IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' LAMPS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY BE APPLIED WHOLLY OR IN PART TO OTHER LAMPS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Blake, of Aston, near. Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Commercial Traveller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHIPS' LAMPS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY BE APPLIED WHOLLY OR IN PART TO
OTHER LAMPS."
ealed the 6th February 1880, and dated the 23rd August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Blake'at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd August 1879.
ISAAC BLAKE, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Com-
mercial Traveller. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' LAMPS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY
BE APPLIED WHOLLY OR IN PART TO OTHER LAMPS."
My Invention has reference principally to ships' lamps and other lamps in which
light or volatile oils are burned, the object of iny Invention being to protect the
body of the lamp from the heat produced by the combustion, and thereby render
the lamp safer than lamps of the ordinary construction, and to render the light
more brilliant:
I will describe my Invention as applied to a ship's lap.
I support the circular lens constituting the glass chimney of the lainp on a metal
flange, which fits on or forms part of the burner, the flaine being about inidway
between the top and bottom of the lens. Surmounting the lens is a conical metal
chimney with a flange at its base, the said flange fitting the top of the lens. I sup-
port this chimney by vertical wire supports situated within the lens, the ring to
which the wires are connected near their lower ends resting on the lens holder. The
lower ends of the wires take into holes in the lens holder.
I construct the head of the lamp in the following manner :-The said head con-
sists of a tube or hollow cylinder of the usual dimensions, and near the top of the
said head I pierce holes all round. I also make a second row of holes about mid-
way between the top and bottom of the head, and beneath these last named holes
I fix a hollow metallic cone on the head. I fix a horizontal perforated plate of
sheet metal inside the head a short distance above the top of the hollow cone and
below the top row of holes.
I attach to the head of the lamp a metal chimney constructed in the following
manner :- -I make a hollow inetallic cylinder of considerably smaller diameter than
the top of the hollow cone, and fix it concentrically in the said cone, its top being
somewhat higher than the upper edge of the said cone. In the said hollow metallic

page_text: cylinder I place a somewhat smaller hollow cylinder, the latter being capable of
sliding in the former. I connect them together in the following manner-In the
said smaller hollow cylinder are three equi-distant slots; the upper parts of these
slots are vertical, and the lower parts horizontal. Three equi-distant radial pins
in the larger cylinder are engaged in the said slots in the smaller cylinder The two
hollow cylinders are thus connected together, and the smaller one can be fixed in
the larger one in a higher or lower position. By raising the smaller one till the
horizontal portions of its slots are raised to the level of the pins engaging in the said
slots, and turning the smaller cylinder through a small anglo, the said pins engage
in the horizontal portions of the slots, and the smaller cylinder is supported in its
highest position.
When it is wished to lower the smaller cylinder it is turned so as to bring the
vertical portions of its slots over the pins, when it can descend to a distance equal
to the length of the vertical portions of the slots.
I thus form a telescopic or sliding chimney in the head of the lamp, and when the
moveable part is elevated and supported as described, it will allow the chimney
attached to the burner to slide underneath it, and the burner and the reservoir may
be passed into or withdrawn from the case. When the burner has been put in its
place in the case the sliding part of the chimney is lowered, when it descends upon
the conical chimney surrounding the lens and connects it to the chimney fixed in
the head of the lanp, and there is thus formed a continuous chimney from the
burner to the crown of the head.
I also apply the sliding chimney attached to the head to lamps in which ordinary
glass chimneys are used with the burners, so that the moveable part may fall over
the glass chimney and form a continuation of the said chimney, and thereby increase
the draft.
By thus forming a continuous chimney from the burner to the crown of the head
a better light is produced, the heat is carried from the body of the lamp, and the oil
vessel kept cooler than in lamps of the ordinary construction; the lamps are thereby
rendered quite safe when burning highly volatile oils.
In anchor and similar lamps the inner or moveable part of the chimney attached
to the head of the lamp is not required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Isaac Blake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th February
1880.
