a burner for mineral oil or for colza oil. A
shifting key is provided for the purpose of regulating the wick, and a lock is
affixed to the casing.
It will be seen that by this construction I obtain the important advantages of:
admitting the air by means of tubes, and of causing the ignition of the incoming
explosive gases close to the flame of the lamp before they can develop any dangerous
energy therein.
Dated this 27th day of Fahruam, 1001.

page_text: I, EDWARD GEORGE RIVERS, of "Rosslyn," Clevedon, in the County of Somerset,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "AN IMPROVED
SAFETY-LAMP" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to an improved safety-lamp for use in mines, and chiefly
designed for burning mineral oils.
My improved lamp is illustrated in vertical central section in the accompanying
Drawing, in which
A is a jacket or casing forming the base of the lamp and surrounding or
enclosing an oil reservoir or container B. The said jacket or casing may be made
of brass, iron, copper or other suitable metal; it is surmounted by a ring or annular
piece A¹ which supports a hollow or tubular piece C of mica, made in the form of
a truncated cone and hereinafter termed the mica cone, and a glass cylinder D.
E is a copper chimney the lower end of which surrounds the upper part of the said
mica cone.
The mica cone forms an important feature of my Invention; it is designed to
prevent the breaking of the said glass cylinder by the heat of the flame of the lamp
or of gases burning within the said lamp. It will, moreover, serve as a flame-
tight guard in case of breakage of the said glass cylinder by concussion or
otherwise.
F is a hood covered with asbestos cloth G, which hood encloses the outlet of the
chimney E. H, H, are air inlet apertures around the base of the casing A. These
apertures communicate with vertical tubes I whereby the air entering the said
apertures is conducted directly to the flame. The tubes I are arranged between
the casing A and the oil reservoir or container B. They are made upon the
principle of Hemming's oxyhydrogen safety-jet, that is to say they are of such
length in proportion to their diameter that it is not possible for any flame to pass
through them.
J is a piece of wire gauze provided at the base of the mica cono C. All gases
that pass through this wire gauze will be ignited before there is any danger of an
explosion; as a further protection against the passage of flame from the interior
to the exterior of the lamp, a ring K of wire gauze is also provided which covers
the upper ends of the tubes I. The chimney outlet is protected by a piece L and
also by other pieces M of wire gauze within the hood F. N is a cotton wick which
is furnished with a woven asbestos fibre tip N' so that no trimming is required.
O is a device for regulating or adjusting the said wick. The piece A' is screw-
threaded so that it will fit upon a corresponding screw thread on the casing A and
a lock is fixed to the casing at P so that the opening of the lamp without a key
can be prevented.
The transmission of heat from the flame of the lamp to the oil container or
reservoir B is checked or prevented by a ring or washer of asbestos cloth packing
at a.
This lamp, although chiefly intended for burning mineral oils, may if desired be
fitted with a burner for colza oil,
It will be seen that, by constructing a lamp in the manner above set forth, I
obtain important advantages inasmuch as I provide for the admission of the
requisite quantity of air through tubes which will not permit the passage of flame
through them and I provide for the ignition of the incoming explosive gases close
to the flame of the lamp before they can develop any dangerous energy therein,

page_text: the danger of explosions in coal-mines, through the employment therein of my
improved lamp, will therefore be very slight.
I wish it understood that I do not claim broadly or independently of the other
features of construction herein set forth the employment, in a safety-lamp, of air-
tubes of such diameter in proportion to their length as to prevent the passage of
flame through them.
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
First. In a safety lamp, the employment of the hollow mica cone, substantially
as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Second. The improved safety lamp constructed substantially as set forth with
reference to the accompanying Drawing.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.