IMPROVE- MENTS IN FOUNTAIN LAMPS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue &
Birkbeck, Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FOUNTAIN LAMPS." A communication from abroad by Robert H.
Webb, of Brooklyn, and John Rowland Hill, of Long Island City, both in the
County of King's, and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 28th October 1876, and dated the 1st May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st May 1876.
"
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue & Birkbeck, Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN LAMPS." A communication from
abroad by Robert H. Webb, of Brooklyn, and John Rowland Hill, of Long Island
City, both in the County of Kings, and State of New York, United States of
America.
This Invention has for its objects to secure a more uniform feeding of oil from
the reservoir and the more convenient filling of the reservoir with oil or other
hydrocarbon used for illumination in fountain lamps, and the more convenient
adjustment of the burner to any position desired, in respect of height above the
pedestal and circumferential movement about the pillar which supports the burner
and reservoir and their appurtenances.
This Invention consists partly in a chamber into which the oil feeds from the
reservoir before flowing through the tube which carries the oil to the burner, said
chamber communicating with the reservoir by passages for air and oil, such passages
being so arranged that the lower mouth of the air passage can admit air to the
reservoir only when the oil in the chamber is drawn out enough to partly uncover
the lower mouth of the air passage, and also in such a manner that air passing
through the air passage cannot meet the descending oil in any part of its passage,
which construction permits the passage of air from the chamber into the reservoir
and oil from the reservoir into the chamber in minute quantities, and in a quiet
and uniform manner.
This Invention further consits in a novel arrangement of a valve for shutting off

page_text: the oil passage from the reservoir when desired, as in filling, cleaning, and trans-
porting the lamp from place to place.
This Invention also consists in a friction ring placed in the boss which screws
upon the standard of the lamp, and by which the reservoir and burners are adjusted
vertically upon and turned around said standard, and by which ring friction is
created, which prevents the turning of said boss upon said standard by jars or
shaking, as in transporting the lamp from place to place.
The lamps may bo made in various forms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Garrett Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
November 1876.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN LAMPS." A communication from
abroad by Robert H. Webb, of Brooklyn, and John Rowland Hill, of Long Island
City, both in the County of Kings, and State of New York, United States of
America.
This Invention has for its objects to secure a more uniform feeding of oil from
the reservoir and the more convenient filling of the reservoir with oil or other
hydrocarbon used for illumination in fountain lamps, and the more convenient
adjustment of the burner to any position desired, in respect of height above the
pedestal and circumferential movement about the pillar which supports the burner
and reservoir and their appurtenances.
This Invention consists partly in a chamber into which the oil feeds from the
reservoir before flowing through the tube which carries the oil to the burner, said
chamber communicating with the reservoir by passages for air and oil, such passages
being so arranged that the lower mouth of the air passago can admit air to the
reservoir only when the oil in the chamber is drawn out enough to partly uncover
the lower mouth of the air passage, and also in such a manner that air passing
through the air passage cannot meet the descending oil in any part of its passage,
which construction permits the passage of air from the chamber into the reservoir
and oil from the reservoir into the chamber in minuto quantities, and in a quiet and
uniform manner.
This Invention further consists in a novel arrangement of a valve for shutting off
the oil passage from the reservoir when desired, as in filling, cleaning, and trans-
porting the lamp from place to place.
This Invention also consists in a friction ring placed in the boss which screws
upon the standard of the lamp, and by which the reservoir and burners are adjusted
vertically upon and turned around said standard, and by which ring friction is
created, which prevents the turning of said boss upon said standard by jars or
shaking, as in transporting the lamp from place to place.
The lamps may be made in various forms.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate the application of the Invention to that
form of fountain lamp known as the "student lamp," and also to a lamp with
several burners and a central reservoir.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side view of a student lamp, and Figure 2 is a vertical
section through the oil reservoir, oil chamber, passages for oil, and air tube for
conveying oil to the burner of the same and the boss in said tube. Figure 3
represents modification in the form and style of lamps coinprising the features of
this Invention, the same being shown in vertical section.

