CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, PARTS OF WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE RAISING OF WATER
Year: 1846

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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CRANE WILKINS, of Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and forty-six, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Crane Wilkins, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William
Crane Wilkins, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Crane Wilkins, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and also in the
Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,
PARTS OF WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE RAISING OF WATER;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said William Crane
Wilkins, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, tho said
William Crane Wilkins, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described in
and by the present Specification thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists, firstly, in an improved pressure lamp, a sectional
elevation of which is given in Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings. A is a
circular case in the bottom of the lamp, which is divided into two concentric
compartments a and b, the former of which (a) contains the oil, and the latter
(6) is employed to produce a vacuum in order to raise the oil to the burner B;
C is a hollow pillar, which is raised on the top of the case A; D is a leather
piston or plunger, which fits the compartment a, and rests on the top of the oil,
and is connected by two rods d, d, to a cross head F, within the pillar; G is
a piston, which fits into the vacuum chamber 6, the piston rod of which g
passes upwards through a boss in the centre of the cross head F, and higher
up through another boss in the centre of a triangular piece (not shewn in the
Drawing) on the top of the pillar; the upper end of this piston rod g is formed
with a rack P upon it, into which a pinion N works, which is commanded by a
spindle O. R is a bolt, by which the piston rod g may be made fast to the
cross piece F, so that when the piston G is depressed it shall depress along
with it the piston D, and vice versa; H is an air cock, attached to the bottom
of the vacuum chamber 6; L is a tube by which the oil is forced upwards into
the burner B; M is a filtering cup into which the oil to fill the reservoir at
foot is first poured, and from which it descends through a pipe m into the
space in the compartment a above the piston D, whence it finds its way round
the edges of the piston into the space beneath, the piston being rounded at the
edges, as shewn, for the purpose of facilitating the descent of the oil. The
same cup (M) serves to receive any excess of oil which may drop from the.
burner, and the pipe m to convey it back to the compartment a. The manner.
in which the requisite pressure on the oil is produced is as follows:-The air
cock of the vacuum chamber being opened the piston G is pressed down to the
bottom of that chamber by causing the pinion N to act on the rack of the
piston rod g, and when all the air has been thus expelled from it the air cock
is closed. The piston G is then raised to nearly the top of the chamber 6 by
turning the pinion N in the reverse direction, whereby a vacuum is formed
beneath the piston G, and the other piston D is by the simultaneous and coin-
ciding action of its rods d, d, raised to nearly the top of the oil chamber a, a,
The pressure of the atmosphere on the top of the piston G acting now against
a vacuum on the under side of it, gradually depresses that piston, and depresses
along with it the oil piston, which forces the oil up the tube L to the burner.

page_text: When the piston G has fallen to the bottom of the vacum chamber it is
raised up again as before by the pinion and rack N, P. Should it happen that
the vacuum requires renewing before the reservoir is exhausted of oil, the
piston G is disconnected from the cross head F by pulling out the bolt R, and
the piston G works without interfering with the other piston, and so the
operation goes on as long as there is a sufficient quantity of oil left in the lamp.
The piston of the vacuum chamber may be formed in any approved method,
but as it is of importance that it should be as air-tight as possible I prefer
constructing it in the manner represented (on an enlarged scale) in Figure 2.
R, R, are two discs or circular plates of metal, to the edges of which there
are firmly rivetted two bells T, T, of gutta percha, or some other like flexible
material not acted upon by oils; S, S, are two screw rods passed through the
two plates R, R, by means of which they may be brought more or less near to
one another, and the flexible side belts T, T, be pressed by the fluid inside to a
corresponding extent outwards, and always to such a definite extent as to make
the piston to fit with great exactness any cylinder to which it may be applied.
My Invention consists, secondly, of an improved pressure lamp, in which the
pressure is produced by means of a metallic spring instead of atmospheric pressure.
Figure 3 is an external elevation of this lamp; Figure 4, a sectional elevation
of the parts peculiar to it; and Figure 5, a plan on the line a, b, of Figures 3
and 4. V is an oil reservoir; W, a leather piston or plunger, the rod of which
is formed with a rack on one side of it; X is a box bolted to the top of the
oil reservoir (V), which contains a coiled spring s, the outer end of which is
made fast to the case of the box X, and the inner end is connected to the end
of a spindle Y, which carries a pinion Z which takes into the rack on the side
of the rod of the piston W. By turning the pinion Z the piston is raised to
the top or nearly so of the reservoir V, and the springs at the same time
wound up, and as the spring unwinds itself it gradually forces the rack,
piston rod, and piston rod downwards, which in their turn force up the oil
through the pipe t into the burner. U is a waste pipe, through which any
excess of oil is returned from the burner to the reservoir. It may be either
terminated over an orifice in the top plate of the reservoir, as shewn in the
Drawing, or be carried down through that plate into the reservoir. In case of
the spring being ruptured by accident, or otherwise damaged, the box whith
contains it can be readily unbolted from the reservoir and removed for the
purpose of repair without any disturbance to the other parts of the lamp.
My Invention consists, thirdly, in constructing wall lamps, and others in
which the oil fountain or reservoir is more or less above the level of the
burner, in such manner that the cotton may be raised or lowered without

