Year: 1886

page_text: We, ALVIN MOORE CRAIG, and CHARLES PARSONS HOBART, residing at
Southington, in the County of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut in the
United States of America, Gentlemen, 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 what are known as central draft lamp burners. In
this class of burners as heretofore made it has been necessary in order to success-
fully use them, to attach them to lamp bodies having a tube either extending from
top to bottom thereof or from the top downward, and thence to the side, through
which tube air is conducted to the burning wick; also in this class of burners the
wick is conducted from the oil reservoir to the burner in a narrow passage into
which the wick tightly. fits, and by reason of its fitting tightly in the said passage,
the amount of capillary force exerted in raising the oil is greatly reduced. The
object of the present invention is to produce a burner which may be readily,
attached to a lamp body of ordinary construction and not requiring any special
construction of the said body for its reception; further the object is to produce a
conducting tube for the wick, by the form of which the capillary force exerted
upon the oil by the wick is in no way restricted. In a course of experiments with
central draft burners it has been found that air may be taken from the sides of
the burner above the lamp body and conducted to the central tube around which
the wick is placed with good results, provided the air be admitted through two,
four, six, or any other even number of openings arranged in pairs the members of
which are diametrically opposite each other, it has also been found that where but
one opening is used or where more than one of different size, and not exactly
opposite each other are used the result is an irregular burning and flickering, of the
flame. The invention consists of a central draft lamp burner, provided with
openings above the lamp body through which air is admitted to the wick tube
further the invention consists in a wick passage which generally increases in width
from the base of the burner upward, leaving as much of the tube free to absorb the
air, as possible, further the invention consists in a novel form of wick raiser by
means of which two or more independent wicks may be raised and lowered by one
ratchet pin; and finally the invention consists in a simple means of preventing the
flame from being affected by draughts or gusts of wind, all as will be hereinafter

page_text: set forth. In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention relates
may know how to make and use the same we will now proceed to describe the
same in connection with the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure, 1, is a side elevation of the burner, partly in section.
Figure, 2, is a detail view of the wick tube."
Figures, 3, and, 3a, are detail views of the wick raising device and flame
deflector, respectively.
Figure, 4, is a horizontal section on the line, x-x, of figure, 1, and,-
Figure, 5, is a vertical sectional view on line, y-y, of fig. 1.
In these drawings, A, represents a tube of any suitable material preferably of
brass upon which is fitted the ring, B, which in connection with the ring, C, forms
the means for holding the chimney in place. The lower part of the ring, B, is
perforated for the admission of air which passes up inside the chimney and aids in
creating a draft. D, represents the wick tube which is situated within the
tube, A, and is such size as to leave a space between it and the tube, A, for the
reception of the wick.
It is of course necessary to confine the wick somewhat snugly near the top of
the wick tube when it is grasped by the wick raiser, but in order that it may not
be confined closely below this point, and thus rendered partially incapable of
absorbing the oil, the wick tube is made in the form shown in the drawing, that is
tapering gradually below the point at which the wick is engaged by the wick
raiser, thus leaving the wick free to absorb the oil. The tube, A, is provided near
its lower end with openings, a, preferably two in number which are situated.
opposite each other and are of the same size. The wick tube is. provided with:
holes which correspond in size, number and position with those in the tube, a, and.
these openings are connected by means of tubes fastened at one end to the tube, A,
and the other to the wick tube through which air is conducted to the interior of
the wick tube and passes upward through the same causing a draft which promotes
the combustion of the oil. The passage of the tubes, b, which conduct air to the
interior of the tube, through the space intended for the wick renders it necessary
that the said wick be made in separate parts, and in order that these parts may be
raised and lowered by one ratchet the device illustrated in figure, 3, of the drawing
is employed. This consists of a cylinder, E, of a size to enter the annular space
intended for the reception of the wick. The upper edge of this cylinder is provided
with sharp teeth which project inward and engage the wick. These teeth are
preferably formed by making oblique cuts in the top of the cylinder and bending
the sharp teeth thus formed, inward. The cylinder, E, is provided with two
depending arms, c, which have a vertical series of openings, adapted to be engaged'
by the teeth of a ratchet, F, which is mounted on the side of the tube, A,.and
whose teeth project through an opening in the wick tube. In order that the
burning of the lamp may not be affected by draughts, and gusts of wind the bell
shaped ring, G, is provided, whose upper end tightly encloses the tubes, and whose
lower end is of a size to leave a space for the entrance of air. The lower end of
the wick tube is closed by a metal disk to the upper side of which is soldered a
tube, I, into which fits the reduced lower end of the spereader, J, which latter is of
ordinary form,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. As a new article of manufacture a central draft lamp burner provided with
air inlet openings above the lamp body, said inlet openings communicating
with the interior of the wick tube.
2. As a new article of manufacture, a central draft lamp burner provided with
air inlet openings, situated opposite each other and communicating with the
wick tube.

page_text: 3. As a new article of manufacture, a central draft lamp burner provided with
air inlet openings situated opposite each other and of the same size, and com-
municating with the interior of the wick tube.
4. In a wick raiser the combination with the tube, A, provided with openings
near its bottom, of the wick tube situated within the tube, A, and provided with
openings in the sides thereof and suitable tubes for connecting the openings in the
tube, A, and wick, substantially as described.
5. The combination with the lamp burner having the wick space, of the wick
raiser consisting of the cylinder provided with the projecting teeth, substantially
as described.
6. The combination with the burner comprising the tube, A, and wick tube
having openings connected by tubes passing through the wick space, of the wick
made in parts, and the wick raiser consisting of the cylinder having the projecting
teeth.
7. The combination with the tube, A, of the tapering wick tube secured therein, ⚫
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. The combination with the tube, A, provided with openings for the admission
of air, of the bell shaped ring covering said opening, substantially as described.
9. The combination in a lamp burner of the tube, A, provided with openings, the
wick tube also provided with openings and the tubes for connecting the same, the
wick made in sections, the wick raiser and the bell shaped ring for protecting
the air openings.