IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' LAMPS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JAMES GILCHRIST of 104 Dale Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Binnacle Maker do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SHIPS' LAMPS, the same being partly my own Invention and partly communicated
to me from abroad by Dougald Ballardie, of New York United States of America,
Merchant, to be as follows:-
This invention bas reference to improvements in or connected with the con-
struction of ships' binnacle lamps and side lamps, and other lamps which only
require to radiate or reflect their light out through a portion of a segment of the
circle round them, the object of the invention being to adapt such lamps for
burning solid paraffin or paraffin scale, napthaline or such oils as cocoa-nut oils
which freeze or solidify at low temperatures.
The lamp proper into which the paraffin or freezing oil is filled in a melted state
may be of any shape and be fitted as usual with the flat wick carrier or tube and
inserting and filling openings with caps and securing fittings.
The improvements consists in fitting thereto a rod, plate or band of copper or
other conducting metal at the back of the wick tube or tubes, such conductor being
carried up through the top of the lamp vessel outside to a funnel or plate which is
heated by the flame. The lower end of this copper plate is carried down inside
the vessel to the bottom near the wick tube, which is also carried well down, so
that both the plate and wick tube conduct the heat imparted to their upper ends
from the flame outside to their lower ends inside, which being down into the
paraffin or frozen oil melts it first in the centre of the vessel around the wick, and
as the heat increases liquifies the whole contents of the lamp so that the wick can
then conduct this melted oil to its upper end, where it burns bright and clear.
The main body of the hydrocarbon may be carried by a separate vessel connected
to the lamp body, in which case the conductor which serves to melt the hydro-
carbon is also carried into this vessel.
Air is supplied to the wicks of the lamp by means of tubes fitted on each side
and passing down through the lamp case. The air tubes at the inner sides of the
wicks may pass vertically through the bottom and those on the outer sides laterally
through the sides of the lamp case, and heat may be imparted to the air by contact
with heated parts of the lamp.

page_text: Improvements in snips' Lamps.
I, JAMES GILCHRIST of 104 Dale Street, Glasgow, in the county of Lanark,
Binnacle Maker do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon; the said
invention being a communication to me from abroad by Dougald Ballardie, of New
York, United States of America, Merchant :-
My said invention has reference to improvements in or connected with the
construction of ship binnacle lamps, and side lamps, and other lamps, (which
require to radiate or reflect their light out through a portion or segment of the
circle round them), the object of the invention being to adapt such lamps for
burning solid paraffin or paraffin scale, naphthaline, or such oils or hydrocarbons as
freeze or solidify at low temperatures.
And in order that the nature and novelty of my said invention, and the mode
and means of putting the same into effect or practice, may be properly understood,
I shall now proceed to describe the several figures on the sheet of drawings which
I have hereunto appended for that purpose, the same reference letters indicating
the same or equivalent parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a vertical section and Figure 2 a corresponding horizontal section
near the line 1 - 1 in Figure 1, of a ship's mast head lamp, showing a suitable
modification of my improvements as applied thereto. Figures 3 and 4 are a
vertical section and a plan, respectively, of the wick carrier case detached and to
a larger scale, to show the improvements more clearly than can be seen in Figures 1
and 2. Figure 5 is a vertical section; and Figure 6 a corresponding horizontal
section taken near the line 2 - -2 in Figure 5, of a ship's side lamp, showing my
improvements as applied thereto. Figures 7 and 8 are corresponding vertical and
horizontal sections, (the latter taken on the line 3 - - - 3 in Figure 7), of a hand or
carrying lamp, showing my improvements as applied thereto.
---
Referring to these figures: the general construction of the lamps shown is much
the same as is common in such lamps, that is, as regards the shape and general
character of the outer case A, with its sliding or hinged door A¹ on one side, and
lenses or glass plates A", in the sections of the circular sides A through which the
light is required to pass; having a cased perforated bottom A' and conical funnel
or neck A³, with cased perforated top Ai, for letting in the air below the flame
and the burned gases out at top for maintaining cool and perfect ventilation and a
steady flame without draughts as is usual, and indicated by the arrows in the
vertical sections Figures 1, 5, and 7, of the different lamps shown. The portable
oil containing vessels or lamp proper B, B¹, are also of the same general con-
struction and character, and fitted to slide in through the door A¹ on the bottom A²,
with side guides for securing them with top side hinged or screw lids B' as usual,
for putting in the freezing or other oils or solid paraffin or paratiu scale or
naphtbaline, or other hydrocarbons, which these lamps are made for burning by
my improvements applied thereto, as will hereinafter be particularly described.