page_text: the aid of a stuffing box, and the possibility of leakage be thereby wholly
prevented. A side elevation of a lamp of this kind as thus improved is given
in Figure 6. A is the fountain or reservoir, which communicates by a pipe C
with the burner B; D is a pipe, which is fixed in front of the fountain, and
may either extend the whole way up, or only as far as represented in the
Drawing, and leads off at bottom to the burner at the same angle with and
immediately atop of the oil pipe C. In this pipe are enclosed the principal
parts of the mechanism by which the cotton is raised or lowered. E is a
pinion, which takes into the rack E¹ of the cotton-holder, the teeth of which
last are inclined so as to suit the necessarily inclined position of the pinion.
F is a bevil wheel, attached to the upper end of the shaft of the pinion E,
which bevil wheel works into another bevel wheel F³, the spindle of which is
carried up through an eye piece e in the front of the reservoir near to the top,
and terminates in a milled thumb-piece f, by the turning of which motion is
given to the wheels, pinion, and rack.
My Invention consists, fourthly, in adapting the mode of raising and
lowering the cotton last herein-before described to table lamps of the
description known by the name of "catoptric oil lamps." A side elevation
of so much of one of these lamps as is necessary to shew this adaptation is
given in Figure 7. A, A, are the side tubes, leading from the reservoir to the
burner B, but the oil is allowed to flow through one of them only; the other
contains a rod with a pinion m at its lower end, which takes into a rack on the
cotton-holder, and a bevil wheel n on its upper end, which takes into another
bevil wheel O, the spindle of which passing straight downwards through the
reservoir case terminates in a thumb-piece, by which motion is given to the
whole as required.
My Invention consists, fifthly, of another mode, represented in Figure 8, of
raising or lowering the cotton adapted to catoptric and other lamps of the sort,
in which the raising and lowering is effected by the turning round of the glass
gallery. A is the burner case; B, a tube attached to the front of the burner
case; C, a spindle enclosed in the tube B, to the bottom of which there is
attached a spiral worm, which takes into the rack D of the cotton-holder, and
to the top of it a bevil wheel E, which works into a circle of teeth t, t, formed
on the under side of the gallery or glass-holder G. When the glass-holder
is turned round in one direction, the teeth on the bottom of the glass-holder
taking into the bevel wheel E, cause the worm to raise the rack, and when it
is turned in the opposite direction they cause it to lower the rack.
My Invention consists, sixthly, in certain improvements in gas burners of
that class in which the flames or apertures for the escape of the gas are

page_text: b
arranged in circles, and which improvements have for their object to cause the
gas to flow more equably than heretofore, and also to produce a clearer as
well as steadier light. Figure 9 represents à sectional elevation of a burner
of this class, of the sort called "shadowless burners." A is an argand burner;
and b, a perforated plate inserted crosswise in the interior of it. Each of the
holes in the burner is formed by the junction of two holes drilled in an inclined
direction the one to the other, as commonly done in the boring of the "fish-tail
burner." The perforated plate 6 serves to check the flow of the gas, and the
inclined passages to divide the gas into as many double streams, crossing each
other at the point of ignition, as there are orifices d, d, in the top surface of
the burner, whereby a much better combustion of the gas is effected than
would otherwise take place. Figure 10 represents a modification of the
preceding arrangement, adapted to a pillar lamp with double feed pipe D.
Here the top of the burner is made on the inside of a flattened V form, and
the incline passages c, c, are made one on each side of the V part; the
intercepting plate b is also made with one aperture or one row of apertures
only; and, farther, a screwed stem S is carried up from the centre of the
burner which carries a breaker f, of the form of an inverted cone, which screws
on to the stem, and may be adjusted to any height found to produce the best
result. Figure 11 represents another arrangement, in which the burner may
be of either of the forms shewn in Figure 9 and Figure 10, but is provided with
the following additional appendages. H is a conical air feeder, perforated on
its upper surface with numerous holes, which is slipped over the burner till its
highest part comes exactly in a line with the top surface of the burner (without
however, touching it in any part, and rests by an inner ring h on a ledge i,
which projects from the bottom of the burner; I, I, are a set of supports,
dependant from the air feeder H, which serve to carry the glass, and render
any separate glass holder unnecessary; K, L, are two perforated concave
breakers, which are screwed on to a stem S, one over the other, the higher
one being made little larger than the lower. Figure 12 and Figure 12*
represents an arrangement which differs only from that last described in the
air feeder H being made broader, and a separate glass-holder M being
employed, and in one breaker only instead of two being used. Figure 13
represents a gas burner of a shape wholly different from the preceding
burners. In this burner, the surface a, which is occupied by the perforations
for the escape of the gas, is made very narrow, its section approaching nearly
to that of a pyramid with the holes in the apex. By this arrangement the
admixture of the atmospheric air with the gas takes place immediately on its
issuing from the burner. Sometimes instead of placing one single row of

