Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps, and in Means for Electrically Igniting the same.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb.,
1000
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps, and in Means for Electrically
Igniting the same.
I, WILLIAM BEST, Manager of the Firm of Ackroyd and Best Limited, of
Morley, near Leeds, in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to increase the safety and to improve the light-
ing power of miners' safety lamps, and it is also to provide means for electrically
igniting the wick, which is certain in its action and is not liable to become out
of order.
According to my invention, I employ a domed crown which deflects a current
of air onto the burning portion of the wick, and the under side of the dome is
protected by a guaze, in such a manner that the wick end is entirely enclosed
between the dome and the protecting gauze. A glass chimney having a conical
upper portion, is supported on the gallery of the burner, the upper portion of the
said chimney coming near the top of the gauze bonnet of the lamp, and the said
chimney may be provided with a disc or flange for holding it securely in position
within the gauze and for dividing the said gauze into two chambers.
The lamp is provided with an earthenware or other non-conducting burner, and
a conductor is carried up through an enlargement on the side of the said burner,
the upper end of the conductor being situated at the interior edge of the burner.
The earthenware burner contains a metal or other good conducting wick tube,
and the upper edge of the wick tube is cut away at an angle, and it is placed in
the burner in such a manner that the highest point of its upper end is situated
opposite the conductor before referred to. The lower portion of the conductor
is contained in a recess in the burner, and communication is established with a
conducting rod which terminates in the centre of the base of the lamp, from
which it is insulated by any suitable means.
In igniting the lamp, the current is made to pass up the conductor and across
to the top of the wick tube, and in so doing the sparks or electric flame come
into contact with the wick, which is thus readily ignited.
The air supply to the lamp is through the lower portion of the gauze bonnet
and then down to the gauze at the base of the burner, and should the air contain
combustible properties and cause an explosion in the lamp, the said explosion
is confined to the gas contained within the dome, thus extinguishing the flame
of the lamp and preventing the ignition of the remainder of the gas within the
main portion of the lamp itself. The employment of the glass chimney ensures
a more perfect combustion, and thus produces a much brighter flame than could
otherwise be obtained by the air supply to the wick from above in the manner
now in general use.

page_text: The shield of the lamp may be provided with an interior annular deflector, for
the purpose of securing a transverse current of air over the chimney and thus
preventing a down draught.
Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps, and in Means for Electrically
Igniting the same.
A...
I, WILLIAM BEST, Manager of the Firm of Ackroyd and Best" Limited; of
Morley, near Leeds, in the County of York, Engineers, 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:"
The object of this invention is to-increase the illuminating power of miners'
safety lamps, and also to so construct such lamps that on inflammable gas enter-
ing the lamp and coming into contact with the flame, the resultant ignition of
the gas is confined to a small space or chamber, thus minimising the danger of
explosion. This invention also refers to the burner and parts connected there-
with, whereby the wick may be electrically ignited:
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
similar letters refer to like parts in both figures.
Figure 1-is-a-vertical section and Figure 2-is a sectional plan of a miners'
safety lamp constructed according to my invention.
A is a domed crown which deflects a current of air onto the flame of the
wick B, and air inlets on the under side of the dame A are protected by a gauze C
in such a manner that the wick end is entirely enclosed between the dome A and
the protecting gauze C. A glass chimney D having a conical upper portion D' is
supported on a gallery E, the upper portion D¹ of the chimney D coming near
the top of the gauze F of the lamp, and the said chimney may be provided with
a disc or flange D2 for holding it securely in position within the gauze F and
for dividing the said gauze into separate portions F1 and F2.
G is an earthenware burner, through which passes a conductor H, and the
end of the said conductor H is situated near the interior edge of the burner. G.,
The earthenware burner G contains a metal or other good conducting wick
tube J, and the upper edge of the wick tube J is cut away so as to form a pro-
jecting portion J₁ which is bent over the opposite edge of the earthenware
burner G to that of the conductor H. The lower portion of the conductor H is
contained in a recess G¹ in the burner G, and communication is established with
a conducting rod K by means of a spring K¹, which rod K terminates in the
base of the lamp, from which it is insulated by insulating material L. M is
the outer glass of the lamp, and N is a box having a deflector P and ventilating
holes R. S is the swivel for carrying the hook T, and the said swivel is made
hollow so as to act as an outlet for the products of combustion The swivel S
carries an annular deflector V within the bonnet W of the lamp, and holes V
permit the products of combustion to escape at an angle through apertures W
in the bonnet W.
11
In igniting the lamp an induced electric current from an induction coil is made
to pass up the conducting rod K to the conductor H and across to the projecting

page_text: portion of the wick tube J, and in so doing the sparks or electric flame come
into contact with the wick B, which is thus readily ignited.
The air supply to the lamp is through the holes R and round under the
deflector P, then through the lower portion F2 of the gauze F and down between
the glasses M and D through the gauze C at the base of the dome A to the flame,
and should the air possess combustible properties and cause an explosion in the
lamp, the said explosion is confined to the small quantity of gas contained within
the dome, thus extinguishing the flame of the lamp and preventing the ignition
of the remainder of the gas within the main portion of the lamp itself. The
safety of the lamp is further ensured by employing the two gauzes F and C
between the flame and the outside air, by way of the air supply; whilst at the
same time the non-combustible products of combustion are free to escape in a
direct line up the chimney D, through the part F¹ of the single gauze F to the
protected holes V₁ in the deflector V, and thence through the apertures Win
the bonnet W.
The glass chimney D and dome A above described have the effect of ensuring
a faster and more perfect combustion of the oil, thus producing a much brighter
flame than by the slow combustion obtained with the ordinary air supply from
above the flame.
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. In a miners' safety lamp, the enclosing of the flame of the wick within a
gauze protected chamber in such a manner than an explosion of gas is confined to
the contents of the said chamber, substantially as set forth.
2. In a miners' safety lamp, the dome A having gauze protected air inlets C,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. In a miners' safety lamp, the dome A having gauze protected air inlets C, in
combination with the chimney D having a conical portion D' and flange D², sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In a miners' safety lamp, the combination of the dome A, chimney D,
gauze F, deflector P and ventilating holes R, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
5. In a miners' safety lamp, the combination of the hollow swivel S. deflector V
having holes V₁ therein, and bonnet W provided with apertures W¹, substan-
tially as set forth.
6. In a miners' safety lamp, the earthenware burner G carrying a conductor H,
in combination with a wick tube J having a projecting bent over portion J¹, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
7. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of the various parts
forming the improvements in miners' safety lamps and in means for electrically
igniting the same, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
D
201