Year: 1898

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My application relates to an improved acetylene lamp represented by way of
example by the accompanying drawing which shews a longitudinal section.
My improved lamp consists essentially of a central reservoir A intended to hold
the carbide of calcium, and which is placed in a water reservoir B of any suitable
form. The reservoir A possesses at its centre a tube C commencing below the bottom D
and terminating near the top. This tube Cis entirely filled by a wick E of cotton or
other suitable substance. The walls of the reservoir A are prolonged beyond the
bottom D so that they form a chamber F below the said bottom, which chamber
is open at its lowermost part, and thereby communicates with the water reservoir B;
a small tube G having its lower aperture a little below the bottom D has its upper
orifice at the upper part of the reservoir A. The reservoir A is closed at its upper
part by a cover H screwed on, bearing the tube I, which conducts the gas to the
burner J.
The operation of the lamp is as follows:-
The carbide having been placed in the reservoir A this latter is then hermetically
closed by screwing on the cover H. The outer reservoir B is then filled with
water up to a suitable level, and this water wets the lower end of the wick E and
rises slowly by capillarity to the upper end of the said wick, and then drips upon
the carbide contained in the reservoir A. The acetylene gas produced by the
reaction is thereby set free, and is conducted by means of the tube I to the burner J.
If for any reason the production of gas should exceed the consumption, the excess
of gas is liberated by the tube G, and is stored up in the lower chamber F from whence
it drives out the water. Consequently the water ceases to wet the wick C and to
be delivered upon the carbide, and the production of gas stops. When the
equilibrium has been re-established the gas contained in the lower chamber F
escapes by the same tube G and passes to the burner, and the water supplied by
the reservoir B replaces the gas in the said chamber F, and thus comes again in
contact with the lower end of the wick, and the operation of liberating the gas
commences again. In consequence of this arrangement there is obtained a very
regular evolution of gas and the complete absence of danger.
The shape of the outer reservoir B is optional and may be varied according to
requirements. Thus for instance, the system may be used as a table lamp, either

page_text: of an ordinary or of a decorated form, as a bicycle lamp, carriage lamp, and so
forth.
It will be obvious that the constructional details of the invention may be con-
siderably modified whilst retaining the principle thereof.
Dated this 4th day of April 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents for the Applicant, 322, High Holborn, London, W.C.
improved Acetylene Lamp.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer,
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 follow-
ing statement:.
-
My application relates to an improved acetylene lamp. In the drawing which
accompanied the Provisional Specification I have illustrated one modification
thereof by way of example in longitudinal section.
My improved lamp consists essentially of a central reservoir A intended to hold
the carbide of calcium, and which is placed in a water reservoir B of any suitable
form. The reservoir A possesses at its centre a tube C commencing at the bottom D
and terminating near the top. The tube C is entirely filled by a wick E of cotton
or other suitable substance. The walls of the reservoir A are prolonged beyond the
bottom D so that they form a chamber F below the said bottom, which chamber
is open at its lowermost part, and thereby communicates with the water reservoir B;
a small tube G having its upper orifice at the upper part of the reservoir A. The
reservoir A is closed at its upper part by a cover H screwed on, bearing the tube I,
which conducts the gas to the burner J.
The operation of the lamp is as follows:-
The carbide having been placed in the reservoir A this latter is then hermetically
closed by screwing on the cover H. The outer reservoir B is then filled with
water up to a suitable level, and this water wets the lower end of the wick E and
rises slowly by capillarity to the upper end of the said wick, and then drips upon
the carbide contained in the reservoir A. The acetylene gas produced by the
reaction is thereby set free, and is conducted by means of the tube I to the burner J.
If for any reason the production of gas should exceed the consumption, the excess
of gas is liberated by the tube G, and is stored up in the lower chamber F from whence
it drives out the water. Consequently the water ceases to wet the wick E and to
be delivered upon the carbide, and the production of gas ceases. When
equilibrium has been re-established the gas contained in the lower chamber F
escapes by the same tube G and passes to the burner, and the water supplied by
the reservoir B replaces the gas in the said chamber F, and thus comes again in
contact with the lower end of the wick, and the operation of liberating the gas
commences again. In consequence of this arrangement there is obtained a very
regular evolution of gas and the complete avoidance of danger.
The shape of the outer reservoir B is optional and may be varied according to
requirements. Thus for instance, the system may be used as a table lamp, either
of an ordinary or of a decorated form, as a bicycle lamp; carriage lamp, and so
forth.

page_text: It will be obvious that the constructional details of the invention may be con-
siderably modified whilst retaining the principle thereof.
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:-
In acetylene lamps the combination of parts consisting essentially of the internal
tube C completely filled by the wick E which maintains the communication between
the water reservoir B and the carbide holder A by the interposition of a lower
chamber F, the said chamber being itself in communication with the upper part
of the carbide holder A by means of a tube or channel such as G, the whole sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated the 0441 dow of M. 1900
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant