Year: 1891

page_text: United States America),
1891
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 26th Feb.,
Complete Specification Left, 26th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
Improve Y
We, JOHN BOWEN HARRIS, JOHN THOMAS GRIFFITП and THOMAS BENJAMIN
HARRIS of Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, Gentlemen, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in safety lamps, and. it consists in the
arrangement and construction hereinafter described, and claimed.
Like letters refer to similar parts in the several figures of the drawing, in
which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of our lamp
Figure 2 is a bottom view of the same;
Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line a
being shown;
complete ;
of Figure 1 the supporting posts not
Figure 4 is a plan view of the top of the lamp showing the damper or
ventilator; and
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the outer casing including the movable section.
An oil reservoir or chamber H, constitutes the base of the lamp, and this part is
screwed or otherwise removably attached to the upper section of such lamp. In the
central portion of the top of the oil reservoir is arranged a wick tube I. Atube, A,
open at both ends passes entirely through the oil reservoir and into the vicinity of
the top of the wick tube. This tube A is to contain matches, or other suitable
inflammable substance; and the bottom of the same may be closed when desired by a
cover C, as shown in the drawings. In proximity to the wick tube is the tube K,
also extending through the oil reservoir and swiveled in the same is a rod L having
the lower bent end serving as a handle; and an upper bent end B with a roughened
or serrated under face. By manipulating this rod with bent ends, the match or
other inflammable substance may be ignited without removing the oil reservoir, or,
indeed, without removing any of the parts of the lamp. The upper bent end of this
rod, L, is so formed as to act as a cap for the tube A, and thereby keep said tube A
closed when the cover C is removed from the bottom of the said tube for the
expulsion of the burnt match or other inflammable substance. We preferably make
this tube, and the bent rod L, sliding therein, square in shape so that the roughened
or serrated portion of the upper hent end will always be in proper position to ignite
the match and cover the tube A. The usual gauze cylinder m is employed in our
lamp, but it is enclosed within a casing D, having a movable section D", which is
provided with isinglass windows G, and with handles H¹, H', for manipulating the
same. On the top of the casing D is mounted a ventilator 1, constructed as a
revolving damper, and underneath the latter is a short gauze tube E, of and for the
usual construction of pipes.
The movable section D" of the surrounding casing may be lifted to admit
sufficient air for the purpose of the lamp, or, it may be depressed to cut off such air,
and thereby exclude oxygen and prevent combustion, or in other words, smother

page_text: the flame. As an aid in this smothering process, the damper at the top of the lamp
is found advantageous. The isinglass windows, before referred to, permit of an
inspection of the interior of the lamp so as to ascertain whether the flame has been
smothered or not after the movable casing has been depressed.
As constructed, our lamp constitutes a light, efficient safety lamp which can be
ignited or extinguished with facility and without taking the lamp apart.
It is obvious that variations and modifications may readily be made in the
several features herein described, without departing from the spirit of our
invention.
What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is
1. In a safety lamp, the combination, with the oil reservoir having a suitable wick
tube arranged therein, of a tube open at both ends, extending through the oil
reservoir adjacent to the wick tube, and containing an inflammable substance, a
cover for closing the outer end of said tube, a second tube extending through said
reservoir into proximity to said open ended tube, and a device for igniting the
inflammable substance, which consists of a rod extending through said second tube
into proximity to an exposed portion of said substance, and which has its ends bent
so as to form an exterior handle, and an interior frictional igniting device,
substantially as described.
2. A safety lamp comprising an oil reservoir, a wick tube, a tube containing an
inflammable substance and open at both ends, a cover for closing the outer end of
such tube, and an adjustable swiveled rod extending also through the reservoir for
effecting the igniting of such substance when it is manipulated from the outside
and for closing the upper end of the open-ended tube, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
3. A safety lamp comprising a wick-tube, an oil reservoir, a wire-gauze cylinder,
an outer casing provided with an adjustable or sliding section which can be
manipulated to aid or smother the flame, and a ventilator at the top of the casing,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a safety lamp, the combination, with the oil reservoir, having the wick tube,
of the wire-gauze cylinder, the outer enclosing casing provided with a movable
section having windows therein, and the ventilator at the top of the casing,
substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of February 1891.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants."