Improvements in Alcohol or Spirit Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 18th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Alcohol or Spirit Lamps.
We, GERRIT CORNELIS OTTEN and KAREL FREDERIK HENNEMAN, both of 20,
Heemskerstraat, La Haye, in the Kingdom of Holland, 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 alcohol or spirit lamps and more particularly to those
used in drying or roasting coffee and other grains.
The object of our said invention is to produce a lamp of a kind which will be at
the same time safe and economical in use.
In order that our invention may be readily understood, we will describe the same
with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved lamp.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same, and
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section thereof.
The lamp is composed of a body A, through which passes a burner tube B.
This body A has an air tight lid, provided with a valve C the casing of which
communicates by means of a tube E and cock D with the front end of the burner
tube B. The said tube E is provided at M, with one or more openings for the
injection of the alcoholic vapour into the burner tube B.
In the body of the lamp. are arranged one above another, layers of cotton
waste, G, or other absorbent material and asbestos waste H. I is a partition of
wire gauze to prevent the asbestos from entering the valve casing C and choking
the valve.
In this apparatus, the burner tube is always surrounded by asbestos, and
consequently the cotton or other absorbent materials are never in direct contact
with the burner tube, the advantage of which is that the cotton or other absorbent
materials which may be used can never become carbonised by the intense heat of
the burner tube, which would take place, when the alcohol in the lamp is exhausted,
if the cotton were in direct contact with the burner tube.
The operation of the lamp is as follows:-Alcohol is introduced into the body of
the lamp at the inlet K, which opens into the mass of cotton waste G, this opening
being separated from it by a small partition of wire gauze k. The cotton vigorously
absorbs this alcohol, which then rises by capillary attraction to the asbestos
waste H, surrounding the burner tube B, which in its turn becomes soaked. The
rising of the alcohol is sometimes further aided by a wick y passing from the layer
As the
of cotton or other absorbent material around the whole layer of asbestos.
asbestos receives the heat of the burner tube B, this heat vaporises the alcohol
dispersed in the asbestos and the cotton, and this vapour passes from the apparatus
through the valve casing C of the air tight lid and into the burner tube B, through
the tube E, when the cock D is open.
It is evident that in order that the vaporisation of the alcohol may take place, it
is necessary that the burner tube B should first of all be in operation, that is to

page_text: say that it should be heated. This is effected by a starting device 6 in the front
part of the burner tube B, this front part being closed at the back to form a
pocket into which a small quantity of alcohol is poured and ignited.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2 this pocket is provided with a lid F, in the centre
of which is a small opening f. This lid, according as it is more or less open, serves
to regulate the admission of air into the burner tube.
The alcohol in the pocket b, in burning, heats the tube B, and, when vapour is
produced from the alcohol inside the apparatus, the cock D) is opened, and the said
vapour escapes by the tube E and the opening M, and ignites when it comes into
contact with the alcohol in the said pocket b.
To ensure a large flame with this apparatus, a burner tube B must be used of a
diameter sufficiently large; and in this case, the alcohol vapour instead of being
injected by a single opening M into the burner tube, should be injected into the
burner tube by two, three, four or more openings depending on the diameter of the
burner tube.
The spring L shown in Figures 2 or 3 is intended to push upwards the centre of
the mass of cotton or other absorbent material which might otherwise sink.
It will be understood that a lamp thus constructed offers great advantages
compared with what has hitherto been produced in this kind of apparatus.
This lamp may be held upside down without inconvenience and without danger,
in consequence of the alcohol not being able to enter the burner tube. The size of
the flame may be regulated :-
-
1. By the cock D, by allowing more or less alcohol vapour to enter the tube B,
and
.
When the
2. By the lid F, by allowing more or less air to enter the tube B.
flame is no longer required, the exit of the alcohol vapour is stopped by closing
the cock D; the vapour remaining in the apparatus is recovered in alcohol in
proportion to its condensation, which takes place with the cooling of the said
apparatus.
To get a very large flame without danger, it is necessary only to increase the
size of the body A with its contents, to use a burner tube of larger diameter and
to cause more alcohol vapour to enter this burner tube. In such case, and when
the lamp has to work for a long time, the reservoir which contains the alcohol is
placed in contact with water, to keep it cold.
We do not wish to limit ourselves to the use of a single burner tube in the body A
of the lamp as more than one such tube may be employed; in this case it is necessary
to use more than one tube E.
Although our improved lamp is intended more particularly for the roast-
ing of coffee and other vegetable substances it may be employed for other
purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The construction of an alcohol lamp, consisting of a lamp body forming a
heater, and through which passes a burner tube, the said tube being surrounded
externally with asbestos waste, this asbestos resting on a layer of cotton waste or
other absorbent material soaked in alcohol, for the purpose of forming alcohol
vapours by its contact with the burner tube, in consequence of which this asbestos
retains the heat produced, and preserves it within the said lamp, substantially as
described.
2. The combination with the lamp referred to in the first claim, of a valve casing
connected to a vapour escape tube, the said tube being furnished with a cock
enabling the admission of vapour to be regulated and cut off, and by which the
flame may be regulated and extinguished, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In an alcohol lamp, the use of a buruer tube partially closed at its front end
to form a pocket for starting the lamp, the said portion being furnished with a lid
enabling the passage of air to be limited and the flame regulated, substantially as
described.
114
A 1008
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.