IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING PETROLEUM AND OTHER VOLATILE OILS OR ESSENCES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ernest Thorold at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
November 1867.
I, ERNEST THOROLD, of Lee, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR
BURNING PETROLEUM AND OTHER VOLATILE OILS OR ESSENCES," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate,--
First. To burning the vapour or gas of volatile oils or spirits in an ordinary
form of gas burner, or any modification of such burner as I may find requisite,
the wick being enclosed in a thin metal tube, which becoming heated by the
flame evaporates the oil or spirit contained in the lamp. The lamp is readily
lighted by first igniting the wick at one or more slots or holes in the tube,
which may afterwards be closed by a sliding tube, which likewise regulates
the burning of the lamp.
Secondly. I use a metal tube (sheet or gauze) of conical shape or otherwise,
to regulate the flame, at same time admitting air to strongly impinge on
the flame, thereby increasing its illuminating power, and in some degree
lessening the odour arising from the use of the said oils or spirits.
I do not confine myself to the use of any particular form or material for the
lamp, or to the employment of a wick, or to the presence or absence of a sponge
or other absorbent material in the lamp. The liquid may be lighted and
burned either as a simple fluid or in a gaseous form, or any mineral or vegetable

page_text: substance may be kept saturated, either by capillary attraction or by
mechanical means.
The first part of my Invention consists of a wick case or burner, the end
of which is closed but slotted for a stream of vapour to pass. Towards this
part of the wick case are one or more slots, by means of which a light may
be applied to the wick contained therein when the lamp is first lighted, in
order that the wick tube may be heated sufficiently to evaporate some of the
spirit or oil contained, when the slots last mentioned being covered up by an
outer case or tube, the vapor of the spirit or oil will burn at the slot or burner
first mentioned. The outer tube or case slides on the wick case, and is
furnished with a flange or plate by which it may be moved; this burner may
be surrounded by a conical tube of sheet metal or gauze, by means of which
the air supplied to the flame is caused to impinge directly thereon, in order to
increase its illuminating power, and at same time lessen the smell of the oil
or spirit burnt; I may also surround the burner with a metal cup, the edge
of which is about level with the burner, so that when the lamp is carried
about the flame will be sheltered by the cup, and so prevent its being
accidentally extinguished.
According to another part of my Invention, I place within the reservoir or
receptacle for the (oil or spirit) a pump for forcing the liquid into the burner;
it consists of a piston fitted to work freely in a cylinder; the piston is raised
by means of two rods passing through two cork stuffing boxes on the exterior
of the lamp to prevent the liquid or vapor escaping. The cylinder is closed at
top and bottom, and is provided with a tube near the lower part for conveying
the liquid contained in the cylinder to the burner. The cylinder is also pro-
vided with a valve for admitting the liquid from the reservoir when the piston
is raised, the weight of which piston alone forces the fluid contained in the
cylinder up to the burner, where it is consumed.
The burner I prefer to form somewhat similar to an argand burner, but I
fill it with some incombustible substance that may be easily saturated with the
oil or spirits, such as charcoal, by which means the fluid alone will be con-
sumed. I also furnish the burner with an overflow pipe leading back to the
reservoir to prevent the burner becoming overcharged with fluid.
In this lamp the rods for raising the piston may on their descent be made
to liberate an extinguisher to put out the light and prevent any escape of
vapour or gas when the lamp is not in use. The extinguisher is hinged at a
suitable part of the burner or lamp, and is provided with a counterbalanced
lever arm.
When the lamp is in use this arm is supported by a bent support
hinged to the burner, which support is removed when the lamp is no longer

page_text: required, either by hand or automatically by an adjustable nut screwed on
one of the piston rods, which on its descent comes in.contact with and re-
moves the support, allowing the weighted arm to fall, bringing over the
extinguisher.
The method of burning the gas or vapor at a gas burner, and likewise of
forcing the fluid into a burner by the weight of a piston, may be employed for
all purposes to which lamps are usually applied, and to certain other uses,
which in some instances are new. For example, a tube of convenient size
closed at one end, and fitted with a screw cap and burner at the other con-
taining a wick, may be used either in an ordinary carriage lamp, and, when
modified, for railway purposes, and the same may be usefully employed as
portable lights in factories and for other purposes.
By employing two chimneys one within the other, or a chimney with a
globe, I cause the lamp to reconsume a portion of the air that has passed
through the flame, together with a fresh supply, thereby lessening the odour
generally arising from the use of highly volatile oils or spirits. The inner
chimney I mount in a perforated cup or gallery, around which I place the
outer chimney or globe, leaving sufficient space to allow air to pass down
between the chimneys to the burner, no air being admitted below either of
the chimneys unless desired, the air supplied passing down between the chim-
neys through the gallery to the burner. By suspending a gauze or plate of
metal or other substance above the chimneys I also cause a part of the
unconsumed particles or smoke to descend with the fresh air to the burner,
where it is consumed.
I may make the wick case or burner referred to in the first part of this
description by cutting a V slot in the open end and placing it in a die, by
which the two jaws are brought together, giving the burner a tapered form
in side view, the small space or slot thereby left between the jaws being
sufficient to allow of the vapour passing.
I
may also burn the liquid by natural capillary attraction by placing one
tube within another, leaving a very small space between, in which the liquid
will rise by capillary attraction to the open end of the double tube, where it is
consumed.