AN IMPROVED LAMP
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry Collins, of the State of Massachusetts,
of the United States of America, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
LAMP."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Michael Henry Collins
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition nnd
Declaration, on the 18th December 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE
IT KNOWN that I, MICHAEL HENRY COLLINS, of the State of Massachusetts,
of the United States of America, have invented "AN IMPROVED LAMP,"
and I do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be performed to be fully described in the following
Specification, and represented in the accompanying Drawings of which
Figure 1 denotes a side elevation, and Figure 2 a vertical and transverse
section of it; Figure 8 is a top view; Figure 4, a side elevation, and
Figure 5, a transverse section of those parts of the lamp which project above
the oil reservoir and operate with and in the glass chimney of the lamp;
Figure 6 is a top view of the auxiliary supporter on and by which the dome-
shaped chimney rest is sustained.
The main purpose I have had in view in the Invention of my said lamp has
been to maintain the glass chimney at and for some distance above. its base at

page_text: a temperature so low as to enable such chimney to be grasped by the hand
of a person and readily removed from the parts supporting it without danger
of burning or uncomfortably heating the fingers or hand of the individual. I
have also sought by means applied to the inner surface of the chimney to
support and hold the chimney in position or down upon its rest or seat without
the use of a lip and a screw or one or more spring catches or other devices
which have to be first moved by hand or manipulated before the chimney can
be raised off its seat. I have further sought to so apply the chimney and its
co-operative parts together and with the wick tube as to enable them bodily
or all of them without the chimney to be easily removed from the said tube
for any purpose, particularly for gaining ready access to the wick for triming
it as occasion may require.
Furthermore I have combined with a glass chimney and a perforated cone
or air deflector supported by means separate from the chimney a thin flanch
concentric with and to extend laterally from and entirely around the cone or
air deflector and against the inner surface of the chimney and at such distance
above the chimney rest or bottom as to form within and by means of the
chimney and below the cone a chamber having transparent sides for the
escape of rays of light, which when emanating from the flame of the wick
tube may pass below the cone or air deflector. And I have combined with
the parts so applied together a foraminous dome to extend from the chimney
rest up into the cylindrical chamber below the cone and in the chimney in
order that air passing through the holes of such dome may be discharged
against the inner surface of the chimney before going up into the cone. I
have also employed in connection with the said flanch or with the same and
its cone having a flame passage a series of air passages with or encompassing
the cone or its flame passage, such being to allow air in sufficient quantities
to pass into that part of the chimney which is above the cone without going
⚫through the flame passage. And for the purpose of reducing the flanch or
diaphram as it may also be termed to a series of springs radiating from
the cone or the base part thereof I form the flanch with radial slits. This
enables the chimney to be easily placed on the flanch and the latter to fit to
the inner surface of the chimney and hold it down upon the chimney rest, and
such. slits also serve as air passages.
In the Drawings A denotes the lamp body or reservoir for holding kerosene
or fluid used for the generation of light; Bis a wick tube which passes through
and is fastened to a hollow cap C screwed in the neck of the lamp body, or
a metallic annular cap a cemented on the neck of the said body. A shaft c
goes through the cap C, and not only carries a milled button or head d fixed

