IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR BURNING ALL MINERAL OILS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Alfred Châtel, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin,
Paris, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR
BURNING ALL MINERAL OILS."-Partly a communication by Mr. François
Maurel, Manufacturer, of Paris, 29, Boulevart St. Martin.
Sealed the 15th March 1864, and dated the 21st September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Alfred Châte!
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1863.
I, FRANÇOIS ALFRED CHÂTEL, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BURNERS FOR BURNING ALL MINERAL OILS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in the burners of lamps burning all
kinds of mineral oils, such as schist, petroleum, and others of similar nature
which contain carburets of hydrogen.
The first improvement relates to the wick holder, which, in most lamps,
and especially in those with flat wicks, is furnished with one. or two small
pinions or spur teeth which take into the wick and raise or lower it in, a
suitable tube by turning said teeth in either direction; but as it often happens
that the wicks vary in thickness, or that the teeth of the pinions tear out the
wick, the latter becomes disarranged and is prevented from being properly
raised or lowered by the pinion. My improved wick holder is designed with
a view to remedy these objections. For this purpose the axis of the pinion or

page_text: pinions turns in a slot and is kept up to the wick by the action of a spring in
such manner that whatever may be the variations in thickness of the wicks or
defects in ther make, they will always be suitably raised and lowered by the
pinions, as desired. This improved wick holder and spring is especially
applicable to lamps burning carburetted hydrogen, petroleum, American, and
other oils. The pressure exerted by the spring on the wick, and which is
regulated in extent, is also intended for regulating the ascension of the liquid
to the upper part of the wick to prevent an excess of liquid rising, which
would increase the combustion by causing the liquid to remain in the reservoir
and closing, as it were, the capillary openings of the wick, which afford an
issue to the upper part. The improved wick holder is represented in the
accompanying Drawing.
Fig. 1 being a central vertical section of the burner, and Fig. 2 an
elevation, partly section, of same; the letters apply to both Figures.
a, ordinary burner furnished with a gallery b, cap c, and chimney d; e, tube-1
'into which the wick f is introduced at the lower part; 9, pinions or spur teeth
mounted on axis h, which may be moved laterally and horizontally in slot i of
ear pieces j; k, spring bearing on axis h and forcing the pinion or pinions 9 to
take constantly into a wick f; l, knob or button head for turning. axis h; the
details of the mechanism are separately represented at Fig. 3. In order to
introduce the wick the axis h is drawn back by hand, and the wick having
.been passed. through, the spring & immediately presses the pinion or pinions
into said wick for the purpose described.
..
The second part of my Invention relates to the aperture in the cap of the
burners of such lamps through which the flame escapes. I make the sides of
the opening curvilinear, the edges nearly touching in the centre, and thus
obtain an equal extension of the flame throughout.
The third improvement relates to the method of fitting the burner to the
*cup or reservoir. In ordinary burners this connection is made by means of a
*screw thread on-the-lower part of the burner taking into the metal neck of
the reservoir, or it is sometimes soldered thereto. This screw is ordinarily
cut in the metal by means of a comb in a lathe, and my improvement consists
in stamping or pressing-up the screw. This stamping, which produces both
-the male and female screw, is produced in a lathe by forcing a male screwed
part into a hollow mandril having an internal screw thread, the male screw
fentering the mandril and so-forming the screw; in this manner great economy
'in' material and-labour is produced.
:
1. The two latter improvements-are represented at Figs. 4 & 5 of the Drawing,
Fig. 4 being a central vertical section of a burner of 1 my Invention without

page_text: the wick holder, and Fig. 5 plan of the cap of the burner. The letters are-
the same as in the previous Figures.
a, burner furnished with a gallery b and cap c; 7 represents the screw-
thread as stamped-out of the same piece of metal; m, opening in the cap of
curvilinear form instead of being rectangular, as in ordinary, this arrange-
ment being especially applicable for the widest wicks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed'
by the said François Alfred Châtel in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 19th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
ALFRED CHÂTEL, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, Manufacturer, send.
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters,
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord;
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said François Alfred Châtel, Her special licence that I, the said François.
Alfred Châtel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others..
as I, the said François Alfred Châtel, my executors, administrators, and:
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter 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 Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNERS FOR BURNING ALL MINERAL OILS," the result partly,
of a communication made to bim by Mr. François Maurel, Manufacturer, a
person residing in Paris, 29, Boult St. Martin, and partly an Invention:
and discovery made by himself, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, }
the said François Alfred Châtel, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said. François Alfred Châtel, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bes
.

