IMPROVEMENTS. IN LAMPS AND IN LAMP WICKS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Bright, of Bruton Street, in the City of
Westminster; Lamp Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS.
IN LAMPS AND IN LAMP WICKS."
Sealed the 18tli September 1855, and dated the 20th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Bright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
April 1855.
I, RICHARD BRIGHT, of Bruton Street, in the City of Westminster, Lamp
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "I-
PROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND IN LAMP WICKS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, first, in providing wicked lamps with a double con-
centric tube extinguisher and regulator. For this purpose I annex to the
chimney holder a double tube, one working outside the Argand tube, and the
other inside the inner Argand tube. These concentric tubes are so fitted as to
move up and down the Argand burner together, and when required to extinguish
the light they are moved upwards, until they enclose the burning or lighted
portion of the wick between them, and thus put out the light. For flat wick
and cord wick burners an outer extinguisher tube only will be required.
Again, my Invention consists in a means of preventing the overflow of oil
or other fluid, either from suddenly filling lamps, or from the fluid in the

page_text: burner or supply tubes returning again to the reservoir; or, in order to allow
for expansion, I carry a tube so far down into the body of the lamp, that when
the regular supply is contained therein, the bottom of the tube shall come
below the surface of the fluid. At the upper part of this tube and on the inside
thereof I place a bent conical pipe with its wide mouth upwards. The small
end of the cone is fitted into, passes through, and terminates at the side of the
tube. The effect is as follows:-On pouring in a supply of, say, oil, as soon as
the oil reaches its proper level in the reservoir of the lamp, the tube would
become filled, and on perceiving oil at the top of the tube the person filling
would desist. The lamp being left to itself, air remaining above the level
of the oil in the reservoir outside of the tube before mentioned would escape
through the conical pipe, and give place to the excess of oil remaining in
the tube, and would in like manner give place to such small portions of oil
which might be contained in the burner and tubes. I carry this tube slightly
above the level of the ring, which is intended for securing the burner to the
body of the lamp, and perforate or otherwise make an aperture therein on a
level with the ring, whereby to allow of the superfluous oil draining away.
My Invention further consists in providing an indicator to shew the position
of the piston or plunger in moderator lamps. For this purpose I connect to
the handle which winds up the piston or plunger a string with a weight or
other suitable guide, which being wound up with the piston will also unwind
or descend with it, and exhibit clearly outside the lamp the position the plunger
occupies inside of it.
And my improvements in the manufacture of lamp wicks consist in napping
or raising a pile on yarns or cloths suitable for the manufacture of wicks,
and in causing such yarns or cloths to adhere by gum or other suitable cement.
By means of the pile the capillary action is scarcely interrupted.
My improvements in lamp wicks also consist in preventing the descent of
the flame lower than would be beneficial by means of a metallic band.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Bright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
BRIGHT, of Bruton Street, in the City of Westminster, Lamp Manufacturer,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Bright, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Bright,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Bright, 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 AND IN
LAMP WICKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard
Bright, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Richard Bright, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:
My Invention consists, first, in providing wicked lamps with a double con-
centric tube extinguisher, and with a chimney regulator, whereby the height of
the chimney can be regulated without requiring the removal of the outer globe.
For this purpose I annex to the chimney holder a double tube, one working
outside the Argand tube, and the other inside the inner Argand tube. These
concentric tubes are so fitted as to move up and down the Argand burner
together, and when required to extinguish the light they are moved upwards,
until they enclose the burning or lighted portion of the wick between them,
and thus put out the light. For flat wick and cord wick burners an outer
extinguisher tube only will be required.
Again, my Invention consists in a means of preventing the overflow of oil or
other fluid, either from suddenly filling lamps, or from the fluid in the burner
or supply tubes returning again to the reservoir; or, in order to allow for expan-
sion, I carry a tube into the body of the reservoir, so that the bottom of the
At
tube shall come below the surface of the fluid when the reservoir is full.
the upper part of this tube and on the inside thereof I place a bent conical
pipe with its wide mouth upwards. The small end of the cone is fitted into,

