IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR LIGHTING HYDROCARBON AND OTHER LAMPS."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Robert Baker, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR
LIGHTING HYDROCARBON AND OTHER LAMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Robert Baker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th October 1879.
FRANCIS ROBERT BAKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR LIGHTING HYDROCARBON AND OTHER LAMPS."
My Invention refers to mechanism to be attached to the burners of hydrocarbon
and other lamps for the purpose of carrying a match and automatically lighting the
same and the lamp wick simultaneously. In lamps with duplex burners fitted
with extinguishers a metal striking piece is connected to the extinguishers; this
striking piece is fixed from one to other of the extinguishers, and this placed at an
angle to the vertical plane of the burners. A spring holder is also fixed between
the wick cases, and this holder carries a match at such an inclination to the striker
that when the striker with the extinguishers is raised by the action of a lever
the striker passes the match without igniting it, but on the descent of the
extinguishers the striker meets the head of the match, igniting it by the friction,
and at the same time lighting the exposed wicks. For burners which have not the
extinguisher action the spring match holder and the striker are arranged in close
proximity to the wick case, and the striker is worked by lever, to which it is
connected, and which passes under the gallery to the outside of the lamp. To the
lever is connected a snap or let off action, which gives the striker the sharp percus-
sion blow necessary to ignite the match.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis Robert Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
April 1880.
FRANCIS ROBERT BAKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR LIGHTING HYDROCARBON AND OTHER LAMPS."
My Invention refers to the mechanism to be attached to the burners of hydrocarbon
and other lamps for the purpose of carrying a match and automatically lighting the
same and the lamp wick simultaneously.
In lamps with duplex burners fitted with extinguishers a metal striking piece is
connected to the extinguishers; this striking piece is fixed from one to other of the
extinguishers, and it is placed at an angle to the vertical plane of the burners. A
spring holder is also fixed between the wick cases, and this holder carries a match
at such an inclination to the striker that when the striker with the extinguishers
is raised by the action of a lever the striker passes the match without igniting it,
but on the descent of the extinguishers the striker meets the head of the match,
igniting it by the friction, and at the same time lighting the exposed wicks.
For burners, which have not the extinguisher action the spring match holder and
the striker are arranged in close proximity to the wick case, and the striker is
worked by a lever, to which it is connected, and which passes under the gallery
to the outside of the lamp. To the lever is connected a snap or let off action,
which gives the striker the sharp percussion blow necessary to ignite the match.
I will now proceed to describe my Invention more fully in detail by the aid of
the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3 (a) is the ordinary gallery; (b, b), the buttons
for raising or lowering the wicks; (c), the trigger by which the sliding clips (d, d.)
which fit on the wick cases and caps, when such are used, are worked; (e), a
roughened or serrated striking plate attached to both the sliding clips (d, d,) and
working in unison with them; (f), the match holder, into which a match being
placed it is held in position by a small clip (g), such position being arranged so
that the ignition end may be as nearly as possible central to both wicks, and so
that on the descent of the striker (e), by the lever action of the trigger (c), the
ignition of the match may take place at a point whence the lighting may run along
each wick equally, and from centre to edge. The connection between the trigger (c)
and the clips (d, d,) is, by means of the crossbar (h), attached to both clips, and
over which bar (h) the quadrant slot (i) in the trigger works freely. This being
the arrangement of the mechanism adapted to duplex burners with the extinguisher
action, the same may be used for duplex burners without extinguishers by omitting
the covering plates of the extinguishers, the clips and trigger action being retained,
but for single burners the striking plate (e) can be attached only at its one side to
the sliding clip on the wick case, and the bar (h) secured also to the sliding clip
will be of just sufficient projection therefrom to engage in the quadrant slot (i) in
the trigger.
If either of these last named arrangements, when extinguishers are not used,
and the springs governing the covering plates of the extinguishers are absent, a
spring of flat steel may be employed at the back of the trigger at (c'), with a
detent on the underside of the thumb piece at (c"), which will give a sharp
percussive action to the striking plate upon the trigger being released from the
detent.
In Figures 4 & 5 another arrangement of mechanism is shewn in which a fixed
striking plate (k) is placed between two wick cases (1, 1), or attached by its side to
one only where a single wick is employed; (m) is a match holder pivotted at (n);
(o) is the match so placed that by a rapid action of the holder (m), which acts as
a lever on its fulcrum (n), the explosive end of the match (p) is struck against the

page_text: plate (k), and thereby ignited, the action being indicated by the dotted lines. The
action of this holder (m) may be governed by a spring and detent, the spring
being at the fulcrum (n), and the detent under the heel end of the holder (m); this
would give the necessary sharp percussive action for striking the match.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I claim, firstly, the
improvements in mechanisin for automatically lighting hydrocarbon and other
lamps by means of a striker attached to a sliding clip or clips upon the wick
case or cases, and by means of a trigger or lever brought into sharp contact with
the end of a match, which is held in a rigid position to receive the striker, as shewn
in Figures 1, 2, & 3; and, secondly, I claim the mechanism adapted for the same
purpose, shewn in Figures 4 & 5, in which a moveable match holder acting as a
lever is arranged to bring the end of a match into contact with a fixed striking
plate upon the wick case or cases, in both of which instances the mechanism is
adapted for use with matches.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Robert Baker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
TO ANATO
DANNTA