Improvement in Table and similar Paraffin Lamps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Table and similar Paraffin Lamps.
a
EDWARD JAMES RAVENSCROFT 100 Cooksey Road Small Heath Birmingham
Lamp Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The body of the lamp is made of metal & is in two parts-top & bottom-
The upper
divided by a metal partition. The lower chamber contains the oil.
chamber has a well sunk into the lower chamber. This well is connected by
small tube with the lower chamber. So that oil put into the lower chamber rises
When the
to its own level in the well. The wick is fed by the oil in the well.
lamp is turned sideways or upside down the oil in the well runs into the upper
chamber, from where it cannot escape until the lamp is raised upright when it flows
back into the well. The body of the lamp (containing the two chambers) is
circular, the side opposite the feeding tube being weighted so that in case of the
lamp rolling the oil cannot flow from the lower to the upper chamber. Over the
top of the tube containing the wick, two slides are placed, which in the event of
the lamp being tilted sideways or turned upside-down, fall over the wick and
extinguish the light. These slides also serve to extinguish the light without
lowering the wick.
Dated this Sixth day of July 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Table and similar Paraffin Lamps.
I, EDWARD JAMES RAVENSCROFT of 100 Cooksey Road, Small Heath in the
City of Birmingham, Lamp Maker, 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:—
My invention relates to improvements in domestic safety lamps and consists, in
the one part, in a non-spilling reservoir and in another part, in a self acting
extinguisher.
In the event that a lamp should get upset, the oil contained within the reservoir
is unspilled whilst the flame is at the same time extinguished, hence a complete
safety lamp.
In the first part of my invention, the reservoir is made in two compartments,
viz., an upper one and a lower one. The latter, which contains the oil, is fitted
with an expedient for conducting the said oil to the wick in manner that should the
lamp get upset, then the oil in the reservoir passes to a side opposite to the
expedient, which position is determined by the said side being weighted. The upper
compartment, which is a catch part is constructed to receive only the oil within the
wick well.

page_text: In the burner part of my invention, the cone is fitted with opposite slides having
extinguisher caps at their inner ends which are adapted to automatically extinguish
the flame on the lamp being upset.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents partly in vertical section and
partly in elevation, a safety table lamp constructed according to, or provided with
improvements made according to my invention.
The said view represents the reservoir of the lamp partly filled with oil, and in a
position as when in use, and with the extinguisher slides in their normal or non-
acting positions and disposed in the same vertical plane as the weight and feeding
or supply tube.
Figure 2 represents a horizontal section upon the dotted lines A B Figure 1,
whilst Figure 3 represents a like section of the said Figure 1 upon the dotted
lines CD Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a horizontal section of the burner part upon the dotted
lines E F of the said Figure 1.
Figure 5 represents a section of the lamp upset and rolling, showing how the oil
is prevented from being spilled and also how the flame is automatically extinguished,
the former by the action of the counterpoised weight bringing the lamp, when
upset, to a state of equilibrium and the latter, by the sliding inwards of the
automatic extinguishers.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts of the several figures
of the drawings.
In the body of the lanp, a is the reservoir, made preferably from sheet metal
and having two compartments or chambers a', a¹. The former a¹, forms the lower
part of the reservoir and contains the oil supply, and is surrounded by top, bottom
and side walls a³, aª, a³, and its middle is provided with a wick well b, (wherein the
wick
e, hangs) open at top at 61, and closed at bottom at 62, and having the inner
end c', of a horizontally directed and open-ended supply pipe c, fitted into it,
whilst its other end c², is directed into the feeding tube d, whose inner side d¹,
is open to the reservoir a', whilst its upper end d², is closed by a screw cap
When the screw cap d³, is screwed home, then the chamber a, becomes entirely
closed with the exception of the air inlet f, made in the upper wall a³, of the
casing which is fitted with a valve f³, and a valve seating f¹.
Located upon and preferably let within the opposite side of the reservoir to the
feed tube d, is a weight g, which always brings the lamp to a given position on the
same being upset, whilst the supply tube c, is disposed vertically, with its open
end c, coming above the level of the oil, thereby preventing the said oil from
escaping.
The upper chamber a², consists of a closed crown, open to the open lower end 2,
of a hanging tube h, depending and fitting within the cap ', of the lamp mouth h³,
wherein the pummel 2, of the burner i, takes and screws, and also open to the
well b, wherein the wick e, passing through the wick casing j, hangs.
Now that part of the chamber marked a', located between the inside crown of
the lamp and the open mouth h², of the hanging tube h, forms a catch part whereinto
the oil from the well flows on the lamp being upset.
The reservoir is supported by a pillar k, and foot k¹, whilst the burner i, which
has a screwed neck or pummel 2, and a wick casing j, consists of a hollow cone i³,
with a slit, and a body part 1, having side perforations through it, and with the
said body part fitted with opposite guides, through which the legs m², of slides m,
having extinguisher caps m', located within the interior of the cone and coming
opposite the top side, of the wick casing j, slide.
These extinguisher ends m', are sufficiently broad as to completely overhang
(when pushed home) the upper end e³, of the wick e. The said slides are disposed
in the same vertical plane as an axial line taken through the middle of the weight g,
supply tube c and feed tube d, so that the left hand extinguisher slide must come
vertically or upright on the lamp being knocked over.
It will be understood that the slides m, work freely in the guides, which latter

