Improvements in Lamps for Burning Petroleum and similar Fuel.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Dec., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps for Burning Petroleum and similar Fuel.
I, ALEXANDER JAMES ELI, of No. 26 Francis Street, Tottenham Court Road,
London, W.C., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in petroleum and other lamps for illumi-
nating purposes, the object being to render the lamp self-extinguishing in case it
should be upset or overturned at an angle at which the oil could escape from the wick
tube or other parts, whereby danger from fire and explosion is incurred.
For this purpose I divide the wick tube and attach to the upper part of same which
regulates the burning wick, a plunge rod passing into the oil container or into the
base of the lamp if preferable. To the lower end of the plunge rod I fix a disc
sufficiently small to admit of its passing through the collar of the lamp which holds
the gallery and burners, this rod and disc being supported by a hollow tube fastened
immediately under the wick holder or gallery. At the lower end of the tube and
immediately under the disc attach a socketed ball joint or other device which
supports a weighted lever, and on the flat surface of this weighted lever rest the disc
and plunge rod when in a vertical position, the same being attached to the upper
divided part of the wick tube or cap.
In the event of the lamp being upset or placed at a dangerous angle, the lever
receiving a fulcrum from the ball joint, causes the disc and plunge rod to slide
upwards or forwards and being attached to the upper divided part of the. wick tube
and cap, causes that part to slide forward and thereby extinguish the flame or burning
wick. When the lamp is brought to a vertical position the wick holder slides down
again and exposes the end of wick ready for re-lighting.
By the wick tube sliding to and fro the wick is kept perfectly smooth and divested
of any charcoal or corrosion that may form from time to time, thus minimising the
necessity of trimming the wicks. The plunge rod and disc actuated by the lever
could be easily adjusted to any kind of extinguisher now used, making it automatic in
its action. This method can be used with equal advantage inside the dome or burner,
causing the wick tube to extinguish the light in a like manner as described, or by
causing a cap to be closed over the flame of the burning wick.

page_text: By placing a small lever pin to the gallery of the lamp and attaching the inner end
to the plunge rod, the lamp could be extinguished by pressing on the outer end,
causing the wick tube to slide up and envelop the wick, the lever weight being
fastened at that part coming in contact with the disc, and propeller, causes a quicker
action in extinguishing the light than by any other means such as a swinging ball or
the like, and can be arranged so that it will extinguish the light when tilted to the
slightest angle so that it may be used for extinguishing the light as required.
Dividing the wick tube obviates the liability of the flame to be extinguished by
blowing down the chimney, as is a common but dangerous practice, the flame some-
times passing into the tank as the gas is blown out at the joint instead of going down
into the tank.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps for Burning Petroleum and similar Fuel.
I, ALEXANDER JAMES ELI, of. No. 26 Francis Street, Tottenham Court Road,
London, W.C., Engineer, 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 improvements in petroleum and other lamps for illumi-
nating purposes, the object being to render such lamps self extinguishing when upset
or inclined, such extinguishment to take place before the lamp has been sufficiently
inclined for the oil to escape from the wick tube or other parts whereby danger from
fire and explosion is obviated.
<
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a general view full size of a
single-wick" lamp constructed according to my Invention no special claim however
being made to the extinguishing flaps.
Figure 2 represents a detail of, essential features of my Invention, this Figure
being partly in elevation and partly in section and showing a novel form of extin-
guisher with the devices for operating same the latter being similar to those shown in
Figure 1. Figure 3 is an elevation showing the flat side of one of the wick tubes;
Figure 4 an elevation partly in section showing the change of position which takes
place in the extinguishing devices and actuating mechanism when the lamp is over-
turned or inclined to a dangerous extent, and Figure 5 is a detail of combined burner
and extinguisher hereinafter more particularly described.
Referring in the first instance to Figures 2, 3 and 4 it will be seen that the oil
container A, air chamber B and gallery C may be of any ordinary construction.
The extinguishing devices consist essentially of a divided wick tube, the upper
portion D of which is capable of sliding upon the wick until it projects beyond the
burning end thereof leaving a space between the movable tube D and the fixed
portion E. as will be readily perceived by comparing the relative positions of the parts
with those of the dotted lines s. s. . . in Figures 2 and 4. In the figures under
consideration the lower portion of the movable tube D is shown overlapping the fixed
tube E so as to slide thereon and to form a guide.
Or the movable tube'can be cut short so as to form a continuation of the fixed tube
as shown in Figure 5, in which case guides such as e may be used although they are
not actually necessary.
The extinguishing tube D may be provided with a cap F but I have found that the
latter may be dispensed with, the movement of the tube alone being, in most cases,
sufficient to extinguish the light. The normal position of the movable tube is clearly
shown in Figures 2 and 5 where it forms a continuation of the fixed tube E the
orifice d corresponding in width with the said tube.

