Improvements in and connected with Miners' Safety Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Miners' Safety Lamps.
We, JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON, of 5, Lord Street, Broughton, Manchester, in
the County of Lancashire, Engineer, and CHARLES DARRAI, Junior, Lead Manu-
facturer, Miller Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancashire, do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
"
"
This invention relates to miners' safety lamps and has for its object first, to
permit of the electric ignition of the lamps in the mine without risk of explosion
by sparking of the connecting terminals, and secondly, to permit of the light-
ing devices being raised clear of the wick after lighting, and of being lowered
again for lighting, from the exterior of the lamp.
In accordance with our invention, we mount two small terminals in close
proximity to the lamp wick, and between such terminals we stretch or arrange
a small platinum wire. Each terminal is hinged or articulated to a support and
moves simultaneously with the other terminal.
The support of one terminal is in direct metallic connection with the lamp
body, but the support of the other terminal passes through such lamp body, is
entirely insulated therefrom and terminates outside the lamp.
For lighting the lamp in the mine we employ a special form of terminal con-
nection, which consists of a ferrule or tube forming one of the terminals of the
current or battery wires, adapted at one end to fit into a small socket or recess
formed in the lamp body and by contact of the other terminal of the current or
battery wires, which is enclosed within the ferrule, with the aforesaid terminal
support, which lies within the recess, complete the circuit for supplying current
to the lamp.
The connection of the ferrule to the lamp is however such that not until the
ferrule is well within the socket does the inner terminal make contact, and the
breaking of the connection is therefore, such that the contact is broken before the
ferrule comes out of the socket, hence any sparking" that may take place is
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effectually isolated from the atmosphere of the mine.
When the circuit is completed the platinum wire is rendered incandescent and
thereby ignites the wick. In lieu of a continuous current, we may use an
induced current and ignite the wick by "sparking."
Through the lamp body we pass a small wire rod and the end of such rod.
within the lamp we cause to lie in close proximity to the aforesaid hinged ter-
minals, hence by the manipulation of the rod the terminals can either be pushed
up clear of the wick, and thus prevent the light being divided, or can be brought
down on to the wick ready for lighting.
For lighting the lamps in the lamp house the terminal connection may be
of the ordinary kind.
111.... 1000
JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON.
CHARLES DARRAH, JUNR.,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Patent Agents to the Applicants..

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Miners' Safety Lamps.
We, JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON, of 5, Lord Street, Broughton, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and CHARLES DARRAH, Junior, Lead Manu-
facturer, Miller Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to miners' safety lamps and has for its objects first to
permit of the electric ignition of the lamps in the mine without risk of explosion
by sparking" of the connecting terminals, and secondly, to permit of the
lighting devices being raised clear of the wick after lighting, and of being
lowered again for lighting from the exterior of the lamp.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 illustrates a lamp base or oil reservoir
fitted with our invention, and the electric lighting plug ready to be connected
thereto for lighting.
Fig. 2 represents the sanie lamp base with the plug connected, and part of the
base and the plug in section to shew the details thereof.
Fig. 3 illustrates the lamp base from a position at right angles to that from
which Figs. 1 and 2 are seen, and shews the lamp base and lighting devices in
the position they occupy when the lamp is in use.
In accordance with our invention, we mount two small terminals (A), (A)
in close proximity to the lamp wick (B) and between such terminals we stretch
or arrange a small platinum wire (C). Each terminal is hinged or articulated
to a support (D), and by the connection of a cross-bar (E) of insulating material,
moves simultaneously with the other terminal. The support (D) of terminal (A*)
is in direct metallic connection with the lamp body (F), but the support (D) of
the other terminal (A) passes through such lamp body and terminates in a boss
or head (G) within a recess (H) in the floor of the lamp base. Such terminal sup-
port is insulated from the lamp by an insulating sleeve (I).
For lighting the lamp in the mine we employ a special form of terminal
connection which consists of a ferrule or tube (J) forming one of the terminals
of the current or battery wires and adapted at one end to fit into the recess (H)
and by contact of the other terminal (K) of the current or battery wires, which
is enclosed within the ferrule (J), with the aforesaid terminal support (D) which
terminates within the recess (H) complete the circuit for supplying current to
the lamp.
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The connection of the ferrule (J) to the lamp is, however, such that not until
the ferrule is well within the socket (H) does the inner terminal (K) make con-
tact, and the breaking of the connection is, therefore, such that the contact is
broken before the ferrule (J) comes out of the recess or socket, hence any spark-
ing" that may take place is effectually isolated from the atmosphere of the mine.
When the circuit is completed the platinum wire is rendered incandescent and
thereby ignites the wick (B). In lieu of a continuous current, we may use an
induced current and ignite the wick by "sparking."
Through the lamp body we pass a small wire rod (L) and the end of such rod
within the lamp we cause to lie in close proximity to the aforesaid hinged ter
minals (or an extension thereof) so that by the manipulation of the rod the ter
minals can either be pushed up clear of the wick and thus prevent the light being
divided, as shewn in Fig. 1, or can be brought down on to the wick ready for
lighting, as shewn in Fig. 2.
For lighting the lamps in the lamp house the terminals connection may be of
the ordinary kind.

page_text: The ferrule (J). insulated from the rod or terminal (K) by the sleeve or
liner (1) of insulating material and to allow of the screwing of the ferrule into
the recess (H) without entangling the conducting wires the ferrule is loose but
is retained in position by a pin (M) which engages with a circumferential groove
(N) in the liner (I*). In lieu of a screw thread we may employ a bayonet, or
other suitable joint for connecting the ferrule to the lamp base. The rod (L)
passes through a tube (L), which passes through the oil chamber.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
i claim is :-
1: In miners' safety lamps, two terminals carrying a small length of platinum
in close proximity to the wick and hinged to two supports, one of which is in
contact with the lamp base, and the other is insulated from such base and passes
to the exterior of the base, where it terminates within a recess, substantially as
and for the purposes herein, set forth.
2: In miners' safety lamps, the combination therewith of the parts set forth
in Claim One, and of a lighting plug comprising two conductors, one of which
consists of a ferrule or tube adapted to fit into the recess in the lamp base, and
the other of an inner conductor insulated from the said outer conductor and by
contact with the terminal support in the said recess adapted to complete an electric
circuit, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
A lighting plug, consisting of a ferrule or tube of metal with screw
threaded or bayonet joint extremity, a central metal rod, an insulated
sleeve between the tube and rod with circumferential groove, and a pin engaging
with such groove, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1900
JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON.
CHARLES DARRAH, JUNR.,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.