IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Burnet Robins, of 5, Wilton Villas,
Shepherd's Bush, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Burnet
Robins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 22nd December 1875.
I, WILLIAM BURNET ROBINS, of 5, Wilton Villas, Shepherd's Bush,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," to be as follows:-
The improved effects of my modes of constructing lamps are that
they are made according to some of the methods employed non
trimming, the wick being permanent and not manipulated like ordinary
wicks by raising and lowering but is stationary, that the use of a
chimney to secure air supply may be dispensed with, and yet all the
smoke burned, that the combustion of the oil is made more perfect, that

page_text: a superior brilliancy of light is produced, that the use of larger wicks
and production thereby of greater quantities of light than heretofore
practically attainable results from the wick construction together with
its non-trimming feature and convenient management, that the light
produced is thrown downwards in a superior manner, that risk of
explosion from inflammable vapours accumulating over the oil in the
oil vessel is wholly avoided by substituting a packed permanent
stationary wick in place of the limp loosely fitting wicks of ordinary
lamps so necessarily made for working freely in the wick way, which at
times affords a passage for the flame of the wick to fire the hot vapour
collected over the oil, causing explosion.
.
My wick container, which is also the burner, consists of two tubes,
by preference of brass, copper, or iron, fixed concentrically one within
the other. For the gas bracket style of lamps, reading lamps, &c., in
which the oil vessel has a separate lateral position, the tubes are so
fixed concentrically at their base by soldering an annular piece of metal
on to or between the lower ends, or otherwise closing the space between
the tubes at their lower ends, and perforating the outer tube near its
lower end for admission of the oil supply through the supporting
bracket tube affixed thereat. The tubes being of equal length their
edges at their upper or wick burning end are on the same level. They
are of such relative diameters that the cylindrical space between them
will admit a wick of greater breadth than that of ordinary wicks,
increasing from a minimum of about a quarter of an inch, according to
the size of the lamp and the amount of light it is intended to produce.
In other styles of lamps, where the oil vessel is not removed from the
wick and burner by an intermediate bracket supply pipe but is directly
connected with them, I usually carry the inner tube down even with the
lower external surface of the oil vessel base making a tight joint thereat
to prevent leakage, while the outer tube passing down through a
circular opening in the top of the oil vessel to which it is soldered or
cemented, extends nearly to the bottom of the oil vessel, leaving only
sufficient space for the oil to pass freely under its lower edge to the
wick. The portion of the outer tube thus entering the oil vessel is also
ripped longitudinally by sawing, so as to admit to the wick both oil and
any vapor which may collect over it. I sometimes carry the burner
tubes on, down some distance below the oil vessel, to give more depth.
for the wick, etc.; and then the lower part of the tubes so extended
''

page_text: below the oil vessel is usually made to serve as its supporting pillar, and
connection between the wick space and the interior of the oil vessel is
opened for oil supply by holes cut in that portion of the outer tube
which is within the oil vessel.
The oil vessel is usually elevated on a support or supports, sufficiently
to admit air underneath it for passing up freely through the inner tube,
which serves as a central air way to the burning wick edge. The oil
vessel is filled at a mouth, either placed on its top or connected at or
near its highest level by a lateral tubular connection with the interior.
For a combined sinumbra and candelabra lamp the oil vessel is con-
structed in the form of a hollow ring, with a series of vertical burner
and wick tubes and affixed to its top and bottom.
The wick is made by preference of coarse cotton cloth, such as
Bolton sheeting, or other cotton textile fabric, woven with a thin
thread in one direction, offering little obstruction, while the strands,
running in the opposite direction are heavy and of soft loose fibre. I
first prepare a cylindrical foundation of sheet metal, by preference
perforated with holes over its surface, or of paper, pasteboard, or other
equivalent stiff material on which to roll the cotton cloth. This stiffer'
foundation is of such diameter as to slide down freely over the inner
tube of the burner and wick container. Around this stiff foundation
cylinder the cotton cloth is rolled with its heavy strands running
lengthwise of the cylinder, and making such number of turns around
it as will suffice to fill up the cylindrical space, provided as above
described for the reception of the wick. The rolled cloth is then
slightly basted with darning cotton through its several folds, and down
its outer loose edge and around its lower end, to prevent displacement
of the cloth when inserting it into its beḍ between the tubes. The wick
so made is of such length as to reach to and rest on the bottom of the
oil vessel, while its upper end is level with the upper edges of the tubes
containing it. The wick edge being always maintained on the same
level as the burner tube edges, there is no lateral burning edge for
delivering oil or oil vapor as in other lamps, the entire delivery being
from the flat annular top surface of a broad wick.
The central air current is deflected across the flat upper edge of the
wick by means of a disc, which I construct by preference of a metal
casting of slightly greater diameter than that of the outer tube of the

