Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 24th Feb., 1888
I, MOSES DAVIS, Manufacturer, of 44, Upper East Smithfield, London Docks, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The objects of my invention are to avoid the disagreeable process of trimming the
wick of an oil lamp in the ordinary manner; and to extinguish the lamp when
required. These two objects are accomplished by means of one contrivance, as
follows.
In lamps constructed on the Argand principle, there is usually a deflecting disc or
air chamber placed above the top of the wick, in the centre of the wick tube. By my
invention, I so construct this disc that it may be depressed until it comes in contact
with the top of the wick, and so extinguishes the lamp, when lighted. A spiral, or
other, spring is used to return the disc to its normal position.
When the rod or
The under side of the disc is made rough, so as to act as a rasp.
other connection to the disc is pulled down, or depressed far enough to bring the
under side of the disc in contact with the charred wick, it is turned, so that the rasp
acts upon the wick and cleans it off quite level and true; thus improving the flame,
and avoiding the unpleasant handling of the lamp for trimming, as at present. A knob
or lever is attached to the lower part of the rod to enable the disc to be worked in
the manner indicated. In hanging lamps, the knob may be placed in the centre of
the bottom of the lamp. For table lamps it is more convenient to move the rod or
attachment to the disc or air chamber, by a lever, worked from the side of the lamp.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1887.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Lamps for Burning Mineral or other Oils.
I, MOSES DAVIS, Manufacturer of 44 Upper East Smithfield, London Docks, in
the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The principal objects of my invention are to avoid the disagreeable process of
trimming the wick of an oil lamp in the ordinary manner; and to readily extinguish
the lamp when required. These two objects, are accomplished by one device, as
follows.
In lamps constructed on the Argand principle, there is usually a deflecting disc, or
air chamber, placed above the top of the wick, in the centre of the wick tube. By the
present invention, this disc is so mounted and connected, that it may be depressed
until it comes in contact with the top of the wick, and so extinguish the flame, when
the lamp is burning. A spiral or other spring, or a weight, is used to return the disc
to its normal position.
The under side of the disc is made rough, so as to act as a rasp. When the rod, or
other connection to the disc, is pulled down or depressed far enough to make the under
side of the disc touch the charred wick, it is turned in contact with the same; so that
the rasp acts upon the wick and trims it off quite level and true. Thus, the unpleasant
handling of the lamp for trimming purposes is avoided; an economy of time and
labour is effected; and the flame is improved by the even trimming of the wick.
A knob or lever is attached to the lower part of the rod or other connection, to
enable the disc to be worked in the manner already indicated. In hanging lamps,
the knob or handle may be placed in the centre of the bottom of the lamp. For table
lamps, it is more convenient to move the disc connection by a lever worked from the
side of the lamp, as indicated by the detail view, Fig. 4.
Furthermore, it is to be understood that any wick regulating, or gallery raising
device, or devices, may be combined with this lamp; but for my purposes I prefer to
arrange the wick regulating device, as follows. The circular wick is enclosed within
two outer tubes: the outer one of which, is fixed to the oil receiver, and carries the
finger wheel or wick regulator. The inner tube, of the two just named, is flanged at
the bottom and carries a rack gearing into a pinion upon the finger wheel shaft. The
top part of the said inner tube is provided with a spring clip or clips, which engage
with, and move the wick. When the finger wheel is turned, (with its pinion), it causes
the rack to slide over the outer tube, and within a short shield or guide secured to the

page_text: outer tube; and by its attachment to the flanged bottom of the inner tube, the rack
lifts or depresses the latter with its spring clips and the wick; and so regulates the
flame. The gallery sustaining the chimney is provided with two short rods, which
extend downward, and are adapted to slide within two corresponding short tubes
attached to the air cup, below the gallery. Two projecting rings or handles upon the
outer part of the gallery, provide the means of lifting the same sufficiently high to
enable the wick to be lighted in the usual manner.
Fig. 1 is a section through the body of a hanging lamp, of usual construction,
showing the disc a attached to a tube or rod b, at the lower extremity of which is a
handle or knob c, by means of which the disc a is depressed upon the top of the wick d
to extinguish the flame, and by turning the handle c round, or to and fro, in contact
with the wick, the latter is trimmed off level and true. A spiral spring e, suitably
connected to the tube b; serves to restore the disc to its normal position.
Fig. 2 shows the under side of the disc, which has slight projections or points
adapted to act as a rasp for trimming the charred wick. In Fig. 3 is shown a modi-
fication of the same, in which tangential or radial projections act as a rasp or cutter
for the same purpose. In Fig. 4 is represented a detail view of the same general
device as applied to a table lamp; the handle or lever c is attached to the rod or tube b,
(not shown), and which is depressed upon the top of the wick as before. A horizontal
slot fis arranged to admit of a circular movement of the disc, for rasping the wick,
as before mentioned.
Fig. 5 is a section, and Fig. 6 an elevation, of the wick raising device I prefer to
use. The finger wheel shaft carries a small pinion g, which gears into the rack h,
and this rack when moved up or down, carries with it the inner tube i, with its
spring clips or hooks, which engage with the wick d. The outer tube j is connected
to the lamp, and remains in one position. In Fig. 6, the tube i is extended downward,
in its lowest position.
Fig. 7 represents the device for raising the gallery k of the lamp, (and with it the
chimney), whereby the wick may be lighted from the exterior, without removing the
chimney. Two small rods l, l, are attached to the gallery k, extending downward, and
sliding in tubes or guides m, m, secured to the cup shaped air chainber n; which is
attached to the oil receiver in the ordinary manner. Two finger rings or handles o, o,
serve to lift the gallery k a short distance from the cup shaped air chamber n, and
through the space so formed, a taper may be inserted to light the lamp.
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:
1. A disc or air chamber adapted to be depressed upon a cylindrically arranged
wick or wicks, and to trim the same; substantially as described."
2. A disc or air chamber having its under side roughened or adapted to level off
the charred surface of a wick or wicks; substantially as described.
3. A spiral or other spring, combined with a rod or other connection to a disc or
air chamber, and a handle or lever for depressing and turning the same; substantially
as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination of an extinguishing appliance with a wick trimming device,
operating first by a downward, and afterwards by a rotating, movement; substantially
as described.
5. The combination of a lamp gallery having two rods extending downward, with
an air cup having two short tubes extending upward, adapted to guide the said rods
and to provide for a limited vertical travel of the gallery, and a wick trimming or
extinguishing device, (as specified in claims 1 and 2); substantially as and for the
purpose described.
6. In combination with the wick trimming or extinguishing device previously
claimed, a wick holder and regulating device, comprising two tubes enclosing the
wick, the inner one adapted to clip the wick and to slide in a vertical line; the outer
one being fixed to the oil receiver and adapted to carry the finger wheel shaft and its

page_text: pinion; which, gearing into a rack attached to the inner tube, is capable of raising
or lowering the wick by the turning of the finger wheel shaft; substantially as
described.
7. In combination, a lamp having a wick trimming and extinguishing device, (as
specified in claims 1 and 2), a wick holder and regulating device, (as specified in the
sixth claim) and a lamp gallery capable of a vertical movement; all operating
substantially as illustrated and for the purpose described.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.