Improved Means of Supplying Liquid Fuel to the Burners of Oil Lamps, Stoves, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Supplying Liquid Fuel to the Burners of Oil
Lamps, Stoves, and the like.
I, BERNARD CLARKE, of Parkfield, South Farm Road, Worthing, Sussex, Gentle-
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
man,
This invention relates to the means of supplying fuel to the burners of lamps,
stoves, and other heating and lighting apparatus consuming oil or other liquid
fuel and it has for its principal objects to obviate risk of explosion and to enable
any number of burners to be continuously and automatically fed with liquid fuel
from one common source of supply.
The principle upon which my invention is based is similar to that of the well-
known bird drinking-fountains wherein a vessel open to atmospheric pressure
is automatically kept replenished with liquid up to a certain level from a closed
reservoir containing a head of liquid.
According to my invention the receptacle containing the oil (or other liquid
fuel) in which the lower part of the wick is immersed, communicates by means
of a tube (of such length as to prevent transmission of heat from the burner to
the main body of the fuel) with an oil distributing vessel of substantially equal
depth, and fixed at the same level, as the said wick receptacle. The distributing
vessel is closed to the atmosphere saving for a small pinhole at top, and has in its
side, and at different levels two apertures through which communication is main-
tained between the interior of the distributing vessel and the oil reservoir which
may be of any desired capacity and placed at any safe distance from the burner.
The top of the reservoir is at any level higher than that of the distributing vessel
and has no external communication save with said vessel through the two apertures
already mentioned.
The action of the apparatus described is as follows:-The reservoir having
been filled with oil (or other liquid fuel) the oil will flow out into the distributing
vessel until the upper of the two apertures above mentioned is covered, when the
flow will cease automatically, the oil meanwhile rising in the wick receptacle to
the same level as in the distributing vessel. As the oil is withdrawn by, con-
sumption at the wick, the level of the oil in the distributing vessel falls simul-
taneously with that in the wick receptacle, until the upper of the two apertures,
by which the distributing vessel communicates with the reservoir, is uncovered.
As soon as this occurs, a flow of oil takes place from the reservoir to the dis-
tributing vessel until the liquid in the latter rises so as to again cover the upper
aperture, this action proceeding continuously so long as oil continues to be
consumed at the wick, and ceasing automatically on the extinction of the flame.
It will be obvious that any number of wicks may be supplied from a single

page_text: distributing vessel, provided the wick receptacles are all placed at the same level
as such vessel; also, that any number of distributing vessels may be supplied from
a common reservoir, each distributing vessel being adapted to supply one or more
wick receptacles, the receptacles supplied from one distributing vessel not being
necessarily at the same level as those supplied from another, so that a very large
apartment may be lighted, or heated, or both lighted and heated, in all its parts
from a single reservoir.
Communication between the wick receptacle and the distributing vessel, as also
between the latter and the reservoir, may be made by means of flexible or jointed
tubing such for example as is used in connection with ordinary gas fittings. If
desired, the pipe connection between the distributing vessel and wick receptacle
may be filled with some absorbent material thus enabling the wick receptacle to
be placed at a higher level than the distributing vessel, from which the latter
would in this case be fed, not by gravitation but by capillary attraction. The
reservoir may be furnished with a tap, screwed plug, or other appliance for filling,
means of temporarily closing the two apertures by which the reservoir com-
municates with the distributing vessel, being provided so as to prevent the oil
overflowing the distributing vessel and-wick receptacle whilst the reservoir is
being replenished.
It will be evident without further explanation that my invention may be
adapted for use in connection with portable lamps, chandeliers, oil cooking ranges,
and every other variety of lighting and heating apparatus wherein liquid fuel
is burnt by means of a wick or its equivalent.
Improved Means of Supplying Liquid Fuel to the Burners of Oil
Lamps, Stoves, and the like.
I, BERNARD CLARKE, of Parkfield, South Farm Road, Worthing, Sussex, Gentle-
man, 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:-
―
1
My invention relates to the supply of liquid fuel to the burners of lamps for
lighting and heating purposes and it has for its object to obviate risk of explosion,
to avoid imperfect combustion and smoking consequent on variation of fuel level,
to avoid spilling in case of an overturn, and to enable any number of burners to
be fed from a common reservoir.
'
The principle on which the supply of the liquid fuel to the wick is based is
somewhat similar to that of the well known bird-drinking fountain but
differs in the fact that the communication between the closed reservoir
containing a head of liquid and the wick chamber is by means of two
or more minute orifices at different levels in a vertical line, these orifices being
of such small diameter and so arranged relatively to each other that even if the
lamp be turned on its side and be so left or be rolled about, no liquid will flow
out of the oil reservoir through these orifices.
Or instead of separate orifices, a narrow vertical slit may be used to afford the

