Improvements in Flame Controlling Devices for Miners' and other Lamps.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flame Controlling Devices for Miners' and other
Lamps.
I, WILLIAM MURRAY HARRISON residing at Number 929 West Fourth Street,
in the City of Williamsport, in the County of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, Merchant, 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 :-
;
Heretofore miners' lamps have sometimes been provided with a bail or pivoted
device adapted to be turned up into or against the flame for conducting the heat to
the body of the lamp and melting paraffine or similar fuel employed therein. Also
a lamp has sometimes been provided with a wire or other metallic piece held
against one side of the flame but leaving the other side free. Also a device having
the form of a shears with curved blades has been applied below or around the flame
of a candle or lamp so as to effect the supply of air thereto.
The object of this invention is to lessen the smoking of lamps by applying
governing devices to opposite sides of the flame, whereby the latter is compressed
into a flatter form than it otherwise would take, but the air is not cut off from the
edges of the flame. This compressing action secures for the flame its maximum
candle power without smoking; an important consideration in miners' lamps
especially, as niners' oil, though nominally vegetable, is habitually adulterated
with smoke evolving petroleum.
To effect this I employ pivoted' bails, which are turned up at will against
opposite sides of the flame, within which the flame is compressed and flattened
for controlling it substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth and
claimed.
In the accompanying drawings;
Fig. 1. represents a perspective view of a miner's lamp provided with a pair of
pivoted bails constituting a flame controlling device and embodying one form of my
invention.
Fig. 2, represents a vertical, central section of the same from the wick tube to
the hook; and
Fig. 3, represents a similar view to Fig. 1, of a miner's lamp provided with a
somewhat different means of attachment for the flame controlling device.
A designates a miner's lamp of the ordinary form, having an air inlet a, a
suspending hook G, a spout B, and a wick tube. The said wick tube encloses
a wick D and is provided with openings C¹ to let the oil or other fuel of the lamp
have access thereto.
E, designates a pair of bails mounted on pirots e, and turning up against opposite
sides of the flame to regulate it.
When such bails are pivoted directly to the wick tube they heat the lamp too
much. Therefore it is found best to make use of intervening supports or means of
attachment, which by their construction or material reduce the heat thus transmitted
to an imperceptible amount. As shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 a wire H, bent in numerous
folds and attached to the lamp at its bottom only may be thus employed; or I may
substitute therefor a sheet of metal I cut into corresponding form and similarly
fastened.
In either case the heat is dissipated in the air in passing through the length of
wire or narrow metal, exposed on every side to the air. When the bails composing

page_text: the said heat controlling device E, are turned up against opposite sides of the flame
they compress the same slightly giving it a flattened form but not enclosing the
edges of the flame.
The said flame controlling device also protects the flame somewhat against
currents of air; and makes combustion more perfect by reason of its heat acquired
from the said flame.
It must not be brought together sufficiently to obstruct the said flame or to draw
it down, but only so as to keep it compact and symmetrical. The bails constituting
the said flame controlling device press against the flame on two sides only and thus
flatten it, while leaving free and absolutely unobstructed access of the air to the
edges of the flame.
The practical effect is a very decided reduction of smoke or total elimination
thereof, while retaining the full illuminating power of the lamp.
Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is :-
1. A lamp provided with a flame controlling device, consisting of separate parts
adapted to be adjusted into position against opposite sides of the flame, thereby
compressing and flattening the latter, while leaving free and unobstructed access of
air to the edges of the flame, substantially as set forth.
2. A lamp provided with a flame controlling device, consisting of a pair of
pivoted bails arranged to be turned up against opposite sides of the flame, thereby
compressing and flattening the latter while leaving free and unobstructed access of
air to the edges of the flame, substantially as set forth.
3. A lamp provided with a flame controlling device consisting of separate parts
adapted to be adjusted into position against opposite sides of the flame, thereby
compressing and flattening the latter while leaving free access of air to the edges
of the flame; the said flame controlling device being connected to the said lamp
solely by a long bent wire H or equivalent support whereby the heat of the flame
is prevented from reaching the body of the lamp, substantially as described.
. Dated this 24th day of January 1895.