Improvements in Safety Hydro-carbon Lamps.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Hydro-carbon Lamps.
I, WILLIAM HENRY MORRISON[of Ellersleigh, Prospect Road, Moseley, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The invention relates to that class of round wick lamp which is provided with the
usual central air tube.
In carrying my invention into effect I make the second or outer tube to extend to
the bottom of the container and fit closely thereto, so as to prevent the oil from
flowing out when the lamp is upset, the only communication between the wick and
the container being by holes in the lower part of the outer tube.
For the purpose of keeping the second tube central, and for more effectually
stopping the flow of oil through the wick if the lamp is upset, I make an annular
indent in the bottom of the container, or I form or fix a small projection therein, on,
or into, which the lower end of the tube is placed.
Or the outer tube may be made with a ring at its lower end to fit tightly the inner
tube, and thus shut off communication between the oil in the container and the wick,
except through small holes made in the outer tube, and in this case the outer tubo
may be made somewhat short of the bottom of the lamp.
This outer tube may be made removable, or it may be fixed into the top or bottom
of the container; by preference I fix it, by means of a screw collar, into a collar at
the top of the container.
In some cases I inake the outer tube somewhat short of the top and fit on a small
piece of tube to complete the length to the burner.
The wick is enclosed in a removeable tube of metal perforated is the form of a series
of ladders and in raised and lowered by means of a pinion entering the outer tube
and supported in bearings carried thereby, the advantage of this being that whatever
way the tube is placed in the lamp the pinion will always act on the bars of the
ladders.
The second part of the invention consists in a method of preventing the passage of
heat from the burner to the container, thus keeping the container cool and there-
fore not liable to explosion. For this purpose I make the collar hollow and in two
parts, around the inner ring of the collar I place a vertical strip or ring of cork, and
in each part of the collar I place a horizontal ring of cork, between which latter
rings I place the top plate of the container; these parts are then forcibly compressed
together and the parts of the collar are then united by solder.
The collar, when completed, is perfectly insulated from metallic contact with the
container by the cork, the two parts of the collar, between which the top plate of the
container passes, being so far apart that the said top plate passes freely between
them without metallic contact. Other non-conducting material than cork may be
employed.
The third improvement consists in applying a self-acting metal or other ball valve
to the oil feeding tube. For this purpose the stopper is provided with an internal
disc having air holes therein, and a small hole or seat for the ball to rest upon when
the lamp is upright, and I form a cup or recess on the inner side of the cover and
around the air hole therein. By these means when the lamp is upright the ball falls
away from the outer air hole and rests on its seat on the disc, but when the lamp is
upset the ball will roll off its seat and will fall into the cup or recess in the cover
and thereby stop the outer air hole, by which means the escape of oil through the
said air hole will be prevented.

page_text: Or instead of employing the internal disc, I may simply employ a seat carried by
bars, and if desired the said seat may be formed at the upper end of a tube, within
which is a light spring, which the ball will overcome when the lamp is upright, but
which will act to assist the action of the ball when the lamp is upset.
Dated this 28th day of August 1888.
WM. HY. MORRISON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Hydro-carbon Lamps.
1, WILLIAM HENRY MORRISON of Ellersleigh, Prospect Road, Moseley, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon:-
The invention relates to that class of round wick lamp which is provided with the
usual central air tube. Figure 1 is a vertical section through a lamp showing my
improvements applied thereto, and Figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are views of parts showing
slight modifications.
a represents the container, b the inner or air tube, c the outer tube, the wick
carrying tube, e the pinion, and e¹ the pinion spindle for raising and lowering the
wick tube d,f the button, g the cone, ½ the perforated basket, and i the chimney
carrier or support.
In carrying my invention into effect I make the second or outer tube c to extend to
the bottom of the container a and fit closely thereto, so as to prevent the oil from
flowing out if the lamp is upset, the only communication between the wick and the
container being by holes c' in the lower part of the outer tube c.
