Improvements in Wick-raising Devices for Central-draft Lamps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1892-4ccepted, 17th Dec. 1892
[Communicated from abroad by PITTSBURGH BRASS Co., of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Wick-raising Devices for Central-draft Lamps.
I, REGINALD WALTER BARKER, of Monument Chambers, King William
Street, London, Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
" central-
It comprises, generally stated, in conjunction with a suitable wick-raising rod
and bifurcated rod secured thereto, with its arms inclosing the wick-tube, clutches
journalled within said arms, and mechanism (supported on said rod) for locking
said clutches to hold them rigidly in contact with the wick and for automatically
releasing said clutches when the wick-raising rod has been elevated to a certain
height.
My invention relates to wick-raising devices for what are known as
draft lamps."
My invention is applicable to any of the ordinary forms of central-draft lamps,
and any convenient form of wick-raising rod may be employed and I will describe
that consisting of a threaded rod which passes down through an opening in the top
of the fount, the lower end of said threaded rod having a shoulder formed thereon,
said shoulder being held within a seat being in the bottom of said lamp and adapted
to be rotated therein. The upper end of said rod is provided with a knob) for
convenience in rotating said rod from the exterior of the fount.
The wick-raiser proper is composed of a bifurcated rod provided with a threaded
connection through which the wick-raising rod passes, the threads on said rods
engaging with the interiorly-threaded face of said connection whereby upon the
rotation of the threaded rod the bifurcated rod may be raised or lowered, as may be
desired. Journalled on suitable bearings on the arms of the bifurcated rod are
clutches, said clutches having a vertical portion and inwardly-projecting teeth or
prongs. The clutches normally rest with their vertical portions in contact with
the outer faces of the arms of the bifurcated rod, teeth or prongs extending into the
space inclosed by said arms, and the clutches are loosely journalled in the arms so
that when not locked in the manner hereinafter set forth they are free to swing to
and from the outer faces of the arms thereby preventing any obstruction to the
passage of the wick offered by the teeth when it is desired to adjust the wick or to
withdraw it from the central draft-tube. In order, however, to securely lock said
clutches in their bearings and so prevent any swinging movement on their part, a
U-shaped arm is pivoted to the arms of the bifurcated rod. Said U-shaped arm is
provided with fingers adapted to engage with the vertical portions of the clutches.
The forward ends of the arms of the bifurcated rod are slightly turned back to
form flanges with which the fingers engage to further aid in tocking the clutches
securely in their bearings. The normal position of the U-shaped arm is such that
the finger will engage with the flanges while the rear portion of said arm is
upwardly inclined from its point of connection with the arms of the bifurcated
rod and said arm is held at such an angle by a spring secured to said arm and
to the seat in said bifurcated rod, said spring tending to force the arm up and
consequently the fingers down into engagement with a flange.
From the construction above described it is apparent that the teeth of the
clutches will be forced into contact with the wick since the fingers engaging
with the flanges lock the clutches rigidly in their bearings, holding said clutches
against the outer faces of the arms and preventing any movement to or from
said arms

page_text: If it is desired to raise the wick, it is simply necessary to turn the knob of the
wick-raising rod when the bifurcated rod will be elevated, and with it the wick
travelling up over the tube. If it is desired to remove the wick, the wick-raising
rod is turned and the bifurcated rod raised until the U-shaped arm comes in contact
with the top of the fount, when by a still further upward movement of the
bifurcated rod sufficient pressure is exerted upon the said arm to overcome the
resistance of the spring and to force down the said arm. This depression of
the arm will throw up the fingers and free them from engagement with the flanges.
As soon as the fingers have been raised beyond the vertical portions of the clutches
said clutches will be free to swing readily in their bearings. The wick can then be
readily withdrawn from the tube, as the teeth of the clutches are no longer forced
and held in contact with said wick-body, and said clutches are free to swing in
their bearings and their teeth offer no resistance to the withdrawal of said wick.
When the wick has been removed and a new one adjusted, and when said wick
has been applied to the tube and has reached a distance below the teeth of the
clutches, the wick-raising rod is again turned and the bifurcated rod lowered, which
operation will allow the enringe to formon th
fingers to again engage with the flanges and so lock the clutches rigidly in their
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bearings, forcing the teeth of said clutches into the body of the wick, when the
wick may be further lowered within the fount.
