IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING PARAPPINE AND BITUMINOUS OILS OR NAPHTHAS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Little, of the Strand, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING PARAPPINE AND BITUMINOUS OILS OR
NAPHTHAS."
Sealed the 24th June 1856, and dated the 16th April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Little at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
April 1856.
I, WILLIAM LITTLE, of the Strand, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING PARAFFINE AND BITUMINOUS
OILS OR NAPTHAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lamps for burning paraffine
and bituminous oils or napthas. For this purpose each lamp is made with one
or more wick tubes; each tube is filled with a wick of cotton. The wicks are
not consumed as in oil lamps, but they last a very long time, and only require.
that the small portion which is charred should at long intervals be scraped off.
the top of the wicks. When a lamp has only one wick tube, there is placed
over the upper end of such tube a hollow cap, open below, and it has a hole
through it at its upper surface. Atmospheric air is allowed to pass through-
numerous small perforations below the gallery into the interior of the cap, and
it passes up with the flame through the hole in the cap. The wick is raised

page_text: and lowered in the tube by a pinion acting on a rack formed on the tube which
contains the wick, or by other convenient means. A glass chimney is placed
on the gallery which carries the cap, and the arrangement is such that the
supply of air to support combustion comes all into and through the cap, air not
being admitted between the chimney and the cap. When two, three, or more
wicks are used in a lamp, each wick is placed in its own tube, and the tubes
are by preference so connected that one rack and pinion will move and adjust
all the wicks at one time. The hollow cap used with such lamps has as many
holes through it at its upper surface as there are wick tubes; the air for
supporting combustion is introduced through numerous perforations below the
gallery into the cap, and the air and flames pass together through the several
holes in the cap. Air is not admitted into the glass chimney except through
the cap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Little in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LITTLE, of the Strand, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year. of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Little, Her special licence that I, the said William Little, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Little, 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 FOR BURN-
ING PARAFFINE AND BITUMINOUS OILS OR NAPTHAS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Little, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Little, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lamps for burning paraffine
and bituminous oils or napthas. For this purpose each lamp is made with
one or more wick tubes; each tube is filled with a wick of cotton. The wicks
are not consumed as in oil lamps, but they last a very long time, and only
require that the small portion which is charred should at long intervals be
scraped off the top of the wicks. When a lamp has only one wick tube there
is placed over the upper end of such tube a hollow cap, open below, and it has
a hole through it at its upper surface. Atmospheric air is allowed to pass
through numerous small perforations below the gallery into the interior of the
cap, and it passes up with the flame through the hole in the cap. The wick
is raised and lowered by a pinion acting on a rack formed on the tube which
contains the wick, or by other convenient means. A glass chimney is placed
on the gallery which carries the cap, and the arrangement is such that the
supply of air to support combustion comes all into and through the cap, air
not being admitted between the chimney and the cap. When two, three, or
more wicks are used in a lamp, each wick is placed in its own tube, and the
tubes are by preference so connected that one rack and pinion will move and
adjust all the wicks at one time. The hollow cap used with such lamps has as
many holes through it at its upper surface as there are wick tubes; the air for
supporting combustion is introduced through numerous perforations below the
gallery into the cap, and the air and flame pass together through the several
holes in the cap.
Air is not admitted into the glass chimney except through
the cap.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a lamp constructed according to
my Invention, and having a single wick. a is a vessel which contains the oil;
on its top a piece b rests. c is the wick tube which slides in the piece to
adjust the light of the flame; d is a hollow cap which screws on to the piece b.
The cap d is shown in the Drawing constructed partly of metal and partly of
glass; but this may be varied. e, e, are holes in the cap d through which air
passes to the flame; f is a hole in the top of the cap through which the flame
passes; 9 is a glass chimney.

page_text: Figure 2 is.a longitudinal section of another lamp arranged according to my
Invention, and having five wicks. a is the oil vessel; and 6 is a flange, which
rests on its top, and to which is attached the descending tube c; this tube is
partially closed at its lower end, and in it the interior tube d slides. To the
tube da rack e is attached, with which works a pinion f, so as to raise or
lower the tube d and the wick tubes g, which are attached to it at their lower
ends. On the upper end of the tube c is fixed the stage h, which supports the
glass i, and there are holes in the stage h in which the outer tubes / are fixed,
and through which the wick tubes g slide. I is a tube, supported by the stage h,
In the tube aro holes n,
and having a flange to carry the chimney m.
through which air passes to the flames. o is a cap having holes for the flames
to pass through; it slides over the end of the tube l.
Figure 3 is a plan of the cap o and wick tubes; and Figure 4 is a transverse.
section, taken at the line A, B, Figure 2.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Little, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
WILLIAM DUNNETT.
WILLIAM LITTLE. (L.B.)