Safety Appliances for Oil Lamps and Stoves.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Safety Appliances for Oil Lamps and Stoves.
I, WILLIAM WILLOTT POPPLEWELL of 18 Southampton Buildings in the
County of London, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents 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 (the same having been communicated to me from abroad by John Alstine
Secor, Engineer, and Joseph Livingston Parraga, Broker, of 123 Lexington
Avenue, Brooklyn, and of Huntington, Long Island, respectively, in the State of
New York, U.S.A.):
:-
This invention is designed to prevent absolutely the explosion of oil lamps or
stoves my reason of the generation therein of explosive gases.
It consists in improved devices for preventing the flame of the burner from
reaching the interior of the oil-fount by way of the wick-tube, and also for
discharging the gas or vapor therefrom as rapidly as generated and thereby
preventing the production therein of an explosive compound.
and
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a lamp embodying my invention:
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the air-tight wick-tube in line x-x of Figure 1,
Figure 3 illustrates a modification in the formation of the wick-tube.
The first part of the invention relates to means for preventing the access of
an igniting-flame to the oil-receptable either in blowing out the lamp or from
other cause.
To this end the wick is enclosed in an air-tight case or wick-tube A, long enough
to extend from the top of the lamp down within its fount, or oil-receptacle B, nearly
to the bottom thereof, this long wick-tube being fitted in the top of the lamp with
a gas-tight joint.
The lower end of the wick-tube is left open to admit an inflow of oil to the wick,
but being at all times below the level of the oil in the lamp when it is in customary
use, it is thereby sealed with a fluid seal, effectually preventing an inflow of gas
thereto from the lamp, or an exit of an igniting-flame if such should possibly pass
down the wick-tube. This open end of the tube is moreover guarded by a cap or
cover C of fine wire-gauze, which, in case the seal be broken by the emptying of
the lamp, will still be effective in preventing any communication between an
igniting-flame in the tube and any gas or explosive compound formed in the
fount.
A double guard is thus provided for the open end of the wick-tube, otherwise
made perfectly gas-tight within the lamp; viz. :-First, a liquid seal; and second,
a safety-cap of wire-gauze, either of which will prevent the flame of the burner
from reaching the interior of the oil fount by way of the wick tube.
Where the lamp is of the type having a central draft-tube the tube may be made
with double walls to form the continuous, gas-tight, enclosing chamber for the
wick, as shown in Figure 3, this annular tube being extended to reach nearly to the
bottom of the fount.
The second feature of the invention is a double ventilating-tube D adapted to be
used in combination with the gas-tight, sealed wick-tube and to be screwed into the
filling aperture of the lamp in place of the customary cap therefor.
This ventilating tube D is divided by a central, longitudinal partition into two
passages E, F, and is provided with an external threaded-collar G adapted to be
screwed into the threaded-seal H encircling the filling aperture for the lamp. Its
upper end is bent so that the outer, open ends of the two passages may be turned

page_text: away from the burner J and one of the passages E is made to open outwardly
above the other F.
The inner, lower end of the double tube is bevelled off in such manner as that
the mouth of the one passage E opening outwardly at the higher level shall open
into the lamp also at a higher level than its twin passage F.
"This difference in height between both the inner and outer opening of the two
passages will operate to induce a circulation of air through them between the out-
side and inside of the oil receptacles, an inflowing current being induced through
the lower passage F and a corresponding outflowing current through the upper
passage E so that the gases generated within the lamp will be carried off; as rapidly
as formed, through the upper passage.
The accumulation of an explosive gas within the oil-fount is thus effectually
prevented, and the lamp is kept cool by a constant circulation, automatically
establised and maintained through the double ventilating-tube.
The ventilating-tube is preferably guarded. against fire by screens W of wire-
gauze fitted over both ends thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is:
1. The combination with the fount of an oil lamp, of a wick-tube closely fitting
the wick and extending within the fount very nearly to the bottom thereof, said
tube forming a continuation of the ordinary wick-tube in the burner and being gas-
tight from the point where it enters the fount to its termination therein where the
oil enters the tube so as to be sealed until its liquid contents are exhausted, and a
wire gauze covering the inner end of said tube.
2. The combination with the oil-fount of a lamp, of the single ventilating device
adapted for insertion into its filling aperture, constructed of the double tubes
united in one piece and severally opening both outwardly and inwardly at different
levels.
Dated this 14th day of September 1892.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.