IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hedgely, of Great College Street, Camden
Town, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LAMPS."
Sealed the 23rd January 1863, and dated the 28th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Hedgely at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
July 1862.
I, HENRY HEDGELY, of Great College Street, Camden Town, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," to be as follows:-.
The first part of my Invention relates to lamps known as "moderators"
and consists of certain improvements in the means of overflow of the oil, by the
adoption of which moderator lamps may be made to burn paraffine or other
mineral oils without any exposure of the oil as it overflows from the wick tube,
and consequently without any smell or effluvium from the evaporation of the
oil. I propose to form a slot or aperture on each side of the wick lolder, or
in lieu thereof a series of small openings at any desired distance below the top;
through these apertures the excess of oil will flow instead of continuing its

page_text: upward course to the top of the wick tube, or in lieu thereof I propose to use
a short overflow tube and place a moveable cap thereon to form the requisite
continuation of the burner; the oil will thus flow down the exterior of the
holder and within an outer casing or cylinder which is to be screwed or fixed
around the holder. This outer casing is to be fitted so as to exclude tho air
and thus to completely confine the oil and prevent its evaporation. The oil
will pass through suitable orifices down either one or two tubes into the
reservoir of the lamp and may be again pumped upwards. As these lamps
burn a circular wick it is therefore necessary to use a cone having a circular
instead of an oblong opening as is at present used in the ordinary paraffine lamps;
the glass should have a contracted neck a little above the cone and should then
bulge into a bell shape and be contracted as it extends upwards. I propose
to effect improvements in the cylinders and plungers of moderator lamps, in
order to render them more effective in maintaining mineral oils below the
said plungers, by making the plungers of metal nearly the diameter of the
cylinder, the centre thereof being raised into a dome, and by attaching a ring
of leather, the lower part of which ring will expand and fill up the intervening
space between the plunger and cylinder. The cylinder is to be made of sheet
metal formed into a circular band, and placed on a mandril to bore it out
perfectly smooth and regular. The bottom and neck to be turned true in a
lathe to keep the said body perfectly cylindrical. The advantage of this over
the ordinary arrangement is to cause the oil to flow more regularly so as to
burn a greater length of time without winding up; I propose also to use grooved
or fluted wire in lieu of flat wires to moderate the flow of oil; I propose
instead of a separate cone that the outer casing of the burner shall be continued
upwards to about the level of the inner tube, and bent inwards so as to form a
cone, and which outer tube is to be perforated a little below the cone and
above the overflow whereby a current of air is thrown into the flame, by which
means three distinct currents of air are obtained to support combustion. Or
instead of slots, perforations, or a short tube, I propose the following method,
viz., to close the bottom of the wick holder so as to form a reservoir thereof,
and to carry up the supply pipe through the outer casing and into the wick
tube through an aperture at the upper part of the same and on the opposite
side of the wick tube at or about the same level to insert a corresponding pipe
to serve for the overflow and to conduct the same back to the main receiver
of the oil. I further propose to employ a steel rack instead of brass, and to
enclose the same in a tube passing up the centre of the burner. This tube
can support a button if necessary and occupying a space in the centre of the
burner it causes or creates an increased or sharper draught of air through the

page_text: flame, the steel rack is more durable and less likely to get out of order than
the brass racks at present in use. I propose to cover or dispense entirely
with the cup and strainer into which the oil drops in the moderator lamps at
present in use and to substitute an air-tight covering, and to supply the lamps
with oil through an opening therein which is afterwards to be secured
by a cap screwed. thereon.
The second part of my Invention relates to pillar or other ordinary lamps
which consume the oil without the employment of a pump, in which cases the
oil rises up the wick tube by capillary attraction alone. In these lamps I
adopt a similar arrangement for the overflow of the oil to that used for the
"moderators" whereby paraffine oil may be consumed without any escape of
the volatile effluvium. In lamps where the oil is contained in a reservoir
above the level of the light I cause the oil to flow from the said reservoir into
a small cup or receiver surrounding the base of the wick, thence it ascends by
capillary attraction. This method is for the purpose of substituting glass
reservoirs for more perfect combustion and safety. The arrangement of the
cone is as previously described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Hedgely, in the Great Seal Patent Office 'on the
28th January 1863.
Xb.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HEDGELY, of Great College Street, Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto mo
the said Henry Hedgely, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Hedgely, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry Hedgely, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an. Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry Hedgely, my executors or administrators, by an instrument

