An Oil Gauge for Lamps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1892-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1892
An Oil Gauge for Lamps.
A communication from abroad by THOMAS ANDREW MCGOVERN, Dairyman, and
OSCAR BENDEL LAUFF, Butcher, both of Bolinas, County of Marin, State of
California, one of the United States of America.
I WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11 Wellington Street, Strand, Londons:
in the County of London, Patent Agent, 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 relates to a device which we call an oil gauge, and which is
especially, adapted for use upon lamps or lanterns having opaque sides.
It consists of a vertical transparent tube open at each end, a casing within which
the tube is secured, and by which it is attached to the inner side of the lamp reser-
voir opposite an opening through which it may be inspected, and a slide for closing
said opening at will.
It also relates to certain details of construction which will be more fully explained
by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a view of a lantern showing the application of my device.
Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through one side of the lantern showing the
device.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the same.
A is a lamp or lantern reservoir which is usually made of tin or other metal, so
that the contents of the lamp are not visible from the outside.
Lanterns which are used by railroad men and others often cause annoyance
by going out from lack of oil, and at a considerable distance from the source
of supply.
This invention is designed to allow the ready inspection of the quantity of oil
contained in a lantern, so that the person will be enabled to take a lantern which is
full, and also to know when it is necessary to replenish it without the necessity of
taking off the top.
In the side of the oil reservoir A is made a vertical slot or opening B.
C is a metal casing made square, or of other convenient shape, and having
flanges D by which it may be soldered or otherwise attached to the interior of the
reservoir chamber A.
The casing C is adapted to contain a transparent tube E, the upper and lower
ends of which project slightly above and below the top and bottom respectively of
the casing, but not enough to come into contact with the top and bottom of the
lamp reservoir.
Around this tube is filled in plaster-of-paris, or any cement which will retain it in
place.
That portion of the casing which stands opposite the opening B in the side of the
oil reservoir, has a corresponding opening made in it, and the cement used for
holding the tube in place in the casing, is not filled in to this opening, thus leaving
the tube visible from the exterior at any time. The cement, however, makes a
sufficiently tight joint around the tube to prevent any oil escaping through the
opening.
Upon the outside of the lamp reservoir are fixed the guides G, and between these
guides the slide H is fitted, having a curvature corresponding with that of the
exterior of the reservoir, and a projecting lug by which it may be moved so as to
cover the opening B or expose it at will.
In ordinary use this opening will remain covered, so that the transparent tube
cannot be injured by accident, but when it is desired to inspect the same it is only

page_text: necessary to push the slide back, and as the oil flows freely into the lower end of
the tube E it will stand as high in the tube. as it does within the body of the
reservoir, and thus indicate the condition of its contents...
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, (communicated to me as aforesaid) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
In a lamp or lautern, a reservoir having a vertical slot made in one side, a casing
with means for attaching it to the inner side of the reservoir, said casing having a
slot corresponding with that in the reservoir, a vertical transparent tube, open at
both ends, fixed in the casing so as to expose one side through the openings, and a
sliding protecting gate or cover movable in guides upon the outside of the reser-
voir whereby the opening and tube may be exposed or protected, substantially as
herein described.
Dated
Ր T 1
1000