Year: 1885

page_text: McGill, of Riverdale-on-Hudson, New York, United States, Gentleman, 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 an improvement in lamps of the description known as
Argand lamps.
The following is a description of a lamp embodying this improvement.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation or view of the improved lamp, constructed as
a pedestal lamp and shown partly in vertical section to exhibit the interior
construction of the same.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the lamp constructed as a bracket lamp and
mounted on a bracket,
Fig. 3, is a plan view of the base of the lamp constructed as shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 4, is a vertical section of that part of the lamp constituting the outside air
distributor, exterior air deflector, chimney holder and spring collar for holding this
portion of the lamp snugly upon its annular wick-tube.
Fig. 5, is an upright view of the wick support or carrier, its lower end being
partly in vertical section to exhibit the construction and arrangement of its interior
clamping spring, and teeth and the manner in which the wick is secured in it.
Fig. 6, is a cross section of Fig. 5, taken on the line X of that figure showing the
arrangement for raising and lowering the wick carrier.
'
Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the upper portion of the pedestal of the lamp
showing a convenient arrangement of the oil drip.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts..
A designates an oil reservoir. It may be made of any suitable material; as
shown here it is made of sheet metal; its outer wall- is of ornamental form; its
inner wall, in the present instance, of cylindrical form..

page_text: B designates the wick-tube, or burner-tube, of the lamp. It is of annular form
and arranged in the lamp in vertical position. It is formed of two hollow sheet
metal cylinders, the outer cylinder C being larger diametrically than the inner
one C. The space between these cylinders forms the annular wick-tube B, to
receive and hold the lamp wick; the cylinders C C are joined together at their
bottom to admit of the wick tube B receiving and holding oil to feed the wick, and
are disconnected at their top to admit of the insertion and adjustment of the wick
and its carrier. Oil is fed to the wick-tube by the horizontal tubes or pipes D
extending from the oil reservoir A at its bottom to the bottom of the wick-tube B.
The cylindrical centre of the oil reservoir is of a diameter wider than the exterior
wall or cylinder C of the annular wick-tube, and forms, in connection with such
wall, an annular and vertical air chamber E extending from below the bottom of
the oil reservoir A to its top, and open throughout. The wick-tube B is held in
vertical position in the centre of the lamp by the braces or arms F connecting its
outer surface or wall C with the inner or central wall of the oil reservoir. The air
chamber E thus formed admits of the passage of air up and all around the wick-
tube to keep it cool and to prevent it heating the oil in the reservoir to an.
undesirable extent.
The closed base of the reservoir A terminates in an air receiver and distributor G
consisting, in the present instance, of a hollow outwardly extending flange or
projection provided with a series of openings g through which air enters and passes
up through the central air-chamber H formed by the annular wick tube B. This
passage of air is indicated in the drawing by arrows.
The lamp pedestal I may be connected to the lamp proper by a screw connection
as shown at i Figs 1 and 7 or in any other suitable manner. It is hollow, and as
shown in Fig. 1, is also provided with openings g¹ to admit of the passage of air.
The interior of the upper part of the pedestal may also be arranged as shown in
Figs 1 and 7, to form a drip cup J to catch any overflow or drip, of the oil from
the wick-tube. This drip cup may have an open tubular projecting centre j, as
shown in said figures, to admit of the passage of air from the bottom of the lamp,
and from the openings g' in its base-piece, up to the air chambers E and H. In
Fig. 2 the drip cup is shown as a removable dish secured in the base of the lamp by
screw threads or slides. The bottom of the pedestal I may be turned over, or
otherwise secured to a heavy metal ring K to weight or steady the lamp.
L designates the lamp wick which is of cylindrical form and M, N, represents
its support or carrier. This carrier consists of an outer sheet-metal tube M
provided with a series of holes punctured therein in regular vertical and horizontal
lines, or successions, and an interior tubular clamping-spring N provided at its
lower end with teeth n struck therefrom and projecting outward and downward.
These tubes are of a diameter differing sufficient to admit of the wick being
clamped between them. The upper end of the tubular clamp N is produced with
resilient arms or projecting springs n¹. The lamp wick is attached to its carrier
as follows: The tubular clamping spring N is inserted in one end of the wick and
the wick is drawn down on it until the ends of both are about flush, the wick is
then pressed by the hand snugly around the tube to cause the teeth n to enter the
fibre of the inner side of the wick, the free end of the wick is now inserted in the
tube M and drawn up through the latter until the lower end of the tube is flush
with the lower end of the wick; the contractibility of the resilient arms n¹
facilitating the operation. This clamps the wick between the tubes M, N, and
holds it securely there. The wick and its carrier thus connected is of a size to
enter and snugly fit. the wick-tube B and is entered therein from the top of the
same and forced down until the holes in the carrier M engage with the teeth of the
toothed wheels O, which are mounted on a shaft P journalled in the outer wall of
the wick tube and the teeth of which pass through the same. By turning the
shaft P in one direction the toothed wheels will be made to lower the wick down
in the wick tube and by turning in the opposite direction to raise the same as
'I

