IMPROVE- MENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jones Saunders, of No. 7, Morden Place, Lewisham
Road, in the County of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LAMPS."
Sealed the 6th March 1863, and dated the 10th September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jones Saunders at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th September 1862.
I, JONES SAUNDERS, of No. 7, Morden Place, Lewisham Road, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in lamps relate to those lamps which are required to
give light downwards, such as ships' cabin, railway carriage, and other lamps,
and consist mainly in the improved construction and disposition of the various
component parts of such lamps in order that the rays of light may be thrown
downwards in a more perfect and unobstructed manner than is done by lamps
as are at present used for such purposes, and in similar situations.
I enclose within a vertical tube a second tube of smaller diameter, and in
this second tube another or third tube of still smaller diameter, forming thereby
a central and two annular passages, the inner of these two annular passages,
and also the outer annular passage, communicate at their upper ends by means
of curved branch tubes radiating as it were from the common centre of this
arrangement of tubes with an annular reservoir for the oil or fluid which is
to be burned. The branch tubes which connect the inner annular passage,

page_text: which is the oil or fluid passage, are so curved that they form (in conjunction
with the said inner annular passage) syphons whose curves are so disposed
that they will come in a line just below the highest level of the oil or fluid.
The annular reservoir these tubes enter at the inner side or wall near the top,
and thenco descend by an easy curve towards the opposite side or wall of
reservoir, just clearing the bottom of the same. The curved branch tubes
leading from the outer annular passage, which is for the purpose of supplying
air to the reservoir as the oil or fluid is drawn therefrom by the action of the
syphons, have their ends entered into the before-mentioned annular reservoir
above the highest level of the oil or fluid. At the lower end of this tubular
arrangement is attached a vessel or receptacle for holding a circular wick,
which vessel or wick receptacle is fitted with a contrivance for raising and
lowering the wick. This apparatus may be a thin piece of metal with four or
any convenient number of arms serrated at their outer extremities, and of such
a length and curve as to hold the wick, and to raise or depress it by the action
of a rod or spindle connected therewith at its lower end, but free to move
theroon laterally. This rod or spindle passes upwards through the central
passage or inner vertical tube, and to a suitablo height above the same, where
a button with a milled edge is fitted to it at its upper end. The wick holder
may be a cup-shaped vessel fitted to a circular plate or lid by columns (hollow
if necessary), and of such a length as to admit of the wick being drawn in
between the lid and the cup by tho serrated ends of the apparatus for raising
and lowering the wick. The plate or lid is so carried or fitted at the lower
end of the concentric vertical tube arrangement as to admit of the tubes
passing through its centre to the cup below, and has on its under side a
circular guard to keep the wick in its place. If a valve be required for the
purpose of stopping tho flow of oil to the cup or wick receptacle when tho
opening for replenishing the reservoir has its cover removed, I place within
the concentric arrangement of vertical tubes a fourth tube of still smaller
diameter, and of a greater length than the others, but still of such a diameter
ns to admit of the herein-before mentioned central rod or spindio passing
through to act on the apparatus for raising and lowering the wick. This
fourth tube is fitted at its lower end with a small aunular dish or plate, having
a washer of india-rubber, or of other suitable material, to be pressed upwards
by a screw or other movement against the lower end of tubes, thereby shutting
off or preventing the flow of oil, I propose to fit an annular reflector around
the under side or bottom of reservoir, and in some cases also to fit around tho
concentric tubular arrangement upon or just above the wick receptacle another
annular reflector.

page_text: I I may vary some of the details without altering the general features of my
Invention, as for example, one syphon and one air tube communicating with
the annular passages may in some cases be found sufficient, or instead of
employing the concentric arrangement of tubes, I may place two, four, or
any convenient number of tubes in a vertical position, and curving their upper
extremities, and connecting them with the annular reservoir, employ them in
the same manner and for the purposes above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jones Saunders in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
March 1863..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JONES
SAUNDERS, of No. 7, Morden Place, Lewisham Road, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give aud grant unto me,
the said Jones Saunders, Her special licence that I, tho said Jones Saunders,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Jones Saunders, 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 Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LAMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jones
Saunders, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 Jones Saunders, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
My improvements in lamps relate to those lamps which are required to give

