Improvements in and relating to Central Draft Lamps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1893-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1893³
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE EDWARD MILLER AND COMPANY, a
company incorporated and located and doing business in Meriden, in the
County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, one of the United States of
America.]
Improvements in and relating to Central Draft Lamps.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 central draft lamps and is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which,
Figure 1 represents a view in vertical central section of a lamp constructed in
accordance with the invention.
Figure 2, a detached broken view in vertical section of the central-draft tube of
the lamp, showing the jaws of the wick-holder in their projected positions in which
they grip and hold the wick.
Figure 3, a similar view showing the jaws in their retired positions in which they
release the wick.
Figure 4, a view of the draft-tube in transverse section on the line y-y of
Figure 1, showing the discharge-openings from the inside catch-flange.
Figure 5, a similar view on the line - of the said figure, showing the depressed,
exterior grooves which receive the oil of interception from the catch-flange and
also receive the wick-jaws, permitting them to spring away from the wick.
Figure 6, a broken view in vertical section through the upper end of the threaded
tube and through the operating and suspension nuts, showing also a portion of the
outer member of the draw-bar.
Figure 7 a corresponding view of another form which the draw-bar may
assume.
This invention relates to an improvement in central-draft lamps, the object being
to produce a simple, convenient and effective article, in which the labor of wicking
is reduced to the minimum, and in which leakage through the inside of the draft-
tube is provided for and prevented.
With these ends in view, the invention consists in the combination, in a central-
draft lamp, with a central-draft tube provided with exterior depressions or grooves,
of a wick-adjuster comprising a band encircling the said tube, and constructed with
spring wick-jaws, normally projected by engagement with the said tube, beyond the
surface of the band, for engagement with the wick, and constructed to spring into
the said depressions or grooves when brought into line therewith, to release the
wick.
The invention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations
of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
In carrying out this invention a wick-adjuster is employed, comprising a deep
band A, adapted to encircle and slide freely up and down on the central-draft-tube,
which is made in two transverse sections B, B₁, as will be described hereinafter, the
said band constructed, as herein shown, with three vertically arranged wick-jaws C,
each having at its free upper end two substantially vertical serrated wings c, formed
integral with it by cutting and bending it in a manner which will be obvious by
reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings. These jaws are bent longitudinally so as to
have some transverse depth at their upper ends, which are given a set inward, so
that when the band is in place upon the wick-tube, the engagement of the inner
faces of the inwardly set upper ends of the jaws will cause them to be thrown

page_text: outward, and projected beyond the surface of the band, for a distance which will
approximate the thickness of the wick, as shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings.
In order to permit the retirement of the jaws, the draft-tube is provided with a
corresponding number of exterior depressions or grooves D, adapted in dimensions,
depth and location to receive the jaws when the wick-band is sufficiently elevated
to bring the same into alignment with them, at which time the inward set of the
jaws will cause them to spring into the said grooves or depressions, as shown by
Fig. 3 of the drawings, whereby they will release their hold on the wick, for then
they will only be flush with the exterior surface of the wick-band. The lower ends
of these depressions gradually taper out into the full diameter of the tube, so that
the jaws readily ride out of the grooves when the band is depressed. In order to
remove the band from the tube, it is rotated so as to carry the jaws out of line with
the grooves or depressions, and then lifted off from the tube.
The invention is not limited to using three jaws in preference to two or four, or
another number, nor to constructing them integral with the wick-band, or in any
particular way, but only so that they will operate on the principle set forth.
By preference, the grooves or depressions D, have in addition to the function of
forming clearance spaces for the wick-jaws C, that of discharging the oil inter-
cepted by a catch-flange F, located within the tube at a point about on the level
with the upper ends of the said grooves. As herein shown, this flange is formed
by making the tube in an upper and a lower section, and inwardly setting the extreme
upper end of the lower section, and fitting the lower end of the upper section over
that, as shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings, whereby a flange is formed. The
grooves D, are formed in the upper end of the lower section of the tube, and
continued up through the inwardly set upper edge thereof, whereby the discharge
openings D shown by Fig. 4 of the drawings are formed, these openings being in
fact the extreme upper ends of the grooves. The invention is not limited, however,
to employing the grooves or depressions for the additional purpose of discharging
oil intercepted on the inside of the draft-tube, nor to constructing the catch-flange
as described.
