Fig. 2, shews a section of another form of lamp with its parts arranged so as to burn concrete oil or tallow; this form is denominated the fountain lamp, having its reservoir above the level of the flame, so as to furnish a regular supply of oil, or other inflammable matter, to the wick, as fast as it is consumed. Fig. 3, exhibits a section of another sort of lamp, with the improvements for burning tallow; this may be considered as one branch of a circle of burners, as a chandelier. The particular construction of these improved lamps will be seen by the following description. Fig. 1, a, is the circular wick, or cotton burner, commonly called an argand wick, which is contained in a circular channel between two tubes, leaving the space formed by the inner tube for a current of air to pass through the middle of the wick to supply the flame, as shewn by the arrow. The cotton may be raised or depressed by turning the small handle projecting from the burners; b, b, are sectional parts of the ring, or hoop reservoir, which contains the tallow; c, c, is the tube or channel crossing from the circular reservoir, through which, by the small apertures, d, d, the tallow passes to the burner. The melted fat is to be poured into the reservoir through the hole, e; but as the height of the channel, or tube, c, c, is greater than that of the circular reservoir, a small space will be left above the tallow, which is intended to be filled with lamp-oil through the aperture, ƒ; which oil, by flowing to the wick, enables the cotton to burn for a few minutes on first lighting the lamp: g, g, are two bent bars of metal, which, by passing over the flame of the lamp, become heated. This heat is thence conducted through the metal bars to a circular rod passing round the reservoir, which circular rod is Cochrane's, for a new Lamp. 171 shewn in sections at the ends, h, h, and thus becoming heated by means of the conducting bars, g, g, causes the tallow to melt immediately after the lamp is lighted; and the tallow, or other inflammable matter, being thus brought to a fluid state, flows through the tubes, c, c, to the burner, as long as any remains in the reservoir. The external wick-tube has a conical enlargement, i, i, formed upon it at the part where the tube, c, joins it; this is intended to contain a quantity of tallow, which, being very near the flame, soon becomes melted, and supplies the burner until the whole of the tallow in the reservoir is melted. The upper part of the lamp is surrounded by a ground glass, as usual, which rests upon the external surface of the circular reservoir. In fig, 2, the fountain-lamp, (the same letters as before,) refer to the parts which have a similar object, or operation; a, a, are the cotton-burners; b, the fountain, or reservoir of an oval form, containing the tallow or concrete oil; c, the tubes which conduct the oleaginous matter to the burners; d, d, are sliders, or sluices, by which the admission of the melted fat to the burners is regulated. The supply of oil for the purpose of first lighting the wick is introduced by the tube, f, whence it flows through a valve, at bottom, round between the double case of the reservoir into the tubes, c, c, and over the congealed tallow to the burner; g, g, are the metallic conductors, the tops of which become heated by standing over the flame, and being inserted in tubes, on the sides of the reservoir, conduct the heat down to the bottom, and there convert the tallow into a fluid. The tallow is proposed to be introduced into this fountainlamp in a hard lump, by taking off the bottom of the reservoir, which is, accordingly, made so as to be capable of removal. Fig. 3, shews the mode of applying the metallic conductor to a circle of lamps suspended as a chandelier; a, is the wick; b, the reservoir; c, the tube, or passage for conducting the flow of tallow to the wick; f, the aperture for introducing the small portion of oil for lighting the lamp; g, the metal bar, or rod, for conducting the heat down to the circular rod, h, inserted in the tallow reservoir, in order to render it fluid by a communication of its heat. The specification concludes as follows:-"Having described the manner of carrying my improvements into effect, it remains for me to state what I consider as constituting my invention. I confine my claim to the mode of rendering and keeping concrete oils, tallow, or other similar inflammable substance in a fluid state, in lamps of every description, by means of metallic conductors, applied in such manner as to conduct or transmit a sufficient degree of heat from the flame of the lamp to concrete oil, tallow, or other similar inflammable substance contained in the reservoir of supply, so as to effect a regular flow of inflammable matter to the wick, in order to maintain the flame of the lamp. I also claim the apparatus described for supplying the wicks with a small quantity of fluid oil, for the purpose of lighting the lamp, and keeping it burning a sufficient length of time to operate upon the metallic conductor for the object before mentioned. All other parts, described in the specification, are only introduced to explain the application of my invention to lamps of various descriptions. The form and proportions of the parts may be varied at the discretion of the workman." Inrolled, August, 1822. |