Improvements in Safety Lamps.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Lamps.
We, ARTHUR MARSHALL CHAMBERS, Colliery Proprietor, of Chapeltown, in
the County of York, and WALTER GREEN, Lampkeeper, of Tankersley, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our present invention relates to the safety lamps burning colza and other Buch
oils, or mineral oils, or mineral spirit, ordinarily used by miners in collieries, and
in other places liable to the presence of explosive gases.
It has for its objects improvements in such lamps, by which,-first, the necessity
is avoided for taking off the bottom of the oil vessel whenever the sponges or
permanent wicks or wick tubes require to be renewed, or the oil vessel to be
cleaned, or the rivet securing the cover of the feed aperture roplaced; second, the
proper operation of the extinguishing device is ensured, and the looking device is
simplified; and the lamp can be more easily and effectually cleaned; and lastly,
the method of carrying and fixing the shield or bonnet of the lamp is simplified,
and the turning round of the lamp when being carried is prevented.
B
In order to put our invention in operation, we make the oil vessel at the bottom
of the lamp of a single piece of metal, preferably cast, and having at the top
central circular opening, having a recess round its upper part into which a washer
of indiarubber or other suitable soft material is fitted, upon which rests a plate or
disc which forms, or is attached to, the bottom of the permanent wick tube, (which
is screwed outside in the usual way), and is secured in position upon the india-
rubber, by a ring which is screwed into the recess in the top of the oil vessel, its
upper side being preferably about level with, and forming a part of, the top of the
latter. A feed hole for filling the oil vessel is provided at the top of the latter
near its edge, and is covered by a moveable plate pivotted at one end, by a pin or
rivet.
By this method of construction of the oil vessel, the necessity is avoided for
taking off the bottom of the vessel and subsequently re-soldering it on, which is
necessary in all such lampa as ordinarily heretofore constructed, whenever the
sponges (employed when mineral spirit is used), or the permanent wicks or wick
tubes require to be renewed, the oil vessel to be cleaned out, or the rivet which
secures the cover of the feed opening replaced.
The sponges can be readily made to completely fill the oil vessel, by applying
pressure to them through the opening in the top, no soldering being necessary
under any circumstances, & great advantage in the case of lamps made of aluminium
or other metal in soldering which there
any difficulty.
The extinguisher, or outer tube through which the permanent wick tube is
screwed, is of the usual kind, but is fitted with a spring carrying a vertical pin,
which is forced up by the spring into a corresponding hole or recess in the lower
side of the transverse plate at the bottom of the lamp, through which this outer
extinguisher is screwed up into position.
The extinguisher being screwed down upon the inuer wick tube, and the wick
lighted, the two together are screwed up into the bottom of the lamp, until the
vertical pin enters the hole in the latter.
By the novel method of construction, if the oil vessel be now unscrewed, the

page_text: extinguisher tube is retained in position by the pin, whilst the inner wick tube is
unscrewed through it, the flame boing in this way reduced in size and finally
extinguished. The extinguisher itself cannot be unscrewed and withdrawn until
the pin has been drawn out of its hole by pressing down a lug or catch upon the
spring.
The oil vessel is locked in position, so that it cannot be unscrewed below a
certain point, by means of an inclined catch or pin attached to a spring, one end
of which is attached to the outside of the base of the lamp, and the catch passes
inward through a holo in the base, and is held in position below an annular
projection round the side of the oil vessel, so that it prevents the latter from being
entirely unscrewed and removed, though it allows it to be unscrewed to a certain
point so as to reduce the flame to the smallest possible size.
The spring is covered by a small external hood or case, and is held in position
with the catch forced inward, by means of a lead rivet passed behind it, through
the sides of the hood, so that the oil vessel cannot be withdrawn until the lead
rivet is removed and the spring drawn back.
By the construction of extinguisher described, the necessity is avoided for a
spring bar passing through a socketted bracket on the outside of the lamp casing,
which is usually provided in lamps burning mineral oil or spirit, and fitted with
extinguishers.
This socketted bracket being done away with, and the projection caused by the
lock being greatly reduced in size, the lamps can be cleaned in a hollow cylindrical
brush revolved by machinery, and there is no necessity for hand labour for cleaning
the bottom part of the lamp casing.
