IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING SPIRITS, PETROLEUM OR SIMILAR LIQUIDS
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the naturo
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING SPIRITS, PETROLEUM
OR SIMILAR LIQUIDS to be as follows:-
This invention relates chiefly to that class of lamps in which spirits, petroleum or
the like serve as illuminants.
The object of the said invention is to provide a lamp from which there is no
chance of escape, or of the accidental ignition, of the contents.
The improved lamp is arranged in such a manner that, even when falling or
overturning accidentally, any escape of liquid capable of causing fires, burns, or
other accidents cannot occur.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a metallic casing forming
the body of the lamp. This body may be of any form or arrangement adapted to
the various uses for which the lamp can be employed.
This receptacle is entirely filled with felt of hair of animals or of wool, or of
cotton. This felt is preferably in the form of discs which are superposed within
the lamp, and each of which has in its centre a hole of small diameter designed to
receive the wick-holding tube.
The felt which I employ absorbs the liquid much better than the sponges
generally employed for the same purpose and presents consequently great advantages
over the latter with regard to the safety.
It is known that in the ordinary spirit lamps, the sponges do not completely
absorb the quantity of liquid contained in the receptacle, so that, if the lamp is
overturned, an escape of liquid frequently occurs which may give rise to serious
accidents.
This inconvenience is completely obviated by the employment of felt which
constitutes a perfect absorbant and which, according to the present arrangement,
fills the entire space in the receptacle with the exception of the central opening
necessary for the passage of the wick-holding tube.

page_text: The wick-holding tube extends down to the bottom of the receptacle. The
rigidity of this tube permits it to easily penetrate the narrow passage in the centre
of the felt thereby enabling a wick to be readily inserted which could not be
readily accomplished if the tube were not used.
The said tube is perforated along its entire length with holes or slits which
permit the wick to absorb the spirit with which the felt is permeated, If desired,
the said tube may be provided with a cover of flannel designed to facilitate the
absorption of the spirit."
The tube, where it leaves the reservoir, passes through two chambers connected
with the casing by means of a screw thread and filled with non heat-conducting
substances.
The lower chamber having a cylindrical form is formed by a metallic neck which
is screwed on the body of the lamp. This neck is closed at the upper and lower
sides by two metallic plates soldered to the neck and to the wick-holder tube. The
central portion of this chamber is occupied by a box of any desired form, enclosing
the adjusting pinion for the wick. The space between this box and the periphery
of the chamber is filled with plaster, cement or any other material forming an
obstacle to the passage of liquid into this chamber.
In order to prevent the heat of the flame from spreading to the casing of the
apparatus, I have provided; near the upper end of the wick-holder tube, a second
chamber or insulator which may be conical, round, oval or otherwise, and which is
filled with a non-conductor of heat, preferably with humid or dry felt or with cork.
This insulator surrounds the burner tube to near its upper extremity and is
attached to the neck of the lamp.
It is obvious that these two chambers have for their object to isolate the frame
from the body of the lamp and to prevent the heat produced at the extremity of
the burner from spreading by conductibility to the reservoir; for this purpose it is
essential to provide, between the metal at the top of the chamber last described,
and the wick-tube a space of about a millimeter which obviates the transmission of
hent by conductibility.
This arrangement of chambers with their filling, and especially of the insulator
arranged under the burner, may be applied to all kinds of lamps for lighting with
petroleum or mineral oil, and especially to those designed to be carried by hand,
with a view to protect the body of the lamp from the heat engendered by the
flame.
Dahi 17th
And 100%

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING SPIRITS, PETROLEUM,
OR SIMILAR LIQUIDS "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 chiefly to that class of lamps in which spirits, petroleum
or the like serve as illuminants.
The object of the said invention is to provide a lamp from which there is no
chance of escape or of the accidental ignition of the contents.
The improved lamp is arranged in such a manner that, even when being filled or
when overturned, any escape of liquid capable of causing fires, burns or other
accidents cannot occur.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views of a lamp constructed according to this
invention.
Figures 3. 4. 5 and 6 are views illustrating a modification of the said invention.
The metallic casing A forming the body of the lamp, may be of any form or
arrangement adapted to the various uses for which the lamp can be employed.
As shown in Figure 1 this receptacle is entirely filled with felt B composed of
hair of animals, of wool, or of cotton. This felt is generally in the form of discs
which are superposed within the lamp, and each of which has in its centre a hole
of small diameter designed to receive the wick-holding tube C.
The felt which I employ absorbs the liquid much better than the sponges
generally employed for the same purpose, and presents consequently great advan-
tages over the latter with regard to safety.
It is known that in the ordinary spirit lamps, the sponges do not completely
absorb the quantity of liquid contained in the receptacle, so that, if the lamp is
overturned, an escape of liquid frequently occurs thereby causing serious accidents.
This inconvenience is completely obviated by the employment of felt, which
constitutes a perfect absorbent and which according to the present arrangement,
fills the entire space in the receptacle with the exception of the central opening
necessary for the insertion of the wick-holding tube.
The wick-holding tube C Figures 1 and 2 extends to or nearly to the bottom of
the receptacle A. The rigidity of this tube permits it to easily enter the narrow,
passage in the centre of the folt whilst a free wick could not be so readily intro-
duced. The tube C is provided along its entire length with holes or slits or both
of these which permit the wick to absorb the spirit with which the felt is
permeated. If desired the tube may be provided with a cover of flannel designed
to facilitate the absorption of the spirit,

