IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING VOLATILE HYDROCARBONS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Edward Hearson, of No. 115, Southwark Street,
in the County of Surrey, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LAMPS FOR BURNING VOLATILE HYDROCARBONS."
led the 25th February 1879, and dated the 30th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Edward Hearson at
)
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1878.
CHARLES EDWARD HEARSON, of No. 115, Southwark Street, in the County of
Surrey, Gas Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING VOLATILE HYDRO-
CARBONS."
My improvements relate chiefly to lamps constructed as described in the Specifi
cation of Letters Patent granted to me, and bearing date the 7th May, A.D. 1877;
No. 1769, but are also in part applicable to other lamps for burning volatile hydro-
carbons.
My present Invention consists in so constructing and arranging the tubes and
passages through which the spirit and vapour pass as to facilitate access to the
interior thereof, and to prevent air or vapour from entering the spirit tube, i.e., the
tube leading from the spirit reservoir to the vaporizing tube, and in so arranging
the valve for regulating the flow of the spirit as to prevent leakage.
My said Invention also consists of an improved arrangement of burner and appa-
ratus for vaporizing the spirit.
I construct and arrange the foregoing parts as follows:-Instead of fixing on the
vaporizing tube the valve for regulating the flow of spirit thereto, I fix to the upper
end of the spirit tube a conical valve, the inlet of which communicates with the
reservoir, the said valve being contained in the said reservoir, and the spindle of
the said valve passing through the upper part of the said reservoir. I use a spirit
tube of rather less than one-eighth of an inch bore. The lower end of the said tube
I fit into a short tube having an elbow into which one end of the vaporizing
tube is screwed. The said short tube is of such internal diameter as to leave an
[Price Gd1

page_text: annular space between the said tube and the spirit tube, the lower end of which
descends nearly to the bottom of the said short tube. The spirit from the spirit
tube rises into the said annular space until it reaches the level of the vaporizing
tube, into which it then flows. Air or vapour is thus prevented from passing from
the said vaporizing tube into the said spirit tube.
The burner of the lamp and the apparatus for heating the vaporizing tube and
for regulating the flow of the gas are constructed and arranged as follows:-On the
end of the vaporizing tube is screwed a casting, in which are formed a vertical
passage and a horizontal passage, the lower end of the former leading into the
latter, which leads into a vertical passage, the exit end of which is furnished
with an adjustable conical valve, by which the flow of the gas which passes
through the said passages on its way to the burner is regulated or shut off as
required. Above the exit aperture aforesaid, and at a short distance therefrom, is
the burner tube, the upper end of which carries the burner, the lower end being
open to the atmosphere, so that as the gas from the exit aperture rushes up into the
said tube it carries air with it. The burner tube fits into a socket formed in the
casting aforesaid, a portion of the circumference of the said tube being turned
down, so as to leave when the said tube is placed in the socket an annular space
closed at the ends. A hole is bored in the upper part of the burner tube to allow
a small portion of the gas to pass therefrom into the annular space aforesaid, and
holes are bored in the lower part of the socket, at which holes such gas burns in
small jets, which impinge on wings or screens formed on the aforesaid casting, and
thereby heat the vaporizing tube in connection therewith.
To the lower part of the casting, and in a vertical line with the burner tube is
fixed the cup' for containing the spirit required to start the lamp. That part of the
casting over which the spirit flows to the said cup is made of a convex form to
prevent the accumulation of tarry matters thereon.
The vaporizing tube and the passages in the aforesaid casting are bored or other-
wise formed open from end to end, those of their ends which are required to be
closed being provided with screwed plugs, by removing which access can be gained
to the interior of the said tube and passages when it is required to clean them.
The action of the lamp is as follows:-In order to start the lamp the valve in
the reservoir is opened, so as to allow a small portion of the spirit to flow into the
aforesaid cup from the exit aperture aforesaid; the valve in the reservoir is then
closed. The spirit in the cup is then lighted, so as to heat the aforesaid casting
and vaporizing tube. When the spirit in the cup has been consumed the valve, in
the reservoir is opened, and the spirit passing therefrom becomes converted into gas
or vapour, which passes up to the burner tube through the regulating valve, on
escaping from which it becomes mixed with air. The greater portion of the said
gas is burnt by the burner, but a small portion escapes through the small apertures
aforesaid, on issuing from which it becomes ignited, and keeps the vaporizing tube
at the required heat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Edward Hearson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th February 1879.
