IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY AND OTHER LAMPS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wilks Lord, of Leeds, in the County
of York, Flax and Tow Machine Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY AND OTHER LAMPS." -A communication.
Sealed the 9th April 1858, and dated the 27th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wilks Lord
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th October 1852. :
I, THOMAS WILKS LORD, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY AND OTHER LAMPS
follows:-
to be as
These improvements refer especially to miners' lamps, but a portion
of them are also applicable to lamps for ships, warehouses, and other
hazardous situations, and for general purposes.
As regards mining lamps, the improvements consist,-
1. In composing the wire gauze cover of several short and slightly
conical pieces placed one over the other, and forming a series of
chambers.
2nd. In connecting the wire gauze cover to an extinguisher, so that
the cover cannot be removed without extinguishing the flame.
3rd. The application of a short glass tube opposite the flame so
as to prevent the action of any current of air which is liable to blow
the flame against the wire gauze and fill it with soot; a greater light
also is thus afforded.

page_text: 4th. In the admission of air below the flame (through a wire gauze
cover) so as to increase and improve the ordinary flame.
4th. In the admission of air below the flame (through a wire gauze
cover) so as to increase and improve the ordinary flame.
5. An improved construction of wick holder and elevator.
The 4th & 5th of these improvements are applicable to safety and
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Wilks Lord in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS WILKS LORD, of Leeds, in the County of York, Flax and
Tow Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Wilks Lord, Ifer special
license that I, the said Thomas Wilks Lord, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Wilks Lord,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
.and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY AND OTHER LAMPS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Wilks Lord, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Wilks Lord, have
ascertained and set forth the nature of the said Invention, communi-
cated to me from abroad, and the manner of carrying the same into
effect, in and by the following description thereof, reference being had

page_text: '
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon:
The improvements constituting the Invention are especially applicable
to safety or miners' lamps, but a portion of them are also applicable
to other kinds of lamps, as for hips, warehouses, and other hazardous
situations. These improvements as respects safety or miners' lamps
consist,―
First, in forming the wire gauze cover of several short and slightly
conical pieces of wire gauze placed one over the other forming a series
of chambers.
Second, in connecting the wire gauze cover with an extinguisher in
such way that the cover cannot be removed without extinguishing the
flame.
Third, the application of a short glass tube opposite the flame so as
to prevent the action of any current of air which is liable to blow the
flame against the wire guaze and fill it with soot; a greater light also
is thus afforded.
Fourth, in the admission of air below the flame (through a wire
gauze cover) so as to increase and improve the ordinary flame.
Fifth, an improved construction of wick holder and elevator. The
self-acting extinguisher and the improved wick holder are applicable to
lamps for other purposes.
The Drawing represents an elevation partly in section of a miner's
lamp with the improvements applied thereto.
a, is the base of the lamp; and b, the reservoir of oil; c, the neck
of the cage p, p, p, surrounded by a short cylinder of wire ganze d,
from the admission of air to the lamp below the flame through aper-
tures e, e, in the neck; f, wick holder, which is raised or lowered in
guide pieces f', by means of a screw g, working in a nut h, in the back
of the holder, and the stem of the screw working through a stuffing
box at h'; i, the burner, soldered to the extinguishing tube k, which is
attached at bottom to the spiral spring m ; n, n, studs projecting from
the extinguishing tube, and kept down by the ring o, which forms the
base of the cage p, p, p, which protects the chamber wherein the coni-
bustion is carried on. This chamber is composed of a short thick
cylinder of glass q, at the level of the flame, surmounted by a succes-

page_text: sion of short slightly coned wire gauze chamber r, r, r; 8, is the wick;
and t, the aperture for putting in the oil.
From the above description it will be seen that upon attempting to
unscrew the wire gauze cover the studs are released, and the extin-
guisher is then elevated by the action of the spring, and extinguishes
the flame.
I would observe that I do not confine myself to the above arrange-
ment in the details, as they may be varied without departing from the
principle of my Invention; but I claim as constituting the improve-
ments in safety lamps for mining purposes,-
First, the composing the wire gauze cover of several short and
slightly conical pieces placed one over the other, and forming a series
of chambers.
Secondly, the connecting the wire gauze cover with an extinguisher
in such way that the cover cannot be removed without extinguishing
the flame.
Thirdly, the application of a short glass tube opposite the flame, so
as to prevent the action of any current of air which is liable to blow
the flame against the wire gauze.
Fourthly, the admission of air below the flame through a wire gauze
casing, so as to increase and improve the ordinary flame.
Fifthly, the improved construction of wick holder and elevator
herein-before described; and,
Lastly, I claim the application of the self-acting extinguisher and
the improved wick holder herein-before described to lamps for other
purposes.
In witness whercof, I, the said Thomas Wilks Lord, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
JOEL SENIOR.
THOMAS WILKS LORD. (L.S.) 3