Improvements in and relating to Miners' Safety Lamps.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Miners' Safety Lamps.
I, WILLIAM HENRY JOHNSON, of the Firm of Richard Johnson, Clapham and
Morris, Limited, of 24 and 26, Lever Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Wire Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in and relating to miners' safety lamps
and the objects of my improvements are, first, to adapt the Marsaut, Mueseller and
other types of safety lamps to be lighted by electricity, secondly, in an improved
cup or holder for the terminal wires of an electric circuit on which the lamps are
to be placed for lighting the wicks, and thirdly, in dispensing with the ordinary
screw ring for holding down the wick tube.
In carrying out my invention I fit a block of any suitable insulating material
which is secured in the oil reservoir and preferably projects slightly into the wick
chamber; in this block are held a pair of say strong copper wires the ends of which
project slightly beyond the bottom of the reservoir; the other ends of these wires
are connected together by an adjustable piece of fine platinum or other suitable
wire the loop of which rests in close proximity to the lamp wick.
My improved cup is formed of a flanged dise and through the bottom of this
disc project the ends of the terminal wires of an electric circuit; these wires are
pushed and held up through the disc by any convenient spring appliance. I cut a
notch in the flange of the disc to receive part of the locking device or it might be
any projection on the lamp, or as an alternative for the notch and projection the
bottom of the lamp and the cup might be so shaped that when the lamp is placed
in the cup the copper wires to convey the current to the wick will come at once into
contact with the terminals of the wires supported by the bottom of the disc and by
pressing the lamp on to the disc the current will pass through the copper wires and
heat the platinum wire sufficiently to ignite the wick.
As a substitute for the screw ring for holding down the wick tube I employ a
small collar at the top of the reservoir and cut notches into which the ends of a
spring wire or its equivalent secured to the reservoir rest, so that when the flange
of the wick tube which is guided by any convenient stop piece is pushed into the
collar the spring or springs catch and secure it in its correct position.
Dated this 19th day of November 1897.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.

page_text: facturer, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in and relating to miners' safety lamps
and the objects of my improvements are, first, to adapt the Marsaut, Mueseller and
other types of safety lamps to be lighted by electricity, and secondly, to construct
an improved cup or holder for the terminal wires of an electric circuit on which
the lamps are to be placed for lighting the wicks.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings-
Fig. 1 is a view of a miners' safety lamp, partly in section, fitted in a cup or
holder both made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the reservoir
or lower portion of the lamp, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improved cup or
holder.
In the drawings, a designates the upper part of a miners' safety lamp, 6 the
oil reservoir fitted with wires for electric ignition of the wick c; in the reservoir
is fitted a block d of ebonite or any other suitable insulating material preferably
surrounded by a sheet metal tube secured between the top and bottom plates of
the reservoir; through the block d are passed two strong copper or other suitable
wires e, the ends of which pass slightly beyond the bottom of the reservoir where
they may be secured into small washers f; the other ends of these wires are con-
nected together by an adjustable piece of fine platinum wire g or other suitable
wire, the loop of which rests in close proximity to the lamp wick.
The improved cup or holder is preferably made of wood or other suitable non
conducting material, and to the bottom of this disc are secured two metal bosses i
drilled at to receive the terminals of the electric wires, not shown, and in each
boss is fitted a small metal contact piece j. In the cup is cut a notch h¹ to receive
part of the locking device of the lamp or it might be any projection on the lamp,
so that when the lamp is placed in the cup and pressed down the wires e will come
at once into electric contact with the metal contact pieces j, the current passing
through the wires e so as to heat the platinum wire sufficiently to ignite the wick.
It is obvious that the bottom of the reservoir might be shaped to fit a special
holder in order to guide it and bring the wires e and pieces j immediately into
contact when the lamp is placed in the holder.
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:
1. The combination with the oil reservoir and wick holder, of the platinum
wire and insulated copper wires e arranged and operating substantially as herein
set forth.
2. The combination with a lamp provided with the platinum and copper wires ge
or an equivalent arrangement of electric wires, of a cup or holder constructed to guide
the lamp into its proper position for lighting and provided with contact makers j
for the purpose of closing an electric circuit and igniting the lamp substantially
as herein set forth.
1000
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant, 17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.