page_text: burner containing the wick, so that the resulting current of super-
heated air shall be forced to sweep in a direction as nearly horizontal
as possible across the flat wick surface, mixing in its course with hot
oil vapor, and impinging as nearly as possible at right angles against
the exterior vertical air current.
By depressing the disc so as to approach somewhat closely the flat
wick surface below it I am able to burn completely mineral oils
abounding with carbon, so as to yield a light of superior brilliancy, free
from smoke or smell, whilst omitting the use of a chimney. It will be
seen that the regulation of the flame is wholly effected by raising or
depressing the disc in place of any movement of the wick, which
remains stationary. The disc is either rivetted to or screwed (by a screw
shank on the lower side of the disc) to a central rod running down
through the inner tube, and projecting somewhat beyond its lower end.
At or near the lower end of the tube is affixed a guide, by preference of
two plates of sheet metal compressed, so as to leave a central groove or
channel between them for the passage and free vertical play of the rod.
A similar guide, but removeable with the disc and rod from the tube
when desired, is placed on the upper end of the rod. By pushing this
upper guide into the upper end of.the tube and the lower end of the rod
through the lower guide the disc is kept concentric with the wick. To
hold it in any required position the rod is provided with a spring, by
preference of elastic wire, soldered midway of its length to the central
or upper part of the rod. The two ends of this spring wire are bent
either down or up, and press against the sides of the inner tube, holding
the rod and disc in whatever position they are placed. Besides deflecting
horizontally the central air current the broad disc serves as an ex-
tinguisher when brought closely down on to the flat wick and burner
tube edges. The slightly overhanging edge of the disc serves to close
the joint tightly against the edge of the burner outer tube, so as to
prevent escape of fumes. Within this cap-shaped outer edge or flange,
and on that part of the under surface of the disc which is immediately
over the wick edge, one or more raised circular cutting edges are turned.
By the blow of a die, provided with radial cutting edges or by other
means these edges are serrated, so as to form one or more circles of teeth,
which come into contact with the wick surface at every extinguishment.
་
For more effectually disentegrating the incipient crust formed on the
wick edge from deposit of carbon particles of the oil vapour, I give to

page_text: the rod and disc a short rotary motion in the act of extinguishing, as
also of raising the disc prior to relighting. By preference I effect this
with the spring above mentioned, or its equivalent. A cross rod is
screwed on to the lower end of the' central rod' carrying the disc. Its
end's enter shaped vertical and horizontal slots cut in the opposite
sides of a short cylinder of metal affixed. longitudinally to the bottom of
the oil vessel in continuation of the air way tube. The ends of the
spring wire are bent downwards, and pass one on either side of the fixed
lower guide plates, so that if the slotted cylinder is revolved a rotary
movement of the disc is obtained. By soldering or otherwise fixing the
slotted cylinder in this revolved position, and attaching a handle to the
cross rod, the disc is not only held at any desired point of elevation
when the handle is moved vertically, carrying the cross rod up the line
of the vertical slots, but it revolves on its centre when by depressing it
to the point of extinguishment the cross rod reaches the line of the
horizontal slots; a short raking action of the teeth on the forming crust
results, pulverizing and making it reabsorbent, so as to constantly
restore its oil and vapor delivering capacity. A further effect of the
extinguishing disc brought down on the edge of the wick saturated with
oil is to deposit a coating of condensed carbon vapor on the edge at
every extinguishment, which serves to replace any loss of carbonaceous
material from the edge caused by the rotary motion of the serrated
disc.
r
It will be seen that this construction seeks to retain all the carbonized
material formed on the burning edge of a lamp wick for renewed use in
a restored form, in place of its removal by trimming, as in other
lamps.
°
The spring for regulating the position and motion of the disc may be
placed under the oil vessel instead of within the air way tube, and the
cross rod may be permanently affixed to the vertical rod in place of
being made to screw thereon, and I sometimes affix a knob, thumb-
screw; plate, or other form of handle directly on to the lower end of the
central rod in place of a lateral lever handle.
The raising and lowering of the disc I sometimes effect by affixing the
vertical rod at its lower end to a cross lever handle playing in a spiral
slot cut in a vertical plate placed below the oil vessel, and in this con-
struction I obtain the rotary movement at the instant of extinguishing

page_text: or raising the disc to relight by a continued movement of the lever
along a short horizontal continuation of the spiral slot at its lower end.
When the fall of the spiral slot is rapid, a spring may be used to hold
the lever handle, rod, and disc at any required point, or the lower edge
of the slot may be notched for the lever to rest in. I employ a thumb-
screw for locking a central rod carrying the extinguishing disc to prevent
pent up gas or oil vapour from lifting the disc and emitting fumes. The
central rod may be continued on down into the pillar tube supporting
the oil vessel, or to the lamp base, and the guides, handle, and spring
may also be placed at these lower levels.
In certain cases I make use of a capsule fitting over the outer tube of
the burner and the wick edge. It consists of a cylinder with a perforated
plate fixed in its upper part. This plate may be either armed with
teeth or pins fixed to and projecting down from its lower surface, or the
holes cut in the plate may be left with a rough metal burr, or their
edges may be cut away clean and sharp. In the former case of con-
struction with teeth, pins, or burrs, or their equivalent, the capsule is
designed for raking the wick edge and breaking up and rearranging the
particles of carbon of the crust. In the latter case of constructing and
finishing off the plate with sharp cutting edges the capsule is designed
for trimming the wick edge. A whirling motion given to the capsule
whilst pressing it down on to the burner and wick causes the teeth pins
or burrs of the roof plate to rake the wick edge or its cutting edges
when so made to cut away the crust of deposited carbon down to the
level of the burner tube edges. The cuttings in the latter case either
pass up through the perforations into an upper compartment of the
capsule, or are thrown out at the sides of the cutting plate. As the
wick edge, though usually protected by the disc, may be injured by
accident and its material displaced, I provide for its renewal when
required by charging the upper compartment (forming a box with
removeable close fitting lid) with an edge renewing powder, by preference
of carbon, though I sometimes make use of refractory earthy powder,
such as ashes of mineral coal or wood. The openings in the perforated
plate serve to deliver the powder on to the wick edge on giving to the
capsule a whirling movement.
I sometimes construct the capsules with a vertical slot from cir-
cumference to centre or beyond it for applying them without removal of
the disc, its shank or the rod on which it is mounted then entering the

