Improvements in and relating to Wick-adjusting Devices for Lamp-burners.
Year: 1897

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by The Matthews and Willard Manufacturing Company,
of Waterbury, County of Newhaven, State of Connecticut, United States of
America.]
Improvements in and relating to Wick-adjusting Devices for
Lamp-burners.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents, 45
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to an improvement in lamp-burners, the object being to pro-
duce a simple, compact and convenient burner in which the wick-adjusting spindle
shall be normally locked against rotation, whereby the wick will be normally held
against movement in either direction.
The leading feature of the invention is a longitudinally movable, normally locked,
wick-adjusting spindle, which is preferably provided with a locking-wheel, which is
engaged for locking the spindle against rotation with a locking plate containing a
circular recess adapted in size to receive the wheel and having its wall roughened or
corrugated for engagement with the wheel for locking it. Preferably the burner is
provided with a spring which co-acts with the spindle so as to move it longitudinally
outward, and thus push the said locking-wheel into the said recess, the spindle being
freed for its rotation, and the elevation or depression of the wick, by pushing it
longitudinally inward so as to overcome the tension of the said spring.
Dated this 1st day of March 1907
Improvements in and relating to Wick-adjusting Devices for
Lamp-burners.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents, 45
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 an improvement in lamp-burners, and while applicable
for use in a great variety of situations, is particularly designed to be used in bicycle-
lanterns which are constantly subjected to jars and shocks tending to displace the
wick.
The object of this invention is to produce a simple, compact and convenient burner,

page_text: in which the wick-adjusting spindle shall be normally locked against rotation,
whereby the wick will normally be positively held against movement in either
direction.
With these ends in view, this invention consists in a burner having a longitudi-
nally movable, normally locked, wick-adjusting spindle. This invention further con-
sists in certain details of construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter
described and pointed out in the claims.
Reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of one form which a lamp-burner, constructed
in accordance with this invention, may assume.
Figure 2. An enlarged view of the burner in vertical central section.
Figure 3. A detached view of the locking-piate and locking-wheel, the wick-
adjusting spindle being shown in section.
Figure 4. A detached view of the locking-plate.
Figure 5. A corresponding view of the locking-wheel.
In carrying out this invention as herein shown, we adapt the wick-adjusting
spindle A to be longitudinally moved, and provide it with a locking-wheel B rigidly
secured to it and having its periphery formed with short teeth, but any adaptation of
the edge of this wheel to lock it, will satisfy this invention. Norinally the teeth of
this wheel are interlocked with tooth-like corrugations c, formed in the wall of a
circular locking recess C, practically corresponding in diameter to the diameter of the
wheel B, and formed in a locking-plate C¹, arranged in the plane of the wheel, and
respectively provided at its upper and lower ends with holding-arms C2 and C 3
entering the upper and lower members D and D¹ of the burner-frame for holding
the plate in place. A spiral spring E encircling the extreme inner end of the
spindle A, and interposed between the inner wall of the lower member D¹ of
the frame and the outer face of the locking-wheel D, excrts a constant effort to push the
spindle longitudinally outward, and hence maintain the teeth of the locking-wheel B
in engagement with the corrugations c of the locking-plate C¹ as seen in Fig. 2.
When it is desired to unlock the spindle for rotating it, it is pressed inward by means
of the button A¹ at its outer end, with sufficient force to compress the spring E,
and to a sufficient extent to move the locking-wheel B entirely out of the recess C,
and into the position shown by broken lines in Fig. 2, after which the spindle may
be freely rotated for raising and lowering the wick. For this purpose the spindle is
provided in the usual manner with two star-wheels A 2 A 2, which engage with the
wick through vertical slots E2 E2, formed to receive them in the flattened
wick-tube E¹, the said slots being made wide enough to permit the longitudinal
movement of the spindle required for locking and unlocking it as described.
It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that the spindle
being normally locked against rotation, will, through its star-wheels, normally and
positively hold the wick against movement in either direction. Therefore no matter
how much the burner may be exposed to shocks and jars, the wick cannot be
disturbed, or caused to settle down or drop down. At the same time the wick may
be raised and lowered with practically as much convenience as in any burner, by
merely exerting inward pressure upon the spindle preparatory to turning it, so as to
cause it to be unlocked, after which it may be turned in the ordinary manner, and the
wick raised or lowered.
This improved burner is particularly adapted for use in bicycle-lanterns, and may
also be used to advantage in all situations where burners are exposed to jars and
shocks, as for instance in railway or street-carriages or cars.
It is apparent also that some other way than that shown may be resorted to for
normally locking the longitudinally movable spindle against rotation. We would
therefore have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact construction
herein shown and described, but hold ourselves at liberty to make such changes and
alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said

page_text: invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A burner having a longitudinally movable, normally locked, wick-adjusting
spindle.
2. A burner having a longitudinally movable, normally locked wick-adjusting
spindle, provided with a locking-wheel, in combination with means with which
the said wheel is normally engaged for locking it against rotation, and from
which it is disengaged by moving it longitudinally in one direction or the
other.
3. In a burner, the combination with a longitudinally movable spindle, of
a locking-wheel rigidly secured thereto, a locking-plate with which the wheel
is normally engaged for locking the spindle against rotation, and a spring for
maintaining the wheel in locking engagement with the said plate.
4. In a burner, the combination with a longitudinally movable wick-adjusting
spindle, of a locking-wheel rigidly secured thereto, a vertically arranged locking-
plate located in the plane of the wheel, and formed with a locking recess with the
edge of which the periphery of the wheel co-acts to lock the wheel against rotation,
a spring encircling the extreme inner end of the spindle, and bearing against the
wheel for forcing the same into the said recess, and normally maintaining it therein,
one or more star-wheels mounted upon the spindle for engagement with the wick,
and a wick-tube having one or more slots for the clearance of the said star-wheels.
Dated this 7th day of May 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.