Improvements in Lamps or Lanterns, chiefly Designed for Use on Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1896-Accepted 2nd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps or Lanterns, chiefly Designed for Use on
Vehicles.
We, BENONI ERNEST PERCY CREIGHTON, of No. 53 East 104th Street,
GEORGE STORY, of No. 36 West 35th Street, and SIMEON MORGAN BARBER,
of No. 41 East 128th Street, all in the City of New York, County of New York,
State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in lanterns adapted
especially for use upon moving vehicles, and particularly designed for attachment
to the steering tube of a bicycle.
The object of the invention is to provide a lantern of simple and durable
construction, cheap in point of manufacture, and that will have the capacity for
projecting a strong beam of light of high illuminating power to a considerable
distance ahead. The construction of the lantern is such that a flame is supplied
with pre-heated air in such manner as to give it a high illuminating power and to
enable it to burn with great uniformity, and provision is made to protect the flame
from the disturbing effects of down draughts or sudden condensation of air within
the interior of the lantern. Another feature of the invention consists in means for
insuring against the descent of the wick in the wick-tube, which frequently occurs
in lanterns of the ordinary type in consequence of the jolting of the bicycle when
travelling over a rough road."
The lantern is adapted particularly for the consumption of petroleum and like
oils, which it has heretofore been found difficult to use successfully in bicycle
lanterns, because of various unfavourable conditions not present in a lantern
constructed in accordance with our invention.
In the accompanying drawings;
Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of a lantern embodying
our improvements, shown as attached to the steering head of a bicycle;
Figure 2 represents a top plan view of the lantern detached from the steering
head;
Figure 3 represents a vertical central section ;
Figure 4 represents a side elevation, partly broken away, of the inverted conical
deflector constituting one of the elements of the lantern;
Figure 5 represents a sectional view of certain details of construction;
Figure 6 represents a top plan view of the lantern font and its attached casing,
with the burner removed; and
Figure 7 represents, in side elevation, the interior flame chamber or chimney,
together with the back reflector and front spreader co-operating therewith, but
shown as disassembled in said figure.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.
Referring to the drawings, A indicates the outer casing of the lantern, preferably
circular in cross-section, strengthened above and below by the wiring b, and
provided with the customary coloured panes a forming the usual side lights.
B indicates the projecting door frame, having hinged thereto at c the flaring lens

page_text: في
holder C, containing the double eonvex lens d, suitably held in place therein, as for
instance by means of a ring (Fig. 5), or otherwise, said door frame being
adapted to be secured in its closed position by a spring catch d', as indicated
in Figs. 1 and 2.
Within the bottom of the casing A is removably secured the oil font E, provided
with a depressed flange el in its top within which is secured by a bayonet lock, ns
indicated at in Fig. 3, a wick-containing burner having a wick tube e³, adapted
to be raised or lowered by the usual wick raiser and lowerer f. The font is provided
at its upper portion with a circumferential flange having therein a circular series
of perforations, said flange being nipped between folds in the metal of a
easing g wired at its lower edge g and fitting snugly but removably within the
lower portion of the main casing A.
It will be observed that the construction just described provides an annular
chamber around the font, through which annular chamber the air which supplies
combustion enters, thereby keeping the font cool. The annular chamber is shut
off from communication with the external air except from below, as indicated, so
that the air enters from below with uniformity and rises about the font, undisturbed
by side drafts. The stem of the wick raiser, when the font is being inserted in the
main casing A, also serves as one member of a bayonet lock for securing the font
in place, the other or slotted member of said lock being a suitable slot. 4 in the main
casing, as shown in Fig. 1.
The font is provided with an annular step 1, preferably secured to the bottom of
the burner. This step projects beneath the wick tube in such manner as to deflect
the depending portion of the wick n out of line with the wick tube and bind it
between the wick tube and the forward edge of the step. The function of this
arrangement is to prevent the wick from being jolted down in the wick tube so as
to lower or extinguish the Bame. By means of the device described the wick is
secured against this contingency, and nevertheless still preserves such a location or
position in the font as not to collect sediment or to become gummed to any greater
degree than if freely hanging therein.
