IMPROVEMENTS IN.. LAMPS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Holmes, of No. 275, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Lamp Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN..
LAMPS."
Sealed the 8th September 1864, and dated the 14th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Holmes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th March 1864.
I, SAMUEL HOLMES, of No. 275, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Lamp
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LAMPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lamps. Lamps have here-
tofore been constructed suitable for burning fluids which become vaporized by
the heat of the burners up to which the fluid is conducted by wicks contained
in tubes which descend from the burners nearly to the bottom of the vessels
which contain the fluid.
Now according to my present Invention the wick tube of a lamp is sur-
rounded by another tube of greater diameter than the wick tube, leaving a
space all round the wick tube and between it and the interior of the outer
tube. The upper ends of the outer tubes in some cases are closed, whilst in
others they are more or less' open to the outer atmosphere.
In one arrangement the upper end of the outer tube is slightly open where

page_text: the wick tube passes through such upper end to the burner above the top of the
vessel. The upper end of the outer tube is formed with a screw thread on its
outside which screws into the opening in the fixed cover of the vessel con-
taining the liquid. The outer tube is closed at bottom, but has an opening
into it near the bottom to admit of the flow of liquid into the interior of the
outer tube and to the lower end of the wick tube. The wick as heretofore
does not ascend to the top of the wick tube but there is a space between the
top of the wick and the close end or cover of the wick tube. Below the cap or
cover at the upper end of the wick tube are the holes or passages constituting
the burner in the usual manner.
In another arrangement the cover or cap through which the wick tube
passes is closed in such manner as to prevent the outer atmosphere passing
into the outer tube, in which case I prefer that the bottom end of the outer
tube should be wholly open.
In another arrangement the outer tube is wholly closed at its lower end
through which the lower end of the wick tube passes, whilst the upper end of
the outer tube is open for the free passage of the outer atmosphere into it..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Holmes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
HOLMES, of No. 275, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Lamp Maker, send
greeting.
**
1.3
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight. hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto. me,
the said Samuel Holmes, Her special licence that I, the said. Samuel
Holmes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Samuel Holmes, 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 Samuel
Holmes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under

page_text: 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 Holmes, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and; by, the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-.
This Invention has for its object improvements in-lamps. Lamps have
heretofore been constructed suitable for burning fluids which become vaporized.
by the heat of the burners up to which the fluid is conducted by wicks con-
tained in tubes which descend from; the burners nearly to the bottoms of the
vessels which contain the fluid.
i.
Now according to my present Invention the wick tube of a lamp is sur-
rounded by another tube of greater diameter than the wick tube, leaving a
space all round the wick tube and between it and the interior of the outer
tube. The upper ends of the outer tubes in some cases are closed, whilst in
others they are more or less open to the outer atmosphere.
In one arrangement the upper end of the outer, tube is slightly open where
the wick tube passes through such upper end to the burner above the top of
the vessel. The upper end of the outer tube is formed;with a screw thread
on its outside which screws into the opening in the fixed cover of the
vessel containing the liquid. The outer tube is closed at bottom, but has
an opening into. it near the bottom to admit of the flow of liquid into
the interior of the outer tube and to the lower end of the wick tube. The
wick as heretofore does not ascend to the top of the wick tube, but there is a
space between the top of the wick and the close end or cover of the wick tube.
Below. the cap or cover at the upper end of the wick tube are the holes or
passages constituting the burner in the usual manner.
In another arrangement the cover or cap through which, the wick tube
passes is closed in such manner as to prevent the outer atmosphere. passing
into the outer tube, in which case I prefer that the bottom end of the outer
tube should be wholly open.
In another arrangement the outer tube is wholly closed at its lower end
through which the lower end of the wick tube passes, whilst the upper end
of the outer tube is open for the free passage of the outer atmosphere
into it.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows & vertical section of a lamp, such as has before been made;
Figure 2 shows a vertical section of a lamp according to one part of my
Invention. In this lamp an outer tube 6 is employed, which is closed at
bottom, but has a hole near the bottom to admit of the fluid getting into the
outer tube. a is the ordinary wick tube. The upper end of the outer tube b
where it surrounds the wick tube is to be left sufficiently open to allow of the
outer atmosphere passing freely into the interior of the tube b..
Figure 3 shows another arrangement of wick tube a of a lamp and of the
outer tube b, in which the outer tube at its upper end is closed air-tight where
the wick tube a passes through it, whilst the lower end both of the wick tube
and of the outer tube is open.
Figure 4 shows another arrangement of wick tube a and outer tube b of
a lamp in which the upper end of the outer tube 6 is open to the outer
atmosphere whilst the bottom is closed. The wick tube is open. at its lowest
end and the wick passes through that end. The burner shown to each form
of lamp is an ordinary description, but other forms of burners may be
used.
The peculiarity of this Invention consists in the application of an outer
tube bas herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Holmes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.