IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY AND OTHER LAMPS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Edward Crawley, of 17, Gracechurch Street,
E.C., and Theodore Schneider, of 74, Horseferry Road, Westminster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY AND OTHER LAMPS."
Sealed the 16th July 1861, and dated the 29th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Edward Crawley
and Theodore Schneider at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 29th January 1861.
We, CHARLES EDWARD CRAWLEY, of 17, Gracechurch Street, E.C., and:
THEODORE SCHNEIDER, of 74, Horseferry Road, Westminster, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY AND THER LAMPS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in safety and other lamps.
In the construction of safety lamps in which a ring or argand burner is em-
ployed, some difficulty has been experienced in arranging in a convenient
manner the apparatus for raising and lowering the wick.
Now according to our Invention we employ the following arrangement:—
Into the bottom of the oil vessel is fixed the vertical tube, which serves to
supply air to the interior of the flame, the tube being open at the bottom for
the purpose; on the exterior of this tube a spiral groove is cut, and there is a
metal ring which fits over this tube so as to slide freely thereon. The wick is
fixed on to this metal ring, and is with it slid over the vertical tube. Within
the metal ring is a pin or stud (or it may be a worm) which enters the spiral

page_text: groove in the tube; there is also a similar pin or stud on the exterior of the
ring, and this enters another groove, which runs vertically from end to end of
an exterior tube which surrounds the vertical tube first mentioned, there being
a sufficient space for the wick between the two tubes. On the exterior tube
a spur wheel is fixed, which gears with a pinion also within the oil vessel, the
axis of this pinion passes out through the upper part of the oil vessel, and
receives a key or head, by means of which it may be turned, and it will be
seen that the turning this axis will raise and lower the wick, and that this may
be done with facility without opening the case of the lamp.
When the apparatus is arranged in the manner above described, the wick
will be rotated at the same time that it is raised or lowered; this may be
avoided by the use of a double ring, the part which carries the wick being
capable of turning freely on the other part in which the pins or studs are fixed,
the wick carrier is thus set free, and it may further be held from turning by a
pin on its interior and entering an additional groove made straight from end to
end of the vertical tube.
t
A somewhat similar arrangement is applicable when a solid wick in place of
an argand lamp. is employed. In this case, the tubular wick carrier has a pro-
jection or stud on its exterior, and it fits within an upright tube fixed to the
bottom of the oil vessel, the stud projecting through a spiral slot in the fixed
tube. Exterior of this is a third tube with a vertical slot in it, into which the
projection or stud also enters, so that by turning this exterior tube the wick
will be raised or lowered. This is done by spur gear applied as before.
In argand safety lamps, in place of the arrangement first described, we in
some cases simply slide the wick over the vertical tube before mentioned, and
employ a pair of jaws or nippers to raise and lower the wick; these jaws are
mounted so that they can slide up and down within the oil vessel in a vertical
direction. The arms which carry the jaws are springs, and tend to keep the
jaws at a distance from the wick, the spring arms pass through a loop or eye
of metal at the lower end of a rod which passes out at the top of the oil vessel
and receives a key or handle, by turning this rod the jaws will be forced in
towards the wick, and then by moving the rod up or down, the wick will be
carried in the same direction; or the spring arms may be made so as to tend
to close the jaws on the wick. In this case the end of a rod which receives a
key or head at the top is made to pass down through the upper part of the oil
vessel, so that its lower end passes between the spring jaws. This end is so
formed that when the rod is in one position it allows the jaws to clip the wick;
but by turning it partly round it forces the jaws open, the wick is moved ns
before by drawing the rod with the jaws up or down, when the jaws are closed

page_text: on the wick; jaws may also be employed carried by spring arms tending as
before to cause the jaws to nip the wick, such jaws being attached to the lower
end of a rod passing down through the top of the oil vessel, these jaws embrace
the lower end of the wick, which thus will be drawn up with the rod to which
the nippers are attached, and when the nippers come to the top of the oil
vessel they are opened by a wedge or projection attached to the upper part of
the oil vessel, and which enters between the spring arms which carry the jaws,
and by opening the jaws releases the end of the wick; this allows of the end of
the wick being easily removed; when the lamp is trimmed the new wick, which
is to be put in, requires only to be placed on the upper end of the vertical tube,
and by pushing down the rod and nippers, the latter will take hold of the new
wick and carry it down.
