AN IMPROVED LAMP, WHICH HE CALLS 'LAMP
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, of the English and Foreign Patent Office, 4, South
Street, Finsbury, London, and 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LAMP, WHICH HE CALLS 'LAMP
Scaled the 17th May 1853, and dated the 16th December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Armand Le
Comte de Fontaine Moreau at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th December 1852.
I, PETER ARMAND LE COMTE DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of the English
and Foreign Patent Office, 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, and
39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "AN IMPROVED LAMP, WHICH I CALL 'LAMP OMNIBUS,'" to
be as follows:-
The Invention consists, -
Firstly, in the mode of combining the several organs of the lamp,
and in maintaining without agitation a flame of any required
volume at the bottom of a transparent vessel with a level rigorously
constant, and obtained by means of a translucent floater.

page_text: Secondly, in obtaining a steady equilibrium with two moveable
equilibriums, and in regulating the volume of light by means of
cones having several openings placed over the chimney, or by means
of a small register.
imenting of the fame in a close vessel be de
Secondly, in obtaining a steady equilibrium with two moveable
equilibriums, and in regulating the volume of light by means of
cones having several openings placed over the chimney, or by means
of a small register.
Thirdly, the alimenting of the flame in a close vessel by de.
scension, with entire suppression of the air currents by ascension.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
PETER ARMAND LE COMTE DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of the English
and Foreign Patent Office, 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, and
39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Peter Armand Le
Comte de Fontaine Moreau, Her special licence that I, the said
Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter
Armand Le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "AN
.IMPROVED LAMP, WHICH I CALL 'LAMP OMNIBUS'" (communicated to me
from a foreigner residing abroad), upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Peter Armand Le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,

page_text: 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 Peter Armand Le Comte de
Fontaine Moreau, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is
to say):
The Invention consists in a new mode of constructing lamps for
burning oil.
The lamp is enclosed in a close vessel in an atmosphere of heated
air. The wick is supported by a glass float containing confined air.
The ingress and egress of the air necessary for combustion take
place through a perforated lid. The chimney of the lamp is in
the form of a cone, and serves to lessen the draught so as to pro-
duce a quiet and voluminous light by which a saving of oil is
effected, which I can increase by lessening the size of the aperture
of the cone. I can reduce the lamp to a night light by lessening still
further the size of the orifices of the cone. Flat wicks of cotton or
tinder are used.
Figure 1, is a section of the lamp; a, a, is a cylindrical vessel
half full of oil; b, b, glass floats, having a cylindrical shape, and in
which confined air is inclosed; c, curved metallic wick holder as
shown in Figure 2, with a specula appendage. Figure 3, serving
as a reverberator or shade for reading, and provided with a handle
to withdraw and light the wick; e, e, conical metallic or china
chimney, serving as a lid to the oil vessel; f,f, holes made round
the chimney to give ingress to the alimenting air, the direction of
which is represented by small arrows; g, metallic cone, having an
orifice of a smaller diameter than the chimney, and serving to de-
crease the fierceness and size of the flame; h, a second cone, which

page_text: I call an economiser, and serving to reduce the flame to the size of
that of a night light; i, i, cylinder open at its upper part, serving
to support a vessel containing liquids to be heated, and also to pre-
serve the flame from the wind; j, represents the three different
degrees of light produced by the three cones herein-before described;
K, flat cotton or tinder wick.
Figure 4, represents a wick bearer having its lower part hollow,
and serving to receive an elongated wick, as shown in Figure 5; it
is provided at its lower part with a small stem entering the hole of
its glass float.
Figure 6, another wick holder, which is placed in an iron frame
shewn in Figure 8, and in which the float Figure 7, is inclosed, in
order to guide it more effectually against the edges of the vessel.
Figure 9, represents another twisted wick holder, which lasts
during several months, and which is unrolled by means of a pincer
through the opening shewn in A, Figure 10.
Figure 9, represents a front and side view of a wick holder
similar to the last herein-before described, but which is besides pro-
vided with a small cog wheel a, causing the wick to ascend or
descend by the slight pressure it exerts upon it; b, is the knob,
serving to work the cog wheel a; c, c, represents one or more stems
for entering the hole in the foot of a lamp either with or without
a float.
.
Figure 11, lid serving to regulate the air currents; it is com-
posed of two metallic concs placed one in the other. The internal
part a, a, serves as a chimney for the egress of the gas; the ex-
ternal parts b, b, serve to heat the air descending into the lamp; c,
is a register or slide provided with a hole in the middle, and serving
to reduce the size of the flame to that of a night light. The arrows
indicate the course of the draft. is a ring serving to hold the
vessel containing any liquid to be heated; it is also easy to con-
struct a lid with a cone turning on its basis, with openings which
can be opened or shut by means of a sliding plate, or by any other
means.
Figure 12, represents a double safety lamp consisting of a thick

