IMPROVEMENTS IN · LAMPS FOR THE BURNING OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER OILS AND LIQUIDS"
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Dalton, of Cranfield Road, Brockley,
in the County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
· LAMPS FOR THE BURNING OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER OILS AND LIQUIDS"
·LAMPS FOR THE BURNING OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER Oils and LIQUIDS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Dalton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd September 1875.
I, WILLIAM DALTON, of Cranfield Road, Brockley, in the County of
Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR THE BURNING OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER OILS AND
LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
The improvements apply particularly to that class of lamp where
the reservoir for the liquid to be consumed is in the base or bottom of
the pillar of the lamp.
The object of my improvements is to facilitate the burning of
petroleum and such like oils or liquids, though the Invention is also
applicable in the burning of colza and such like oils.

page_text: When the reservoir for the liquid to be burned is formed in the base
or bottom or pedestal of the lamp, and such liquid is forced upwards
to be consumed by spring or other pressure acting on a piston or
plunger, such piston or plunger is packed, when for petroleum and such
like oils and liquids, by the binding round the edge thereof of worsted
or other suitable fibre or material.

page_text: the reservoir containing the liquid, and the gearing connecting it to the
pump is carried downward. The pump is suspended in the liquid from
the top of the reservoir.
When it is desired to use burners of the character of those now in use,
and by which the liquid is drawn up into the wick tube by capillary
attraction, I force the liquid up the ascending supply passage into a
chamber, from which the overflow is taken, and which is separate from
the wick tube. In this chamber the liquid is unheated by the heat of
the wick tube, and it receives the lower part of the wick. In some
cases this chamber is dispensed with, and a length of from three to five
inches or more is added to the wick tube of the burner at its base.
The required height or level of supply of liquid in the wick tube or
burner, or in the supply chamber, is controlled by an overflow tube or
passage in connection with the ascending pipe or passage, but separate
from the wick tube or chamber, and by which the liquid overflowing is
conducted back without having been heated by the heat of the wick
tube to the feed passage, or that by which the reservoir is supplied.
The arrangements providing for the supply of the liquid and for
controlling the required level in the wick tube, and for conducting back
the overflow liquid, are also adapted to lamps with a reservoir common
to two or more burners, as well as to other arrangements of the reservoir
than that above mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Dalton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
DALTON, of Cranfield Road, Brockley, in the County of Kent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Dalton, Her special

page_text: license that I, the said William Dalton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Dalton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LAMPS FOR THE BURNING OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER OILS AND LIQUIDS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Dalton, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Dalton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
The improvements apply particularly to that class of lamps where
the reservoir for the liquid to be consumed is in the base or bottom of
the pillar of the lamp.
The object of my improvements is to facilitate the burning of
petroleum and such like oils or liquids, particularly in lamps where the
reservoir is at the base or bottom, though the Invention or part thereof a
is also applicable to other forms of lamp, and in the burning of Colza and
such like oils.
When the reservoir for the liquid to be burned is formed in the base
or bottom or pedestal of the lamp, and such liquid is forced upwards
to be consumed by spring or other pressure acting on a piston or a
plunger, such piston or plunger is packed, when for petrolcum and such
like oils and liquids, by the binding round the edge thereof of worsted
or other suitable fibre or material.
The height or level of supply of liquid in the chamber of supply to
the wick is controlled by an overflow tube or passage in connection 3
with the ascending pipe or passage, and the liquid overflowing is con-

page_text: ducted back without its entering the wick chamber, and without that
liquid in its overflow becoming heated, or to any material extent by the
heat from the burner before its return to the reservoir.
When using burners of the character of those now in use in lamps
in which the liquid is drawn up the wick into the burner by capillary
attraction I first force the liquid up the ascending supply passage into
the supply chamber, and thence the liquid is taken by the wick to the
burner. The overflow from the supply chamber in this case also is
effected without the liquid becoming heated by the heat of the burner.
When employing mechanism to work the pumping means in Carcel
and such like lamps for table use I, according to another part of the
Invention, place such mechanism over the reservoir containing the
liquid, and the gearing connecting it to the pumps is carried downward.
The pumps are suspended in the liquid from the top of the reservoir.
But that the Invention may be the better understood I will by the
aid of the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued
by me in carrying the same into effect.
DC consumed at the bottom or the pedestal thereof with
arrangements according to my Invention.
Figures 2, 3, and 4 represent parts separately.
In each of the views the same letters indicate corresponding parts.
a is the reservoir for the liquid to be consumed, and is the piston,
by which, as acted upon by the spring c, such liquid is to be forced up
to the annular chamber d to supply the wick. The spring c is of the
ordinary kind employed to act on the piston or plunger in Colza and
such like oil lamps. The piston or plunger bis formed with a groove
or recess 6¹ around its edge, in which recess or groove I bind worsted or
other suitable fibre or material to the extent required for making a close
packing between the edge of the piston or plunger band the interior
surface of the chamber a by the screwing together of the part to the
part b
The pistou or plunger b is also formed with a hole 6* through
it, and which is ground to receive the valve e, so that when the valve e
is closed the piston or plunger b will tightly separate the lower portion

