IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL TALLOW AND GREASE LAMPS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Darling, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL TALLOW AND
GREASE LAMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Darling at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December 1881.
JOHN DARLING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL, TALLOW, AND GREASE LAMPS."
The said Invention relates to improvements in oil, tallow, and grease lamps, and
has partly for its object to provide such lamps with a ready means for raising the
wick. The Invention is especially adapted to the grease lamps used by miners or
the lamps used by stokers on board ship.
According to one part of the said Invention a prong or picker-lever is mounted
upon an axis outside the wick tube, so as when turned in one position to project
into the said wick tube. The said picker or prong is connected with a rod or bar
sliding in guides outside the lamp, so that by moving this bar the prong or picker-
lever is caused to protrude into the wick tube and seize upon and elevate the wick.
The said prong or picker-lever is so formned or jointed at its end or otherwise
arranged as to pass the wick in its descent without lowering it.
The Invention has also for its object to enable the grease, or paraffine wax, or
scale used in such lamps to be more rapidly heated and melted by the heat of the
burning wick than hitherto. This is effected by making the inner side of the
wick-tube with a longitudinal opening, or a groove with perforations, so that the
wick is throughout its entire length in contact with the grease or solid paraffine or
scale. By this means the wick tube may be made of a non-conducting or slowly
conducting material.
The Invention consists further in covering as much as possible of the lamp casing
with a non-conducting inaterial (preferably what is known as clamite), for the
purpose of preventing it being robbed of heat either by the currents or draughts in
n "

page_text: a mine, or when, as is frequently the case, the miner takes the lamp from his head
and places it on the floor or pavement, or other cold surface in a mine, which is
frequently in a wet state. By thus constructing the lamp it can easily be handled,
when the grease or paraffine wax or scale is melted, as the non-conducting covering
prevents that heat being communicated to the head of the person using it.
A further improvement in the said lamps consists in attaching to the upper part
of the spout, or to other convenient part of the said lamps, a wire of copper or brass,
or other suitable material. The upper part of the wire projects into the flame or
hot part of the wick, and conducts the heat therefrom either to the spout, which
may be of copper er brass, or the wire may pass through the spout or casing, so as
to be in contact with the solid paraffine, grease, or wax.
In either case the heat is
by means of the aforesaid wire conducted from the flame or wick to melt the solid
paraffine, wax, scale, or grease within the lamp. The aforesaid wire may be mado
inoveable and applied to or taken from the flame or hot part of the wick when
required. In this way the quantity of heat conveyed to the paraffin, wax, scale, or
grease is made subservient to control.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Darling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd June
1882.
JOHN DARLING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL, TALLOW, AND GREASE LAMPS."
My said Invention relates to improvements in oil, tallow, and grease lamps, and
has for its object according to one part of my said Invention to provide such lamps
with a ready means for raising the wick. The Invention is especially adapted to
the grease lamps used by niners, or the lamps used by stokers on board ship.
According to this part of my said Invention a prong or picker-lever is mounted
upon an axis outside the wick tube, so as when turned in one position to project
into the said wick tube. The said picker or prong is connected with a rod or bar
sliding in guides outside the lamp, so that by imoving this bar the prong or picker-
lever is caused to protrude into the wick tube, and seize upon and elevate the wick.
The said prong or picker-lever is so formed or jointed at its end or otherwise
arranged as to pass the wick in its descent without lowering it.
The Invention has also for its object to enable the grease, or paraffin, wax, or
scale, used in such lamps to be more rapidly heated and melted by the heat of the
burning wick than hitherto. This is effected by making the inner side of the wick
tube with a longitudinal opening or a groove with perforations, so that the wick is
throughout its entire length in contact with tho grease or solid paraffin or scale.
By this means the wick tube may be made of a non-conducting or slowly conducting
material.
A further improvement in the said lamps consists in attaching to the upper part
of the spout or to other convenient part of the said lamps a wire of copper or
brass or other suitable material. The upper part of the wire projects into the
flame or hot part of the wick and conducts the heat therefrom either. to the spout,
which may be of copper or brass, or the wire may pass through the spout or
casing so as to be in contact with the solid paraffin, grease, or wax. In either caso
the heat is by means of the aforesaid wire conducted from the flame or wick to
melt the solid paraffin, wax, scale, or grease within tho lamp. The aforesaid wire
may be made moveable and applied to or taken from the flame or hot part of the
wick when required. In this way the quantity of heat convoyed to the paraffin,
wax, scale, or grease, is made subservient to control.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now
proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say:-
Figure 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a side elevation of a
miner's lamp constructed according to the first part of iny said Invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are detail views of this part of my said improvements, the said
details being drawn to an enlarged scale.
The spout A of the lamp through which the wick passes is constructed of two
tubes a, a, with a space between then, as seen more particularly in Figure 3,
which is a plan of the spout A. The two tubes a, a', are arranged parallel and
closed at the base of the spout proper according to the ordinary construction of
miners' lamps of this class."
A prong or picker-lever B, the employment of which constitutes the essential
feature of this part of my improvements is mounted so as to turn upon an axis or
pin b, which is passed through two lugs or projecting portions c of the outer tube a
outside of the inner or wick tubo a'. The said lever B is formed, as shown more

