Improvements in Automatic Safety or other Extinguishers for Lamps.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 22nd June, 1891-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Safety or other Extinguishers for
Lamps.
I, JAMES BERNARD DOWDALL, of 32 Hanging Ditch, in the City of Manchester,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its object a simple apparatus for extinguishing lamps in
case of their being accidentally upset and also enabling the owner to put them out at
a moments notice whenever he wishes and without lifting off the glass. I form a
collar consisting preferably of a triangular section with a point pointing downwards
fixed or sliding on the lamp wick tube and extending to within of an inch or so
from the top of the wick tube. A second thick collar or slieve preferably bevelled
off at top or bottom and made of pottery porcelain, fire-clay, or if desirable metal
or a combination of these, rides loosely so as to slide with ease on the lamp-wick
tube surrounding the same and coming about level with the top of the wick tube.
Beneath this or the lower collar if that be movable also, the end of a pin is placed
which can be pressed by hand from the outside so as to raise the collar or collars
sufficiently high above the top of the lamp wick tube to put out the lamp. In the
foregoing description the object of making the lower slieve bevelled at the bottom
is to give free passage to the air. The object of bevelling the upper slieve or collar
at the bottom is to lessen the weight at the bottom so that it shall be top-heavy and
have a tendency to fall off the tube the moment the lamp by any accident is turned
upside down. The object of making it bevelled off slightly above is to allow the
air more easily to pass round it to the lamp wick. The object of making it in
porcelain or fire-clay is to give it a white surface so that it shall radiate the light
better and also make it without being able to carry a very large amount of specific
heat, consequently when it is raised to surround the wick it has not a tendency to
heat the gases evolved from the wick and thus to make them light above.
D
11
101
sambo 1800
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Automatic Safety or other Extinguishers for
Lamps.
I, JAMES BERNARD DOWDALL, of 32 Hanging Ditch, in the City of Manchester,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for its object a simple apparatus for extinguishing lamps in
case of their being accidentally upset and also enabling the user to put them out at

page_text: a moment's notice whenever he wishes and without lifting off the chimney. It will
be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the burner portion of a lamp fitted with this
device.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the extinguisher, referred to in
Specification as a second thick collar or sleeve and
my
Provisional
Fig. 3 a perspective view of the collar or rocking platform (referred to in my
Provisional Specification as a collar consisting preferably of a triangular section with a
point pointing downwards) upon which the extinguisher rests.
A is the wick tube, B the wick, C the dome, all of ordinary construction, as are
also the lifting apparatus for the wick, and generally the other parts of the lamp.
D is the extinguisher which, as will be seen from the perspective view in Fig. 2,
and the section in Fig. 1, is a hollow cap with an opening at the top nearly
corresponding with the size and shape of the wick tube around which it rests and
by preference having the body of the material inside cut away so as to leave room
for the passage of air between the extinguisher and the wick tube, and also to
reduce the bulk of the extinguisher and thus reduce its liability to relight the gases
given off by the wick when the lamp is extinguished. Reducing the quantity of
material at the lower part also tends to make the upper portion more or less top-
heavy, an advantage as it is then likely the more readily to extinguish the lamp if
tilted over.
The construction of the rocking platform E will be seen from the perspective
view Fig. 3; it consists of a flat plate with a slot or opening F to fit over the wick
tube A and side wings or rockers G which rest upon a special fixed platform H,
Fig. 1, or other suitable support.
is a lever pivoted in any convenient portion of the burner as at J the inner end
of which rests underneath any convenient part of the rocking platform E or it may
enter an opening provided for it therein; the outer end of the lever I carries a
finger button K or is otherwise arranged to be depressed by the person using the
lamp.
The operation is as follows:-
In ordinary burning the lamp acts as usual but should it be tilted side-ways (to
the left or right in the drawing, Fig. 1) the extinguisher D falls over towards the
lower side thus raising its upper rim and extinguishing the flame. Should the
lamp be tilted in a plane at right angles to the former one that is nearer to or
farther from the spectator, in Fig. 1, the rocking platform E adjusts itself so as to
keep approximately horizontal, thus tilting the extinguisher and raising one end of it
over the wick tube and thus again extinguishing the flame. In the drawings a single
flatwicked lamp has been illustrated but it will be understood that the application of
the invention is not restricted to any particular shape or arrangement of wick.
The extinguisher D, Fig. 2, is not a new device but hitherto instead of resting.
upon the rocking platform E it has rested upon some fixed portion of the lamp with
the result that while when the lamp was tilted side-ways the flame was extinguished,
if the lamp was tilted in a plane at right angles thereto, the flame would not be
extinguished. The rocking platform therefore obviates this drawback of the
extinguisher and makes it very perfect.
To extinguish the lamp without tilting it the button K is depressed the inner end
of the lever I is raised, tilting or raising the rocking platform E operating the
extinguisher and putting out the light.
The extinguisher may be made of any suitable material such as pottery, porcelain,
fire-clay, metal or the like, porcelain or fire-clay being preferred.
It will be understood that the object of the rocking platform being to tilt or
otherwise readily displace the extinguisher D its exact shape and movement may
be varied so long as the element of instability is sufficiently pronounced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood

page_text: that I am aware that the extinguisher D has been used before and that no claim is
made to such extinguisher per se, but what I do claim is :—
An automatic extinguishing device for lamps consisting of the combination with
an extinguisher such as D of a rocking or unstable platform such as E substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of June 1801
J. B. DOWDALL.