page_text: holes in the very apex or ridge of the burner, as just described, I place two
rows of holes in close proximity to it, one on each side.
Seventhly, my Invention consists in certain arrangements for heating the
gas before reaching the point of ignition. Figure 14 and 14ª represent a
form of burner constructed with this view. The gas is made to traverse in
the burner through nearly one half of the whole circuit of its circumference
before it is allowed to escape through the holes from which it is consumed,
by which means the gas is partially heated before reaching the point of
ignition. a, a, are the perforations for the escape of the gas; b', b, the
channels through which it flows to them; c', c, are the two auxiliary passages
in which the gas is heated before entering into the channels b', b³. Figure 15
represents another mode of effecting the heating of the gas previous to com-
bustion. a is the pipe through which the gas is admitted, and by which it is
carried up nearly to the button or deflecting disc; it then descends inside
another pipe c, surrounding the pipe a, and absorbs in its passage a con-
siderable portion of heat from the heated surfaces of a and c, and d is a third
pipe, which conveys the gas to the burner.
Eighthly, my Invention consists in the application to the ordinary fish-tail
burners of perforated intercepting plate, constructed and placed similar to
those herein-before. 6, Fig. 12b, is a sectional elevation of a burner of this
description.
Ninthly, my Invention consists of an improved form of glass-holder,
represented in Figures 16 and 16. a is a boss, which is screwed inside to
correspond to a screw thread upon the outside of the tube of the gas burner
to which it is applied, so that it may be brought nearer to or further from
the burner at pleasure by simply being turned round, which allows of a nice
adjustment of the position of the glass in reference to the flame; a¹, a¹, a², are
the arms; 6, 6, 6, small springs which hold the glass in its place, but allow of
its being removed when required.
Tenthly, my Invention, in so far as it relates to the raising of water, consists
in applying to lifting and forcing pumps the peculiar form of piston repre-
sented in Figure 2, and described under the first head of this Specification.
And, eleventhly, my Invention consists of an improved form of burner for a
railway carriage roof lamp. Figure 17 is a section of so much of one of these
lamps as is necessary to exemplify this part of my Invention. A is the
burner; B, the tube for conveying the oil from the reservoir (not shewn in
the Drawing); C, a suction pipe through which the oil passes to the cotton
b
wick; a, a, are openings round the suction pipe C in the top 6 of the lower
chamber d, which regulate the flow of the oil to the wick.

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that the improvements which I
claim as constituting my said Invention are as follows:-
First, I claim the employment in pressure lamps of atmospheric pressure to
raise the oil from a reservoir beneath the burner, as before described.
Second, I claim the improved spring pressure lamp secondly before described,
in so far as regards the combination of the rack piston rod with the coiled
spring fixed on the top of the oil reservoir and pinion.
Third, I claim the improved wall or fountain lamp, thirdly herein-before
described, in so far as regards the employment of the pinion and bevil wheels
to raise the cotton.
Fourth, I claim the adaptation of the mode of raising the cotton, lastly
referred to, to catoptric oil lamps, as fourthly herein-before described.
Fifth, I claim the mode of raising and lowering the cotton adapted to
lamps with circular action, described under the fifth head of this Specification.
Sixth, I claim the employment, in gas burners having circles of holes for the
escape of the gas, of the different forms of construction described under the
sixth head of this Specification, that is to say, in so far as regards the use of
the inclined passages c, c, the intercepting plates b, b, the perforated concave
breakers K and L, the conical air feeders H having their highest parts on a
level with the top surface of the burner, but not touching it in any part, all as
respectively before described, and the peculiar shaped burner represented in
Figure 13.
Seventh, I claim the modes of heating the gas before reaching the point of
ignition, represented in Figures 14 and 15, and before described.
Eighth, I claim the application to fish-tail burners of the intercepting plate 6,
as represented in Figure 12b.
Ninth, I claim the improved form of glass-holder, described under the ninth
head of this Specification.
Tenth, I claim the application to pumps used in the lifting and forcing of
water, of the form of piston represented in Figure 2, and before described.
And, eleventh, I claim the improved burner for railway carriage roof lamps,
represented in Figure 17 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, and as before
described under the eleventh head of this Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Crane Wilkins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
WILLIAM CRANE (L.s.) WILKINS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-ninth day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid William Crane Wilkins came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.