IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LANTERNS."
Year: 1881

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LANTERNS." A communication from abroad
by Edward Pembrook Follett and Abel Jackson Bixby, both of Rochester,
New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LANTERNS."
[A communication from abroad by Edward Pembrook Follett and Abel Jackson
Bixby, both of Rochester, New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of lanterns or lamps in
which the air or a portion thereof, to support combustion, is brought down from
the top through tubes opening into an air chamber below or around the burner,
parts of which improvements are applicable to other classes of lanterns, and the
said Invention consists in various details of construction hereinafter described.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a lamp fount of any
known or desirable form, an air chamber, tubes which lead into the said air
chamber in the usual manner. A burner set in the top of the air chamber beneath
a deflector, and around the deflector is a rest or support for the globe, all being in
substantially the usual relation to each other.
The said air chamber is made from a single disc of sheet metal, its outer edge
being turned down to form the outer wall, and is set upon the top of the lamp
fount. At the centre an opening is made for the burner, and the metal around
this opening is turned downward to form a flange, and which corresponds to a
central opening in the top of the lamp fount, so that the flange forms the outer
wall, another flange the inner wall, and a flat portion the top of the chamber, the
top of the lamp fount forming the bottom of said chamber. The space at the

page_text: centre within formed by one flange is made to correspond to the shape of the base
of the burner, and so that the burner will fit closely therein.
By this construction the outer and inner walls and the top of the air chamber
are made in a single piece of sheet metal, and at the same time it forms the seat
for the burner. Preferably the lower edge of one flange is turned inward, so that
the lower edge of the base of the burner will rest thereon as a bearing.
The burner is constructed with a hook on each side, so as to set through
corresponding slots in the top of the air chamber, and then a partial rotation is
given to bring the ends of the hooks beneath the top to secure the burner in its
seat.
The deflector is hinged to the top of the air chamber and forms a combustion
chamber around the burner; the top of the air chamber is perforated within the
combustion chamber, forming an air distributor for the inflowing air.
The wick tube is divided vertically at the sides, each part formed with a slight
flange at the edge and each turned over at the top to form a flange in a horizontal
plane around the top of the burner; this flange is perforated to admit sufficient
air to the base of the burner to support combustion and turn or direct a greater
portion of the air to the flame above the base; the result of this is an increase or
enlargement of the flame at the base and consequently an enlargement above, it
being understood that the perforatious must be back from the edge of the wick
tube; this flange then serves in fact as a spreader for the flame.
A ring of elastic metal is provided outside the deflector and hinged to the air
chamber; to the upper edge of this ring the globe holder is attached; this globe
holder consists of a ring of sheet metal attached by its inner edge to the upper
edge of the elastic ring, and curved downward and outward; its outer edge is
turned upward to form a scat for the globe. Numerous slits are made from the
edge of the holder radially inward, so that the outer edge of the holder forms a
series of independent springs upon which the globo will rest; these springs being
independent of cach other yield to the unavoidable irregularities of the lower edge
of the globe, and consequently insure a close fit of the globe entirely around its
base; they also form an elastic holder which readily yields to any expansion of
the globe, so that however firmly it may bo held it is not liable to be broken as is
necessarily the case with rigid holders.
The wick adjuster shaft extends outward through the elastic ring below the
globe holder, the deflector and ring having a notch so as to close down over the
said shaft. The burner is first set in place, then the deflector and the globe holder
turned down, the notches therein prevent the burner from becoming detached by
any accidental turning which might occur.
The guard is made detachable and consists of two parts joined at each side,
cach part forming two semi circles; these two semi-circles are made from a single
piece of wire, bent to make a vertical connection between them at each side or end
of the semi-circles; then the vertical connections are joined by a piece of sheet
metal, its edge turned around the vertical portion which firmly unites the two
parts, so as to form a circular guard for the lantern. The connections are made
to fit the outer surface of the tube and are correspondingly inclined, so as to slide
down over the tubes to the position required for the guard.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th December 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS AND LANTERNS."
A communication from abroad by Edward Pembrook Follett and Abel Jackson
Bixby, both of Rochester, New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of lamps or lanterns in
which the air, or a portion thereof to support combustion, passes down from the
top through tubes opening into an air chamber below or around the burner, parts
of which improvements are applicable to other classes of lanterns, and the said
Invention consists in the various details of construction hereinafter described.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which-
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of my improved lamp or lantern, and
Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the lower part of the same.
Figures 3 to 11 represent detached portions of the said lautern.
A represents the lamp fount, which may be of any known or desirable form; B is
the air chainber, and C, C, are the tubes which lead into the said air chamber in
the usual manner; D is the burner set in the top of the air chamber beneath the
deflector E, around which is the rest or support F for the globe C; all of these
parts are arranged in substantially the usual relation to each other.
The air-chamber B is made from a single disc of sheet metal, as seen in Figure 10,
its outer edge b being turned down to form the outer wall and set upon the top
of the lamp fount. At the centre an opening is made for the burner, and the
metal around this opening is turned downward to form a flange d, which
corresponds to a central opening in the top of the lamp-fount, so that the flange b
forms the outer wall, the flange d the inner wall, and a flat portion e the top of
the chamber B, the top of the lamp fount f forming the bottom of the said chamber,
as seen in Figure 2.
The space at the centro within and formed by the flange d is made to
correspond to the shape of the base h of the burner, so that the latter will fit
closely therein.
By this construction the outer and inner walls and the top of the air-chamber
are inade in a single picco of sheet-metal, and at the same time it forms the seat
for the burner. The lower edge of the flange d is preferably turned inward as
at i (see Figure 10), so that the lower edge of the base of the burner will rest
thereon as a bearing.
The burner D is constructed with a hook n (see Figure 6) on each sido, adapted
to pass through corresponding slots m in the top of the air-chamber; when a
partial rotation is given to the said burner the ends of the hooks are brought
beneath tho top e and secure the said burner in its scat.
The deflector E is hinged to the top of the air chamber, as 'at r (see Figure 2),
and forms a combustion chamber around the burner; the top of tho said air
chamber is perforated within the combustion-chamber, thereby forming an air-
distributor for the inflowing air.
The wick-tubo, as seen detached and in perspective in Figure 7, and in section
in Figure 11, is divided vertically at the sides, each part being formed with a
slight flange at the edge and turned over at the top to form a flanges in a hori-
zontal plane around the top of the burner; this ango is perforated to admit
sufficient air to the base of the burner to support combustion, and turn or direct a
greater portion of the air to the flame above the base. The result of this con-
struction is an increase or enlargement of the flame at the base, and consequently
an enlargement above, it being understood that the perforations must be back or
away from the edge of the wick-tube; this flange then serves in fact as a spreader
for the flame.

