IMPROVEMENT IN OIL LAMPS
Year: 1885

page_text: JOHN HOWARD Ross Upton Lodge Goose Green Drumcondra Dublin, Manufac-
turers agent do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENT IN
OIL LAMPS to be as follows:-
I take by preference an argand or circular wick tube (although other forms may
be used); the upper end of said wick tube widens out and is divided into two flat
tubes so that two flat wicks being pushed down through them will meet at the
bottom & form a circle. The two upper ends of wick tubes are bent over into
a central wick tube.
To feed the wicks with oil this central wick tube is connected by means of small
pipes to a ring reservoir surrounding the lamp and on the same level as the central
wick tube. This central tube must be placed in such a position as not to interfere
with the passage of air down through the argand wick tube. The upper ends of
the two flat wicks may bend over into the central wick tube and thus be supplied
with oil, or feeders may rise out of the central tube and be pressed against them
only when the lamp is burning thus preventing the wicks acting as a syphon when
the lamp is not required for use.
The size of the flame can be regulated by raising or lowering the wicks by any
of the known means.
Surrounding the bottom of wick tube is a burner or air director, a space being
left between to allow a sufficient current of air to pass down to the upper side of
the flame, the outside being fitted to a wider tube surrounding the wick tube.
This wider tube is surrounded by another tube, a space being left between for the
heated air to ascend through. The space between these two tubes is closed at top
the heated air being carried or conveyed through small tubes attached thereto and
also connected with a central tube or chimney above the central wick tube.
Instead of the air director as above described, a washer of wire gauze or perfo-
rated metal may be made to fit between the wick tube and the outer tube, in which
case the air passing down through the perforations would be uniformly distributed
on to the upper side of the flame.
The air passing down through the centre of wick tube is made to impinge on the
under side of the flame by striking against a button or deflector, such as a trumpet
Price 8dı

page_text: mouthed tube, attached to a central rod coming down through wick tube and
secured to it by a bracket across the inside.
The flame may be made horizontal or tulip shaped by either placing the bottom
of wick tube on a level with or lower than the outer tubes. A dome shaped glass
is made to fit air tight, or nearly so, round the outer tube. This glass passes
underneath the light so that as the heated air ascends through the space between
the outer tubes the small tubes and the chimney, a current of fresh air is induced
to pass down through the centre of wick tube and also through the space between
the air director and outside of wick tube or perforated metal as described.
Instead of the flame coming directly from the wick a perforated burner or
burner having a slit all round may be fitted to the bottom of wick tube so that
the vapour only may pass through and be burned.
•

page_text: °
Improvement in Oil Lamps, Principally Adapted for
Railway Carriages.
I JOHN HOWARD Ross Upton Lodge, Goose Green, Drumcondra, Dublin, Manu-
facturers Agent do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENT IN
OIL LAMPS PRINCIPALLY ADAPTED FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
°
My invention has reference to lamps for burning hydrocarbon or other oils and
has for its object the producing more perfect combustion by the manner in which
the air is drawn into the flame and consists in constructing the lamp so as to
produce the light from an inverted wick or inverted wicks the same being supplied
with oil from a tank over or above the light by means of feeding wicks.
With reference to the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 shews a section of lamp
enclosed in an outer case fitting into hole in roof of railway carriage, for other
purposes the outer case may be dispensed with A outer wick tube having two flat
wicks (only one of which is shewn) passing down and forming a circle at bottom
of tube, these wicks are made to rise and fall by pinions F F or otherwise as may
be found convenient.
B inner tube connected to oil tank C by means of small pipes D D in the inner
tube is the feeding wick or wicks which when raised over division E by means of
rack & pinion at top supplies the outer or burning wicks with oil by pressing
against them.
The oil rises to the same level in wick tube B as in tank C.
The air to support combustion enters at holes pierced round outer case at
GG GG and is drawn between vertical tubes H H into centre of lamp, the
portion of air passing down & surrounding wick tube is caused to impinge upon
the upper side of flame by deflecting cone M the portion of air going down through
centre of wick tube by striking against deflector I is forced up against lower side
of flame.
The products of combustion or heated air by passing up through vertical
tubes H H between cones J & K & out at top of lamp induces fresh air to
enter lamp and be drawn in the direction as indicated by the arrows on one side
of drawing.
NN lines shewing the direction of flame.
Fig. 2 shows a cross section of part above chimney tubes H H before cones J & K
are screwed on, also cross section of wick tubes in centre & shews how oil pipes D D
enters tube B.
Fig. 3 outside view of wick tube shewing holes through which the air passes to
inside of tube.
Fig. 4 shews a different arrangement for admitting air to lower side of flame
through a bell mouthed tube which is mounted into & over a hole in centre of
glass dome L The lamp is lighted by opening glass dome L which is hinged to
body of lamp.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st An oil lamp constructed so that an inverted wick or inverted wicks can be
used substantially as and for the purposes described and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2nd The application to an oil lamp having an inverted wick or inverted wicks
of an oil tank above the light in combination with feeding wicks to supply the
burning wicks with oil substantially as & for the purposes described and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
9
3rd The producing a circle or circles of light from the lower end of a wick or
wicks by means of air directors & deflectors substantially as and for the purposes
described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4th The general construction, arrangement & combination of all the parts sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.