Improvements in Lamp-wicks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1390
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by BENJAMIN BIBB GROOM, of Pan Handle,
County of Carson, State of Texas, United States of America.]
Improvements in Lamp-wicks.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this improvement is to provide a simple, cheap and yet more
efficient wick for a lamp.
The improvement consists in a wick composed of fibrous material and a binding
substance uniting them together.
Preferably the fibrous material will be in a raw state, as distinguished from
being spun or woven, and will be combed or carded to form a layer of substantially
uniform thickness. The outer portions of this layer will be coated with a com-
paratively thick adhesive substance and so formed into protective skins. The
interior will, however, be treated to a thin or dilute adhesive substance and hence
will be open and loose in texture and thereby afford provision for a free circulation
of oil.
The protective skins and the interior body of mass of fibrous material may be
braced or stayed by cross braces, as, for instance, by rows of stitching.
The fibre may be prepared by subjecting it to treatment with an alkali whereby
oleaginous materials may be removed from it.
Dated this 24th day of June 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamp-wicks.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The object of this improvement is to provide a simple, cheap and yet more
effective wick for a lamp.
The improvement consists in a wick composed of fibrous material and a binding
substance uniting them together.
Preferably the fibrous material will be in a raw state, as distinguished from
being spun or woven, and will be combed or carded to form a layer of substantially
uniform thickness. The outer portions of this layer will be coated with a com-
paratively thick adhesive substance and so formed into protective skins. The
interior will, however, be treated to a thin or dilute adhesive substance and hence
will be open and loose in texture and thereby afford provision for a free circulation
of oil.
The protective skins and the interior body or mass of fibrous material may be
braced or stayed by cross braces, as for instance, by rows of stitching.
The fibre may be prepared by subjecting it to treatment with an alkali, whereby
oleaginous materials may be removed from it.
It may be found advantageous to provide the protective skins with perforations

page_text: to afford facility for oil flowing through them to the fibrous material which is
between them.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a lamp wick made of my improved
material; and
f.
Figure 2 a transverse section of the same upon a larger scale.
Any suitable quantity of raw cotton is immersed in a solution of caustic soda,
which may be in the proportion of one-half of an ounce of the soda to three gallons
of water, and the cotton allowed to remain in the alkaline solution till the mass is
thoroughly saturated, which will have the effect of removing oleaginous matter
from the cotton, and preparing it for after treatment. The cotton is then removed
from the alkaline bath and the surplus liquid removed by pressure or other suitable
means. The cotton is then carded by the ordinary well known mechanism into
slivers or sheets, of which a suitable number are placed one upon the other to form
a combined sheet having a thickness depending upon the thickness of the wick or
wick material required to be produced. The sheet of carded cotton thus produced
is then passed through or immersed in a thin solution or preparation of some
suitable adhesive material, preferably of starch and water made hot. The cotton
is allowed to remain in the same starch or other adhesive material till said cotton is
completely saturated with the starch or adhesive material which serves to bind
together and stiffen the fibres. The surplus starch or adhesive material, is then, by
rollers or other suitable means, pressed out of the sheet. The two exterior
surfaces of the sheet are then coated with a thick solution of the starch or other
suitable adhesive material, and then passed between pressure rolls by which the
adhesive coating is pressed into the surfaces of the sheet, impregnating the same
and producing in or upon said surfaces firm protective skins of compressed' cotton
fibre and compressed impregnating adhesive material which is tough and even,
while the interior fibres are, by this rolling pressure, somewhat loosened and
rendered pliable and porous or open. When the sheet thus made is dried it is
ready for use and may be cut into wicks of the required length and width. 'It may
be braced by rows of stitching.
In the drawing, A indicates a wick made from the prepared cotton material as
described, a a indicating the inner cotton slivers, of which there may be any desired
number, bb indicating the outer compressed skins of the wick, and c c indicating
longitudinal rows of stitching, d d indicate perforations through the compressed
skins. They will preferably be provided because they will facilitate the passage of
oil through to the inner slivers.
The wick material produced from cotton prepared substantially as described, will
present a thick mass of cotton in a fibrous elastic form in its interior, and having a
comparatively inelastic surface or protective skin on its exterior, thus admirably
providing alike both for a good capillary action of the wick and a tough gripping
surface on its exterior for the ratchet wheel or means used to raise and lower the
wick when applied to the lamp. It will be understood that any of the ordinary
cotton mechanisms may be used in preparing my improved wick material, such as
the ordinary vats, carding machines, starching or sizing machines, pressure rollers,
and drying chambers or devices. As all of these devices are well known, a special
description of them is not here necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. As a new article of manufacture, a wick material composed of raw fibrous
material and a binding substance.
2. As a new article of manufacture, a wick material made of raw fibrous material
having its interior stiffened and held with adhesive substance, and its exterior
surfaces formed with a protective skin of compressed fibres and adhesive
substance.

page_text: 3. A wick material composed of fibrous material in a raw state and adhesive
substances of different consistencies on the inner and outer fibres.
4. A wick material composed upon its interior of stiffened fibrous material in a
raw state having the oleaginous matter essentially removed therefrom, and with the
exterior surfaces of the sheet made of an increased density and hardness.
5. A wick material composed of raw fibrous material made to form outer skins
and cross braces preferably consisting of rows of stitching.
6. A wick material composed internally of cotton having the oleaginous material
essentially removed therefrom, and having exterior surfaces formed with a protective
skin of compressed cotton and an impregnating adhesive substance.
Dated this 20th day of March 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE, & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.