Improvements in or relating to Torch Lamps for Gas Lighting Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 3rd May, 1900-Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in or relating to Torch Lamps for Gas Lighting
Purposes.
We, HERBERT ILLINGWORTH, of 1, Moor View, Hyde Park Corner, Leeds, in
the County of York, Gas Engineer, and JAMES JACKSON, of 27, Regent Terrace,
Hyde Park Road, Leeds aforesaid, Assistant Superintendent in the Gas Lighting
Department of the Leeds Corporation, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in torch lamps or torches, hereafter
termed torches, such as are used for lighting or igniting the gas in lamps
employed for illuminating streets and other places, and it is particularly appli-
cable for lamps provided or fitted with incandescent burners or mantles.
The object of the invention is to provide a torch, simple in construction, yet
effective in its action, whereby the gas may be ignited in the lamp with the
minimum amount of risk of injury to the burner or mantle.
According to this invention the torch may be made of metal, such as brass.
copper, tin. or the like, or a combination of two or more of them, and in any
convenient length, size, and shape, such as, say, in cross section, round, square,
elliptical, polygonal, or other contour; but we have found the circular shape to
be the most convenient.
The main portion of the torch may be made in, say, two sizes or diameters, the
smaller being, say, in the form of a socket at the lowest end of the torch for
enabling it to be attached to a rod or carrier by means of, say, a bayonet joint
or other convenient form of attaching device. The larger and upper part of the
main portion, which forms and is hereafter termed the reservoir of the torch, is
provided with a fixed bottom, and at the top with a screwed or other cap or cover,
as well as an opening or orifice (also closed at the outer end with a screwed cap
or cover) for the admission of methylated or other spirit to the interior of the
reservoir portion of the torch: In the interior of the reservoir is also placed a
quantity of woolly or other fibrous material capable of absorbing and becoming
saturated with the methylated or other spirit that is poured or placed into the
said reservoir.
At a suitable distance from or above the cap or cover of the reservoir, but
connected thereto by a curved or other pipe or tube of suitable length, is
arranged the burner portion of the torch which may consist of a conical or cylin-
drical body, made with its upper end contracted and open, that is to say the
upper end may be smaller in area than the base or lower end which base is closed
with. say, a blank or diaphragm by which it is connected or attached to the said
curved or other pipe. A portion of, the conical or cylindrical body is perforated
with holes or apertures of any convenient size or contour for the admission of air
to the burner. In some cases the curved or other tube may be enclosed within
a conical or other cover extending from the base of the burner to the top of the

page_text: reservoir. This is particularly applicable for lamps provided with trap doors and
the withdrawal of the torch is in such cases facilitated.
An ordinary round or other lamp wick may be inserted in the curved or other
tube for conducting the gaseous vapour, arising from the spirit, to the burner.
When a light is applied to the open end or mouth of the burner, and on the
latter becoming heated, the burner then acts as a conductor for the heat, and it
is conveyed to the reservoir causing the methylated or other spirit contained
therein to give off a gaseous vapour which is conducted by the wick to the lower
and closed end of the burner.
During the passage of the gaseous vapour to the mouth of the burner it becomes
mixed with air, and the flame for gas lamp igniting purposes is emitted at or
emanates from the mouth of the burner and for a suitable distance therefrom.
The torch may, (or may not), if so desired, be armed with one or more projec-
tions for opening the taps of the street or other lamps.
Dated this Ninatoouth day of Santambon 1800
'COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Torch Lamps for Gas Lighting
Purposes.
We, HERBERT ILLINGWORTII, of 1, Moor View, Hyde Park Corner, Leeds, in
the County of York. Gas Engineer, and JAMES JACKSON, of 27, Regent Terrace,
Hyde Park Road, Leeds aforesaid, Assistant Superintendent in the Gas Lighting
Department of the Leeds Corporation, 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:
-
This invention relates to improvements in torch lamps or torches, hereafter
termed torches, such as are used for lighting or igniting the gas in lamps
employed for illuminating streets and other places, and it is particularly appli-
cable for lamps provided or fitted with incandescent burners or mantles.
Torches for gas lighting purposes have hitherto been made in the form of a long
tubular oil or candle lamp provided with a removable cover over the wick, said
cover being perforated with holes for the double purpose of admitting air to the
wick for combustion, and also for allowing the gas to enter the cover for ignition
and gas lighting.
The object of the invention is to provide a portable torch, simple in construc-
tion, yet effective in its action, whereby the gas may be ignited in the lamp with
the minimum amount of risk of injury to the burner or mantle.
Torches constructed according to this invention consist of a main or reservoir
portion of any suitable shape, wholly or partially filled with wool, or other fibrous
and spongy material, and provided with a screwed top or cap. An inlet tube,
also having a screwed cap, to the interior of the reservoir is also provided by
which methylated or other spirit is admitted for saturating the said woolly mate-
rial. From the top of the screwed cap of the reservoir a short piece of pipe or
tube is made to issue and it is armed at its outer end with a conical and perforated
burner constructed as hereinafter described. A piece of wick is threaded through
the tube or pipe so that its lower end may impinge upon or take the place of the
said woolly absorbent material which is placed within the reservoir.
In the drawings hereunto annexed a torch is shown constructed according to
this invention, in which:
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation.

