Improvements in Wicks and Lamps for Burning Petroleum and the like.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wicks and Lamps for Burning Petroleum and
the like.
I PHAROUR CHADERTON BREWSTER of 12 Addle Street in the City of London, West
India Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WICKS AND LAMPS FOR BURNING PETROLEUM AND THE LIKE," a communication
to me from abroad by Julins Ehlis 18 Rue des Carmes, Liége in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
The essential feature of this invention is the manufacture of an incombustible wick.
The wick must possess a certain amount of porosity and yet be sufficiently consistent.
The wick consists essentially of clay to which are added- Silica (sand) and alkaline
salts such as Soda and Borax so as to cause the mass to vitrify or harden at a low
temperature. To attain the requisite porosity substances are added which, when the
mass is burnt, are decomposed and produce gases, such substances being saw-dust,
Cellulose, or carbonate of lime and resin. An addition of gypsum and of white-
lead prevents excessive vitrification or hardening. The substances above referred
to are made into a plastic paste with water, are then moulded or shaped, dried
and ultimately burnt.
According to the nature and quality of the clay that is employed the proportion
of other substances to be added varies within considerable limits. A tolerably fire-
proof clay requires an about equal quantity of sand to by weight of Borax,
Soda or Potash, for less fireproof clays the quantity of fluxes may be reduced or
some of them may be dispensed with. The requisite quantities of saw-dust, resin
and chalk (which substances are used in equal quantities) must be determined by
experiment for each quality of clay in such manner that tho requisite porosity
may be produced.
With these wicks is used a lamp having a. vase or reservoir for containing the
petroleum or the like and in the foot thereof a conical air admission tube. "Two
sheet metal cylinders serve as the wick-tube or wick carrier for an incombustible
wick, made in the manner above set forth. The interior cylinder or outer-tube of

page_text: the wick-carrier passes through the top or cover of the reservoir, but does not
reach quite to the bottom of the same, so that the oil may pass freely to the
wick. The inner cylinder or tubo serves as an air-supply channel also, and passes
through the bottom of the reservoir, being connected with the conical air-admission
tube. An air-distributing device is inserted in the upper part of the air-supply
tube. It consists in a sleeve or cylinder having slots at its upper part, and fitted
with a cover plate. The latter may be moved up or down, being guided by four
wings which fit closely into slots of the cylinder and are attached to the pin
carrying the latter. The supply of air passing through the slots below the plate
may thereby be regulated.
A Gallery slides on the outside of the wick tube. A ring carries the lamp
chimney. The incombustible wick is of rather considerable thickness. In order to
limit the combustion to a portion of the sectional area a ring is inserted.
DLL 1
Mal 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wicks and Lamps for Burning Petroleum and
the like.
I PHAROUR CHADERTON BREWSTER of 12 Addle Street in the City of London, West
India Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention (a communication
to me from abroad by Julius Ehlis of 18 Rue des Carmes, Liége, Belgium, Manu-
facturer) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The essential feature of this invention is the manufacture of an incombustible wick.
The wick must possess a certain amount of porosity and yet be sufficiently consistent.
The wick consists essentially of clay to which are added silica (sand) and alkalino
salts such as soda and Borax so as to cause the mass to vitrify or harden at a low
temperature. So as to attain the requisito porosity substances are added which, when
the mass is burnt, are decomposed and produce gases, such substances being saw-dust,
Cellulose, or carbonate of lime and resin. An addition of gypsum and of white-lead
prevents excessive vitrification or hardening. The substances above referred to are
then moulded or shaped, dried and ultimately-burnt.
According to the nature and quality of the clay that is employed the proportion of
other substances to be added varies within considerable limits. A tolerably fireproof
clay requires an about equal quantity of sand to by weight of Borax, soda or
potash with less fireproof clays, the quantity of fluxes may be reduced or some of them
may be dispensed with. The requisito quantities of saw-dust, resin and chalk (which
substances are used in equal quantities) must be determined by experiment for each
quality of clay in such manner that the requisito porosity may be produced.
With these wicks is used a lamp having a vase or reservoir for containing the
petroleum or the like and in the foot thereof a conical air-adınission tube. Two sheet
metal cylinders serve as the wick-tube or wick-carrier for an incombustible wick made
in the manner above set forth. The exterior cylinder or outer tube of the wick-carrier
passes through the top or cover of the reservoir but does not reach quite to the bottom
of the same so that the oil may freely pass to the wick. The inner cylinder or tube
serves as an air-supply channel also and passes through the bottom of the reservoir
being connected with the conical air-admission tube. An air-distributing device is
inserted in the upper part of the air-supply tube. It consists in a sleeve or cylinder
having slots at its upper part and fitted with a cover plate. The latter may be moved
up or down being guided by four wings which fit closely into slots in the cylinder
and are attached to the pin carrying the latter. The supply of air passing through the
slots below the plate may thereby be regulated.
A Gallery slides on the outside of the wick tube. A ring carries the lamp chimney.
The incombustible wick is of rather considerable thickness. In order to limit the
combustion to a portion of the sectional area a ring is inserted.
I will now proceed to describe one form of this invention being that which is
adopted in practice and this is represented in sectional elevation in the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: A is the reservoir containing the oil; beneath it is a hollow base A having an
inwardly flaring open cone A2. B is the gallery (the cap of the burner, D tho lamp
glass or chimney, the upper portion of which is broken away. E is the outer wick
tube and F the inner wick tube, the latter passes through the closed bottom of the
reservoir A and has a flaring mouth G placed above, and partly surrounding the
cone A2. His a wick made as above set forth, and shaped preferably as shown in
the drawings. I is a tubular carrier provided within the interior of the inner
wick tubo F. In the carrier I slides a rod J on the top of which is a button J¹
allowing it to be lowered or raised as required. The rod J carries a bell or
hood and a hollow, perforated ball L. The position of the latter may bo
adjustable, with reference to the bell K. At the point a bent rod M engages
with the wick. The rod M is guided in the sleeve N and can be raised or
lowered by the nut O, it being to this end, threaded at the end M which projects
above the lamp body. P is a hollow plug with a holo p in the bottom. It closes
the feed hole of the reservoir.
The reservoir A being filled with oil through the feed hole; and this latter
closed by the plug P the lamp is lit. The porous wick H. draws the oil to the
edge of the burner. Air is supplied from below and passes upward through the
cone cone A2, (or through perforations in the part A¹ of the lamp body) into the
flaring part G of the wick tube F into the inner part of the latter. It then arrives at
the ball I which consists of woven wire, or perforated sheet metal. This ball breaks
the air-current up and throws it against the wick. It is assisted by the bell K which
also serves as a flame spreader.
The wick is raised or lowered by operating the rod M and the flame otherwise
regulated by adjusting the ball L and bell K.
It will be obvious that the construction of the lamp may be modified in a great
many ways without effecting the principle of my invention the chief feature whereof
is the use of an incombustible wick such as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1.) An incombustible wick for burning petroleum or the like consisting of clay
prepared with suitable fluxes and with some material causing the wick to be sufficiently
porous when burnt or baked substantially as set forth.
2.) A lamp for use with an incombustible wick of burnt or baked clay, constructed
substantially as described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
3.) In a lamp for use with an incombustible wick the combination with the wick
tube of the adjusted ball L and bell K constructed and operating as set forth and
shown in the drawings.
4.) In a lamp for use with an incombustible wick the rod M acting upon the wick
as set forth and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 12th day of December 1888.
BERNHARD DUKES,
226, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.