Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1886
Complete Left, 26th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 28th Oct., 1887
I, SAMUEL HOLMES, of 9 Meards Street, Soho, in the county of Middlesex,
Mechanist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of a pneumatic lamp for burning petroleum
and the like.
In order to increase the light of Paraffin lamps it is generally the practice to increase
the size and number of the wicks employed whereby the consumption of oil is increased
and consequently very large reservoirs are required, which, besides being unsightly
and dangerous, throw a large shadow.
The object of my invention is to obviate such objections and for this purpose I
place the oil supply considerably below the burner of the lamp and convey the oil to
the burner as it is required for consumption without the use of springs or intricate
mechanism in the manner hereinafter described by this means I am enabled to
use a supply chamber or tank of large capacity and to increase the intensity and
duration of the light without causing the lamp to throw a shadow of any considerable
size.
The lamp is constructed of a vase or column containing four closed chambers, four
fixed tubes, two flat valves, a spherical or other suitable valve and a rotary
valve arranged as hereinafter described; one of the said chambers (the one
next the top chamber) serves to contain oil, which, by falling into the bottom
chamber, compresses the air therein, and the said air rising through an air pipe to the
surface of the oil in the top chamber, acts 'on the oil and raises it to the reservoir in
which the burner is placed.
The chamber next above the bottom chamber serves to receive any waste liquid
which may run over from the lamp when filling the same.
An index is provided which moves over an index plate and serves to indicate the
various positions to which the rotary valve is to be moved: the said valve has an air
spout, and an air pipe is fixed to the valve casing.
A hole is formed in the valve casing for admitting air to the rotary valve when
filling the lamp. The lower end of the rotary valve is formed with a cam which bears

page_text: on a rod connected to a valve at the bottom of one of the fixed tubes before referred
to which forms a communication between the chamber next the top one and the bottom
chamber, the said cam in this manner serves to open the said valve when the rotary
valve is moved into a certain position as hereinafter described.
In order to fill the lamp the rotary valve is placed in the required position by
operating the hereinbefore described index with which it is provided and oil is poured
into the reservoir until it commences to run out through the air spout.
The rotary valve is then moved by means of the index into another position and the
oil will rise and keep the reservoir supplied during the whole time the lamp is
burning. When it is again required to use the lamp the index must be operated so as
to rotate the valve into another position and the lamp must be inverted for a few
minutes and it is then ready to be filled and lighted as before described.
When the rotary valve is set by the index in the position for filling the lamp, the
oil which is poured into the reservoir is allowed to flow down through the air pipe in
the valve casing, and through one of the fixed tubes hereinbefore referred to which
connects the rotary valve with the chamber next to the top one until the said chamber
is full the oil then rises through the flat valve at the top of the said chamber until
the top chamber is full, and then following the expelled air it will pass through the
valve casing and run from the air spout, which is an indication that the lamp is full.
When the rotary valve is turned into position for burning, the air spout allows air to
enter through the air pipe in the valve casing and the cam on the valve opens the
valve in the bottom chamber and the oil in the chamber next to the top one is free to
descend into the bottom chamber, the air in which is in this manner forced up one of
the fixed tubes hereinbefore referred to which extends from the top of the bottom
chamber to near the top of the top chamber and through the flat valve on the top of
the said tube onto the surface of the oil in the top chamber, driving it through the
last of the fixed tubes extending from the rotary valve casing to near the bottom of
the top chamber and into the rotary valve and thence through the rotary valve to the
burner, the air-hole in the valve casing being at that time closed. When the lamp is
in an inverted position the rotary valve being in an intermediate position it has no
apertures open, the oil simply falling through the tubes and valves into the top chamber
where it remains when placed upright, ready for the completion of the filling operation
as hereinbefore described.

