IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LAMPS FOR THE COMBUSTION OF FLUIDS, MORE ESPECIALLY PARAFFINE OIL AND PETROLEUM
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alban Edward Ragg, of Bebington, in the County of
Chester, Clerk in Holy Orders, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF LAMPS FOR THE COMBUSTION OF FLUIDS, MORE ESPECIALLY
PARAFFINE OIL AND PETROLEUM."
Sealed the 7th March 1879, and dated the 24th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alban Edward Ragg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1878.
"
ALBAN EDWARD RAGG, of Bebington, in the County of Chester, Clerk in Holy
Orders. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LAMPS FOR THE COMBUSTION
OF FLUIDS, MORE ESPECIALLY PARAFFINE OIL AND PETROLIUM."
This Invention consists in improvements on my former Patent No. 2220, of 1878.
The following is a description of my lamp as now improved :-
I. 1st improvement relates to the construction or formation of burners which are
known as Argand burners and consists in constructing it so that out of two flat wicks
I am enabled to obtain a perfectly circular light; for this purpose I take two flat
pieces of wick or other tube and place it under a die of such a form that while the
one end is only slightly curved or kept flat the other end is bent into the form of.
half a circle. These tubes when thus bent, I place side by side so that the half
circles at the top are contiguous and form a perfect circle, at the same time keeping
the flat or nearly flat bottoms such distance apart as is most convenient for. the
purpose of allowing a pair of pinions to work freely in the inside of the two tubes.
2nd. These tubes are then fastened into the base or bottom portion of the burner
which consists of a cylinder, the one end of which is open, the other closed; but
having in it slots corresponding to the flat or nearly flat bottoms of the wick tube
and into which the said tubes are passed and fastened there.
3rd. And for the greater convenience of manufacture I prepare this base or
cylindrical portion with the ordinary and well-known pinion wheels already fixed
in their proper position for raising or lowering the wick and also slot out a portion
of the inner or outer or alternate sides as I may prefer of the said wick tubes so

page_text: that they may readily pass over the pinions into their exact position. I also for
the purpose of regulating the supply of air to the outer circumference of my flame
(to be more fully described hereafter), cause a thread or screw to be formed either
on the inner or outer circumference of the top of the cylindrical portion of the base
of my burner.
4th. And further to ensure the upper or burning portion of my wicks being
formed into a perfect circle, each wick abutting against the other in such a manner
that there shall be as little as possible air space between them, I finish the tops of
my wick tubes, formed flat at the bottom and circular at the top as before stated,
with pieces of circular tubing, one piece of which is fixed in the inner circumference
and the other piece on the outer circumference, so that to all intents and purposes I
construct or form the top of my wick tube of two unbroken and perfectly con-
--centric-circles.―
5th. The burner is then ready for the outer frame or tube which is constructed
of a cylindrical piece in which any desired pattern of perforation has been made for
the purpose of supplying the flame-with-air,-a-loose-cone-or-deflector-being-
attached to the top of this frame in the ordinary way by means of an inner and
slightly conical tube. The chief point in which my outer framework differs from
others is that I cause either the inner or outer circumference of the bottom to be
screwed in the same manner as, and to work in connection with the screwed upper
portion of the base of my burner, so that I may by screwing this said outer frame-
work higher or lower on the base, at the same time raise or lower the cone or
deflector and thus increase or diminish the draught of air according to cir-
cumstances.
II. 2nd improvement relates to the supply and distribution of air to the centre of
the flame so as to ensure a more perfect combustion and also a larger, steadier, and
more brilliant flame than has yet been produced in proportion to the size of the
wick and the combustion of the oil.
For this purpose I place in the centre of my burner, or in other words in the
inner circle forined by my wick tubes, the serrated tube already described in my
aforesaid Patent Specification.