In argand safety lamps it is necessary to employ, in addition to the ordinary
gauze cylinder a gauze at the bottom to cover the passage, by which air passes
to the interior of the flame; this gauze is held in its place by a screw ring
which allows of its being removed when it requires cleaning, hence in applying
a lock or fastening to the lamp to prevent the opening of it whilst in use, it is
necessary that both the top and bottom gauze should be secured, this we do
by means of one instrument which serves to secure both the gauzes; it consists
of a spindle or rod passing down within a tube which descends through the oik
vessel. The spindle or rod is made at one end to receive a key, by which it
can be turned round. The screw ring of the lower gauze has a notch formed
in it, and when the lamp is locked, a portion at the lower end of the spindle
or rod enters this notch, and prevents the ring turning. In unlocking, by.
partially rotating the rod or spindle, the notch is freed, and the ring is then
able to turn. The rod or spindle is prevented turning, except when the key
is applied by a spring catch entering notches in a disc fixed on the rod on
spindle, the same catch also serves to lock the upper gauze, a portion thereof
entering a recess in the gauze ring, and holding it except when the rod on
spindle and the disc thereon are so placed that a notch of sufficient depth to.
allow the catch to recedo is brought opposite to it. In order to prevent the
handles of safety lamps becoming heated, which in safety lamps as heretofore
constructed at times produces great inconvenience, we in place of passing the
ring or handle directly through the swivel at the top of the lamp, as is usual,
cause the swivel to pass through a piece of wood or other material which will not
conduct beat, and we attach the handle to this piece of wood or non-conducting
material. Should it be considered desirable to place the handle at the side of
the lamp in place of at the top a non-conducting material may be introduced
between it and the lamp to prevent it becoming heated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Edward Crawley and Theodore Schneider in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 29th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
EDWARD CRAWLEY, of 17, Gracechurch Street, E.C., and THEODORE SCHNEIDER,
of 74, Horseferry Road, Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one; in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Charles Edward Crawley and Theodore Schneider, Her special
licence that we, the said Charles Edward Crawley and Theodore Schneider, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles
Edward Crawley and Theodore Schneider, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times hereafter 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 SAFETY AND OTHER LAMPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Charles Edward Crawley and Theodore Schneider,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 Charles Edward Crawley, on behalf
of myself and the said Theodore Schneider, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in safety and other lamps.
In the construction of safety lamps in which a ring or argand burner is
employed some difficulty has been experienced in arranging in a convenient
manner the apparatus for raising and lowering the wick.

page_text: Now according to our Invention we employ the arrangement of which a
vertical section is shown at Figure 1 of the annexed Drawing.