page_text: on its outer end but is extended through and supports one or more spur or
toothed wheels to enter the wick tube and wick when therein, and serve.
when revolved by the shaft to either raise or depress the wick in and with.
respect to the said tube. Concentrically with the cap C and extending from
and fixed to it, or extended from and fixed to the wick tube, is a perforated
disc or shelf S, it having one or a series of holes s, s, made through it.
On this shelf or auxiliary chimney supporter S the main supporter D is
disposed or rests; the said part D encompasses and slips on the wick tube B
and is dome shaped or concavo-convex so as to extend up into the chimney.
when resting on it at or near its circumference. The chimney may embrace
the said part D and rest directly upon the part S, but I prefer to have it rest
upon the part D, which I form foraminous or provide with a series of air
passages 9, 9, so arranged as to cause air when the lamp may be in operation
to pass through them and against the inner surface of the lower portion of
the glass chimney, viz., that part which is below the air deflector or cone F
and its flanch, and this preparatory to such air either in part or in whole
being made to pass through the flame passage, or either or any of the air.
passages of the umbelliferous cone or its flanch. The air which is thus
caused to flow against the lower part of the chimney aids in keeping it at a very
low temperature, such as will enable the chimney at such part when the lamp
is in operation to be grasped with impunity by the hand of a person. Another
advantage of this elevation of the of the chimney rest or part D up within the
chimney in manner described or represented is, that it then operates as a
reffector to dispense through the sides of the glass chimney the rays of light
which may fall down from the flame and upon the elevated surface of the.
part D. The said elevated part of the portion D will also deflect outwardly.
any dirt or carbonaceous matters which may fall from the wick.
Furthermore I do not confine my Invention to the precise shape of the
domed part D as is shown in the above-mentioned Figures, as I sometimes form
it of the shape as exhibited in section in Figure 7, that is to say, so as to
cause part of the air going through it to be discharged by it directly against
the outer surface of the wick tube, the rest of the air being also discharged
against the glass chimney before passing up into and through the cone and its
flanch. This umbelliferous cone or air deflector is arranged over the part D.
and the wick tube, and is supported in position by arms t, t, projecting upward
from the part D or the wick tube. The cone or air deflector has a flame
passage a' made in and extended across its concav-convex bulb &, such bulb
being surrounded by and raised on a concavo-convex annulus c', from which
a thin umbelliferous flanch or diaphram d' extends in manner as represented,.

page_text: it being concentric with and extended around and from the air deflector, and.
laterally with a slight downward inclination toward and against the inner
surface of the glass chimney E; the flanch d' has a series of slits or air
passages h, h, etc., arranged in it in directions radiating from the axis of the
cone or air deflector; 'the flanch d besides performing other functions serves
to stealy the chimney, and when bearing against the inner surface of the latter
the flanch will operate with friction to hold the chimney down upon its rest.
That part of the chimney E which is below the flanch d¹ I construct cylindrical
on its inner surface, and I usually form the rest of the chimney or that part
which is over the flanch in manner as represented in the Drawings, although
I do not intend to limit my Invention to such a form of chimney over the
flanch. Another reason why I form the cone with the slotted flanch or series
of curved peripheral springs to extend from it as described is to enable a glass
chimney to be fitted closely to it without danger of breakage. It is difficult
to form or make two glass chimneys, exactly alike, for generally there will be
small diametric as well as other differences in them, and therefore it becomes
desirable to have the flanch of the cone or deflector so constructed that it will
readily adapt itself to or fit to different chimneys calculated for it, for unless
there be a close fit of the flanch to the interior surface of any such chimney
when applied to it the chimney will not be so effectually supported by it and
will not be held down by it with friction so as to prevent it from accidentally
rising off its rest. Furthermore it is desirable to have a close fit of the flanch
to the chimney in order to have all the air go through the flanch or cone, and
thereby secure to the flame above the cone a regular amount of air such as is
best adapted to effect the combustion of the gaseous and carbonaceous products
of such part of the flame.
In my improved lamp as described the perforated chimney rest and the
cone may be removed bodily from the wick tube when the chimney is not
placed over the cone and on the rest. So when the chimney is in its place ou
its rest such chimney with the rest and cone may be readily and together raised
off the wick tube in order to gain access thereto.
In making my Invention I have sought to create a lamp suitable to burn
kerosene or similar inflammable hydrocarbons, and which would combine the
following qualities, first, to obtain both inside and outside of or above the
cone a draft of air so proportioned and regulated as to effect as nearly as
possible thorough combustion of the gaseous and carbonaceous products of the
flame; second, to so construct the burner as to utilize with the greatest
practical result all or nearly all the light produced, or in other words to cover
up the flame as little as possible; third, to so connect the chimney with the

