Improvements in the Construction of Oil or other Lamps, and the Wicks used in such.
Year: 1896

page_text: ICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Oil or other Lamps, and the
Wicks used in such.
RICHARD PAULSON of No. 126 North Marine Road, Scarborough, Yorkshiro
Engineer & Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The first part of this invention consists of making lamp wicks of an incombustible
material, to do this I prefer to make such wicks of very fine metallic wire gauze
of aluminium for preference, combined, or otherwise, with any suitable fibrous
material such as asbestos, or even spun glass may be used, and by which the
capillary attraction may be increased, so that not only oil but a more solid
substance may be burnt in place thereof, such for instance as paraffine wax, which
when cold cannot be spilt out of the lamp at the same time these improved wicks
may be so constructed or modified in form as to be used in lamps burning ordinary,
oil or paraffine.
If paraffine wax, or other similar substance is used, I may combine and enrich
it by adding thereto suitable chemicals, such for instance as hydrocarbon, by
which the illuminating power is greatly increased. In some cases a further
improvement is to make, or attach to the oil vessel of such lamps, a second chamber,
or reservoir, to contain an additional supply and I prefer to place such reservoir
at the back of the lamp and fit it with an airtight cap and the lower end is arranged
as a valve and so as not to admit this additional supply into the lower chamber
only as required and thus prevent any overflow taking place, these improved lamps
will thus burn many hours without refilling, or attention, & where wax is used the
heat from the lamp and wick is sufficient to melt and keep it in a liquid state.
I also prefer to make the metal portions of these lamps where possible of
aluminium for the sake of lightness.
I also arrange a small metal clip in which a match may readily be placed and
held firmly, this is then inserted into the lamp through a suitable opening, closed
by a sliding flap when not in use, the match can then be struck against a roughened
surface within the lamp, pushed forward and the lamp lit without opening the
lamp itself.
The openings through which air is admitted within the lamp, also those by
which the products of combustion escape, I prefer to cover with one or more sheets
of gauze & thus obtain a very steady flame almost impossible to blow out.
I
may also make the gauze of the wick to enclose the flame if so desired.

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Oil or other Lamps, and the
Wicks used in such.
RICHARD PAULSON of 126 North Marine Road, Scarborough, Yorkshire
and South Carr, Cuckney, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, Engineer, 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:-
In carrying out these improvements I prefer to make or construct the lamp
wicks so as to be completely, or nearly incombustible, to do this, I prefer to make
such wicks of asbestos, or any fibrous material, chemically or otherwise prepared
and woven or combined with very fine wire, preferably of Aluminium; or even
spun glass may be used in place thereof; or the wire may be worked up with or
wound round any suitable fibrous material before being woven to make the wick,
or any ordinary wick may be used into which wire is woven at suitable distances,
which are cut into lengths as required and can be fitted into ordinary
lamps, by being fed downwards into the position required; or the wick
may be made with the inner portion of fine wire surrounded by an
outer fibrous cover, or instead of this the outer portion may be wire
and the inner of cotton, asbestos or other suitable substance by which
the capillary attraction may be increased. In place of using oil I find it
advantageous in some cases to use instead a semi-solid substance, such as parafine
wax, the heat from the compound wick and lamp flame being sufficient to keep it
liquified when burning, otherwise it quickly sets and the lamp can then be carried
in any position without spilling.
In some cases, notably in bicycle, outdoor, or portable lamps, it is an improve-
ment to place the reservoir at the back, or above, the lamp, so that the heat can
be utilised to keep the illuminating material liquid or the oil warm as required,
but it is so constructed, that, although the wick is thus below the level of the oil,
it is arranged so that it does not overflow but is only fed to the wick as required,
the lamp can thus be recharged while burning, or burn many hours without
attention with a very uniform flame.
In portable lamps, or those required to be used out of doors, it is a great
advantage to be able to light them without opening or exposing the lighted match.
To do this, I prefer to make use of a small metal clip, that can be carried with the
lamp, this expanding clip contains a small spiral spring which is compressed as
the match is placed therein, this clip can then be pushed into the lamp, the match
struck, and the lamp lit, without any risk of being blown out.
I may also increase the illuminating power of such lamps by adding a suitable
chemical such as salified hydrocarbon as largely used to combine & burn with
ordinary coal gas to the oil, or wax. A mantle of wire, or other substance, may
be placed arround the flame if desired. Not only may this improved wick be fitted
to and used in lamps as now made, but I also may adapt & fit it to oil stoves used
for warming or coocking, and if parafine or wax is used therein, a strong, steady
clear flame, without smoke, or smell, is obtained.
Fitted to the lamps of incubators, these wicks are a great improvement, used
either with oil, or wax, the flame is very steady and requires little attention or
trimming for long periods.
Fig. 1. shows a wick with wire woven in at intervals at A., B is the woven
portion without wire, made of cotton, asbestos, or any suitable material: in fitting
this wick to lamps it may be cut across at C, & again at B1 and fed downwards
into lamp until the wirewoven part reaches the required position. Fig. 2., shows
a section of wick with woven wire inside, and Fig. 3., with the wire outside.

page_text: Fig. 4., shows a section of a lamp with the reservoir D., placed at the back, E.,
is the wick passing through the usual metal guide with a tightly fitting cap
screwed down on a washer F., to prevent the escape of oil, or melted wax, except
through the wick as required. G., is a suitable opening for lighting the lamp
by means of the metal clip Fig. 5., this clip is made with a slot down each side H.,
and a small spiral spring at J., when used the slot is allowed to expand, or open
slightly, to receive the match, and by which the spring J. is pressed back, the slots
are then closed upon the match by pressure of the fingers until pushed through
the opening G., into the lamp, so that the head of the match comes in contact
with a prepared, or roughened surface, & is struck thereon, the slot G., being made
oval; by giving the clip half a turn, the slots H., expand, allowing the spring J.,
to push forward the match so as to reach the wick and light the lamp.
In some cases I make the reservoir D., with an airtight cap or cover and put
an air inlet valve or tube at the junction K., thus when D., is charged, no more
air can enter unless the second chamber below containing the wick is nearly empty,
thus overflow is prevented and the flow of oil is self regulating.
If desired the lamp wick may be made entirely of fine woven wire.
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 method by which a lamp wick is rendered completely, or nearly, incom-
bustible substantially as described.
2. A metallic or combined wick, by which the heat from the lamp flame is
transmitted to the semi-solid illuminant so as to keep it liquidified, with or without
the aid of the reservoir D. Fig. 4 substantially as described.
3. A wick in which the wire is interwoven at suitable distances only, so that
it can be fed downwards into any ordinary lamp or stove substantially as described.
4. The spring or clip Fig. 5, by which the match can be held and struck inside
the lamp without opening and the wick lit substantially as described.
5. The method by which an overflow is prevented except through the wick as
required substantially as described.
6. The application and use of this improved incombustible wick to cooking or
warming stoves and incubators substantially as described.
7. The combination and arrangement of the various parts for the purposes stated,
substantially as described.
Dated this 24 of August A.D). 1897.