IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING MINERAL, VEGETABLE OR OTHER OILS WHEREBY THE OIL, SUPPLIED FROM A RESERVOIR BELOW THE BURNER IS MAINTAINED AT A CONSTANT LEVEL WITHIN THE BURNER, OR WITHIN PRO
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Matthews of 23 New Street Square in the parish
of Saint Bride in the City of London-Lamp Manufacturer-for an Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING MINERAL, VEGETABLE OR OTHER
OILS WHEREBY THE OIL, SUPPLIED FROM A RESERVOIR BELOW THE BURNER
IS MAINTAINED AT A CONSTANT LEVEL WITHIN THE BURNER, OR WITHIN A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Matthews at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1883.
JAMES MATTHEWS of 23 New Street Square, in the Parish of Saint Bride in the
City of London-Lamp Manufacturer IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING
MINERAL, VEGETABLE OR OTHER OILS, WHEREBY THE OIL, SUPPLIED FROM A
RESERVOIR BELOW THE BURNER IS MAINTAINED AT A CONSTANT LEVEL WITHIN
THE BURNER, OR WITHIN A SUBSIDIARY RESERVOIR ATTACHED TO THE BURNER.
The Lamp is constructed with a lower Oil reservoir consisting of a Cylindrical
Vessel, to which one or more pipes or tubes are attached, communicating, at their
lower ends with the lower part of the Cylinder, and at their upper ends with the
burner. or with the subsidiary reservoir which is immediately underneath the
burner, or is placed alongside the burner and is attached thereto by a pipe through
which the oil may flow. In this Cylinder is fitted a piston or plunger which is
made to fit tightly to the Cylinder, but to move easily therein, by means of a
leather cup packing or other convenient method, and which piston is capable of
being raised by means of a rack and pinion or otherwise.-It is also weighted with
lead or other weights in such manner and to such an amount that, when it is at its
heighest position in the Cylinder, the space below being filled with oil, and the space
above it and between the weights and the sides of the Cylinder being also filled
with oil; the pressure of the so weighted piston and of the column of oil in the
cylinder will together support a column of oil in the tube leading to the burner and
to the required level in the burner or subsidiary reservoir.
A second and airtight reservoir of any convenient form is placed above the lower
Cylinder and is provided with a spout or tube projecting downward from its lower
Din 21

page_text: side, the bottom end of which tube or spout is adjusted so as to be at the same
level as the top of the oil above the piston in the Cylinder when the piston is in its
highest position as before described-The end of this spout being thus sealed, no oil
will flow from it, until oil is consumed in the burner, the piston will then descend
in the cylinder and the end of the spout being unsealed, air will be admitted and
oil will flow from the second reservoir until the tube is again sealed, by which
means the level of the top of the oil in the lower reservoir will be maintained
constant, and, inasmuch as the pressure in the Cylinder will always be the same,
viz that produced by a constant height of oil with the piston and weights
included, it follows that the column of oil supported by it in the tube and burner
or subsidiary reservoir will likewise remain the same, or in other words the upper
surface of the oil will be maintained at the same level, by reason of which the
flame of the lamp will remain equally bright instead of gradually diminishing in
intensity as the oil is consumed and has to be sucked up by the capillary attraction
of the wick from a continually increasing depth.
Two or more burners may be connected, or may be supplied from the same
reservoir, provided the oil is required to be at the same level in both or all of
them, or they may be supplied from the same subsidiary reservoir; and the height
of the burners or subsidiary reservoirs may be any height whatever above the
lower Cylinder provided that sufficient weight be employed to support the column
of oil to the required height.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Matthews in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd November 1883.
JAMES MATTHEWS of 23 New Street Square in the Parish of Saint Bride in the
City of London, Lamp Manufacturer IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING
MINERAL, VEGETABLE. OR OTHER OILS WHEREBY THE OIL, SUPPLIED FROM A
RESERVOIR BELOW THE BURNER, IS MAINTAINED AT A CONSTANT LEVEL WITHIN
THE BURNER OR WITHIN A SUBSIDIARY RESERVOIR ATTACHED TO THE BURNER.
This Invention has for its object, improvements in Lamps for burning Mineral
Vegetable or other Oils, whereby the Oil supplied from a Reservoir below the
Burner or Burners, is maintained at a constant level in the Burner or Burners or
within a subsidiary Reservoir or Reservoirs áttached to the Burner or Burners and
in order to obtain the desired result the Lamp is constructed with a lower Oil
Reservoir consisting of a Cylindrical Vessel to which one or more Tubes or Pipes
are attached communicating at their lower ends with the lower part of the Cylinder,
and at their upper ends with the Burner or with the Subsidiary Reservoir which is
either immediately under or 'is placed alongside the Burner or Burners, and is
attached thereto by a pipe or pipes through which the Oil may flow.-In this
Cylinder is fitted a Piston which is made to fit the Cylinder tightly but at the
same time is easily moveable therein and is made sound therein by means of a
leather cup packing or other convenient method and which Piston is also capable
of being raised by means of a Rack and Pinion or any other means, it is also weighted
with lead or otherwise in such manner and to such an amount that when it is raised
in the Cylinder, and the space below it is filled with Oil, and also the space above it,
up to the level of the Tube hereinafter described, then the Pressure of the so
weighted Piston and of the Column of Oil in the Cylinder together support the
Column of Oil in the Tube leading to the Burner and up to the required level in
the Burner or subsidiary Reservoir.-A second and airtight Reservoir of any con-
venient form is placed above the lower Cylinder. and is provided with a Spout or
Tube projecting downwards from its lower side, the bottom end of which Tube or
Spout is adjusted to be at the necessary level for the top of the Oil in the Cylinder
as before described; the end of this tube being thus sealed by the Oil in the
Cylinder no more Oil flows from it until some is consumed in the Burner, the Piston
then descends in the Cylinder. and the end of the Spout being unsealed, air is
admitted and Oil flows from the second Reservoir until the Tube is again sealed;
by which means the level of the top of the Oil in the lower Reservoir is maintained
constant, and, inasmuch as the pressure in the Cylinder is always the same, viz;
that produced by a constant height of Oil with the Piston and Weights included, it
follows that the Column of Oil supported by it in the tube and Burner or subsidiary
Reservoir likewise remains the same or in other words the upper surface of the Oil
is maintained at the same level by reason of which the Flaine of the Lamp remains
equally bright throughout its burning instead of gradually diminishing in intensity
as the Oil is consumed and has to be sucked up by capillary attraction of the Wick
from a continually increasing depth
Two or more Burners may be connected or may be supplied from the same
Reservoir provided the Oil is required to be at the same level in both or all of
them or they may be supplied from the same subsidiary Reservoir, and the Burners
or the subsidiary Reservoirs may be at any height whatever above the lower
Cylinder, provided that sufficient weight be employed to support the column of Oil
to the required height in the said Burners or subsidiary Reservoirs,