page_text: necessary passage between the closed reservoir and the wick chamber, such slit
extending through a height equal to the distance apart of the highest and lowest
of the orifices just described.
In the practical embodiment of this principle in a lamp the oil supply reservoir
-containing a head of liquid communicates, by orifices or a slit such as referred
to, with an intermediate or distributing chamber closed to the atmosphere save
for a small pinhole or air inlet tube so situated or arranged that in the event of
an overturn the small quantity of oil contained in said intermediate chamber
cannot escape. With this chamber there is combined the receptacle containing
the oil into which the wick dips, the two being either one and the same chamber
or being different chambers at substantially the same level and connected by a
tube so that the oil stands always at the same level in both, and means are
provided of cutting off the communication of the supply reservoir with the inter-
mediate or distributing chamber when the former is being filled. It will be
obvious that any number of wick receptacles may be placed at the same level
and in connection with the same intermediate or distributing chamber, and in
any case the tube or tubes connecting the said chamber and the wick receptacle
or receptacles may be filled with absorbent material whereby to enable the wick
receptacle to be placed at a higher level than the distributing chamber and to be
supplied therefrom by capillarity instead of by gravity.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
forming part of this specification wherein typical examples of various kinds of
lamps are illustrated. Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the reservoir
portion of a standard lamp embodying the principle of the invention. Figures 2
and 3 are sections of two modifications of portable hand lamps. Figure 4 is
a section of a multiple chandelier or pendent lamp. Figure 5 is a section of a
multiple standard lamp. Figure 6 is a vertical section and Figure 7 a sectional
plan of an oil stove.
Figure 1 illustrates the invention as applied to a standard or table lamp with
duplex burner. A is the oil reservoir of the usual external form and provided
with a filling orifice closed by a screw plug a B is the intermediate ar dis-
tributing chamber into which, in this instance, the wicks dip directly, C C being
the wick tubes extending down from the burner, and D an air inlet and
safety tube rising through the bottom of the chamber B. The cham-
ber B is a cylindrical chamber placed centrally within the reservoir A and
in communication therewith only through two or more holes b, 61, 62, 63 (of
about 4th of an inch diameter) made through the wall of the chamber B, the tubes
being arranged one above another in a vertical line a distance of about 14th of
an inch separating the holes b and b¹. These two holes are alone sufficient for
the purpose, a greater number being provided only to guard against the possibility
of choking. The upper part of this intermediate chamber B is made of enlarged
diameter as at B₁ so as to receive the oil contained in B and prevent it escaping
in case of the lamp being upset. The air inlet tube D is provided with a screw
cap d having an air inlet hole or holes d¹ as indicated by the arrow, the operation
of the lamp being as follows:-In order to fill the reservoir A the cap d is
screwed home so as to close the air inlet d¹ and prevent the oil rising in
chamber B beyond the level at which the ends of the wick tubes C and the
orifice are sealed. The reservoir having been filled and the plug a closed, the
cap d is unscrewed so as to open the air inlet d¹ and the oil having risen in the
intermediate chamber B so as to just cover the hole b, the level of the oil in B
becomes lowered by consumption until the orifice b is uncovered and this level
is thereafter practically maintained constant in the chamber B by the oil flowing
out of reservoir A into chamber B through the lower orifices 61, 62, etc., as indicated
by the arrows. whilst air enters the reservoir A through the orifices b, this action
proceeding so long as the oil is consumed and ceasing automatically on the extinc-
tion of the flame. The oil level being thus maintained constant in B, any imper-
fection in combustion, which would be caused by variation of the level from

page_text: which the wicks. draw their supply, will be avoided and the distance separating
the burner from the oil is such that the heating and vapourization of the oil will
be rendered practically impossible, the tube D providing for the escape of any
vapours should such by any possibility be generated.
In Figure 2 A is the oil reservoir, B the intermediate chamber in communica-
tion therewith by a vertical row of orifices b, 61, 62, etc., near the lower part, and E
is the receptacle or chamber into which dips the wick contained in any suitable
.burner, this chamber E. being connected with chamber B by a tube e which may
be filled with absorbent material as at f. The chamber B is shewn as being
.central within the reservoir A but it will be obvious that it might be outside the
periphery without affecting the result. The reservoir has a filling. orifice closed
by a screw cap a, as before, and the chamber B is closed by a screw cap B2 having
an air inlet orifice and tube D which descends within the chamber B. In
order to prevent the oil rising in chamber B when the filling orifice is opened, a
valve for closing the orifices b, 61, 62, is provided said valve being preferably
formed by a cylindrical liner G fitting in chamber B said liner having a vertical
slit g in its lower end which may be made to coincide or not with
orifices b, . 2, etc., so that by slightly turning the liner the said orifices may
be opened or closed. For this purpose the liner is conveniently attached to the
screw cap B2 by means of which it may be turned. The wick tube (not shown)
and the air inlet tube D descend to such a point within the respective chambers
as to prevent the escape of oil in case of the lamp being overturned.
the
By suitably modifying the form of the reservoir and providing rigid or jointed
tubes carrying the burners, the same principle of construction may be applied to
a wall bracket lamp as will be readily understood without illustration.
The lamp shewn in Figure 3 is what may be termed a night-light lamp. It
is similar to that last described as regards the main principle but differs in
the fact that the oil passes direct from A to the burner E through tube e which
contains an absorbent material serving to convey the oil to the point of combus-
tion; whilst the air to take the place of the oil is admitted to A through a minute
orifice a¹ in the screw plug as which closes the filling orifice of the reservoir.
Said orifice is, in this example, placed in the side of the reservoir just above the
level of the tube c so that to fill the reservoir it is necessary to hold it with the said
orifice upwards. The oil orifice having been closed and the lamp returned to
normal position the oil will flow from the reservoir through tube e and rise at the
burner end nearly to the height of the air inlet a from which point to the point
of combustion it ascends by capillarity of the wick.
Referring now to Figure 4, which shews an example of a chandelier or pendant
having (say) two burners supplied from a common reservoir A, the construction
and operation are similar to that shewn in Figure 1 except that the intermediate
chamber B extends down through the bottom of the reservoir A and terminates
below it in a hollow bulb B2, from which radiate any number of tubes e leading
to the respective annular wick receptacles E placed all at the same level and
wherein the oil rises to a level determined by the position of the orifice b for
admitting air to the oil reservoir A. For the purpose of closing the orifices b, b¹,
etc., during filling, a valve is provided consisting of a liner tube G fitting in the
chamber B and having a vertical slit g which may be made to coincide or not
with the said holes the tube G being carried and turned by the screw cap B³
which is provided with an air inlet orifice d all as before described in reference
to Figure 2.
Referring now to Figure 5, which shews an example of a standard lamp having
two or more burners supplied from a common reservoir A, the construction and
operation are similar to that shewn in Figure 4 except that the branch tubes o,
leading to the respective wick receptacles E, communicate directly with the inter-
mediate chamber B under the control of a valve formed by the liner tube G
which is perforated as indicated at e¹, e¹, to correspond with the openings of the
tubes co so that, when liner G is turned to establish communication between

