IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Ravenscroft, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Warehouseman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LAMPS."
Sealed the 11th January 1868, and dated the 27th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Ravenscroft at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th July 1867.
I, EDWARD RAVENSCROFT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Warehouseman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to lamps in which flat wicks are principally employed,
and consists of the improvements herein-after described in the arrangement
of the wicks, wick holders, and burners of the said lamps.
My Invention is especially applicable to lamps for railway carriages and
other lamps in which the reservoir containing the oil is situated above the
burner; but it is also applicable to lamps in which the reservoir is situated
below the burner.
In arranging the wicks, wick holders, and burners of lamps according to

page_text: my Invention I employ by preference three of the said flat wicks, wick
holders, and burners, and arrange them radially so that the plane of each
wick, wick holder, and burner forms an angle of one hundred and twenty
degrees with the wick, wick holder, and burner on either side of it. The
burners may open into each other, or they may communicate separately with
the reservoir. By arranging the wicks, wick holders, and burners in the
manner described an equal illumination is obtained on all sides of the lamp,
which is not the case with lamps having one flat wick, wick holder, and
burner.
Although my Invention is best carried into effect by the use of three flat
wicks, wick holders, and burners arranged in the manner described, yet two
flat wicks, wick holders, and burners, or more than three may be employed
with nearly the same effect. When two flat wicks, wick holders, and burners
are employed I arrange them in planes at right angles to one another, and
when more than three wicks, wick holders, and burners are employed I prefer
to arrange them radially and at equal distances apart.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Ravenscroft in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
RAVENSCROFT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Warehouseman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Ravenscroft, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Ravenscroft,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Ravenscroft, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 LAMPS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Ravenscroft, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of

page_text: their hands and seals, 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 Edward Ravenscroft, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to lamps in which flat wicks are principally employed,
and consists of the arrangement of the wicks, wick holders, and burners of the
said lamps.
My Invention is especially applicable to lamps for railway carriages and
other lamps in which the reservoir containing the oil is situated above the
burner; but is also applicable to lamps in which the reservoir is situated
below the burner.
In arranging the wicks, wick holders, and burners of lamps according to
my Invention I employ by preference three of the said flat wicks, wick
holders, and burners, and arrange them radially so that the plane of each
wick, wick holder, and burner forms an angle of one hundred and twenty
degrees with the wick, wick holder, and burner on either side of it. The
burners may open into each other, or they may communicate separately with
the reservoir. By arranging the wicks, wick holders, and burners in the
manner described an equal illumination is obtained on all sides of the lamp,
which is not the case with lamps having one flat wick, wick holder, and
burner. Two or more than three wicks, wick holders, and burners may be
used with the same effect.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe with
reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in which the same is to
be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation a railway roof lamp containing a compound
burner constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 represents an eleva-
tion of the said burner and reservoir of the same detached from the lamp;
Figure 3 represents in plan on a larger scale the compound burner without
the wick holders; Figure 4 represents the same combined with the wick
holders; and Figure 5 represents an elevation of the wick holders separately.
The same letters of reference are employed to indicate the same parts in each
Figure of the Drawing.
a is the case of the lamp; b, the reservoir containing the oil; and C, the

page_text: tube or pipe suppling the oil to the burner, the said parts a, b, and c being
of the ordinary construction. The burner consists of three flat tubes closed at
bottom and arranged radially, the said tubes being marked respectively d, e, f.
The said flat tubes are joined together and open into each other at their inner
ends, and make with each other angles of one hundred and twenty degrees.
The pipe or tube c from the reservoir 6 opens into the compound burner d, e, ƒ ;
or each of the burners may be closed at its inner end and communicate
separately with the reservoir. In the said burners d, e, f, a compound wick
holder consisting of three single wick bolders d³, e, f, is placed; each wick
holder consists of a short tube or ring to which a plate is connected on one
side of and extending some distance below it, as represented. The single
wick holders d³, e³, f³, are connected together by being soldered to the frame g,
the said frame having the same figure as but somewhat smaller than the
compound burner d, e, f, as will be understood by an examination of the plan,
Figure 4, and elevation, Figure 5, of the said compound wick holder. In
each of the wick holders d, e, f, a flat wick is placed which takes up oil
from the burners d, e, f, supplied by the pipe or tube c. By arranging the
wicks, wick holders, and burners in the manner described and illustrated in
the Drawing an equal amount of illumination is obtained on all sides of the
lamp.
Although my Invention is best carried into effect by the use of three flat
wicks, wick holders, and burners arranged in the manner described and illus-
trated, yet two flat wicks, wick holders, and burners or more than three may
be employed with nearly the same effect. When two flat wicks, wick holders,
and burners are employed I arrange them in planes at right angles to one
another, and when more than three wicks, wick holders, and burners are
employed I prefer to arrange them radially and at equal distances apart.
Although I have only represented my improved compound burner in
connection with a railway carriage roof lamp, yet compound burners con-
structed according to my Invention may be applied to all lamps in which flat
wicks are or may be used.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I
claim as my Invention the improvements in lamps herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, combining or
arranging two, three, or more flat wicks, wick holders, and burners so as to

page_text: form a compound burner, substantially in the manner described and illus-
trated, whereby an equal illumination is obtained on all sides of the lamp in
which the compound burner is used.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Ravenscroft, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
EDWARD RAVENSCROFT. (LS.)