The shield or bonuet, which surrounds and protects the upper or wire gauze
part of the lamp, is supported by a narrow arched plate or strip of steel or other
metal which is bent to the shape of the inside of the bounet, the lower ends of the
strip being rivetted at each side to the ring forming the frame of the lamp, at the
lower end of the wire gauze, and the shield being fitted over and resting upon it.
We make the eyebolt at the top, by which the lamp is carried, with a square
shank passing through a corresponding square hole at the top of the bent plate or
strip, so that the shield or bonnet, which may be made in a single piece, is firmly
secured and held in position upon its support by the eyebolt, the inner end of the
shank of the latter being fitted with a washer, and fastened by a screw or
rivetted.
By this method of construction the necessity for the usual standards at the
lamp top is avoided, whilst the square shank and hole described prevent the lamp
from turning round whilst being carried, this being a great advantage with lamps
fitted with glasses clouded or obscured on one side, or provided with any form of
reflector.
Improvements in Safety Lamps.
We, ARTHUR Marshall Chambers, Colliery Proprietor, of Chapeltown,
in the County of York, and WALTER GREEN, Lampkeeper, of Tankersley, in the
County of York, 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, and accompanying drawing, that is to say :—
Our present invention relates to the safety lamps, burning colza or other such oils,

page_text: or mineral oils, or mineral spirit, ordinarily used by miners in collieries, and in
other places liable to the presence of explosive gases.
It has for its objects improvements in such lamps, by which,-first, the necessity
is avoided for taking off the bottom of the oil vessel whenever the sponges or
permanent wicks or wick tubes require to be renewed, or the oil vessel to be
cleaned, or the rivet securing the cover of the feed aperture roplaced; second, the
proper operation of the extinguishing device is ensured, and the locking device is
simplified; and the lamp can be more easily and effectually cleaned; and lastly,
the method of carrying and fixing the shield or bonnet of the lamp aimplified
and the turning round of the lamp when being carried is prevented.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of our invention, Figure 1 being a
side view of a safety lamp, and Figure 2 a vertical section through the same.
с
In order to put our invention in operation, we make the oil vessel a at the bottom
of the lamp of a single piece of metal, preferably cast, and having at the top a
central circular opening, having a recess b round its upper part into which a
washer c of indiarubber or other suitable soft material is fitted, upon which rests
a plate or disc d which forms, or is attached to, the bottom of the permanent wick
tube e, (which is screwed outside in the usual way with a strong screw thread,
as shewn), and is secured in position upon the indiarubber c by a ring f, which is
screwed into the recess in the top of the oil vessel
its upper side being preferably
about level with, and forming a part of, the top of the latter. A feed hole for
filling the oil vessel is provided at the top of the oil vessel a near its edge, and is
covered by a movable plate A pivotted at one end, by a pin or rivet i.
g
By this method of construction of the oil vessel, the necessity is avoided for
taking off the bottom of the vessel and subsequently re-soldering it on, which is
necessary in all such lamps as ordinarily heretofore constructed, whenever the
sponges (employed when mineral spirit is used), or the permanent wicks or wick
tubes require to be renewed, the oil vessel to be cleaned out, or the rivet which
secures the cover of the feed opening replaced.
The sponges can be readily made to completely fill the oil vessel a, by applying
pressure to them through the opening in the top, no soldering being necessary under
any circumstances, a great advantage in the case of lamps made of aluminium or
other metal in soldering which there is any difficulty.
The extinguisher, or outer tube k, through which the permanent, wick tube e is
screwed, is of the usual kind, but is fitted with a spring carrying a vertical pin m,
(shewn separately in Figure 4) which pin is forced up by the spring into a corre
sponding hole or recess n (Figure 3) in the lower side of the transverse plate o at
the bottom of the lamp itself, through which this outer extinguisher & is screwed
up into position.
The extinguisher & being screwed down upon the inner wick tube e, and the wick
lighted, the two together are screwed up by the screw p upon the extinguisher,
into the bottom o of the lamp, until the vertical pin m enters the hole in the latter,
into which it is pressed by the spring 1.