page_text: His a ring of elastic metal arranged outside the deflector and hinged to the air-
chamber, as at u; to the upper edge of this ring the globe-holder F is attached.
This globe-holder consists of a ring of sheet-metal (seo Figures 2 and 9) attached
by its inner edge to the upper edge of the ring H, and curved downward and
outward, as seen in Figure 2, its outer edge being turned upward to form a seat w
for the globe. Numerous slits are inade from the edge of the said holder radially
inward, so that the outer edge of the holder forms a series of independent springs,
upon which the globe will rest; these springs boing independent of each other
yield to the unavoidable irregularities of the lower edge of the globo and conse-
puently ensure a close fit of the latter entirely around its base; they also form an
elastic holder which readily yields to any expansion of the globe, so that however
firmly it may be held it is not liable to be broken, as is the caso with rigid
holders.
The wick adjuster-shaft L extends outward through the ring H below the globe-
holder, as seen in Figure 1, the deflector and ring H having a notch so as to closo
down over the said shaft L.
The burner is first sot in place, then the deflector and the globe-holder are turned
down; the notches therein passing over the wick-adjuster-shaft prevent the burner
from becoming detached by any accidental turning which might occur.
The guard is inade detachable, and consists of two parts joined at each side,
each part forming two semi circles N; these two semi-circles are made from a
single pieco of wire bent to make a vertical connection P between them at each
side or end of the semi-circles, as seen in Figure 3; then the vertical connections
are joined by a piece of sheet-metal R, whose edge is turned around the vertical
portion P (as seen in Figure 4) which firmly unites the two parts so as to form a
circular guard for the lantern. The connections R are made to fit the outer surfaco
of the tubes C, and are correspondingly inclined so as to slide down over the said
tubes to the position required for the guard, as seen in Figure 1.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to mo by
iny foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it
understood that I do not claim broadly a wick-tube made in two parts, nor a wick-
tube with a spreader at the base of the flame, neither do I claim broadly a lantern
having a movable guard composed of concentric rings of wire, but what I
claim is,
First. In a lamp or lantern the air-chamber, having its top e, its outer wall b,
and its inner wall d made in one and the same piece of metal; the said inner wall
forming the seat for the burner, substantially as above described.
Second. The wick-tube constructed with the horizontal perforated flange 8,
extending around its upper end and forming a part of the said tube, substantially
as above described.
Third. The lantern globe holder consisting of a metal ring, having its outer edge
bent to form a scat for the globe, and radially slit from the outer edge to form
independent springs upon which the globe will rest, substantially as above
described.
Fourth. A lantern-guard formed in two parts, each consisting of two concentric
semi-circles N, N, with the vertical connection P made from a single piece of wire,
the said parts being joined at the said vertical connection, substantially as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.