IMPROVEMENTS IN MINERS SAFETY LAMPS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Herbert Timmis of Holly Lodge Old Swinford,
Stourbridge in the County of Worcester Mining Engineer, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MINERS SAFETY LAMPS
"1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Herbert Timmis
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1883.
GEORGE HERBERT TIMMIS of Holly Lodge Old Swinford, Stourbridge in the
County of Worcester Mining Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MINERS SAFETY
LAMPS
JJ
The objects of this Invention are to construct Safety Lamps for use in Mines,
Ships Holds and other places where inflammable gases are met with. There are
many faults in the present lamps which this invention in my opinion remedies:
among others their liability to cause explosion when exposed to a strong current of
air and gas; their liability to expose the flame when damaged or broken, the ease
with which they can be opened by the workman, the poor light they give and many
others. The objects of my invention are to remedy these and many other faults.
With these objects in view I construct a lamp of the usual materials and of
about the same proportions as an ordinary Miners safety Lamps. I surround the
flame with two glass cylinders one outside the other each of which fits top and
bottom into grooves in the upper and lower frames of the Lamp. and these are made
airtight by indiarubber; packing, cement or other like means, forming with the
rings an air tight chamber between the glasses hereinafter called the pressure
chamber which I fill with air or gas or liquid under any convenient pressure by
preference with carbonic acid gas, so that in case the inner glass is broken the flame is
extinguished. Another use I claim for this air or gas or liquid under pressure is that
at the bottom, or at any other convenient part of the pressure chamber I place one
or more valves formed by placing a thin sheet of India rubber on a hole (or valves
may be made in any other convenient way) so as to provide pressure valves which
shall not allow the air or gas to escape under any conditions so long as they (the
valves) are not broken or damaged. These valves by preference placed at the
bottom of the pressure chamber, press on a lever to keep it at the bottom of its
stroke, Below this lever is a spring which if the pressure on the valve or valves
in the pressure chamber to be removed. one or both of the glasses being broken
forces the lever upwards. Now this lever has a fork or double arm (or other
Price Gdl

page_text: convenient means) at the end of it and immediately in the centre of the lamp,
which lays hold and becomes attached to a tube sliding over the wick holder
and which acts as an extinguisher. The connection of the lever and the
extinguisher is made by the forked or spring end of the lever sliding over or down
a slight coned projection on the extinguisher and catching under the projection.
Of course the spring end of the Lover inay liave two arms to slide down the
extinguisher or it may have only one. The extinguisher is placed on the wick
holder before lighting the lamp and catches on the lever when the oil vessel is
screwed up, so that in-case either-of-breakage-of-one-or both glasses or in case the
oil vessel is screwed off or the Lamp taken to pieces or the flame exposed the Lamp
is extinguished.
The air to supply the lamp is admitted through a gauze ring placed by preference
immediately above the glasses and passes through holes in the framework the faces
of which are inclined at any convenient angle. From the perpendicular and to the
top edges of which holes are fixed sheets of metal leather or any other suitable
material which hang free from the holes and allow the air to pass through but they
are closed, any or either of them by a sudden or excessive pressure of air or gas
against them from the outside. After passing through the holes as above described
the air is received into a chamber or common reservoir formed in any convenient
"way but by preference by a circular flange projecting inwards from the outer
metal casing and making a tight joint against the cone chimney. From which pass
one or more tubes to the lower part of the lamp conveying the air to the flame.
These tubes are by preference made of such a diameter in proportion to their
length that a flame will not pass through them and so proportioned as to admit
sufficient air to only just supply the flame. I place these tubes by preference in
the same radial lines as the bars on the outside of the glasses. By these means a
sudden current of air or gas.coming, in contact with the lamp will not affect the
flame and also if gas, be present in any dangerous quantity the lamp will be
immediately extinguished from want of sufficient oxygen.
Of course I do not restrict myself to this absolute arrangement as one or more
sets of valves may be used and one or more gauze screens. "And the aforesaid
means may be applied, if desired, to admit the air below the glasses instead of
above them.
•
The top part of the lamp I make to contain a metal chimney which reaches.
from the ring above the glasses and to which it is secured, with a screw ring to any
convenient height and so on the upper part of which is placed a gauze cap. covered
with a metal horizonfal top. The gauze cap is by preference. only of just sufficient
area to allow the products of combustion to escape-the outer casing of the lamp. I
make of sheet metal perforated in that part of it immediately below the gauze of
the chimney with holes and I cover the outer casing with a cap of gauze reaching
below the holes and having a horizontal gauze cover at the top. By these means I
prevent the ignition of the gas in the outer chamber and the possibility of the
return air blowing down on the flame. I also carry a pipe or tube from the
pressure chamber, containing non inflammable gas into the upper part of the lamp
above the chimney and terminate it in the space above the chimney in a coil of
metal fusible at a point below the ignition point of a mixture of air and fire damp.