ISAAC BLAKE, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Com-
mercial. Traveller. "
IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS LAMPS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY
'BE APPLIED WHOLLY OR IN PART TO OTHER LAMPS."
"
My Invention has reference principally to ships' lamps and other lamps in which
light or volatile oils are burned, the object of my Invention being to protect the
body of the lamp from the heat produced by the combustion, and thereby render
the lamp safer than lamps of the ordinary construction, and to render the light
more brilliant.
"
f'
I will describe my Invention as applied to a ship's lamp. I support the circular
lens constituting the glass chimney of the lamp on a metal flange, which fits on or
forms part of the burner, the flame being about midway between the top and
bottom of the lens. Surmounting the lens is a conical metal chimney with a flango
at its base, the said flange fitting the top of the lens. I support this chimney by
vertical wire supports situated within the lens, the ring to which the wires are
connected near their lower ends resting on the lens holder. The lower ends of the
wire supports take into holes in the lens holder.
I construct the head of the lamp in the following manner :-The said head con-
sists of a tube or hollow cylinder of the usual dimensions, and near the top of the
said head I pierce holes all round. I also make a second row of holes about mid-
way between the top and bottom of the head, and beneath these last named holes I
fix a hollow metallic cone in the head. I fix a horizontal perforated plate of sheet
inetal inside the head a short distance above the top of the hollow cone and below
the top row of holes.
I attach to the head of tho lamp a metal chimney, constructed in the following
manner: —
I make a hollow metallic cylinder of considerably smaller diameter than the top
of the hollow cone, and fix it concentrically in the said cone, its top being
somewhat higher than the upper edge of the said cone. In the said hollow
metallic cylinder I place a somewhat smaller cylinder, the latter being capable of
sliding in the former. I connect them together in the following manner: In the
said smaller hollow cylinder are three equi-distant slots; the upper parts of these
slots are vertical, and the lower parts horizontal. Three equi-distant radical pins
in the larger cylinder are engaged in the said slots in the smaller cylinder. The
two hollow cylinders are thus connected together, and the smaller one can be fixed
in the larger one in a higher or lower position. By raising the smaller one till the
horizontal portions of its slots are raised to the level of the pins engaging in the
said slots and turning the smaller cylinder through a small angle, the said pins
engage in the horizontal portions of the slots, and the smaller cylinder is supported
in its highest position. When it is wished to lower the sinaller cylinder it is
turned so as to bring the vertical portions of its slots over the pins, when it can
descend to a distance equal to the length of the vertical portions of the slots.
I thus form a telescopic or sliding chimney in the head of the lamp, and when
the moveable part is elevated and supported as described, it will allow the chimney
attached to the burner to slide underneath it, and the burner and the reservoir
may be passed into or withdrawn from the case. When the burner has been put
in its place in the case the sliding part of the chimney is lowered, when it descends
upon the conical chimney surmounting the lens and connects it to the chimney
fixed in the head of the lamp, and there is thus formed a continuous chimney from
the burner to the crown of the head. I also apply the sliding chimney attached
the head to lamps in which ordinary glass chimneys are used with the burners, so
to

page_text: that the moveable part may fall over the glass chimney and form a continuation of
the said chimney, and thereby increase the draft. By thus forming a continuous
chimney from the burner to the crown of the head a better light is produced the
heat is carried from the body of the lamp, and the oil vessel kept cooler than in
lamps of the ordinary construction. The lamps are thereby rendered quite safe
when burning highly volatile oils.