Into the bottom of the oil vessel a is fixed the vertical tube b, which serves to
supply air to the interior of the flame, the tube 6 being open at the bottom for
the purpose. On the exterior of this tube a spiral groove b' is cut, and there
is a metal ring c which fits over this tube so as to slide freely thereon. The
wick d is fixed on to this metal ring, and is with it slid, over the vertical
tube b. Within the metal ring is a pin or stud (or it may be a worm) c',
which enters the spiral groove 6' in the tube. There is also a similar pin or
stud on the exterior of the ring, and this enters another groove e' which
runs vertically from end to end of an exterior tube e which surrounds the
vertical tubo 6 first mentioned, there being a sufficient space for the wick
between the two tubes. On the exterior tube e a spur wheelf is fixed, which
gears with a pinion g, also within the oil vessel; the axis g¹ of this pinion
passes out through the upper part of the oil vessel, and receives a key or head g²,
by means of which it may be turned, and it will be seen that the turning this
axis g will raise and lower the wick, and that this may be done with facility
without opening the case of the lamp. When the apparatus is arranged in
the manner above described, the wick will be rotated at the same time that it
is raised or lowered, this may be avoided by slightly modifying the arrange-
ment of the apparatus.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of an oil vessel and burner in which the wick
may be raised or lowered without turning; this is effected by the use of a
double ring in place of the single ring c, Figure 1, the part of this ring
which carries the wick being capable of turning freely on the other part c, in
which the pins or studs c³ and c³ are fixed as before; the wick carrier is thus
set free, and it may further be held from turning by a pin fixed on its
interior, and entering an additional groove made straight from end to end
of the vertical tube, and somewhat deeper than the spiral groove b. A some-
what similar arrangement is applicable when a solid wick lamp in place of an
argand lamp is employed. In this case the tubular wick carrier h has a
projection or stud h' on its exterior, and it fits within an upright tube i fixed
to the bottom of the oil vessel, the stud h¹ projecting through a spiral slot in
the fixed tube; exterior of this is a third tube j with a vertical slot in it, into
which the projection or stud h' also enters, so that by turning this exterior
tube the wick will be raised or lowered. This is done by spur gear
applied as before.
In argand safety lamps, in place of the arrangement first described, we, in
some cases simply slide the wick over the vertical tube before mentioned, and

page_text: employ a pair of jaws or nippers to raise and lower the wick, a vertical section
of such an arrangement is shown at Figure 4, and a horizontal section at
Figure 5. a is the oil vessel; b, a vertical tube fixed in the bottom of the oil
vessel and open below to supply air to the flame; 1, 1, are the jaws or nippers.
These jaws are mounted so that they can slide up and down within the oil vessel
in a vertical direction on a pin m fixed into the bottom of the oil vessel. The
arms A, which carry the jaws are springs, and tend to keep the jaws at a distance
from the wick n. The spring arms pass through a loop or eye of metal o at the
lower end of a rod o, which passes out at the top of the oil vessel and receives
a koy or handle o*. By turning this rod the jaws l will be forced in towards
the wick n, and then by moving the rod o up or down the wick will be carried
in the same direction. Or the spring arms may be made so as to tend to close
the jaws on the wick. Such an arrangement is shewn at Figures 6 and 7,
Figure 6 being a vertical section, and Figure 7 a horizontal section thereof.
In this case the end of a rod o, which receives a key or head o at the top,
is made to pass down through the upper part of the oil vessel so that its lower
end passes between the spring arms l' of the jaws l; the lower end of the
rodo is so formed that when the rod is in one position it allows the jaws / to
clip the wick n, but by turning it partly round it forces the jaws open. The
wick is moved as before, by drawing the rod o with the jaws 7 up or down
when the jaws are closed on the wick. Jaws may also be employed carried
by spring arms, tending as before to cause the jaws to nip the wick, such jaws
as is shewn in Figure 8, which are vertical and horizontal sections of the
arrangement, being attached to the lower end of a rod o passing down through
the top of the oil vessel; these jaws 7 embrace the lower end of the wick,
which thus will be drawn up or down with the rod. This rod has a screw
thread cut and also a longitudinal groove cut upon it, into the latter of which
the end of a small pin p fixed in the boss a' on the oil vessel a enters so as to
prevent the rod o turning, but it is capable of sliding up and down through
the boss a'. g is a nut screwing on to the rod o, by turning which the rod
with the nippers can be raised or lowered; the nut is secured in its place by
a neck g' upon it entering a recess in the boss a¹ and a pin r screwed into
the boss, so that its end may enter a ring groovo cut in the neck. When the
nippers come to the top of the oil vessel they are opened by a wedge or pro-
jection s attached to the upper part of the oil vessel, and which enters between
the spring arms which carry the jaws, and by opening the jaws releases the
end of the wick n; this allows of the end of the wick being easily removed.