page_text: of the chamber a from the upper portion thereof. In place of the
spring c acting directly on the piston it acts on bars e¹ affixed to the
valve e, so as to act in pressing the piston or plunger b downwards by
pressing on the valve e through the bars e¹.
The rack rod f for raising the piston or plunger b, in place of being
connected directly to the piston or plunger, is connected at its lower
end to the supply tube g, and by that to the valve e, so that in acting
by the ordinary pinion upon the rack of the rack rod f to lift the piston b
the valve e is first raised from its seat in the piston or plunger b, thereby
opening a passage for the liquid to pass from the upper to the under
side of the piston or plunger b in the chamber a. is a bar affixed to
the piston or plunger b, through which the lower part of the supply
tube passes, and which thereby acts to limit the extent of motion of
the valve e independently of the piston or plunger b, so that when by
raising the rack rod f the valve e is raised, so that the bars e¹ come in
contact with the bar b, then the piston or plunger becomes acted
upon to be raised.
The tube for the conduct of the liquid upwards to the chamber d is
formed to receive the ordinary regulating needle i, and the lower
portion of the tube g passes through suitable packing applied to the
lower end of the upper portion of that tube g, and this upper
portion by a suitable passage 95 is connected to the supply chamber d.
The upper end of the needle i may be provided with a piece of cotton
lamp wick or other packing to aid in controlling the supply to the
chamber d.
The chamber d, as shown by Figure 1, is intended to be provided
with a wick holder worked by a rack and pinion, or otherwise, for the
adjustment of the wick, and to have a cone or such like arrangement
for conducting and directing air to the flame, and with a gallery for the,
support of a chimney.
The upper portion of the supply passage is turned downwards at
its end in the form of a syphon to regulate the height of the liquid in
the chamber d, and this portion may, as shewn, also be formed in two
parts, one to slide within the other, with a packing g' between them,
and in such case this upper portion 7 may have a rack applied to it to
be acted upon by a pinion; or it may be otherwise operated so as to
afford facility for the adjustment of the height of the overflow.

page_text: The chamber & supplied from a suitable reservoir may also be used
simply as a means for the supply of the liquid to be consumed to the
lower end of a wick (up which it rises by capillary attraction to the
upper portion of such or other wick to separate wick tubes), regulated
by the parts of a burner screwed or otherwise affixed to the upper part
of the chamber d. Figure 5 represents a chamber d and parts con-
nected therewith adapted to this purpose.
The piston or plunger in place of being formed as shewn with a
groove to receive packing around its edge may have an inverted cup
formed of leather or other suitable flexible material, which will to a
certain extent collapse in the ascending motion, and expand in the
descent of the piston or plunger to force up the liquid to be consumed.
Figure 6 shows by sectional view the lower portion of a lamp in
which the liquid to be consumed in obtaining the desired light is
pumped up by clockwork mechanism placed in such lower part, as in
the Carcel and such like lamps. Heretofore however in such lamps the
mechanism has been placed below the reservoir, and a difficulty arises
in the use of such arrangement when petroleum or such like mineral
liquid is used by reason of its finding its way through the packing to
the shaft, communicating motion from the motive power up to the
pumps. According to this part of my Invention the clockwork or such
like mechanism is applied in a chamber A over the chamber B, which
is that for the holding of the liquid oil to be consumed. The petroleum
or such like liquid may be supplied to this chamber B through an
opening A' in the chamber A, thence through the funnel-shaped
opening A, or otherwise.
The opening A is capable of being closed by a screw stopper A³ if
desired.
C, C, represent two diaphragm pumps, the diaphragms of which are
by arms connected to other arms D'; D', from the shaft or axis D, which
at its lower end is supported to rock in the bearing E, and at its upper
end passes through packing at F, and thence has applied to it the crank
arm D, which by a connecting rod G is connected to and operated by
the motive power. The pumps C, C, act, as is well understood in such
lamps, alternately to draw in the liquid into the pump chambers C', C',
through the ordinary passages, and thence to force that liquid up
through the pipe H to the wick chamber. I is another pipe enclosing

page_text: the pipe H, and which serves to conduct the overflow back to the
chamber B. By these means a chamber B is obtained for the liquid,
free of openings, capable of serving as passages for the escape of such
liquid, or for the free entrance of means for its ignition.
I would here observe that the arrangements described for the supply
of the liquid to the wicks, and for controlling the required level in the
supply chamber, and for conducting back the overflow liquid, are also
adapted to lamps with a reservoir common to two or more burners, as
well as to other arrangements of the reservoir than that referred to, and
that the means for regulating the height of the liquid in the supply
chamber by the use of an overflow pipe or passage are particularly
applicable in lamps for the burning of Colza or such like oils.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangements of parts as shewn and
described, as the same may be varied without departing from the
peculiar character of my Invention, but what I do claim is,—
First. The arranging or combining parts whereby whilst the tendency
of the action of the spring on the piston or plunger employed is to keep
the passage between the upper and under side of the piston or plunger
closed, when that piston or plunger is being forced downwards by such
spring, the valve or passage through such piston or plunger, from the
upper to the under side thereof, is first opened by the lifting means for
the descent through such passage of the liquid from above to below
such piston or plunger in the act of raising such piston or plunger, as
described.
Also I claim the arranging or combining parts of lamps for burning
petroleum or such like mineral oils, whereby the chamber d, fed from a
suitable reservoir, becomes simply a chamber of supply by capillary
attraction to the upper part of such or other wick carried by separate
burner tubes, as described.
Also I claim the arranging or combining parts whereby the height or
level of the liquid in the supply chamber is regulated by the overflow
pipe or passage, as described.
Secondly. I claim the arranging or combining parts whereby the
reservoir for the liquid in the bottom of the pedestal of the lamp is

page_text: applied under the mechanism for effecting the motive power to the
pumps used in lamps of the character referred to in respect of
Figure 6.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Dalton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM DALTON. (L.S.)