IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frank Rhind at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
November 1874.
I, FRANK RHIND, of Brooklyn, County of Kings, State of New York,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in, first, a combined extinguishing device and
flame spreader which is so hinged to the ends of the wick tube that
when opened outward it forms a break or check to the current of air
that rises up along the ends of the flame, and prevents it from
spreading; second, in a ring secured to the upper end of the operating
rod, and the spring by which the extinguisher and spreader is operated;
third, in the devices by which the operating rod is prevented from
closing the extinguisher; and fourth, in forming through the bowl a
little to one side of the centre a tube up through which the rod for
operating the extinguisher passes, all of which will be more fully
described hereafter.

page_text: a detail.
a represents an ordinary lamp having a hollow base and standard in
which are placed the foot b and operating rod c in the usual manner.
Pivoted to the side of the standard, near its base, is the hand plate d,
which extends upward to the base of the bowl, and has a small metal ring
or loop e attached to it, and which ring also passes through the rod c so as
to connect the plate and rod together. When the rod is moved upward
by the foot, or in any other manner, this ring draws the plate inward
toward the standard. When the lamp is taken hold of by the hand this
plate is held pressed inward and thus holds the ring in a vertical position
so as to prevent the operating rod from moving either up or down. As
soon as the pressure of the hand is removed the plate is thrown outward
again so as to release the rod and leave it free to operate. Upon the upper
end of the rod c is formed a ring which fits over the mouth of the
bowl, and upon which the lower part of the operating spring j rests.
By thus forming a continuous ring for the bearing of the spring, it
matters not in which direction the burner is turned as the spring will
always have a bearing, and the trouble of having to adjust a foot under
the spring each time the burner is taken off entirely done away with.
Pivoted to the upper end of the wick tube are two curved wings o which
swing up over the top of the wick so as to extinguish the flame from the
ends of the tube instead of from the side, as has generally been the
custom heretofore. These wings are made sufficiently wide so that
when pressed back from over the top of the wick they strike against the
top of the burner and break the current of air which rises up along the
edge of the flame and prevents it from spreading. By thus forming
these wings and having them when thrown back rest upon the top of the
burner an extinguisher and flame spreader is formed by the same device.
Extending outward from the side of each wing is a slotted earn in which
the upper ends of the spring j catch for the purpose of moving the
wings back and forth. This spring bent in the shape shown is held in
position by two pins or studs secured to the under side of the burner,
so that when pressed upward by the ring the two upper ends are forced
apart, so as to throw the wings outward. This spring also serves to keep
the extinguishing rod e pressed downward, so that it will act quickly
and effectively. Blown with the bowl in one solid piece is a tube y
which is open at both ends, and up through which the rod for operating

page_text: the extinguisher passes. This tube is formed by making a hole through
the mould in which the bowl is blown a little to one side of the centre,
and passing down through the hole a rod of any suitable thickness or
shape. The melted glass is inserted through the neck of the mould so
as to rest upon the top of this rod until it falls over on all sides to the
bottom, and then the vessel is blown, thus forming both the vessel and
the tube at the same time and in a single piece.
If so desired, the hand plate may be stamped from a sheet of spring
metal, and fastened rigidly to the base of the standard, so that it will
spring outward as soon as released, and thus leave the rod c free to
operate.
I am aware that an extinguishing device pivoted to the top of the
wick tube so as to move over the wick from the edge is not new, and I