US56974A - Improvement in lamps - Google Patents

Description

R. S. MERRILL.

Lamp.' NQ. 56,974.` 4 Patented Aug. 7, 1866.

IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUFUS S. MERRILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAMPS.

- k Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,974, dated August 7, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, RUEUs S. MERRELL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid- Lamps; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of fluid'- lamps iu which a packing of cotton or other suitable material is used to'take up the volatile iuid and to supply it, when needed, to the wicking. This arrangement lessens greatly the danger attending the use of naphtha and other highly volatile and inflammable uids, for as all the duid is turned out of the lamp except that which is taken up and absorbed by the packing, if by accident the lamp be broken, the fluid cannot fly upon. or be scattered over the person holding the lamp, and if the iiuid happens to become ignited the lire is confined to the small compass of the packing, and consequently can be easily extinguished.

In order to keep this packing from pressing -upon the wicking, and to prevent the packing from coming out' of the lamp, a tube is placed in the lamp, which incloses the wick, and extends from the opening in the top of the lamp nearly tothe bottom. The tube is of such a size as to f1tthe opening, and the space between it and the bottom of the lamp is sufflcient to allow the wicking to draw from the packing the uid needed for consumption. My invention relates more especially to this tube and to the method of securing it in the lamp.

Ordinarily this tube is secured to the lamp by solder, and is thus xed, and not easily adjustable or moved; but by my invention it is secured to the collar which fits over the top of the lamp without the aid of any such means The central tube or cylinder is made with a flange around its upper end, and is split down the sides at this end far enough to give the sides, after being so split and spread apart, the action of a spring. The tube thus formed is pressed down into and through the collar above mentioned until the tlan ge on the upper end of the tube comes tothe groove formed in the lower part of the collar. The upper portion of the tube, having an elastic springlike action, as above explained, now forces the flange on the upper end of the tube into the groove, and the tube is thus attached to the collar and held rmly in place.

To enable the nature of my invention to be more clearly comprehended, I will describe it by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l represents, in section, the collar and tube separately; and Fig.2 shows, in section,

all the parts combined of my improvement, as well as of the whole lamp.

The collar a, which iits over the top of the glass lamp m, is like any ordinaryl collar, with this exception. Just below the female screw o, into which the male screw on the burner n fits. is a groove, b, which may be either turned, or, preferably, struck up on the collar.

The tube d, which is of any suitable length and diameter to correspond with the size of the collar, has formed around its upper end a flange, e, which, when the collar and tube are put together, ts in the groove b. From lthe upper end of the tube and down the sides extend several longitudinal slits, g, which should be equidistant from each other and of equal length. A sufficient number of slits or grooves are cut to enable the upper end to close enough to allow the flange to pass over the female screw c without difficulty. The upper en.d,-when thus split, is spread open by any proper tool, so as to give a spring-action to the split sides for the purposes above mentioned.

In Fig. 2 the various parts of the lamp constructed in accordance with my invention are shown. The cap c is secured firmly to the top of the glass lamp m, and the packing p is put in. The fluid may then be poured in upon the packing, care being taken, before the lamp is closed and ready for use, to empty the lamp of all the iiuid except such as is absorbed and taken up by the packing. After the packing is prepared the tube el is inserted in the collar a, and forced through the same. The springiness of its sides causes them to yield until the flange e reaches the groove b in the collar,

AWhen the split sides expand and spread apart and force the flange into the groove. By this simple means the tube is held firmly in the lamp, and no recourse need be had to the old methods of fastening by solder or other like means. tube from the lamp, it will be seen that this can readily be accomplished on account of the construction of the sides, which admits of the upper end being compressed, as has been fully set forth.

I consider the method just explained as peculiarly adapted for use in glass lamps, though it may be employed to equal advantage in lamps made of metal. Heretofore, to my knowledge, no successful method of fastening this tube in glass lamps has been discovered, and in metallic lamps the tube has been soldered to the lamp instead of secured to the collar, as in my invention. By securing the tube in the manner I have described the excessive pressure of the packing upon the wicking is avoided, and the packing is prevented If it is desired to Withdraw the from comin g out of the lamp, While at the same time it can furnish the needful supply of uid to the wicking.

Having thus described my invention and the manner in whichthe same is or may be carried into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. rIhe combination,with a collar ttin g over the top of a lamp, of a central tube secured to said collar and extending therefrom toward the bottom of the lamp, substantially as and for the purpbses herein shown and described.

2. In combination with a lamp-col1ar provided with a groove, or the equivalent thereof, as herein described, the cylinder or tube having a lian ge around one end and longitudinal slits or grooves in its sides, the Whole being arranged for operation as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification before two subscribing Witnesses. l

RUFUS S. MERRILL.

Vitnesses:

C. A. SMITH, FRANK I. COLLINS.

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