Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps and in the Method of Lighting the Wick thereof by an Electric Current.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps and in the Method of Lighting
the Wick thereof by an Electric Current.
I, OSMOND YEADON RHODES, of 21 Leopold Street, New Leeds, Leeds, in the
County of York, Electrician, 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 refers to miners' safety lamps in which oil or spirit is the
illuminant, and to the method of lighting the wick therein by an electric current,
and this is effected without unlocking and opening the lamp, consequently absolutely
preventing any danger when lighting the lamp, and as these lamps can be lighted
by a storage or primary battery placed down the mine, and in the workings and
roadways therein, a considerable saving of time and oil is effected, as according to
the present method, miners' safety lamps are lighted before being taken down the
shaft, therefore burning a much longer time than is required for actual use, whilst
much time is lost by these lamps becoming accidentally extinguished, in which case
the lamp has to be taken back to be re-lighted.
In constructing a lamp according to my invention, I use the ordinary loose
bottom part which carries the oil, and which is screwed in and out of its position.
This loose bottom is provided as usual with a projecting tube through which the
wick passes, such tube being oblong or round in cross section to suit the shape of
the wick.
The electric terminals carrying the platinum wire, as hereafter more fully
explained, are attached to a single or double disc, soldered to a flattened tube which
acts as an extinguisher, and as the wick with its flattened tube passes through this
dise and extinguisher, it is necessary when screwing and unscrewing the bottom of
the lamp into its position, that the said disc and extinguisher should be capable of
revolving in either direction. .
To permit this to be done, the disc carrying the terminals rests upon or is
supported by a fixed part of the lamp, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
When the wick is round in cross-section it is not necessary for the discs to revolve
as the wick holder would revolve in the extinguisher tube. The terminals
previously mentioned are connected together by a horse-shoe shaped form of
platinum looped tube, within which is a supporting wire, insulated by enamel or
other material. One of these terminals is connected by an insulated screw with an
insulated flanged disc, the other terminal forming part of the lamp circuit. At the
side of the lamp is an insulated horizontal plunger working in a socket, which when
pressed home, makes contact with the flanged disc and the battery itself, thus forming
a complete circuit between the battery, the lamp, and the terminals thereof, a spiral
spring being employed to withdraw the plunger from making contact with the
flanged disc. The fusion of the horse-shoe looped tube is prevented by the
insulated platinum wire passing through it, so that when the current is established,
the outside platinum horse-shoe loop becomes incandescent whilst the insulated
core remains comparatively cool for a certain time, and so supports the heated
platinum tube.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention, I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the annexed sheet of drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 is front elevation of an oil lamp having my improvements applied thereto,
and Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. A represents the ordinary cover of a
miner's safety lamp, underneath which is the ordinary wire gauze; B is the ordinary
glass tube of the lamp, and C the loose bottom containing the oil and wick, all of
ordinary construction.

page_text: The loose bottom C is provided with a lid a, kept in position by the screwed
nut or disc b. Rising from the lid a is a flattened or oval tube c, the inside of
which corresponds to the thickness and width of the wick d. Within the lamp is a
following ring i screwed into position for holding up the glass ring B by pegs or
studs, which ring i carries two discs h and j soldered to an extinguisher tube 1.
The tube e rising from the loose bottom C together with the wick is inserted up
through the extinguisher tube 1, and as the loose bottom has to be screwed in and
out of its position, it follows that in consequence of the extinguisher tube / being
oval, the said extinguisher must revolve with the loose bottom in either direction.
For this purpose the loose discs h and j ride or oscillate upon a shoulder formed on
the ring i. The terminals e and are attached to the top disc h, the latter
terminal forming part of the lamp circuit; the former terminal e is insulated from
the two discs by any suitable insulating material. The terminal e is also attached
by means of an insulated screw to an insulated piece of brass q fitting on the lower
disc j, which does not touch the lower portion of the extinguisher tube 1, nor the
lower portion of the following ring i. On the underside of ring i I place another
insulation, and on the underside of that I place a disc m having a flange n, such said
disc being kept in position by insulated screws. The insulated piece of brass q
rides when revolving upon the disc m.
To light the lamp, the horizontal insulated piston o is pressed home by a suitable
device on the top of a battery, making contact against the flange n whereby a com-
plete circuit is established when the body of the lamp is placed upon the other pole
of the battery. When using wick round in cross-section, the rotating discs handj
and their flanges are not required, as the wick holder would revolve in a round
extinguisher tube, which would now be stationary, and therefore the terminal e,
instead of being insulated in the manner described for the flat wick, would simply
be insulated directly through the following up ring onto the disc m with its
flange n.
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 :-
Firstly. In a miner's oil or spirit lamp, the use therewith of a horizontal piston
or stud, which when placed upon a battery, a complete electric circuit is established,
causing a platinum or other wire to ignite the wick of the lamp, all arranged,
combined, and operated in the manner substantially as shewn and described.
Secondly. In a miner's oil or spirit lamp, the use therewith of a horizontal piston
or stud, which when placed upon a battery, a complete electric circuit is established,
causing a platinum or other wire to ignite the wick of the lamp, in combination
with one or more revoluble discs carrying terminals, all arranged, combined, and
operated in the manner substantially as shewn and described.
Thirdly. In a miner's oil or spirit lamp, the use therewith of a horizontal piston
or stud, which, when placed upon a battery, a complete electric current is established,
causing a platinum or other wire to ignite the wick of the lamp, and one or more
revoluble discs carrying terminals, in combination with enamelled platinum wire
inserted within a tube, all arranged, combined, and operated in the manner
substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 27th day of December 1890
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.