I then place in the centre of the serrated tube a perforated truncated cone, open
at the base and with. the top portion raised above the top of the wick tube to the
height of from 1/8 to % or 7/8 of an inch or more by means of which I am able to
greatly enlarge the diameter of the flame and also to make it of a more perfect
shape. This being caused through the air rushing up the centre and not finding
free exit is forced out of the perforations in the "thimble," and impinges upon the
flame, each hole or perforation in the said thimble acting as a blow-pipe and pouring
oxygen on to the flame.
Or (2) I place within the centre tube of my burner and fixed there either by
being held in its position by a rod coming up through the base or by an annular
perforated ring attached to the base of the cone and fitting the centre tube two
perforated truncated cones, the bases of which abutt on one another and are joined ;
these I fix in such a position or to allow them to be so constructed that they may be
regulated to a position such that the top perforated cone or thimble is raised above
the wick tubes into the centre of the flame any convenient height, according to
the desired size or brilliancy of flame, say of from to or more of an inch.
By this means I also gain great brilliancy and width of flame; the contour of the
lower cone acting as a deflector to throw the air on to the bottom of the flame,
while the perforations in it supply the upper cone or thimble with air to feed the
upper portion of the flame.
With respect to this upper perforated cone or thimble,
I only for convenience sake have it of a conical form, the same or nearly the same
results following upon the use of a perforated parallel tube, and I find 1 can carry
my flame up to any desired height by raising the height of the tube or thimble.
though it is desirable to keep it at a medium height on account of its appearance in
the, centre of the flame if carried too high, being somewhat unsightly and taking
away the extra value of light. thus produced..

page_text: (3.) To add extra steadiness to my flame when using the serrated tube I place in
it a diaphragm, and also fill up the triangular space formed by the wick tubes with
perforations. When using the the double thimble or perforated truncated cones I
find the perforations are alone needed.
(4.) I also construct my cone or deflector different from those generally in use, by
forming a collar at the top so that I am enabled thus to hide the black and un-
sightly portion of the bottom of the flame without detracting from or altering in
any way the supply of air to the outer circumference of the flame.
III. And in order to facilitate the filling of the font or oil container and also to
do away with the objectionable difficulty of twisting the wicks when attaching the
burner to the said font either by a bayonet point, screw, or other means, I construct
my burner so that the upper portion is hinged, on to the collar or portion which is
fixed to the font, placing a hinge joint at each side so that the burner may be
turned back upon either hinge when it is required to fill the font, or both hinges may
be freed by taking out the loos pins and thus taken away clear of the font.
IV. My next improvement relates to burners or lamps in which one or more
flat wicks are used and consists in forming upon the top of the wick tube or tubes
or attaching to the cone a regulator which is so constructed that it (1) regulates the
height that the wick may be be turned up and thus prevents all possibility of it being
turned up high enough to throw off smoke or unconsumed carbon; (2) ensures a
uniform and perfect trimming of the wick and a consequent regularity of flame; and
(3) acts as a feeder to the flame so that in lighter oils the flame will keep up nearly
at full for a much greater length of time than when the regulator is not employed,
and enables me to get a good and constant supply of oil to the flame, with oils which
have hitherto been found too heavy to supply the flame with a sufficient quantity of
oil to produce a light for any length of time. The regulator consisting of a cap so
formed that it covers up a portion of the wick and excludes it from the action of
the flame so that a portion of the wick only is burned.
I prefer that the portion of the wick thus covered up shall be the extreme ends
on either side.
In constructing this cap, whether fitted to the wick tubes by hinge or other means,
or fitted in the cone or unattached to the burner in any fixed manner, I make it so
that a sufficient height of wick may be turned up above the wick tube to allow of
the wick being lighted and giving a full flame, and I prefer that it shall be so con-
structed that the wick may not be turned up high enough for the flame to throw
off smoke.
The enclosed portions or ends of the regulator being the same height above each
end of the wick tube causes the wick to abutt against them in an equal manner at
cach extremity, thus forming a more perfect surface of wick than can be procured by
ordinary means of cutting.
