Improved Lamp or Lantern for Photographic Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improved Lamp or Lantern for Photographic Purposes.
I, HERBERT GUY MOBERLY, of 24, Abercorn Place, N.W., in the County of
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present application for Letters Patent relates to a lamp or lantern specially
designed for the use of photographers during the process of developing and
changing photographic plates. Many devices for this purpose have been employed
hitherto, but not, so far as I am aware with perfectly satisfactory results.
By my invention I provide a lamp fed with a solid illuminant such as grease,
tallow, paraffin wax or other suitable solid material which will give a steady
light for a considerable period without the necessity for replenishing the reservoir
and without any variation of the level of the flame, thus obviating the drawbacks
attendant upon the use of candles or other forms of solid illuminants in which
the level of the flame varies.
I construct my lamp preferably as follows:--The apparatus forms an upright
cylinder of diameter approximately one half the height, divided internally by a
vertical curved partition into two chambers of unequal size, the larger whereof
constitutes the reservoir for the illuminant and the smaller is provided with a
wick tube in communication with the reservoir chamber aforesaid. The walls of
the cylinder are prolonged a short distance beyond the bottom thereof and pierced
with suitable apertures to admit air which passes upward through a short air tube
arranged at the side of the smaller chamber furthest removed from the reservoir.
The reservoir is provided with an airtight screw cap at the top through which the
grease or other illuminant is supplied to it when required. The smaller chamber
communicates with the reservoir through the wick holder aforesaid and with the
outer air through the air tube passing up from below. It has also an aperture at
the top for the escape of the combustion products shielded by an interior stop or
plate in such a manner as to cut off any escape of light through the same.
front of the smaller chamber consists of a curved frame made to slide round the
outside of the lamp and which contains a non-actinic transparent or translucent
material, (a suitable material is that known as ruby fabric) which I prefer to place
between two sheets of talc. When it is required to light the lamp or to obtain a
white light the frame is pushed aside, when on the contrary non-actinic light is
required the frame is closed. A vertical non-transparent shutter is also provided
in order to regulate the amount of light or to completely close the lamp.
required, the frame may be made of double width, one half being of dark and the
other half of light non-actinic material with separate shutters.
The lamp is operated as follows:-
The
If
A suitable wick having been placed in the wick holder and the reservoir having
been filled with solid illuminant the base of the lamp is heated until the melted
iliuminant fills the bottom of the chamber below the wick and saturates the wick
with the illuminant. The lamp is then ready for use at once or at any future time.
When the lamp is lighted the flame heats the concave side of the reservoir which

page_text: is preferably polished to act as a reflector, and thereby melts the illuminant in
contact with it, this process continuing, as long as there is any illuminant
remaining in the reservoir. As the illuminant below is consumed, more flows
down from the reservoir, being replaced by air, and this action is helped on first
lighting by the heating and consequent expansion of the air at the top of the
reservoir. The replacement of the illuminant 'by air and the feeding of the wick
continue automatically so long as the lamp is burning and the reservoir contains
any illuminant. When the lamp is extinguished the illuminant congeals quickly
and the lamp can be packed up. By the use of this lamp the. inconvenience
attached to liquid illuminants is obviated as well as that already indicated arising
from the use of candles or the like. The precise details of construction are
obviously capable of considerable modification and I do not limit myself to those
set forth herein in which however is described the best method at present known
to me for carrying my invention into effect.
Dated this 24th day of October 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Lamp or Lantern for Photographic Purposes.
I, HERBERT GUY MOBERLY, of 24, Abercorn Place, N.W., in the County of
London, Gentleman, 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:-
My present application for Letters Patent relates to a lamp specially
designed for the use of photographers during the process of developing and
changing photographic plates. Many devices for this purpose have been employed
hitherto, but not, as far as I am aware, with perfectly satisfactory results.
By my invention I provide a lamp fed with a solid illuminant such as grease,
tallow, or paraffin wax, or other suitable material, solid at ordinary temperatures,
which will give a steady light for a considerable period without the necessity for
replenishing the reservoir and without any variation of the level of the flame,
thus obviating the drawbacks attendant upon the use of liquid illuminants, or of
candles or other forms of solid illuminants in which the supply is limited and the
level of the flame varies.
I construct my lamp preferably as follows:-The apparatus forms an upright
cylinder of diameter approximately one half the height, divided internally by a
vertical curved partition into two chambers of unequal size, the larger whereof
constitutes the reservoir for the illuminant, and the smaller is provided with a
wick-holder. The walls of the cylinder are prolonged a short distance beyond the
bottom thereof and pierced with suitable apertures to admit air which passes
upwards through a short air passage arranged at the side of the smaller chamber
furthest removed from the reservoir. The reservoir is provided with an airtight
screw cap at the top through which the grease or other illuminant is supplied to
it when required. About half an inch from the base of the reservoir a small aper-
ture is made in the curved partition, through which the illuminant, when melted,
flows into the base of the smaller chamber and feeds the wick. The smaller
chamber has also an aperture at the top for the escape of the combustion products,
shielded by an interior stop or plate in such a manner as to cut off any escape of
light through the same. The open front of the smaller chamber is covered by a
curved frame containing a non-actinic transparent or translucent material, (a

page_text: suitable material is that known as ruby fabric), which I prefer to place between
two sheets of mica. The frame may be hinged to the body of the lamp, or it may
he made to slide round it, so that access may be had to the chamber in order to
light or put out the lamp, or when white light is required. An outer shutter is
also provided in order to completely close the lamp when not in use.
The lamp is operated as follows: A suitable wick having been placed in the
wick-holder and the reservoir having been filled with solid illuminant the base of
the lamp is heated until the melted illuminant fills the bottom of the smaller
chamber and saturates the wick. The lamp is then ready for use at once or at
any future time. When the lamp is lighted the illuminant in the reservoir is
melted by the heat of the flame, and flows through the aperture near the base of
the curved partition, replacing that which is consumed by the wick, and main-
taining the illuminant in the base of the smaller chamber at a constant level.
This action (on the bird fountain principle) continues automatically so long as the
lamp is burning and the reservoir contains any illuminant. When the lamp is
extinguished the illuminant quickly congeals and the lamp is ready to be
packed up.
Referring to the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 represents diagrammatically a vertical section and
Figure 2 a view from below of my lamp:
A indicates the fuel reservoir, B the lamp chamber. The wick holder C main-
tains the wick in constant communication with the melted illuminant passing from
the chamber A into the chamber B through the aperture e. The holes a admit
air from below to the chamber B, whilst the exit aperture o is so guarded by the
baffle D that no light can pass through it to the outside. E indicates the ruby
cr other non-actinic translucent panel. The screw cap F closes the fuel reservoir.
I am aware that lamps have been constructed to burn solid illuminants and also
that the supply of combustible to the wick in lamps has been effected on the
"bird fountain" principle and I make no claim to such devices generally, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The non-actinic lamp for photographic purposes substantially as described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a lamp for photographic purposes the means for effecting a constant supply
of melted solid illuminant to the wick substantially as described.
3. In a lamp for photographic purposes the reservoir A partly surrounding the
chamber B supplying illuminant to the wick holder C through the aperture e in
combination with the means for ingress of air, and exit of combustion products
protected by the baffle D substantially as described and shown in the accompanying
drawing.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.