The wick tube of the burner extends up into a tubular chamber F, which serves
as a chimney to the flame, for the reason that the air supply is cut off from below
to said chamber, save through a limited area immediately surrounding the burner,
where the latter makes a somewhat loose fit with a lower aperture of the
chamber F. Through this limited area, a portion of the air enters, as indicated
the appropriate arrows in Fig. 3. The air, on entering through the perforations,
comes in immediate contact with the external wall of the chamber F, which, being
heated by the combustion within, imparts heat to the entering air and expands
and dries the air before it passes into the chamber F to the wick flame. As a
consequence, a clear, strong and steady flame of high illuminating power is secured,
instead of the less intense, dull and more variable flame incident to such constructions
as involve the direct supply of cold and moist air to the burning wick.
The chamber serves to protect the flame against side drafts and by having an
aperture 7, of large area, in the top, affords a ready egress for the products of
combustion thereby fully subserving the function of a chimney, wherein the
requisite steady but moderate draft of preheated air is supplied in adequato and
regulated quantity to the flame. It also serves to confine the light rays within a
limited space, so as to present in front of the back reflector, an area filled with
light, and concentrates such light upon the back reflector from which it is re-
transmitted to a conical reflecting spreader I located at and fitting into the front
opening of the chamber F. The back reflector consists of a slightly concave
plate Ghaving a forwardly projecting frame g that fits removably over the rear
open end of the chimney F. The relative shape or configuration of the spreader El
is such that the rays of light impinging upon its inner surface are transmitted
through the lens d in a brond beam of diverging rays to a very considerable
distance ahead. The spreader His provided with a rim flange at its forward
cod that fits into the door frame B and against which the lens in the holder C

page_text: presses to hold it in place when the door is closed. The forward end of the
chimney F fits into the door frame B and is held in place and pressed against the
back reflector by means of the lens when the door C is closed. The back reflector
impinges at its sides against the rear wall of the casing A.
It will, of course, be understood that the back reflector and the conical spreader
are both provided with highly polished reflecting surfaces, and are preferably made of
nickel plated metal which has been buffed and then highly polished. It will also bo
noted that not only the inner periphery of the conical spreader, but also its outer
periphery, has the same high polish, so that all portions of the interior of the
chamber or chimney F become irradiated, so that there are no dark corners
therein; with the resultant effect that the reflecting function of the back reflector
is correspondingly enhanced.
A feature of special importance in my invention is the fact that both the back
reflector and the conical spreader are removable and separable from tho tubular
chamber F, so that they may be cleaned with facility, and so that should the polish
become dim or tarnished, they may be replated or re-buffed and re-polished. This
is of great importance from an economical stand-point, for the reason that the
tarnishing of the reflecting surfaces can be immediately compensated for by their
ready rehabilitation or replacement, which could not be the case if they wero
fixtures, incapable of removal.
The top of the lamp is removable from the main casing A, into which it fits
snugly, and is provided with a cylindrical upper portion or cap v, having perfora-
tions in its top and sides, as shown. An annular flange a attached to the top P so
as to form a part thereof, is provided on its inner periphery with studs or projec-
tions, as shown in Fig. 3, said studs being adapted to interlock with corresponding
grooves, as y, made in a depending flange y', of an inverted conical deflector L,
whereby said deflector is removably secured in place. The inverted conical
deflector has its apex immediately over the upper opening of the chamber or
chimney F, and is provided with a row of perforations, through which the
products of combustion enter the top of the lamp on their way out. Concentric
with and outside of the perforations is another series of perforation, made in
an annular flange, as shown. In the absence of any tendency to a down-draft in
the lantern, some portion of the products of combustion and hot air will perhaps
pass up through the perforations 2, as indicated by the arrows.
