Improvements in Downwardly Burning Oil Lamps.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Downwardly Burning Oil Lamps.
We, John HoWARD Ross, and EDWARD ELIJAH ATKINS, both of 171,
Hockley Hill, Birmingham, Gas Lighting Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :-
In our Specification No. 2019 of 1889 we described a construction of oil lamp in
which several wicks converge from an annular reservoir towards the base of a
chimney and when kindled produce a downwardly burning flame which curves
upwards into the chimney. Our present invention relates to improvements in such
lamps facilitating their management and increasing their efficiency. We connect
the bezil which carries the glass basin by a chain passing over a pulley to the
chimney, so that on pulling this chain we at the same time raise the chimney and
lower the bezil and basin, giving access to trim or kindle the wicks, and, in order to
make this access more free, we support on the bezil the air deflecting cone which
surrounds the flame, so that it is lowered along with the bezil. On slackening the
chain, the weight of the chimney raises the bezil cone and basin to their working
position, and in order to provide for variations resulting from expansion and
contraction we make part of the chain as a spring which can yield a little.
Instead
of fixing a refractory cylinder within the base of the chimney, we extend the
chimney itself down to the point where this cylinder would terminate, and we
surround the lower part of the chimney by an annular casing open at the top and
having a number of vertical slots or other orifices through its outer wall. The air
which enters the open top of this casing passes out through these slots or orifices
against the interior of the surrounding flame, giving it a more bulbous form and
effecting more brilliant combustion.
In cases where the burner is below the level of the reservoir, in order to provide
against the flow of oil by the siphon action of the wicks when the lamp is
extinguished, we rest the ends of the wicks on plates within the reservoir, these
plates being connected to a suitable cam, lever or other appliance by which they
can be raised, lifting the ends of the wicks out of the oil in the reservoir and thereby
stopping the supply of oil to them. The gear which thus raises the wicks out of
the oil, may be connected to the raising and lowering gear of the chimney, so that
no oil can flow to the wicks unless the chimney is in position suitable for the working
of the lamp.
Dated this 20th day of Now 1890
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Downwardly Burning Oil Lamps.
We, JOHN HOWARD Ross, and EDWARD ELIJAH ATKINS, both of 171,
Hockley Hill, Birmingham, 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 our Specification No. 2019 of 1889 we described a construction of oil lamp in
which several wicks converge from an annular reservoir towards the base of a
chimney and when kindled produce a downwardly burning flame which curves
upwards into the chimney. Our present invention relates to improvements in such
lamps facilitating their management and increasing their efficiency. We connect
ID 077

page_text: the bezil which carries the glass basin by a chain passing over a pulley to the chimney,
so that on pulling this chain we at the same time raise the chimney and lower
the bezil and basin, giving access to trim or kindle the wicks, and, in order to make
this access more free, we support on the bezil the air deflecting cone which surrounds
the flame, so that it is lowered along with the bezil. On slackening the chain, the
weight of the chimney raises the bezil, cone and basin to their working position,
and in order to provide for variations resulting from expansion and contraction we
make part of the chain as a spring which can yield a little. Instead of fixing a
refractory cylinder within the base of the chimney, we extend the chimney itself
down to the point where this cylinder would terminate and we surround the lower
part of the chimney by an annular casing open at the top and having a number of
vertical slots or other orifices through its outer wall. The air which enters the
open top of this casing passes out through these slots or orifices against the interior
of the surrounding flame, giving it a more bulbous form and effecting more brilliant
combustion.
In cases where the burner is below the level of the reservoir, in order to provide
against the flow of oil by the siphon action of the wicks when the lamp is
extinguished, we rest the ends of the wicks on plates within the reservoir, these
plates being connected to a suitable cam, lever or other appliance by which they
can be raised, lifting the ends of the wicks out of the oil in the reservoir and thereby
stopping the supply of oil to thern.
The gear which thus raises the wicks out of the oil, may be connected to the
raising and lowering gear of the chimney, so that no oil can flow to the wicks unless
the chimney is in position suitable for the working of the lamp.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation partly in section of a
lamp of the kind described in our Specification No. 2019 of 1889 above referred to.
Fig. 2 is a half elevation partly in section of a similar lamp having its oil
reservoir above the flame.
As shewn in Fig. 1 a pull P is attached to the side of the bezil carrying the
glass bowl B opposite the hinge H, and a cord or chain from this pull is
extended up to a wheel W having on its axis a smaller wheel w from which a
cord or chain is connected to a bracket projecting down from the chimney C.
When it is desired to get access to the wicks for kindling or trimming, the pull P
is drawn down thus lowering the bezil and bowl B and raising the chimney C.
On slackening the pull on P, the weight of the chimney C causes it to descend
raising the bezil and bowl B. The air deflecting cone D which surrounds the
wicks being carried on the bežil is lowered along with the bezil and bowl giving
free access to the wicks. G is a grating having vertical slots surrounding the
lower part of the chimney C, so that air entering at the open top of this grating
between it and the exterior of the chimney is split up into a number of streams
directed against the interior of the flame, giving it a bulbous form and causing
brilliant combustion.
From the inner periphery of the air deflecting cone D we provide light grating
bars extending across to the outer periphery of the grating G, these bars
preventing the wicks from projecting too far down, while at the same time they
do not interrupt the flow of oil vapour which forms the root of the flame.
Fig. 3 shews partly in section a modified construction of the lower part of the
Lamp according to which the bezil carrying the bowl and the air deflecting cone D
are hinged at N to a perforated screen M which is permanently attached to the
plate Qforming the lower side of the wick tubes.
The hinge is made double so that the bezil and the deflecting cone can be
lowered independently as indicated by the dotted lines. The grating bars Kare
formed in a ring which is held by a bayonet catch on the plate Q.
When, as shewn in Fig. 2, the oil reservoir R is situated above the flame, we
rest the ends of the wicks on plates or in vessels V, perforated at the bottom, which
are placed within the reservoir, one for each wick and we suspend these vessels V
from bell crank levers L which are linked to the chimney C, so that when the

page_text: chimney is raised as described with reference to Fig. 1, the vessels V are also
raised lifting the ends of the wicks above the oil, and thereby preventing oil from
flowing by siphon action along the wicks and down to the burner. Obviously the
vessels might be connected by suitable levers and rods to separate pulls by which
they could be raised, or to a cam or several cams worked simultaneously by a
single pull, so that they could be raised independently of the raising of the chimney.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a downwardly burning oil lamp, connecting the bezil, glass bowl and air
deflecting cone through suitable gear to a chimney so that they are lowered and
the chimney is simultaneously raised by a pull, substantially as and for the purpose
herein set forth.
2. In combination with the lower part of the chimney the annular grating G, as
and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a lamp having its oil reservoir above the level of the flame, carrying the
ends of the wicks on plates or perforated vessels which can be raised when the
lamp is extinguished so as to prevent flow of oil by siphon action along the wicks.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY.
Agents for the Applicants.