IMPROVE- MENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING OILS
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS PRAGNELL of N° 26 Side in the City and County of Newcastle upon
Tyne, Oil Importer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING OILS and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly ascertained and described in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of the burners and
their connections whereby an ample and regular supply of oil is conveyed to the
burner until the reservoir is completely empty, and these improvements can be
applied to any existing lamp, whether simplex or duplex with trifling alteration.
All modern oil lamps depend, for their supply of oil to the burner, upon capillary
action the oil being caused to ascend to the burner by the absorbing power of the
wick or wicks assisted in some cases by additional absorbent material so disposed
as to supplement the capillary attraction of the wick or wicks themselves. This
capillary action is necessarily irregular, the supply being freely kept up when the
reservoir is full of oil and gradually falling off as the oil is consumed until when
the oil gets low the power of the wick fails to convey it to the burner (owing to
the increased distance to be lifted) in such quantity as to keep the light full and
steady, The mineral oils now used, being of various and uncertain specific gravities,
add to this difficulty and it is always found that as the level of the oil in the
reservoir falls the flame loses its full form and burns more and more languidly, as
the oil falls still lower, and the capillary power of the wick fails to raise a sufficient
supply to the burner.
According to my invention I provide a tube, or tubes, open at their bottom ends,
which extend down to within a short distance of the bottom of the oil reservoir.
The upper end of this tube (speaking now of one only) is closed except where it
opens into the burner tube which contains the wick, just below the point where
the latter projects for lighting. The wick is of the ordinary kind and lies coiled
at bottom of reservoir among the oil which it supplies to the burner, so far as its
power extends by its capillary action. The tube above named is filled with some
material such as sponge, cotton-waste or loose woven wick having a high absorbing
power, and thus a greatly increased and regular supply of oil is conveyed up the
tube and discharged onto the wick just below the burning point. The supply of
oil by capillary action of the material in the tube, is further supplemented by the
oil at top of tube being rarified and partially vaporised by the heat at that part;

page_text: from its proximity to the flame, and thus the particles of oil are caused to ascend
more freely to replace those consumed. Further the heated tube (or tubes)
descending into the oil in reservoir raises its temperature and materially assists the
capillary action both of the wicks and the absorbent in the tube (or tubes)-In
experiments I have tried with heavy mineral oils of average, and even inferior
quality, I have found the flame burn as full and bright with better light and less
liability to smoke, owing to less consumption of cotton, when the oil was nearly
exhausted from the reservoir as when first lighted, indicating a regular and ample
supply to the burning point.
In order that my invention may be perfectly understood I have illustrated on the
accompanying sheet of drawings its application.
Figure 1, is a section vertically through the burner gallery and reservoir or well,
of an ordinary house lamp and Figure 2. is a section horizontally on the line A. B
of Figure 1.
1 is the wick tube containing the wick 2, coiled in bottom of well adjusted by
the usual screw 3. in the burner case 4. 5 is a tube formed upon or attached to, the
wick tube 1, at its upper end, which is closed except an opening 6, against side of
wick 2, and having its lower end open near to bottom of well. 7 is spongy or
absorbent material with which the tube 5 is filled.
Figure 3. shews a section vertically of my invention applied to a duplex lamp
and Figure 4 a section horizontally on line CD Figure 3. 1 and 1ª are the two
wick tubes containing the wicks 2 and 2ª adjusted by the screws and spur wheels 3
and 3a in the burner case 4. 5 and 5ª are the tubes formed on or attached to the
wick tubes 1 and 1 at their upper ends which are closed except at the openings 6
and 6ª against sides of wicks 2 and 2ª and having their lower ends open to near
the bottom of reservoir. 7 is the spongy absorbent material with which the
tubes 5 and 5ª are filled.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what
I claim is:
In a lamp for burning oil the application or use of a tube (or tubes) extending
nearly to the bottom of oil reservoir, open at lower end and at upper end in
communication, by an opening in side of wick tube, with the wick (or wicks):
said tube (or tubes) being filled with spongy or absorbent material to draw up the
oil by capillary action and deliver it onto the wick (or wicks) substantially as
shewn and described.
Witness:
T. J. DANSON, F. Inst. P.A.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
Newcastle on Tyne.
T. PRAGNELL.
W. Lloyd Wise,
Per F. J. Broug
Applicant's