When the lamp is trimmed, the new wick which is to be put in requires only
to be placed on the upper end of the vertical tube b, and by pushing down

page_text: the rod and nippers the latter will take hold of the new wick, and carry it
down.
In Argand safety. lamps, it is necessary to employ, in addition to the
ordinary gauze cylinder, a gauze at the bottom to cover the passage by which
air passes to the interior of the frame. This gauze in Figure 1 is marked t;
it is held in its place by a ring u fixed by a screw or bayonet joint, which
allows of its being removed when it requires cleaning; hence, in applying a
lock or fastening to the lamp to prevent the opening of it whilst in use, it is
necessary that both the top and bottom gauze should be secured; this we do
by means of one instrument, which serves to secure both the gauzes. It
consists of a spindle or rod v passing down within a tube w, which descends
through the oil vessel. The spindle or rod v is made at its upper end to
receive a key by which it can be turned round. The screw ring of the lower
gauze has a notch or recess formed in it corresponding in form with the end
of the spindle or rod v, and when the lamp is locked, a portion at the lower
end of the spindle or rod enters this notch, and prevents the ring turning.
In unlocking, by partially rotating the rod or spindle, the notch is freed, and
the ring is then able to turn.
The rod or spindle v is prevented turning except when the key is applied
by a spring catch entering a notch in a disc or head on the rod or spindle;
the same catch also serves to lock the upper gauze, a portion thereof entering
a recess in the gauze ring and holding it, except when the rod or spindle,
and the disc or head thereon are so placed that a notch of sufficient depth to
allow the catch to recede is brought opposite to it.
In order to cause the lower end of the spindle or rod v to descend into and
rise out of the recess in the gauze ring when it is turned, an inclined groove vi
is cut in it, and into this a pin x enters. This pin is fitted into a hole bored
in the position shown horizontally into the upper part of the oil vessel. In
order to prevent the spindle or rod v turning accidentally with the shaking
and blows to which the lamp may be subjected, there is a notch formed at the
upper part of the inclined groove u, and a small spiral spring is placed
under the spindle v, so that as soon as the pin a reaches the notch, the spindle-
is thrown up a short distance and secured. The pin a also serves as a spring
catch to lock the upper gauze ring y of the lamp. Its end when the lamp is
unlocked finds the portion of the groove opposite it-of-sufficient depth to
ย
allow it to advance, its spiral spring throwing it forward sufficiently to
withdraw its other end from the socket into which the upper gauze ring y
enters, but at other times it does not find the groove of such a depth, and
consequently projects into the socket for the upper gauze ring, and enters a

page_text: hole or recess in this ring, thus locking it. To unfasten the lamp by means of
a suitable key, the spindle v is pressed down, and then turned partly round.
To prevent the miners tampering with the fastening, a form difficult to imitate
may be given to the key. It is preferable however, to place a metallic seal
over the head of the spindle v, but this seal forming no part of our Invention
it is not necessary that we should more particularly describe it.
In order to prevent the handles of safety lamps becoming heated, which in
safety lamps as heretofore constructed at times produces great inconvenience,
we in place of passing the ring or handle directly through the swivel at the
top of the lamp as is usual, cause the swivel A as is shewn at Figure 1 to
pass through a piece of wood or other material B, which will not conduct
heat, and we attach the handle C to this piece of wood or non-conducting
material. Should it be considered desirable to place the handle at the side
of the lamp in place of at the top, a non-conducting material may be intro-
duced between it and the lamp to prevent it becoming heated. This improve-
ment is applicable to other lamps in which the handle is so placed as to be
liable to be heated by the flame.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Edward Crawley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
CHARLES EDW". CRAWLEY. (L.8.)