Improvements in Wick-carriers for Argand and like Lamps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application 30th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification, Left, 1st Sept., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ARCHIBALD WOODS PAULL, Lantern Manufacturer,
of Wheeling, in the County of Ohio, West Virginia, United States of America.]
Improvements in Wick-carriers for Argand and like Lamps.
I JAMES JOHNSON of 4 Clayton Square Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object is to provide simple and efficient means for raising lowering and
holding in position the wicks of Argand and like lamps having a central air way
or shaft.
The invention consists essentially in fitting the central air way tube with a sleeve
provided with a footstep on which the wick rests, with automatic catches for retaining
the wick in position, and with a rod or device for giving motion to the sleeve.
DL: 20th dow of Navamber 1889
JAMES JOHNSON.
Improvements in Wick-carriers for Argand and like Lamps.
I JAMES JOHNSON of 4 Clayton Square, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster
Patent Agent 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 :-
The object is to provide simple and efficient means for raising lowering and
holding in position the wicks of Argand and like lamps having a central airway
or shaft.
The invention consists essentially in fitting the central airway tube with a sleeve
provided with a footstep on which the wick rests with automatic catches for
retaining the wick in position and with a rod or device for giving motion to the
sleeve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view on the line I I of Fig. 2 of a lamp provided
with my improved wick raising device.
Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-section on the line II-II of Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 5 are vertical sectional views of modified forms of wick raiser, the
sections being on the lines III-III and V V of Figures 4 and 6 respectively.
Figures 4 and 6 are horizontal sections on the lines IV-IV and VI-VI of
Figures 3 and 5.
Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.
In the drawings (Figures 1 and 2) 2 represents the bowl of a central draft
lamp, 3 is the air tube, and 4 is the cylindrical wick which encircles the air
tube.
The wick-raiser consists of a sliding frame or sleeve 5, which fits on the air
tube and is provided at an intermediate place with an annular portion 6 of greater
diameter, so as to be capable of receiving within it the foot of the wick. 7. 7 are
segmental cams or catches which are journålled to the rim of the part 6 of the frame
or sleeve 5, and are of such form relatively to their centres of gravity that normally
they shall tend to swing towards the central air tube. There should be a suitable
number of these cams or catches. I deem three to be sufficient. 8 is a lifting rod
which extends from the frame or sleeve 5, up through the top of the lamp bowl.
The operation is as follows When it is desired to wick the lamp, the wick may be

page_text: attached to the wick-raiser without removing the latter from the lamp or otherwise,
by simply placing the wick around the air tube, and pushing it down thereon, until
its end enters the part 6 of the sleeve 5, and pushes aside the cams 7 to permit its
entrance. Now if the wick raiser be moved up by the lifting rod the engagement of
the base of the part 6 will be sufficient of itself to lift the wick, and if the wick
raiser be pushed down into the lamp bowl, the engagement of the periphery of the
cams or catches with the wick will tend to tighten them thereon and will pull the
wick down with the wick raiser. To disengage the wick from the wick-raiser,
the wick may be seized and held at its upper end, and the lifting-rod then pushed
down with sufficient force to draw the cams or catches from the wick, they turning
sufficiently to permit the disengagement of the wick therefrom.
The same end may be attained by holding the lifting-rod and forcibly pulling the
wick up, or by simply raising the lifting rod until the cams 7 engage the sleeve of the
burner, which will of itself turn back the cams and release them from the wick.
It will be understood that the form and construction of these cams or catches may
be varied in many ways by the skilled mechanic, without departing from the principles
of my invention, the only requirement being that the wick lifter should be provided
with catches, which, when the wick is pushed down thereon into the lamp bowl, will
automatically adjust themselves to the wick so as to retain it and to draw it down as
the lifting-rod is depressed.
Thus as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the wick-raiser consists of a sleeve or frame 5,
having an enlarged part 6, and pointed catches 9, pivoted to the rim of the parts 6
and normally held with their points in a somewhat downwardly inclined position by
means of an encircling supporting spring 10. The wick is adjusted to the lamp, by
pushing it down into the bowl around the air tube, the catches yield to permit
passage of the wick, and when the lifting rod is pushed down, the catches engage
the wick firmly and draw it down into the bowl. The wick may be released from
these catches in the manner hereinbefore explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2,
that is if the wick be forcibly pulled upward (or the lifting rod forcibly pushed down)
the catches will overturn and release the wick, or the catches may be released by
lifting them into contact with the burner sleeve.
In Figures 5 and 6 I show the catches (indicated by the Figures 11) pivoted to the
sleeve 5 on the inner side of the wick. Their engagement with and manner of release
from the wick will be readily understood. The catches permit the wick to be pushed
down over them into the lamp bowl, and when the lifting rod is depressed, their
engagement with the wick will carry it down. The wick may be withdrawn from the
catches by pulling it forcibly upwards or pushing the lifting rod forcibly downwards
when the wick will yield sufficiently to permit the catches to overturn and to be
released.
Other modifications of my invention will suggest themselves; for example, instead
of making the cams or catches of Figures 1, 2 and 3, sufficiently short to be capable
of turning upward to permit release of the wick by forcibly pulling thereon, as I
have above explained, they may be made longer so as to be incapable of turning up in
this manner, the drawing of the catches up against the burner being depended on to
effect the wicks release. It will be understood that in the claims the words "catches'
is used generically to include the devices shown in the drawings and other automatic-
ally-grasping catches acting on the same principle.
"
The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The
wick raiser is sure and efficient in its action, and the readiness with which the wick
may be adjusted makes it very cleanly and desirable for domestic use.
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 :-
1. A movable wick raising device having a catch or catches adapted to be automatically
engaged with the wick by the insertion of the latter into the lamp font ; substantially
as and for the purposes described.

page_text: 2. An improvement in wick raisers which consists in the combination with the
central air-tube of a carrier or sleeve movably mounted thereon, and catches or detents
on said sleeve which are movable to permit passage of the wick and to engage the
same yieldingly, whereby in use downward motion of the sleeve will carry the wick
but on the application of excessive force or resistance to the wick, it shall be freed ;
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination with the air tube, of a sleeve encircling the same and movable
thereon, said sleeve having a portion 6 for receiving the foot of the wick and catches
pivoted thereto, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. The combination with the air tube of a sleeve encircling the same and inovable
thereon, said sleeve having a portion 6 for receiving the foot of the wick and cams
pivoted thereto; substantially as and for the purposes described.
5. The combination with the air tube of a sleeve encircling the same and movable
thereon, said sleeve carrying cams pivoted in such position relatively to their centres
of gravity as normally to hang in position to grasp the wick; substantially as and for
the purposes described.
Dated tha Touanto ninth day of August 1890
J. JOHNSON,
Agent.