page_text: Referring to Figures 1 to 8 generally, the lamp vessel B B¹ proper, into which
the paraffin or freezing oil is filled, at first preferably in a melted state, through
their filling openings with lids or caps at B2-may be of any shape as usual, all to
suit the particular construction of lamp case A A¹ A' A³; with the double or single
broad perforated wick carrier or tubes C², C1, inserted through the neck part B³ of
the lamp B, B¹, all so far constructed much in the ordinary manner.
My said improvements specially consist in fitting close to the back or one side of
the wick tube or tubes C¹, C¹¹, a rod, plate or band of copper, or other good heat-
conducting metal a. This heat-conductor a, is soldered to the cap C of the wick
tubes C¹, C, and is carried up as a rod or stem through the neck B³ and top C of
the lamp vessel B, B', outside this, close to and higher than the flame w¹ indicated
at the top of the wick w and its tubes C, C; and has mounted on it, by a deep
conducting split spring stem b', above the flame, a conical funnel b, which is heated
by the flaine, and is shown in its lowest position in Figures 1, 3, 5 and 7, but
removed in the plan views Figures 2, 4, 6, and 8. The lower end of this copper or
other metal heat conductor a is preferably made broad as a plate at a¹, and carried
down inside the vessel B, B¹, to the bottom near or soldered to one side of the
wick tube or tubes C', C1, which are also carried well down so that both the
plates a¹ and wick tubes C1, C1, conduct the heat imparted to their upper ends
from the flame outside and from the heat receiving funnel and rod a, b, to their
lower ends inside, which being down into the paraffin or frozen oil or hydrocarbon,
melt it first in the centre of the vessel around the wick tubes C¹, C, and loose
wick below, and as the heat increases the plates a¹ a¹ liquify the whole contents of
the lamp vessel B, B', so that the wick can then conduct this melted hydrocarbon
or oil to its upper end, where it burns bright and clear. The funnel heat receiver
and conductor b, has a bad conducting wire handle b³, for shifting it by, and it is
only placed in the lower position while first lighting the lamp to receive and
conduct the heat quicker down to melt the paraffin near the wick; then when the
flame is burning fairly well the funnel b is shifted up to near the top of its rod a,
as shown in dotted lines quite above the reflectors D, where it does not obstruct
the light passing out of the lamp, and receives sufficient heat to keep the freezing
oil in a liquid state.
The main body of the paraffin or hydrocarbon to be melted and burned, may be
carried in a separate vessel or part B₁ of the same vessel B, connected to the lamp
body part B, in which case the lower stem of the conductor a a¹, which serves to
melt the hydrocarbon, is connected at all to a separate plate or plates a² a³, and
carried along the bottom and up into the vessel B₁, to melt the supply material in
it also. In some cases, as when requiring to start the light quickly, a small piece
of the paraffin may be put into the cup of the wick cap C.
In some cases a separate closed-in supply oil vessel c may be formed or fitted
round and over the conical neck or funnel A³ of the outer case A of the lamp,
where the beat of the escaping gases would melt the paraffin, and it could be
conducted down by a service tube and tap c¹ at the side of the door A¹ of the lamp,
convenient for turning off or on, and connecting it by telescoping nose tube c¹¹ to a
feed tube c on the lamp vessel B¹.
Or otherwise the cased vessel c may be formed as an air inlet and supply heating
vessel, and have the heated air conducted down from this vessel, by means of
tubes fitted on each side or corners A* of the case A of the lamp. And the air,
whether so heated or not, could be supplied to the wick of the lamp at the inner
sides by a tube passed vertically up through the bottom, and on the outer side of
the wick by a tube passed laterally through the side of the neck B³ of the lamp
case or vessel B.
Although the heat conducting bar a is shown as a single round rod, for simplicity
in carrying the shifting conical or other shaped heat receiver b, and to obstruct as
little light as possible; yet it might be made in other shapes, as in the form of a
broad band with the edge towards the light, and divided or made forked, and have
one limb bent out at top over each flame, to act as a heat receiver.

page_text: 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
First. The arrangement and combination of parts, indicated by italic letters, of
ship and other signal lamps for the purposes, and substantially as, herein described,
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In ship and other signal lamps, and connected with their wick tubes,
the arrangement and combination of heat receiving and conducting metal rods and
plate surfaces (indicated by italic letters), for the purposes, and substantially as,
herein described, and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In ship and other signal lamps, the fitting and connecting with their
tubes of a heat receiving and conducting rod, plate, or band a, a¹, carried down
below the flame into the lamp B, and high above or over it, either with or
without a movable funnel or plate piece b, b¹, over the flame.