page_text: may be so inclined that normally the extinguisher slides move away or retire
from the wick by their own weight, although the same may be made so as to require
to be moved from over the wick or pulled back by the hand, and further, it will
be understood, the extinguishers may be operated by hand the same as ordinary
extinguishers.
Assuming that the lamp is in the position represented in Figure 1, then on the
passing of oil through the mouth of the feed tube when the stopper d³, is removed,
the same flows through slit or opening d', into the primary reservoir a', and also
through the supply tube c, into the well b, and rises in the said parts to a common
level. As oil is consumed in the well b, the said well is supplied by the tube c,
leading from the reservoir a', and as the valve f³, is open, air follows the oil as the
same is consumed.
Assuming now that the lamp is accidentally turned over or upset, then the oil
which is in the well b, passes through the divisional space n, located between the
depending tube h, and the mouth 6, of the well and flows into the catch crown a',
and is thereby prevented from passing up the wick casing or outward through the
joint between the burner and reservoir mouth, and the oil in the reservoir a¹, and
feeding tube d, falls to one side of the reservoir, and as the weight g, prevents the
lamp (whose body is circular) from turning over, the same is made to settle in a
predetermined position, that is to say, with the centres of both weight and tube
falling vertically lignable, and with the open mouth c³, of the supply tube c, coming
above the surfaces of the liquid, and the valve f³, closed so as to prevent the escape
of oil to the upper or supplementary chamber a².
Furthermore, the left hand extinguisher slide m, which works freely within its
guide, falls by its weight inwards with its half cap end coming over the flame,
which is immediately put out.
In hand extinguishing, either one or both of the slides are pushed inwardly by
band.
The valve f³, has preferably an oblique stalk, so that when the lamp is upon its
side, the said valve is taken home to its seat by its own weight, and instead of
employing a conical valve, we may employ a ball valve enclosed within a cage, or
may employ a spring valve of either the cone or the flap type.
It is obvious that means employed in the safety lamp would be as effectual in
preventing spilling and extinguishing the light if the lamp falls upside down.
The application of my invention to other paraffin lamps differs in no essential
respect from its application to a table lamp as herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In the reservoirs of safety lamps, making the same or a primary part of
the same enclosed or chambered and with a wick-well, which has an outwardly or
laterally-directed supply tube fitted within its bottom, directed through it,
substantially as and for the purpose as described and set forth.
Secondly. The combination with the reservoir of a safety lamp as in the
preceding claim, and having an air inlet f, of a righting weight g, located upon the
opposite side of the said reservoir to the supply tube c, substantially as and for
the purpose as described and set forth.
Thirdly. A reservoir of a safety lamp having or being provided with two
chambers, a, a¹, one for containing the oil supply and the other for intercepting or
catching the oil spilled from the wick well in case of accident, which said chambers
are arranged relative to each other and combined in the way substantially as and
for the purpose as described and set forth.
Fourthly. In the bodies of safety lamps, the general construction arrangement
and combination of the parts, whereby the lamps are made safe, the spilling of the
oil and explosions are prevented, substantially as described and set forth.
Fifthly. A lamp extinguisher, consisting of extinguisher-ended slides, combined,

page_text: arranged and operating in the way and for the purpose substantially as described
and set forth.
Dated this 9th day of April 1894.
EDWARD JAMES RAVENSCROFT,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
EDWARD JAMES RAVENSCROFT,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.