Improvements in Cycle Lamps and Supports for the same.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycle Lamps and Supports for the same.
I, FREDERICK BRUNO WAIBEL, residing at No. 438, East 85th Street, in the
City and State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
-
This invention relates to a lamp adapted to generating and burning acetylene
gas and a support by which the same is connected to the frame of a cycle.
The water-holding vessel is located above a generator, and the reflector is
connected at one side of the water-holding vessel by a perforated back, there
being a removable frame and glass in front of the Hame and a perforated cap
above the flame, and the reflector is connected by a screw, there being an air space
behind the reflector to lessen the heat passing to the water-holder.
The bottom of the generator is removable and preferably screwed on and the
calcium carbide is placed in a receptacle at the top of which is a perforated plate
and muslin or similar material below it to form a filter for the gas, and a central
perforated tube into which the water is allowed to drip, around which is a muslin
filter, and a spring over the carbide holder keeps it in position.
The metal body of the lamp, between the bottom of the water-holder and the
generator, is perforated or made as openwork so as to allow the air to circulate.
freely between the two parts to keep the water-holder cool, and there is a tube in
the bottom of the water-holder through which the water is allowed to drop
gradually by the action of a valve, and there is a guide for the water to run down
into the generator, such guide having lateral holes for the water to pass out,
and grooved surfaces, so that the water will properly pass into the generator
even when the cycle may be standing at an inclination.
A removable cap closes the supply opening into the water-chamber and a valve-
stem passes vertically through the water-chamber and preferably central, directly
over the water-discharge opening, and a screw upon the valve-stem is employed
for holding the valve closed or regulating the opening thereof, and the stem
of the valve passes up through the top of the water-chamber and is provided with
a knob by which it may be turned to regulate the water supply, and this knob
advantageously has notches upon its edge, and a spring tooth held by a collar
around the neck of the water-chamber cover enables the rider to know how much
to open or close the valve of the water chamber. The spring-tooth can be turned
around with the collar and then clamped in position, and the knob can be turned
around any desired number of notches in one direction, or the other, to increase
the water supply to the calcium carbide in the generating chamber, or to lessen
the same as desired.
The pipe for the gas passes out from the top of the generating chamber and
terminates with a jet in front of the reflector.
At the back of the lamp a circular plate is fastened having radial corrugations
in the opposite faces and near the edge, and a notch by which the circular plate
can be set over a clamping screw that passes through two similar circular plates

page_text: with radial corrugations, hence the lamp can be clamped in any desired position,
and by loosening the clamping screw the lamp can be lifted off when not in use.
The plates, through which the clamping screw passes, are fastened to a clip
adapted to engage and hold upon any desired portion of the cycle frame; such
clip is made in two parts acted upon by a screw and thumb-nut and one part of
the clamp is advantageously angular, adapted to engage the cycle fork, and the
other part is semi-circular, adapted to engage the steering-post or any circular
tube of the frame, and upon one part of the clamp are mortises, and upon the
other part of the clamp is a tongue turned up at the end so that it can be inserted
through either, one of the mortises to adapt the clamp to different sizes of tubes.
Dated this 28th day of October 1898
Improvements in Cycle Lamps and Supports for the same.
I, FREDERICK BRUNO WAIBEL, residing at No. 438, East 85th Street, in the
City and State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer,
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:-
-
This invention relates to a lamp adapted to generating and burning acetylene
gas and a support by which the same is connected to the frame of a cycle.
The water-holding vessel is located above a generator, and the reflector is
connected at one side of the water-holding vessel by a perforated back, there
being a removable frame and glass in front of the Hame and a perforated cap
above the flame, and the reflector is connected by a screw, there being an air space
behind the reflector to lessen the heat passing to the water-holder..
The bottom of the generator is removable and preferably screwed on and the
calcium carbide is placed in a receptacle at the top of which is a perforated plate
and muslin or similar material below it to form a filter for the gas, and a central
perforated tube into which the water is allowed to drip, around which is a muslin
filter, and a spring over the carbide holder keeps it in position.
