Improvements in Lamp Burners.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamp Burners.
I, JAMES HARVEY O'BRIEN, Gentleman, residing at No. 4037 Lincoln Ave., in
the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, U.S.A., 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in lamp burners; and it consists of the
novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter shown,
described and claimed.
The object of my invention is to provide improved means whereby the upper
corners of a flat wick may be slightly raised or lowered independently of each
other as required to even up the blaze of the lamp, when the wick is not evenly
trimmed.
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a lamp burner constructed in
accordance with the principles of my invention, said view being taken
approximately on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken
on a line transversely of Fig. 1, and approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the burner and taken approximately
on the lines 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2: Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the wick tube
of the burner.
In the construction of a lamp burner in accordance with the principles of my
invention, I employ a base consisting of the central horizontal portion 5, the upper
outer horizontal portion 6 and the intermediate inclined portion 7 connecting the
outer edge of the portion 5 with the inner edge of the portion 6, all formed integral
from sheet metal and all circular or annular in plan. The lower part of the
portionis exteriorly screw-threaded and suitable draft openings (not shown) are
formed through the portion 6. The spindles or shafts 8 and are mounted in
horizontal parallel positions and extending through bearings formed in the
portion 7. A toothed-wheel 10 is rigidly fixed upon the shaft S and a similar
toothed-wheel 11 is fixed upon the shaft 9, said toothed-wheels being located inside
of the inclined wall or portion 7 and some distance apart. A finger-wheel 12 is
fixed upon one end of the shaft 8 and a similar finger-wheel 133 is fixed upon one
end of the shaft 9, said finger-wheels being upon opposite sides of the burner. A
circular concavo-convex plate 14 is fixed within the inclined wall 7 with its edge
on a level with the portion 6. The foraminous horizontal plate 15 is mounted
above, and parallel with the portion 6 and the annular inclined wall 16 is formed
integral with the plate 15 and is fixed to the outer edge of the portion 6.
The wick tube 17 is a flattened pipe and has a slot 18 formed vertically from its
lower edge, and in one of its flat sides, and a slot 19, (shown in dotted lines in
Fig. 4) formed vertically from its lower edge and in the opposite flat side. Openings
are formed in vertical alinement through the horizontal portion 5, the concavo-
convex plate 14 and the foraminous plate 15, and the wick-tube 17 is passed
downwardly through said openings until the toothed wheel 10 is in the slot 19 and
the toothed-wheel 11 is in the slot 18, and then said wick-tube is rigidly fixed in

page_text: position. The wick-tube passes between the shafts 8 and 9. The toothed-wheel 10
operates upon one side of and near one edge of the wick 20, while the toothed
wheel 11 operates upon the opposite side of and near the opposite edge of the wick.
By manipulating the finger-wheel 12, the right-hand upper corner of the wick
is raised without raising the opposite corner of the wick, as shown in full lines in
Fig. 1, and by manipulating the finger-wheel 13 the opposite corner of the wick
may be raised and by again manipulating the finger-wheel 12, the first mentioned
cet ner may be lowered, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Thus it will be seen
that one side of the wick is raised or lowered independently of the other side.
It is frequently very difficult to trim a lamp wick so that the blaze will be even
from one side of the wick to the other. It is much easier to trim the lamp wick
approximately even, then light the lamp and raise or lower the wick as required
to even up the blaze. By this means a lamp may be burned indefinitely without
trimming the wick.
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:
1.
In a lamp burner, two shafts mounted in horizontal parallel positions upon
opposite sides of the wick tube, a toothed-wheel fixed upon one of said shafts and
projecting through a slot formed in one side of the wick tube, a second toothed-
wheel fixed upon the opposite one of said shafts and projecting through the opposite
side of the wick tube, said toothed-wheels engaging the wick near its opposite
edges, substantially as specified.
2.
In a lamp burner, two shafts mounted in horizontal parallel positions, a wick
tube mounted in a vertical position between said shafts, a toothed-wheel upon one
of said shafts and operating in a slot formed through one side of said wick tube and
near one edge of said wick tube, a toothed wheel fixed upon the opposite one of
said shafts and operating through a slot formed in the opposite side and near the
opposite edge of said wick tube, and finger-wheels upon the ends of said shafts,
one wheel being upon the opposite side of the burner from the other, all arranged
as required to raise and lower one of the upper corners of the wick independently of
the other upper corner of the wick, substantially as specified.
Dated the 3rd day of May, 1897.
HIGDON, LONGAN, & HIGDON,
Agents for Applicant.