By the novel method of construction described and shewn, if the oil vessol a be
now unscrewed, the extinguisher tube & is retained in position by the pin m,
whilst
the inner wick tube e is unscrewed through it and withdrawn, the flame being in
this way reduced in sizo aud finally extinguished. The extinguisher itself k cannot
be unscrewed and withdrawn until the pin m has been drawn out of its hole by
pressing down a lug or catch upon the spring, after the oil vessel has been
withdrawn.
The oil vessel is locked in position, so' that it cannot be unscrewed below a
certain point, by means of an inclined catch or pin formed upon or attached to
a spring, one end of which is attached to the outside of the base of the lamp, or
to the oase us, and the catoh passes inward through a hole in the base, and is held
in position below an annular projection round the side of the oil vessel a, so
that it prevents the latter from boing entirely unscrewed and removed, though it

page_text: allows it to be unscrewed to a certain point so as to reduce the flame to the smallest
possible size.
The spring is covered by a small external hood or case u, (to which in the
drawing it is shewn attached) and it is held in position with the catch forced
inward by means of a lead rivet passed through holes behind it in the sides of
the hood u, so that the oil vessel a cannot be withdrawn until the lead rivet is
removed and the spring catch a drawu back.
By the construction of extinguisher described, the necessity is avoided' for a
spring bar passing through a socketted bracket on the outside of the lamp casing,
which is usually provided in lamps burning mineral oil or spirit and fitted with
extinguishers.
This socketted bracket being done away with, and the projection caused by the
look being greatly reduced in size, the lamps can be cleaned in a hollow cylindrical
brush revolved by machinery, and there is no necessity for hand labour for cleaning
the bottom part of the lamp casing.
The shield or bounet w, which surrounds and protects the upper or wire gauze
parts of the lamp, (which are not shewn in the drawing, but are of the usual kind)
is supported by a narrow arched plate or strip of steel or other metal (shewn in
dotted lines at ) which is bent to the shape of the inside of the bonnet, the
lower ends of the strip being rivetted at each side to the ring forming the frame
of the lamp, at the lower end of the wire gauze and the shield being fitted over and
resting upon it.
We make the eyebolt y at the top, by which the lamp is carried, with a square or
rectangular shank passing through a corresponding hole at the top of the beut
plate or strip so that the shield or bonnet r, which may be made in a singlo
piece, is firmly secured and held in position upon its support by the eyebolt, the
inuer end of the shank of the latter being fitted with a washer, and fastened by a
screw or rivetted.
We preferably make the ring, which is attached to the eyebolt y, and by which
the lamp is carried, of a bent steel wire the end of which is Hattened aud bent into
a spring hook which can be readily hooked upon or removed from the eyebolt y.
The shield or bounet w cau be removed from the lamp when the ring has been
thus detached, but it may be permauently fixed by passing a lead or other rivet
through a hole in the shank, as indicated at z.
By this method of construction the necessity for the usual standards at the lamp
top is avoided, whilst the square alank and hole described prevent the lamp from
turning round whilst being carried, this being a great advantage, with lamps fitted
with glasses clouded or obscured on one side, or provided with any form of
reflector.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise details of construction, nor to the
form and proportions of the several parts, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1.) In safety lamps, the combination of the solid oil vessel a, permanent wick
holder e, secured in a recess at the top of the oil vessel, the external extinguisher k
secured upon the wick holder e and screwing into the plate o, the spring, pin m
entering recess n, spring catch s, projecting ring t, case u, and holes for rivet, all
substantially us and for the purpose described and illustrated.
(2.) In combination with the wick holder e carried on the oil vessel a, and the
extinguisher k, the spring and pin m, fitting a hole n in the plate o, substantially
as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
(3.) The combination with the oil vessel a, carrying the permanent screwed
wick-holder 8, the projecting rim spring catch s, and rivet fixed in holes t,
substantially as described and illustrated.
1

page_text: (4.) In safety lamps, the, external hood to, supporting bar, eyebolt y having a
rectangular shank passing through the hood w and fixed in the bar, and spring
ring fitting on eyebolt y, all substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated.
(5.) In safety lamps the solid oil vessel a, having a feed opening g and cover h,
a recess 6 to receive the flange of the wick holder, and a separate ring / to hold the
said flange, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 5th day of December 1895.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.