Carbide lighting for 1920’s motorcycle

A headlamp and acetylene generator, Luxor brand (France).










Without a suitable motorcycle to mount the set on I’d to utilise a purpose-built frame.




Some fettling to do.




The parabolic mirror’s in good condition.






The lamp is fitted with two burners. The back one has a greater output. The one at the front contributes a marginal effect. The back burner is on all the time and a lever operating a shuttle valve allows selection of the front burner, on or off.






The lever selector.

Main beam only.






Both burners lit.






The selector valve arrangement.




The chamfer on the sprung-loaded shuttle valve ...




... seals against that mating surface in the valve body, stopping gas flow to the front burner.




Effective in action, when the lever is moved to the right, gas reaches the front burner, igniting from the main burner flame




... and off.




The acetylene generator.








Contemporary advertisement.




Hood and shade.



John

 

Thanks John, that's really something interesting!

Great write up and photos of a lovely piece of kit

 

A fine example!

 

Interesting.

 

Very nice John , I like the idea of high and low beam

 

I added a rear light to complete the set, a Powell and Hanmer (Birmingham, UK).




I’d to make a 3-way connector. Brass tubing, silbrazed at the joint. Pipe to generator, one to front and rear.




The red fresnel lens and mount hinges open to get access to light the jet.









Visible there is the clear glass side window. I assume its for a rider to look over their shoulder to confirm it’s still lit. Odd if so because the burner flame isn’t prone to extinguishing once lit.




Great illumination.

 

Boy, this is different for sure! This is really neat and well presented!

 

Nice presentation.
Thanks for posting this, interesting is an understatement.

 

Hi John, very nice set up, now all you need is the bit to go in-between them

The white side light on the rear light, would be to shine light onto the rear number plate I would say.

Steve

 

A fascinating combination of lights and beautifully made. Thanks for putting up.

 

Of course! I should have realised. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

Very nicely presented. Thank you John. That assembly is surely a good conversation piece in your home when you have guests...

Did these early carbide bike lamps ever come with a self- lighting mechanism? A spark wheel or other contraption? It seems hard to think the rider would have had to open the frames and light the gas with a match every time. Imagine that in the wind and rain....

 

I'm aware that spark wheels could be found on some.

 

I’ve only seen such on miners’ lamps, such as the Justrite pictured below, but not on vehicle carbide lamps.

Start of journey, set the water drip, wait a minute or two for air to be dispelled from the gas lines, ignite burners. End of journey, shut off water drip, blow out flame at each burner.

 

I only have one bicycle or motorcycle carbide headlamp.
By Otto Scharlach: Scharlach-Lampe , Nurnberg.
I don't know how old is that. I'm guessing from the time around WWI.

 

@MYN A classy shape with the water reservoir and carbide container blending into that elongated ellipse.

 

Thanks @presscall
There are not many to be found around here in my area. I think it was probably because automotive carbide lamps had been phased out long before we could see motorcycles being used on the roads by commoners.