Year: 1886

page_text: I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by Stephen C. Wilcox of
Dubuque in the State of Iowa, United States of America) to be as follows:-
=
The object of this invention is to afford means whereby the outline of the flame
of a lamp may be readily controlled, and made to assume on both of its opposite
edges a corresponding swell or outline, and with the top portion of the flame in a
practically unbroken oval form.
Usually lamps with flat wicks will when lighted have a portion of the flame
projecting highest from each corner of the wick, thus causing the top portion of
the flame to assume a scalloped form between the two highest points of the flame,
instead of leaving the top portion of the flame of full volume and of oval convexity
in top outline, and especially will this be the case when the operator happens to
cut the wick slanting or obliquely across its width in the act of "trimming" the
same. The use of this invention will overcome this objectionable form of the
flame, and at the same time produce one more agreeable, less liable to "flicker,"
and which comparatively will afford a better light.
The invention consists of the combination with the wick tube of a lamp, of
adjustable flame guides which may slide thereon and be regulated by means of
wires or other devices.

page_text: Improvements in Lamp Burners.
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by Stephen C. Wilcox of
Dubuque in the State of Iowa United States of America) and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:—
The object of this invention is to afford means whereby the outline of the flame
of a lamp may be readily controlled, and made to assume on both of its opposite
edges a corresponding swell or outline, and with the top portion of the flame in a
practically unbroken oval form.
Usually lamps with flat wicks will, when lighted have a portion of the flame
projecting highest from each corner of the wick, thus causing the top portion of
the flame to assume a scalloped form between the two highest points of the flame,
instead of leaving the top portion of the flame of full volume and of oval convexity
in top outline; and especially will this be the case when the operator happens to
cut the wick slanting or obliquely across its width, in the act of "trimming" the
same. The use of this invention will overcome this objectionable form of the
flame, and at the same time produce one more agreeable, less liable to flicker and
which comparatively will afford a better light.
To clearly explain the nature of the invention reference is made to the accom-
panying drawings in which
Figure 1 illustrates the burner portion and wick of an ordinary lamp for burning
petroleum oils, separated from the body of the lamp and having my invention
applied thereto.
Figure 2 represents a portion of the wick tube a portion of the wick and a
portion of the flame-slides shown in figure 1.
Referring to Figure 1, A indicates the "burner" portion of an oil lamp, the
same comprising an ordinary fat wick tube b, a thumb wheel b', of usual con-
struction for raising and lowering the wick ca ventilating tube f, and devices
as D, D¹, which I designate as flame guides, the same consisting of short half-tubes
of metal as e, applied to the opposite edges of the tube b, as shown, and with wire
supports which pass through portions of the "burner" at e¹ as shown, whereby the
flame-guides are held in place against the wick tube b, and whereby also said
slides may in this instance be adjusted up and down on the tube b, as occasion
may require.
In said figure I have shown one of the flame guides drawn down so as to bring
its upper end on a level with the top of the wick tube b, while its fellow slide is
elevated above the top of the tube b. But for trimming the lamp both flame-guides
would be drawn down to a level with the top of the wick-tube.
Having trimmed the wick and lighted it in a lamp thus constructed, the
operator may then elevate the wick more or less, for example, as in figure 2, in
order to give a greater or less powerful light as desired, whereupon both of the
flame guides may be pushed up more or less above the base of the flame at the

page_text: corners g, g, of the wick, thus bringing the inner top concave of each flame-guide
more or less in contact with the respective edges of the flame just above its base
until both edges of the flame assume an uniform contour, and with the top portion
of the flame of an oval form.
Thus the operator may (as the conditions of the flame arising from the wick
shall require) adjust D a trifle higher or lower than D', or they may be perhaps
both elevated alike in order to produce the desired result.
If in trimming the wick the same be cut square across its width, and then
lighted, the flame will ascend highest from the "corners" g, g¹ (figure 2) thus
leaving a scolloped or dishing form of the flame, between the two highest points;
and this same general form or outline of flame will result, but in an increased
degree, if the wick be cut slanting or obliquely as indicated in figure 2, but
in either case this objectionable forin of flame can be readily obviated by the
adjustment more or less of the flame guides D, D¹, the operator being able on a
moments trial to readily determine the desirable vertical adjustment of each slide
to accomplish the object.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
The combination with a wick-tube of a lamp of separate adjustable flame-guides,
substantially as and for the purpose described.