The metal body of the lamp, between the bottom of the water-holder and the
generator, is perforated or made as openwork so as to allow the air to circulate
freely between the two parts to keep the water-holder cool, and there is a tube in
the bottom of the water-holder through which the water is allowed to drop
gradually by the action of a valve, and there is a guide for the water to run down
into the generator, such guide having lateral holes for the water to pass out,
and grooved surfaces, so that the water will properly pass into the generator
even when the cycle may be standing at an inclination.
A removable cap closes the supply opening into the water-chamber and a valve-
stem passes vertically through the water-chamber and preferably central, directly
over the water-discharge opening, and a screw upon the valve-stem is employed
for holding the valve closed or regulating the opening thereof, and the stem
of the valve passes up through the top of the water-chamber and is provided with
a knob by which it may be turned to regulate the water supply, and this knob
advantageously has notches upon its edge, and a spring tooth held by a collar
around the neck of the water-chamber cover enables the rider to know how much
to open or close the valve of the water chamber. The spring-tooth can be turned
around with the collar and then clamped in position, and the knob can be turned
around any desired number of notches in one direction or the other to increase

page_text: the water supply to the calcium carbide in the generating chamber, or to lessen
the same as desired.
The pipe for the gas passes out from the top of the generating chamber and
terminates with a jet in front of the reflector.
At the back of the lamp a circular plate is fastened having radial corrugations
in the opposite faces and near the edge, and a notch by which the circular plate
can be set over a clamping screw that passes through two similar circular plates
with radial corrugations, hence the lamp can be clamped in any desired position,
and by loosening the clamping screw, the lamp can be lifted off when not in use.
The plates, through which the clamping screw passes, are fastened to a clip
adapted to engage and hold upon any desired portion of the cycle frame; such
clip is made in two parts acted upon by a screw and thumb-nut and one part of
the clamp is advantageously angular, adapted to engage the cycle fork, and the
other part is semi-circular, adapted to engage the steering-post or any circular
tube of the frame, and upon one part of the clamp are mortises, and upon the
other part of the clamp is a tongue turned up at the end so that it can be inserted
through either one of the mortises to adapt the clamp to different sizes of tubes.
In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved lamp and its
support complete; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the spring dog and the notched
ends of the valve-stem; Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the clamping devices of
the support, and Fig. 4 shows the notched circular plate with radial corrugations
attached to a lamp body.
The water holding vessel A is above the generating vessel B, and these two
are connected by the metallic body, but this is made with perforations or open-
work at 2 to allow the free circulation of air between the top of the generator
and the bottom of the water-vessel to keep the parts cool, and the reflector C is
within a conical flame chamber C, there being a cap or ventilator 3 at the top
of the chamber C¹ to allow the products of combustion to pass off freely and there
are perforations 4 that admit air to the flame and also lessen the heat radiated
from the reflector to the water-holding vessel, and there is a conical reflector 1)
and lens or glass E in front of the flame that burns from the jet tube F, the inner
or back end of which pipe opens into the top of the generator B, and it is
advantageous to provide a screw 5 upon the reflector passing into a screw socket
in a recess at the back of the flame-chamber, the metal of which may have a
hollow projection passing into an opening in the front of the water-vessel and
soldered firmly in position as shown.
The generator is advantageously provided with a removable bottom B₁ screwed
on, and within the generating chamber there is a holder for calcium carbide or
similar material, as shown at G, with a removable bottom G¹ that can be put on
after the calcium carbide or similar material has been introduced into the holder,
and the upper part of this holder is perforated as shown at 7, for the passage of
the gas, and a lining 8 of muslin or similar material serves as a filter for the
gas, and there is a central perforated tube 9 into which the water is allowed to
pass and act upon the calcium carbide, and it is advantageous to surround this
central tube also with muslin or similar fibrous material at 10, and by this means
the calcium carbide is kept in position, and the holder being removable, can be
taken out and cleansed whenever desired and before the introduction of fresh
calcium carbide, and I make use of a spring, preferably spiral, as shown at H,
to prevent the carbide holder becoming misplaced or producing any noise by
concussion as the cycle is propelled.