In anchor and similar lainps the inner or moveable part of the chinney attached
to the head of the lamp is not required.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
the manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section a ship's lamp of the kind called a mast
head lamp, containing my improvements, the said lamp being ready for use;
Figure 2 represents the same partlyin elevation and partly in vertical section,
with the telescopic or sliding chimney in its highest position to permit of the
withdrawal of the oil reservoir and parts carried by it froin or their introduction
into the body of the lamp; Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the lamp taken on
the line a, a, Figure 1; and Figure 4 is also a horizontal section taken on the line
b, b, Figure 1; Figure 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the top of the head of
the lamp; Figure 6 represents in elevation, and Figure 7 in plan, the telescopic or
sliding chimney of the lamp detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
c is the case of the lamp; d is the reservoir containing the light or volatile oil to
be burned in the lamp, the said reservoir being introduced into or withdrawn from
the case of the lamp by a horizontal sliding motion. The oil reservoir d carries the
burner e, the circular lens f constituting the glass chimney, and a conical metal
chimney surmounting the said circular lens f. Fixed to the burner e of the lamp
is a metal flange or holder on which the circular lens f is supported. The metal
chimney g is furnished with a flange g³ at bottom, which flange fits upon the top of
the lens f, as seen in Figure 1. The metal chimney g is supported by three vertical
wire supports i, i, (two only of which are seen in the Drawing) affixed at top to
the said chimney 9 and near their bottom to the metal ring, the said ring resting
on the metal lens holder h, the extreme bottom ends of the said supporting wires i, i,
protruding through holes in the said lens holder. By this arrangement the conical
metal chimney g is very steadily supported in its place on the circular lens.
This part of my Invention is applicable to all kinds of circular lenses, whether
dioptric, plano-convex, or globular.
The inetal chimney attached to the head of the lamp is constructed in the
following manner :-
4
m, m, are two hollow metal cylinders of different diameters, the lower cylinder n
being of smaller diameter than the upper cylinder m. The larger upper cylinder m
is fixed in the head of the lamp by means of the radial netal straps or pieces m², m²,
and the lower smaller cylinder n is capable of sliding into or out of the said upper
cylinder m. The upper cylinder m is fixed concentrically in the cone p in the head
of the lamp, the upper edge of the fixed cylinder m being a little higher that the
upper edge of the said cone p, as represented. To the bottom edge of the smaller
cylinder na ring is affixed, carrying a handle n³ for operating the said smaller
cylinder n. The two hollow cylinders m, n, are connected together by three radial
equi-distant pins q, q, q, on the inside of the upper fixed cylinder m, engaging in a
corresponding number of slots r, r, in the lower and sliding cylinder n.
slots r,, have the shape and positions seen in the Drawings. By means of the
said pins and slots q,, the two cylinders are secured together, and the lower one
n can be fixed in the upper one m in the higher position, represented in Figure 2
or in the lower position, represented in Figure 1.
The
In order to raise the lower sliding part n of the telescopic chimney m, n, from off
the top of the conical chimney g of the burner, the handle n³ is laid hold of and an
upward motion given to it.. The vertical parts of the slots in the cylinder ŉ are

page_text: thereby made to rise upon the fixed radial pins q on the other cylinder m, and
when the horizontal portions of the slots have been raised to the level of the said
fixed pins the turning of the said cylinder n through a small angle causes the said
pins to engage in the said horizontal portions of the slots r, as represented in
Figure 2, so as thereby to support the smaller sliding cylinder n in its highest
position. The part n of the telescopic chimney m, n, is thus raised and fixed above
the level of the top of the conical chimney g of the burner, as represented in
Figure 2, and there is consequently no obstruction to the removal by a sliding
motion of the oil reservoir d and parts carried by it from or their introduction into
the lamp case c. After the reservoir d and parts carried by it have been placed in
the lamp case the lower sliding part of the telescopic chimney is turned through
a small angle in a direction contrary to that before described, so as to bring the
vertical parts of the slots over the pins q on the fixed cylinder m, when the
sliding cylinder n can descend until the tops of the said vertical parts of the slots
rest upon the said pins. The lower or sliding part of the telescopic chinney is
thereby supported in its lowered position, the lowered sliding part n resting upon
the fixed conical chimney g of the lamp burner, as represented in Figure 1. When
the sliding or telescopic chimney is in the lowered position, Figure 1, a continuous
chimney is formed by it in combination with the conical chimney g between the
burner of the lamp and the crown of the head, and increased draft and consequently
an improved light is thereby obtained. Further, the heat and products of com-
bustion are carried from the body of the lamp and the oil reservoir is kept cool.
