IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS.
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Augustus Nowell, of Nuneaton, in
the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LAMPS.".
Sealed the 31st August 1869, and dated the 9th July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Augustus
Nowell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 9th July 1869.
I, GEORGE AUGUSTUS NOWELL, of Nuneaton, in the County of
Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," to be as follows:-
The flame of all hydrocarbons is sustained by the decomposition
and vaporization of the hydrocarbon itself absorbed by the wick, and
its conversion thereby into gaseous hydrocarbons by the heat of the
combustion. At the lower part of the flame (A), shown at Figure 1
in the Drawing annexed, these hydrocarbons are immediately mingled
with atmospheric air. No separation of carbon occurs here, and they burn
with a pale blue light (in the case of hydrocarbons where the proportions

page_text: of carbon and hydrogen exist as they do in wax, paraffin, solid, and some
oils), but in the case of those more abundant and cheaper oils known
in trade as petroleum and paraffin the carbon is so much in excess of
the proportion before stated (that is, of wax and such like) that scarcely
any appreciable blue base is visible. The greater portion of the com-
bustible gases and vapors however are still unburned; they rise above
the wick forming the central dark part (C) of the flame, here they are
subjected to a high temperature from the combustion of the blue part
already mentioned; this heat now causes the separation of the carbon
in the solid form, which becomes intensely ignited in the burning gas
emitting light in the part marked (B), and this carbon itself in a
properly adjusted flame gradually burns away without residue or smoke
as it comes to the surface (D) and meets with oxygen. Now I have
found that by supplying a sufficiency of air to the base of a smoky
flame at (A) I can convert a sufficient proportion of the carbon element
of the flame at (A) into carbonic oxide when arriving at (C), and by
so manipulating the base of the flame I am enabled to hit the correct
medium of previous mention in wax, paraffin, and such like from any
hydrocarbon whatever, that is to say, the correct proportion of light-
producing carbon element present to the heat-producing mixture of
hydrogen and carbonic oxide gases, and I can thus obtain a purity of
light and cleanliness of flame that even rivals the flame from wax and
paraffins in its character of light producing power, because chemically
I can produce under this manipulation the same or a higher order of
flame. To obtain these results I place an inverted cone of wire gauze
beneath the under surface of (A) at (E), the cone at its apex fitting
closely to the wick or wick tube, so as to prevent the passage of air at
this point. The wire gauze by the high conducting power of the metal
takes heat to the wick to vaporize the hydrocarbon, and it permits
through its meshes a supply of air to the very centre of the base of
the flame, as indicated by the arrows. This supply of air to the base
of the flame can be regulated by raising or lowering the cone upon
the wick, so as to regulate the current of air which is induced to flow
through the meshes of the gauze. This gives instant power of hitting
the point of correct medium (before mentioned) where the proper
proportions of light and heat producing elements give the light of
high character sought.
In the case of an Argand burner I place around the outer wick tube
a tube of wire gauze, which extends up above the top of this tube

page_text: and is there coned outwards; the cone of gauze thus transmits heat to
the wick, and also allows air to pass through its interstices to the base
of the flame. On the interior of the inner wick tube I also place a
tube of wire gauze, which rises above the wick tube to a level with
the coned tube of gauze on the outer wick tube, and the upper end
of this tube is also coned, as shown by the sectional diagram, Figure 2.
The stream of air passing through the gauze will flow to the very
centre of the base of the flame, as indicated by the arrows, and
thus the supply of air will not be simply deflected on to the surface
of the flame as in present burners. The relative proportion of air to
be thus induced through the meshes of the gauze and diffused into
the base of the flame for the amount of carbon element of the hydro-
carbon or oil that is being burnt can be regulated by raising or lowering
the wick, and so increasing or diminishing the amount of hydrocarbon
or oil being vaporized, and also by raising or lowering the diaphragm
which supports the chimney, and so increasing or diminishing the space
between the top of the wire gauze eones and. the diaphragm, and thus
increasing or diminishing the strength of the current of air drawn through
the cones. In place of the cones bcing-of wire gauze, as above described,
they might, although I believe not so advantageously, be of perforated
metal, or of strips of metal with spaces between them. In place also
of the gauze or perforated plates being coned outwards away from the
wick they might be otherwise shaped so long as the upper part of. the
gauze or plates be at a short distance from the wick, whilst the lower
part of the gauze or plates is. made to fit closely to the wick or wick tube..
The best results will however be obtained by the use of cones as above
described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Augustus Nowell in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
AUGUSTUS NOWELL, of Nuneaton, in the County of Warwick, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Augustus Nowell, Her special
licence that I, the said George Augustus Nowell, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Augustus
Nowell, 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 LAMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Augustus Nowell, my executors or administrators, 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 per-
formed, 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 George Augustus Nowell, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The flame of all hydrocarbons is sustained by the decomposition and
vaporization of the hydrocarbon itself absorbed by the wick, and its
conversion thereby into gaseous hydrocarbons by the heat of the com-
bustion. At the lower part of the flame (A), at Figure 1 in the
Drawing annexed, these hydrocarbons are immediately mingled with
atmospheric air. No separation of carbon occurs here, and they burn
with a pale blue light, that is, in the case of hydrocarbons where the pro-
portions of carbon and hydrogen exist as they do in wax, paraffin (solid),
and some oils, but in the case of those more abundant and cheaper oils
known in trade as petroleum and paraffin the carbon is so much in
excess of the proportion before stated (that is, of wax and such like)
that scarcely any appreciable blue base is visible and a smoky flame is
produced. The greater portion of the combustible gases and vapors
however are still unburned; they rise above the wick and form the
central dark part (C) of the flame, here they are subjected to a high
temperature from the combustion of the blue part already mentioned;
this heat now causes the separation of the carbon in the solid form,

