AN IMPROVED LAMP FOR BURNING PARAFFIN OIL AND OTHER NON EXPLOSIVE HYDROCARBON OILS
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederic Prince and Alexander Browne
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March 1879.
FREDERIC PRINCE, of St. Ann's, Lewes, in the County of Sussex, and ALEXANDER
BROWNE, of Holloway, in the County of Middlesex. "AN IMPROVED LAMP FOR
BURNING PARAFFIN OIL AND OTHER NON EXPLOSIVE HYDROCARBON OILS."
The object of this-Invention is to construct a lamp to burn paraffin oil or other
non explosive hydrocarbon oils that shall have the main reservoir at the base or
any desired distance from the base instead of at the top or close under the wick as
has hitherto been found necessary for burning paraffin oil, and to bring such oil up
from the main reservoir for consumption, and this we propose to effect substantially
in the following manner :-
Within the body of the lamp, at any suitable height from the bottom, we fit a
flexible or partially flexible reservoir or chamber, the flexible portion of which is
capable of being compressed by spring or weight appliances. The aforesaid flexible
portion we form of any suitable flexible material capable of being made paraffin
proof, whether by saturation, coating, or otherwise. For this purpose we may use
composition composed of glue and treacle, or glue and glycerine, or glue, treacle,
and glycerine, or in place of glue, meta-gelatine or collodion and a vegetable oil,
such as castor oil.
In some cases it may be found advisable to add Canada balsam, or a gum that
will mix with the collodion and vegetable oil for the purpose of increasing the
adhesiveness of this latter composition. Or in place of any of the before men-
tioned compositions albumen may be employed. In connection with the flexible
reservoir we use a three way cock, one way of which communicates with the
interior of the flexible reservoir, another way with the interior of the body of the
lamp, and the third way with a pipe that is carried up the lamp, and through
which the oil is pressed up from the flexible or partly flexible reservoir for con-
sumption. This latter pipe has only a very small opening at or near the end, as
near as can be calculated the size to allow only sufficient oil to escape for
consumption.
This oil escapes into another reservoir placed at the top of the lamp, and into
which the wick dips. This reservoir is fitted with an overflow pipe to prevent the
oil rising too high in the event of it coming out from the small hole in the pipe
(which brings the oil up from the flexible reservoir) faster than it is consumed, and
runs down this overflow pipe to the main body of the lamp; and upon the lamp

page_text: being wound up reenters the flexible reservoir and is again pressed up for
consumption.
The three way cock is so arranged that when the communication is open between
the interior of the body of the lamp and the interior of the flexible reservoir, the
communication with the pipe through which the oil is pressed up for consumption,
and the interior of the flexible reservoir is shut off and only reopened when the
communication with the interior of the flexible reservoir and the interior of the
body of the lamp is shut off. By this arrangement no air can be drawn into the
flexible reservoir down the up pipe when the said reservoir is extended or drawn
out for the purpose of drawing in oil.
The plug of the aforesaid cock is preferably actuated from the top of the lamp
by any suitable gearing or connection worked by an external handle. Or in place
of a three way cock valves may be employed.
The burner is screwed into the top reservoir, and, when it is necessary to put oil
in the lamp, is unscrewed, and the oil poured into the top reservoir, which when it 1
fills runs down the overflow pipe into the body of the lamp, and is drawn into the
flexible reservoir when it is extended.
If a three way cock is used, and the plug of which is actuated by an external
handle from the top of lamp, then it is necessary before winding to open the com-
munication between the interior of the body of the lamp and the interior of the g
flexible reservoir, and this communication should be shut off by turning the cock
before the winding handle is released. Or instead of actuating the three way cock
by hand it could be automatically actuated by the winding arrangement.
The flexible reservoir is preferably extended by any suitable winding up arrange-
ment placed at that part of the lamp that may be the most convenient, according 2
to the construction and formation of the lamp.
If a rack and pinion is used for extending the flexible reservoir it may be more
convenient to have a separate opening placed below the winding handle to pour the
oil in at instead of unscrewing the burner.