Improvements in or connected with Miners' Safety Lamps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 21st June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Mar., 1895-Accepted, 21st June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Miners' Safety Lamps.
We, THOMAS WOODS, of 102 Elephant Lane, St. Helens, in the County of
Lancaster, Colliery Lampman, and JACOB ATHERTON of The British Insulated
Wire Company Limited, Prescott, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to lamps usually called "safety lamps," employed
in coal mines (or under similar conditions) by miners, and others, in the mines or
pits; the chief object of this invention is to provide safety lamps capable of being
ignited with safety when in the mine, and particularly after they have become
accidentally extinguished, or gone out, while in use, thereby obviating the necessity
as at present exists with ordinary safety lamps, of having to send a lamp up out of
the mine for relighting.
In a lamp according to this invention, there is combined in conjunction or com-
bination with the burner, and in relative proximity to the wick, a means or device
operated from outside the lamp, as for instance, from the bottom, and without
opening it or admitting air to it in any way, by which a substance or article
capable of ignition by percussion, friction, or other analogous or suitable known
mode of effecting ignition, either of itself, or in conjunction with some other
material or substance, is ignited, and burns for a considerable length of time
(i.e. sufficiently long to ignite the wick of a lamp using the ordinary oils used), the
flame resulting from ignition coming in contact with or in very close proximity to
the wick of the lamp.
The means provided for effecting the ignition, are so arranged that the com-
munication between the outside of the lamp and the burner is so made that the
entrance of any or any harmful or dangerous amount of air into the lamp or burner
is prevented.
In one form of means specified for carrying out this invention, a device carrying
a number of charges of substance of the nature specified is arranged in connection
with the burner, such device. being operated from outside, say from the bottom of
the lamp, the charges being ignited, by a hammer, trigger, percussive, or frictional
device, acting on or in connection with said charges, or other suitable means or
devices for igniting same, either directly operated, or indirectly through other
suitable actuating mechanism or means. Such devices will have rotatory, vibratory,
rectilinear, or other suitable motion or movement. The charges will be of such
substance or material, or combined with a suitable combustible material, which will
give a suitable flame and burn sufficiently long to ignite the wick of a lamp in
which the ordinary oils used in miners lamps will be ignited with certainty.
Another means for carrying out this invention may consist of a frictional device
disposed in the burner and communicating by a suitable tube or passage with the
outside of the lamp, as the bottom, through which a match is passed by pressure,
and ignited, the flame therefrom burning in contact with or close proximity to the
wick, the frictional device, or parts of it, being made of spring form, or being
provided with a spring or springs, to give a sufficient pressure or friction; and the
device being so adapted that practically no air or no objectionable quantity of air
can enter the burner through the device or passage.
The igniting flame will in, most cases be at the side of the wick so that the
bottom portion of it is caused to act on the wick.

page_text: In some cases, the device or means by means of which the ignition is effected is
provided with a locking device, or seal, by which the lighting or relighting of the
lamp can be effected only by the person or those in possession of means of unlocking
or unsealing same.
Dated this 20th day of June. 1894.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.
Improvements in or connected with Miners' Safety Lamps.
We, THOMAS Woons of 102, Elephant Lane, St. Helens, in the County of
Lancaster, Colliery Lampman and Jacon ATHERTON of The British Insulated
Wire Company, Limited, Prescott, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and inscertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention has reference to lamps usually called safety lamps, employed in
coal mines (or under similar conditions) by miners, and others, in the mines or
pits; the chief object of this invention is to provide safety lamps capable of being
ignited with safety when in the mine and particularly after they have become
accidentally extinguished or gone out, while in use; thereby obviating the
necessity as at present exists with ordinary lamps, of having to send a lamp out of
the mine for relighting.
In a lamp according to this invention, there is fitted adjacent to the burner, and
in close proximity to the wick, a means or device operated from outside the lamp,
as for instance from the bottom, and without opening it or admitting air to it in
any way, by which a substance or article capable of ignition by friction is ignited,
and burns for a considerable length of time (ie., sufficiently long to ignite the wick
of a inmp using the ordinary oils), the flame resulting from ignition coming in
contact with the wick of the lamp.
The means provided for effecting the ignition are so arranged that the communi-
cation between the outside of the lamp and the burner is so made that the
entrance of any harmful or dangerous amount of air into the limp or burner is
prevented.
.
In carrying out this invention, a device holding a number of charges of a
substance of the nature specified is arranged adjacent to the burner, such device
being operated from outside, say from the bottom of the lamp, the charges being
ignited by friction caused by pressure from the underside of the lamp, and the
wick is ignited thereby.
In order that our invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the drawing bereunto annexed, in
which :-
Figure 1 is an elevation, the lower portion being in section, of our improved form
of lamp.
Figure 2 is an underneath view of the bottom of the lamp.
Figure 3 is a view underneath the bottom of the lamp with the magazine and
striking pin removed.
Figure 4is a plan on top of the magazine, removed from the lamp.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the magazine showing the striking pin in
position.
The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.
a is the lamp; the wick, e the split tube through which the match or other
equivalent is thrust upwards, c', c, are the upper aides of the tube smaller than
י

page_text: the lower, which act as the frictional device for igniting the match, is the
magazine proper, d' are holes for receiving the matches or equivalents, e is the
lower plate and holder for the striking pin, is the striking pin, is its enlarged
termination, g is the index arm for revolving the magazine from the outside and
ensures the movement of the magazine to the correct position for the striking pin
to thrust a match into the tube c; his the recess in the under side of the lamp
for receiving the magazine and corresponding parts.
The way we carry out our invention is as follows :-
The magazine d is filled with matches or equivalents, the striking pin is in the
position shown in Figure 1; the index arm g is moved so that the hole in it
corresponds with any of the indents in in which position the striker is
immediately underneath one of the holes in the magazine. Having determined
index g one of the holes in the magazine is also immediately underneath the tube c
and the striking pin being pressed upwards forces a match into the split tube c
(the upper part of the latter acts as a spring), thence between c' and the match by
friction is ignited. The close proximity of the lighted match to the wick ignites
the latter.
The lower portion of the plate e can be locked in the correct position by
locking plates, on the underside of the lamp and a pin projecting through the
raised pieces and .
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
In miners' safety lamps means such as herein described and illustrated of igniting
the wick without opening the lamp.
ning the lamp.
day of March 1895.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Westminster, London, S. W.,
Agent for the said Applicants.