IMPROVEMENTS IN SPIRIT LAMPS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel King, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPIRIT LAMPS."
Sealed the 6th February 1857, and dated the 7th August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel King at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th August
• 1856.
I, SAMUEL KING, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, do hereby declare
the nature of tho said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPIRIT LAMPS," to be
as follows:-
These improvements in spirit lamps consist, Firstly, of a new mode of
attaching the nozzle to prevent shaking, and to regulate the admission of air.
Secondly, of forming a groove on the inside of the curtain of the nozzle,
and of an extension of the curtain.
Thirdly, of lining or coating the interior of the nozzle with tin, iron, or
steel.
Fourthly, of cutting the cotton holder and the air tube of an elliptic or
other than square form.
Fifthly, of the use of a cross piece for the support of the button holder.
Sixthly, of rivetting or otherwise securing the wood or other non-con-
ducting material used in these lamps.

page_text: Seventhly, of attaching a textile fabric to the bottom of the chimney to
prevent noise from shaking.
Eighthly, of the use of a screw cap for the reservoir of these lamps, instead
of the glass stopper now used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel King in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
KING, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel King, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel King, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel King, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPIRIT LAMPS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel King, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel King, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
My Invention of improvements in spirit lamps consists, firstly, of improve-
ments connected with the wind guard, in which the steadying pieces or fins
usually soldered to the wind guard are dispensed with, and in lieu thereof are
put upon the outer air tube of the burner. By this arrangement the current
of air which passes through the guard for the support of the flame is not
impeded by the fins or the solder by which they are attached to the guard, the

page_text: flame is thereby rendered more intense, and burns more evenly and steady
than with the ordinary arrangement.
Secondly, in forming a groove on the inside of the curtain of the nozzle,
thus preventing the spirit going to the burner, which produces smell, and of
an extension of the curtain.
Thirdly, of coating and lining the nozzle with tin, iron, or steel, to preserve
the same, and keep the air aperture from getting larger, as is the case where
brass is used.
Fourthly, of the use of a cross piece or bridge for the support of the button
holder.
Fifthly, cutting the aperture in the air tube and the lower part of the
cotton holder of an elliptic or other than square form.
Sixthly, of riviting or otherwise securing the wood, or other non-conducting
material used in these lamps, to prevent the flame from heating the spirit in
the reservoir below.
Seventhly, of attaching a textile fabric to the lower part of the glass
chimney, to prevent shaking, and lessen the liability of breakage from the
pressure of the gallery; also covering the upper and lower parts of the pillars
of lamps when made of glass or other brittle material, the object being to
prevent the fracture of the pillar or stem by the gripping or unusual pressure
of the metal sockets in which they are fixed.
Eighthly, in making the aperture for the supply of the spirit at the upper
part of the reservoir, so that it may be completely filled; also fitting the
tubular aperture with a screw cap or ground metal stopper; also making an
aperture at the upper part of the réservoir for the more rapid admission of
air to the interior of the flame.
In the Drawings accompanying and forming a part of this Specification
are shown the improvements above referred to. Fig. 1, represents the upper
part of a spirit lamp; A is the pillar or stem; B, the reservoir for holding
the spirit, this is usually made of moulded or cut glass; to the upper part is
cemented a brass or other metal collar C, in this is screwed the lamp burner;
D is a gallery for supporting a globe shade, the lower part E of this gallery
screws into the collar C, and forms a support for the wind guard F, to the
upper part of which is fitted the gallery G, which supports the chimney H.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the upper part of a lamp, with the chimney and wind
guard removed; Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. I is the outer air tube of the
cotton holder, to this are attached three or more wings i, i, i; the lower wing
of the wind guard is made to just slide easily over these wings, and is thereby
kept from shaking, at the same time the air passes unimpeded through the

page_text: aperture of the guard. An elliptical or circular headed aperture K is also
made in the air tube I, to convey air the interior of the flame, this opening
has hitherto been made square in its form; L is the nozzle which fits on the
tube I, and is secured thereto by a bayonet joint. Fig. 4 represents a vertical
section of this part of the lamp; my improvement consists in making the
curtain deeper than has hitherto been done, and lining or coating the interior
of the nozzle with tin, iron, or steel, or other suitable metal or amalgam of
metals. Fig. 5 represents the lamp with the gallery D and nozzle L
removed; M is the spindle, on which is fitted a pinion for actuating the rack
of the cotton holder.
Another of my improvements consists in fitting inside the inner air tube N,
(Fig. 8,) a transverse piece of metal n, forming a bridge for support of the
spindle, and to keep it in the centre on which the hollow stem of the button
is placed. The lower part or base E of the gallery D is made much sinaller
in diameter than usual in the ordinary spirit lamps; the diameter of this part
is made about 2 inches, and by reducing it, as in my improved lamp, to two
inches, a greater current of air for the support of the flame is obtained, and
the burning of the lamp thereby improved. The foregoing improvement admits
of the tubular aperture O being made on the collar C, by which the reservoir
B can be completely filled with spirit; this cannot be done with the ordinary
lamps, where the filling aperture is usually placed much lower. The tube O
is fitted either with a ground metal stopper or with a screw cap, either of
theso plans are found to be preferable to the glass stoppers sometimes used
for the purpose.
My next improvement consists in making an aperture or apertures through
the collar C, covered by a sliding plate c', this is for the purpose of admitting
a current of air to the interior of the lamp which passes through the cotton
holder, and in an air tube N. In order to increase the further supply of air
to the flame, I hollow out the inner part of the cotton holder as shewn at P,
Fig. 6, this facilitates the admission of air to the interstices of the cotton
wick p'. Inside the part E of the lamp is fitted a piece of wood, to prevent
the spirit in the reservoir from becoming heated by the conducting property
of the metal parts of the lamp. My improvements consist in securing the
wood to the metal ring E, either by rivets or screws, to prevent its becoming
loose. Fig. 7 represents a lamp glass with my improvement applied thereto,
the lower part of the glass, which in use is hidden by the gallery, is covered with
a woven material Q, this prevents the glass from shaking, and tends to preserve
it from fracture by the pressure of the metal upon the lower part; I also
apply this improvement to the glass or china pillars used for lamps, which are

page_text: frequently chipped or broken by the unequal pressure of the metal to which
they are fastened.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise arrangements herein described and shewn, as the same
may be varied without departing from the Invention; but what I claim and
desire to secure under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
several improvements in spirit lamps, substantially as herein-before described,
and shewn by the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel King, have hereunto set my
hand & seal, this 7th day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
C. BARLOW,
89, Chancery Lane.
SAMUEL KING. (L.S.)