Improvements in or relating to Lamps with Self-lighting Apparatus.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1837.
Specification Accepted, 17th June, 1887.
|[Communicated from abroad by W. VON PITTLER, of Gohlis-Leipsic, in the German
Empire, Engineer.]
Improvements in or relating to Lamps with Self-lighting Apparatus.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, M.I.M.E.
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:
The pocket and other lamps with solf-lighting apparatus in use up to the present
time have all the defect that the mechanism for the lighting takes up so much room
as to leave a comparatively small space for the oil reservoir which in consequence
requires frequent filling.
The object of this invention is to design a really practical lamp combining in the
sinallest possible space a comparatively large reservoir, a very small lighting
mechanism great simplicity of construction and certain action thereof merely by
opening the lid.
The lamp may be lighted either by lighting the well known fulminating pastilles on
a continuous strip by the action of a spring when the lid is opened or by lighting a
strip of paper prepared with fulminating substance by friction against a corresponding
surface when the lid is opened.
In the accompanying drawings :-
Figs. 1 to 8 represent a pocket lamp with the first mentioned lighting arrangement.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the lamp when closed.
Fig. 2 the same when opened:
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the lamp showing the drum removed for the winding
up of a fresh strip.
Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section.
Fig. 5 is a plan with the lid removed.
Fig. 6 is a detail of the lamp proper.
Fig. 7 is a side view of the lighting mechanism on a larger scale.
Fig. 8 is a plan of the same.

page_text: Fig. 10 the same when opened.
Fig. 11 is a vertical cross section.
Fig. 12 is a plan view.
Fig. 13 is a side view of the lighting mechanism on a larger scale when closed.
Fig. 14 the same partly opened.
Fig. 15 represents the first arrangement adapted to a small hand lamp.
The pocket lamp represented in figures 1 to 8 embraces the reservoir A the lamp
proper B and the lighting mechanism which latter comprises the drum C the
pawl a, spring band the lid c and knife blade d.
The reservoir takes up very nearly the whole of the lamp and is filled with any
suitable oil.
On one part of the reservoir the lamp B is fixed; this lamp consists of the
expansible volute e carrying a wick tube fin its interior: The volute e is placed in
a tube g secured in the reservoir A, in such a manner that it may elongate when the
lid is opened but without jumping out of the said tube g. This tube is closed in at
its lower end in such a manner as to fit exactly round the wick-tube f.
When the reservoir is to be refilled the volute e may be withdrawn and replaced.
The object of the volute e is to remove the flame further from the reservoir and to
bring the wick into the proper position for lighting.
The construction of the lighting mechanism is very simple. The lid c is provided
at its hinged end h with a rectangular downwardly projecting lever i to the lower end
of which is pivotted a pawl a. The spring b is held by the pin of the hinge h and
fastened at k to the side of the casing. The pawl a is provided with a projection /
which has a groove m serving as guide for the spring b. Fig. 1 represents the
mechanism when the lamp is closed. When the lid is being opened the lug 7 will lift
the spring b until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2 when the lug of the pawl
will release the spring which will strike the fulminating pastille and explode this
whereby the lamp will be lighted.
Between the wall o of the reservoir and the spring p for the lid, a knife blade d is
inserted in such a manner that the movement of the lid actuates the blade so that this
cuts off the used up strip projecting from the guide q.
In this arrangement represented in the drawings the knife blade is actuated by a
rack and pinion the rack being formed on the upper end of the blade and the pinion
on the hinge of the lid c, so that a vertically reciprocating movement is imparted to
the knife blade.
The pastille strip and the guide q not being so wide as the casing of the whole
apparatus, the room A¹ behind the guide q may also be used as part of the reservoir.
The dram for the pastille strip is hinged in the casing in such a manner that
when a fresh strip is to be introduced it may be swung out of the casing so that the
strip can be replaced quickly and without any difficulty.
In the present arrangement the drum C is held in position in the casing by means
of a springs provided with a button t which latter fits into a hole u in the casing.
In the second arrangement (figs. 9 to 14) a continuous strip prepared with a
suitable fulminating substance is employed for lighting the lamp and the strip is
ignited by friction against a rough or correspondingly prepared surface L. In this
instance the drum Cis fixed to the lid c and has the form of a quadrant which can be
opened and closed on its curved side by means of a spring u for the purpose of
introducing a fresh fulminating strip.
The spring is held between the two sides of the drum and its object is to press
the strip against the edge w so that when the strip is ignited only the part projecting
from the drum is consumed.
The strip is moved by means of the star a the ratchet wheel y and the pawl z and to
ensure the ignition the friction surface L is spring actuated.
The lamp is lighted in the following manner :-
When the strip is introduced and the lid is being closed the pawl z gearing with

page_text: the ratchet wheel y will move the latter for the space of one tooth and the star .* fixed
to the same spindle as the ratchet wheel y will move the strip and push it sufficiently
far over the edge w of the drum C. When the lid is now opened the part of the strip
projecting from the drum will be pressed against the surface L and the friction
produced will ignite the strip which then will light the wick of the lamp. When the
lid is closed again the next part of the strip will be pushed out of the drum as
described before.
These two above described arrangements may also be adapted for hand lamps.
Fig. 15 represents the first described arrangement as adapted to a hand-lamp. The
used up strip passes here out at the handle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a lamp with self-lighting apparatus the drum C fixed to the lid c and being
for the reception of a fulminating strip which is ignited by friction against a rough
prepared surface when the lid is opened and part of which is pushed out of the drum
when the lid is being closed; the drum further being provided with a spring such
as v to prevent the strip from burning into the drum substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
2. The combination with the lid of the pawl such as a which pushes a strip
provided with fulminating pastilles out of the drum C for a certain distance and
is provided with a lug (having a groove m) which lifts the spring when the lid is
being opened, and releases it when the lid is perfectly open thereby igniting the
pastille and lighting the lamp substantially as specified.
3. The method of mounting the drum C in the casing so that it may be swung
out for the purpose of introducing a fresh strip without removing the drum
altogether from the apparatus substantially as specified.
4. The method of fastening the wick tube fin a volute spring such as e which when
the lid is opened, springs out far enough to hold the flame at a suitable distance from
the oil reservoir substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. A knife blade such as d inserted between the reservoir and the lid spring p
and actuated by the movement of the lid for the purpose of cutting off the used up
strip substantially as specified.
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