page_text: passes through, and terminates at the side of the tube.
follows-On pouring in a supply of, say, oil, as soon as the
The effect is as
surface of the oil
in the reservoir reaches the entering tube, the small conical tube will become
filled with bubbles of air and oil, when on perceiving this the person filling
would desist. The lamp being left to itself, air remaining above the level of
the oil in the reservoir outside of the tube before mentioned would escape
through the conical pipe, and give place to the excess of oil remaining in the
tube, and would in like manner give place to such small portions of oil which
might be contained in the burner and tubes, and also allow for expansion of the
oil. I carry this tube slightly above the level of the ring which is intended
for securing the burner to the body of the lamp, and perforate or otherwise
nake an aperture therein on a level with the ring, whereby to allow of any
superfluous oil draining away.
My Invention further consists in providing an indicator to shew the position
of the piston or plunger in moderator lamps. For this purpose I connect to
the handle which winds up the piston or plunger a string with a weight or other
suitable guide, which being wound up with the piston will also unwind or
descend with it, and exhibit clearly outside the lamp the position the plunger
occupies inside it.
And my improvements in the manufacture of lamp wicks consist in napping
or raising a pile on yarns or cloths rendered suitable for the manufacture of
wicks by having been previously saturated with fat or fatty matter, and in
causing such yarns or cloths to adhere by gum or other suitable cement. By
the threads being saturated with fat previously to napping and gumming, the
capillary action is scarcely interrupted.
My improvements in lamp wicks also consist in preventing the descent of
the flame lower than would be beneficial by means of a metallic band.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed is an external elevation, Figures 2 and
2ª are vertical sections, and Figure 3 a plan, of part of a moderator lamp
embodying my several improvements. And here I would remark, with refer-
ence to the first and second of my said improvements, that although they
are described as applied to a moderator lamp, they are also applicable to other
wicked lamps, whether for burning oil or other fluid.
With reference to my first improvement, A is part of the body of the lamp;
and B is the reservoir formed therein; C, C, are two uprights, which are
screwed to the body of the lamp, and are farther supported by means of the
ring D resting on a leather washer. These uprights carry the burner and
parts in connection therewith. E is the outer Argand tube, which is fixed to
the ring F, attached at the top
of the uprights C, C; and G is the inner

page_text: Argand tube, around which is formed a ledge a to support the wick. This
ledge comes very nearly in contact with the interior of the outer Argand tube E,
leaving only a sufficient space between them for the supply of oil to the wick.
E' is the supply tube, which is carried up nearly to the height of the ledge a,
through the base of the small reservoir E, in which position it is soldered
between the tubes E and G, and thus serves to sustain the latter in its place;
Hand I are the inner and outer extinguisher tubes, and J the chimney holder
and regulator; H being inside the inner Argand tube G, and I and J outsidė
the Argand tube E. The chimney holder and regulator is attached to the
outer extinguisher tube I by means of arms b, b. K is a rack, by means of
which motion is given to the extinguisher tubes H and I and to the chimney
holder J, the tubes H and I being connected to the rack K by means of
screw C, which passes through the outer Argand tube E, which is slotted away
to admit of the screw working up and down. freely when the rack is set in
motion. Although I have shewn the extinguisher tubes and regulator as
attached together, yet the tubes or the regulator may, if preferred, be used
independently of each other. L is a pinion, with a handle M, by means of
which the rack K is worked; and N is a guide or casing in which the rack
works; O is a ring which supports the globe holder or gallery P in a suspended
state, and thereby prevents its lower extremity from coming in contact with any
oily surface; Q is a gutter which surrounds the outer Argand tube E; and Ris
a spout, by which any oil that may flow into the gutter is conducted to the
interior, and allowed to fall back into the reservoir. As the use of the extin-
guisher tubes and chimney regulator has been explained above, I do not
consider it necessary to give any further description of them. I do not confine
myself to the means above described of giving motion to the extinguisher and
regulator tubes.
With reference to my second improvement, S is the tube which I employ
for the purpose of preventing overflow and of allowing for expansion. This
tube is attached to the ring D, and may extend down into the reservoir B to
any required extent. T is the bent conical pipe inserted in the side of the
tube S; U is a raised part or ledge formed on the ring D, and constituting, in
conjunction with the uprights C, C, a continuation of the tube S above the
ring D; and V is an aperture or perforation to allow of any superfluous oil
draining away. The object and effect of this arrangement having been fully
described above, no farther' or other explanation is here requisite.
. With reference to my third improvement, W is the handle of the pinion by
which the rack for actuating the piston or plunger is worked, and X is a small
pulley formed thereon; Y is a cord attached to the pulley X; and Z is a weight

