IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS." A communication from
abroad by William Burnet Robins, of Cincinnati, Hamilton, County of Ohio,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sydney Pitt, at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th November 1880.
SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
LAMPS." [A communication from abroad by William Burnet Robins, of Cincinnati,
Hamilton, County of Ohio, United States of America.]
A material feature of this Invention relates to a construction of argand lamps
in which the cylindrical passage constituting the interior draft way is of
considerably greater diameter than hitherto customarily employed in such lamps.
This unusually large diameter of draft way necessitates the use of a central
deflector or button of corresponding dimensions. Such considerable diameter of
deflector enables its adaptation to uses entirely unknown to and impossible with
the ordinary small deflecting button; for example, it may be so formed as, in
addition to its accustomed duty of directing the interior draft air against the
flame, to also reflect the light thereof with various pleasing and useful effects.
Such light-reflecting air-deflector may be composed of nickel-plated, or other
polished metal, or of glass or porcelain, and when of glass may, as to part of or all
of it, be of opaque, transparent, or translucent stock, and be silvered or gilded in
whole or part, and either interiorly or exteriorly.
Associated with the above feature is a form and arrangement of wickway or
holder, and two controlling or adjustable sheaths or guards, by which is secured a
very extended and at the same time a very low and even flame, burning
with perfect combustion without the necessity of a chimney and under complete
control.
In association with such wick way or holder and sheaths a wick consisting of
two parts or wick sections is preferably employed, of which the lower or conducting
wick rests on the bottom of the font, and being carried a proper distance up the

page_text: wickway or holder supports the upper or burning wick. Of these sections the
conducting wick may be of any customary wick material, and the burning wick is
preferably of bibulous paper (blotting paper).
In order to stiffen the upper wick section and to restrict the escape of
inflammable vapor to its top edge, its entire vertical surfaces are coated or glazed
with some adhesive substance that is insoluble in the burning fluid, such, for
example, as dextrine, mucilage, or flour paste. Such insoluble, impermeable, and
adhesive glazing it is further preferred to render incombustible and moderately
friable by the addition of finely pulverized steatite, asbestos, silica, or other
refractory material, but inasmuch as it is purposed to make a separate application
for a Patent relating to such wick no more specific description is requisite
in this.
A lamp embodying the Invention may be formed of an annular font or reservoir
for the burning fluid whose inner wall is prolonged upward, so as to constitute onc
side or wall of a wickway or holder whose outer wall consists of a similar and
concentric plate of equal height, and whose portion included within the font is
perforated to permit access of oil to the wick. The diameter of the inner
cylindrical wall of the annular wickway or holder is such as to afford a
central draft way of unusually large diameter. The wick having been once
inserted remains undisturbed, and the height of the flame is regulated by two
concentric sheath plates, of which one plate is located nearer to and the other plate
is located more distant from the common centre than the wickway or space
itself.
Means are provided for the independent elevation and depression of these sheath
plates. For the inner sheath the means preferred is a screw which, being journaled
at the lamp axis in a hub connected to the font by braces, is tapped within a nut
having brace connections with the inner sheath.
For the outer sheath the preferred means of elevation are spiral edges, which
edges rest upon stumps or projections on the wickway side. Two handles upon the
sheath enable it to be shifted circularly to right or left so as to clevate or depress
it uniformly around its circuit.
For the purpose of concentrating upon the inner face of the flame the air which
ascends the interior passage or draft way, and by the same means reflecting the
light with various striking and pleasing effects, a dome or cupola, preferably of
glass, is provided, which may have the form of a bell-glass. This dome rests upon
the brace connections and consequently rises and falls with the inner sheath. Lugs
on the braces serve to hold the dome to its proper concentricity with the sheath
and consequently with the wick way.
The dome or cupola may be of metal, of porcelain, or of transparent, translucent,
or opaque glass. It may be silvered, gilded, stained, or painted in part or all of
either its convex or concave surfaces. For example, being silvered on its crown or
zenith merely with a transparent equatorial zone, it may be made to serve as a
double reflector, reflecting upwardly and laterally from its convex surface and
downwardly through the draft way from its concave surface the rays which reach
such surface through the transparent zone of the dome, so as to obliterate or
neutralize the shadow cast by the font and to make a practically shadowless
lamp.
The dome being of opalescent, milky, or externally ground or "frosted" glass,
may be stained or painted interiorly, so as to present on its exterior a pleasing
semblance to the belt markings of the planet Jupiter.
