IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LAMPS." A communication from abroad by Nicholas Linden' Rigby, Owen
Francis Boyle, and John Dunstan Pryor, all of Winfield, in the County of
Cowley, State of Kausas, United States of America.
Sealed the 20th July 1877, and dated the 17th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th May 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS." A communication from abroad
by Nicholas Linden Rigby, Owen Francis Boyle, and John Dunstan Pryor, all of
Winfield, in the County of Cowley, State of Kansas, United States of America.
This Invention has reference to an improved lamp, based on the same general
principles of the vacuum font as the German student's lamp, but which is capable
of being used as a bracket or stand lamp, chandelier, &c., supplying as many burners
as desired, with oil in a regular and reliable manner.
The Invention consists in an open detachable oil cup or chamber, attached under-.
neath the font or reservoir containing the oil, and connected thereto by a descending.
air tube with valve operated by a rod passing out of the top of the font, the valve
being so arranged as to close the exit tube, which descends downward from the font
into the oil cup or chamber when the font is filled, and open the same when the font
is closed. The top opening of the oil font is hermetically closed by a screw cap, the
font being readily filled on detaching the screw cap. The top of the valve rod has a
bent handle part which passes diametrically across the screw cap when the valve
is opened so as to compel the turning of the valve rod and the closing of the valve
when it is desired to remove the screw cap for filling the font. None of the oil can
therefore escape through the exit orifice during the filling of the lamp, the valve
being again opened, after the screw cap has been replaced, by turning the handle of
the valve rod across the top of the screw cap. By the opening of the valve the air

page_text: is allowed to enter through the orifice to the interior of the font until the oil in the
lower part of the burner, which is connected with the oil cup by a tubular con-
necting arm, and that in the cup assumes a level with the orifice. The remaining
part of the oil is then prevented from running out by the partial vacuum formed at
the top of the font. When the oil is gradually consumed in the burner the level of
the oil falls below the orifice, so that the air may again enter through the same and
tube to the font, establish the oil level as before, and thus supply in a reliable and
automatic manner the required quantity of oil to the lamp, the open oil cup serving
as the regulating device for supplying the oil as required.
One or more tubular arms may be applied to the oil cup and made either swinging
like the brackets of gas burners, or stationary, as desired. They may be curved
down and upward, and may be of any length and at different distance from the
font.
A floating indicator may be employed in the font, which however would not be
required when the font is made of glass.
The lamp may, by means of the supply regulating cup, be manufactured as a
bracket lamp or as a chandelier, with as many fixed arins as desired, or as a common
stand lamp with one or more arms. The same principle may be used for supplying
a number of burners around the walls of a room, by attaching the cup to the bottom
of a reservoir less than thirty inches deep, having a pipe leading from the cup to
the floor, and then by vertical branch pipes to the burners on the wall, placed at
a level with the cup and at any desired distance from cach other, admitting thus a
number of different lamp constructions and a regular supply of oil by means of the
oil supply cup.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th September 1877.
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS." A communication from abroad
by Nicholas Linden Rigby, Owen Francis Boyle, and John Dunstan Pryor, all of
Winfield, in the County of Cowley, State of Kansas, United States of America.
This Invention has reference to an improved lamp, based on the same general
principles of the vacuum font as the German student's lamp, but which is capable
of being used as a bracket or stand lamp, chandelier, &c., supplying as many burners
as desired with oil in regular and reliable manner.
The Invention consists in an open oil cup or chamber attached underneath the
font, being connected thereto by a descending tube with valve opened from the top
of the font, the valve being so arranged as to close the exit tube when the font is
filled, and open the same when the font is closed.
The Invention will be first described in connection with the Drawing and then
pointed out in the claims.
In the Drawing, which represent a vertical longitudinal section through the font
and burner of the lamp, A is the burner; B, the tubular oil supplying arm or arms;
C, the oil font; and D, a detachable oil cup or chamber that is screwed or otherwise
attached to the bottom of the font C, being connected by an air tube D¹ passing
through the font with the atmosphere. An oil tube E descends from the font
downward into the cup or chamber D and opens by an exit orifice a into the same.
The orifice a is opened or closed by a valve F that is operated by a rod F¹ passing
through the air tube D' and out at the top of the font, where the rod F¹ is bent at
right angles so as to form a handle for the same. The top opening b¹ of the oil
fout C is hermetically closed by a screw cap b, the font being readily filled on
detaching the screw cap. The bent handle part of rod F' passes diametrically across
the screw cap b when the valve is opened so as to compel the turning of the valve

page_text: rod and the closing of the valve when it is desired to remove the screw cap for
filling the font. None of the oil can therefore escape through the exit orifice during
the filling of the lamp, the valve being again opened after the screw cap has been
replaced by turning the handle of the valve rod across the top of the screw cap. By
the opening of the valve the air is allowed to enter through the orifice a to the
interior of font C until the oil in the lower part of the burner A, in the tubular
connecting arm B, and in the cap D assumes a level with the orifice a. The
remaining part of the oil is then prevented from running out by the partial vacuum
formed at the top of the font. When the oil is gradually consumed in the burner
the level of the oil falls below the orifico so that the air may again enter through
the same and tube E to the font, establish the oil level as before, and thus
supply in a reliable and automatic manner the required quantity of oil to the lamp,
the open oil cup serving as the regulating device for supplying the oil as required.
One or more tubular arms B may be applied to the oil cup D and made either
swinging, like the brackets of gas burners, or stationary, as desired. They may be
curved down and upward, as shown in the Drawing, and may be of any length and
at different distances from the font.
A floating indicator G may be employed in the font, which however would not be
required when the font is made of glass.
The lamp may, by means of the supply regulating cup, be manufactured as a
bracket lamp, or as a chandelier with as many fixed arms as desired, or, as a common
stand lamp, with one or more arms. The same principle may be used for supplying
a number of burners around the walls of a room by attaching the cup to the bottom
of a reservoir less than thirty inches deep, having a pipe leading from the cup to
the floor, and then by vertical branch pipes to the burners on the wall, placed at a
level with the cup and at any desired distance from each other, admitting thus a
number of different lamp constructions and a regular supply of oil by means of the
oil supply cup.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The combination with a lamp font, having the air tube D₁ of the removable
cup attached to the under side of said font, and having arms leading to burners, as
shown and described.
2. The combination with an oil font C having a bottom exit pipe E, of a valve F,
oil cup D, and air tube D', the valve rod F passing through the air tube, and for
the purpose as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)