IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William George Hanning and George Ballantyne
Knott, both of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of the same Town,
and Léon Charles François. Clerc, of Saint Mary Axe, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS."-Partly a
communication from abroad by François Maurel, of La Chapelle, Paris,
in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 9th June 1868, and dated the 12th December 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William George Hanning,
George Ballantyne Knott, and Léon Charles François Clerc at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
12th December 1867.
We, WILLIAM GEORGE HANNING and GEORGE BALLANTYNE KNOTT, both of
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of the same Town, and LEON CHARLES
FRANÇOIS CLERC, of Saint Mary Axe, in the City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," (the
same being partly our own Invention and partly the result of a communication
to us from abroad by François Maurel, of La Chapelle, Paris, in the Empire
of France,) to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in lamps for burning highly
volatile and inflammable liquids; and relates, first, to improvements in the
burner, whereby such lamps are rendered capable of giving a greater amount

page_text: of light than heretofore; and, secondly, to improvements in the body or
reservoir of the lamp, whereby the use of sponge is rendered unnecessary,
whilst equal safety is obtained in the use of highly volatile and inflammable
liquids.
The Invention consists, firstly, in the application of layers of wire gauze or
other suitable perforated or reticulate material in the upper part of the
burner, which is perforated with a number of very fine holes; below or within
the wire gauze or other perforated or reticulate material is placed a quantity
of asbestos or other suitable non-combustible absorbent and conducting
material. In contact with the asbestos is placed cotton or other suitable
wick passing down a suitable distance into the reservoir, which may be filled
with sponge, as is now well understood; or according to the second part of the
Invention the use of sponge may be dispensed with, the reservoir being formed
with a tube passing down from a false top or cover in which a small hole is
made; through this hole is passed cotton or other suitable wick which passes
down into the liquid contained in the reservoir, and at its upper end above
the false top or cover is in contact with another wick passing up the burner
tube, which at its upper end is in contact with the layer of asbestos or other
suitable absorbent and conducting material; and in order to insure this last-
named wick being in contact with such absorbent and conducting material we
place such wick in a tube fitting tightly within the burner tube and having a
small button or projection therefrom passing out through a slot in the burner
tube. By the application of a light for a few seconds to the burner the lamp
will become lighted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William George Hanning, George Ballantyne Knott, and
Léon Charles François Clerc in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
GEORGE HANNING and GEORGE BALLANTYNE KNOTT, both of Newcastle-on-
Tyne, in the County of the same Town, and LÉON CHARLES FRANÇOIS CLERC,
of Saint Mary Axe, in the City of London, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said William George Hanning, George Ballantyne Knott, and Leon'
Charles François Clerc, Her special licence that we, the said William George
Hanning, George Ballantyne Knott; and Léon Charles François Clere, our
executors; administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William
George Hanning, George Ballantyne Knott, and Léon Charles François
Clero, our 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," partly
our own Invention, and partly the result of a communication to us from
abroad by François Maurel, of La Chapelle, Paris, in the Empire of France,.
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William George
Hanning, George Ballantyne Knott, and Léon Charles François Clerc, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Léon Charles François Clerc, on behalf
of myself and the said William George Hanning and George Ballantyne
Knott, 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 :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in lamps for burning
highly volatile and inflammable liquids; and relates, first, to improvements in the
burner, whereby such lamps are rendered capable of giving a greater amount
of light than heretofore; and, secondly, to improvements in the body or
reservoir of the lamp, whereby the use of sponge is rendered unnecessary,
whilst equal safety is obtained in the use of highly volatile and inflammable
liquids.
The Invention consists, firstly, in the application of layers of wire gauze
or other suitable perforated or reticulate material in the upper part of the
burner, which is perforated with a number of very fine holes; below or within
the wire gauze or other perforated or reticulate material is placed a quantity
of asbestos or other suitable non-combustible absorbent and conducting
material. In contact with the asbestos is placed cotton or other suitable
wick passing down a suitable distance into the reservoir, which may be filled.

page_text: with sponge, as is now well understood; or according to the second part of the
Invention the use of sponge may be dispensed with, the reservoir being formed
with a tube passing down from a false top or cover in which a small hole is
made; through this hole is passed cotton or other suitable wick, which passes
down into the liquid contained in the reservoir, and at its. upper end is in
contact with another wick passing up the burner tube, which at its upper
end is in contact with the layer of asbestos or other suitable absorbent and
conducting material; and in order to ensure this last-named wick being in
contact with such absorbent and conducting material we place such wick in a
tube fitting tightly within the burner tube, and having a small button or
projection therefrom passing out through a slot in. the burner tube. By the
application of a light for a few seconds. to the burner the lamp will become
lighted.
And in order that the Invention may be more fully understood and readily
earried into effect, we will proceed aided by the accompanying Drawings. more
fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a lamp having a burner constructed
according to the first part of the Invention.
a is the burner tube, the upper part of which is perforated at a' with a
number of fine holes, and may be made of platinum or other suitable material..
The upper part a³ of the burner tube a is filled with wire gauze or other
suitable reticulate or perforated material, and the part a³ is filled with asbestos
or other suitable non-combustible and conducting material. Below and in
contact with the asbestos or other suitable material at a³ is placed a wick a
extending down into the reservoir 6, which is provided with a wire gauze
tube 6', and is filled with sponge or other absorbent material 63, as is now well
understood. In some cases the asbestos or other suitable material is placed
within a tube or roll of wire gauze or other suitable perforated or reticulate
material as shown at Figure 2, where a' represents the wire gauze or other
suitable perforated or reticulate material, and as the asbestos or other suitable
non-combustible absorbent and conducting material, and this roll is placed in
the upper part of the burner tube a in the position occupied by a' and a³.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of a lamp having the second part of the
Invention applied thereto. In this case the tube of wire gauze 6' and the
sponge are dispensed with, whilst great security is obtained by the employ-
ment of a metal tube passing down from the false top or cover b' in which
is a small hole at 6 through which a wick c is passed; this wick c passes down

page_text: through a small hole in the bottom of the tube 6s to the liquid contained in.
the reservoir b, and at its upper end the wick c is in contact with the wick a
in the burner tube; and in order to ensure this last wick a being at its upper
end in contact with the asbestos. or other suitable absorbent and conducting
material, and to afford facility for regulating the light, such wick is held in a
tube e from which a stud passes through a slot in the burner tube a, or if
desired the inner tube e may be fixed and the outer or burner tube a capable
of sliding thereon as shown applied at Figure 4 to a sponge lamp.
In various Figures of the Drawings we have shown a button f fixed
to the top of the burner tube a in order to deflect the jets of flame and thereby
improve the light, but to such button we make no claim. By the application
of a light for a few seconds to the burner tube the lamp will become lighted.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the best means
we are acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, we would have it
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein shown
and described; but what we do claim is,
First. The employment in lamps of burners constructed and arranged
substantially as herein shown and described.
And, secondly. We claim the peculiar construction and arrangement of the
reservoirs of lamps whereby the use of sponge or other absorbent material in
the body of such reservoirs is dispensed with, substantially as herein shown
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Léon François Clerc, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
LEON CLERC. (L.S.)