Improvements in Lamps for velocipedes and other Road venicies.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1896-Accepted. 1st May, 1897
Improvements in Lamps for velocipedes and other Road venicies.
A communication from the C. T. HAM MANUFACTURING COMPANY (a
corporation created and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State
of New York), located at 45 Thompson Street, City of Rochester, County of
Monroe, State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturers.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described aud
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The present invention has for its object to provide an improved lamp or lantern
particularly adapted for use on bicycles or other vehicles, and which will supply a
sufficient unantity of air to support combustion and prevent the extinguishment
of the flame from blasts of air coming from any direction, and also from jars or
shocks.
Heretofore attempts have been made to construct a small lamp or lantern on the
tubular principle adapted for use on bicycles or similar vehicles, but such attempts
have not been commercially successful for the reason, among others, that it is
difficult to make a small, symmetrical and sightly structure of this kind without
sacrificing some of the advantageous leatures of tubular lanterns, of unduly heating
the air tubes and reversing the air current supplying the flame, or impairing the
ability to withstand gusts of wind coming from all directions when provision was
made for the proper air supply for the lamp when moving in one direction at great
speed. The present invention, however, overcomes all of the objections noted and
fulfils all the requirements of a perfect lamp adapted for bicyclists' use, the parts
being readily separable for cleaning or adjustment, and the oil-pot being prevented
from undue heating. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain
improvements hereinafter particularly described, the novel fentures being pointed
out in the claims at the end of this specification.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lamp embodying the improvements.
Figure 2, a plan view with the top section removed.
Figure 5, a vertical sectional view on the line - of Figure 2.
Figure 4, a sectional view on the line y-y of Figura 3, looking upward.
Figure 5, a side elevation of a lump showing a modification of the air feeding
devices.
Figure 6, a plan view of the same with the top section removed.
Figure 7, a central vertical sectional view.
Figure 8, a horizontal-sectional view on the line a- of Figure 7, looking
upward.
Figure 9, a vertical-sectional view on the line e-f of Figure 6.
Figure 10, a sectional view on the line 2- of Figure 6, showing the bottom
portion of the central section of the lamp only.
Figure 11, a section on the line - of Figure 9.
Figure 12, a section on the line g-h of Figure 6.
Figure 13, a side elevation of a lamp showing another modification of the air
feeding devices

page_text: Figure 14, a plan view of the same with the rear portion of the top or hond
partly broken away.
Figure 15, a vertical-sectional view on the line k-l of Figure 14.
Figure 16, a sectional view on the line m-n of Figure 14. 1
Figure 17, a sectional view on the line o-p of Figure 14.
Figure 18, a sectional view on the line q-r of Figure 15.
Figure 19, a sectional view on the line of Figure 15, looking upward.
Similar reference numerals in the different figures indicate similar parts.
As the several forms of lamps shown in the accompanying drawings differ only
in a portion of the devices for supplying air to the chamber beneath the burner
cone, the parts of the structure common to all of the forms will be first described.
The body 1 of the lamp shown in all the figures is preferably cylindrical in form
and provided at the front with a goggle 2 carrying a lens 3, or a glass window of
any construction. The upper end of the body is provided with a removable cap or
cover secured in position by a bayonet joint, as 4, and embodying an upper cap 5
and a plate 6 beneath it, preferably inclined and provided with a central aperture 7
to permit the exit of the heated air and products which find their exit through
suitable apertures 8 at the sides of the cap 5, the particular structure of this cap
not being essential excepting that it is readily removable and permits the exit of
the heated products and prevents the direct passage of gusts of air down into the
body of the lamp. The lower end of the body 1 is provided with a plate 9,
preferably secured rigidly in position and connectel to or forming part of the
burner-cone 10, and beneath this plate is another plate 11 forming the bottom of
the air chamber 21 and having a central aperture with which the upper part of the
wick tube 12 of the burner co-operates, making a tight joint. The burner is of the
ordinary slip variety, such as used in tubular lanterns, and is mounted loosely in
the central aperture in a removable oil fount 13 detachably securel to the bottom
of the body by any suitable fastening, such as a bayonet joint, embodying the
pins 14 co-operating with suitable angular slots formed in the bottom of the
tubular body. Secured to or formed upon the upper portion of the oil fount is an
annular flange 15 having apertures adapted, when the oil-fount is secured to the
body, to co-operate with corresponding apertures 16 formed in the lower portion
of the latter, so as to permit a free circulation of air between the top of the oil
fount and the plate 11 to keep the fount coul. It will be noted that the oil fount
is not only separated from the lamp body by an air space, serving to keep the oil
fount cool, but the end of the burner is introduced into the air chamber, and, as
will be explained, there are no joints or separable parts in the air circulating tubes
or chambers. The lamp body is provided with the usual signal windows 17 at the
sides, one or both of which may be novable to permit the lighting of the wick,
and a suitable removable reflector 18 is provided in rear of the burner for throwing
the rays of light forward through the window. The sides of the body are also
provided with perforations 19 for admitting air to the interior at the sides of the
burner, but in order to prevent the air entering these perforations from impinging
directly u on the flame, there are provided vertically extending plates 20 on the
inside of the body, as shown particularly in Figures 3, 7, 9 and 10.