In some burners for burning heavy oils without a chimney I have the enclosed
portion of the regulator so constructed that it is level with and rests upon the top
of the wick tube. And for burning heavy oils or keeping up a much longer con-
sumption of light oils the regulator by allowing of only a portion of the wick to bo
exposed to the action of the flame converts the unconsumed portion into a feeder
for that portion which is consumed.
V. My next improvement relates to burners for burning heavy or light oils with
out a chimney.
In the slot in the cone and at such height that if one of my regulators were used
it would rest upon it, I place a shallow trough the width of the cone with the
bottom cut away over the wick, the trough goes the entire length of the cone and
is heated by the flame. It also deflects the currents so as to give a broad flame;
this can by the simple addition of two saddle pieces to stride the wick, act also as a
regulator.
I bend the wick tubes by inserting a strip of leather in them which is withdrawn
on the bend being complete.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alban Edward Ragg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
April 1879.
ALBAN EDWARD RAGG, of Bebington, in the County of Chester, Clerk in Holy
Orders. "IMPROVEMENTS-IN-THE-MANUFACTURE-OF-AMPS-FOR-THE-COMBUSTION-
OF FLUIDS, MORE ESPECIALLY PARAFFINE OIL AND PETROLEUM."
Fig. 1 is a front view; Fig. 2, section; Fig. 3, side view, with pin detached and
outside removed; Fig. 4, section of inner cone removed from Fig. 2, and part of
wick tube; Fig. 5. plan of base; Fig. 6, plan of wick tube plate; Figs. 7 and 8,
chimneyless burner; Figs. 9 and 10, modification of-conc; Fig. 11, regulator for use
with very heavy oil; Fig. 12, plan of wick mechanism.
This Invention consists in improvements on my former Patent No. 2220 of 1878.
The following-is-a-description of my lamp as now improved
My first improvement relates to the construction or formation of burners which
are known as Argaud burners, and consists in constructing it so that out of two
flat wicks I am enabled to obtain a perfectly circular light; for this purpose I take
two flat pieces of wick tube or other tube and insert a piece of leather or other like
substance into them to prevent them crushing, and bend them under a die of such
a form that while the one end is only slightly curved or kept flat the other end is
bent into the form of half a circle.
These tubes when thus bent I place side by side as shown at A, so that the half
circles at the top are contiguous and form a perfect circle, at the same time keeping
the flat or nearly flat bottoms such distance apart as is most convenient for the
purpose of allowing a pair of pinions B, B, to work freely in the inside of the two
tubes A. The space between the edges of the tubes is closed with perforated metal
sheeting C, as shown in Fig. 3.
2nd. These tubes are then fastened into the base or bottom portion of the burner
L, which consists of a cylinder, the one end of which is open, the other closed, but
having in it slots corresponding to the flat or nearly flat bottoms of the wick tube,
and into which the said tubes are passed and fastened there.
3rd. For the greater convenience of manufacture I prepare this base or cylindrical
portion with the ordinary and well-known pinion wheels B, already fixed in their
proper position for raising or lowering the wick, and also slot out a portion of the
inner, or outer, or alternate sides, as I may prefer, of the said wick tubes so that they
may readily pass over the pinions into their exact position.
4th. And further, to ensure the upper or burning portion of my wicks being
formed into a perfect circle, each wick abutting against the other in such a manner
that there shall be as little as possible air space between them, I usually finish the
tops of my wick tubes, formed flat at the bottom and circular at the top as before
stated, with pieces of circular tubing, one piece of which is fixed in the inner cir-
cumference and the other piece on the outer circumference, so that to all intents and
purposes I construct or form the top of my wick tube of two unbroken and perfectly
concentric circles. These are well shown in Fig. 4.
