IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL LAMPS, AND AN IMPROVED CHIMNEY FOR OIL LAMPS
Year: 1855

page_text: Sealed the 12th January 1856, and dated the 28th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Georges Hyacinthe
Levavasseur at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Peti-
tion, on the 28th July 1855.
I, FRANÇOIS GEORGES HYACINTHE LEVAVASSEUR, of the firm of François
Georges Hyacinthe Levavasseur and Auguste Joseph Levavasseur, of Paris,
in the Empire of France, Lamp Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL LAMPS, AND AN IMPROVED
CHIMNEY FOR OIL LAMPS," to be as follows:-
My improvements refer to the raising and lowering of the wick to an im-
proved gallery for holding the chimney, to an addition to what is known as the
moderator in moderator lamps, to the means of readily getting at the working
parts of the lamp, and, lastly, to an improved form of chimney specially adapted
to oil candle lamps."
In my wick raiser and lowerer I dispense with the toothed rack and pinion,
now ordinarily employed, and substitute a thin blade of metal, made to press

page_text: by a suitable spring between and into a groove cut in the periphery of a wheel
or pinion, which is connected to an axis, whereby the wheel is worked, and the
blade of metal to which the cotton or wick is attached, either directly or
through a collar, is made to move up and down. For some lamps I fasten on
to the axis for working the wick or cotton holder a button, with a cup stuffed
with leather at its inner side, which prevents any oil getting on the button.
My improved gallery is made by cutting a U or other similar shaped figure
in three or more parts round the cylinder or ring forming the holder, and in
pressing the metal slightly inwards at the parts where the cuts are made,
whereby a spring is formed which retains the glass steadily in the gallery.
My addition to the moderator consists in inserting a spring round the bottom
thereof, which has the effect of giving an impetus to the ascending oil when
the spring is made to play by pushing down the tube outside the moderator.
In order to get at the body of moderator lamps for the purpose of cleaning
the same, I form the connection between the top of the barrel and the neck
by screws, which will admit of the parts being detached by the user of the lamp
when required.
The improved chimney is specially intended for moderator oil candle lamps.
The improvement consists in giving it a "swell" or "belly" around the flame,
in narrowing it towards the top and in terminating in a bell mouth. This
shape prevents the inside of the chimney becoming blackened, prevents to a
great extent the breaking of the glass from being too near the flame, and
forms a good support for a shade placed directly upon and round the chimney.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Georges Hyacinthe Levavasseur in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
GEORGES HYACINTHE LEVAVASSEUK, of the firm of François Georges Hyacintho
Levavasseur aud Auguste Joseph Levavasseur, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, Lamp Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said François Georges Hyacinthe Levavasseur, Her special licence that I,
the said François Georges Hyacinthe Levavasseur, my executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said François Georges Hyacinthe
Levavasseur, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL
LAMPS, AND AN IMPROVED CHIMNEY FOR OLL LAMPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said François Georges Ilyacinthe Levavasseur, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said François Georges Hyacinthe Levavasseur,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
My improvements refer to the raising and lowering of the wick to an im-
proved gallery for holding the chimney, to the means of readily getting at the
working parts of the lamps, and, lastly, to an improved form of chimney
specially adapted to oil candle lamps.
In my wick raiser and lowerer I dispense with the toothed rack and pinion,
now ordinarily employed, and substitute a thin blade of metal, made to press
by a suitable spring between and into a groove cut in the periphery of a wheel
or pinion, which is connected to an axis, whereby the wheel is worked, and the
blade of metal to which the cotton or wick is attached, either directly or
through a collar, is made to move up and down. For some lamps I fasten on
to the axis for working the wick or cotton holder a button, with a cup stuffed
with leather at its iuner side, which prevents any oil getting on the button.
My improved gallery is made by cutting a U or other similar shaped figure
in three or more parts round the cylinder or ring forming the holder, and in
pressing the metal slightly inwards at the parts where the cuts are made,
whereby a spring is formed which retains the glass steadily in the gallery.
In order to get at the body of moderator lamps for the purpose of cleaning
the same, I form the connection between the top of the barrel and the neck by
screws, which will admit of the parts being detached by the user of the lamp
when required.
.
The improved chimney is specially intended for moderator oil candle lamps.

page_text: The improvement consists in giving it a "swell" or "belly" around the flame,
in narrowing it towards the top, and in terminating it in a bell mouth. This
shape prevents the inside of the chimney becoming blackened, prevents to a
great extent the breaking of the glass from being too near the flame, and
forms a good support for a shade placed directly upon and round the chimney.
In the annexed Drawings I shew the manner in which my Invention is
carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my rack; and Figure 2 is a side elevation of
my rack and pinion, for raising and lowering the wicks in lamps, which may
be employed to raise and lower the wicks of all such lamps as are ordinarily
provided with a toothed rack and pinion. Figure 3 is a cross section of the
rack and burner tube, shewing the pinion and button for working it. A is a
blade of metal, wedge shaped; B is a thin strip of metal, brazed or otherwise
attached to the metal at bottom, while a small cut at top is made to embrace
or receive the upper part of the blade; C is the pinion, grooved to fit the
wedge-shaped blade A; D is a loop, formed in one piece with the blade, or
secured to it by pins or rivets, for holding the wick E. The rack and pinion
work in a tube, and the strip B acts as a spring to press the blade into the
pinion, and ensure sufficient friction to cause the rack to be raised or lowered
on turning the spindle. The axis of the pinion passes through a stuffing box
or tube a, and is worked by a button b. c is a cup, formed in the inside of the
button, and filled with leather for preventing oil oozing through the stuffing
box on to that part of the button touched by the fingers.
Figure 4 is an external elevation, and Figure 5 a plan, of my improved
gallery or chimney holder for oil candle lamps. Figure 6 is an external
elevation of an oil candle lamp with gallery and chimney. A is a ring of metal
with three springs, formed by cutting or punching out the metal, as shewn
at a, a, and pressing inwards the tongue 6, formed by the cuts; this ring is
made to fit over the lamp tube B; C, C, C, are three arms, which support a
metal ring D, in which springs are formed by metal tongues c, c, c, in the same
manner as in the ring A. This ring D carries the chinney F. The object of
_ the arms is to enable the wick raiser to be worked, the lamp piston to be
raised, and oil to be poured in, all-without removing the chimney. For ordi-
nary lamps the ring has an outer case, as shewn at d, Figure 7, for holding-a
chimney, or a flange or rim, as shewn at e, Figure 8, for supporting a globe.
Figure 9 shews the manner in which I fit up moderator candle lamps in
order to gain easy access to the body thereof. A is the body of the lamp,
threaded at a with a female screw; B is the neck, which supports the wick
tube and carrier; the bottom of this tube is threaded at 6 with a male screw,

page_text: which corresponds with that on the body; a washer of leather or other suitable
material is inserted in the rim e to make a tight joint. I fix a strip of copper
d or other metal across the top of the burner tube, in order to spread the
cotton wick across the mouth of the burner. Figure 10 is a sectional clevation
of my improved formn of chimney.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the raising and lowering of the wick in oil lamps by means of the
plain rack and pinion, herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings
annexed.
Second, the improved gallery herein-before described, in so far as relates to
the forming of the springs therein, as described.
Third, the making of the body and neck of oil moderator lamps to unite by
screws, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the improved form of chimney represented in the Drawings
annexed.
And, fifth, the wick spreader, shewn at d, Figure 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Georges Hyacinthe Levavasseur,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.