IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ralph Martindale and John Williams the younger,
both of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Lamp Manufacturers,.
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS."
Sealed the 19th July 1864, and dated the 26th January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ralph Martindale and
John Williams at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 26th January 1864.
We, RALPH MARTINDALE and JOHN WILLIAMS the younger, both of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Lamp Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," to be
as follows:-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to the wick holder tubes for flat wicks, and
consists in forming a spring in or in fitting a spring to the wick holder on the
side opposite to that at which the spur or toothed wheels are placed, by which
the wick is elevated and depressed. The object of the spring is to press the
wick against the wheels, so that they shall always have a good hold upon it.

page_text: Our Invention relates, secondly, to circular wick clevators, and consists in
ensuring the parallelism of the wick in being raised and lowered. This we
accomplish by placing the teeth on the outside of the rack or rod carrying the
teeth, and in providing loops or guides for the rack to travel through.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ralph Martindale and John Williams in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RALPH
MARTINDALE and JOHN WILLIAMS the younger, both of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Lamp Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Ralph Martindale and John Williams the younger. Her special licence
that we, the said Ralph Martindale and John Williams the younger, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Ralph
Martindale and John Williams the younger, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use; exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Ralph Martindale and John Williams the younger, by an instru-
ment in writing under our hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Ralph Martindale and John Williams,
the younger, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):-

page_text: Our Invention refers more particularly to the class of lamps employed for
the burning of hydrocarbon oils, and relates, firstly, to the wick holder tubes
for flat wicks, in which our improvements consist in forming a spring in or in
fitting a spring to the wick holder on the side opposite to that at which the
spur or toothed wheels are placed, by which the wick is elevated or depressed.
The object of the spring is to press the wick against the wheels, so that
they shall always have a good hold upon it.
Our Invention relates, secondly, to circular wick elevators, and consists in
ensuring the parallelism of the wick in being raised and lowered. This wo
accomplish by placing the teeth on the outside of the rack or rod carrying the
teeth, and in providing loops or guides for the wick to travel through.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of a flat wick holder made according to
our Invention; Figure 2 is an elevation of the other side of the same, and
Figure 3 a vertical section; Figure 4 is a part elevation, part vertical
section of a circular wick holder, Figure 5 being a similar Drawing upon a
different line of section; Figure 6 is a complete section taken vertically
through all the parts; and Figure 7, a cross section or plan view as seen from
above.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, (a) represents a flat wick holder tube;
(b) the spur or toothed wheels used for raising the wick; (c) being the
thumb button by which they are worked; (d) is the spring cut out of the
metal of the tube, as shewn, or pinned or rivetted upon the tube if preferred;
the action of this spring is to keep the wick constantly pressed against the
teeth of the spur (6), which spur consequently has always a firm hold upon
the wick.
In the remaining Drawings, which illustrate our improvements as applicable
to circular wick holders (e), shews the rack, (f) the spur by which it is driven,
(g) the loop or guide by which it is prevented from working wide; between
the clip (h) and the air tube (i) is a slide (5) working upon the air tube,
and attached to the rack (e) and also to the clip (h); the wick is placed
between the slide (j) and clip (h), and thus by the motion of the rack (e) is
raised or lowered, its parallelism being always maintained by the slide and
clip. The rack being turned in slightly at top and bottom, regulates the
height and depth to which the wick can be moved.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we do not limit ourselves to these precise

page_text: details; but that which we claim is, the improvements in the wick holders
of lamps, and the appliances for raising and lowering the wicks, substantially
as herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said Ralph Martindale and John Williams
the younger, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
third day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
RALPH
MARTINDALE.
(L.B.)
JOHN WILLIAMS, JUN. (L.B.)
RALPH MARTINDALE.
(L.B.)
JOHN WILLIAMS, JUN. (L.S.)