Improvements in Lamps.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps.
We, ALBERT GRAETZ, ADOLF GRAETZ and MAX GRAETZ, all of 31, Lausitzer
Strasse, Berlin, Germany, Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of our
said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to a device for raising and lowering the wick of lamps, and
consists first, in the employment of a peculiarly constructed nut, which is moved up
and down by means of a threaded spindle made of several strands.
Our invention consists, secondly, in a pair of tongs supported by the said nut,
one end of these tongs being provided with jaws for seizing the wick, and the
other end being in such way actuated by a guide holding the mentioned threaded
spindle, that the jaws open and close automatically, for the purpose hereinafter
more clearly stated.
Our invention consists, finally, in a suitable device actuating the mentioned parts,
whereby the wick may rapidly be drawn downward into the tube enclosing the
same, for the purpose of extinguishing the lamp instantaneously.
The better to make our meaning understood, we will proceed to describe our
improvements by the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters
refer to similar parts, and on which ;
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a lamp fitted with our improved wick-raising
mechanism, taken on the line A-B of Fig. 3.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same on the line C-D of Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a top view of the same.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the same on the line E-F of Fig. 2, from below.
Fig. 5 is n separate view on an enlarged scale of an arm g³, employed in connection-
with the tongs b¹ b².
Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the spindle d and parts connected with the
same.
G is the lamp vessel, on the upper side of which a short vertical tube g¹ (Fig. 1)
is provided eccentrically, through which passes the upper end of a threaded
spindle d, made of several strands (see Fig. 6), and carrying a small chain-wheel 9.
The other end of said threaded spindle is supported by an arm g' depending from
the top of the receptacle G and resting against an arm g³ which extends from the
side of said receptacle.
On the threaded spindle da nut a a¹ (Fig. 6) is mounted, which is made of one
piece of sheet metal and provided with two punched holes corresponding to the
section of the spindle. The star-like points of these holes are out of line with
another, in accordance with the respective position of the thread of the spindle.
The nut being made in this manner ensures a very easy motion of the wick-raising
mechanism. In consequence of the thinness of the sheet-metal and of the free
space left between the two parts a' of the nut no dirt can settle on the threaded
spindle d. On the contrary, such dirt is constantly removed when the nut is raised
and lowered. The manufacture of the nut is moreover the easiest possible and
particularly adapted for the manufacture of great quantities. In practice the
results obtained by this new construction are also by far superior to those yielded
by other methods of constructing the nuts for wick-raisers of petroleum-lamps. It
has been attempted to cast nuts for spindles consisting of several strands as also to
draw them out of tubes, but the simplicity and reliability of function required for
the manufacture of large quantities could not be attained.
The parts a¹ a¹ of the nut a receive between their ends placed toward the wick,
the hinged parts e¹ of a pair of tongs 616, which at their front ends are provided
037

page_text: with jaws c¹² extending upwards and having opposite tooth-like points, which seize
the wick and carry it up and down. The jaws c¹ care of course curved conformably
with the shape of the wick.
The arm g already mentioned, supporting the lower part of the threaded
spindle d serves at the same time as a guide for the short exterior arms of the
tongs 162
The different parts are arranged in such way that the jaws c¹³ hold
the wick as long as the ends of the tongs 2 glide along the vertical sides of the
arm g² (Fig. 5). The upper part of said arm is constructed in the particular
manner shown in the figure, and is formed with two lugs or extensions 9*, which
leave two curved guides 9 between themselves and the main part of a². Now when
the ends of the tongs gliding along the vertical sides of arm are driven
into the guides by the lugs g and consequently approach each other, the opposite
ends of the tongs 613 and the jaws c' fixed to the same are moved from each
other and off the wick, so that the latter may readily be drawn out of the tubes of
the burner-the inner tube only being shown on the drawing-and likewise
re-entered into the same.
A chain is passed round the wheel g mounted on the end of spindle d, said
chain being held and supported by an arm h, provided with two suitable eyes through
which the ends of the chain are passed. The latter has equally an eye at each of
its ends, whereby the movement of the chain is limited in either direction. It is
therefore possible by pulling one of the ends of the chain to impart a rapid
rotation to the wheel 9 and spindle d, whereby the nut a a¹ with the tongs b¹³, the
jaws cc and the wick are rapidly lowered or raised. A string may of course be
used in lieu of a chain. When pulling the right end of the chain go the nut a a¹
will be lowered and the burning wick quickly drawn into the space between the
exterior and the interior wick-tube, whereby the lamp is instantly extinguished;
and when pulling the left end of the chain go, the nut a a¹ and the parts connected
with it will raise the wick into its former position, and the lamp may be relighted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. In a device for raising and lowering the wick of lamps: The nut a a¹ con-
structed of one piece of sheet-metal by punching into the same two holes
corresponding to the section of the spindle d and by bending said piece of sheet-
metal, the spindle acting also on the pair of tongs, provided with jaws c¹ c²,
for the purpose as described.
2. In a device for raising and lowering the wick of lamps: The combination,
with the pair of tongs supported by and guided in the nut a a' and provided
with jaws ce, of the arm g', along which the ends of the tongs are guided in such
manner, that the jaws c¹ separate in their highest position, substantially and for
the purpose as described.
3. In a device for raising and lowering the wick of lamps: The combination,
with the wheel g mounted on spindle d, of the chain or string 96, both ends of which
are free and provided with eyes, and which passes through eyes of the arm h,
limiting also the movement of the chain, substantially as described and shown on
the drawings, and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 26th day of December 1891
ALBERT GRAETZ.
ADOLF GRAETZ.
MAX GRAETZ.
By F. Bosshardt & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.