Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1887
Complete Left, 11th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps.
We, WILLIAM BAKER, of Hope Foundry, Wigan, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer and Ironfounder, and JOSEPH BARTON, of Park Lane Collieries, in the
same town, Lamp Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to this invention of improvements in miners' safety lamps we employ an
oil lamp of ordinary construction having its flame protected by a glass tube held between
the top of the oil chamber and the bottom of a flat metal rim or annular platform and made
air-tight above and below preferably by means of asbestos packed joints. An elongated
thimble made of fine wire gauze open at the bottom but closed at its upper end and
slightly tapered is mounted over and concentrically with the central hole in the plat-
form by means of a flanged screw-threaded ring and through the gauze the products
of combustion escape and the air to supply the flame is admitted. The gauze thimble
extends upwards to within about three eighths of an inch of the underside of a solid
metal cap or bonnet secured to the platform below by outer metal rods or pillars. A
cylinder of thin metal (hereinafter termed the inner cylinder) is placed outside the
gauze thimble leaving an annular air space between them and extends from the level
of the top of the gauze to within about half an inch of the platform, the lamp
receiving its supply of air through the opening left between the bottom of the inner
cylinder and the top of the platform. Surrounding the inner cylinder and at a little
distance therefrom is an outer cylinder resting on the upper side of the platform, air-
tight at its lower end, and extending upwards to the same height as the top of the
inner cylinder and the central gauze thimble. Somewhat higher than midway of its
length the outer cylinder is perforated with holes in a horizontal plane and the air for
the lamp passes through these holes and downwards under the bottom of the inner
cylinder and through the gauze down to the lamp as hereinabove mentioned. The
outer cylinder is provided with a closely fitting metal hoop which may be slided up
and down by hand, its depth being such that when at the bottom, that is to say resting
on the platform, its upper edge is below the holes in the outer cylinder, but when
moved to the top it not only covers the holes but also encloses the space or opening

page_text: between the top of the gauze and the inner and outer cylinders and the surmounting
cap or bonnet and thus extinguishes the lamp by preventing the ingress of fresh air
and the egress of the products of combustion.
The improved miners' safety lamp constructed as above described affords a means
of more effectually protecting the flame from being affected by a strong current of
air and also of being readily and easily extinguished in case of a sudden outburst of
gas or other emergency.

page_text: We WILLIAM BAKER, of Hope Foundry, Wigan, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer and Ironfounder, and JOSEPH BARTON, of Park Lane Collieries, in the
same town, Lamp Maker, 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:-
According to this invention of improvements in miners' safety lamps we employ an
oil lamp of ordinary construction having its flame protected by a glass tube held
between the top of the oil chamber and the bottom of a flat metal rim or annular
platform and made air-tight above and below preferably by means of asbestos-packed
joints. An elongated thimble made of fine wire guaze open at the bottom but closed
at its upper end and slightly tapered is mounted over and concentrically with the
central hole in the platform by means of a flanged screw-threaded ring and through
the guaze the products of combustion escape and the air to supply the flame is
admitted. The guaze thimble extends upwards to within about three eighths of an
inch of the underside of a solid metal cap or bonnet secured to the platform below by
outer metal rods or pillars. A cylinder of thin metal (hereinafter termed the "inner
cylinder") is placed outside the guaze thimble leaving an annular air space between
then and extends from the level of the top of the guaze to within about half an inch
of the platform, the lamp receiving its supply of air through the opening left between
the bottom of the inner cylinder and the top of the platform. Surrounding the
inner cylinder and at a little distance therefroin is an outer cylinder resting on the
upper side of the platform, air-tight at its lower end, and extending upwards to
the same height as the top of the inner cylinder and the central guaze thimble.
Somewhat higher than midway of its length the outer cylinder is perforated with
holes in a horizontal plane and the air for the lamp passes through these holes and
downwards under the bottom of the inner cylinder and through the guaze down to the
lamp as hereinabove mentioned. The outer cylinder is provided with a closely fitting
metal hoop which may be slided up and down by hand, its depth being such, that
when at the bottom, that is to say resting on the platform, its upper edge is below the
holes in the outer cylinder, but when moved to the top it not only covers the holes but
also encloses the space or opening between the top of the guaze and the inner and
outer cylinders and the surmounting cap or bonnet and thus extinguishes the
lamp by preventing the ingress of fresh air and the egress of the products of
combustion.
The improved miners' safety lamp constructed as above described affords a means of
more effectually protecting the flame from being affected by a strong current of air
and also of being readily and easily extinguished in case of a sudden outburst of gas
or other emergency.

page_text: Fig. 1 is an elevation ;
Fig. 2 another elevation (partly in section) and
Fig. 3 a plan view (partly in section-the sectional part being taken at A B in
Fig. 1) of a miners' safety lamp constructed according to our said invention.
a is the lamp; b the glass tube; c the metal rim or platform; d the guaze thimble
which we preferably secure in place by means of the flanged ring e as shewn in
Fig. 2; the metal cap or bonnet secured to the platform e by the outer metal
pillars gg; h the inner cylinder open to the guaze at its lower end; i the outer
cylinder through which the fresh air is admitted through holos jj; and k the sliding
metal-hoop-shewn down in Fig. 1 in which position the air can find its way to the
interior of the lamp through the holes jj, and in Fig. 2 shewn (at the left of the figure)
up or in its closed position when the inlet holes for the admission of fresh air aro
effectually closed as is also the outlet for the products of combustion.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1. In miners' safety lamps the use of a perforated outer cylinder in combination
with an inner cylinder open to the guaze at a lower level than the perforations or
holes in the outer cylinder substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
2. In miners' safety lamps the use of a sliding hoop in combination with an outer
cylinder for effecting the dual purpose of closing the inlet for air to the lamp and
the outlet for the products of combustion substantially as described and shewn in
drawings.
3. The combination of the guaze thimble with the inner and outer cylinders and
the sliding hoop the said parts being constructed and arranged substantially as described
and shown in the drawings.
$88.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.