IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING A COMBINATION OF MINERAL AND VEGETABLE SPIRITS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Syson Nibbs, of the Lozells, Aston Manor,
in the County of Warwick, Lamp Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING A COMBINATION OF MINERAL AND
VEGETABLE SPIRITS."
Sealed the 19th February 1867, and dated the 22nd August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Syson Nibbs at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd August 1866.
I, JAMES SYSON NIBBS, of the Lozells, Aston Manor, in the County of
Warwick, Lamp Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING A COMBINATION OF MINERAL
AND VEGETABLE SPIRITS," to be as follows (that is to say):-
My Invention applies to lamps subject to motion, such as small spirit lamps
for domestic use, or night lights, as well as for carriage, ship, and other lamps,
chandeliers or lanterns, and consists in forming a chamber for receiving the
spirit I propose using; which, by preference, I prepare by mixing methylated
[Price 8d.]

page_text: spirits or spirits of wine with mineral naptha, of which mixture I have found
four parts of the foriner and one of the latter to answer well; and I control
its volatile nature by elevating the top or burning end of the wick, which for
appearance I bring up through a small concentric metal tube, surrounded by
an opal glass or enamel tube, representing wax or a composition candle; and
to this arrangement for an ordinary night light I apply a gallery for receiving
and supporting a glass chimney. The vessel for holding the fluid I prefer
breaking up or dividing by perforated concentric rings or gauze, that by
moving the lamp or light about the light shall not be flushed.
Within
As a modification for the use of the opal or enamel tube (which is consistent
in appearance for a night or small domestic lamp), I sometimes adopt a tube
with a lower collar and packing for screwing on to the stand or vessel that
holds the spirit, and near the top of this tube I apply a small concave collar
or neck, and above this a portable perforated hollow dome or cap.
the tube I apply cotton wick, sponge, or other fibrous material, which extends
down into the spirits, by which the capillary attraction of the spirit to the
flame is supported. To light a lamp so constructed I drop a small quantity of
the spirit I use for combustion or other suitable inflammable spirit in the
will
concave neck before referred to, and by igniting the same the dome or cap
become so heated as to convert the spirit contained in the sponge or wick
near the dome into an inflammable gas, and which will burn in brilliant jets
issuing through the perforations. Lamps thus constructed are intended to
be burnt without chimneys, but the burner may be enclosed in a globe, lamp
or lantern case as may be required, ventilation being provided in the ordinary
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Syson Nibbs in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SYSON NIBBS, of the Lozells, Aston Manor, in the County of Warwick, Lamp
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said James Syson, Nibbs, Her special licence that I, the said James Syson
Nibbs,, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James, Syson Nibbs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time. and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, a an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING A COMBINATION OF MINERAL AND VEGETABLE SPIRITS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Syson Nibbs, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Syson Nibbs, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement (that is to say):--
My Invention applies to portable or stationary lamps, such as small spirit
lamps for domestic use or night lights, as well as for table, carriage, ship, and
other lamps, chandeliers, vestibules, lighthouse or other lanterns, and con-
sists in forming a chamer for receiving the spirit I purpose using (which, by
preference, I prepare by mixing methylated spirit or spirits of wine with
mineral naptha, of which mixture I have found four parts of the former and
one of the latter to answer well, and during combustion to be entirely inodorous
or inoffensive for common or domestic use), and I control its volatile nature
by elevating (to a suitable degree above the level of the spirit in the vessel)
the top or burning end of the wick, which for appearance I bring up through a
small concentric metal or other tube or passage formed through or surrounded
by an opal glass or enamel tube, or other equivalent arrangements, representing
by preference a wax or other candle, as this arrangement produces a natural
and agreeable effect, and to this construction for an ordinary night light I
apply a gallery for receiving and supporting a glass chimney of any desirable
shape for protecting the light. The vessel. for holding the fluid I prefer
breaking up or dividing on its interior by perforated concentric rings or gauze,
that by moving or subjecting the lamp to violent motion the lightshall not be
flushed or extinguished by an excess of spirits.
Asa modification for the use of the opal or enamel tube, which is consistent

page_text: cap.
in appearance for a night or small domestic lamp, I sometime adopt 'a'tube
with a lower collar and packing for screwing on to the stand or vessel that
holds the spirit, and near the top of this tube I apply a small concave collar
Within the 'tube I'
or neck, and above this a portable perforated hollow
apply cotton wick, sponge, or other fibrous material which extends down into
the spirit, by which the capillary attraction and volatile action of the spirit to
the flame is supported. To light a lamp so constructed I pour for convenience
a sinail quantity of the spirit I use for combustion or other suitable inflam-
inable spirit in the concave neck before referred to, and by igniting the same
the cap will become so heated as to convert the spirit evolved through the
sponge or wick near the cap in the interior into an inflammable gas, and
which will burn in brilliant jets issuing through the perforations before named.
Lampsth us constructed and supplied with my compound spirit may be burnt
otherwise than described, and are intended to be burnt without chimneys, but
the burner may be enclosed in a globe, lamp, or lantern case as may be required,
ventilation being provided in the ordinary way.
But as my Invention will be more fully understood by referring to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, I will proceed to describe the same, reference
being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of a simple and economic lamp con-
structed for a chamber or night light, but of course may be used for all
convenient household purposes where such a light may be required.
a, a, is the stand and vessel combined for holding the compound spirit I
purpose using, and b, b, is a metal gallery arranged or perforated at the bottom
for the admission of air, as indicated by the arrowsc, c. This gallery is screwed
into or otherwise portably connected to the stand or reservoir d, d,; e, is a
tube which may be enamelled or otherwise finished on the exterior with a
support, top and bottom, for holding the concentric tube f, f, through which
the lamp cotton is passed; but in some cases instead of using a tube ag
represented at e, e, this part may be of earthenware or glass, and if the latter
be used, and of the kind known as opal of a suitable colour, the appearance of
a wax candle will be obtained. The glass flame protector or chimney g, g
may be of any other desirable shape than here shown, but the general arrange
ment as here represented I have found to answer well, and by the volatile
action of the spirit and the capillary attraction of the cotton I am enabled to
so elevate the cotton for ignition as to introduce the glass or tube representing

