Improvements in Lamps for Liquid Hydrocarbons.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
Improvements in Lamps for Liquid Hydrocarbons.
I, SIEGFRIED MARCUS,-of-VII Lindengasse No. 4, Vienna, Austria,
Mechanician, 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 :-
In all lamps for liquid hydrocarbons heretofore proposed, the oil reservoir is in
immediate proximity to the flame. This is rendered necessary on account of the
comparatively small capillary attraction of the wick employed, and the resulting
heating of the oil frequently causes explosions. As is well known the danger of
such explosions is increased if liquids are used having a low boiling point, and
that are consequently easily vaporised, such as spirits or benzine.
The present invention has for its object to obviate this disadvantage by a
construction of lamp in which by means of a body of heated air, the liquid
hydrocarbon is raised considerably above the height required for the capillary
action of the wick, without the use of pumps or chemical appliances, so that the
reservoir for the liquid can be placed at some distance from the burner, as for
example, in the foot of the lamp without in any way restricting the necessary
supply of liquid to the flame.
This advantage is gained by the use of a hermetically closed air chamber placed
in such a position as to be heated by the lamp flame, and which is made to
communicate with the liquid reservoir, that is also hermetically closed.
By means of this arrangement the air in the air chamber in expanding under
the action of heat, will exercise a corresponding pressure upon the liquid in the
reservoir, which is thereby forced up a suitably arranged channel (with or without
wick) to the flame of the burner.
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing shew different arrangements of
lamps constructed according to my invention.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the air chamber is arranged immediately below the burner,
Fig. 3 shews the same arranged in an annular form above the burner, while Fig. 4
shews a cluster lamp with the air chamber above the flamme, formed as a smoke
guard, and communicating with a central chamber for the liquid.
All these constructions are particularly suited for lamps with incandescence
burners, in which the combustible liquid is supplied under a certain pressure to a
vaporising chamber in order to produce a hot flame for heating the mantle to
incandescence; but this arrangement of air chamber with heated and expanding
air can also be used with advantage for the various constructions of benzine lamps
for flat and other burners, in which the liquid reservoir has heretofore been
arranged above the flame and in which consequently the danger of explosion by
heating the very inflammable liquid is proportionately greater.
Fig. 1 shews a diagrammatic section of a lamp of the above described
construction, in which a is the reservoir for the combustible liquid, 6 is an air
chamber which communicates with a through a pipe c, and d is the pipe through
which the combustible liquid rises to the burner e, either to be burnt as liquid or
to be first vaporised.
The heat radiated by the flame is sufficient to heat the air in the chamber b to
such an extent as to force the liquid from a up to the burner.
The pipe d can be advantageously provided internally and externally with a
wick g has at Fig. 2, the one g for the purpose of facilitating the rising

page_text: of the liquid by capillary attraction, and the other for increasing the pressure
in the chamber 6 by the production of slightly expanding vapours.
Fig. 2 shews the lamp arranged with an incandescence burner; a is again the
liquid reservoir, the air chamber to which the burner e is attached, the supply
pipe d of which passes down nearly to the bottom of the liquid reservoir.
For lighting such lamps it is necessary to produce some heat below the burner e
in the first instance, which at the same time heats the air chamber sufficiently
to effect the expansion of the air therein, which then continues as long as the
lamp burns.
The lamp at Fig. 3 is a pedestal lamp, also with incandescence burner, the air
chamber b being in this case annular and above the burner or surrounding the
upper end of the incandescence mantle so as to be heated thereby; it is connected
by pipes with the tubular stem c, the pipes of serving at the same time as
support to the shade. The pressure of the expanded air is transmitted through f
and c into the liquid reservoir a so as to force the liquid up the tube d to the
burner.
Fig. 4 shews a similar construction for a cluster lamp, the air chamber b being
in the form of a smoke guard, which is supported by the tube f communicating
with the central stem c and, through the latter, with the liquid reservoir a from
which the liquid is forced up to the burner through the branch tube at bottom.
Having now 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. A lamp for burning combustible liquids wherein a hermetically closed air
chamber is arranged within the heating sphere of the flame so that the air in such
chamber in becoming expanded exerts pressure upon the combustible liquid in a
reservoir at a distance below the flame, so as to force it up to the burner,
substantially as described.
2. In a lamp such as is referred to in the first claim, arranging the air vessel
below the burner, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 2.
3. In a lamp such as is referred to in the first claim, arranging the air chamber
in annular form above, at the side of or surrounding the upper or lower part of
the burner, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 3.
4. In a lamp such as is referred to in the first claim, arranging the air chamber
above the flame as a smoke guard substantially as described with reference to
Fig. 4.
5. In a lamp such as is referred to in the first claim, the arrangement of a
wick extending from the liquid reservoir a into the air chamber and preferably
placed over the pipe through which the liquid rises, for effecting the evaporation
of the liquid so as to produce slightly expanding vapours to assist the pressure
of the expanded air, substantially as described.
Dated this 31st day of May 1895
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.