page_text: light downwards, such as ships' cabin, railway carriage, and other lamps, and
consist mainly in the improved construction and disposition of the various
component parts of such lamps, in order that the rays of light may be thrown
downwards in a more perfect and unobstructed manner than is done by lamps
as are at present used for such purposes, and in similar situations.
In order that the nature of my Invention, and the means by which I effect
the same may be distinctly ascertained and described, I to this Specification
append a Sheet of Drawings having figures and letters of reference marked
thereupon, the like letters being used to denote corresponding parts in each
Figure.
In these Drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section; Figure 2, a plan as seen
from below; and Figure 3, a sectional plan on the line A, B, of one form of
my improved lamps which I now proceed to describe.
By a reference to Figures 1 and 3, it will be seen that I enclose within a
vertical tubo a second tube of smaller diameter, and in this second tube
another or third tube of still smaller diameter, forming thereby a central
passage, which I call a, and two annular passages b, c, of these two annular
passages the inner one 6, and also the outer one c, communicate at their upper
ends by means of curved branch tubes radiating as it were from the common
centro of this arrangement, with an annular reservoir d, which contains the
oil or fluid to be burned. I do not confine myself to the exact number of
the said branch tubes, but I prefer for the purpose of rendering this description
more easily intelligible to show in the Drawings only two tubes, one of each
kind herein-after described, and this number will be found sufficient for the
proper action of the feed arrangement of the lamp. The branch tubes (repre-
sented in the Drawings by the single tube 6') which connect the inner annular
passago b, which is the oil or fluid passage with the annular reservoir d, are
so curved that they form (in conjunction with the said inner annular passage)
syphons (b, b), whose curves are so disposed that they will come in a line
just below the highest level of the oil or fluid. These tubes enter the annular
reservoir at the inner side or wall near the top, and thence descend by an easy
curve towards the opposite side or wall of reservoir, just clearing the bottom of
the same. The curved branch tubes (represented in the Drawing by the
single tube c') leading from the outer annular passage c, which is for the pur-
pose of supplying air to the reservoir as the oil or fluid is drawn therefrom by
the action of the syphons, have their ends entered into the before mentioned
annular reservoir d above the highest level of the oil or fluid. At the lower
end of this concentric tubular arrangement a, b, c, is attached a vessel or
receptacle for holding the wick.

page_text: I do not confine myself to the use of any particular kind of wickholder or
receptacle, but in the Drawing Figure 1 show an arrangement which I pro-
pose in some cases to use. This vessel or wick receptacle is fitted with a
contrivance for raising or lowering the wick which is a circular piece or ring
of metal, having two, four, or any convenient number of arms serrated at their
upper or outer extremities, and of such a length and curve as to hold the
wick, and to raise and depress it by the action of a rod or spindle « connected
with the said ring and arms as its lower end. This rod or spindle e passes
upwards through the central passage or inner vertical tube a, and to a suitable
height above the same, where a button f with a milled edge is fitted to its
upper end.
The wick holder may be a cup-shaped vessel fitted to a circular plate or
lid by columns (hollow if necessary) and of such a length as to admit of the
wick being drawn in between the lid and the cup by the serrated ends of tho
apparatus for raising and lowering the wick, the plate or lid being so carried
or fitted at the lower end of the concentric vertical tube arrangement as to
admit of the tubes passing through its centre to the cup below, and having on
its under side a circular guard to keep the wick in its place.
If a valve be required for the purpose of stopping the flow of oil to the cup
or wick receptacle when the opening for replenishing the reservoir d has its
cover removed, I place within the concentric arrangement of vertical tubes
forming the annular passages b, c, a fourth tube of still smaller diameter, and
of a greater length than the others, but still of such a diameter as to admit of
the herein-before mentioned central rod or spindle e passing through to act on
the apparatus for raising and lowering the wick. This fourth tube is fitted at
its lower end with a small annular dish or plate, having a washer of india-
rubber, or of other suitable material, to be pressed upwards by a screw or other
movement against the lower end of the tubes, thereby shutting off or pre-
venting the flow of oil.
I propose in some cases to fit an annular reflector around the under side or
bottom of reservoir, and also to fit around the concentric tubular arrangement
upon or just above the wick receptacle another annular reflector.
I may, as stated in my
Provisional Specification, vary some of the details
without altering the general features of my Invention, as for example, tho
number of air and syphon tubes communicating with the annular passages,
and instead of employing the concentric arrangement of vertical tubes, I may
place two, four, or any convenient number of tubes in a vertical position, and
curving their upper extremities, and connecting them with the amular reser-

page_text: voir, employ them in the same manner and for the purposes of the annular
passages and branch tubes as above described.
One of theso modifications of my Invention with two vertical tubes is shewn
in Figures 4 and 5 in the Drawings. Figure 4 being a vertical section, and
Figure 5, a plan as seen from below of a lamp so constructed with two tubes,
in which 6 is the tube or passage for the oil, and c, the air tube or passage;
6 is the central spindle with button f. The connection of the syphon and air
tubes with the wick receptacle, whereby the self-feeding action is produced
is shewn in Fig. 4.
Having now by this Specification and Drawings particularly described and
ascertained the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not claim as
of my Invention the employment of annular reservoirs in lamps, such having
heretofore been used with other arrangements distinct from mine; but what
I claim is, the construction and use of lamps having annular reservoirs, which
are combined or connected by means of a central arrangement of syphons and
air tubes as in this Specification and Drawings thereto appended, described,
or shown with a wick, receptacle, or cup of any convenient form or size for
the
herein-before in the opening part of this Specification stated.
purposes
In witness whereof, I, the said Jones Saunders, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.