So far, the constructions shown in all of the figures of the drawing are
substantially identical, the differences between them relating to the manner in
which the fresh air necessary to support combustion is introduced into the air
chamber 21 beneath the burner cone and by which the currents of air are so
balanced and correlated as to prevent the extinguishment of the Hame by blasts of
air striking the lamp from any side, and also the blast created by the forward
movement of the lamp when attached to a bicycle or other vehicle.
Referring particularly to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, the air is
supplied to the air chamber 21 by means of several (lour, in the present embodiment)
vertically extending air supplying tubes 22 communicating at their lower ends
with the air chamber 21 beneath the burner cone, while their upper ends com-
municate with the interior of the lamp body near the top, and intermediate the ends

page_text: of these tubes and on their inner sides next the body, are openings 23 which are
preferably arranged at the upper portion of the body near the elbow or the part
where the tubes turn toward the body to connect therewith. Encircling the upper
portion of the body is the air director, constructed, in the present embodiment, of
two annular plates 24 preferably conraved on their outer sides and having the
edges or flanges turned toward each other and forming an open-sided air chamber
or passage 25. The lower one of the plates 24 is cut away at 26 opposite the
openings in the tubes 22, and the vertical dividing or directing plates 27 are
arranged in said cut away portion, extending also vertically across the open portions
of the tubes, as in Figures 3 and 4. The arrangement of the parts just described
is such that when a blast of air from any direction strikes the upper portion of the
lamp, the plates 27 will deflect a portion of the air down the tubes 22 to the air
chamber beneath the burner cone, and also up said tubes into the upper portion
of the body of the lamp, not only balancing the column of nir in the lamp body,
but supplying sufficient to support combustion. The annular air director assists in
properly directing the air into the tubes and prevents downward or upward currents
from extinguishing the flame, either by an exhaustion or the direct passage of air
in too great quantity. This arrangement provides for a sufficient supply of fresh
air beneath the burner cone to produce a brilliant light and renders the light steady
no matter whether the lamp is moving forward at speed or is at rest.
In the construction shown in Figures 5 to 12 there is provided at the rear of the
lamp body abroad, vertically extending tube 28 communicating with the air
chamber 21 and having an air injector 29 at its upper end, one section of the
injector being fastened to the upper portion of the lamp body, and suitable
pertures 30 being arranged in the body so that there is a communication between
the upper portion of the lamp and the tube 28, the injector being between these
parts. In this construction, there is a vertically extending partition or plate 31
arranged in the air chamber 21 and extending partially around the burner, as shown
particularly in Figure 8, said plate being perforated at 32 for permitting the
passage of air in small jets. The upper portion of the lamp in this embodiment is
also surrounded by an annular air director embodying plates similar to the annular
plates 24, said air directing plates being continued around into the section of the
air injector 29, as shown particularly in Figures 5 and 16. 33 indicates vertically
extending air tubes arranged preferably on opposite sides of the goggle and com-
municating at their lower ends with the air chamber 21 at the burner, having their
extreme upper ends closed, and at the level of the air director provided with the
vertically extending plates 34, as shown in Figures 9, 11 and 12, the lower director
plate being cut away for the accommodation of the tube and the plate 34. In this
arrangement, the injector will supply air to the chamber 21 in sufficient quantity to
support combustion, the columns will be balanced by the connection with the upper
portion of the lamp hody and when the lamp moves forward a portion of the air
between the plates of the annular director will pass down into the air
chamber beneath the burner, thus counteracting any tendency on the part of the
injector at the rear to exhaust or diminish the flame of the lamp.
In the modification shown in Figures 13 to 19, the vertically extending tubes 33
in the arrangement last described, are dispensed with, but the lower plate of the
annular air director is cut away at the front, as shown at 35 Figure 19, and an
annular air chainber 36 is formed between the two director plates next the body;
said air chamber opening into the air injector in the rear tube 26. This opening 35
supplies additional air to the chamber beneath the burner cone, as the lamp noves
forward, and performs in a measure the functions of the vertical tubes 33, and also,
in this arrangement, the annular air director prevents downward and upward
currents from injuriously affecting the column of air and products in the lamp body,
at the same time directing the proper quantity of fresh air into the tube or conduit
supplying the chamber beneath the burner cone.