page_text: The wick G projects from the orifice d. sufficiently for the purpose of ignition just
as in the case of an ordinary tube. If however the movable part of the wick tube be
caused to project beyond the end of the burning wick the supply of air necessary to
support combustion will be at once cut off and the flame will be extinguished; and this
cutting off of air will be effected with still greater certainty if a cap such as F be
applied to the top of the sliding tube.
Having now referred to the extinguishing devices I will proceed to explain the
manner in which they are put into operation by the inclination of the lamp from its
normal or vertical position. The movable part of the wick tube is rigidly connected
to a vertical rod H to the lower end of which is attached a weight J flat on the
underside and capable of sliding on a tube K the tube being slotted at each side
to permit the branches of the rod H by which the latter is attached to the weight,
to slide freely up and down. In the lower end of the tube K is placed a ball L
and the end of the tube is turned over so as to form a ball and socket joint. To
the ball is attached a weight M, a convenient method of attaching the same being
to fix a pin m. to the ball and pass the same through the centre of the weight,
securing it at the lower end by means of a nut m³.
The actual shape of the weight J is to a certain extent arbitrary but I prefer the
conical form as shown, inasmuch as it obviates all liability of the wicks to jamb.
The weight M which I shall hereinafter call the lever-weight may be of any con-
venient form but I prefer the hexagonal or octagonal form as imparting greater
steadiness when in operation. The cap F is pivotted to each side of the tube D
at and is provided at one side with an arm which is slotted to receive the bent
end of a short pin which is fixed to the upper side of the air chamber B. It
will be seen on reference to Figure 2 that when the lamp is in its normal or burning
position the bottom of the weight J to which the wick tubes are attached is "flush
with the bottom of the tube Kand in contact or nearly so with the face of the lever
weight M.
When however the lamp is inclined as shown in Figure 4 the tendency of the
weight M to maintain its vertical position causes one of its upper and outer edges to
press against the lower face of the weight J and force the latter forward in the direction
of the arrows whereby the wick tubes D, in consequence of their being attached to the
weight J by the rod H are forced in the same direction and caused to project beyond
the ends of the wicks thus extinguishing the flames of the latter as before described.
The caps F being pivotted to the tubes D are necessarily carried along with them but
in each case the bent pin being immovable retains the slotted arm fand so causes
the cap to turn on its pivots until it covers the orifice d of the loose tube D. The
actual distance through which the tubes D may be caused to move will be readily
comprehended by comparing the relative positions of the weights J and M as shown
in full lines in Figure 4 with the positions of the same parts in the same Figure as
shown in dotted lines, the latter representing the normal or burning position when the
lamp is vertical.
In Figure 1 the weight-lever M and the parts H, J and K actuated thereby are
substantially the same and operate in the manner already described. This Figure not
only shows that my Invention is applicable to other forms of extinguishers than the
divided wick tube, but also that the actuating devices may be inserted into the body
of the smallest lamps without any alteration in the diameter of the neck or cap
thereof thus enabling me to apply my invention to already existing lamps of ordinary
pattern.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is:
1. In a lamp such as described the use of a divided wick tube the upper portion of
which is capable of being projected beyond the extremity of the wick substantially as
dosorihad

page_text: 2. In a lamp such as described the combination with a divided wick tube of a cap
such as F in manner and for the purpose substantially as shewn and described.
3. In a lamp such as described a weight-lever such as M. falcrummed on a universal
joint such as Land adapted to bear when the lamp is inclined against a movable part
such as J for the purpose of actuating extinguishing devices in manner substantially
as described.
4. In a lamp such as described the combination with divided wick tube of rod H,
sliding weight J and universal lever weight M the whole operating in manner and for
the purpose substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1888
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.