My improved sliding or telescopic chimney m, n, in the head of the lamp may be
used in combination with an ordinary glass chimney applied to the burner. When
a glass chimney is used in place of the metal chimney g the bottom of the sliding
part n, when lowered, falls over the said glass chimney and forins a continuation or
prolongation of the said glass chimney.
In anchor and other similar lamps in which the oil reservoir and parts carried by
it are lifted from and lowered into the body of the lanp, I dispense with the
lower sliding cylinder n in the head of the lamp, and use only the fixed upper
cylinder or chimney m, but the said fixed upper cylinder or chimney m, as applied
to anchor and similar lamps, constitutes no part of my Invention. In this case the
head of the lamp is hinged to the body, and when the hinged head is closed upon
the body the metal chimney in the said head drops over and encloses the upper end
of the conical chimney g or glass chimney in the same way as the sliding bottom n
of the telescopic chimney when in its lowered position drops over and encloses the
said conical metal chimney or glass chimney.
The parts of the head of the lamp are constructed and arranged in the following
way :-
is the tube or hollow cylinder provided near its upper end with one or more
rows of holes, as usual. Two rows of holes are made by preference, and are shown
in Figure 2. I also make a row of holes marked s immediately above the base of
the hollow metallic cone p, situated concentrically with the fixed cylinder m of the
chimney in the head. The perforated cover t hinged to the top of the head is con-
structed in the ordinary way. Between the cone pand cover ta removeable horizontal
perforated plate or disc u (shown in plan of upperside in Figure 3, and separately
in side elevation in Figure 5) is placed. The said perforated plate or disc uis fur-
nished with a a central stein, and is supported on the radial ledges or lips fixed to
the inside of the head of the lamp in the manner represented in Figure 1. The
said plate or disc u is situated below the top row or rows of holes in the head l.
Instead of supporting the perforated plate or disc u on ledges it may be fixed by
its stalk to the underside of the perforated cover t, as represented in Figure 2, with
the same effect.
By arranging the parts in the head as described and illustrated a double bottom
to the head, with a chamber between the parts of the double bottom, is formed, and
the currents of air entering the head of the lamp are thereby effectually broken up
before reaching the body of the lamp. The unsteadiness of the flame due to the

page_text: incoming currents of air is by this arrangement prevented, and the lamp is better
fitted for use in exposed situations than lamps having heads of the ordinary con-
struction.
The sliding or telescopic chimney m, n, in the head of the lamp, and the arrange-
ment or combination of parts in the top of the head for protecting the lamp from
external currents of air may be applied to lamps burning fixed oils, as well as to
lamps burning light or volatile oils.
I apply one or more of the improvements described and represented to carriage
roof lamps, railway signal lamps, lighthouse lamps, platform, pier head, street, stable
and hand lamps, and other lamps for burning volatile or fixed oils to which my said
iinprovements are or may be applicable.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention,
But I claim as my Invention of "Improvements in Ships' Lamps, which Improve-
ments may be Applied wholly or in part to other Lamps,"
First. Supporting the conical metal chimney of the burner by means of nearly
perpendicular wire rods or supports situated within the circular lens of the lamp,
the said supports being connected at bottom by a ring which rests upon the lens
holder, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
· Secondly. The arrangement or combination of parts of the sliding or telescopic
metal chimney in the head of the lamp, for the purpose and substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The arrangement or combination of parts of the top of the head of the
lamp, for the purpose and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying: Drawings, that is to say, the combination of the perforated
covert with the perforated plate or disc u, either fixed or moveable, so as to form a
double bottom to the head, with a chamber between the two parts of the said
'double bottom, substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Blake, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this 'Ninth day of February, One thousand eight hundred and
eighty