5th. The burner is then ready for the outer frame or tube which is constructed of
a cylindrical piece in which any desired pattern of perforation has been made for
the purpose of supplying the flame with air, a loose cone or deflector being attached
to the top of this frame in the ordinary way by means of an inner and slightly
conical tube.
6th. My improvements relate to the supply and distribution of air to the centre
of the flame so as to ensure a more perfect combustion and also a larger, steadier,
and more brilliant flame than has yet been produced in proportion to the size of the
wick and the combustion of the oil.
7th. For this purpose I place in the centre of my burner, or in other words in the

page_text: inner circle formed by my wick tubes, the serrated tube already described in my
aforesaid Patent Specification.
I then place in the centre of the serrated tube a perforated truncated cone F,
open at the base, and with the top portion raised above the top of the wick tube A
to the height of from 1/3 to 3% or 7/8 of an inch or more, by means of which I am
able to greatly enlarge the diameter of the flame and also to make it of a more
perfect shape.
This being caused through the air rushing up the centre and not finding free exit is
forced out of the perforations in the "thimble," and impinges upon the flame, each hole
or perforation in the said " thimble" acting as a blow-pipe and pouring oxygen on to
the flame. Or (2) I fix within the centre tube of my burner, fixed either by being held
in its position by a rod J coming up through the base, as shown in Fig. 4, or by an
annular perforated ring attached to the base of the cone and fitting the centre tube,
two perforated truncated cones, the bases of which abut on one another and are
joined as shown in the Drawing of my former Patent. These I fix in such a posi-
tion or allow them to be so constructed that they may be regulated to a position
such that the top perforated cone or thimble is raised above the wick tubes into the
centre of the flame any convenient height; according to the desired size or brilliancy
of flame, say of from 1/8 to 7/8 or more of an inch (as is shewn well in the Drawing
of my last Patent); or (3), instead of using two cones fixed one above another, their
bases abutting against and being joined to one another,
continue the lower cone
upwards until it is of the required height, viz., of from 1/8 to 7/, above the top of
the wick tubes, as shewn in Figs. 4 and 9, a plan of the top of which is shewn in
Fig. 10. This cone, thimble, or air chamber may be constructed as in F, Fig. 4, of
sheet metal having one or more rows of holes punched in it, or, preferably for con-
venience, of perforated brass or other metal, as shown in Fig. 9. By this means I
also gain great brilliancy and width of flame, the contour of the lower cone acting as
a deflector to throw the air on to the bottom of the flame, while the perforations in
it supply the upper cone or thimble with air to feed the upper portion of the flame.
With respect to this upper perforated cone or thimble I only for convenience sake
have it of a conical form, the same or nearly the same results following upon the
use of a perforated parallel tube.
8th. To add extra steadiness to my flame when using the serrated tube I place in
it a diaphragm and also fill up the triangular space formed by the wick tubes with
perforations already described. When using the double thimble or perforated trun-
cated cones or single thimble or cone I find the perforations are alone needed.
9th. I also sometimes construct my cone or deflector different from those generally
in use by forming a collar at the top, so that I am enabled thus to hide the black
and unsightly portion of the bottom of the flame without detracting from or altering
in any way the supply of air to the outer circumference, and also to regulate the
contour of the flame I frequently put a line of perforations shown at G, Fig. 1,
either all round the circle of the cone or at opposite sides as most needed.
10th. And in order to facilitate the filling of the fount or oil container, and also to do
away with the objectionable difficulty of twisting the wicks when attaching the
burner to the said fount either by a bayonet joint, screw, or other means I construct
my burner so that the upper portion is hinged on to the collar D, or portion which
is fixed to the fount, placing a hinge joint H, H, at cach side so that the burner
may be turned back upon either hinge when it is required to fill the fount, or both
hinges may be freed by taking out the loose pins and thus taken away clear of the
fount. In order to render my apparatus the inore complete I prefer to use the
method of raising the wicks shown in Fig. 12, in which M, M, are the one set of
pinions, N, N, the other set, O an intermediate pinion. Another pinion P is carried
on the feather or sleeve Q sliding on the square shaft of N. By pushing this in till
P gears into O, both wicks are actuated together, but, when pulled out as shewn,
each wick can be actuated independently. I do not, however, make a claim for
this.