page_text: Now in order to render the said Invention more easily understood and carried
into effect, reference is made to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings in which the
same letters indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures respectively-On
this Sheet are produced the details of such Lamps figs. 1 and 2 being Vertical
Sections and fig 3 a Plan of the Lamp A. being the lower Oil Reservoir
cylindrical in shape, and to it are attached one or more pipes B. B communicating
at their lower ends with the Cylinder and at their upper ends with the Burner C.
or with the subsidiary Reservoir D. which is shewn in fig. 5 below the Burner,
and in fig 6. alongside the Burners and connected thereto by the pipes E. E through.
which the Oil flows.-In this Cylinder A is fitted a Piston F. which is made to fit
tightly to the Cylinder A. by means of the leather Cup G. or by any convenient
method but is capable of moving easily therein and can be raised therein by means
of the Rack H. and the Pinion I. The Piston F, is also weighted with lead or
otherwise at J. to such an amount that when it is raised in the Cylinder and the
space below it is filled with Oil, and also the space above it up to the level of the
Valve-tube M. hereinafter described, the pressure of the so weighted Piston F. and
of the column of Oil in the Cylinder A. will together support the column of Oil
in the tube B and to the required level K. in the Burner C. or in the subsidiary
Reservoir D.-A second and airtight Reservoir L. of any convenient form is placed
above the lower Cylinder A and is provided with a Tube or Spout M projecting
downwards from its lower side, the bottom end of which tube being so adjusted as
to be at the required level for the top of the Oil above the Piston as before referred
to, and in this tube M is placed a Valve N. with a wire O.-This Valve enables
the Reservoir L. after being filled with Oil, to be turned over without spilling the
Oil, but when placed in the Lamp the wire O presses on the plate P. the Valve N.
is opened and Oil flows until it reaches the tube M which is thus sealed and no
more Oil flows until some is consumed in the Burner. When this takes place the
Piston F descends in the Cylinder A. and the end of the tube becoming unsealed,
air is admitted into, and Oil flows from the second Reservoir L until the Tube M
becomes again sealed.-By this means the level of the top of the Oil in the lower
Reservoir or Cylinder A is maintained, and the combined pressure of the Oil and
the weighted Piston in the Cylinder A is always the same consequently the column
of Oil supported by it in the tube B. and Burner C. is likewise always the same,
or in other words the Oil in the Burner C. always remains at the same level. and
the flame of the Burner retains it power instead of gradually diminishing in
consequence of the Oil having to be sucked up by capillary attraction from a
continually increasing depth
The Oil may either be retained at a constant level in the Burner itself as shewn
in figs. 1, 4 and 7. or in a subsidiary Reservoir below the Burner as in fig. 5, or in
a subsidiary Reservoir from which one, two, or more Burners are supplied as in
fig 6. Also the Burners or Subsidiary Reservoirs may be placed at any height
above the lower Cylinder provided that sufficient weight be employed to support
the Column of Oil. The Piston may also be made solid and the leather packing
Ring attached to the Cylinder or any other arrangement of Piston or Packing
employed and the Casings of the Lamps may be made of any shape or form to
suit convenience or taste and the upper Reservoirs similarly modified to correspond,.
one such modification being shewn in fig 7.
Having now described the nature of the said invention I would have it
understood that modifications may be made in the Details without departing from
the essential features of the Invention, and that I am aware that Lamps have been
made in which the Oil has been forced by pressure from a lower Reservoir up to
the Burners, but what I claim and therefore desire to have secured to me by the
Grant of Letters Patent is the method of constructing such Lamps essentially in
the manner herein described so that the column of Oil to the Burner or subsidiary
Reservoir is supported by the combined weight of the weighted Piston and the
column of Oil in the lower Reservoir or Cylinder, the last mentioned column of

page_text: Oil being maintained always at the same height by a self acting supply from an
upper Reservoir by which means the Oil in the Burner or subsidiary Reservoir
attached to the Burner is also always maintained at the same level
In witness whereof I the said James Matthews have hereunto set my hand
and seal this third day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three