page_text: ⋅
particularly in the enlarged detail view, Figure 2, with a hooked or picker
portion in proximity to the axis b. Slots are formed at the top edges of the two
tubes to guide the lever and allow its free motion, which is effected by a rod or
bar D sliding in one or more guides d at the outside of the lamp, as shewn more
particularly in Figure 1. When the lever is pulled down with the fingers of the
operator, this being the position shewn in Figures 1 and 3, the picker b' of the
lever is simultaneously elevated and bites into the wick which is within the inner
tube a', and raises the said wick. When the rod is pushed up, as shewn in Figure 2,
the picker is simultaneously depressed in a circular movement, the picker being so
formed at its under side that when depressed it bears against the wick but without
lowering it, this portion being rounded off as at 6 for this purpose, as shewn moro
particularly in the detail view Figure 2. The ordinary hook is for attaching the
lamp to the miner's cap or other place.
In Figure 4 is represented a miner's lamp constructed to better effect the melting
of tallow or other grease when such is employed in lieu of oil, and to control the
beat.
Figure 5 is a plan, and Figure 6 a sectional elevation of the said lamp.
This form of lamp is constructed with a recessed portion A' which projects from
the side of the lamp as an enlarged spout, the wick tube a' being mounted upon
the top of the portion A¹, as shewn more particularly in Figure 4. The portion A'
is preferably formed of copper or other highly conducting metal or alloy, the
wick tube a¹ being formed of tin or other non-conducting or slowly conducting
material.
The inner side of this recessed portion A' is formed, as shewn more particularly
in the sectional elevation, Figure 6, which is a view looking from the hook x
towards the spout, with a wide opening extending preferably to the full size of the
mouth of the part A¹. The wax, tallow, or other material employed fills the
entire space within the portion A¹ of the wick tube, so that the wick is throughout
its length in contact with the tallow.
The opening from the body of the lamp into the part A' may also be formed as
a longitudinal opening or a groove with perforations to allow of the admission of
the wax into the part A¹.
In Figure 7 is represented a side elevation of a similar miner's lamp, in which
my improvements are shewn regulating the heating of the lamp by means of a heat
conducting wire; Figure 8 is a plan of the arrangement.
This improvement consists essentially in the employment of a wire E of copper,
brass, or other suitable conducting material. The wire is shewn applied to a
similar lamp to that shewn in Figure 4. The wire, preferably in the form of a
loop, as shewn, is capable of turning upon an axis at f, its two arms e having their
extremities fixed into the sides of the recessed portion A¹. The axis in which the
said arms move consists of a tube f. which is passed through the portion A', and is
grease tight therein; the ends of the arms e projecting into the outer ends of the
said tube. When it is desired to conduct heat from the Hame of the wick the
loop of wire E is moved into the position shewn in Figure 7 so as to be over the
flame of the wick; the heat is thus conducted down the arms e of the wire loop to
the tubular axis f, which is en bedded within the mass of wax or other material
within the recessed portion A', and heat is thus also conducted to the body of the
portion A itself, which portion is preferably of copper or other conducting metal,
the spout a being of tin or other suitable material.
When additional heat is not required to melt the solid wax, tallow, or other
material employed, the loop of wire is moved round away from the flame into its
lowest position, namely, that shewn in the dotted lines in Figure 7.
The various positions in which the workman is placed when using the light
has made it very difficult to get a lamp suited to burn tallow, paraffin, wax, or
scale, since when, having to put the lamp on the pavement often for hours together
it becomes cooled, and the tallow or wax thereby solidified. Under those circum-
stances, in the lump as usually made of metal having a slow conductivity the heat

page_text: of the flame is not communicated to the body of the lamp, the grease in it becomes
cold, and so fails to keep up the flame to give the amount of light required, and
when it becomes necessary to carry the lamp on the head, especially in a strong
draught of air, the action of the flame with the short copper conducting spout has
the effect of greatly over-heating the lamp, so that it cannot be handled. This
objection is obviated by constructing the lamp according to my improvements;
also by the construction and arrangement of the part A of the lamp, the tallow is
brought near the flame, thus causing the lamp to light up almost as readily as a
candle.
I may also apply this regulating wire to other than miners' lamps of the kind
illustrated; for instance, my Invention may be very conveniently adapted to
miners' safety lamps, in which case I provide the axis of the arms of the wire with
a crank or other equivalent arrangement such as would effect the circular motion
to be imparted to the loop of wire when the said wire could not be moved by the
fingers directly through being inside the lamp casing, the motion of the crank or
equivalent arrangement being effected from the outside of the lamp by means of a
rod or wire.
ir
Under another feature of my present improvements I render the outer parts of
the lamp cool, and prevent the radiation of the heat by covering as much as possible
of the lamp casing with a non-conducting material (preferably what is known as
elamite") for the purpose of preventing it being robbed of heat, either by the
currents or draughts in a mine, or when, as is frequently the case, the miner takes
the lamp from his head and places it on the floor or pavement, or other cold surface
in a mine, which is frequently in a wet state. By thus constructing the lamp it
can easily be handled, when the grease, or paraffin wax or scale is melted, as the
non-conducting covering prevents that heat being communicated to the hand of
the person using it.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or
may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters. Patent is,―
First. The application and use in miners' lamps and miners' safety lamps of
the "picker" lever B, "picker" b', and rod D, for actuating the same, for the
purpose of raising the wick in the wick tube of such lamps, substantially as herein-
before described and shewn in the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Second. Constructing the piece A' of miners' lamps throughout with a slit or
opening therein, or with the inner portion completely open to the body of such
lamps so as to allow the tallow, or grease, or paraffin wax or scale, to fill into the
said part A', and therein to be easily melted by the heat conducted from the flame,
as substantially hereinbefore described.
Third. The loop E and its tubular attachment to the spout of the lamp for the
purpose of conducting the heat of the flame to melt the tallow, grease, or paraffin
wax or scale in the said lamp, as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Darling, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.