IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS." A communication from abroad by Bernard
Labarthe, Achille Guillemare, and Leopold Pallas, of Sabres (Landes), in the
Republic of France.
Sealed the 8th May 1877, and dated the 11th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th November 1876.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. “IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS."
This Invention relates to the construction of a lamp for burning various
substances, which have not hitherto been used for lighting apartments on account
of their fuliginous properties, such for instance as the essence of turpentine, either
purified or not purified, the different liquid products obtained from the distillation
of black pitch or common rosin, as well as the fuliginous liquid products obtained
from pine wood,.and in general all inflammable liquid products which are extracted
from coniferous woods, the object being to obtain a thinner flame than usual by
contracting the air passages at the point at which the currents of air impinge on
the flame, and to obtain the contact at the base of the flame in order-(1st) to produce
a rapid carrying off of the products of combustion; and, (2nd) to obtain round
the flame the greatest amount of oxygen so necessary to support combustion.
The Invention may be applied to lamps having either round or flat wicks, and to
lamps already in use. Those lamps which have two air currents and are termed
argand lamps are found most convenient for the purposes of this Invention, and it
is in connection with such a lamp that it is proposed to describe the Invention.
In argand lamps, the wick holder is formed of two concentric tubes between
which the wick is placed, but according to the present plan the outer tube is made
conical to admit of the introduction of a flat wick, which will become circular as it
approaches the top of the holder. A disc deflector is placed at the top of a rack
which slides in guides in the inner tube, and which is capable of being raised or
lowered by means of a pinion mounted on a shaft, at the outer end of which is a
button by which the pinion may be turned. By raising or lowering this disc the

page_text: draught of the inner current of air to the flame may be regulated at pleasure. A
cone, which serves as the passage for the external current of air, surrounds the wick
holder, and the lip of this cone should be somewhat above the top of the wick
holder tubes, but at the same level as that of the wick which should also extend a
short distance above the top of the holder. The object of this disposition being that
the thickness of the flame shall be reduced, and that the inner current of air by this
simple change shall be drawn up with greater energy which will permit of the
complete combination of the carbon with the oxygen of the air, and thus thorough
combustion will take place.
Petroleum oil lamps may also be fitted in a similar manner with great advantage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th May
1877.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS." A commu-
nication from abroad by Bernard Labarthe, Achille Guillemare, and Leopold Pallas,
of Sabres (Landes), in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to the construction of a lamp for burning various
substances, which have not hitherto been generally used for lighting apartments on
account of the smoky nature of their flame, such for instance as the essence of
turpentine, either purified or not purified, the different liquid products obtained
from the distillation of black pitch or common rosin, as well as the highly car-
bonaceous liquid products obtained from pine wood, and in general all inflammable
liquid products which are extracted from coniferous woods, the object being to
obtain a thinner flame than usual by contracting the air passages at the point at
which the currents of air impinge on the flame, and to produce the contact of the
air at the base of the flame in order-first, to produce a rapid carrying off of the
products of combustion; and, second, to supply round the flame the greatest possible
amount of oxygen which is so necessary to support the proper combustion of these
smoky liquids.
The Invention may be applied to lamps having either round or flat wicks and to
lamps already in use; but those lamps which have two air currents and are termed
argand lamps are found most convenient for the purposes of this Invention, and it
is in connection with a lamp of this description that the Invention is shown in the
accompanying Drawing, which represents a vertical section of a lamp constructed
according to the present Invention.
In argand lamps, the wick holder is formed of two concentric tubes, between
which the cylindrical wick is placed; but according to the present plan the outer
tube I is made conical, in order to admit of the introduction of a flat wick K, which
will become circular as it approaches the top of the holder. A horizontal disc
deffector A is placed at the top of a rack C which slides in guides H, H, in the
inner tube G, and is capable of being raised or lowered by means of a pinion
mounted on a spindle, at the outer end of which is a button B by which the pinion
may be turned; by raising or lowering this disc the draught of the inner current of
air to the flame may be regulated at pleasure. A cone or dome D, the base of
which must be considerably larger than the base of the domes now employed, serves
as the passage for the external current of air and surrounds the wick holder; the
lip or upper edge of this cone or dome D should be somewhat above the top of the
wick holder tubes G, I, but at the same level as the top of the wick K, which
should also extend a short distance above the top of the holder tubes tubes G, I. The
object of this arrangement being that the thickness of the flame shall be reduced,
and that the inner current of air shall (by this simple change) be reduced to a thin

page_text: film and drawn up with greater energy, so as to permit of the complete com-
bination of the carbon with the oxygen of the air, and thus cause a thorough
combustion to take place.
The lamp is to be provided with a chimney which should have a broader base
than the chimneys used in ordinary lamps.
With a view to increase the combustion the air may first be heated by passing
it through a tube (adapted round the glass of the lamp) into the inner tube G, but
this is a complication of apparatus which is not absolutely necessary.
In order to see clearly the advantages of a lamp constructed as above described it
is only necessary to burn some turpentine or other highly fuliginous or smoke
producing liquid in an ordinary lamp, and then to burn some liquid of the same
quality in the improved lamp. The result will be that while in the improved lamp
the flame will be bright and without smoke, the other lamp will have more smoke
than flame.
Petroleum oil may also be readily burned in these lamps, the only alteration
required being to reduce the height of the chimney.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements in lamps
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent, I do not intend to confine myself to the exact
form of the parts as shewn in the Drawing, but I claim,-
Constructing lamps for burning turpentine and other highly fuliginous or smoke
producing liquids, as herein described.
I claim particularly the adaptation to the wick holder of the lamp of an outer
tube I, widened out at its lower part, in combination with a cone or dome D and a
horizontal disc or deflector A above the top of the wick; this arrangement or com-
bination having for its object the supply to the base of the flame of thin films or
currents of air in the form of thin sheets, which will be propelled or drawn in so
energetically by the form and arrangement of the several parts that a complete
combustion of the rich hydrocarbon liquid may be ensured without giving off any
smoke or producing any carbonaceous deposit.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
H. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)