IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY LAMPS FOR BURNING PETROLEUM OIL
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard Lietar, of Molombeek, Saint Jean, near Brussels,
in the Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SAFETY LAMPS FOR BURNING PETROLEUM OIL."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernard Lictar at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th March 1877.
BERNARD LIETAR, of Molembeck, Saint Jean, near Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Mechanic. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY LAMPS FOR BURNING PETROLEUM
OIL."
My Invention relates to an improved construction of lamps for burning petroleumn
oil, by which construction, should the lamp fall or be upset, all danger of explosion
is avoided.
According to my Invention the vessel or reservoir holding the oil is divided into
two parts by a horizontal partition, which may be curved or of any suitable
form. The said partition separates the upper part of the said vessel or reser-
voir from the lower part, the two said parts communicating together by a sinall
aperture, through which the oil from the upper part may pass into the lower part.
The wick is enclosed in a metal tube, by preference flat, which extends to nearly the
bottom of the oil vessel or reservoir, being terminated at the bottom by a cap, in
which is a very small hole for the admission of oil to the wick. A cylindrical cup
is soldered or fixed to the outside of the said tube, and screws into a collar or flange
formed in the centre of the partition aforesaid, so that the wick tube is by it fixed
in position. Upon the said cup fit the ordinary adjustments, which with the top of
the wick tube form the burner. Round the lower part of the said cup is a series of
holes opening into the upper part of the oil vessel or reservoir, and opening into the
said cup is a series of holes in the wick tube, by which holes, if the lamp be upset,
the oil in the wick tube passes into the said cup, and from thence into the upper
compartment of the oil reservoir.
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From the foregoing description it will be understood that by means of the
arrangement described the wick is kept quite separate from the oil in the reservoir,
with which it communicates only by the minute aperture in the bottom of the tube,

page_text: which tube is made to contain the smallest quantity possible of oil, due regard being
had to the proper burning of the lamp; and also that as the oil reservoir is divided
into two parts by the partition herein-before described, into which partition the
wick tube is screwed tightly, if the lamp be upset the oil contained in the said wick
tube flows into the cylindrical cup herein-before described, and from thence into the 5
upper part of the reservoir; also that the partition described isolates the oil from
the flame, which cannot heat the said oil nor produce explosive gas therefrom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Bernard Lietar in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th Sep-
tember 1877.
BERNARD LIETAR, of Molembeek, St. Jean, near Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Mechanic. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY LAMPS FOR BURNING PETROLEUM
OIL"
My Invention relates to an improved construction of lamps for burning petroleum
oil, by which construction, should the lamp fall or be upset, all danger of explosion
is avoided.
According to my Invention the vessel or reservoir holding the oil is divided into
two parts by a horizontal partition, which may be curved or of any suitable form.
The said partition separates the upper part of the said vessel or reservoir from
the lower part, the two said parts communicating together by a small aperture,
through which the oil from the upper part may pass into the lower part. The
wick is enclosed in a metal tube, by preference flat, which extends to nearly the
bottom of the oil vessel or reservoir, being terminated at the bottom by a cap, in
which is a very small hole for the admission of oil to the wick. A cylindrical cup
is soldered or fixed to the outside of the said tube, and screws into a collar or flange
formed in the centre of the partition aforesaid, so that the wick tube is by it fixed
in position. Upon the said cup fit the ordinary adjustments, which with the top of
the wick tube form the burner. Round the lower part of the said cup is a series of
holes opening into the upper part of the oil vessel or reservoir, and opening into the
said cup is a series of holes in the wick tube, by which holes, if the lamp be upset,
the oil in the wick tube passes into the said cup, and from thence into the upper
compartment of the oil reservoir.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that by means of the
arrangement described the wick is kept quite separate from the oil in the reservoir,
with which it communicates only by the minute aperture in the bottom of the tube,
which tube is made to contain the smallest quantity possible of oil, due regard
being had to the proper burning of the lamp; and also that as the oil reservoir
is divided into two parts by the partition herein-before described, into which par-
tition the wick tube is screwed tightly, if the lamp be upset the oil contained in
the said wick tube flows into the cylindrical cup herein-before described, and from
thence into the upper part of the reservoir; also that the partition described isolates
the oil from the flame, which cannot heat the said oil nor produce explosive gas
therefrom.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe with
reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in which the same is to be
performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation a lamp for burning petroleum oil constructed
according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same, partly in
elevation, the burner being removed.
}
a, a', is the vessel or reservoir of the lamp holding the oil, which vessel or reser-
voir is divided into two parts a and a¹ by means of the curved horizontal partition b.
The said partition b separates the upper part a¹ of the vessel from the lower part a,

page_text: the parts a, a communicating together by a small aperture c in the partition b,
which aperture opens into a pipe c¹, and the pipe c¹ passing round the inner side of
the vessel or reservoir opens at c¹ into the lower compartment a. It is through the
said pipe c¹ that the oil from the upper part a¹ of the vessel or reservoir passes into
the lower part a.
In some cases the pipe c' may be dispensed with, and the communication between
the upper and lower parts of the reservoir may be through the aperture c.
The wick d of the lamp is enclosed in a flat metal tube d' (a tube of other section
may be used to suit a wick of other shape), which tube d' extends to near the
bottom of the oil vessel or reservoir, and is terminated at the bottom by a cap e
screwed on to a collar soldered to the bottom of the wick tube d¹. In the cape is
a very small hole e¹ for the admission of oil to the wick. A cylindrical cup fis
soldered to the outside of the tube d' at f¹, and screws into a collar or flange g
soldered or affixed upon the partition b, so that the wick tube d¹ is by it fixed in
position. Round the said cup f is a series of holes f, f, opening into the upper
part a of the oil vessel, and opening into the said cup is a series of holes f in the
wick tube d' represented in Figure 1), by which holes, if the lamp be upset, the oil in
the wick tube passes into the cup f, and from thence into the upper compartment a¹
of the oil vessel through the holes f. Upon the cup f fit the ordinary adjustments i,
Figure 1, which, with the top of the wick tube, form the burner.
From an inspection of the Drawings it will be readily understood that the wick d
is kept quite separate from the oil in the reservoir a, with which it communicates
only by the minute aperture e¹ in the cap e at the bottom of the wick tube d', which
contains the smallest quantity possible of oil, due regard being had to the proper
burning of the lamp; and also that the oil vessel or reservoir being divided into two
parts a, a, by the partition b, into which partition the cup f affixed to the wick
tube is screwed tightly, if the lamp be upset the oil contained in the wick tube d'
will flow into the cylindrical cup f, and from thence into the compartment a¹ of the
oil vessel.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the precise details herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention,-
The improvements in lamps for burning petroleum oil, herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, enclosing the wick in
a tube nearly closed at bottom, into which tube oil is admitted to the wick by a
very small aperture, so as nearly to isolate the wick from the oil in the body of the
lamp.
Also, dividing the oil reservoir into two compartments by a horizontal par-
tition, essentially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernard Lietar, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.