As herein shown, the wick-band A is provided with an outwardly projecting
horizontal shaft or socket G, which receives the bent lower end of the inner
member H of the draw-bar, which also comprises a parallel outer member H'.
The inner member H, of the draw-bar passes upward through an orifice I, formed
in the top of the fount J, and is free to be moved up and down therein. The outer
member of the draw-bar is provided at its lower end with a coarsely threaded
head, which takes into an internally threaded tube K, having its upper end
reduced to form a sleeve k, which is provided at its extreme upper end with a thumb-
or operating-nut K', rigidly fastened to it. The said tube is suspended in the
lamp-fount by means of a suspension nut L, screwed into a short sleeve M,
vertically mounted in the fount, the said nut having a central opening adapting it
to fit over the said sleeve on which it is free to turn. By reference to Fig. 6 of
the drawings it will be seen that the suspension nut L, which is free to turn on the
sleeve k, is interposed between the shoulder formed at the upper end of the tube K,
and the operating-nut K', which is rigidly attached to the extreme outer end of
the sleeve. Under this construction the wick-band may be raised and lowered
either by means of the thumb or operating nut K', or by means of the draw-bar,
whereby the advantages of a screw adjustment and a direct or push and pull
adjustment are secured.
Another way of constructing the draw-bar is shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.
In this construction the inner member N of the draw-bar and the parallel outer
member N thereof are not made from the same piece of material as the draw-bar
shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings is, but are made non-integral and joined at their
upper ends by a union or coupler O, and a nut P. The curved upper end of the
outer member N₁ is rigidly secured within a lateral opening formed in the said
coupler, while the reduced upper end of the inner member Ñ of the draw-bar is
passed through a vertical opening formed in the said coupler, and constructed at

page_text: its extreme upper end with threads to receive the nut P, which positively connects
it with the coupler.
It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact con-
struction herein shown and described, but comprehends such changes and alterations
as properly fall within its spirit and scope.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a central-draft lamp, the combination with a central-draft tube con-
structed with exterior depressions or grooves, of a wick-adjuster comprising a
band encircling the said tube, and spring wick-jaws carried by the said band, tending
to move inward toward each other, adapted at their free ends to enter the said
depressions or grooves when brought into range therewith, and normally riding
upon the surface of the tube, whereby they are projected beyond the surface of
the band to grip the wick, substantially as described.
Second. In a central-draft lamp, the combination with a draft-tube constructed
near its upper end with exterior depressions or grooves, of a wick-adjuster com-
prising a band encircling the tube, spring wick-jaws carried by the band, tending
to move toward each other, adapted at their free ends to enter the said depressions
or grooves when brought into range therewith, and normally riding upon the
surface of the tube, whereby they are projected beyond the surface of the band
to grip the wick, and means for raising and lowering the band, arranged to
normally hold the jaws thereof in the same vertical line with the said depressions
or grooves, substantially as described.
Third. In a central-draft lamp, the combination with a central draft-tube con-
structed near its upper end with exterior depressions or grooves, of a wick-adjuster
comprising a band encircling the said tube, and spring wick-jaws formed integral
with the band, tending to move inward toward each other, having their free
upper ends provided with jaws and adapted to enter the said grooves or depressions
when brought into range therewith, and normally riding upon the surface of the
tube, whereby they are projected beyond the surface of the band, substantially
as described.
Fourth. In a wick-adjuster for central-draft lamps, the combination with a wick-
band, of a draw-bar comprising an inner and an outer member parallel with each
other, the former being connected with the said band and the latter furnished with
screw-threads, a tube provided at its upper end with a centrally perforated
operating-nut, and constructed with internal screw-threads which co-act with those
of the outer member of the draw-bar, and a suspension sleeve loosely mounted on
the tube and adapted to be removably secured to the top of the lamp-fount in
which it suspends the said tube, substantially as described.
Fifth. In a wick-adjuster for central-draft lamps, the combination with a wick-
band, of a draw-bar comprising an inner and an outer member parallel with each
other, a coupler and a coupling nut for uniting the upper ends of said members,
of which the former is connected with the said band while the latter is furnished
with screw-threads, a tube provided at its upper end with a centrally perforated
operating-nut, and constructed with internal screw-threads which coact with those
of the outer member of the draw-bar, and a suspension sleeve loosely mounted on
the tube, and adapted to be removably secured to the top of the lamp-fount in
which it suspends the said tube, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th dox of Tule 1002
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.