12332
In a modified form of releasing device I am enabled to dispense with the spring.
In this case a releasing-arm is rigidly secured to the inner face of the top of the
fount depending therefrom. This releasing-arm is formed with a shoulder and
tripping-lug. To release the clutches the wick-raiser is raised in the manner
described until the arm comes in contact with the shoulder which upon a further
pressure upon said arm will force said arm down and so release the fingers. The
arm by this operation is brought to substantially a horizontal position, and upon its
descent it will engage with the tripping-lug which will force up said arm and cause
the fingers to again engage with the flanges. When the said arm has reached its
maximum height, it will free itself from the hooked portion when any obstruction
to the descent of the wick-raiser is removed.
Dated this 6ith day of Fah……………. 1000
REGINALD W. BARKER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wick-raising Devices for Central-draft Lamps.
I, REGINALD WALTER BARKER, of Monument Chambers, King William
Street, London, Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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 invention relates to wick-raising devices for what are known as
draft lamps."
❝ central-
It comprises, generally stated, in conjunction with a suitable wick raising rod
and bifurcated rod secured thereto, with its arms inclosing the wick tube, clutches
journalled within said arms, and mechanism (supported on said rod) for locking
said clutches to hold them rigidly in contact with the wick and for automatically
releasing said clutches when the wick-raising rod has been elevated to a certain
height.
To illustrate my invention I refer to the accompanying drawings, in which—
Figure 1 represents a central-draft lamp with my improved wick raiser applied
thereto, showing the clutches locked to engage with the wick, while the dotted
lines show the position of the locking device when the clutches are released.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the wick raiser proper, showing the manner in which
the clutches are journalled within the arms of the bifurcated rod.
Fig. 3 shows a modified form for releasing the clutches or locking the same.

page_text: Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing manner of journalling clutches on the arms
of the bifurcated rod.
Like letters indicate like parts.
My invention is applicable to any of the ordinary forms of central-draft lamps,
of which a in the drawings represents one form suitable for the illustration of my
device, said lamp being provided with the central draft-tube b and encircled by
the wick d. Any convenient form of wick-raising rod may be employed, that
illustrated, consisting of the threaded rod e, which passes down through an opening
in the top of the fount, the lower end of said threaded rod having the shoulder e
formed thereon, said shoulder being held within a seat es, being in the bottom of
said lamp and adapted to be rotated therein. The upper end of said rod e is
provided with a knob e' for convenience in rotating said rod from the exterior of
the fount.
The wick raiser proper is composed of the bifurcated rod f, provided with the
threaded connection g, through which the wick-raising rod e passes, the threads on
said rod engaging with the interiorly threaded face of said connection g, whereby
upon the rotation of the threaded rod e, the bifurcated rod f may be raised or
lowered, as may be desired. Journalled on suitable bearings on the arms h of the
bifurcated rod are the clutches i, said clutches having the vertical portion i¹
and the inwardly projecting teeth or prongs 2. The clutches i normally rest with
their vertical portions in contact with the outer faces of the arms h of the
bifurcated rod the teeth or prongs 2 extending into the space inclosed by said
arms, and the clutches i are loosely journalled in the arms h, so that when not
locked in the manner hereinafter set forth they are free to swing to and from the
outer faces of the arms h, thereby preventing any obstruction to the passage of the
wick offered by the teeth when it is desired to adjust the wick or to withdraw
it from the central draft-tube. In order, however, to securely lock said clutches in
their bearings and so prevent any swinging movement on their part a U shaped
arm jis pivoted to the arms h of the bifurcated rod f. Said U-shaped arm; is
provided with the fingers k, adapted to engage with the vertical portions of the
clutches i. The forward ends of the arms h of the bifurcated rod f are slightly
turned back to form the flanges l, with which the fingers k engage to further aid
in locking the clutches securely in their bearings. The normal position of the
U-shaped arm j, as shown in Fig. 1, is such that the finger k will engage with the
flanges, while the rear portion of said arm j is upwardly inclined from its point
of connection with the arms of the bifurcated rod f, and said armj is held at
such an angle by the spring m, secured to said arm and to the seat n in said
bifurcated rod f, said spring tending to force the armj up and consequently the
fingers k down into engagement with a flange l.