By this means in case the gas should ignite by an accident to the lamp or by other
causes the fusing of the coil releases a stream of carbonic acid gas and immediately
extinguishes
.
Another feature in this lamp is that it allows of longer glasses being made and
admits its supply of air close to the flame thereby giving a better light than
ordinary safety lamps:
Of course the Lamp is provided with a lock but this is not necessary except to
milith th

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Herbert Timmis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th August 1883.
GEORGE HERBERT TIMMIS of Holly Lodge Old Swinford Stourbridge in the
County of Worcester, Mining Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MINER'S SAFETY
LAMPS"
The objects of this Invention are to construct Miners Safety Lamps for use in
Mines, Ships Holds and other places where Lamps similar in construction to this
lamp are employed.
In Lamps of the ordinary construction among other imperfections there is a
great tendency to fire the mine when exposed to a strong current of azotised air.
The liability to expose the flame when broken or damaged. The ease with which
they can be opened by Workmen and the poor light which they give, these and
other faults are remedied by my Invention.
According to my Invention I construct a lamp of the same materials and of
about the same proportions as an ordinary Miners Safety Lamp.
I surround the flame with two glass cylinders one outside the other and of any
convenient distance apart both of which fits top and bottom into grooves in upper
and lower frames of the lamp and they are made airtight by india rubber packing
cement or otherwise forming with the rings an air tight chamber between the
glasses hereinafter called the pressure chamber which I fill with uninflammable
air or gas or liquid by. preference CO 2 but any other gas will do under pressure so
that in case the inner glass cylinder is broken or damaged the gas or liquid under
pressure escapes and thus extinguishes the flame.
Another use that this air or gas under pressure is used for is that at the bottom
or at any other part of the pressure chamber I place one or more valves formed by
placing a thin sheet of India rubber, these valves may be made in any other
convenient way so long as they do not allow the CO2 or air to escape only when
the outer or inner glass cylinders are broken.
These valves press on a lever which works on a hinge and keeps the said lever
at the bottom of its stroke. Underneath this lever is a spring which is attached
by means of a small screw to the bottom frame of the pressure chamber, this
spring is made of any convenient shape and length and which if the pressure on
the valve or valves in the pressure chamber be removed by one or both of the
glasses breaking forces the lever upwards. This lever has at its extremity and
immediately in the centre of the lamp two prongs which lay hold and becomes
attached to a tube sliding over the wick holder and which acts as an extinguisher.
The connection of the lever and the extinguisher is made by the forked projections
at the end of the lever sliding over or down one or more coned projections on the
extinguisher and catching under the projection.
This extinguisher is placed on the wick holder before lighting the lamp and
catches on the forked end of the lever when the oil vessel is screwed off or the
lamp taken to pieces or the flame exposed the lamp is extinguished.
The air to supply the lamp is admitted through a gauze ring placed by preference
immediately above the glasses and passes through holes in the framework the faces
of which are inclined at any convenient angle from the perpendicular and to the
top edges of which holes are fixed sheets of metal, leather or any other suitable
material which hang from the holes and allow the air to pass through but they
are closed any or all of them by a sudden or excessive pressure of air or gas
against them from the outside. After passing through the holes as above the air
is received into a chamber or common reservoir formed in any convenient way but
by preference by a circular flange projecting inwards from the outer metal casing
and making a tight joint against the cone chimney from which pass one or more
tubes to the lower part of the lamp conveying the air to the flame. These tubes
are by preference made of such a diameter in proportion to their length that à

page_text: flame will not pass through them and so proportioned as to admit sufficient air to
only just supply the flame. I place these tubes by preference in. the same radial
lines as. the bars on the outside of the glasses. By these means a sudden current
of air or gas coming in contact with the lamp will not affect the flame and also if
gas be present in any dangerous quantity the lamp will be immediately extinguished
from want of sufficient oxygen.
Of course I do not restrict myself to this absolute arrangement as one or more
sets of valves may be used and one or more gauze screens and the aforesaid means
may be applied if desired to admit the air. below the glasses instead of above them.
Or the air supplied to the flame may come from below. the glasses through small
hole's in the outer frame say about 1/8. diameter and into a common reservoir
.extending nearly round the lamp and passing through one or more thicknesses of
.gauze it enters the combustion chamber through an inner set of holes.
in.
The top part of the lamp I make to contain a metal chimney which reaches from
the ring above the glasses and to which it is secured with a screw ring to any
convenient height and on the upper part of which is placed a gauze cap which is
covered with a metal horizontal top. The gauze cap is by preference only of just
sufficient area to allow the products of combustion to escape.
