GB382897A - Improvements in miners' safety acetylene lamps - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0382897/IV/1> p <PICT:0382897/IV/2> In a miner's safety acetylene lamp comprising a water chamber 10 and a carbide chamber 11 separated by a partition 26, the water passes to the carbide chamber through a valve 37 arranged in a depending tube 31 which is open to the atmosphere through an aperture 36 and communicates with the chamber 10 only through an aperture 32 near its lower end, the aperture 32 lying under a depending flange 33. The valve 37 is manually operated through a finger-piece 39 and spindle 38, and when the valve is open the flow of water continues so long as the effective head of water exceeds the pressure in the carbide chamber 11. To maintain a constant head of water in the tube 31 until the greater part of the water in the chamber 10 has been used, a pipe 42, Fig. 3, open to the atmosphere, is provided in the chamber 10. When the chamber 10 has been filled with water through the aperture 28 and the airtight cap 30 has been replaced, an effective head of water, corresponding to the height of the lower end of the pipe 42 above the top of the valve stem 40, is maintained in the tube 31 until the level in the chamber 10 falls below the lower end of the pipe 42. To relieve excess pressure in the carbide chamber, a pipe 43 is provided extending to above the top of the chamber 10 and arranged within a pipe 44 reaching nearly to the bottom of the chamber 10. The generated gas passes to a burner 12 through a felt pad 50 and apertures 51 in a tube 49, the flow being controlled by a valve 52 operated by a handle 58; the lamp can thus be adjusted for gas-testing purposes. A frictional igniting device 59 is provided, the device being carried on a spindle 60 passing through the ring 21 supporting the glass 13; the spindle 60 has a square end and is engaged, as required, by a square tube, Fig. 4 (not shown), having a head which enables it to be rotated. A reflector 27 is mounted behind the glass 13, and the chimney 15 surrounding the gauzes 14 is fitted with an asbestos-lined cap 17. The carbide chamber 11 is charged by unscrewing it from the base ring 24 and removing the cover 47 which supports the burner 12.