IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY, SHIP, AND OTHER LAMPS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Howes, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Lamp Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY, SHIP, AND OTHER LAMPS."
Sealed the 10th July 1868, and dated the 15th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Howes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents with his Petition, on the
15th January 1863.
I, EDWARD HOWES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Lamp
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY, SHIP, AND OTHER LAMPS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to railway, ship, and other lamps, in which the flame
is surrounded by or enclosed in a case to protect the said flame from wind and
wet. The said case being so constructed that a sufficient quantity of air is
admitted to the lamp for combustion, and also to railway, ship, and other
lamps in which it is desirable to avoid a shadow underneath the lamp.
My Invention consists, firstly, in constructing the head of the said lamps in
the following manner :-In the middle of the top of the lamp case a conical
tube projects, the said tube being open at both ends; at equidistant points on
the exterior of the said conical tube annular flanges are situated, the said

page_text: flanges being slightly dome shaped. Over the said conical tube a cylindrical
cap is fixed, the said cap being supported by feet at a short distance above
the top of the lamp case, to which the conical tube before mentioned is affixed;
an open space is thus left between the bottom of the said cap and the top of
the lamp case. The said cap has a diameter somewhat greater than the
diameter of the dome shaped flanges on the conical tube, narrow annular
spaces being left between the edges of the flanges and the interior of the cap.
In the top of the said cap and in the axis thereof a smaller cap is situated,
when the large cap is placed over the conical tube the top of the said tube
enters the small cap, a space being left between the top and exterior of the
tube and interior of the said small cap. Open spaces are left at the edge of
the top of the large cap, to afford more free communication between the
external air and the interior of the lamp. By constructing the head of the
lamp in the manner described, the entrance of water into the said lamp is
prevented, the water which may enter the lamp at the bottom of the cap
being deflected by the annular flanges on the conical tube, and that which
enters at the top of the cap being prevented from passing down the conical
tube into the interior of the lamp by the overhanging small cap covering the
open end of the said conical tube. The tortuous passage by which the lamp
communicates with the external air prevents the entrance of wind into
the lamp.
My Invention consists, secondly, in arranging the burner and other parts of
ship, railway, and other lamps in the manner herein-after described, so as to avoid
a shadow underneath the lamp. I make the reservoir of the lamp of a dome
shape, with a central opening, in which the burner is situated. The burner is
connected to the reservoir by a pipe extending at the bottom of the burner
from one side to the other. The said pipe opens into the said burner.
The under side of the reservoir is concave, and nearly parallel with the
upper convex side of the said reservoir, and both the upper and under
sides of the reservoir are made reflecting surfaces. The result of this arrange-
ment is that the light falling on the upper side of the reservoir is reflected in
a more or less horizontal direction, while that which falls within the reservoir
and upon the reflecting surface of the under side of the reservoir is reflected
downwards, and prevents a shadow under the lamp. The lamp is also pro-
vided with a reflector over the flame, having an aperture in its middle.