page_text: desired. p is a button-cap mounted on the end of the shaft P to facilitate
operating the same.
The object of this construction of the wick-carrier is to hold the wick in proper
vertical position in the wick tube and to enable it to be raised and lowered evenly
therein and by a positive movement which would not be the case were the teeth of
the wheels O to impinge directly on the wick.
Instead of the tube M being furnished with holes it may be furnished with
recesses, ridges or projections to engage 'the teeth of the pinion wheel, but I prefer
holes as they admit of the more free passage of oil to the wick.
Q designates a perforated air distributor which, as here shown, is of concavo-
convex form. It fits snugly around the upper outer wall of the wick tube and
rests upon a circular bead 2 extending therefrom. It is held in place by resilient
arms or springs 3 of sheet metal embracing the outer wall of the wick-tube. The
upper edge is shouldered to afford a support for a deflector R whereby air will be.
directed towards the outer side of the wick.
The deflector R is shown as in the main cylindrical, and as having a conical
upper portion which extends above the top of the wick-tube. At the lower end it
has an outwardly extending flange which rests upon the shouldered upper edge of
the air distributor Q. Air entering this air distributor passes to the outer side of
the tip of the wick.
The outwardly extending flange at the base of the deflector R serves to support
a chimney 4. This chimney is held in place by a series of clamps 5 extending
upwards from the upper edge of the air distributor Q. This flange also serves to
support shade support W and lamp shade Y.
S designates a deflector by which air passing through the central chamber H is
directed towards the inner side of the tip of the wick, and by means of which also
the lamp may be extinguished as hereinafter described. It is made in the form of
a button or disc and its shank has a cavity which fits a rod T that is supported by
spiders 6 fastened to the inner wall of the wick tube. This deflector may be lifted
off the rod T whenever it is desirable to remove it for the purpose of inserting or
trimming the wick.
The deflector S, as shown, is retained upon the rod T by means of gravity and
friction, but any other manner of attaching it to its support so that it can be
readily detached will answer the purposes of this invention. It is diametrically as
large as the outer wall or cylinder C of the wick-tube. The removability of the
deflector S is an important feature, for, were it rigidly attached to its support the
wick could neither be inserted in its tube or properly trimmed.
The rod T is adapted to slide up and down vertically in the spiders 6; a stop
prevents the rod from moving upwards beyond a certain point, hence the deflector S
is prevented from being elevated too far. A spring U coiled around the rod serves
to impel and hold it and the deflector S upwards. The rod T is bent around the
lower end of the annular wick-tube, and extended up through the annular air
chamber E, the outer end being shaped to form a convenient handle Z. By pressing
on this handle the deflector S is lowered over the wick tube to extinguish the
flame. On releasing the handle the spring U will force the said deflector up to its
normal position again. The portion 7 of the rod T forms the stop whereby the
upward movement of the rod is limited.
V designates a perforated concavo-convex air distributor arranged in the central
air-chamber H to divide up the currents of air and prevent unsteadiness in the
flame.
This air distributor has a central opening of a size suitable for fitting the rod T.
It is slipped over the rod T and rests upon the upper spider 6.
The supporting rod T of the extinguishing deflector S need not of necessity be
brought up through the annular air chamber E as shown in the drawing but may
be brought to the exterior of the lamp at any point below the oil reservoir A.
In constructing the lamp the annular air-chamber E may be omitted without
imparing or avoiding the other parts of this invention, and in which case the
.

