Improvements in Lamps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application. 23rd Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Le't, 23rd July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps.
I, GUSTAV STUBGEN, of Molkestrasse 1/2 Erfurt, Germany, Lamp Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In lamps according to this invention which are specially suitable for use as cycle
lamps, a reflector preferably of concave and of parabolic form in section is arranged
to serve also as the casing for the burner; and this casing is formed with a narrow
opening through which the wick is passed. The lamp is so constructed that the
flame is always in the focus of the reflector, the arrangement being such that the
oil supplied to the wick, which may be of any desired length, is maintained at a
uniform level whilst continually being fed to the flame.
In one arrangement the lamp casing is formed by a concave parabolic reflector
which is formed with an opening for the wick, and has, at the top, a chimney with
projecting cowl for carrying off the products of combustion. The front of the
casing is closed in by a flat or a lens-shaped glass disc whose frame is hinged at one
side to the outer side of the reflector or casing, and is fastened at the other side by
means of a suitable catch. The reflector can be attached to the oil vessel by
ineans of a pin or plate and socket or in any other manner.
The oil vessel is open
at the top and closed at the bottom, and in it is inserted a vessel (hereinafter called
the inner vessel) which is closed at the top and open at the bottom, but which is
adapted to be closed during insertion by means of a valve attached to a rod. The
valve and the rod are suitably guided vertically by means of a bridge-piece within
the vessel on which is fixed a tube in which the said rod slides; the rod is of such
a length that when the inner vessel is completely inserted, the rod will be raised,
and consequently the valve is opened to allow the oil to pass out. In order to
allow air to escape from the oil vessel when inserting therein the inner vessel which
fits air-tight in it, there is connected with the oil vessel a tube open at the top and
closed at the bottom, which communicates with the interior of the oil vessel by
means of a number of lateral openings formed at various heights. In inserting
the inner vessel the air escapes from the vessel through these openings into the
tube and thence to the open air.
The mouth of the inner vessel is formed with a depending lip which dips into
the oil in the oil vessel, thus preventing a further supply of oil escaping from the
inner vessel until the level of the oil in the oil vessel falls below the edge of the
said lip; by this means the effective level of the oil is maintained practically
constant.
The wick tube is of U-shape, open at both ends, and is attached to the outside
of the oil vessel, along that side which is nearest to the reflector. The wick tube
communicates with the oil vessel at its lower part by means of a laterally arranged
pipe. The wick tube is preferably formed with that limb which is adjacent to the
oil vessel of considerable length so that a long wick may be used; the lamp will
thus burn for a considerable period. A still greater length of wick may be
obtained by allowing the upper portion of the wick to project from the longer limb
of the wick tube the projecting portion being coiled up or left to hang down. The
air necessary to support combustion is supplied to the flame through an extension
on the burner tube which comes underneath the opening in the reflector_through
which said tube passes. A wheel rotated by means of a milled head on the outer
end of its axle serves to feed the wick towards the flame. The oil level is always
maintained constant by reason of the inner vessel contained within the oil vessel,

page_text: and the upper opening of the burner tube is situated always in immediate proximity
to the focus of the reflector, and at such a height below the focus that the oil will
always be able to pass uniformly to the wick. This ensures the production inside
the reflector of a powerful flame which is powerfully reflected outwards by the
reflector, which is only perforated to admit the insertion of the burner tube and to
allow the escape of the products of combustion. By this means the cycle lamp
throws a very powerful light, whereas cycle lamps as heretofore constructed, owing
to the arrangement of a small parabolic reflector behind the lamp, and of a conical
reflector which only surrounded the edge or border of the lamp casing, and owing
to the oil vessel being situated comparatively far below the focus of the lamp,
could only produce a flame of very low absorbing power and consequently faint
light,. the greater part of which was taken up by the sides of the lamp, and only a
small amount was reflected out of the lamp.
Dated thin 92nd date of October 1802
Improvements in Lamps.
I, GUSTAV STUBGEN, of Molkestrasse 1/2, Erfurt, Germany, Lamp Manufacturer,
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 :-
In lamps according to this invention, which are specially suitable for use as
cycle lamps, a reflector, preferably concave and of parabolic form in section is
arranged to serve also as the casing for the burner for which purpose it is formed
with a narrow opening through which the wick is passed and with an opening for
escape of products of combustion. The lamp is so constructed that the flame is
always in the focus of the reflector, and that the oil supplied to the wick, which
may be of any desired length, is maintained at a uniform level whilst continually
being fed, to the flame.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are respectively a side clevation, a front elevation, a plan and
a central vertical section, showing a lamp constructed according to this invention.
The lamp casing is formed by a parabolic reflector a which is formed with an
opening for the wick, and has, at the top, a chimney e with projecting cowl or
cap d for carrying off the products of combustion. The front of the casing is
closed in by a flat, it may be a lens-shaped, glass disc e the frame f of which is
jointed at one side by means of a binge g to the outer side of the reflector or
casing and is fastened at the other side by means of a suitable catch h. k is an oil
vessel to which the reflector can be attached by any suitable means such as by a
pin or plate i on the reflector taking into a socket on the lamp. The oil vessel k
is open at the top and closed at the bottom, and in it is inserted a vessel n
(hereinafter called the inner vessel) which is closed at the top and open at
the bottom, but which is adapted to be closed during insertion by means
of a valve attached to a rod m and having its seat formed around the
opening in the bottom of the said inner vessel. The valve and the rod m
are suitably guided, in a vertical direction, by means of a bridge-piece
arranged within the vessel n and on which is fixed a tube p in which the said rod
slides. The rod is of such a length that when the inner vessel n is completely
inserted, the said rod will be raised so that the valve will be opened and held open,
so as to allow oil to pass from the inner vessel n to the outer oil vessel k until
the lower open end of the former vessel is sealed by the oil in k. In order to
allow air to escape from the oil vessel when inserting therein the inner vessel n