page_text: glass vessel provided with a float; it is provided with two me-
tallic wire cloths, one over the other. The arrows show the di-
rection of the ingress and egress of the gases of combustion. a, is
a metallic cone occupying the central point, serving to regulate the
ascending draft, and insures the fixity and volume of the flame
required to prevent the formation of stars on the wicks, and the
flickering of the flame.
This lamp obviates the use of the lower reservoir and hook for
moving the wicks of Sir Humphrey Davy's safety lamp, and re-
moves the necessity of touching the wick during about twelve hours;
it can be alimented with oil without being opened; it illuminates
underneath and all round, and is not so large or so heavy as the
safety lamp in ordinary use.
Figures 13, and 14, represent another safety lamp with a metallic
wire cloth of ordinary dimensions. In that figure a, is the brass
upper lid, in which holes or slits are made by suitable apparatus
(they are about one tenth of an inch in diameter), in order to cool the
flame while traversing the thickness of the metal; b, b, represent
the holes for feeding air, which are made in the bottom of a circular
channel, serving to pour in the oil when required. A sufficient
quantity to maintain a light during 24 hours may be introduced.
c, is the cone for regulating the flame; d, is the lower thick part
of the glass, which reflects the light underneath the lamp; the casing
and fastenings are the same as those of ordinary lamps; ff, are
metallic cloth circles with double folds to permit the ingress of ali-
menting air and effect its division.
Figure 14, is a plan of the casing and lower washers.
Figure 15, is a form of lamp adapted for stables, with a float
secured against the biting of horses and the danger of fire.
Figures 16, 17, and 18, shew a focus lamp, with water circulating
all round; the glass vessel is large enough to contain 7 floats, and
has 7 lighted wicks; their caloric strikes underneath a globe b.
The hot water escapes through the tube c, descends to the foot of
the lamp, leaves its caloric, and re-enters through the tube d; e, is
a tap allowing the water to be drawn off; f, f, is a glass, china, or

page_text: metal regulator supported by three glass, china, or metal drops,
cast in the side of the vessel, and allowing the alimenting air to
reach the wicks, as shewn by the arrows.
Figure 18, represents a plan of the basis of the focus lamp, and
the mode of connecting the floats by means of a thin iron ring.
In Figure 19, A, represents a lamp provided with a float and
glass chimney a, supported by the lid b, which can ascend or descend
between elastic ears made in the said lid, half of them being above
and the other half underneath; they serve also to support a metallic
ring, which is heated by contact of the glass, and which the aliment-
ing air crosses in the direction of the flame, which it does not reach.
In Figure 19 (B), represents another conical wick holder b, b, in
thin iron with a lid, above which is a burner a, supporting the wick
c, coiled within a small case which is set upon the float.
In Figure 20, a, a, is a glass vessel, which may be of any desired
form, and at the bottom of which any kind of flame is made to burn.
The vessel is shut at the lower part, and gives access to the air
through the holes of a lid with two concentric casings. The arrows
show the air current, which is heated when descending between the
sides of the lid; that space may be filled with metallic cloth rings.
The lower part of the lid is provided with holes which may be shut
or opened ad libitum. The products of the combustion escape
through the central chimney, according to the volume of the flame
and the size of the alimenting apertures.
This mode of directing the air by descent instead of ascent main-
tains the flame steady, and prevents it from being liable to the effects
of the wind. In that figure b, b, is a curved ring to support a
vessel for heating liquids; c, c, is a shade to be placed on the lamp
if required.
Figure 21, represents the complete lamp constructed according to
the mode herein-before described. In that figure a, a, is a vessel
bulging out towards its top, and having a hollow foot, which serves
to receive and maintain the end of the wick holder b, crossing the
float c, c, by which the whole is supported. This wick holder is

page_text: provided with an arm d, serving to withdraw it when the wick is to
be lighted, or when the lamp is to be cleaned. The lid e, e, is similar
to that shewn in Figure 20.
The central chimney f, serves for the discharge of incombustible
gases. The ingress of air takes place through the annular aperture,
as shown by the arrows; g, g, is a curved ring used when wanted to
support a vessel for heating liquids. If this lamp is constructed of
the same dimensions as in the Drawing, it can be used as a nigh
lamp by placing on the level with the oil a small hollow glass or
china float, having a small hole through it to permit the ascent of
the oil without penetrating inside, and by these means a small but
always equal flame is obtained.
The central aperture serves to receive a small piece of wax candle,
and to maintain an iron wire b, by which the float is taken off to
change the wick. This lamp lasts about twelve hours without
slackening the flame or forming accumulations on the wick. When
the lid for regulating the current of air is employed, the principles
of construction herein-before described can be applied with the same
success to marine lamps, carriage lamps, and for illuminations.
And having now described the nature of the Invention communi-
cated to me, and the best means I am acquainted with for putting
the same into operation, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein-before described, provided
the general principles of the Invention be retained; but what I
claim as new, and intend to be protected by the herein-before recited
Letters Patent, is, -
Firstly, the mode of constructing lamps for burning of oil, of any
dimension, and of a transparent material, as herein-before described,
reference being had to all the Figures of the Drawing.
Secondly, the transparent float for producing a constant level, as
herein-before described, reference being had to Figures 1, 4, 7, 15,
16, 18, and 21, of the Drawing.
Thirdly, the regulating the quantity of light by means of cones of
various sized apertures, as herein-before described, reference being

page_text: had to the Figures 3, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, and 21, of the
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Armand Le Comte de
Fontaine Moreau, have hereto set my hand and seal, this
Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
HY. GILBEE.
L' DE FONTAINE MOREAU. (L.S.)

page_text: LONDON: Printed by GEORGE EDWARD EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE..
Printers to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty. 1854.