page_text: 11. My next improvement is shown in Figure 11, and relates to burners or lamps
in which one or more flat wicks are used, and consists in forming upon the top of
the wick tube or tubes, or attaching to the cone a regulator which is so constructed
that it (1) regulates the height that the wick may be turned up, and thus prevents
all possibility of it being turned up high enough to throw off smoke or unconsumed
carbon; (2) ensures a uniform-and-perfoot-trimming-of-the-wick-and-a-consequent
regularity-of-flame, and (3) causes the unconsumed portions of the wick to act as a
feeder to the flame so that in lighter oils the flame will keep up nearly at full for a
much greater length of time than when the regulator is not employed, and enables
me to get a good and constant supply of oil to the flame with oils which have
hitherto been found too heavy to supply the flame with a sufficient quantity of oil
to produce a light for any length of time. The regulator consisting of a cap so
formed that it covers up a portion of the wick and excludes it from the action of
the flame so that a portion of the_wick_only_is_burned. I prefer that-the-portion of
the wick thus covered up shall be the extreme ends.
In constructing this cap, whether fitted to the wick tubes by hinge or other means, or
fitted in the cone or dome, or unattached to the burner in any fixed manner, I
make it so that a sufficient height of wick may be turned up above the wick tube
to allow of the wick being lighted and giving a full flame, and I prefer that it shall
be so constructed that the wick may not be turned up high enough for the flame to
throw off smoke. The enclosed portions or ends of the regulator being the same
height above each end of the wick tube causes the wick to abut against them in an
equal manner at each extremity, thus forming a more perfect surface of wick than
can be procured by ordinary means of cutting.
12. In some burners for burning heavy oils without a chimney I have the
enclosed portion of the regulator so constructed that it is level with and rests upon
the top of the wick tube. And for burning heavy oils or keeping up a much larger
consumption of light oils, the regulator, by allowing of only a portion of the wick
to be exposed to the action of the flame converts the unconsumed portion into a
feeder for that portion which is consumed.
13. My next improvement relates to burners for burning heavy or light oils
without a chimney. In the slot in the cone or dome and at such height that if one
of my regulators were used it would rest upon it, I place a shallow trough the width
of the cone with the bottom cut away over the wick, the trough goes the entire
length of the cone and is heated by the flame. It also deflects the currents so as
to give a broad flame; this can by the simple addition of two saddle pieces to
stride the wick, acts also as a regulator.
Having now described my Invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new and desire
to protect under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
I. The mode of and also the mechanism for forming the wick into an unbroken
circle, substantially as herein described and shown.
II. The perforated cone or air chamber in the centre surrounded or in large part
surrounded by the wick tube or tubes and rising above the top of the wick tubes
so as to deflect the inner current of air on to the flame, so as to inject air from its
perforations or orifices in numerous small jets into the flame, in the manner
described.
III. The apparatus and mode of giving steadiness to the flame, substantially as
described in part 8.
IV. The manufacture of lamps with the burner attached to the lamp with two
hinge joints or their mechanical equivalent, substantially as described.
V. The mode of and apparatus for regulating lamps, substantially as described in
parts 11 and 12.
VI. The arrangement of chimneyless burner, substantially as described in
part 13.

page_text: VII. The general arrangement of lamp, substantially as described and shown in
Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alban Edward Ragg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
1879.
ALBAN EDWARD RAGG. (L.S.)
Witness,
E. GARDNER COLTON,
Of Wm. P. Thompson & Co.'s Patent Agency,
G, Lord St., Liverpool, & 323, High Holborn, W.C.