In order to supply water into the calcium carbide holder, I make use of a small
tube 11 passing through the bottom of the water-holder and into the generator B,
and in the said generator B is a conductor 12 as an extension of the tube 11,
such conductor having lateral discharge openings and also being grooved upon
the surface so that the water will follow this conductor by capillary action and
pass into the central perforated tube 9 and act directly upon the calcium carbide,

page_text: even if the cycle may be standing at an inclination, such conductor preventing
the water from dropping upon the top of the carbide holder.
Above the water tube 11 is a valve I, the end of which is tapering and adapted
to act at the upper end of the water-tube 11, and the screw 20 around the valve-
stem acts within the stationary tubular nut 13 so that the valve closes the water-
tube or opens the same more or less according as the valve and stem may be rotated.
The valve-stem passes up through the top of the water-chamber and terminates
with a knob 14 which is preferably cylindrical and notched on a portion of its
edge, and there may be a handle 15 to afford. the necessary leverage to turn the
valve and stem either one way or the other. Of course, when turned in one
direction, the valve is closed tightly upon its seat at the end of the water-tube 11,
or if turned in the other direction, the water supply is opened more or less.
It is often important for the rider to be able to increase or lessen the flame of
the lamp by the touch, and I provide a spring-dog 16 on a collar 17 that surrounds
the neck that is central upon the top of the water-holding vessel, and this collar
can be moved around the said neck and clamped at any desired position by a
screw at 18, and it is advantageous to place this collar and dog in such a position
that when the water is turned off the dog will be adjacent to a smooth cylindrical
portion of the knob at the upper end of the valve-stem, and hence when the said
knob and valve are turned to open the supply of water, the dog does not act, but
a minimum supply of water passes into the calcium carbide.
If now the supply of water and the generation of gas and the size of the flame
are to be increased, the rider can turn the head or knob so that the dog springs
into the first notch or the second notch or so on, according to the size required
of the flame, and the movement of the dog is easily felt or even heard by the
rider and if the flame is too high, the valve can be turned down one or two notches
and the dog not only allows the rider to appreciate the adjustment of the valve,
but it holds the valve so that it is not liable to change its position by any
vibration of the lamp upon the cycle. A screw cap with a perforation in it is
represented at K that allows water to be introduced into the water-holding vessel
from time to time as required.
It will be apparent that the calcium carbide or similar material, being within
the holder, does not come into contact with any portion of the lamp proper, and
the holder rests upon the rubber washer at 21 and the holder being smaller than
the generating chamber in the bottom of the lamp, there is considerable space in
which the acetylene gas may accumulate before passing to the burner and the
generating chamber is easily kept clean, because the spent calcium carbide is
removed in the holder.
The support for the lamp upon the cycle includes a plate a that is circular and
has a range of radial surface corrugations at one or both sides. This plate is
permanently connected to the lamp body and a notch e is made in the plate which
extends from the lower edge to the center of the circular plate so that the screw d
can occupy a central position to the circular plate, and the other portions of the
support are as follows:
a
The joint-plates eel have through them the screw d with a thumb or other
nut f, and the space between the plates e and el is adapted to receive the plate
and there is a range of radial corrugations g upon one of the plates e or el to
engage the radial corrugations upon the plate a.
I prefer to make the radial corrugations upon both sides of the plate a and
upon the inner faces of both plates e and e¹ and the plate a can be passed in
between the plates e and e¹ and hooked over the screw d and then the nut f
tightened to hold the parts rigidly together, or the parts can be freely separated
by simply slackening the nut f.
The clip-plates and h¹ are adapted to clamp upon the cycle fork or frame
and to be tightened by the screw i and thumb-nut k. In some instances the clip-
plates h h have had the angular portions to grasp the fork of the front wheel

page_text: and the approximately semi-circular portion m to pass around the steering-head
or either of the tubes of the bicycle frame, and lining material has been provided
as at n.