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say: -
My Invention refers to certain improvements in burners for burning mineral-
oils of all sorts, schist, petroleum, and such others as by their chemical' com-
position (carburets of hydrogen) are somewhat allied to them.
These improvements relate to, first, the wick holder; secondly, to the slot
in the cap through which the flame escapes; thirdly, to the fitting of the
burner in its receiver; fourthly, to an external mark which I wish to intro-
duce for the purpose of distinguishing the lamps of my own manufacture from
those actually in use. I will describe successively these various improvements
in lamps for burning mineral oils as above mentioned.
Improvements relating to the wick holder, Figs. 1, 2, & 3.-The wick
holder in most cases, and principally in such lamps as admit of a flat wick,
consists of one or two small pinions or spur wheels which penetrate the wick.
by means of their teeth, & which serve either for raising or lowering it up and
down a wick tube; but it frequently occurs that the wicks have not the same
thickness, or that the teeth of the small pinions effects a lodgment in the wick
and produces friction, the consequence of which is that the wick no longer
yields to the impulsion of the small pinions; that is to say, it cannot be raised
or lowered in a regular manner. I have contrived a wick holder which
obviates these difficulties; the axis of the motive pinion is moveable in a
groove and is pressed against the wick by a spring, so that whatever may be
the difference of thickness of the wicks they will be suitably and regularly
raised up and down by the pinion or pinions. This improved spring wick
holder may be very usefully applied to all lamps, and principally to those for
burning petroleum, American oils, and carburets of hydrogen. But this
elastic pressure exerted through spring on the wick, which may be regulated
by the greater or less deflection of the spring, is likewise intended to regularize
the ascent of the liquid to that part of the wick which is in combustion,
the wick being thereby deprived of an excess of liquid which would increase
the centre of ignition by obliging the said liquid to remain in the receiver,
and closing as it were the capillary openings in the wick, whereby an issue
is afforded to the upper part.
This first improvement is illustrated at Figs. 1, 2, & 3 of the annexed
Drawings, wherein the improved wick holder is applied to a burner for mineral
oil lamps.
Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of the burner; Fig. 2 is a partial sectional
elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a detached view of the wick holder; and in

page_text: all these Figures the same letters of reference stand for the like parts where
they recur.
a, common burner provided with its gallery b, cap c, and chimney d;
e, channel into which the wick f is introduced at the lower part; 9, pinions or
spur wheels mounted upon an axis h made to move laterally & horizontally
in slots i provided in the gallery or in projections formed on the wick holder;:
k, spring bearing upon the axis h and keeping the spur or spurs 9 constantly
in contact with the wick f; l, knob or button head for actuating the axis h.
For introducing the wick the axis h is drawn back by the hand, and upon the
wick being inserted the spring k brings back automatically the pinion or
pinions into contact with the wick so as to produce the effect desired.
Improvements relating to the opening in the cap; Fig. 4.-I have contrived
to make the lateral or extreme sides curvilinear, the two lips approaching each
other towards the centre. I obtain in this manner an equal expansion of the
flame throughout its width, centre, and sides.
In Fig. 4, which shows a plan view of the cap, m represents the curvilinear
opening or slot in which there is not any rectangular projection, the lips
nearly touching in the centre. This arrangement is principally advantageous
as applied to large burners.
Improvements relating to the fitting of the burner, Fig. 5.-In all burners
in general the connection or fitting of the burner the oil recipient is effected
by means of a screw thread made on the lower part of the burner screwing
into the metallic inner neck of the oil reservoir, or the screw thread may be
screwed thereto. .The two threads are ordinarily cut out of the thickness of
the metal in a lathe by means of a screw nut and slide; "and my improvement
consists in obtaining the same by stamping, by which means I save both
material and labour. The screw threads, both male and female, I obtain in a
lathe by stamping the piece with embossing and hollowing tools.
.
Fig. 5 shows a central vertical section of a burner provided with a screw
thread. formed in the manner described. a is the burner provided with
its gallery 6 and cap c.
The screw thread stamped and formed out of the
same piece of metal may be seen at l.
Improvement relating to an external distinction.-I wish, as above alluded
to, to establish between the lamps of my own making and those actually in use
an external mark by which they may be distinguished. To this end the
button head will be formed of bone, ivory, or other non-metallic substance
or material. This will be a mere external mark distinguishable at first sight,
but which I do not claim, as such is not patentable.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which

page_text: the same may be carried into effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that
what I claim as being of my Invention is,―
First, the improved spring wick holder as described.
Secondly, the curvilinear opening or slot formed in the cap.
Thirdly, the new method of forming the screw threads whereby the burner
is connected with the recipient, as and for the purpose above spécified.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Alfred Chatel, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.