IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LAMP WICKS
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Vasconcellos Houghton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
March 1863. Partly a communication from abroad by David Eldon
Hall, residing at Brooklyn, New York, in the United States of America.
I, VASCONCELLOS HOUGHTON, of No. 2, Merton Road, Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LAMP WICKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lamps and lamp wicks,"
and is applicable in constructing lamps and in making wicks which are moro
particularly intended to be used when burning hydrocarbons. In order to
adjust and regulate the supply of air into the vessel containing the fluid to be
burned, and above the surface of the fluid therein, a diaphragm is applied at
the upper part of such vessel, below which there is an air passage or tube
through which air passes to and mixes with the vapours rising from the
hydrocarbon or burning fluid in the vessel, and such mixture rises up a tubo
or passage which ascends near to the flame of the lamp and is consumed
thereby. The wick, manufactured as hereafter described, is placed within a
wick tube, through which tube holes are formed in which the teeth of a wheel
pass. This wheel works through a slot in the burner tube, and such wheel is
on a suitable axis, so that by turning the axis the wick tube and the wick
therein are raised or lowered through the burner tube. There is an apparatus
at the upper part of the burner for deflecting the air on to the flame on either
side. This apparatus consists of two bent plates, one on each side of the
burner tube. These plates are placed on horizontal axes near the middle, and

page_text: each plate is formed with a hollow bend above, and another such bend below
the axis, the hollows of the bends in the plates being towards the wick. The
axes of these plates are capable of being moved so as to adjust the positions of
the plates, and these plates are capable of being closed together at their upper
edges. Above the diaphragm above mentioned is a chamber perforated with
holes at the sides but closed at top, excepting where the two plates pass partly
through an opening, the axes of the two plates being on either side of the
opening, so that there is one bend of each plate within and another bend
without such chamber. The wick and wick tube also passes through such
opening and between the axes which carry the two bent plates, hence the air
entering the chamber, as well as the vapour arising through the diaphragm, are
received between the two bent plates, they rise up between such plates, and
are deflected by the upper bends of the plates on to the flame at the upper
end of the wick. When two wicks are used, edge to edge, openings are made
in the wick tube, and above such openings the wick tube is closed, by which
some of the air will pass into the wick tube and go off laterally, as it will be
prevented rising directly upwards by the closed part of the wick tube. The
lower end of the chimney is secured by springs or spring clips, and the lower
part of a globe, when used, is retained in position by spiral springs.
In making wicks for lamps wherein hydrocarbons are burned each wick is,
at its upper end, where the hydrocarbon is inflamed, composed of a mineral
substance which will not burn, whilst the lower part of the wick, which
descends into the fluid, is composed of cotton or other fibrous substance suit-
able for bringing up the fluid to the mineral upper wick. The mineral portion
of the wick is inserted in the upper part of the wick tube above described; and
the fibrous portion of the wick is introduced into the lower part of such wick
tube in such manner that the upper part of the fibrous wick comes against the
lower part of the mineral wick, by which the liquid which rises up the fibrous
portion of the wick passes from its upper end into the lower end of the mineral
wick, which is short, and in fact may be said to form only the tip of the com-
bined wick, and the teeth of the wheel, which passes into the wick tube and
into the parts of the wick, will retain them together. The mineral portion of
the wick is made in the following manner:-I take sulphate of lime, a solution
of borax, alum, and phosphate of ammonia, and mix them thoroughly together,
using warm water to facilitate the thorough mixing; after which it should be
dried in an oven and then pulverized, and is ready for use. In making the
mineral wick tip I take a proper quantity of said pulverized material and
moisten it with a weak solution of silicate of soda or soluble glass until it
attains the consistency of paste or putty, and amianthus partially ground is

page_text: mixed in with the mass, and then the same is spread upon a table or formed
into sheets of the desired size, and a layer of amianthus in threads is placed
thereon, and then the sheet or strip is folded upon itself and pressed to the
required thickness for the mineral tip, and may then be cut off and formed up
into the required size and shape of the mineral wick tip. This mineral tip
when used with petroleum slightly effervesces when first employed. Clay or
any other suitable mineral substance may be employed with the amianthus
or similar mineral substance to enclose the same and form the mineral tips,
which tips are not injured by the heat and serve as a protection to the wick,
which, by its capillary attraction, draws the material being burnt to the
mineral tip.
Lamps and wicks may, according to the above Invention, be arranged to
produce flat or hollow flames, and, when desired, provision may be made for
employing two or more wicks, whether of a cylindrical or other form.