Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps.
We, JOHN BOWEN HARRIS, citizen of United States of America, residing at
Georgetown, in the County of Luzerne, and State of Pennsylvania, United
States of America, Gentleman, and JOHN THOMAS GRIFFITH, citizen of United
States of America, residing at Wilkesbarre, in the County of Luzerne, and State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Fire Insurance Agent, and THOMAS
BENJAMIN HARRIS, citizen of United States of America, residing at Georgetown,
in the County of Luzerne, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:―
Our invention relates to miner's safety lamps. The primary object of the
invention is to provide efficient safety devices for lighting and re-lighting miner's
lamps so that it may not be necessary for the miner to leave the mine when he
desires to light or re-light his lamp; these results being accomplished with perfect
safety by the means hereinafter described.
With these objects in view our invention consists in the improvements herein-
after described and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this
description.
.
in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application,
Figure 1, represents a vertical sectional view of the oil reservoir or base of a
lamp embodying our invention;
Figure 2, is a bottom plan of the same;
Figure 3, is a vertical section through the fulminate container or casing which
encloses the fulminate carrier ;
Figure 4, is a vertical section of the oil reservoir showing a modification of the
safety lighting devices;
Figure 5, is a bottom plan of the same;
Figure 6, is a side elevation of the supporting frame of the fulminate carrier
removed from the enclosing casing shown in Figure 4; and
Figure 7, is a detail representing a modification of the upper portion of the
enclosing casing shown in Figure 4.
Referring particularly to the drawings, in which like letters of reference are
used to designate like parts, the letter A, represents an oil reservoir of the usual
or any desired construction, which constitutes the base of a lamp, and is adapted
to be screwed or otherwise removably secured to the lower section of the lamp.
This reservoir may be provided with the usual wick-tube and wick raising devices
as shown, and in proximity to the wick-tube A is arranged the open ended tube or
casing B, within which is arranged the travelling fulminate carrier, which may
consist of a flat elongated plate R having a screw threaded opening therein at one
side of the portion upon which the fulminates are adapted to rest, through which
opening passes the screw threaded rod P, which is suitably swiveled at its lower
end in a cap-plate a, which latter rests upon the end of the mut or screw threaded
ring T, which is detachably secured to the bottom of the oil reservoir by screwing
the same into the depending screw threaded ring or circular flange U; said cap
plate serving also as a cover for the lower end of the tube B, so that when the
ring T is screwed to position with the fulminate carrier and supporting rod in place
within the enclosing casing or tube the opening in the lower end of said casing will
be closed, thereby cutting off all communication with the atmosphere from the
lower end of the casing and thus preventing the admission of air and gases through
the same; the carrier for the inflammable substances being thus completely housed
within the containing tube or casing. The tube or casing B, is preferably formed

page_text: with a lateral extension or bulged portion c, at one side thereof, which provides an
interior recess or niche to receive the rod, P, which latter is provided at its lower
end with a thumb nut or handle e, by which it may be rotated so as to cause the
fulminate carrier R, to move up or down for the purpose of bringing a pellet or
the end of a match stub into position to be operated upon by the igniting device O,
for the purpose of lighting the lamp; the formation of the tube or casing being
such that a number of match stubs (as shown in Figure 3) or other suitable
inflammable substances may be placed therein at one side of the rod P, and
supported upon the carrier one above the other so as to be brought successively into
position to light the lamp.
These simple contrivances afford a ready means for supplying a miner's lamp
with a number of fulminating pellets which may consist of any suitable inflammable
substances, for instance short stubs of matches or the like, which may be moved
successively into position to be ignited by contact, with the upper roughened end
of the bent rod O or any suitable igniting device, for the purpose of lighting or
re-lighting a lamp by manipulating the igniting device from the outside thereof,
without danger of explosion or the necessity for leaving the mine for the purpose
of igniting the lamp, in order to avoid explosions.
To prevent accidental displacement of the removable cap plate a, which forms a
close fitting cover for the lower end of the casing B, a set screw S may be used to
lock the supporting ring in position when screwed snugly against said cap plate.
In the modifications shown in Figures 4 to 7 of the drawings the fulminate
carrier consists of a tape G, having pellets placed at suitable distances apart
throughout its length; these pellets being adapted to be moved successively into
position to be ignited by contact with the igniting device O' secured to the top of
the enclosing casing or tube B. This fulminate carrier or tape is preferably
supported upon a removable frame B2, which carries à roller 2, at its upper end
and a tape reel or spindle G at its lower end, about which the tape is wound as the
pellets are brought successively into engagement with the igniting device; the
reel being prevented from moving backward by means of a pawl F, which
engages a toothed wheel or ratchet E fixed upon the reel or spindle G.