page_text: I, SAMUEL HOLMES, of 9, Meards Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanist, 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 :-
This invention relates to the construction of a pneumatic lamp for burning petroleum
and the like.
In order to increase the light of paraffin lamps it is generally the practice to increase
the size and number of the wicks employed whereby the consumption of oil is increased
and consequently very large reservoirs are required, which besides being unsightly
and dangerous, throw a large shadow.
The object of my invention is to obviate such objections and for this purpose I place
the oil supply considerably below the burner of the lamp and convey the oil to the
burner as it is required for consumption without the use of springs or intricate
mechanism in the manner hereinafter described; by this means I am enabled to use
a supply chamber or tank of large capacity and to increase the intensity and
duration of the light without causing the lamp to throw a shadow of any considerable
size.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 represents a vertical section and
Figure 2 a plan of part of a lamp for burning petroleum and the like constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a rotary valve hereinafter described.
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are horizontal sections of the said valve and its casing
shewing the various positions of the valve.
Similar letters in all the figures represent similar parts.
The lamp is constructed of a vase or column a containing four closed chambers bcd
and e, four fixed tubes f g h and, two flat valves j and k a conical valve (or a
spherical or other suitable valve) and a rotary valve m arranged as hereinafter
described; the chamber c serves to contain oil, which by falling into the bottom
chamber through the pipe compresses the air therein and the said air rising through
the air pipe g to the surface of the oil in the top chamber 6 acts on the oil and raises
it to the reservoir n in which the burner is placed.
The chamber d serves to receive any waste liquid which may run over from the
lamp through the tube h when filling the lamp.
An index o is provided on the burner reservoir n fixed to the rotary valve m which
index, when the reservoir and valve are rotated, moves over an index plate p shewn
clearly in figure 2 and serves to indicate the various positions to which the rotary
valve m is to be moved; the said valve has an air spout 7 and an air pipe r is fixed to
the valve casing s.
A hole shewn clearly in figures 4 to 7 is formed in the valve casings for allowing
air to pass out through the air spout q of the rotary valve m when filling the lamp.
The lower end of the rotary valve m is formed with a cam u which bears on a rod v
connected to the valve at the bottom of the tube which forms a communication
between the chamber c and the bottom chamber e; the cam u in this manner serves to
open the valve I when the rotary valve m is moved into a certain position as hereinafter
described.

page_text: In order to fill the lamp the rotary valve m is brought into the position shewn in
figure 4 by turning the burner reservoir n until the index o with which it is provided
points to the proper place upon the index plate p; oil is then poured into the
reservoir n. The valve will at this position of the rotary valve m be closed and the
passage w in the rotary valve leading from the reservoir n being in communication
with the air piper in the valve casing the oil will flow down through the air pipe r
and through the tube i which connects the rotary valve with the chamber c until the
said chamber is full; the oil then rises through the flat valvej at the top of the
chamber c until the top chamber b is full and then following the expelled air it will
pass through the hole t in the valve casing and run from the air spout q which is an
indication that the lamp is full.
The rotary valve m is then moved by the herein before described means into the
position indicated in figure 5 and the oil will rise and keep the reservoir supplied
during the whole time the lamp is burning.
which
When the rotary valve is turned into this position the air spout q is thereby brought
in communication with the air piper and air is consequently allowed to enter the
valve casing through the air pipe; the cam u on the valve m causes the valve in the
bottom chamber e to open and the oil in the chamber is free to descend into
the bottom chamber e the air in which is in this manner forced up the tube
extends from the top of the bottom chamber e to near the top of the top chamber b
and through the flat valve k, on the top of the said tube onto the surface of the oil
in the top chamber b driving the oil through a tube extending from the rotary valve
casings to near the bottom of the top chamber b and into the passage w in the rotary
valve and thence through the reservoir n to the burner of the lamp, the air-hole t in
the valve casings being at that time closed.
When the oil in the chamber c has all run into the chamber e the lamp will require
to be refilled and for this purpose the index o must be operated so as to rotate the
valve m into the position shewn in figure 6 and the lamp must be inverted for a few
minutes and it is then ready to be filled and lighted as before described.
When the lamp is in an inverted position the rotary valve m being in an intermediate
position it has no apertures open, the oil simply falling through the tubes f and g
and valves and k into the top chamber 6 where it remains when the lamp is
placed upright ready for the completion of the filling operation as hereinbefore
described.
In order to empty the lamp the rotary valve is moved into the position shewn in
figure 7 when the passage w will be brought into communication with the air-hole t,
in the valve casing; if now the lamp be inverted the oil will flow out of the lamp
through the valve j, air-hole t, passage w, and reservoir n, air entering through the
air spout g and pipe x.
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. In a pneumatic lamp for burning petroleum and the like the use of a rotary
valve such as that described, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The combination of parts forming the improved lamp for burning petroleum
and the like, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawing.
Dated the 26th day of Santambar 1887