CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR MINING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Teale, of Fern Bank, Worsley, in the
County of Lancaster, Lamp Manufacturer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR MINING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 17th February 1880, and dated the 17th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Teale at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1879.
WILLIAM EDWARD TEALE, of Fern Bank, Worsley, in the County of Lancaster,
Lamp Manufacturer. "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR MINING AND
OTHER PURPOSES."
The object of my Invention is to prevent explosions in coal mines by the ignition
of gas within the body of mining lamps, and in carrying out my Invention I use
globular or other irregular shaped substances resembling ordinary beads or shot
wherewith I fill the space between the usual outer wire gauze covering of mining
lamps and the inner tubular formed wire gauze or metallic chimney of said lamps,
by which means I effectually prevent the existence of a continuous flame of gas
within the said lamps.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Edward Teale in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th April 1880.
WILLIAM EDWARD TEALE, of Fern Bank, Worsley, in the County of Lancaster,
Lamp Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR MINING AND OTHER
PURPOSES."
The object of my Invention is to prevent explosions in coal mines by the ignition
of gas within the body of mining lamps, and in carrying out my Invention I use
globular or other irregular shaped substances resembling ordinary beads or shot
wherewith I fill the space between the usual outer wire gauze covering of mining
lamps, and the inner tubular formed wire gauze or metallic chimney of said lamps,
by which means I effectively prevent the existence of a continuous flame of gas
within the said lamps.
This Invention relates to improvements in lamps for mining and other purposes,
such lamps being of the description known as safety lamps, that is, lamps con-
structed with the view of enabling them to be burnt in an explosive atmosphere
without danger of the flame of the lamp or of gases burning within it being
communicated to the explosive gases surrounding the lamp outwardly and in
contact therewith. These lamps are all more or less modifications of the well
known Davy lamp, inasmuch as the medium of protection between any flame
within the lamp and the outwardly surrounding inflammable gases is wire gauze
or some similar material. Sometimes however the flame within the lamp may
be communicated to the outwardly surrounding inflammable gases by rapidly
travelling currents of air, causing what is known as "blowing through," and this
and other causes of danger are always present where a body of flame is allowed to
exist within the lamp.
According to my Invention the flame of any gases which may be ignited within
the lamp is broken up or attenuated to such an extent that it at once loses its
vitality and is quickly extinguished, and so cannot be made to communicate fire
to the inflammable gases surrounding the lamp outwardly. This I accomplish by
filling the space within the lamp in which such flame must exist if at all, or
through which it must pass with small incombustible bodies in such a way as to
leave numerous small interstices between or around them, in which interstices the
said flame has to exist or make its way through them. The flame is thus broken
up or attenuated to such an extent that there is at no time sufficient body of flame
to communicate fire outwardly, whilst what flame there is is eventually extinguished
as it rises to the upper surface of said small bodies. These small bodies may be
of either regular or irregular shape.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe it with the aid of the accompanying Drawings,
reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing my Invention applied to a lamp of my
own mannfacture known as the "protector" lamp and which is well known. A is
the body of the frame work of the lamp; B, the intermediate gallery; C, bars or
rods and top completing the frame work; D, the glass cylinder surrounding the
combustion or light chamber; E, the outer wire gauze cylinder; F, the inner tube
or chimney formed of metal plate or other suitable material; G, the lamp or oil
receptacle and burner; H is a ring of wire gauze between outer cylinder E´ and
inner tube or chimney F, and dividing combustion chamber D from annular space
above.
The annular space between outer gauze cylinder E and inner tube or chimney F,
I fill nearly to the top with small noncombustible bodies I of globular form, as
shown, or of any other regular or irregular shape, but so as to leave numerous

page_text: "
small interstices between them. The flame of any gases in combustion within
chamber D must linger round the upper circumference thereof near to or against
gauze ring H where the atmosphere enters to feed the flame of the lamp. Should
the flame of such gases in combustion from any cause pass through wire gauze ring
H it can only pass upwards by circulating through the small interstices between
bodies I, and this so breaks up or attenuates the flame that it immediately ceases
to have much vitality and soon goes out, it being quite extinguished long before
reaching the upper surface of bodies I. These bodies I might cover the top of the
inner tube or chimney F, but I find this may impede the draft of the lamp, and I
therefore prefer to keep them below the upper end of said tube F and to cover
them in at the top by a ring J of wire gauze.
I do not however confine myself to
this detail.
"
Fig. 2 shows my Invention applied to the form of safety lamp. known as the
clanny," the upper part only of the lamp being shown, and Fig. 3 shows my
Invention applied to an ordinary "Davy or Jack" lamp. The details are
obvious without further description. I claim as my Invention to be secured by
the herein before in part recited Letters Patent,-
The use in combination with safety or mining lamps of small incombustible
bodies of regular or irregular shapes, but always so as to leave numerous small
interstices between them, and so that any flame of gases in combustion within the
body of the lamp will have to exist in or pass through such interstices and so be
deprived of its vitality and eventually put out, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Teale, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
WILLIAM EDWARD TEALE. (L.S.)