But the main
purpose and function of the perforations is to act as a safe-guard against the
interruption of the up-draft through the perforations, should the lantern
encounter any such extraordinary gust of wind as would render such safe-guard
necessary. Thus, we have ascertained experimentally that the tendency of any
cold air that could possibly reach the deflector from above will be to pass through
the outer perforations, without interfering with the up-draft through the
perforations ¹.
We make provision, however, for reducing the possibility of any such down-draft
to a minimum, by providing the top of the lantern with a plurality of open-work
dises or diaphragms of woven-wire, perforated metal, or the like, interposed
between the inverted conical deflector L and the openings or perforations of the
cap-portion of the top. These discs are preferably dome-shaped, as shown, and
the lower one p
is secured within the top above the deflector, and separated by an
intervening space from the upper une pl. The latter may conveniently be attached
to an annular ring på which is left imperforate, thereby forming with the inner
wall of the top an annular pocket within which any possible drippings of water
(which, in the event of the rider encountering a heavy rain storm might enter
from without), may be caught and evaporated by contact with the heated surfaces.
The convexity of the upper disc serves to slightly deflect the air that enters
through the side perforations of the cap portion of the lantern, in such
manner as to materially better the draft, and without creating a depression or
condensation of the air upon the flame, or interfering with the free egress of the
heated air.

page_text: From the outer surface of the casing A of the lantern project, on each side
thereof, perforated lugs t, through which pass rods e, encompassed above and below
by spiral springs t. These rols t' terminate at their ends in screw threads, upon
which are screwed the removable nuts 2, and between the springs and nuts are
located the terminal eyes of bails s', which are connected, at the rear of the lantern,
by a metallic strip w. The stripe is provided with projections or lugs ' in one
piece with the strip itself, and these lugs are bent as shown in such manner as to
form an enclosing clasp for the arm X of the usual bicycle bracket, illustrated in
Fig. 1 as mounted upon the steering head of a bicycle frame. A butterfly screw
bolt passes through the outer enils of the lugs to and through a screw-threaded
boss to affixed to one of said lugs, whereby the clasp can be clamped securely
upon or released from the bracket arm. In order to make the clasp more effective,
it is preferably lined with rubber, felt, or other compressible material . It will
be apparent that with this construction the lamp will move strictly in a vertical
plane and without the pitching that it would be subjected to in an inclined position,
and the side churning and spilling of the oil, which has been the great obstacle,
in lanterns, to the use of coal or mineral oils, is overcome.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In a lantern, the combination with the outer casing or body, of a font, a
transverse tubular chamber constituting a chimney within which the font wick
extends, a back reflector at the inner end of the tubular chamber, and n conical
reflecting sprender, separated from the walls of the tubular clumber by an
intervening space; substantially as described.
2. In a lantern, the combination with the outer casing or body, of a font, a
transverse tubular chamber constituting a chimney within which the fant wick
extends, a back reflector at the inner end of the tubular chamber, and an
independent conical reflecting spreader fitted removably within the outer end of
the tubular chamber; substantially as described.
3. In a lantern, the combination with the outer casing or body, of a font, a
transverse tubular chamber constituting a chimney within which the font wick
extends, a back reflector at the inner end of the tubular chamber, and a conical
reflecting spreader, separated from the walls of the tubular chamber by an
intervening space, said conical spreader having a reflecting surface on both its
inner and outer periphery, so as not only to project the light rays from the lantern
but to irradiate the interior of the chamber in advance of the inner edge of the
spreader; substantially as described.
4. In a lantern, the combination with the burner, of a wick-deflecting step,
extending beneath the wick tube and adapted to deflect the depending portion of
the wick out of line with the wick tube, and bind said depending portion between
the wick tube and step; substantially as described.