The shaft or spindle G is provided with a hand wheel g, by which it may be
rotated, so that when the free end of the tape G¹ upon the roll D, is passed from
said roll over the roller , and thence to said shaft or spindle, to which it is secured,
the revolutions of the shaft will cause the pellets upon the tape to be brought
successively into engagement with the igniting device O' for the purpose of lighting
the lamp after it has been extinguished.
The detachable frame B2 is housed within the casing B', the same as the adjusting
screw and fulminate carrier P, R, in Figures 1 and 3, and the depending exteriorly
screw threaded ring or circular flange is provided with a removable cap plate or
cover U2, which forms a close fitting cover for the lower end of the casing B, and
prevents the entrance of air and gases from the outside of the lamp, while allowing
the igniting devices to be manipulated from the outside, the same as described with
reference to the construction shown in Figure 1. A locking device H is also
provided so as to retain the cap plate or cover U, in position upon the ring U2.
If desired the roller 2, may be journaled in the upper end of the casing B'; as
shown in Figure 7, and the lower tape-carrying-roll and spindle may be journaled
in the enlarged depending screw-capped ring U' of the oil reservoir so as to
dispense with the removable supporting frame B².
We are aware that safety lighting devices have heretofore been devised in which
provision has been made for manipulating the igniting devices from the outside of
the lamp, for the purpose of igniting matches or other inflammable substances in
the form of pellets upon a tape arranged to travel in proximity to the wick-tube;
but in previous contrivances the devices have usually been so constructed as to
render them expensive in manufacture and more or less unreliable in use.
The principal object of our invention is to provide devices of this character which
may be safe and reliable in use, and which may also be manufactured at a small

page_text: cost, so as to place the same within reach of men of limited means by whom such
lamps are generally required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
First: In a safety lamp, the combination with the oil reservoir and wick-tube,
of the tube or casing extending through said reservoir in proximity to said wick-
tube; said casing being open at both ends, the travelling fulminate carrier enclosed
in said casing, means for operating the carrier from the outside of the lamp, a
removable cap-plate or cover for closing the lower end of the casing, and an igniting
device, whereby a series of inflammable substances are housed within the casing and
adapted to be brought successively into proximity to the wick tube and ignited,
substantially as described.
Second safety lamp comprising an oil reservoir and wick-tube, a fulminate
containing tube extending through the oil reservoir in proximity to the wick-tube,
a travelling fulminate carrier enclosed within said containing tube, means for
operating the carrier from the outside of the lamp, and an igniting device; said
fulminate containing tube being open at both ends and provided at its lower end
with a removable cap-plate or cover, whereby said carrier and inflammable
substances supported thereon are adapted to be withdrawn at the base of the lamp
from the lower end of the containing tube, substantially as described.
Third In a safety lamp, the combination with the oil reservoir and the wick-
tube, of the fulminate-containing tube arranged in proximity to said wick tube and
open at both ends, the travelling fulminate carrier removably housed within said
tube, means for actuating the carrier from the outside of the lamp so as to cause a
series of pellets to be brought successively into position to be ignited; an igniting
device located in proximity to the upper end of the fulminate containing tube and
adapted to be operated from the outside of the lamp, and a detachable cover for
closing the lower end of said containing tube; whereby the fulminates are housed
within the containing tube and adapted to be withdrawn therefrom at the lower end
thereof, substantially as described.
Fourth In a safety lamp, the combination with the usual oil reservoir and
wick-tube, of a safety lighting device comprising a tube open at both ends
extending through the oil reservoir and having its upper end located in proximity
to said wick-tube; a travelling fulminate carrier enclosed in said open ended tube,
a series of inflammable substances supported upon said carrier, means for actuating
the carrier from the outside of the lamp, an igniting device.extending through the
oil reservoir, a removable cap-plate for closing the lower end of the open ended
tube and means for locking said cap plate to its seat, substantially as described.
Fifth In combination with the oil reservoir and wick-tube, a safety lighting
device comprising a tube or casing extending through the oil reservoir open, at both
ends, and provided with a lateral extension or offset to receive an adjusting
device, a screw threaded adjusting rod located in said recess and swiveled at its
lower end, a travelling fulminate carrier consisting of an elongated plate having a
screw threaded opening therein fitted on said rod, a cap plate supporting said screw
threaded rod and serving as a cover for the lower end of said casing, a thumb nut or
handle secured to said rod beneath the cap plate, and an igniting device extending
through the oil reservoir adjacent to said casing, whereby a series of inflammable
substances may be brought successively into proximity to said wick-tube and
ignited from the outside of the lamp, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1892
JOHN BOWEN HARRIS.
JOHN THOMAS GRIFFITH.
THOMAS BENJAMIN HARRIS.