For the purpose of keeping the second or outer tube c central of the container, or
concentric with the air tube b, and for more effectually stopping the flow of oil
through the wick if the lamp is upset, I make an annular indent a in the bottom of
the container, as represented at Figure 2, into which indent the bottom end of the
tube e fits, or such indent may be made in the container in the reverse direction to
that shown at figure 2, and thus form an annular projection within the container, on
to or into which projection the lower end of the tube c is placed. Or I fix an annular
projection or guide a¹ to the bottom of the container, as shown at figure 1, to receive
the lower end of the tube c.
Or the outer tube c may, as shown at figure 3, be made with a ring c² at its lower
end, to fit tightly the inner tube b, and thus shut off communication between the oil
in the container and the wick, except through the small holes c¹ in the tube c, and in
this case the outer tube c may, if desired, be made somewhat short of the bottom of
the container and the holes formed in the ring c².
This outer tube may be made removable or it may be fixed into the top or bottom
of the container; by preference I fix it, as represented at figure 1, by means of a
screw collar c³ into a collar a² at the top of the container a.
In some cases, as represented at figure 4, I make the outer tube c somewhat short
of the top of the burner and fit on a small piece of tube c* to complete the length to
the burner, which small piece of tube is screwed into a thread foruied in the interior
of the collar c³.
The wick is enclosed in a removeable metal tube d, perforated in the form of a
series of ladders, as shown by dotted lines in figure 1, and it is raised and lowered by
means of the pinion e, which enters the outer tube c and is supported in bearings
carried thereby, the advantage of this being that in whatever way the tube d may be
placed in the lamp, the pinion e will always act on the bars of the ladders. I also, in

page_text: order to retain the perforated tube d correctly in position, form the outer tube c with
three slight longitudinal ribs c. as shown at figure 5, one of such ribs being in
position opposite the pinion e, by which means the pinion is prevented from pressing
the said perforated tube d away therefrom, and thereby losing its hold.
The second part of the invention consists in a method of preventing the passage of
heat from the burner to the container, thus keeping the container cool and therefore
not liable to explosion.
For this purpose I make the collar a hollow, and in two parts; around the ring or
tube of the collar I place a vertical strip or ring of cork j, and in each part of the
collar, I place a horizontal ring j¹ of cork, between which latter rings, I place the top
plate of the container a; these parts are then forcibly compressed together, and the
lower plate of the collar is then united by solder to the ring or tube of the
collar.
The collar a when completed, is perfectly insulated from metallic contact with the
container by the cork, the two parts of the collar, between which the top plate of the
container passes, being so far apart that the said top plate is fixed between
them without metallic contact. Other non-conducting material than cork may be
employed.
The third improvement consists in applying a self-acting metal or other ball valve
to the oil feeding tube or nozzle. For this purpose the stopper k is provided, as
shown at figure 1, with an internal disc ', having air holes therein, and a small hole
or seat for the ball to rest upon when the lamp is upright, and I form a cup or
recess on the inner side of the cover and around the air hole therein. By these
means when the lamp is upright, the ball falls away from the outer air hole k and
rests on its seat on the disc ', but if the lamp should be upset, the ball will roll off
its seat and will fall into the cup or recess ³ in the cover, and thereby stop the outer
air hole, by which means the escape of oil through the said air hole will be prevented.
Instead of employing the internal disc I may simply employ a seat, carried by bars
and, if desired, as represented at figure 6, the said seat may be formed at the upper
end of a tube , within which is a light spring k which the weight of the ball will
overcome when the lamp is upright, but which will act to assist the action of the ball
if the lamp is upset.
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. The various improvements in safety hydro-carbon lamps substantially as herein
shown and described.
2. The means of preventing the flow of oil from the container through the wick if
the lamp is upset, and of centreing and closing the lower end of the outer tube
substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The method of constructing and connecting the collar a² to the container, substan-
tially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose stated.
4. The improved constructions of self acting ball valve stoppers for the filling
nozzles of the containers of hydro-carbon lamps, substantially as herein shown and
described.
Dated this 28th day of May 1889
WILLIAM HENRY MORRISON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.