5. In a lantern, the combination with the top, having exit openings for heated
air and inlet openings for cold air, of a plurality of open-work discs, located below
said openings and separated from cach other by an intervening space; substantially
as described.
6. In lantern, the combination with the top, having exit openings for heated
air and inlet openings for cold air, of a plurality of open-work discs, located below
said openings and separated from each other by an intervening space, said top
being provided with an annular pocket to receive and evaporate water drippings
from the top disc; substantially as described.
7. In a lantern, the combination with the main body portion, of the upper and
lower bails, a strip of sheet metal connecting said bails and having projections or
lugs integral therewith and bent to form an enclosing clasp for a bracket arm, and
means for clamping the bent projections upon a bracket arm or releasing them
therefrom; substantially as described.

page_text: 8. The combination in a lantern, of the body, the top having its lower portion
fitted to the body, the deflector having an inverted depending conical portion
provided with openings, said deflector and top being removably connected by
bayonet locks; substantially as described.
9. In a lantern substantially as described, the combination with the body
provided at approximately opposite points with a plurality of lugs arranged, one
above the other, upper and lower bails extending around the back part of the
lantern and arranged one above the other, pins or rods connecting the end of the
upper and lower bails and passed through the lugs on the lautern body, nuts securing
said rods to the bails, springs bearing between said bails and the lugs, and a
connection between the rear portions of the bails; substantially as described.
10. The lantern herein described composed of the body having an opening in
its front and a back reflector within the body opposite said opening, and having a
rim, the tubular chamber or chimney fitting at its inner end within the rim of said
back reflector, the top having a detachable inverted conical deflector, the font, and
a casing surrounding the font and connected therewith and fitted and secured in
the bottom of the body; substantially as described.
11. In a lantern substantially as described, the combination of the body having
an opening, a reflector located within said body opposite said opening, a tubular
chamber or chimney inserted through said opening into the body and backing
against the reflector therein, said tubular chamber having openings for the wick
and for the passage of the products of combustion, and the door closing the opening
in the body and securing the tubular chamber in position; substantially as
described.
12. In a lantern substantially as described, the combination of the body having
an opening, a reflector located within said body opposite said opening, a tubular
chamber or chimney inserted through said opening into the body and backing
against the reflector therein, said tubular chamber having openings for the wick
and for the passage of the products of combustion, and the door closing the opening
in the body and securing the tubular chamber in position, and a conical reflecting
spreader fitting into the forward end of the chamber or chimney; substantially as
described.
13. In a lantern substantially as described, the combination of the body having
an opening, a back reflector in said body opposite such opening and provided with
a forwardly projecting rim flange, the tubular chimney having upper and lower
openings and fitting at its inner end within the cup-like rim flauge of the back
reflector, and the lens-carrying door securing the outer end of the tubular chimney
and pressing the said tubular chimney in contact with the back reflector whereby
the said tubular chimney is secured in position so that the proper relationship of
the lens to the back reflector is assured; substantially as described.
14. In a lantern, substantially as described, the combination with the body, of
the back reflector having an edge rim, the tubular chamber or chimney fitted at
its inner end removably within the edge rim of the back reflector, a conical
reflecting spreader fitted within the chimney, and means for securing the other end
of the tubular chimney; substantially as described.
15. In a lantern, substantially as described, the combination of the body, the
fout provided with an attached casing surrounding the font and having a continuous
annular space surrounding the font and open at the bottom and provided at the top
with a series of perforations for the passage of the air to the flame, such annular
air space being closed at its outer side; substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
16. In a lantern, the combination of the body, the top fitted removably to said
body and the inverted conical deflector carried by and held removably to said top,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
17. A lantern provided with a deflector having an inverted conical portion
provided near its top with a series of perforations and having at such top a flange

page_text: plate provided with a series of perforations ontside of and surrounding those in the
body portion of the deflector, the said two series forming separate passages for the
hot and cold air, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.