page_text: in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Hedgely, do hereby declaro
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The first part of my Invention relates to lamps known as moderators, and
consists of certain improvements in the means of overflow of the oil, by the
adoption of which moderator lamps may be made to burn paraffine or other
mineral oils without any exposure of the oil. I form a burner of a particular
shape consisting of two and three tubes; the inner tube to hold the wick, tho
second tube to form a case and overflow, the outer or third tube to cover all
in and prevent evaporation or effluvium from the oil in its flow; and in order
to obtain perfect combustion I use, in lieu of a cone, an oxydator glass or
I form slots or
chimney of a certain shape, as shown in the Drawing.
apertures on each side of the wick holder, or in lieu thereof, a series of small
openings at any desired distance below the top; through these apertures the
excess of oil will flow instead of continuing its upward course to the top of
the wick tube; or, in lieu thereof, I use a short overflow tube, and place a
fixed cap thereon to form the requisite continuation of the burner; the oil
will thus flow down the exterior of the holder and within an outer casing or
cylinder, which is to be screwed 'or fixed around the holder. This outer
casing is to be fitted so as to exclude the air, and thus to completely confine
the oil and prevent its evaporation; the oil will pass through suitable orifices
down either one or two tubes into the reservoir of the lamp, and may be
again pumped upwards. I effect improvements in plungers of moderator
lamps in order to render them more effective in maintaining mineral oils
below the said plungers by making the plungers of metal nearly the dia-
ineter of the cylinder, the centre thereof being raised into a dome, and by
attaching a ring of leather, the lower part of which ring will expand and fill
up the intervening space between the plunger and cylinder. Or in place of
the ordinary leather plunger I make leather plungers of a specially selected
calf skin being less porous, and press the leather in dies of any desired shape;
and instead of moulding them with the inside skin outwards, and then turned
off in the lathe to obtain smoothness' of surface I mould them with the outer
skin outside, by this means the friction on the sides of the case is lessened

page_text: and allows the plunger to work free and regular. I use grooved or fluted
wire in lieu of flat wires to moderate the flow of oil. Instead of the cotton
holder being made short it is lengthened by a continuation of the tin 'to.
above the flow. surrounded or enclosed by the cotton; this is to serve the
purpose of an indicator for a fresh supply of wick, because the tin.rises with
the cotton half way. In some cases I use instead of slots, perforations, or a
short tube the following method, viz., to close the bottom of the wick holder
so as to form a reservoir thereof, and to carry up the supply pipe through the
outer casing and into the wick tube through an aperture, and on the opposite
side of the wick tube, at or about half way up the tube, to insert a pipe to
serve for the overflow and to conduct the same back to the main receiver
of the oil. I employ a steel rack instedd of brass, and enclose the same in
a tube passing up the centro of the burner; this tube can support a button,
if necessary, and occupying a space in the centre of the burner it causes or
creates an increased or sharper draught of air through the flame; the steel
rack is more durable and less likely to get out of order than the brass racks
at present in use. I cover or dispense entirely with the cup and strainer into
which the oil drops in the moderator lamps at present in use, and substitute
an air-tight covering, and supply the lamps with oil through an opening therein,
which is afterwards to be secured by a cap or plug screwed thereon.
The second part of my Invention consists of lamps or chandeliers whero
the oil is contained above or at the level of the light. I cause the oil to flow
from the said reservoir through arms or pipes to the burner, which burner
is above the overflow. The tubes are made in the same way as in the
former instance, the rack, spring, and plunger being dispensed with as the oil
ascends by hydrostatic pressure to a certain level, and then by capillary
attraction.
Fig. 1 in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings shews a vertical section of
the lamp; Figs. 2 and 3 shew the other forms of burners described, similar
letters denoting corresponding parts.
a is the wick tube; b, the overflow tube; and c, the outer casing; d is the
supply pipe, and e, the overflow pipe; f, Fig. 2, shows an overflow pipe inserted
in between the tubes a and c; g, Fig. 3, shows an indentation, channel, or
pipe in the wick tube a; h, shews the glass or chimney as described; i, shews
in Fig. 1, the air-tight cover or disc enclosing the top of the oil chamber;
the cap being capable of removal for the purpose of supplying oil to the
chamber. It will be obvious that by these arrangements the oil can never
remain above the level of the overflow tubes.
Having now described my Invention, I claim the "Improvements in

page_text: Lamps," substantially as herein described and shewn by the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Hedgely, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
HENRY HEDGELY. (L.B.),