in Portable Cooking apparatus
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 8th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Mar., 1887.
THOMAS GILL SMITH Watchmaker 9.1. Savernake road London N.W. and ROWLAND
CHARLES SMITH Engineer 91 Savernake road London N.W. do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An improvement in Portable Cooking apparatus with Spirit Lamp with adjustable
wick or wicks for heating the same consisting of a lamp adapted to burn spirit of
wine or naptha or other similar fuel having a body or container for the spirit with
one or more burners consisting of an inner and an outer tube either tapered as regards
the outer tube or straight arranged so as to allow a passage of air through the centre
and a wick carrier or band or ring loosly fitting on to the inner tube and being
connected to a rack and pinion or other means of communicating the power to move
it by means of a rod or wire passing out at the top of the burner or in other words the
opening which allows the top of the wick to be presented for burning. The lamp is
attached to a perforated plate fixed between the top of the wicks and the container so
as to form a distributor of the air passing to the burners within a case of sheet iron or
other suitable material such case having arrangements for carrying cooking utensils
over the lamp and having wires chains or bands either straight or curved placed on
the outside so as to carry a plate or dish and cause it to rest against the side of the
case preventing the loss of heat and at the same time heating the plates.
THOMAS GILL SMITH.
ROWLAND CHARLES SMITH.

page_text: Improvements in Portable Cooking Apparatus..
We THOMAS GILL SMITH of 9.1. Savernake Road London N.W. Watchmaker and
ROWLAND CHARLES SMITH of 91 Savernake Road London N.W. Engineer do hereby
declare the nature, of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE COOKING
APPARATUS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our Invention consists of an improved method of burning Spirit of Wine or
Vegetable Naptha or similar fuel for the purpose of cooking under circumstances
where it would be inconvenient to use Coal or Wood or Petroleum.
It is well known that most of the existing forms of lamps for this purpose are
very wasteful of spirit, as there is no effectual mode of regulating the amount of flame
quickly and conveniently; or that they produce great heat in the reservoir or
container, and cause the flame to increase as they burn.
We have therefore invented a lamp which is shown in the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 being a section and Fig. 2 an elevation. It consists of a reservoir or container a
having suitable feet, and one or more burners, cach burner consisting of an inner
tube b and an outer tube c, the outer tube being preferably tapered to admit of more
casily putting in the wick. The inner tube passes through the reservoir a so as to
admit air from the bottom up to the centre of the flame; the outer tube c is connected
with the top of the reservoir and is removable, so as to admit of easily inserting the
wick H and tying it on to the wick carrier G, which consists of a hoop encircling
the inner tube band is roughened on the outer surface so as to firmly hold the wick;
this wick carrier is secured to bent rod or wire d, which passes upwards and out at
the opening between the two tubes; it is advisable that the inner tube has an in-
dentation near the top as shown in the drawing, to allow the rod or wire to pass through
the opening without disturbing the perfect circle of the wick; it may however pass
through between two edges of the wick, as this consists of one or more peices of
ordinary paraffin wick placed in position so as to complete the circle round the inner
tube, & tied firmly to the wick carrier; the bent rod or wire then passes down
inside the inner tube and is there connected with a rack E which is moved by the
pinion F having a knob or thumb piece J projecting beyond the side of the reservoir
to turn it by, and so communicate motion to the wick H; the rack and pinion being
enclosed within a small strap or checks, soldered or otherwise attached to the bottom
of the lamp to keep them in place.
This arrangement does away with the necessity for joints which might, allow of
escape of spirit or vapour; the only connection between the spirit in the reservoir and
the atmosphere being through the burners.

page_text: The passage of air up the inner tube supplies the inner edge of the wick with
oxygen and so secures very perfect combustion, and produces a larger flame with
more heat than would be otherwise obtained.
The lamp is provided with a perforated plate I placed between the top of the burner
and the reservoir, so as to distribute the air passing to the burners.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is,
1st. The method of raising and lowering the wick by means of a bent rod or wire
and a wick holder substantially as described.
2nd. The admission of fresh air to the centre of the flame applied to lamps for
burning Spirit of Wine, Vegetable Naptha or similar fuel.
THOMAS GILL SMITH.
ROWLAND CHARLES SMITH.