page_text: connected to the end of the cord, by means of which the position of the piston
or plunger in the reservoir is indicated, in the manner fully explained above.
Figure 4 is an external elevation of an Argand wick embodying my improve-
ments; Figure 5 is an inside view when opened out; and Figure 6, a plan of
the metallic band for preventing the flame descending too low. This wick is
manufactured as follows:-I take six strands, more or less, of wick cotton or
other material suitable for the manufacture of wicks, and saturate them with
greasy or waxy matter sufficiently to fill the body thereof and to cause stiffness,
and lay them together, but without twisting them. I then pass them through
a gimping or covering machine of the ordinary construction, by which a very
fine thread is wound spirally round them, and they are thus held firmly together
so as to form a cord. I next take several of these cords and place them side
by side close together on a flat surface until a band is formed of the requisite
width for the production of any particular size of wicks, or I wind the cord on
a board in like manner. I then produce a nap or pile on the surface of the
band of cords by means of a wire brush or otherwise across the fibres, and I
afterwards coat the surface on which the nap or pile has been raised with as
small a quantity of gum or other adhesive composition as will cause the cords
to adhere to each other. I then cut the prepared bands into short lengths, and
form these lengths into tubes by placing them around a mandril, and gumming
the edges together. In this state the wicks are ready for use; but they may be
tipped with an inflammable composition if thought necessary. The metallic
bands are fitted to the wicks while they are still on the mandril, the ends being
bent over and fastened together, in the manner shewn in Figure 6, by means
of pincers. Metallic bands of this description may also be used with Argand
wicks of the ordinary manufacture, and with cord wicks and flat wicks.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,-
First, the adaptation to wicked lamps of an extinguisher consisting of one
or two tubes, as represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and herein-before <lescribed.
Second, the raising and lowering of the chimney of lamps without neces-
sitating the removal of the globe, by means of a rack and pinion, or other
equivalent therefor, as represented in Figures 1 and 2, and herein-before
described.
Third, the supporting of the globe holder or gallery in a suspended state, as
represented in Figures 1 and 2, and herein-before described.
Fourth, the mode of preventing overflow and allowing for expansion of oil
or other fluid in wicked lamps, as represented in Figures 1, 2, and 2³, and
herein-before described.

page_text: Fifth, the adaptation of an indicator to moderator lamps, in the manner
represented in Figures 1 and 2, and herein-before described.
Sixth, the manufacture of lamp wicks by first saturating or impregnating
yarns or cloths with fat or fatty matter, and the napping or raising a pile upon
such yarns or cloths, then coating or covering the napped or piled surface with
gum or other adhesive composition, and the cementing together of the edges of
such yarns or cloths when forming Argand or tubular wicks, all as herein-before
described.
And, seventh, the adaptation of a metallic band to lamp wicks, for the
purpose of preventing the descent of the flame lower than would be desirable,
and of imparting firmness to the wick.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Bright, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.
RD BRIGHT. (L.S.)