page_text: the candle and at the same time render this description of lampiperfectly safe
and economic in use. Inasmuch as a lamp or night light so constructed is
handy for carrying about from room to room titlis expedient that thinspirit
should besorestrained as not to be affected and flush the light from
violent motion,und to abthis may unite to the bottom iof the limpicoa
centric wire gauze or perforated metal rings varked, h, and which
rings or any convenient number of them produce this results andyét
allow the spirit in the vessel to flow from the exterior to the interior basivis
1910 ya
burnt.
.
Fig. 2 is simply a complete side view of Figure 1, the same letters deg
the same parts in each view, but in using this description of spiritubus fighte
for a vestibule or other lamp, chandelier or lantern, it would only be necessary
to place the arrangement as here shown with any required modification
within an outer globe or case, or to the branches or arms of a duandelier
or other arrangements where a light or lights may be required, conserving
in all cases the arrangement here shown or its equivalent, for conveniently
renewing or supplying the spirits as well as trimming, lighting and
extinguishing.
* estou
Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of a lamp so arranged that I am able
to take advantage of the volatile nature of the compound spirit here!beford
named, that by the addition of heat in the process of first lighting convert
the spirit into gas, not that this would be new of itself, as Read Holliday
effected this object in 1848, in the Specification of a Patent granted' which
of that year, No. 12,015, but without a wick, and in a subsequent Patentin
1850, No. 12,965, with a wick; but the distance of the wick from the point
of combustion, with his peculiar arrangement for admitting air to commingle
with the gas generated before ignition, gives to it a distinct character to my
improvements as here represented; and also in 1865 a Patent was obtained
by William Bell Dalston, No. 562, for the same object, but with the charac
teristic that instead of elevating the spirit from the reservoir below by the
delicate self-regulating capillary attraction of a wick, he used atmospheric
pressure by means of an air pump attached to his lamp for forcing the spirit
to or near the point of combustion.
badines
All these objectionable and expensive details I avoid by simply arranging
my lamp as here represented. k, k, is the vessel for holding the spirit, which
may be of metal, glass, earthenware, or other suitable material, udited for
combined with a stand, such as here shown or otherwise as preferred, and oil to
the reservoir I apply a metal cap 1, l, the upper portion which is screwed

page_text: bigtharnietah paytim, nf, tuiwhich is secured the rostul,tuba,113, 30,
caying the bornergi! and triangular support for carrying, the glass or shade
pippau anithe top edge of the metalgapiland below the metal part
Inant ferigifacing ponioandnotni marked stou suchbasicork wood,coAAE
suitabloidexpensixoteril. Atthe stop of the trick tuba is a small concoYQ
cblidmedet,, which may bejsdrewed fonas-here shown, or put on loose,
abutting against a projection and held down by the burner or domen being
sorowed down on it. This dome may be perforated as here represented or in
any other manner that may be desirable, and I will suppose for mere
techuichlity that the glass shade, is removed, that the top collar r, r, with its
attendant part is unscrewed and removed from the collar I, 4, which leaves the
vessebonen to be charged with spirit and at the same time permits a cotton
wick tone inserted, as here represented, into the tube m, m, and the parts
belireplaced a small drop of the spirit I propose using in the lamp, or any
other volatile spirit convenient at hand, may be placed in the concave collar t
qishignited, which will generate, sufficient heat around the top part of the
wick asta convert the spirit into a gas, which escaping through the perforations
assumes the form of jets according to the number of perforations used, and
this gas will continue to be generated aided by the heat of the cap or dome n,
and supported by the volatile character of the spirit, and the capillary attrac-
tion of the wick, the forms of the jets being varied according to the direction
of the perforations before referred to;, and to prevent flushing of the wick in
this case I may find it expedient to introduce a perforated metal or wire gauze
ringexhibited in dotted lines marked w, w, which if left unsoldered may
beicontracted for passing through the neck.
oliis simply a side elevation of the last Figure, and in like manner as
with Figures 1 and 2, may be varied in shape and design in any suitable way,
obaiabank may be formed at the lower part or bottom of the spirit vessel
forfitting into a sconce or socket as may be necessary when using such
description of lights for brackets and chandeliers, or a central vessel forming
the body of a chandelier may be adopted for holding the spirit with projecting
or radiating arms, at the apex of which the arrangement or its equivalen
described and exhibited at Figures 3 and 4 as within the glass shade may be
applied but in this case I prefer for the perforations as in the dome n to b
above tlie level of the spirit in the said body when filled or supplied for use
unless brought under by a regulating tap or valve.
From this general description of my Invention, and the manner in whic
the same may be variously carried into effect, it will be understood that I d

page_text: not purpose limiting myself to the exact details here represented provided its
character and object is maintained.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Syson Nibbs, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JAMES SYSON NIBBS. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM LOACH,
Clerk to James S. Cockings,
Patent Agent, Birmingham.