In all the forms of lamps shown, the tubes supplying air beneath the barner cone

page_text: are separated from the lamp body a sufficient distance to prevent their being unduly
heated and thereby causing a reversal of the air supply.
Any suitable supporting devices may be employed for holding the lamps upon a
bicycle or other vehicle, and in Figures 1 and 2 there are shown arms 40 attached
directly to the lamp hody and which may form a part of any suitable attaching
bracket, while in the forms shown in Figures 5 and 13, as there is a broad rear
tube, suitable elastic supporting devices, indicated generally by 41, may be employed
attached directly to the broad tube.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents and in what manner the
same is to be perforined, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a lamp, the combination with the body, the burner cone and the air
chamber beneath it having the central aperture, of the removable oil fount separated
from the bottom of the lamp by an air space and having the burner co-operating
with an aperture in the air chamber, means for supplying air to the chamber, and
detachable fastenings between the oil fount and body, substantially as described.
2. In a lamp, the combination with the body, the top, the burner cone, the
bottom plate beneath the cone having the central aperture, of the removable oil
fonnt detachably connected to the body and separated therefrom by an air space,
the burner in the fount entering the aperture in the bottom plate, and air feeding
devices at the upper portion of the body for supplying air beneath the burner cone,
substantially as described.
3. In a lamp, the combination with the body having the bottom plate provided
with an aperture, of the oil fount connected with the body by a detachable fastening
and with an air space between the fount and plate, and a slip burner in the fount
engaging the bottom plute at the edges of the aperture, substantially as described.
4. The combination with the body, the window at the front and the air chamber
at the bottom, of an air supply tube separated from the body and communicating
with the air chamber, the burner cone above the air chamber, the oil fount
detachably connected to the body and separated therefrom by an air space and the
burner tube in the fount entering the bottom of the air chamber and forming a
tight joint therewith, substantially as described.
5. The combination with the body having the perforations 16.and the plate 11,
of the oil fount having the perforated flange 15, detachable fastenings between the
fount and body, and the burner 12 passing through and engaging the plate 11,
substantially as described.
6. The combination with the lamp body having the perforations 16 at the bottom
and the plate 11, the cap 5 and plate 6 at the top, and the window at the front,
of the oil fount having the perforated flange 15, the burner in the fount engaging
plate 11, and detachable securing devices between the body and fount, substantially
as described.
7. In a lamp, the combination with the body having the burner cone and the air
chamber beneath it, of the annular air director at the upper portion of the body,
one or more air tubes connected to the director and to the air chamber, substantially
as-described.
8. In a lamp, the combination with the body, the burner, the burner cone, and
the air chamber beneath the cone, of an air tube separated from the body and
communicating with the air chamber beneath the cone and with the interior of the
body above it, and air feeding devices in the tube between its ends, substantially as
described.
9. In a lamp, the combination with the body, the burner, and the burner cone,
of an air tube separated from the body and communicating at one end with the air
chamber beneath the cone and at the other with the lamp body above the burner,
air feeding apertures intermediate the length of the tube and an air director
extending around the upper portion of the body for directing air to the tube
substantially as described.

page_text: 10. In a lamp of the character described, the combination with the burner, the
burner cone, the air chamber beneath the cone, an air tube communicating with
the body near the top and with the air chamber beneath the cone, air feeding
devices intermediate the length of the tube and the annular air director co-operating
with the tube and composed of the plates and having the central air passage and
overhanging flanges, substantially as described.
11. In a lamp of the character described, the combination with the body, the
burner, the burner cone and the air chamber beneath it, of the several air tubes
connected to the air chamber at one end and to the budy above the burner at the
other, the annular air director composed of plates 24, and the vertical dividing and
directing plates 27, substantially as described.
12. In a lamp of the character described, the combination with the annular air
director having the central passage 25 and cut avay at 26, of the vertical tubes 22
connected with the upper and lower parts of the body, having the openings 23 and
the plates 27 therein, substantially as described.
13. In a lamp of the character described, the combination with the body having
the window at the front, the burner, the burner cone, and the air chamber beneath
the cone, of the four air tubes connected at one end with the air chamber beneath the
cone and at the other ends to the body above the burner, and having the openings
intermediate their lengths, and the vertical dividing plates therein, and the annular
air director arranged opposite to and co-operating with the openings in the tubes,
substantially as described.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.