IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alfred Beresford Bennett, of King's Heath, in the
County of Worcester, Science Teacher, James Herd, of Edgbaston, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, and Bernard Peard Walker, also of
Edgbaston, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Consulting Engineer, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alfred Beresford
Bennett, Jaines Herd, and Bernard Peard Walker at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 14th October 1881.
JAMES ALFRED BERESFORD BENNETT, of King's Heath, in the County of
Worcester, Science Teacher, JAMES HERD, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, in tho
County of Warwick, Gentleman, and BERNARD PEARD WALKER, also of Edgbaston,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LAMPS."
Our Invention, relating to improvements in lamps, has reference to the wicks and
parts connected therewith of that class of petroline lamp in which wicks of
incombustible material aro employed.
According to our Invention we form a wick by enclosing asbestos fibre between
two plates of steatite which are held together by being enclosed in a metal tube of
rectangular section, the upper edge of the steatite plates being arranged to project
beyond the metal tube, while the asbestos protrudes to a slight extent beyond the
steatite; or we employ two concentric tubes of steatite with the asbestos fibre
packed between them so as to form an argand burner. In place of asbestos fibre
we may use thin plates of mien packed between steatite plates at right angles, so as
to form capillary spaces, and these mica plates may likewise be arranged in a
circular form by packing them between hollow cylinders formed of steatite. In
lieu also of steatite we may employ tubes and plates of refractory clay or other
nonconducting refractory material, such, for example, as glass or porous earthenware,
glazed or otherwise; and in place of the asbestos we inay employ spun glass or slag
fibre in those cases in which the incombustible fibre is intended only to be used
for conveying the petroline by capillary attraction from the reservoir in the body
of the lamp to the part where ignition takes place. Or we may construct the
burner of slips of bamboo cane silicified by silicate of potash or soda.
Although we have described our Invention as applied to petroline lamps, it is
equally applicable with oil or a mixture of oil and petroline.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Alfred Beresford Bennett, James Herd, and Bernard Peard
Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th April 1882.
JAMES ALFRED BERESFORD BENNETT, of King's Heath, in the County of
Worcester, Science Teacher, JAMES HERD, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gentleman, and BERNARD PEARD WALKER, also of Edgbaston,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Consulting Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS
IN LAMPS,"
"
Our Invention, relating to improvements in lamps, has reference to the wicks
and parts connected therewith of that class of petroline lamp in which wicks of
incombustible material are employed.
Figure 1 of the Drawing is a perspectivo view of a wick or burner constructed
according to our Invention under one modification of the same.
According to our Invention we form a wick by enclosing asbestos fibre a between
plates b of steatite, which are held together by being enclosed in a metal tubo c,
such, for instance, as is used for the wicks of ordinary lamps; the upper edge of the
steatite plates b are arranged to project beyond the inetal tube, whilst the asbestos a
protrudes to a slight extent beyond the stentite. Or we employ two concentric
tubes of stentite with the asbestos fibre packed between them so as to form an argand
burner. In place of asbestos fibre we may use thin plates of mica packed between
steatito plates at right angles or equivalently arranged in such relative position as
to form capillary spaces, and these mica plates may likewise be arranged in a
circular form by packing them between hollow cylinders formed of steatite. In licu
also of steatite we may employ tubes and plates of talc, mica, refractory clay, or
other suitable material, which should be nonporous, incombustible, and of a low
couducting power. Glass or porous earthenware, glazed or otherwise prepared,
may be used; and in place of the asbestos we may employ spun glass or slag fibre
in those cases in which the combustible fibre is intended only to be used for
conveying the petrolino by capillary attraction from the reservoir in the body of
the lamp to the part where ignition takes place; or we may contruct the burner
of slips of bamboo cane silified by silicate of potash or soda.
Figure 2 represents an arrangement wherein the asbestos, either in fibre or
woven as cloth or tape or its equivalent a, between the plates of steatite b (or its
equivalent), is turned or looped over the upper edge of the middle plate so as to
project slightly beyond the plates b, an adjustment for varying the amount of
projection being in some cases provided.
To assist the passage of the oil or the like to the upper part of the wick, a piston
may be employed to press upon the surface of the oil or the like in the reservoir.
The upper part only of the wicks may be constructed as described, the con-
tinuation to the reservoir being formed by the ordinary or other wick.
Although we have described our Invention as applied to petroline lamps, it is
equally applicable with oil or a mixture of oil and petroline.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
The improvements in lamps, heroinbefore described, consisting in constructing
the wicks thereof of refractory materials so relatively arranged as to leave capillary

page_text: spaces for the passage of the petroline, oil, or other fuel to the part of the wick
at which it is burned, substantially as hereinbefore described under various
modifications.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Alfred Beresford Bennett, James
Herd, and Bernard Peard Walker, have to this our Specification set our
hands and seals, this Twelfth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty two.