page_text: chamber B and reservoir A, communication is simultaneously established between
In order to obviate risk
chamber B and the wick receptacles E, and vice versa.
of oil being spilt in case the lamp is upset, the air is not admitted, as in Figure 4,
directly through the top of chamber B but by a tube rising through the bottom
of the chamber into the upper part of the same, the liner G being perforated, as
at g', (slightly below the level of the top of tube D) to permit, in case of an
upset, the oil contained in chamber B to pass into an enlargement B¹ of the
upper part of the same chamber and prevent it escaping through the air tube D.
The tube D opens at its lower end into the space within the lamp standard H,
perforations, as d', in the standard affording admission to the air. Instead of
the upper end of the liner G being closed, as shewn, it may be surmounted by a
burner containing a wick or wicks dipping directly down into the oil in chamber B,
the liner G, being adjusted by screwing the burner slightly round in its socket.
Referring now to Figures and 7, A is the oil reservoir of rectangular form,
and B the central intermediate chamber of similar form, in communication there-
with by air inlet and oil outlet orifices b, 61, 63, arranged as before, these orifices
being controlled by a slide valve G fitted to work against the wall of the chamber B
and operated by a thumb piece projecting up through the top thereof.
chamber B is surmounted by the wick tube or tubes and is provided with an
air inlet orifice d'. The operation is similar to that before described.
The
If it be desired to provide a greater number of burners for heating the different
parts of an oven, any number of wick receptacles similar to those shewn in
Figure 2 or Figure 4 may be connected by tubes as e e opening through the
sides or bottom of chamber B and led to the points wherever the heat is required
to be applied.
The foregoing detailed description and drawings refer to communication as
being established between the oil reservoir A and the intermediate chamber B
But it will be obvious that,
by means of two or more separate holes b, b¹, etc.
as already mentioned, a narrow vertical slit might be substituted for the separate
orifices, such slit extending through a height equal to the distance apart of the
uppermost and lowermost orifices, the operation of the lamp or stove remaining
as before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1
1. In an oil lamp the combination with an oil reservoir to contain a head of
liquid above the level required in the wick chamber, of the herein described means
of automatically feeding the oil to, and maintaining it at a constant level in, the
wick chamber substantially as specified.
2. In an oil lamp the combination with an oil reservoir to contain a head of
liquid above the wick chamber, of a chamber in communication with the reservoir
by air inflow and oil outflow holes, or by a vertical slit fulfilling both functions,
for automatically feeding the oil to, and maintaining it at a constant level in, the
said chamber as described, and of means of closing the said communication
when desired substantially as specified.
3. The construction, combination, and arrangement of parts constituting the
standard lamp provided with means of automatically feeding the oil to a constant
level in a chamber intermediate of the oil reservoir and wick, and of admitting
air to, and preventing the escape of oil from, the said intermediate chamber
substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.
4. The construction, combination, and arrangement of parts constituting the
pendant lamp provided with means of automatically feeding the oil to a constant
level in an intermediate or distributing chamber in connection by tubes with a
plurality of wick chambers substantially as described with reference to Figure 4
of the drawings.

page_text: 5. The respective constructions of lamp provided with means of automatically
feeding the oil to a constant level in the chamber intermediate of the oil reservoir
and wick chamber and with means of controlling the admission of air and the
flow of oil substantially as described in reference to Figures 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of
the drawings.