The wick consist preferably of two parts or sections, to wit, a lower section
called the feed wick, preferably of some woven fabric, such as customarily employed
for kerosene lamp wicks, and resting upon such lower wick section an upper
section, preferably of bibulous paper (blotting paper), from one to three sixteenths
of an inch thick, whose entire vertical surfaces have been coated with some
substance insoluble in hydro carbons, such as dextrine, mucilage, or flour paste, so
as to effect to convert the wick into a spongy tube or duct pervious only at its top

page_text: and bottom edges and its intervening interior portion. One effect of this
construction of burning wick is to impart stiffness without impairing its transmeable
qualities. Another effect is to prevent the waste of fluid through the wick sides,
and still another and important effect is to confine the combustion to the extreme
summit of the wick so as to secure a low uniform and intense flame.
The above described illustration of the Invention may be varied in form and
arrangement of parts; for example, the light reflecting draft deflector may be of
conical or conoidal form, so as to project more directly downward and outward
against the inner side of the flame the central descending current of draft air.
The wick way or holder, with its adjustable sheaths, its font and deflector, may
have an elliptical or a polygonal cross section, the outer sheath having then a
vertical movement in place of spiral.
The wickway or holder may be flush with the outer wall of the font instead of
with the inner wall.
A lamp on the same principle may be adopted for animal or for vegetable oils by
varying the height of the wickway or holder in the inverse ratio of the density of
the oil employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Sydney Pitt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th May.
1881.
IN
SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey. " IMPROVEMENTS
LAMPS." A communication from abroad by William Burnet Robins, of Cincinnati,
Hamilton, County of Ohio, United States of America.
A material feature of this Invention relates to a construction of argand lamps
(the chimney of such lamps being omitted), in which the cylindrical passage
constituting the interior draftway is of considerably greater diameter than hitherto
customarily employed in such lamps. This unusually large diameter of draftway
necessitates the use of a central deflector or button of corresponding dimensions.
Such considerable diameter of deflector enables its adaptation to uses entirely
unknown to and impossible with the ordinary small deflecting button; for
example, it may be so formed as, in addition to its accustomed duty of directing
the interior draft-air against the flame, to also reflect the light thereof with
various pleasing and useful effects. Such light-reflecting air-deflector may be
composed of nickel-plated or other polished metal, or of glass or porcelain, and
when of glass may, as to a part or all of it, be of opaque, transparent, or trans-
lucent stock, and be silvered or gilded in whole or part, and either interiorly or
exteriorly.
In
Associated with the above feature is a form and arrangement of wickway, and
two controlling and adjustable sheaths or guards, by which is secured a very
extended and at the same time very low and even flame, burning with perfect
combustion without the necessity of a chimney, and under complete control.
association with such wickway and sheath is employed, by preferance, a wick
consisting of two parts or wick-sections, of which the lower or conducting wick
rests on the bottom of the font, and being carried a proper distance up the
wick way supports the upper or burning wick. Of these sections the conducting
wick may be of any customary wick material, and the burning wick is preferably
of bibulous paper.
In order to stiffen the upper wick-section and to restrict the escape of
inflammable vapor to its top edge, its entire vertical surfaces are coated or glazed
with some adhesive substance that is insoluble in the burning-fluid, such, for
example, as dextrine, mucilage, or flour-paste. Such insoluble, impermeable, and
adhesive glazing it is preferred to render incombustible and moderately friable by
the addition of finely pulverized steatite, asbestos, silica, or other refractory
material, but inasmuch as I have made such wick the subject of a separate
application for Patent no more specific description is requisite in this.
Associated or not with the above features may be a wick way rising vertically
flush with the extreme outer periphery of the annular font. This arrangement is
for some purposes of illumination preferable to that shown in Figure 1, in which a
portion of the font extends outside of the wick way.
In order that the Invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe
it with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a partly sectional elevation of a lamp embodying all the above
features of the Invention except the marginal wickway; Figure 2 is a top view of
the same without the dome; Figure 3 represents one of the improved burning
wick sections; Figure 4 is a partly sectional elevation of that form of the lamp
whose font is included wholly within the circuit of a marginal wickway.
A represents an annular font or reservoir for the burning fluid, whose inner
wall B is prolonged upward, as shown, so as to constitute one side or wall of a

page_text: wickway C, whose outer wall consists of a similar and concentric plate D of equal
height, and whose portion included within the font is perforated to permit access
of oil to the wick. The diameter of the inner cylindrical wall B of the annular
wickway is such as to afford a central draftway E of unusually large diameter.
