An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Lighting Miners' Safety and other Lamps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Lighting Miners' Safety
and other Lamps.
We FREDERICK MORI and OSMOND YEADON RHODES, of the Miners Lamp
Electric Lighting Company Limited, 71 Albion Street, Leeds, Yorkshire,
Electricians, 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:—
Our invention bas reference to means to be employed for instantaneously lighting
the wick of miners and other lamps by means of an electric current, and this we
propose to do without removing the gauze or unlocking the lamp.
In carrying out our invention we make use of any ordinary lamp provided with a
wick. To a suitable part of the lamp near the said wick we attach a horseshoe
shaped or any other suitable form of platinum wire, covered with enamel or other
suitable insulating material inserted in a tube of platinum or other suitable material
as hereinafter explained. This combined enamelled platinum wire and tube is
carried by two terminals forming one pole, the other pole consisting of a vertical
piston rod so arranged that when the lamp is not in use, a spiral or other form of
spring keeps the head of the piston rod from contact with the first named pole, but
in order to light the lamp we place it upon a battery, the bottom of the piston
coming into contact with the pole of the battery, causing the upper end of the
piston to come into contact with the terminal carrying the platinum tube, which
immediately becomes incandescent, whereby the wick is instantaneously lighted. In
order to prevent the platinum wire from fusing, it is covered with enamel or other
suitable insulating material and inserted within a tube as previously explained. The
enamel or other suitable material on the said platinum insulates the parts and
increases the resistance, that is to say, the wire which is passed through the interior
of the platinum tube is insulated therefrom by the enamel, and is not in circuit, being
prevented thereby from interfering with the passage of the current along the
platinum or other external tube. By insulating the wire as above stated, such wire
is kept cool and is not fusible.
In order that our invention may be better understood, we will now make reference
to the accompanying sheets of drawings illustrative thereof, wherein A of Fig. 1 is a
geometrical view of a lamp having our improvements applied thereto, and B is the
lid of the electric battery. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is vertical section of our improved
lamp, wherein C is the cover of the lamp, D the wire gauze, E the deflecting tube,
and F the ordinary glass tube of the lamp, all of which parts are of ordinary
construction and form no part of our invention. The wick is carried by a tube G.
a and b are electric terininals carrying tubes c for receiving the horseshoe platinum
wire d which is secured to each of said terminals by screws e. The wire is enamelled
for the purpose of insulating the parts. Enclosed within a metal bush or pipe
extending through the oil vessel f, is an insulated tube g, through which is placed a
vertical rod or piston h having a cap or button i and j at each end thereof, as shewn
in the drawings. In order to ignite the wick, the lamp is placed upon the battery B
as shewn in Fig. 1, the cap or button on the lower end of the piston h being placed
in contact with the terminal k, as shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereby the electric
circuit is completed and the platinum wire d immediately brought to an incandescent
heat, by which means the wick is ignited, but as soon as the lamp is removed from
the battery, the spiral spring m separates the cap or button i from the terminal k, as
shewn in full line in Fig. 2, and the electric current is thus immediately cut off.

page_text: Having now described the nature of our invention and shewn how the same may be
put into practical effect, we would have it understood that we do not limit nor confine
ourselves to the exact details herein shewn and described, as they may be modified
without departing from the main features thereof, but what we claim is :-
Firstly. The use of a piston or plunger, which, when placed onto a battery,
completes the electric circuit, causing a platinum or other wire or tube to ignite the
wick of the lamp, all arranged and combined in the manner substantially as shewn.
Secondly. In lamps having pistons or plungers for completing electric circuits and
lighting the wicks of such lamps, the combination therewith of enamelled platinum
wire inserted within a tube carried by terminals in the manner shewn in the drawings
and described in the Specification.
Dated this 20th day of Aucunt 1000
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.