Finally, after 3 years of waiting! This Bec Callophane 1896 by M. Engelfred is a dream. It’s a Methylated spirit-vapor lamp that is incredibly easy to light up.
Thanks for posting @Chokoon An interesting lamp indeed, reminiscent of a Tito Landi (France). Here’s mine, a naptha version, though a larger jet would convert it to alcohol fuelled. This is a Tito Landi stove burner, working on the same principle as the one in the lamp.
You’re absolutely right. Alcohol fuel is much better for indoor use than gasoline because it’s odorless. I’m also a big fan of Tito Landi and Titus lamps myself; however, I only have a very small collection of them.
Chokoon, don't be distracted by the detour to a totally different lamp manufacturer! Tito Landis are really nice, and many of us do of course have several of those since they are the most known (read; easily available) French brand of this slightly similar kind of lamps. But not really the same in the way they work... Please stay on course and let us know more about this Bec Callophane you say you have been wanting for so long! I do know about the brand since Conny- our own spectacular French lamps expert- has mentioned it before, but it's always nice with more information. @Conny C
@Chokoon Nice lineup of Engelfred lamps. I think this type of Engelfred integrated lamps äre not from the late 1890,s, but maybe from the 1900/1910,s. I have one of these myself and it is a very "big" lamp, that is not shown in the image. The 1896 Engelfred (bec Callophane) burners were equipped with "normal" collar threads, so it could be used to replace wick burners on regular kerosene/oil lamps. @presscall The Engelfred burner are using a pilot flame for pre heating and also maintaining heat to the burning process. The type of pilot flame alcohol burners first came with 1895 Shuster & Baer patent, and got several followers, both in France and Germany. So in that way it is a bit different technical wise, than the Tito Landi burner. If you are interested in French wick fuelled old burners, you can look here ....... French early incandescent wick burner lamps ....... French early incandescent wick burner lamps Part II | Classic Pressure Lamps & Heaters /Conny
Hi Conny, thank you for the detailed information. Regarding your second point about the 'normal collar threads', I'm curious to know if there are any specific differences between the threads on your lamp and the ones shown in my photo? I would appreciate it if you could help clarify this. Thank you! @Conny C
Thank you, Carlsson, for the encouragement and for keeping me focused! I'm really excited about this Bec Callophane, and I'll definitely share more details with the group once I have more information. It's great to have such a supportive community here. @Carlsson
@Chokoon I’m nevertheless grateful that you responded to my observation, and the ‘distraction’ has at least wised me up to operating principles of a lamp I’m unlikely to encounter in the flesh. John
@Chokoon The original Engelfred burner patent is from 1896 and this is also the year of the launch of the Bec Callophane burner. Adverts in French newspapers announce this burner as permitting it to adapt incandescent mantle lighting to ordinary regular lamps (meaning kerosene/oil lamps for that time). This possibility is secured by using the same lamp collar threads on this "new" burner and it is also saying that the light out for this burner is 60 CP. The Engelfred lamp we have are using the same patent, but the lamp and burner is an integrated unit and even the Auer type gas burner with chimney holder has the same design as the burner. The glass container and Engelfred burner is connected with a bayonet type connector (not threads), so this burner can only be used connected to this glass type of container. I am not sure exactly when this Engelfred lamp was manufactured and by which company, but my guess is early 1900,s. Maybe someone knows better. /Conny
That's an interesting concept. So a secondary, central wick, feed an open flame directly under the burner to maintain the vaporizing process. Do you yank it up more during preheating, and then reduce the flame for the maintaining of the process? I guess it is a pretty small flame once in work, but do you notice if this system take more fuel than those who rely on thermal conduction downwards via metal instead?
Hi Christer, The short answer is that the you just set the pilot flame to a small/medium hight and than leave it there. Very soon the temperature in the vaporization chamber is enough and you light the Bunsen burner. These pilot burner incandescent burners were among the first incandescent burners and later they were replaced by burners that could maintain heat in the burner process by adding heat by thermal conduction by metal additions, both upwards (Denayrouze) and downwards (Tito Landi). And ... with a additional small pilot wick it is most likely that that type of pilot flame burners used a bit more fuel. /Conny
@Conny C Many thanks, Conny! That clarifies a lot, especially the difference between the threaded version and the bayonet connector on my unit. It’s great to have a better idea of its age and origin. Your expertise is very helpful for my restoration/collection!