The wick having been once inserted remains undisturbed, and the height of the
flame is regulated by two concentric sheath plates, of which one plate F is located
nearer to and the other plate G is located more distant from the common centre
than the wick way itself. Means are provided for the independent elevation and
depression of these sheath plates. For the inner sheath F the preferred means is a
screw H, which being journalled at the lamp-axis in a hub I connected to the font
by braces J, is tapped within a nut K having brace-connections L with the inner
sheath F. For the outer sheath G the preferable means of elevation are spiral
edges g (of which one such edge is seen in Figure 1), which edges rest upon stumps
or projections M on the wickway side. Two handles N, N₁, upon the sheath G
enable it to be shifted circularly to right or left, so as to elevate or depress it
uniformly around its circuit.
For the purpose of concentrating upon the inner face of the flame the air which
ascends the interior passage or draftway E, and by the same means reflecting the
light with various striking and pleasing effects, a dome or cupola is provided,
preferably of glass, and which may have the form of a bell-glass O. This dome
rests upon the brace connections L, and consequently rises and falls with the inner
sheath. Lugs on the braces L serve to hold the dome to its proper concentricity
し
with the sheath F, and consequently with the wickway. The dome O may be of
metal, of porcelain, or of transparent, translucent, or opaque glass; it may be
silvered, stained, or painted on part or all of either its convex or concave surfaces.
For example, being silvered on its crown merely or zenith with a transparent
equatorial zone, it may be made to serve as a double reflector, reflecting upwardly
and laterally from its convex surface, and downwardly through the draftway from
its concave surface the rays which reach such surface through the transparent zone
of the dome, so as to obliterate or neutralize the shadow cast by the font, and to
make a practically shadowless lamp. The dome, being of opalescent, milky, or
externally ground or frosted glass, may be stained or painted interiorly, so as to
present on its exterior a pleasing semblance to the belt-markings of Jupiter, a
name which I propose to employ commercially by calling such zone-inarked form
of my manufacture the "Jupiter lamp." When not so marked I prefer to designate
it the "dome lamp."
P may represent a customary screw capped feed hole or neck.
Qmay represent an eye or socket to fit over a corresponding wall-bracket.
The wick employed consists preferably of two parts or sections; to wit, a lower
section R, called the " feed-wick," preferably of some woven fabric, such as is
customarily employed for kerosene-lamp wicks, and resting upon such lower wick-
section is an upper section S, preferably of blotting paper (bibulous paper) from
one to three sixteenths of an inch thick, whose entire vertical surfaces s have been
coated with some substance insoluble in hydrocarbons, such as dextrine, mucilage,
or flour paste, so as, in effect, to convert the wick into a spongy tube or duct
pervious only at its top and bottom edges s¹, 81, and its intervening interior
portion. One effect of this construction of burning wick is to impart stiffness
without impairing its transmeable qualities. Another effect is to prevent the waste
of fluid through the wick sides; and still another and important effect is to
confine the combustion to the extreme summit of the wick, so as to secure a low,
uniform, and intense flame.
The above described illustration of the Invention may be varied in form and
arrangement of parts; for example, the light-reflecting draft-deflector may be
of conical or conoidol form so as to project more directly downward and outward
against the inner side of the flame the central descending current of draft air.
The wick way, with its adjustable sheaths, its font, and déflector, may have an
elliptical or a polygonal cross section.

page_text: Figure 4 represents an illuminating lamp, the outer wall of whose font is pro-
longed vertically upward to its summit. This form (preferable for many purposes)
may be employed independently of the other useful novelties herein described, or
in association with one or more of them.
The wick way herein illustrated is designed for a lamp suitable for burning
kerosene or mineral oils. A lamp on the same principle may be adapted for animal
or for vegetable oils by varying the height of the wickway in the inverse ratio of
the density of the oil employed.
The illustrations are intended to represent what I designate a No. 12 dome or
Jupiter lamp, that is, one having a wick-diameter of twelve inches.
I claim herein as new,-
First. A chimney-less lamp having two annular adjustable sheaths F, G, enclosing
a stationary wick and wick-holder, substantially as set forth.
Second. In a wide-draftway argand lamp the central draft-deflecting and light-
reflecting dome or cupola O, substantially as set forth.
Third. In a wide-draftway argand lamp the central draft-deflecting and light-
reflecting dome or cupola O, in combination with its simultaneously adjustable
support, consisting of the interior wick guard F, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. In a wide-draftway argand lamp the combination of concentrically-
arranged central dome O and the wickway C, with its inclosing adjustable sheaths
F, G, for stationary wick, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. In a wide-draftway argand lamp a central draft-deflecting and light-
reflecting dome having one or more zones of diverse reflecting and translucent
powers, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sydney Pitt, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.