The plate has an extension o through which are two or more mortises p, and
upon the plate h¹ there is a tongue y that is entered through one of the mortises,
the end of the tongue being turned up to form a hook, and according to the size
of the steering-head or frame-tube, so the tongue 9 will be put through one or
the other of the mortises, so that the distance between the clip-plates h and h¹
will be readily adapted to the size of the tube that is to be grasped; and it will
be noticed that the screw i, passing through the clip-plates between the angular
portions and the semi-circular portions m, acts to clamp the clip plates firmly
upon the cycle tube, and this screw and its nut are adapted to proper action
whether the tongue q may be through the mortise nearest to the semi-circular
portion of the clip plate or through a more or less remote mortise. In all instances
the tongue q, passing through one of the mortises, acts to connect the clip-plate /¹
to the clip-plate h, so that the two are firmly held together.
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:
First: The combination in a cycle lamp with the water-holding vessel and a
generator below the same and permanently connected thereto, of a removable
holder for the calcium carbide having a perforated upper end and a central tube,
a separate removable bottom to the carbide holder for separating the parts to
remove the spent carbide, and a separate removable bottom to the case of the
generator and screwed upon the same, and an elastic washer between the removable
bottom and the generator, substantially as specified.
=
Second: The combination in a cycle lamp with the water-holding vessel and
a generator below the same and permanently connected thereto, of a removable
holder for the calcium carbide having a perforated upper end and a central tube,
a separate removable bottom to the carbide holder for separating the parts to
remove the spent carbide and a separate removable bottom to the case of the
generator and screwed upon the same, and an elastic washer between the removable
bottom and the generator, and a spring between the upper part of the calcium
carbide holder and the top of the generator, substantially as set forth.
Third: The combination with the calcium carbide holder and the water holding
vessel above the same and the water tube extending into the calcium carbide
holder, of a screw valve for regulating the flow of water to the calcium carbide,
the stem of the valve passing through the top of the water holding vessel, a
cylindrical knob and handle secured upon the valve stem and having notches in
the cylindrical edge, an open collar surrounding the neck of the water-holding
vessel and a screw for clamping the same, and a spring-dog extending up from
the collar and engaging the cylindrical notched head, substantially as set forth.
Fourth-The combination with a joint plate corrugated radially and a clamp-
ing screw passing through the same and having a nut, of a plate fastened to the
lamp and having a range of radial corrugations and a notch from the lower edge
extending up to and including the center of the circular plate whereby the plate
can be hooked over the clamping screw or removed therefrom with facility,
substantially as set forth.
Fifth The combination with the lamp body, of a plate fastened to the lamp
and having a range of radial corrugations on each side and a notch extending up
below and including the center of the plate, a supporting clip adapted to be
connected to the cycle frame or some part thereof, and plates connected to the
clip and having through them a screw with a clamping nut and adapted to
receive between them the circular plate that is hooked over the screw and secured
between the plates by the pressure from the screw and nut, substantially as set
forth.

page_text: Sixth The combination in a clamp, of two plates adapted to receive between
them a tube of the cycle frame and a screw and nut for confining the parts, one
of the clip plates having an extension with two or more mortises in it and the
other plate having a tongue adapted to pass into one of the mortises and turned
up at the end, whereby the clip plates can be connected together at the desired
distances apart for receiving between them the tube of the cycle frame, substan-
tially as set forth.
Seventh: In a calcium carbide apparatus, a metal body, the upper part of
which forms the water-holding vessel and the lower part of the gas holder, and
to which the removable holder for the calcium carbide is connected and between
the bottom of which water-holder and the top of which gas holder there is an
intermediate chamber, the body being perforated around said intermediate chamber
to allow a free circulation of air between the parts, substantially as specified.
Dated this 2nd day of Tuna 1800
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.