Improvements in or relating to Safety Lamps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Sept. 1895-4ccepted, 5th Oct., 1395
Improvements in or relating to Safety Lamps.
I, ARTHUR STOREY, Junior, of Bothal, near Morpeth, in the County of
Northumberland, Stone Mason, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to safety lamps.
By my invention I propose to so connect or arrange the bottom of the lump with
regard to its upper part that the removal of the base from the upper part shall have
the effect of extinguishing the light.
The device should be of importance in mining and similar operations where
workmen not infrequently infringe rules by opening their lamps in dangerous
atmospheres. As the device has the above mentioned effect it will be observed
that the ordinary locking of the lamp becomes an almost secondary consideration as
the lamp must by my invention go out if the bottom is removed.
I propose to effect this result by very simple means, substantially as follows;
Over the ordinary wick tube I propose to fit an outer tube or casing or frame which
The outer tube or its
may be pierced for the pricker in the ordinary way.
equivalent may have provided on or in connection with it means for retaining it in
position in the lamp when the lamp bottom is screwed off or removed, so that the
ordinary wick tube may be drawn down with the bottom from within the outer tube
and so effectually extinguish the light.
A simple bridge cross-piece or frame with spring or other stop catch or equivalent
device on or in connection with the outer tube or its equivalent will effect the
purpose. This may
be fitted over the ordinary wick and passed up through the
orifice in the lamp bottom when adjusting the oil receptacle to the lamp so that
although the base can be removed the outer tube retains its position.
Any suitable equivalent mechanical means may however be fitted to the lamp to
effect this purpose.
As the ordinary miner's lamp is lighted before adjusting its base-piece the spring
catch device in connection with the outer tube allows it to enter but not to be
withdrawn from the lamp which thus allows the base-piece with its wick tube and
wick to be removed and in so doing to cause the light to be extinguished.
The invention is applicable to old as well as to new lamps and does not obstruct
the light in any way except when extinguishing it as above foreshadowed.
Dated this 30th November 1894.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3 St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Safety Lamps.
1, ARTHUR STOREY, Junior of Bothal, near Morpeth in the County of
Northumberland, Stone Mason, 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:- -
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to safety lamps.
1, ARTHUR STOREY, Junior of Bothal, near Morpeth in the County of
Northumberland, Stone Mason, 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 :-
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to safety lamps.

page_text: By my invention I propose to so connect or arrange the bottom of the lamp
with regard to its upper part that the removal of the base from the upper part
shall have the effect of extinguishing the light.
The device should be of importance in mining and similar operations where
workmen not infrequently infringe rules by opening their lamps in dangerous
atmospheres.
As the device has the above mentioned effect it will be observed that the
ordinary locking of the lamp becomes an almost secondary consideration as the
lamp must by my invention go out if the bottom is removed.
I will now fully describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure is an elevation with the lower part in section through the wick tube and
Figure 2 a similar view but at right angles to that shown in Figure 1 with the
wick tube and parts surrounding it shown in elevation and in the following
description like letters of reference designate like parts.
Generally speaking the lamp bonnet, glass and parts are or may be constructed
and arranged in the usual way and according to my improvements over the ordinary
wick tube AI fit an outer tube or casing B which is pierced or slotted to corre-
spond with A in such manner as to enable the projection of the wick to be adjusted
by the usual pricker C. To this outer tube B a bridge piece D formed substantially
as shown is fitted and attached and to the side arms thereof are secured spring
catch pieces E E with projecting shoulders e e and internally projecting pieces el el
working through the slots d d in the arms and terminating in downwardly projecting
extensions e² ², the parts being secured by screw rings K and M and the top of the
oil reservoir F when assembled as illustrated in the drawings.
Assuming that the bottom or reservoir F has been removed from the lamp for
inspection by the trimmer and that it is about to be re-inserted, then, having
arranged the outer tube and bridge piece over the ordinary wick tube and having
lighted the wick the part F is ready to be screwed into its position in the base G
of the upper part of the lamp; in the act of doing this the projecting shoulders e of
the catch pieces E come in contact with the inner edge of the ring K which is
screwed in the part G and are compressed thereby. When the lamp bottom F has
been screwed up sufficiently these shoul lers are released and spring outwards to
their initial positions above the flange of the said ring K as clearly shown in
Figure 1.
The lamp is now ready for use and if the lanp bottom is unscrewed for any
purpose the effect will simply be to draw down with it the wick and wick tube A
through thater tube B which emot be simultaneon-ly withdrawn owing to the
catch cre on the bridge engaging the upper side of the flange of ring K and thus
the light must be extinguished; when the lap tim is entirely unscrewed and
removed the outer tule B with its bridge piece D will be left inside the lamp in its
normal working position as shown in both figures and to remove it, it is only
necessary to draw together the proj, ting ends of the spring catch pieces E to
enable their shoulders to he draindow was through the ring K. The outer tube
and bridge piece can then again 'e fitted over the ordinary wick tube to re-light
and re-adjust the lamp for use as before described.
ין
To obtain a light without extinguishing the lamp a miner might, however, under
certain circumstances attempt either of two methods. He might, firstly, by means
of the pricker C prick up the burning wick inside the lamp for say an inch above
the top of the wick tube A and then rapidly unscrew the bottom F. By so doing
he still might not draw the burning wick down through or into the outer tube B
and he might thus obtain a light by inserting a lighter into the flame burning above
the tube B in the lamp and then screw back the bottom or base piece F and readjust
the position of the wick. To guard against this danger it is advisable to provide
on the ordinary wick tube a short chain H holding a pin or stopper piece J. The
lamp trimmer will insert the stopper through the wick at a suitable distance, about
for example, three quarter of an inch below the bottom of the wick tube as illus-

page_text: trated which will allow the user to prick up the wick in the usual manner but only
for a distance limited by the position of the stopper J because the same on coming
against the base of the wick tube would prevent further lifting of the wick. By
sufficiently increasing the length of the screwed portion f on the lamp bottom F it
will be evident that before the bottom or oil receptacle can be detached a length
of wick equal to the said distance will have been drawn into the outer tube B and
the light extinguished.
The other danger which it is desirable to guard against is that a user might
unscrew his lanp bottom F so far and then by turning the lamp glass L he might
unscrew (by the pressure of the glass against it) the joint ring M usually employed
until it would be possible to obtain a light above the glass. To prevent this I
provide two screwed rings K and M one to act as a check against the other and so
prevent the possibility of the danger referred to.
As the ordinary miner's lamp is lighted before being handed to the miner so soon as
the lamp trimmer has adjusted the parts, lit the lamp and screwed the lamp bottom
into its proper place as described it is practically impossible to tamper with the
lamp so as to expose the naked flame to the surrounding atmosphere since whatever
may be the resources adopted by way of removing the lamp bottom in every case
the wick will be drawn down into the outer tube B and so the light must inevitably
be extinguished.
The invention is applicable to old as well as to new lamps and does not obstruct
the light in any way except when extinguishing it as above described; furthur-
more by its use the usual locking arrangements are dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a miner's safety lamp the use in combination with the ordinary wick tube A.
of the outer tube such as B carrying bridge piece D fitted with spring catch
pieces E the parts being arranged or adapted to effect the extinction of the light
substantially in the manner herein set forth.
2. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming my improvements
in miner's safety lamps all substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 30th day of August 1805
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3 St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Patent Agent.