page_text: R is the oil reservoir which is filled through an opening in the top, said opening
when the lamp is in use being closed by the cover c which screws into the top of
the reservoir: C is the chamber into which oil first flows from the reservoir R
when the lamp is in use the oil passing through the passage while air passes
upward through the vent tubo v. The interior of the chamber C communicates.
with external air through one or more openings o in the top of said chamber. Oil
flows from the chamber C to the burner L through the tube T, Figures 1 and 2, and
T, T, Figure 3. The screw valve h shuts off the flow of oil from the reservoir R to
the chamber C when scrowed down into the position shown in Figure 2, d being
the milled head; t, the screw thread; and h, the conical valve or point of said screw,
which valvo fits the valve seat at the end of the oil passage p. When the passage
p is thus closed the reservoir may be filled as heretoforo described without causing
the oil to flow into the chamber C and to overflow the same, as would be the case
otherwise, and the lamp may also be more conveniently transported and handled as
the fluctuations of the oil in the chamber C which partially uncovers the lower
mouth of the vent tube v would otherwise allow air to pass upward through said
tube into the reservoir R, and the oil would then feed through the passage p in
excess of the requirements for illumination, and. would either overflow from the
chamber C or from the wick tube of the burner L. The upper margin m of
the lower mouth of the vent tube is intended to be on a level with the top
of the wick tube in the burner L. The capillary action of the wick constantly
draws oil from the wick tube, lowering the level of the oil therein and also in
obedienco to tho laws of hydraulics lowering the level in the chamber C which
communicates freely with the wick tube by the tube T; but the slightest fall
in the level of the oil in the chamber C allows a minuto bubble of air to enter
under the upper margin m of the lower mouth of the vent tubo v, which bubble
rises through said vent tube to the top of the reservoir R, and permits an equal
bulk of oil from said reservoir to pass. through the oil passage p into the chamber
C, the screw valve h being screwed away from the valve seat k to open the passage
p when the lamp is in use. This passage of air and oil respectively through their
proper passages is repeated at such minute intervals as to become practically
equivalent to a constant flow, preventing the disagreeable gurgling and fitful
operation of other fountain lamps. The chamber C and the reservoir R may be
variously placed relatively to each other and the standard P of the lamp. Figure 3
shows a style of lamp intended to employ two or more burners connected with a
common oil reservoir by tubes, said reservoir being of annular cross section, and
having the air chamber C in the centre of said reservoir, and the standard P
screwing down into and through a boss formed at the top of a hollow pillar P¹.
The air chamber C is in this case covered by a screw plug c¹. At a, Figure 3, is a
ring fitted into the boss b, said ring being preferably of india-rubber. This ring
presses against the standard P when the boss b is screwed upon said standard, and
the friction thereof prevents the too easy turning of said boss on said standard.
On the inside of the hollow boss b in the student lamp, which boss contains an
annular passage r, uniting the parts f of the passage in the tube T lying on
opposite sides of the pillar P, is formed an abrupt female screw threads which fits
a male screw thread formed on the pillar P that supports the said tube T, burnor L,
chamber C, reservoir R, and the appurtenances thereof, joined together in the
manner shown, said pillar being supported at the bottom by the pedestal B. This
arrangement permits the easy turning of the burner about the pillar P, and the
raising and lowering of the same with ono band only, and the burner will remain
where it is adjusted without tho use of a set screw to fasten the boss b to the
pillar P.
.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the mannor of perform-
ing or carrying the same into practice, what I claim under the above in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
First. The arrangement and application of the vent tube v in combination with

page_text: the chamber C, the passage p, and reservoir R, substantially as and for the purpose-
herein described and represented in the Drawings annexed.
Second. The arrangement and application of the valve h in combination with
the passage p, reservoir R, chamber C, and vent tube v, substantially as and for
the purpose herein described and represented in the Drawings annexed.
Third. The combination of the india-rubber friction ring a with the screw
threaded boss and the screw threaded standard P, substantially as described and
represented in the Drawings annexed.
Fourth. The improved general arrangement, construction, and combination of
parts forming the improved fountain lamp, substantially as and for the purposes.
herein-before described and represented in tho Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.