CHARLES EDWARD HEARSON, of No. 115, Southwark Street, in the County of
Surrey, Gas Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR BURNING VOLATILE HYDRO-
CARBONS,"
My improvements relate chiefly to lamps constructed as described in the Specifi-
cation of Letters Patent granted to me, and bearing date the 7th May, A.D. 1877,
No. 1769, but are also in part applicable to other lamps for burning volatile hydro-
carbons.
My present Invention consists in so constructing and arranging the tubes and
passages through which the spirit and vapour pass as to facilitate access to the
interior thereof, and to prevent vapour from entering the spirit tube, i.e., the tube
leading from the spirit reservoir to the vaporizing tube, and in so arranging the
valve for regulating the flow of the spirit as to prevent leakage.
My said Invention also consists of an improved arrangement of burner and appa-
ratus for vaporizing the spirit.
I construct and arrange the foregoing parts as follows:-Instead of fixing on the
vaporizing tube the valve for regulating the flow of spirit thereto, I fix to the upper
end of the spirit tube a conical valve, the inlet of which communicates with the
'reservoir, the said valve being contained in the said reservoir, and the spindle of
the said valve passing through the upper part of the said reservoir. I use a spirit
tube of rather less than one-eighth of an inch bore. The lower end of the said tube
I fit into a short tube having. an elbow into which one end of the vaporizing tube
is screwed. The said short tube is of such internal diameter as to leave an annular
space between the said tube and the spirit tube, the lower end of which descends
nearly to the bottom of the said short tube. The spirit from the spirit tube rises
into the said annular space until it reaches the level of the vaporizing tube, into
which it then flows. Vapour is thus prevented from passing from the said vaporizing
tube into the said spirit tube.
The burner of the lamp and the apparatus for heating the vaporizing tube and
for regulating the flow of the gas are constructed and arranged as follows:-On the
end of the vaporizing tube is screwed a casting, in which are formed a vertical
passage and a horizontal passage, the lower end of the former leading into the
latter, which leads into a vertical passage, the exit end of which is furnished with
an adjustable conical valve, by which the flow of the gas which passes through
the said passages on its way to the burner is regulated or shut off as required.
Above the exit aperture aforesaid, and at a short distance therefrom, is the burner
tube, the upper end of which carries the burner, the lower end being open to the
atmosphere, so that as the gas from the exit aperture rushes up into the said tube
it carries air. with it. The burner tube fits into a socket formed in the casting
aforesaid, a portion of the circumference of the said tube being turned down, so as
to leave when the said tube is placed in the socket an annular space closed at the
ends. A hole is bored in the upper part of the burner tube to allow a small portion of
the gas to pass therefrom into the annular space aforesaid, and holes are bored in the
lower part of the socket, at which holes such gas burns in small jets, which impinge
on wings or screens formed on the aforesaid casting, and thereby heat the vaporizing
tube in connection therewith.
A
To the lower part of the casting, and in a vertical line with the burner tube is
fixed the cup for containing the spirit required to start the lamp. That part of the
casting over which the spirit flows to the said cup is made of a convex form to
prevent the accumulation of tarry matter thereon..
The vaporizing. tube and the passages in the aforesaid casting are bored or other-

page_text: -
wise formed open from end to end, those of their ends which are required to be.
closed being provided with screwed plugs, by removing which access can be gained
to the interior of the said tube and passages when it is required to clean them.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe the
manner in which it is to be performed, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
3)
ü
The same letters, and figures of reference indicate the same parts in the several
Figures of the Drawings."
Figure 1 is an elevation of a lamp constructed according to my Invention';
Figure 2 is a vértical section thereof; the burner and burner tube being in
elevation.
...i.
Figure 3 is a plan of a burner and vaporizing apparatus.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the burner and burner tube; and Figure 5 is a vertical
section 'taken on the line 1; Figure 4.
