Improvements in or connected with Miners' Safety and other Lamps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1892
Complete Specification Left. 22nd Feb., 1893-Accepted, 1st Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Miners' Safety and other
Lamps.
OWEN THOMAS CHRISTIE Upholster Parliament Street Nottingham, &
WILLIAM PAULSON, Machinist Long Eaton Derbyshire. We do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
For the purpose of lighting & relighting miners safety & other lamps without
unlocking or opening. This is accomplished by a mechanisim, consisting of a box
inside that box is placed a spindle & pin on that pin is placed a coil or ribbon
containing spots of brimstone or other ignitable composition which can be ignited
by friction or concussion. Thus by inserting a key outside the lamp & turning the
key it causes the spots of brimstone to ignite & light the wick of the lamp without
opening thus doing away with the danger of miners secretly opening their lamps &
preventing explosions in mines.
1000
OWEN THOMAS CHRISTIE.
WILLIAM PAULSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Miners' Safety and other
Lamps.
We OWEN THOMAS CHRISTIE, Parliament Street, Nottingham, Upholsterer,
and WILLIAM PAULSON, Nelson Street, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, Machinist 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:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan of the reservoir of a miner's safety lamp to contain the oil
or other illuminant with our improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 shows a side view of the same with the lamp glass and its lower ring in
section.
Figure 3 shows in plan a box we employ with its lid removed.
Figure 4 shows one end of a coiled and slotted spring we employ.
Figures 5 show an end view and side view of a key, and Figure 6 shows a side
view of the ordinary wick holder and a small wick holder and reservoir containing
turpentine, naptha, paraffine or other liquid that will easily ignite for providing a
flame to ignite the ordinary wick.
In each lamp by the side of the usual wick holder 1, is a slotted tube terminating
in a small reservoir 2 closed at the bottom, which descends into the reservoir of the
lamp, sliding vertically in the slotted tube is a tube 3 holding a small wick 4. The
tube 3 is connected to a plate projecting over each side of the slot and provided
with a pin 5 by which the small wick may be raised to the height shown at
Figure 2, each time the lanp wick is to be lit. When in its normal position the
small wick remains at the height shown at Figure 6.
By the side of the tube 2 is a box 6 provided with a pin 7 near one end, on which
a coil of ribbon, tape, or a strip of other suitable material is placed, the ribbon,
tape or
strip is provided with spots 8 of any mixture capable of being ignited by
friction. Near the other end of the box is a spindle 9 slotted at its upper end to

page_text: receive one end of the spotted ribbon, tape or strip, under the slot the spindle
carries a five toothed ratchet wheel 10 shown at Figures 2 and 3. The stem of the
spindle slides vertically in a tube 11 which passes through the top and bottom of
the lamp reservoir in which it is soldered air tight. The lower end of the spindle
is reduced in diameter and provided with a pin 9" which engages in a recess formed
in the barrel of a key 13 shown in end and side view at Figures 5.
Within the box is a fixed block 6* shown at Figure 3 in which one end of a bent
spring 12 is secured, the free end of the spring terminates in a split foot shown at
Figure 4 toothed on the side next the block 6, the spotted ribbon, tape or strip,
passes between the foot of the spring and the block. Next the foot the lower_edge
of the spring forms a block 12, the outer end of which presses upon one end of a
lever 10 the other end of the lever engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 10,
the lever rocks upon a pin projecting from the box.
The bottom of the box carries a right angled plate 5* perforated at its inner end
to engage with the pin 5 carried by the small wick tube 3. To relight the lamp
without unlocking and opening it, the key 13 is passed into the lower end of the
tube 11 to engage with the pin 9 of the spindle 9 and pushed up to place the box 6
to the height shown by dotted lines at Figure 2, the key then turns the spindle one
fifth of a revolution, causing one of the spots 8 to explode as it is drawn between
the block 6 and the split end of the spring 12, the explosion ignites the turpentine
or other liquid in the small wick 4 carried by the tube 3 which lights the ordinary
wick of the lamp in the wick holder 1. The box 6 is then drawn down to its lowest
position and the key removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The construction and employment in miners safety lamps of a slotted tube
and reservoir 2 containing turpentine or other liquid that will easily ignite, the
tube 2 enclosing a tube 3 holding a wick 4, raised or lowered by a pin 5 engaging
in a perforation in a plate 5* carried by a box 6 substantially as described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.
2. The construction and employment in miners safety lamps of a box 6 and pin 7
carrying a strip of material provided with spots 8 of a mixture capable of being
ignited by friction. Within the box a block 6, the split end of a spindle 9, ratchet
wheel 10 and lever 10", bent spring 12 having a split foot and a block 12*, the box
being caused to rise and fall in a tube 11 by a key 13 engaging with a pin 9* of the
spindle 9, the whole arranged and operating substantially as described for the
purpose specified and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this Twenty-first day of February 1893.