Hello everyone, even though I've been following the forum less frequently lately, I want to report my latest (?) purchase driven mostly by curiosity. In the hope of understanding what kind of lamp I'll have in my hands, I ask for your help. It's definitely made in Italy, perhaps a petrol Auer but I completely don't understand how it works given the various knobs. I will definitely never be able to find the hat so I won't be able to light it and it will definitely remain an heirloom on the shelf. The photos follow Greetings to everyone
Very interesting lamp, with obvious similarities to the Auer lamp in my collection. My lamp does not possess the second valve that yours does. Probably a gasoline lamp as you suggest. Is the fount plated?? Can you break it down and post some images of the valves piping.?? I think that these Italian Auer lamps are exceedingly scarce.
Very interesting rare lantern. Perhaps one knob is for the fuel shutoff. The other for operating the cleaning rod/needle? Like the one use for the Workhorse brand lantern? I can see an alcohol preheat dish on your lantern, so I suppose the extra knob isn't for operating any quickstarting valve.
The cleaning needle is operated by the lever seen in several of onafest's images. Hope to see images of the lamp disassembled further. On examination of my lamp, I see that it has no valve at all, only the pricker lever.
Hi, I thank those who replied and those who will do it later. It will be my care when the lamp will come to disassemble it and take more detailed photos. I hope to understand how damn making it work (a bad trap seems at first glance). Meanwhile, good lighting to all. Salutons
The 'Aria' knob might possibly meant to operate some form of damper flap or valve located somewhere along the air tube inlet?
Or, if you don't have any spirit for the preheat dish, you can use the two valves (air and benzine) to get a weak mixture which will burn without too much soot to preheat the vapouriser.
@Henry Plews I believe you’re on the right lines Henry. There are plenty of examples of the arrangement in stove-dom, as with this JC Higgins (AGM manufactured) benzine 3-burner.
My guess would be that this little tube is a preheater like in these Standard 2045 lanterns. It works with the saturated fuel/air fumes in the tank which can be released through one of the valves and ignited at the top of the preheater tube to burn open flame besides the vaporizer.