page_text: hollow cylinder or tube C may terminate in and connect with the top of the oil
reservoir A, and the tube C terminate in and connect with the bottom of the
reservoir, so that the wick on being inserted with its carrier in the wick tube will
enter the oil reservoir proper on its passage down below the top of the reservoir.
I prefer however making the lamp with the annular air-chamber surrounding its
wick-tube for the reasons before stated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a lamp the combination of a wick-tube closed at the bottom and open at
the top, and a button shaped deflector extending over the top of the wick tube and
removably connected to its support, substantially as specified.
2. In a lamp the combination of a vertical annular wick-tube closed at the
bottom and open at the top, of a button shaped deflector, and a vertically movable
support enabling the deflector to serve as an extinguisher; the deflector being
removably connected to said support, substantially as specified.
t
.
3. In a lamp the combination of a vertical wick-tube, a detachable button
shaped deflector, a rod serving to support the deflector and bent around the bottom
of the wick-tube and extended out to the exterior of the lamp, a spring for
elevating the deflector and its rod and a stop for limiting the upward movement
of the deflector and rod, substantially as specified.
4. In a lamp the combination of a vertical wick-tube, an air-chamber outside
and surrounding the wick-tube, a button shaped deflector, a rod serving to support
the deflector and bent around the bottom of the wick-tube, and up through the
air-chamber, a spring for elevating the extinguisher and its rod, and a stop for
limiting the upward movement of the deflector and rod, substantially as specified.
5. In an Argand lamp the combination of an annular vertical wick-tube, a flame
and air deflector R arranged to project above the top of the wick-tube, a button
shaped flame and air deflector S diametrically large enough to cover the open top
of the wick-tube and small enough to descend below the top of the deflector R, a
vertically movable support for the deflector S extending down through a central
air tube and terminating outside the lamp where it may be reached for the purpose
of lowering the deflector S below the top of the deflector R and upon the top of
the wick-tube, substantially as, and for the purposes described.
6. In a lamp the combination of an annular wick-tube an air space or duct
within the wick-tube, an annular reservoir, an air chamber arranged between the
wick tube and the reservoir and provided with openings at the top and bottom, a
base piece and an air inlet arranged intermediately of the base-piece and reservoir
for supplying air to the space or duct which is within the wick-tube and the air
chambers which is between the wick-tube, and the reservoir, substantially. as
specified.
.
7. In a lamp the combination of a burner tube, an annular reservoir an air
chamber arranged between the burner tube and the reservoir and an air distri-
butor at the lower end of the air tube, and above the base piece, substantially as
specified.
8. In a lamp the combination of a burner tube and annular reservoir, an air-
chamber arranged between the burner tube and the reservoir an imperforate base
piece, an air distributor intermediate of the base piece and reservoir and a drip cup
below the burner tube, substantially as specified.
9. In a lamp a wick-carrier composed of an outer and inner tube arranged to
receive and clamp a wick in tubular position between them, the inner tube being
provided at its lower end with teeth to penetrate the lower inner fibre of the wick,
and at its other end with resilient arms to facilitate its entrance, in the wick and
in the outer tube, and the outer tube provided with holes, recesses, or perforations
to engage with the teeth of a pinion wheel or wheels, substantially as and for the
purposes described.

page_text: 10. In a lamp a wick-carrier and support consisting of an outer and inner tube
constructed and arranged to hold the wick between them as described in com-
bination with pinion wheels or wheel mounted on a shaft journalled in the upper
outside wall of the wick-tube, as and for the purposes specified.
11. In a lamp the perforated air distributor Q having central resilient arms or
springs 3 arranged to clasp and hold the distributor in position upon the upper
outer wall of the wick-tube, substantially as described.
12. The combination in a lamp of the air-deflector Q its central resilient arms or
springs 3, the chimney holding springs or clamps 5 and the air deflector R, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.