Improvements in Extinguishing Mechanism for Hydrocarbon and other Oil Lamps.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extinguishing Mechanism for Hydrocarbon and
other Oil Lamps.
I FRANCIS ROBERT BAKER of Snow Hill, Birmingham in the county of Warwick
Engineer do bereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
parts constituting mechanism for automatically extinguishing the flames of hydro-
carbon and other oil lamps. In carrying out this my invention, I employ sliding
shutter boxes and flaps, similar to those already in use, having an extended arm or
lever, whereby the said extinguishers can be operated at will.
I further employ a heavy ball within the oil reservoir, which when the lamp
is in its normal condition lies at rest upon the bottom of the said reservoir. This
ball is in communication with the outer end of the aforesaid lever, by means of a
flexible chain or its equivalent, which passes through the lower part of the burner
from the reservoir to the said lever, a tubular passage being provided for that
purpose, the openings of which at each end are somewhat bell-mouthed, to facilitate
smoothness of motion.
Thus, when the lamp is tilted to the one side or upset, the ball rolls to one side,
and thereby draws the chain through the tubular channel and thus pulls down the
lever, putting out the light. Preferably I should make the chain of a given length
so that when the lamp is upset, the ball shall hang suspended from the mouth of the
tube inside the vessel, thus more perfectly ensuring the action of the mechanism.
To extinguish the lamp at will the lever would be used independent of the action
of the ball and chain. This my invention would apply to lamps having one or more
wicks, where a lever or its equivalent is used to operate the extinguisher, by reason
of the chain being attached to such lever, after the manner aforesaid.
Dated this 14th day of September 1888.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extinguishing Mechanism for Hydrocarbon and
other Oil Lamps.
I FRANCIS ROBERT BAKER of Snow Hill, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick
Engineer 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 :-
In
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
paris constituting mechanism for automatically extinguishing the flames of bydro-
carbon and such other oil lamps, whose burners are of similar construction.
carrying out this my invention, I employ sliding shutter boxes and flaps, similar to
those already in use, having an extended arm or lever, whereby the said extinguishers
can be operated at will.
I further employ a heavy ball within the oil reservoir, which when the lamp is in its
normal condition, lies at rest upon the bottom of the said reservoir. This ball is in
communication with the outer end of the aforesaid lever, by means of a flexible chain
or its equivalent, which passes through the lower part of the burner, from the
reservoir, to the said lever, a tubular passage being provided for that purpose, the
openings of which at each end are somewhat bellmouthed, to facilitate simoothness of
motion. Thus, when the lamp is tilted to the one side or upset, the ball rolls to one
side, and thereby draws the chain through the tubular channel, and thus pulls down
the lever, putting out the light.
I will now proceed to more particularly describe this my invention, having reference
to the accompanying illustrative sheet of drawings, upon which are figures and letters
of reference, similar letters referring throughout the several views to the same thing
or part.
Fig. 1, shows in elevation this my invention as applied to a duplex lamp, showing
the mechanism in its normal position.
Fig 2, is a side view of the normal position of the extinguisher or shutter boxes,
(as seen in Fig. 1).
Fig. 3, shows the lamp in an inclined or upset position, and the automatic extin-
guishing mechanism in action, the heavy ball having raised the extinguisher boxes
and covered the wick.
Fig. 4, is a side view of the extinguisher or shutter boxes, when raised or
extinguished (as seen in Fig. 3).
a, a, are the sliding shutter boxes; b, b, are the shutters or flaps ; c, c, are the wick
tubes; d, is the operating lever hinged at e, and connected to and operating upon the
sliding boxes at; g, is the body of the burner &c.; h, 'is the oil vessel, all of which
are similar to those at present in use, and of themselves, I do not claim in this my
invention. i, is a tube forming a tubular passage through which the chain j, is
allowed to pass freely from the end of the lever d, into the oil vessel to the heavy
ball k, to which the end of the chain is secured.

page_text: It will now be clear that when the lamp is tilted over (as seen in Fig. 3) the ball k,
(which is made as heavy as convenient) rolls to the one side and carries with it tho
chain j, which thereby pulls down the lever d, and raises the shutter boxes, putting
out the light.
Preferably I should make the chain j, of a given length, so that when the lamp is
upset, the ball k, shall hang suspended from the mouth of the tube i, inside the vessel,
as shewn in Fig. 3, thus more perfectly ensuring the action of the mechanism.
To extinguish the lamp at will, the lever d, would be used in the ordinary manner,
independent of the action of the ball and chain.
This my invention would apply to lamps having one or more wicks, where a
lever or its equivalent is used to operate the extinguisher, by reason of the chain
being attached to such lever, after the manner aforesaid.
Thus by this my improved arrangement, the operating ball is hidden from view,
which enables me to have its size and weight of such dimensions which will fully
ensure certainty of action, which, were they upon the exterior of the lamp, would be
unsightly and cumbersome.
I am aware that balls have by reason of their weight, been used upon the exterior
of the lamp, to draw down the lever, and put out the light, and therefore I do not
claim this broadly, but :—
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The combination and arrangement of the operating lever d, upon the exterior of
the lamp, connected by means of a chain j, or its equivalent, and the tubular passage i,
with a heavy rolling ball or weight k, within the oil vessel, substantially as described
and illustrated upon the drawings, and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 27th day of March 1940
CHARLES T. POWELL,
12, Cherry Street, Birmingham,
Applicant's Agent.