Improvements in and relating to Carriage and other Lamps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Carriage and other Lamps.
I, JAMES THORNE, of 85 Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, Merchant do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved carriage-lamp in
which either light or heavy oil can be used. My improvements are, however, partly
applicable to carriage-lamps in which candles are to be used, and partly to other lamps
for burning light or heavy oil.
When my lamp is to be used on a carriage or other vehicle, I make the lantern or
casing of the said lamp of triangular, or approximately triangular form in horizontal
section, that is to say, I make the said lantern or casing with two sides which are
provided with windows or lenses for projecting the light ahead and in a lateral direction
from the vehicle, and with another side which is provided with a window or lens in
the rear of the light for directing rays into the vehicle for the purpose of enabling
the occupant or occupants to read at night or for other purposes.
I prefer to provide the lantern or lamp-casing with parabolic, or approximately
parabolic lenses; such as are described in the specification of former Letters Patent
dated 14th January A.D. 1888, No. 631. When I use a parabolic lens for directing
the light into the vehicle, I find it advantageous to so arrange the lens used in the
rear that the flame of the lamp will project a beam of light obliquely downward, so
that the rays will fall upon a newspaper, book or other article held by the occupant
of the vehicle, but will not be directed towards his eyes. This I find may be effected
by placing the centre of the parabolic lens a suitable distance below the flame.
sometimes provide the rear aperturo or window with a shutter or the like whereby the
light may, when desired, be prevented from entering the vehicle.
I
When oil is to be used in the lamp, I construct the said lamp in a manner some-
what analogous to that described in the specification accompanying my application
for Letters Patent dated 16th February A.D. 1889, No. 2779, that is to say, I employ
a lamp-cone, a transparent combustion-chamber surrounding the same, and a suitable
chimney extending upward from the said combustion-chamber; and I so construct
the lamp as to ensure the supply of the requisite quantity of air for supporting
combustion therein, whilst obviating the liability to extinction or disturbance of the
flame by the wind or by the rapid movement of the lamp through the air. I
also provide for obviating the liability to extinction of the flame by back-draught in
the lamp.
To accomplish these results, I prefer to provide the lantern or lamp-casing with a
hollow or tubular stem adapted to enter a socket on the vehicle, and I form in the
said hollow or tubular steni one or more series or groups of perforations. Within
this hollow or tubular stem, I arrange one or more deflecting plates whereby the air
entering the said perforations will be directed downward. I make the lantern or
lamp-casing with an air-chamber which is in communication with the hollow or
tubular stem and with the interior of the casing. The oil-reservoir of the lamp is
supported a short distance above the top of this air-chamber so that the air may pass
beneath the said reservoir into the interior of the lantern.
The oil-reservoir is provided with an ordinary wick-tube and wick-adjusting device.
The lamp-cone is fixed in a plate which is hinged or pivoted to the oil-reservoir. and
is fastened in position thereon by a suitable catch. Beneath the said pivoted plate
are a series of perforations for the admission of air to the interior of the lamp-cone.
The combustion-chamber, which is preferably formed of glass, is arranged between
the said pivoted plate and an upper plate connected therewith by a suitable frame, to
which the said upper plate is hinged or pivoted and to which it is fastened by a suitable

page_text: catch. By the construction and arrangement of the parts in this manner, access to
the wick for trimming the same can be had by simply unfastening the lower plate
and turning it about its hinge or pivot fogether with the said frame and upper
plate, the lamp-cone and the combustion-chamber.
The said upper plate is provided with a short chimney which, when the lamp proper
is inserted in the lamp-casing, coincides with another chimney fixed in the top of the
said casing. This fixed chimney is of conical form and is surrounded by a double
tubular casing suitably arranged to permit the escape of the products of combustion
whilst preventing back-draught down the chimney. I sometimes provide suitable
means for securing the lamp proper in the lantern or lamp-casing so that it can be
readily removed therefrom when necessary.
Moreover I provide suitable ventilators or air-admission tubes in one or more
corners of the lamp-casing. These tubes are perforated to permit the air to pass freely
therefrom into the interior of the lamp-casing. Within these tubes are arranged
conical tubes for the admission of the air into the said ventilating tubes from the
exterior of the casing. These details are capable of being modified in many respects,
and, in some cases, some of them may be omitted having regard to the purposes for
which any given lamp may be constructed.
My improved lamps can be advantageously used with heavy mineral oils such as
have not heretofore been successfully used in carriage-lamps.
