AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OIL LAMP
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Draughtsman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF OIL LAMP."-A communication.
Sealed the 17th May 1853, and dated the 19th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th March 1853.
1, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OIL LAMP" to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is the construction of a lamp in which
rosin oil may be burned without smoke, and with a brilliant flame.
This is attained by placing the reservoir for containing the oil in such
a position that the surface of the oil shall never be far below the point
of ignition of the wick, at the same time providing for the throwing of
a strong current of air upon both sides of the wick, immediately at the
point of ignition, for the purpose of ensuring the complete combustion of
the oil.

page_text: The lamp is furnished with an adjustable button for deflecting the
air that is admitted up the centre of the wick on to the inner surface
of the flame, and a cone which surrounds the wick deflects an outer
current on to the flame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 19th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1,
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OIL LAMP," being a commu-
nication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument 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 Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do-
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say):
The object of this Invention is the construction of a lamp in which
rosin oil may be burned without smoke, and with a brilliant flame.
This is attained by placing the reservoir for containing the oil in such a
position that the surface of the oil shall never be far below the point of
ignition of the wick, at the same time providing for the throwing of a
strong current of air upon both sides of the wick, immediately at the
point of ignition, whereby the proper combustion of the oil is insured.
In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1, is an external view of the lamp.
Fig. 2, is a vertical section of the body of the lamp, and a portion of
its pedestal, the line of section being through the centre. Fig. 3, is a
section shewing the manner in which the wick is raised and lowered.
Fig. 4, is a horizontal section of the pedestal taken at the line a, a,
Fig. 1. This view shows the apertures through which the air passes
into the tube in the centre of the pelestal. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the several Figures. A, repre-
sents the body of the lamp, having a conical opening B, through its
centre. The body, therefore, may be described as being a hollow ring,
and is the reservoir which contains the oil. The body is attached to
the pedestal C, of the lamp, by two tubes or hollow supports D, D,
which convey the oil into the upper part of the pedestal, which is also
hollow. E, Figures 2, and 3, represents the wick, the lower end of
which is bound or secured to a collar a, which collar, as also the wick,
encompasses a stationary tube F, placed vertically within the upper
part of the pedestal. The collar a, is provided with two spurs or
projections b, c. The spur b, is attached to the outer surface of the
collar (, and fits in a groove in a tube G, which encompasses the
wick E. The upper end of the tube G, is connected to a cap H, on
the upper part of the body A, of the lamp. The tube G, is perforated
with holes d, through which the oil passes to the wick. The other
spur c, is attached to the inner side of the collar a, and fits into a spiral

page_text: groove e, in the outer surface of the stationary tube F. By turning the
cap H, it will be seen that the collar, and consequently the wick, as it
is attached to the collar, may be raised or lowered according to the
direction in which the cap is turned. I, is a tube, attached to the
cap H. The tube I, encompasses the upper part of the pedestal, and
serves to steady the cap H. and tube G. when turned. The cap H, has
a circular opening all round the upper end of the outer tube I, through
which opening the air passes from the conical opening B, at the centre
of the body A, upon the flame (see the arrows at Fig. 2). The upper
part or burning portion of the wick is but a short distance above the
body A, of the lamp, as will be seen by referring to Fig. 2.
The air which passes upward through the openings above-mentioned
is deflected or guided upon the flame by the conical flanch f, attached
to the cap. In Fig. 4, a series of holes or apertures g, are seen,
which are made in the pedestal of the lamp. The air passes through
those apertures or holes and into the pedestal, and then passes upward
through the stationary tube F. (see Figures 1, and 2). J. is a rod
placed within the stationary tube F, and carrying at its upper end
a button or deflector K. This button is raised or lowered by means of
a slot h. (Fig. 1.) cut through one side of the pedestal to receive the
lower end of the rod. which is bent so as to fit into the slot, and carries
a knob at its outer end. By moving the bent portion of the rod, the
slot raises or lowers the rod, and consequently the button or deflector.
The oil in the body of the reservoir A, of the lamp is represented by
the tinted wash (see Fig. 2). The object of constructing the lamp as
described is to obtain a great draught, or give the flame the requisite
supply of air, and to have the upper or burning portion of the wick
contiguous to the oil. The air that passes up through the conical
opening B, and the air that passes up through the tube F, within the
pedestal, meet at the top of the wick E, the button or deflector K,
throwing or guiding the air that passes up the tube F. upon the flame.
The two currents then are made to meet at the flame, and feed it with
the necessary amount of air which rosin oil requires. The wick, that
is, the upper or burning portion of it, requires to be placed near the
surface of the oil. as the latter is with difficulty raised by capillary
attraction. Hence, camphine lamps will not burň rosin oil, as the

page_text: burning portion of the wick has to be placed considerably above the
fluid in order to prevent explosion; while the ordinary solar and
argand lamps will not burn it, although the surface of the oil be ever
so near the point of ignition of the wick, because a sufficiently strong
draught of air is not thrown upon the flame. By the above con-
struction the principles of both the camphine and the solar or argand
lamps are combined, and at the same time a strong draught of air
upon both sides of the burning wick is ensured.
Having now described the Invention of "An Improved Construction
of Oil Lamp," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
would remark that I do not claim the buttons or deflectors K, for they
are well known, and used in camphine and other lamps; neither do I
claim the method of raising and lowering the wick E, and button K;
nor do I claim admitting air that feeds the flame through the pedestal.
I claim, in short, none of the within-described parts separately; but
what I do claim as the Invention secured to me by the above in part
recited Letters Patent is a lamp constructed substantially as described,
for the purpose of burning rosin oil the same having an annular elevated
reservoir A, and a space B, through which the air is permitted to pass,
in combination with an arrangement for throwing a current of air
immediately upon both sides of the wick, and with devices for elevating
and depressing the wick and the button K. By which combination
and arrangement of parts I am enabled to overcome the difficulties
attendant upon the burning of rosin oil, and thus to make use of a
substance for illumination heretofore unknown and unused for that
purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three
Witness, J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON (L.S.)