page_text: slot of the capsule, and in certain cases I convert the disc itself into a
raking or cutting capsule worked direct by whirling it with the hand in
place of turning or lowering the rod handle, as above described, the
teeth cutting edges and burrs with affixed metal plate on the lower
surface of the disc when required being brought down direct on the
wick edge with pressure and rotary movement not limited by the length
of min of

page_text: In place of one wick only I sometimes insert two wicks constructed
as above described, placing one underneath the other, and in that case
the functions of a wick are usually divided between the two, the upper-
most serving to burn the oil transmitted, whilst the lower wick feeds it
until the upper is wholly consumed; the lower wick may then be either
thrust back to repeat this service, a new burning wick being inserted, or
it may be withdrawn and be burned in its turn, a new feeding wick
being inserted below it.
In place of the above described broad disc serving as an extinguisher
and wick restorer I sometimes construct my lamps with a small disc or
Liverpool button of somewhat less diameter than the inner or air way
tube so as to enter it out of the way of the capsules.
Where very low lamps are required for lighting or heating purposes,
I construct the oil vessel, serving also as the lamp base, in a re-entering
or laterally open form, such as three sides of a hollow square or a hollow
ring with a section or are cut away and left open for inserting a slotted
plate, lever handle, and spring, connected with and operating the central
vertical rod and attached disc, substantially as above described.
The burner and wick container is held concentrically by one or more
tubular supporting and oil feeding arms fixed in to the base or side of
the burner, and extending therefrom to and through the oil vessel top
and on down to its bottom. The ends of these tubular supports and
feeding arms are left open, and their interior is filled with strands of
ball cotton, lamp wick, rolled cotton, cloth, or other equivalent
absorbent packing.

page_text: In order to burn peu
an annular wick filling the space between two concentric metal wick
tubes.
The wick may consist of a tube or roll of porous fabric or fibrous
material, or it may consist of a granular material or powder confined
between the metal tubes forming the wick holder. The wick does
not project beyond the tubes; it absorbs the oil from an oil vessel
placed some distance below its upper end, where combustion takes
place at the flat annular surface only, and not at the sides of the
wick
.

page_text: These lamps do not require to be trimmed, but only that the carbon-
aceous or earthy crust which forms on the surface of the wick should be
broken up from time to time.
To ensure a sufficiently rapid draft of air in contact with the flame
I mount a button or disc over the top of the wick, and concentric with
it, I prefer that the diameter of the button or disc should equal or
somewhat exceed that of the outer wick tube. The height of the button
above the disc can be adjusted, and it can be brought down so as to
close the mouth of the wick holder. I also prefer to provide the button
with teeth, which when the button rests on the upper end of the wick
tubes come into contact with the surface of the wick where the
carbonacous or earthy crust is formed, and by rotating the disc this
crust can be broken up.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a lamp constructed according to my
Invention. a and b are the two concentric tubes; there is a considerable
space between them, and this space is filled by the wick. c is a foot or
stand, upon which the tubes a and b are supported. The space between
the tubes is closed at its lower end, and receives a coiled spring d which
acts to press upwards a ring e to which a tube e¹ is fixed. The tube e¹
fits over and is able to slide freely upon the tube a; it serves as a core
upon which a porous fabric to form the lower part of the wick is rolled
until a thickness is accumulated sufficient to fill the space between the
wick tubes; f is a binding screw to hold and retain in position the
tube e¹ and the wick upon it. The upper part of the wick may be
formed of a similar roll upon the tube g; or the upper part of the space
between the wick tubes may be filled with pulverized charcoal, or coke,
or sifted ashes of mineral coal or wood. h is the oil vessel communicating
with the space between the tubes a and b by the holes h¹; i is the
button its stem is able to slide through a guide ³, and it has
springs fixed to it which serve to retain it at any height to which it
may be set; is a binding screw, by which the stem of the button may
be clamped in position desired; k, k, are arms sustaining a glass 1. In

page_text: upper surface, together with the means for renovating the wick, sub-
stantially as described.
1
In witness whereof, I, the said William Burnet Robins, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
WILLIAM BURNET ROBINS. (L.s.)