AN IMPROVE- MENT OR IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO LAMPS FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES
Year: 1819

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NICOLAS
CONNE, of the Parish of Saint Mary-le-Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Glass Engraver, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirtieth day of June now last past, for Himself, His heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Nicolas Conne, His especial
licence that I, the said Nicolas Conne, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I or they should at any time agree with, and no
others, during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, an Invention communicated to me by a certain
Foreigner residing abroad, out of His Majesty's Dominions, of "AN IMPROVE-
MENT OR IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO LAMPS FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Nicolas Conne, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in an by the
same, reference being thereto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Nicolas Conne, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof, that is to say:-
In the philosophical instrument generally known by the name of Volta's
lamp, the lamp is generally-placed.on_one..side..of..the body which encloses
those parts of the instrument which produce the fire from a jet of hydrogen
gas, kindled by an electric spark, and whereby the lamp is lighted. In this
disposition of the lamp, however, a great part of its light is wasted by the
interposition of the body which enclose those aforesaid parts of the instrument.
Now the object of the said improvement or improvements, for which the said
Letters Patent have been granted, is to enclose or conceal those parts of the
instrument within the base or pedestal of the lamp itself, and cause the fire
to be communicated to the wick of the lamp, placed above those parts, so
that the light of the lamp can be equally diffused all around, and thus bring
this instrument into a most convenient-form for use, which, whilst it admits
of being constructed in the most elegant shape, and appears outwardly as but
a common-lamp, possesses within itself the power of being instantly lighted
at any time by merely turning a key. One of the methods by which this
desirable object is effected will be shewn in the Drawing which, as aforesaid,
is annexed to this Specification, and the following description thereof, but it is
not intended hereby to limit the effecting of the above object to this particular
manner of doing it, but to employ every method by which the said object can
be effected.
In the Drawing A, Fig. 1, is the electrophorus, the metal plate of which Z;
being lifted, communicates the electric spark to a metallic conductor G, which,
by means of a wire connected with it, passing up within a glass insulating
tube, and terminating a little above the level of the top of the lamp or
burner B in a rounded metallic point, near 'another metallic, point C, which is
in front of a small aperture at the end of the tube D, through which issues
the hydrogen gas, and which parts are shewn on a larger scale at Fig. 7. On
turning the handle or key of the cock E, which has a lever with a silk cord
attached to it, and which lifts the metallic plate Z, the electric spark sets fire
to the gas
and lights the lamp. The apparatus for producing the gas con-
sists of a glass vessel H, with another glass vessel I in the inside of it; 'and
both vessels are united together by the metal plate and rims. K, on which is
fixed the cock E, which, when.opened, communicates with the inside of the
vessel I and the tube D by means of the small hole e in it. In the inside.

page_text: of the vessel I there is also fixed a leaden wire, which supports a hollow cylin-
der of zinc J, or other proper metal. A mixture of sulphuric acid and water
in due proportions is to be poured into the vessel H, through a conical
aperture h, with a perforated stopper to it in the plate K, which mixture on
opening the cock E will ascend in the inside of the vessel I, and coming
into contact with the piece of zinc J, or other metal, will generate hydrogen
gas; and the cock being shut, the gas will displace the acid and water, and
remain in the vessel I ready for use.
vessel H and act by their pressure upon the gas, so as to cause it to ascend
through the tube D when the cock E is opened. The plate of the electro-
phorus A is to be formed of a resinous substance, and is to be mounted with
tin-foil in the usual manner, and must be excited for use when requisite.
The acid and water rise in the outer
Figs 2, 3, and 4 represent on a larger scale an improved burner, which is
formed of an inner tube N, and an outer tube O, connected at bottom as a
receptacle for oil. On the tube N is a moveable tube P, with a spiral channel
around it, which raises or depresses in the wick by turning the wheel L,
which is attached to the wire M, and connected with the top of the tube P.
The wick holder, Fig. 4, has a stud inside of it, which moves in the spiral
channel around the tube P, and has also two wires at Q, which, when placed
in the burner, fit on each side of a stop or bar fixed inside of the outer
tube O, and cause the wick holder and wick to rise and fall perpendicularly,
instead of turning round as usual. The outer case at R supports the
glass chimney, and is attached to the feeding arms of the reservoir of the
lamp S, as seen in Fig. 1. The outer case R fits into a lower case T, below
the feeding arms, and the case T is itself fitted into the vessel V at the top of
the pillar of the lamp, leaving a space W open to turn the wheel L (shewn in
Fig. 2), and which space can be covered by letting fall over it the perforated
moveable ring X. The vessel V has an orifice in its bottom closed by a
screwed cap v, to empty it of any oil which may have leaked into it; or it
may be made without the orifice and screwed cap, and emptied at the top.
The plinth of the pillar of the lamp can be removed from its pedestal by
unscrewing the four knobs, two of which are shewn at a, a, and any other
form of lamp may then be substituted in place thereof, one of which is shewn
at Fig. 5. At Y, in Fig. 1, is an opening by which to introduce or remove
the electrophorus A, in order to excite it anew, when necessary. The entire
form of the lamp may be changed, still, however, preserving its valuable
properties, an example of which is shewn in Fig. 6.
It is not meant hereby to claim the Invention of the different parts of which
this apparatus is composed, which may or may not have been in use before,

page_text: but it is intended hereby to claim the adaptation of those parts to this object,
and also the construction of the improved burner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicolas Conne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and nineteen.
Inrolled the same Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year above
written.