From the construction above described it is apparent that when the several
parts of my improved wick raising device have assumed the position shown in full
lines in Fig. 1 the teeth of the clutches i will be forced into contact with the
wick d, since the fingers k engaging with the flanges l, lock the clutches i rigidly
in their bearings, holding said clutches against the outer faces of the arms h and
preventing any movement to or from said arms.
If it is desired to raise the wick, it is simply necessary to turn the knob e¹ of
the wick-raising rod e when the bifurcated rod f will be elevated, and with it the
wick d, travelling up over the tube. If it is desired to remove the wick, the
wick-raising rod e is turned and the bifurcated rod fraised until the U-shaped
armj comes in contact with the top of the fount when by a still further upward
movement of the bifurcated rod f sufficient pressure is exerted upon the said arm j
to overcome the resistance of the spring m and to force down the said arm j.
This depression of the arm j will throw up the fingers k and free them from
engagement with the flanges l, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. As soon as the
fingers have been raised beyond the vertical portions of the clutches i said
clutches will be free to swing readily in their bearings. The wick d can then be
readily withdrawn from the tube, as the teeth of the clutches i are no longer

page_text: forced and held in contact with said wick-body, and said clutches are free to
swing in their bearings and their teeth offer no resistance to the withdrawal of
said wick.
When the wick has been removed and a new one adjusted, and when said wick
has been applied to the tube and has reached a distance below the teeth of the
clutches the wick raising rod is again turned and the bifurcated rod lowered,
which operation will allow the springs m to force up the arm j, and consequently
cause the fingers k to again engage with the flanges and so lock the clutches
rigidly in their bearings, forcing the teeth 2 of said clutches into the body of the
wick, when the wick may be further lowered within the fount.
In the modified form of releasing device (shown in Fig. 3).I am enabled to
dispense with the spring m. In this case a releasing arm o is rigidly secured to
the inner face of the top of the fount depending therefrom. This releasing arm o
is formed with the shoulder p and the tripping lug q. To release the clutches the
wick-raiser is raised in the manner described until the arm j comes in contact with
the shoulder p, which upon a further pressure upon said arm j will force said arm
down and so release the fingers k. The arm; by this operation is brought to
substantially a horizontal position, and upon its descent it will engage with the
tripping lug g, which will force up said arm j and cause the fingers k to again
engage with the flanges 1. When the said arm has reached its maximum height,
it will free itself from the hooked portion q when any obstruction to the descent
of the wick raiser is removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a wick-raising device, the combination, with the wick raising rod, of a
bifurcated rod secured thereto, clutches journalled in said bifurcated rod, and
mechanism supported on said rod for locking said clutches to hold them rigidly in
contact with the wick and for automatically releasing said clutches, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a wick-raising device, the combination, with the wick raising rod, of a
bifurcated rod secured thereto, clutches journalled in said bifurcated rod, and
U-shaped arm pivoted to the arms of said bifurcated rod, said U-shaped arm
having fingers thereon engaging with said clutches and locking said clutches to
hold their teeth rigidly in contact with the wick, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
3. In a wick-raising device, the combination, with the wick-raising rod, of a
bifurcated rod secured thereto, clutches journalled therein, a U-shaped arm pivoted
to the arms of said bifurcated rod, said arm having fingers therein engaging with
said clutches to lock said clutches rigidly in their bearings, and a spring for
holding said fingers firmly in engagement with said clutches, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
4. In a
wick-raising device, the combination, with the wick-raising rod, of a
bifurcated rod secured thereto, clutches journalled therein having inwardly
projecting teeth, a U-shaped arm pivoted to the arms of said bifurcated rod, said
arms having fingers thereon engaging with flanges formed on the ends of said arms
of said bifurcated rod and a spring for holding said fingers in engagement with
said flanges, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 5th
No 1900
REGINALD W. BARKER.