page_text: The tube C, where it leaves the reservoir A passes through two insulating
chambers E and F connected with the casing A by means of a screw thread and
filled with non hent-conducting substances.
The chamber E which is of cylindrical shape forms a metallic neck which is
screwed on the body A of the lamp.
This neck E is closed at the upper and lower sides by two metallic plates
soldered to the said neck and to the wick-holding tube. The central portion of
this chamber is occupied by a box G of any desired form, enclosing the adjusting
pinion for the wick. The space between this box and the outer periphery of
the chamber is filled with plaster, cement, or other material forming an obstacle to
the passage of liquid into this chamber.
In order to prevent the heat of the flame from spreading to the casing of the
apparatus, I have provided near the upper end of the wick-holding tube a chamber
or insulator F which may be conical round or oval or of other desirable shape and
which is filled with a non conductor of heat, preferably with damp or dry felt or
with cork.
This insulator surrounds the wick holding tube to near its upper extremity and
is attached to the neck of the lamp.
It is obvious that these two chambers E and F have for their object to isolato
the flame from the body of the lamp and to prevent the heat produced at the
burner from spreading by conductibility to the reservoir A for this purpose it is
essential to provide, between the metal at the top of the chamber F and the wick
holding tube a space of about a millimeter which obviates the transmission of heat
by conductibility.
In the modification shown in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 the general arrangement of
the lamp is similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, the differences being only in
detail.
It is found that wool more readily moistens the wick than felt, but it is higher
in price than the latter, I therefore employ an arrangement which, whilst possessing
the advantages of wool, obviates its inconveniences.
This arrangement consists in a combination of felt and wool, the annular discs
of felt being at the periphery of the lamp, and a cylindrical sheath of wool, which
is equal in diameter to that of the upper orifice of the reservoir being arranged at
the centre around the wick as shown in Figure 4 thus enabling the wool to be
easily replaced when it is worn by the friction of the wick, and obviating the
necessity of opening the reservoir for this purpose.
:
The metallic wick holding tube C, which in Figures 1 and 2 serves to maintain
the wick and to guide it in its introduction into the centre of the discs of felt
terminates near the plate which forms the lower part of the chamber. On the
periphery of the wick-holding tube C below the said plate are soldered a number
of wires D Figures 5 and 6 between which the wick is introduced. These wires
are bent at the lower part, as shown in Figure 3, and united at this point by solder
or the like which serves to prevent them from separating and to maintain them
firmly in position.
In this manner the entire surface of the wick is exposed to contact with the
discs or sheath of wool so as to cause the ascension of the liquid by capillarity,
which is an important condition for ensuring the production of a flame of uniform
intensity during the burning of the lamp.
The prolongation of the wick-holding tube C below the said plate to the interior
of the reservoir of the lamp has the effect of preventing contact of the volatile
liquid with the upper extremity of the wick in case the lamp is accidentally
overturned.
The chambers filled with non heat conducting materials and especially the
insulator arranged below the burner of the lamp may be applied to all kinds of
lamps for lighting with petroleum or mineral oil, and especially to those designed
to be carried by hand, with a view to protect the body of the lamp from the heat
of the flame.
15

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
First: The improved lamp hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1
and 2 of the drawing and the modification thereof as described with reference to
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Second: The complete filling of the body of the lamp either with felt composed
of the hair of animals or of wool or cotton and generally arranged in the form of
superposed discs and provided with a central opening sufficient for the passage
of the wick-holding tube.
Third: A cylindrical sheath of wool arranged in the centre of the felt filling and
in direct contact with the wick, the said sheath having a diameter equal to that of
the orifice of the receptacle of the lamp in order to enable it to be easily changed
without separating the parts of the said receptacle.
Fourth: The employment of a wick-holding tube, extending down to the bottom
of the receptacle so as to form a guide for the wick, and provided with holes and
slits, or extending just below the neck of the lamp and having wires attached to
it substantially as shown and described.
Fifth The application to the upper portion of the lamp and immediately below
the burner of an insulator of heat, and consisting of a metallic casing filled with
insulating material and preferably with humid or dry felt, or cork, this insulator
surrounding the wick-holding tube being designed to prevent the heat of the flame
from reaching the receptacle containing the combustible liquid.
Sixth: Filling by non heat conducting materials, such as plaster, cement, etc,
the chamber above the receptacle of a lamp and forming the neck, the pinion for
adjusting the wick being enclosed in a metallic box of such size as to permit the
introduction of the insulating materials into the space which surrounds it, the said
chamber being provided with the object of intercepting the escape of liquid at this
point of the apparatus in case the lamp is overturned.