page_text: Fig. 2 an elevation drawn at a right angle to Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a plan looking at the top.
Fig. 4 a part plan looking at the bottom.
A is the main or reservoir portion, hereafter termed the reservoir of the torch,
which may be made in tubular form of cast or wrought, or drawn metal, such as
for instance, say, of brass, copper, tin, or the like, or a combination of iwo or
more of such materials and in any convenient and suitable size, length, and
shape, such as for example, say, circular, in cross section, or square, or elliptical,
or polygonal. In practice we have found torches made in a circular and tubular
form, with a reservoir, say, six inches long by one and a half inches in diameter
to be not only very convenient, but also to answer well. We wish it, however,
to be distinctly understood that the dimensions just given, as well as the shape,
may be altered or varied as circumstances require. The reservoir A is shown,
though not necessarily so,-made in two sizes or diameters arranged to taper into
each other, and the upper and larger portion is divided by a plate C,--which forms
the bottom of the reservoir,-from the lower and smaller portion. The smaller
portion B forms a socket by which the torch is attached to a rod or carrier D, of
ordinary and usual construction, shown in dotted lines at Fig. 1, by means of.
say, a bayonet joint, a pin d being fixed thereto and made to enter the inverted
Lshaped slot hole E provided for its reception in the socket B. Or if desired,
the rod D may be arranged to be screwed in or on to the socket B. The upper end
of the reservoir is provided with a cap or cover which is screwed or otherwise
fixed thereto. Near the top of the reservoir A and fixed to its side so as to
communicate with the interior 'thereof is a short tube G closed by a cap H
screwed thereto for the admission of methylated or other spirit to the reservoir and
absorbent material placed therein.
The interior of the reservoir A is wholly or partially filled with cotton-wool I.
or other wool or fibrous material capable of absorbing and becoming saturated
with the methylated or other spirit that is poured into or placed in the reservoir..
A short piece of pipe or tube J (about three eighths of an inch in diameter,
more or less), is made to issue from the centre of the cap F and it is carried to
a suitable distance therefrom, sav, about two inches (more or less), and to its
outer end is fixed the burner portion of the torch hereafter termed the burner K.
A piece of round or other cotton or fibrous lamp wick of ordinery construction M.
in one or more strands of sufficient thickness to about fill the pipe J is passed
through the interior of the latter and made to impinge upon the cotton wool I
within the reservoir A, for conveying or conducting the spirit to the burner. If
desired. the wick M may be of such a length as to take the place of the cotton
wool I or the interior of the reservoir A may be, say, about half filled with
cotton wool I and the remaining half filled with lamp wick M, or the proportions
varied as circumstances require, or the user desires.
The burner K consists of, say, a coned body of, say, about two inches (more
or less) in diameter at its base, which is contracted to, say, about one inch
(more or less) in diameter at its upper end. But the shape may be varied as
required, as for instance, in cross section it may be square, or polygonal, and
made to taper from end to end. The base of the burner K is closed with a dia-
phragm or blank by which is is connected or attached to the pipe J. The whole
or a portion of the cone part of the burner is perforated with any desired number
of holes L or apertures of any convenient size and shape, or contour, for admitting
air to the interior of the burner, and thereby forming it into a burner of the
Bunsen type. By closing the base as described and only admitting air through
the holes L the gaseous or other vapour arising from or given off by the spirit,
and escaping from the pipe J into the burner, is carried by the inrushing air to
the outer and contracted end of the burner where it can be ignited for "lighting"
or other purposes.
The pipe
is slightly curved or bent, as shown, thereby causing the upper
and contracted end of the burner K to be tilted over clear of the reservoir, as

page_text: well as aiding in directing the flame of the torch within the street or other lamp,
and across the burner when in use.
In some cases the pipe J may be enclosed within a conical or other cover
extending from the base of the burner K to the top of the reservoir A, say, as
shown by dotted lines at K', Fig. 1, in which the walls of the burner are pro-
longed. This arrangement is particularly applicable for street or other lamps
provided with trap doors, and the withdrawal of the torch therefrom is facilitated
as there are no ledges presented to come in contact with the said trap doors for
preventing the egress of the torch. In this class of torch the filling tube G may
also be dispensed with if so desired for the same reason, in which case the reser-
voir could be filled with spirit from the top. But for most purposes we have
found that a torch with the filling tube G and without the prolongation K' is
suitable for the lighting of street lamps having incandescent mantles.
The torch may also, if desired, be armed with one or more projections,-not
shown in the drawings,-for opening the taps of street or other lamps, but for
ordinary purposes we have found, when the upper and contracted portion of the
burner K is strengthened with, say, an encircling band or wire N as shown
fixed thereto by, say, brazing or soldering, or by turning over the end of the
burner, that is sufficient.
When a light is applied to the contracted and open end or mouth of the burner;
and on the latter becoming heated, the burner K then acts as a conductor for the
heat, and it is conveyed to the reservoir A. causing the methylated or other spirit
contained therein to give off a gaseous vapour which is conveyed to the lower and
closed end of the burner.
During the passage of the gaseous vapour to the mouth of the burner it becomes
mixed with air entering the burner through the holes L, and the flame for gas
lamp igniting purposes is emitted at or emanates from the mouth of the burner
and is carried a suitable distance therefrom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
A torch lamp for gas lighting purposes substantially as herein described and
illustrated having a reservoir for the reception of methylated or other spirit con-
taining an absorbent material and a burner of the Bunsen type at a suitable
distance therefrom and connected thereto by a short tube through which a piece
of lamp wick passes for supplying the said burner all arranged and combined as
and for the purposes set forth.
1
1000
HERBERT ILLINGWORTH.
JAMES JACKSON.