page_text: which fits air tight in it, there is attached to the said oil vessel a tube q open at
the top and closed at the bottom, and communicating with the interior of the oil
vessel by means of a number of lateral openings q¹ formed at various heights.
When inserting the inner vessel n, the air escapes from the vessel k through these
openings into the tube and thence to the open air.
The mouth of the inner vessel is formed with a depending lip which, under
normal conditions, dips into the oil in the lower part of the oil vessel k, thus
preventing a further supply of oil escaping from the inner vessel until the level of
the oil in the oil vessel falls below the edge of the said lip; whereupon air will
pass from the vessel k through the lower open end of the inner vessel, and rising
through the oil therein, will displace some of this oil until the level of oil in the
vessel is such as to again seal the said depending lip, when the oil supply will
cease, the action resembling that of an ordinary bird fountain. By this means the
effective level of the oil in the vessel k is maintained practically constant.
The wick tube b is of U shape, open at both ends, and attached to the outside of
the oil vessel k, along that side thereof that is nearest to the reflector a. It
communicates with the oil vessel at its lower part by means of a laterally arranged
piper and that limb thereof which is adjacent to the said oil vessel is preferably
made of considerable length, as shewn, so that a long wick may be used, in order
that the lamp may be burnt for a considerable period without renewal of the wick.
A still greater length of wick may be used by allowing the upper portion of the
wick to project from the longer limb of the wick tube, the projecting portion
being coiled up or allowed to hang down as desired. The air necessary to support
combustion is supplied to the flame through an extension u on the burner tube b
which extends through the lower opening in the reflector and is formed by the
short limb of the wick tube. A toothed wheelt that is rotated by means of a
milled heads on the outer end of its spindle and extends through a hole in the
wick tube, serves to feed the wick through the burner tube. This toothed wheel
is enclosed by a cover t' that is soldered to the wick tube above the hole therein,
so as to form a closed chamber that serves to prevent leakage of oil at this place
and through one side of which the wheel spindle passes in a fluid tight manner.
The upper open end of the burner tube b is situated in immediate proximity to
the focus of the reflector, and at such a height below the same that the oil will
always be able to pass uniformly to the wick. This ensures the production inside
the reflector, and approximately at the focus thereof, of a powerful flame which is
brilliantly reflected outwards by the reflector which is only perforated at the
bottom and top sufficiently to admit of the insertion of the burner tube and to allow
of the escape of the products of combustion. For this reason the lamp, which is
especially suitable for cycles, projects a very powerful light, whereas cycle lamps as
heretofore constructed, owing to their being provided with a small parabolic
reflector behind the lamp, and a conical reflector which only surrounds the edge or
border of the lamp casing, and to the fact that the oil vessel was situated com-
paratively far below the focus of the reflector, could only produce a flame having a
comparatively faint light, the greater part of which was taken up by the sides of
the lamp, so that only a small amount was reflected out of the lamp.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
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1. A lamp, especially suitable for cycles, in which the reflector a also constitutes
the lamp casing, and the oil vessel is arranged behind the reflector.
2. In a lamp of the kind specified in the preceding claim, arranging the oil
vessel k in such a manner that by means of an inverted or bell-vessel n provided
with a closing valve l, and an air inlet q q', in the said oil vessel k, a practically
uniform height of oil will be constantly maintained in the wick tube at a point
slightly below the focus of the reflector substantially as described.
3. A lamp of the kind specified in Claim 1, provided with a U shaped wick and

page_text: burner tube open at both ends, and the longer limb of which is led up alongside
the vessel k and is placed in communication therewith by a lower piper, the
arrangement being such as to enable a wick to be provided that will burn for a long
period substantially as described.
4. The improved lamp, specially suitable for cycles, constructed and arranged 5
substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1894.
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Dated this 23rd day of July 1894.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.