page_text: rest of the lamp as to hold it in conuection therewith with sufficient firmness;
and yet so as to admit of the ready removal of the chimney while the lamp
may be in operation, the chimney or lower part thereof being kept at so low
a temperature as not to burn or injure the party who may attempt to remove
it by his fingers applied to it; fourth, to so arrange the parts of the lamp that
the reservoir while the lamp may be in operation may be kept cool or at.
a low temperature, so as to avoid the evaporation of its liquid contints an⋅l
the consequent production of dangerous inflammable vapor or gas.
Having thus described my improved lamp, what I claim as of
is rs follows:-
my Invention
1 claim the application of springs or their flexile equivalents to the inner
surface of a lamp chimney and to the chimney rest or parts connected there-
with, so that such springs may be supported or held in position by means
independent of the chimney and serve by contact with the internal surface
thereof to steady or support and hold down the said chimney, the whole being.
substantially as set forth.
I claim a lamp cone or deflector having a flame passage through it and a
thin umbelliferous flanch extending from its bottom and around it, in manner.
substantially as set forth.
I claim a lamp cone or an air deflector provided with such a flanch and
having radial slits or their equivalents therein, the whole being substantially
as set forth.
-
.
I claim as a means of supporting, steadying, and holding down a glass
chimney when applied to a lamp a combination consisting not only of a device
or base for the bottom of the chimney to rest on and a perforated cone or air
deflector (supported over the wick tube by arms or other proper devices), but a
series of flexile springs or a thin flanch or its equivalent projecting from or
extending around the cone or air deflector and bearing with friction against
the inner surface of the chimney, and above its base as specified.
I claim a lamp cone or air deflector made not only with a flame passagė
and provided with a friction flauch to bear against the inner surface of a lamp
chimney, but as having separate from the said flame passage one or more
other or air passages for the purpose specified.
I claim the combination of the auxiliary supporter S with the chimney rest
and the chimney holding friction cone or air deflector arranged as described,.
and so connected as to be capable of being slipped together and with the
chimney on and off the wick tube for the purpose of enabling access to be had
to the wick for triming it as occasion may require.
I claim the combination and arrangement, substantially as described, of a

page_text: chimney cylindrical in its lower part, as explained, with the chimney rest,
the wick tube, the chimney holding flanch or its equivalent, and a cone-
or air deflector supported in position by devices entirely independent of the
chimney, the whole being so that the chimny may be held down upon its
seat by the flanch or its equivalent without any devices directly applied to the
seat for such purpose, and also so that the chimney may be kept at a low tem-
perature so that by a person's hand applied to that part of it which is below.
the cone it may be readily raised off its holding and supporting devices in order
to enable access to be had to the wick at the top of the wick tube or for any
other purpose.
I claim in connection with the cylindrical chimney the extension of the
perforated or foraminous chimney rest up with the chimney and above the seat-
thereof in manner to cause air passing through the said chimney rest to be
directed against the inner surface of the chimney, as and for the purpose set
forth.
I also claim the combination or arrangement of the chimney with the
wick tube, the cone and flanch or diaphragm in manner substantially as
described, so that the lower cylindrical portion of the chimney, or that part
which is below the flanch may constitute an air duct leading directly into
the cone, and having transparent sides or boundary through which light
when passing from the flame and underneath the cone may be transmitted or
radiated.
I claim the combination of a chimney rest or supporter for the base of the
chimney to rest on with one or more springs supported by the base or devices
connected therewith and arranged within the chimney and in close proximity
with or against the inner surface.
I claim in connection with the chimney and the cone or air deflector or the
same and its flanch the extension of the chimney rest up within the chimney
so as to reflect through the chimney the rays of light which may fall from the
flame upon such rest.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 26th
November 1867.