Avis the reservoir; B is the spirit tube; C is a valve seat affixed to the upper
end thereof and to the bottom of the reservoir. D is the valve, which is provided
with a screwed spindle d', having a head d², which projects from the upper part of
the rescrvoir A, and c is the inlet of the said valve. E is the tube into which the
lower end of the spirit tube B fits and is secured. The tube E being closed at the
lower part e', and of larger diameter than the tube B, and the two tubes being so
secured together that the end of the tube B' shall not touch the closed end of the
tube E, a trap is formed, by which the vapour formed in. the tube F is prevented
from entering the spirit tube B.
⚫. Although I prefer the arrangement herein-before described, I do not limit myself
thereto, as a trap may be formed by bending the lower part of the tube B into the
form of an inverted syphon, as illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying Drawings,
or any other arrangement which will have the effect of preventing vapour from
entering, the spirit tube B may be used.
Fis the vaporising tube screwed at one end into a socket or elbow e³ formed on
the tube E, and having affixed to it at the other end the vaporizing apparatus, which
consists of a casting G in which are formed passages g¹, g, g³, and a barrel or
socket g; g, g, are the screws or plugs by which the outer ends of the passages
g', g, are closed. H is the burner tube, which is of less diameter externally at its
middle than at its ends, and rests in the said socket g', thereby leaving an annular
space is a hole in the burner tube, and g? is one of two holes in the casting G,
which holes (h and g): form communications between the interior of the burner
tube H; and the annular space gº, and the exterior of the casting G. g³ is the valve
by which the flow of gas to be burned is regulated; g is the cup used in starting
the burner; and go, go, are the wings or screens formed on the casting G, which
absorb heat from the jets of gas which burn at the holes g7.
The action of the lamp is as follows:-In order to start the lamp the valve D in
the reservoir A is raised so as to allow a small portion of the spirit to flow into the
cup 99 from the exit apeture of the passage g³; the valve D is then closed. The
spirit in the cup. g is then lighted, so as to heat the casting G and the vaporizing
tube. F. When the spirit in the cup g' has. been consumed the valve D in the
reservoir A is again opened, and the spirit passes therefrom into the vaporizing
tube F, where it becomes converted into gas or vapour, which passes through the
passages g, g, g³, into the burner tube H, where it becomes mixed with air, which
passes in with it by the open bottom of the tube H. The greater portion of the
said gas passes to and is burnt at the burner, but a small portion escapes through
the hole h into the annular space go, and thence through the holes g², on issuing
from which it becomes ignited and keeps the vaporizing tube F at the required
heat.
Having now described the nature of my Invention of improvements in lamps
for burning volatile hydrocarbons, and the manner in which it.is to be performed,
I wish it to be understood that, I do not limit myself to the precise details herein-

page_text: before described, as they may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention, but I claim as my said Invention,—
Firstly. The arrangement for preventing leakage of the spirit, that is to say,
arranging in the reservoir the valve by which the flow of spirit from the said
reservoir is regulated, essentially as herein-before described, and illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The arrangement for preventing vapour from the vaporizing tube from
passing into the spirit tube, that is to say, forming a trap at the junction of the
said vaporizing tube and the said spirit tube, essentially as herein-before described,
and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The construction and arrangement of parts constituting the apparatus
for vaporizing the spirit and burning the vapour, that is to say, forming in a
casting passages for the vapour and a socket in a line with the exit for the vapour,
and placing in the socket a tube to which the burner is affixed, and forming on the
casting wings or screens, the said parts being so constructed and arranged that the
vapour shall pass to the exit aperture, thenco into the burner tube, carrying air
with it, part of the mixture of vapour and air passing out at the burner, and part
into other passages, whence it issues in jets behind the wings or screens afore-
said, essentially as herein-before described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourthly. Forming the burner tube of less external diameter at its middle than
at its ends, essentially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Fifthly. Forming that part of the aforesaid casting from which the vapour issues
convex, or lower at the edges than at the middle, in order to prevent the accumu
lation of tarry matter thereon, essentially as herein-before described, and illustrated
in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Sixthly. The general combination and arrangement of parts constituting the
improved lamp herein-before described, and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Edward Hearson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
W. T. WHITEMAN,
7, Staple Inn,
London.
CHARLES EDWARD HEARSON. (L.S.)