It is obvious that such of my improvements as relate to the lantern or lamp-casing
are applicable to carriage-lamps designed for use with candles; also that the lamp
proper constructed as hereinbefore described can be used in any other suitable lantern
or lamp-casing.
Dated this 27th day of March 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Carriage and other Lamps.
I, JAMES THORNE, of 85 Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, 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:
My invention relates to carriage and other lamps, and its main object is to provide
for enabling a person in a carriage or other vehicle to obtain light for reading or
other purposes from the lamp which is used for projecting light along the road.
According to one part of my said invention, I provide for deflecting rays of light
by means of a parabolic, or approximately parabolic lens in the manner hereinafter
described.
If a parabolic, or approximately parabolic lens is so arranged in combination with
the flame of a lamp that its axis, or an axial line extending through the said lens will,
if prolonged, pass through the centre of the flame, as in the lamp described in the
Specification of former Letters Patent dated 14th January A.D. 1888, No. 631, the
rays of light passing through the said lens will be projected directly from the said
lens in a parallel, or nearly parallel beam. I have now discovered that, by placing
the lens above, below or at one side of this position, that is to say, in such a position
that the axial line passing through the lens will not, if prolonged, extend through the
centre of the flame or source of light, but through a point above, below or at one side
of the centre thereof, I can obtain a deflected beam of light, the angle of deflection
being greater the further the axis or centre of the lens is from the centre of the flame.
For example I can obtain from a carriage-lamp which, by reason of its elevated
position, would otherwise be practically useless for giving light to a person inside the
carriage, a beam of light which will be deflected into the interior of the carriage in
such a direction that the occupant can easily see to read a newspaper or the like.

page_text: An important feature of my said invention, therefore, is the arrangement
arabolic, or approximately parabolic lens in one side of a lantern or lamp-casing in
ich a manner that its axis, or an axial line passing through the said lens will, if
rolonged, extend through a point a short distance either above, bolow or at one side
f the centre of the flame or source of light. 1 thus provide for deflecting rays of
ght into a vehicle, as above stated, to enable the occupant or occupants to read at
ight, or for deflecting rays of light in any desired direction for other purposes.
When my lamp is to be used on a carriage or other vehicle, I prefer to make the
antern or lamp-casing of triangular, or approximately triangular form in horizontal
section, that is to say, 1 make the said lantern or casing with two sides at right angles
to each other and having windows or lenses for projecting rays of light ahead and in
lateral direction from the vehicle, and with another side which is inclined to the
sides above mentioned and is provided with a parabolic, or approximately parabolic or
other suitable lens in rear of the flame for deflecting or projecting rays of light into
the vehicle. When the lamp is on a suitable level, I arrange a parabolic or other
suitable lens in rear of the flame in such a position that an axial line extending
through the lens will pass through the centre of the flame. When, however, the lamp
is in too elevated a position for the rays of light passing through the lens to be
projected directly into the carriage, I employ a parabolic, or approximately parabolic
lens and arrange the same in rear of the flame in such a manner that its axis will, if
extended, pass through a point a sufficient distance below the centre of the flame to
ensure the deflection of the rays of light passing through the said lens, obliquely
downward so that they will fall upon a newspaper, book or other article held by the
occupant, of the vehicle, but will not be directed towards his eyes.
I sometimes provide the rear aperture or window with a shutter or the like, whereby
the entrance of the light into the vehicle may, when desired, be prevented.
It is obvious that, by so arranging a parabolic, or approximately parabolic lens in a
lantern or lamp-casing that the centre or axis of the said lens will be a suitable
distance above, below or at one side of the centre of the flame, I can provide for the
deflection of a beam of light in any desired direction, according to the purpose for
which the lamp is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood
that claim:—
First A carriage or other lamp provided with a parabolic, or approximately
parabolic lens so arranged that its axis will, if prolonged, pass through a point above,
below or at one side of the centre of the flame or source of light, for the purpose
above specified.
Second A carriage-lamp the lantern or casing of which is triangular, or
0 approximately triangular in horizontal section and which has one or more windows
or lenses for directing rays of light ahead, or in a lateral direction, or both, and also a
parabolic or other suitable lens so arranged that it will project or deflect rays of light
into the interior of the carriage, substantially as, and for the purpose, above
specified.
5
Third-The combination of a lantern or lamp-casing provided with a parabolic, or
approximately parabolic lens so placed that its axis will, if prolonged, pass through a
point above, below or at one side of the centre of the flame or source of light, and
ineans for closing the aperture or window in which the said lens is fitted, substantially
as, and for the purposes, above specified
December 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE &
45 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
HASELTINE, LAKE & CO.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.