Year: 1888

page_text: I, PIERRE DRONIER, of No. 16, Rue Demarquay, Paris in the republic of France,
Chemist, 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:-
This invention relates to that class of lamp in which light is produced by the
combustion of a wire or strip of magnesium and the improved lamp is represented in
the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the principal parts of the lamp.
Figure 2 is a view showing the feed arrangement, and
Figures 3 and 4 are details drawn to an enlarged scale.
I is the principal part of an electro-motor which drives a shaft H carrying a
worm G.
Instead of an electro-motor however I can employ any other suitable
motor for operating the lamp.
The worm G gears with a worm wheel and thereby rotates a shaft r which operates
rollers C, C.-The magnesium m is drawn by these rollers from a reel or bobbin α,
figure 2, which rotates on a pivot b. On passing from the bobbin a the strip of
magnesium passes over small rollers i, j, k, l, so as to take a rectilinear form. The
rollers C are shown in figure 4 narrower than the strip of magnesium which they
draw down, and a part of their circumference engages in a longitudinal slot h
(figures 3 and 4) formed in a guide tube g; by this means the strip of magnesium
is fed through the guide tube in an easy and regular manner. The magnesium
descends through and issues from the guide tube vertically and is consumed at
the point A, figure 1.
The tube extends below a plate XX, and is enclosed within a tube B B
provided at its lower part with a mass of metal M or other suitable substance fixed
thereto by means of a screw N. This mass can be replaced by a metal chamber
which can be filled with water or other suitable liquid.
Below the plate X is a cone K which surrounds the mass of metal M and extends
nearly to the level of its base o; from this cone leads a chimney R through which
passes off the surplus of magnesia not retained by the mass of metal M. The whole
apparatus below the plate X X can be enclosed in a glass globe or chamber Z. The
globe is provided at its lower part with a receiver Q, preferably of glass or of other

page_text: suitable material and which contains a removable vessel in which the magnesia
accumulates and whence it can be removed; the object of this arrangement is to
prevent a too great degree of opaqueness at the bottom of the lamp.
The air necessary for the combustion passes through a series of holes formed in a
circle in the plate X X; only two holes a, x are shown in the drawing at figure 1.
When it is desired to burn the lamp in an explosive or inflammable atmosphere these
holes are provided with wire gauze to prevent the flame communicating with such
atmosphere.
When the strip of magnesium is ignited at A, and the shaft H is set in motion the
feeding of the lamp commences. The magnesia produced by the combustion is
divided into three different portions; the first portion becomes attached to the base o
of the mass M whence it falls little by little into the receptacle placed at the bottom
of the apparatus. The second portion in the form of a light fume or smoke passes
into the space between the cone K and the mass of metal M, and finally escapes
through the chimney R; the third portion depending from the magnesium whilo
burning becomes separated therefrom and falls into the lower receptacle which is
empty, or partly filled with a suitable liquid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a magnesium lamp the use of a chimney for getting rid of the fumes by
means of a natural or induced draught, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In a magnesium lamp feeding the magnesium through a vertical tube and in a
downward direction to the place where it is to be burned, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In a magnesium lamp the use of a metallic or non-metallic mass to retain the
greater portion of the magnesia produced by the combustion, substantially as herein-
before described.
4. In a magnesium lamp the use of a transparent globe in combination with a plate
perforated with holes (which are in some cases provided with wire gauze) for
admitting air substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In a magnesium lamp the use of rollers or their equivalents for straigthening
the magnesium riband or wire, substantially as herein before described.
6. In a magnesium lamp the use of a transparent or other receptacle placed in the
lower part of the apparatus, either empty or filled with a suitable liquid, for receiving
the magnesium, substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. In a magnesium lamp the use of a removable transparent receptacle for con-
cealing the magnesia and diminishing the shadow produced, substantially as herein-
before described.
8. In a magnesium lamp the combination with a slotted tube, of two rollers,
narrower than the magnesium strip or band, passing into the said tube for feeding
the magnesium strip, substantially as hereinbefore described.
9. The improved magnesium lamp, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
TL JM 1 1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.