Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 9th Nov., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 11th Jan., 1887.
I MILES SETTLE of Darcy Lever near Bolton in the County of Lancaster Mining
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements upon the electric safety lamp for which I
applied for Letters Patent on the 1st day of July A.D. 1886 No. 8608 the object of the
present invention being to simplify and improve the construction of such lamp.
In the first place, instead of having a separate reservoir above or below the lamp to
contain the float, I place the latter in the water.contained in the outer glass casing and
between it and the globe of the lamp; and in order not to obstruct the light I make
the float of glass in the form of a cup open at the top.
To the inside of the head of the lamp I affix a block of wood vulcanite or other
suitable material to which are fixed by screws (or otherwise) two metal cross pieces or
bars in Electric contact with the main conducting wires; and to a similar movable
piece of wood vulcanite or other suitable material which is provided with two similar
metal cross bars or contact pieces, in Electric connection with the wires of the lamp,
the latter is hung. This movable piece is mounted in slides so as to be capable of
moving towards or from the fixed piece so as to make and break contact between the
cross bars or contact pieces as the lamp is raised or lowered.
The globe of the lamp rests upon the inside of the glass float being hung on coiled
springs from the sliding piece before named and it will be evident that so long as the
water in the outer glass case is at the normal level the float will sustain the lamp and
keep the cross bars in contact with each other and hence the electric current will
remain unbroken and the lamp continue to burn; but if from the breakage of the
outer glass, or from leakage or other cause the water should escape from the outer
casing, then as the level of the water falls and lowers the float the lamp will fall with
it and will break contact between the cross pieces or bars and the light will immediately
be extinguished.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I MILES SETTLE of Darcy Lever near Bolton in the County of Lancaster Mining
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC
SAFETY LAMPS FOR USE IN MINES" 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 improvements upon the Electric safety lamp for which I
applied for Letters Patent in Great Britain on the 1st day of July 1886 No. 8608,
the object of the present invention being to simplify and improve the construction of
such lamp.
The practical construction and operation of my improved electric safety lamp will
be readily understood on reference to the two sheets of drawings hereunto annexed
and the following explanation thereof.
Sheet 1 of the drawings represents a vertical section of an electric safety lamp for
use in mines constructed according to my present improvements and Sheet 2 is a
similar view of a modification of the same.
In the first place instead of having a separate reservoir above or below the lamp to
contain the float (as described in the Specification hereinbefore referred to) I place the
latter in the water contained in the outer glass casing and between it and the globe of
the lamp as shown on Sheet 1 of the drawings, and in order not to obstruct the light
I make the float of glass in the form of a cup open at the top see Sheet 1 (or closed
sec Sheet 2) of the drawings, in which a, a is the metallic framing of the lamp, b, b
the screw cap or head, c, e the outer bell glass containing the water, d, d the internal
glass or cup which forms the float and e, e the incandescent electric lamp.
*
The water may be introduced by means of a funnel and tap (not shown on the
drawing) or by unscrewing the head b, and an opening may be made at closed
either by a tap or plug for allowing of the escape of the water when required.
To the inside of the head b,b of the lamp I affix a block ff of wood, vulcanite, or
other suitable material to which are fixed (by screws or otherwise) two metal contact
pieces which are in Electric contact with the main conducting wires h, h which enter
the lamp through a stuffing box at i, i and are enclosed in an elastic tube i*,* which
may be filled with water or other protective medium.
Inside the top of the internal glass cup or float d, d is a movable piece of wood,
vulcanite cork or other suitable material k, k which is provided with two similar
contact pieces g*g* in electric connection with the wires of the electric lamp e, e.
This piece k, may be placed loosely in the mouth of the cup d, d as shown at
Sheet 1. of the drawings or it may be fixed liquid-and-gas-tight therein as shown at
Sheet 2 of the same, and it works in or upon tubular or other slides 7, 7 attached to the
block ff so as to be capable of moving towards or from the latter so as to make and
break contact between the contact pieces g,g and g*,g*.
In the modification shown on Sheet 1. the globe of the electric lamp e, e rests upon
the inside of the glass cup or float d, d and supports the movable piece k, k.
Whilst in the modification shown on Sheet 2. of the drawings the Electric lamp is
suspended from the movable piece k, k which closes the top of the glass float d, d.

page_text: It will be evident that in both cases so long as the water in the outer glass bell or
case c, c is at or above the normal level the float d, d will sustain the Electric lamp e, e
and keep the pieces g,g and g*,* in contact with each other, as shown on the drawings,
and hence the Electric current will remain unbroken and the incandescent lampe, e will
continue to burn; but if, from breakage of the outer glass c, c or from leakage or
other cause the water should escape from the outer casing, then as the level of the
water falls and lowers the float d, d the incandescent lamp e, e will fall with it, and will
break contact between the pieces gg and g*,g* and the light will immediately be
extinguished.
I would here remark that if the movable piece k, k be made of cork or other
equally buoyant substance it will act as a float and the glass cup d, d may be dispensed
with. I may also observe that the water employed may be impregnated with carbonic
acid gas, or other suitable liquid may be used instead thereof, or if preferred any
suitable gas or aeriform fluid (under pressure or otherwise) which will produce the
same result of sustaining the movable piece to which the incandescent lamp is
suspended (so as to keep up the electric contact) may be employed in this lamp in the
place of water.
In order to prevent the possibility of accidents by the contact pieces gg and g*,g*
being brought together after the glass has been broken I apply to the lamp a spring
bolt m, m which when the pieces g*,9* have once fallen out of contact with the
pieces g,g and extinguished the light locks them in that position until released by
hand.
In the modification shown on Sheet 1, of the drawings the spring bolt m, m shoots
above the top of a rod n, n attached to the movable piece k,k and thus holds the
latter down until the bolt mm is withdrawn by means of the button; and in the
modification shown at Sheet 2 the spring bolt m, m is held up by means of a pin o, o
which is withdrawn by levers p,p when the float falls and cannot be replaced until the
spring bolt m, m is raised up by hand.
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 an Electric safety lamp for use in mines, the combination of an air and liquid
tight glass vessel containing water or other suitable fluid with a float or other
equivalent device placed within the same and supporting the incandescent Electric
lamp: the float or its equivalent, and the cover of the glass vessel, being provided
with contact pieces in electric connection with the Electric lamp, and with main con-
ducting wires respectively and so arranged that the escape of the water or other
fluid will cause the float or its equivalent to fall so as to break Electric contact and
extinguish the light.
2. The combination with an Electric safety lamp of the construction hereinbefore
described of a spring bolt for the purpose of preventing the accidental restoration of
Electric contact between the wires after the same has once been broken, all being
constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
illustrated by the drawings annexed.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.