The outer casing of the lamp I make of sheet metal perforated in that part of it
immediately below the gauze of the chimney with holes and I cover the outer
casing with a cap of gauze reaching below the holes and having a horizontal gauze
cover at the top. By these means I prevent the ignition of the gas in the outer
chamber-and-the-possibility-of-the-return air-blowing down the flame. I also
carry a pipe or tube from the pressure chamber containing noninflammable gas;
into the upper part of the lamp above the chimney and terminate it in the space
above the chimney in a coil of metal fusible at a point below the ignition point of
a mixture of air and fire damp. By this means in case the gas should ignite' by
an accident to the lamp or by other causes the fusing of the coil releases a stream
of CO 2 and immediately extinguishes it. Another feature in this lamp is that it
allows of longer glasses being used and admits its supply of air close to the flame
thereby giving a better light than ordinary safety lamps. Of course the Lamp
is provided with a lock but this is not necessary except to comply with the Mines
Regulation Act.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention I will now proceed to
explain the various modes of effecting the same reference being had to the
accompanying sheet of Drawings and to the Figures and letters thereon.
Figure 1 part of which is in elevation and part in vertical section represents a
lamp the air to supply the flame of which is supplied from above the upper frame
of the pressure chamber. Figure 2 is a vertical section of the lamp the air to
support the flame is supplied from below.
The air passes through the holes a, a Figure 1 the faces of which are inclined at
any convenient angle from the perpendicular and to the top edges of which holes
are fixed sheets of metal, leather or other suitable material 6 by means of a small
:hinge shown in section and in elevation in the said Figure and then is passed into
a chamber or common reservoir c from which pass one or more tubes & to the lower
part of the lamp conveying air to the flame These tubes being made of such a
diameter in proportion to their length that a flame will not pass through them and
so proportioned as to admit sufficient air to only just supply the flame.
3. and fare the two g'ass cylinders which are fastened in grooves e', f in both
frames of the pressure chamber h the interior of which is filled with CO 2 or any
other noninflammable gas will do. When the inner glass fis broken the gas
escapes onto the flame and thus extinguishes it. Another use that I claim for this
gas or air under pressure in the pressure chamber h is, at the bottom or any other
convenient part of the said chainber I place a valve of india rubber packing or
any other suitable material i which when pressure is placed upon it it presses on
the piece of brass which also presses on the lever k and keeps it at the bottom of
its stroke, this lever is attached by a hinge to the bottom frame of tho. pressure
:

page_text: chamber h and it is also fixed to the piece of brass j by means of a jaw and pin 2
shown in section Figure 2. At the extremity of the lever k and immediately in
the centre of the lamp are two prongs m which lay hold of and becomes attached
to a tube n sliding over the wick holder o and which said tube n acts as an
extinguisher. This extinguisher n has one or more coned projections p in it by
which the prongs m lay hold of the tube.
Soldered to the upper frame a¹ of the pressure chamber h is a tube c¹ which I
carry to the upper part of the lamp and terminates it in the space above the
chimney in a coil filled with metal c³ fusible at a point below the ignition point
of a mixture of air and fire damp. By these means in case the gas should ignite
by an accident to the lamp or by other causes the fusing of the coil releases a
stream of CO 2 or any other gas which is used from the pressure chamber and
immediately extinguishes the flame at the top of the lamp.
The top part of the lamp I make to contain a metal chimney 5 which reaches
from the upper frame of the pressure chamber h and to which it is secured with a
screw ring 7 to any convenient height, the upper part of which is covered with
a gauze cap 8 which is covered with a metal horizontal top 9. The gauze
cap 8 is by preference only of just sufficient area to allow the products of
combustion to escape.
The outer casing of the lamp I make of sheet metal 10 with perforations 11 in
that part of it immediately below the gauze of the chimney with holes and I cover
the outer casing with a cap of gauze 12 reaching below the holes 11 and having a
horizontal gauze cover at the top 13. By these means I prevent the ignition of
the gas in the outer chamber and the possibility of the return air blowing down
onto the flame.
Figure 2 is a vertical section the air being supplied to the flame from below by
means of openings a, a through wire gauze b and thence through the ring c which
is shown in plan Figure 4. The tube c' is shown partly in section which is
terminated in a coil filled with metal which is fusible below the ignition point of
a mixture of fire damp and air.
Figure 3 is a section taken on the line A B Figure 2 1, 1 are the stays by
the bottom frame of the air chamber e is the outer glass cylinder 2, 2 are the end
stays of the lamp
Figure 4 is a section taken on the line C D Figure 2, a, a are the holes through
which the air passes and thence through the wire gauze b and thence through
holes 3, 3 in the said ring c
Figure 5 is a plan of the ring d which is withdrawn when air is required to
be pressed into the pressure chamber h by the plug 4 Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a section taken on the line A B Figure 1. 12 is the wire gauze
cusing, the stays a the holes and h the flap of metal, leather or other material
and 5 the copper chimney.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in
which the same is or may be carried into effect I claim: The construction of the
inner glass cylinder together with the outer one thereby forming the pressure
chamber h in conjunction with the valve i, brass piece j lever k, extinguisher p and
the tube o terminating in the fusible plug c also the general construction and
arrangement of the lamp substantially as and for the purposes herein before described
and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof I tho said George Herbert Timmis have hereunto set
my hand and seal this sixteenth day of August in the year of Our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
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