Improvements in Self-feeding Oil Reservoirs for Lamps.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
BOOE
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-feeding Oil Reservoirs for Lamps.
I JOHN LEWIS of Church Street Church Warrenpoint 'Co. Down Ireland Gentleinan
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to he
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in self feeding oil reservoirs for lamps, and,
has for its object to provide mechanism which will shut off the supply of oil, when the
oil reservoir is filled to a predetermined height, but will on the contrary allow the flow.
of oil to take place from a storage tank so long as the oil reservoir is not sufficiently,
filled. This mechanism is regulated by a compound conical valve, which is intended
to control the flow of mineral oil to one or several lamps, which may be all fed from
a central reservoir, the level of oil being uniform in all the lamps and maintained in
such a position by the above conical valve, whether one or more lamps are burning
or not. My improved self feeding reservoir consists of a receptacle of cylindrical or
other shape, terminating at the top with a smaller part or box containing a filter plate,
and surmounted by a supply pipe, the upper part of which is screw threaded, for tho
purpose of being fixed to the tapped opening of any suitable oil tank. The reservoir
proper, contains a float, which actuates the regulating mechanism. hereinafter.j
described.
In the upper part of the reservoir is arranged a compound conical valve.composed
of two cones fitting one inside the other and of a central rod or pin.formed with, a-
conical base, fixed with the lower cone upon a weighted base, provided with guiding
pins entering holes formed in a plate supporting lower cone. This weighted base is
thus suspended to the lower cone, which rests upon a central opening formed in the
said supporting plate. The upper and inner cone is furnished centrally, with a conical
tube, through which is guided the central rod or pin aforesaid. The opening, formed,
in the lower part of this cone, is opened and closed by the conical end of the central
rod or pin; as the weighted base is released or raised by the float, in the reservoir.
When applying my invention for supplying a street lamp with oil Ic
connect my
improved self feeding oil reservoir, with the said lamp, so that both apparatus are at
the same level, and I further arrange a storage tank above, the lamp, which tank
contains a float. A small chain or cord is attached to the latter and passes over a
roller mounted upon-the-top of the tank, the outer end of such cord being fixed to a
weight, sliding within guides arranged, on one of the sloping sides of the lamp top.
The position of this weight indicates the oil level in the tank; and in order that my
said invention may be more fully understood, I will describe the same with reference
to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of
my improved self-feeding oil reservoir; forming part of a series of radial lamps,
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the said reservoir and Fig. 3 is a modification of the
regulating valve. Fig. 4 shews my improvements, as applied to a street lamp, and
Fig. 5 is a section of part of the upper portion of the said lamp and of the oil tank.
a is the reservoir containing the oil and from which the lamps derive their supply,
and b is a box or chamber fixed to the upper part of a and provided with a perforated
plate 6 through which the oil filters in passing from the storage tank c through the
pipe c to the reservoir a. d is the inner cone forming part of the regulating valve
and fixed to the upper part of the reservoir, d¹ is a conical tube passing centrally
through the cone and provided with an opening at its lower end forming a seating for
a conical plug e fixed to the bottom of the lower outer cone f...The cone fis supported
in a hole formed in a plate g which is suspended by bars from the top of the
reservoir. To the bottom of the cone fis fixed a weighted base i provided with guide
pins passing through holes in the plate g, k is a float resting on the oil in the
reservoir. The lamps may be radially fitted in clusters around the reservoir as

page_text: shown in Fig. 1 being connected thereto by means of tubular arms or pipes, at
about the same level therewith.
The operation is as follows:-The oil passes through the filter plate 6' down the
central tube d¹ and between the two 'cones d and f from which latter it overflows into
the reservoir a. When the oil in the reservoir a rises owing to some of the lamps
being extinguished or to any other cause. While the oil is dripping continuously
from the filter box, the float k rises until it comes into contact with the weighted basei
which it also raises and causes the plug e to close the opening at the bottom of the
conical tube d¹ whilst at the same time bringing the inner and outer cones into contact,
and thus effectually closing the regulating valve and shutting off the supply of oil to
the reservoir. In fig. 3 the central tube of the regulating valve is closed by a conical
rod n instead of by the plug c. In the street lamp shewn in Figs. 4 and 5 the storage.
tank is provided with a float o connected-by a chain o¹ passing over a pulley p to a,
weight which slides between guides r so that the position of the weight q indicates
the quantity of oil in the storage tank.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim, is-
(1) The improved self feeding oil reservoir for supplying one or more lamps with
oil consisting of a receptacle surmounted by a box containing a filter. plate, and.
provided with a supply pipe, screwed or otherwise connected to any suitable oil storage:
tank, which receptacle contains suspended to the top thereof a compound conical valve.
which regulates the supply of oil to the lamp or lamps, and the lower part of which is
fixed to a weighted base, raised or released by a float substantially as and for. the;
purpose described.
(2) The application of my improved self-feeding oil reservoir to a series of lamps.
connected radially thereto by means of tubular arms or pipes, substantially as, and for
the purpose described and shewn in Fig. 1.
(3) The application of my improved self-feeding oil reservoir to street lamps in
combination with mechanism for indicating the oil level in the storage tank of such
lamps substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn in Figs. 4 and 5.
Dated this 21st day of April 1890.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.