page_text: which becomes intensely ignited in the burning gas emitting light in
the part marked (B), and this carbon itself in a properly adjusted flame.
gradually burns away without residue or smoke as it comes to the surface
(D) and meets with oxygen. Now I have found that by supplying a
sufficiency of air to the base of a smoking flame at (A) I can convert a
sufficient proportion of the carbon element in such smoking flame into
carbonic oxide when arriving at (C), and I am thus enabled to hit the
correct medium of previous mention in wax, paraffin, and such like from
any hydrocarbon whatever, that is to say, the correct proportion of light-
producing carbon element present to the heat-producing mixture of
hydrogen and carbonic oxide gases present. I can thus obtain a purity of
light and cleanliness of flame that even rivals the flame from wax and
paraffin in its character of light-producing power, because chemically I
can produce under this manipulation. the same or a higher order of
flame. To obtain these results I place an inverted cone of wire gauze
or perforated metal beneath the under surface of A at E, the cone at
its apex fitting closcly to the wick or wick tube so as to prevent the
passage of air at this point. The wire gauze or perforated metal by its
high conducting power takes heat to the wick to vaporize the hydro-
carbon, while it permits through its heated meshes a supply of heated
air to the very centre of the base of the flame, as indicated by the arrows.
This supply of air to the base of the flame can be regulated by increasing
or diminishing the current of air which is induced to flow through the
perforations in the cone. Where open flames without chimneys and
deflectors or diaphragms are used this can readily be effected by arranging
the cone so that it can be slid up or down upon the exterior of the wick
tube, as shown at diagram Figure 2. But where chimneys and dia-
phragms are used I regulate this induced supply by the more or less
proximity of the upper edges of the cones to the edges of the deflector,
as shown by the diagrams Figures 3 and 4. These manipulations admit
of at once hitting the point of correct medium (before mentioned) where
the proper proportions of light and heat producing elements give the
light of high character sought.
In the case of an Argand burner I similarly place cones of perforated-
metal or wire gauze around the exterior and interior of the tubular wick.
An Argand burner thus fitted with with perforated cones is shewn at
Figure 5 of the Drawings annexed. That portion of the uprising stream
of air which passes through the perforations in the cones will flow to

page_text: the very centre of the base of the flame, as indicated by the arrows, and
thus the total supply of air will not be solely deflected on to the
surface of the flame as in present burners. The relative proportion of
air to be thus induced through the cones and diffused into the base of
the flame for the amount of carbon element contained in the hydro-
carbon or oil that is being burnt I prefer to regulate by raising or
lowering the diaphragm which supports the chimney, and so increasing
or diminishing the space between the top of the cones and the diaphragm,
-and thus increasing or diminishing the quantity of air drawn through
the perforations of the cones. In practise I have found it preferable to
form the cones of perforated metal, as cones of wire gauze are too liable
to be bent out of shape. The concs might also, although I believe not
so advantageously, be of slips of metal with spaces between them. I
will also state that when I employ the words perforated concs I do
not mean that it is essential that the perforated material should strictly
be of a conical form, as it might be otherwise shaped so long as the
upper parts of the gauze or plates be at a short distance from the wick,
whilst the lower part of the gauze or plates is made to fit so closely to
the wick or wick tube as to prevent the passage of air in sufficient
quantity at this point to cause flickering by its interference with the
induced currents through the cones in their carbonic oxide production.
I prefer however to employ cones such as shewn by the Drawings.
The angles of inclination of the cones and the amount of perforations
can be determined for any oil whatever, as the appearance of the flame
may shew that it requires more or less carbonic oxide production. To
increase the brilliancy the angles of the concs are enlarged and their
perforations increased, or to strengthen a weak and thin flame the
angles of the cones and their perforations are diminished. The lamp
shewn at Figure 5 is constructed in the manner I prefer for burning
the heavy petroleum, paraffin, or mineral oils. The lamp is similar to
an ordinary moderator lamp, with the overflow passing down within the
interior wick tube in place of outside the exterior wick tube as is usual.
The overflow is also conducted down through a pipe into the reservoir
of oil to avoid the smell which would be produced if drops of un-
purified oil were allowed to fall through the atmosphere. In place also
of allowing the overflow to take place over the summit of the wick tube
as usual, the overflow is allowed to take place down an open topped tube
at a point so much below the top of the wick tube that the surplus oil shall
not be much raised in temperature. With the view also of preventing

page_text: heat being transmitted from the burner to the overflow oil I affix
around the wick tube a disc or cone H of perforated metal or gauze to
transmit the heat descending from the burner to the uprising air current.
The perforated cone around the outer circumference of the wick is
marked F. A side view of the cone is shown separately at Figure 6. The
perforated cone around the inner circumference of the wick is marked
G. The way in which these cones are constructed and the way in
which they fit within the wick tube is clearly shown by the Drawing.
The Drawing also shows clearly the general construction of the lamp,
so it is unnecessary to give any further description of it. To make
a tight joint at the stuffing box K I place within it a ring of leather
saturated with molten wax, and afterwards permitted to congeal; this
ensures a perfectly tight stuffing box joint being made, and effectually
prevents leakage of oil at this point.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is, the application of reticulate or perforated cones to the burners of
lamps, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Augustus Nowell, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
GEORGE AUGUSTUS NOWELL. (L.S.)