IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Palmer, of Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Palmer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th July 1861.
I, WILLIAM PALMER, of Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lamps. For these
purposes, in constructing the pistons or plungers of pressure lamps, I employ
a composition consisting of glue and treacle, and I use such composition alone
or in combination with other materials; and in order to prevent the fluids
which are to be burned in such lamps from escaping from the vessels con-
taining them, I also employ a mixture of glue and treacle, either alone or
combined with other materials, in constructing the washers or lutings of the
joints of parts of lamps.
5
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Palmer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Palmer, Her special licence that I, the said. William Palmer,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Palmer, 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 LAMPS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Palmer,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, .that I, the said William Palmer, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lamps, and consists in
constructing the cupped pistons or plungers of pressure lamps of a composition
of glue and treacle melted and cast in moulds, such pistons or plungers being
of like form to the cupped leather pistons or plungers heretofore employed,
but I prefer that they should be of somewhat greater thickness, and not be
quite so deep as those made of leather. The Invention also consists in using
a like composition in the manufacture of washers for those parts of pressure
lamps which require to be made fluid-tight.
The composition preferred for these purposes consists of about one part by
weight of the best glue to one part by weight of treacle. The glue is soaked
in water for some hours to swell and soften it, when the treacle is added to
the glue, and the two heated together and melted, which may be conveniently
done in a vessel heated by a water bath, as is well understood when making a
like composition for printers' rollers. It is preferred that these cupped com-
position pistons or plungers should be strengthened on the interior by a thin
lining of wash leather or of woven fabric, and also on the outer surface by a
disc of like material.

page_text: The mould is preferred to be made in two parts, a concave part and
convex part, so formed as to leave the desired space between them to admit
of the discs of leather or woven fabric above mentioned being introduced
therein, and also space for the desired thickness of the composition between
such discs. The proper disc for the concave part of the mould may be
fixed therein by means of a pin or stud in the centre of the concave mould.
It is preferred that this disc should only fit the bottom of the concave mould.
The disc for the convex part of the mould may be fixed thereon by tyeing or
otherwise at the edges. The surfaces of the discs which are to be in contact
with the composition are coated over with the melted composition before
putting the parts of the mould together.
The melted composition is poured into the concave mould, and then the
convex part of the mould is pressed into the other part of the mould, by which
the composition will be expressed from between them till the convex part of
the mould is prevented by stops from entering further into the concave mould,
and in this condition the two parts of the mould are held together till the
composition is cold. When the composition is set, the cupped piston or
plunger is to be removed from the mould, and the edges are to be trimmed,
and generally I prefer that the interior and exterior discs of leather or woven
fabric should be coated over by means of a brush with the melted composition
after the cupped piston has been removed from the mould.
In making
washers of the above compostion for lamps, I produce a sheet of the compo-
sition of the thickness desired. Leather or woven fabric may be used on the
interior of such sheet. The desired sizes of washers are to be cut from the
sheet by cutters such as are used in cutting washers of leather.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
application of a composition of glue and treacle in the manufacture of cupped
plungers, or pistons and washers for pressure lamps.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Palmer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. PALMER. (L.S.)