... I have this lamp, it is a gravity lamp from 1900 going on patent dates. The question I have is about the fundamental principles on how it works. I have seen on other gravity lamps how the path of the incoming fuel passes over the heat from the mantle thus vapourising the fuel to then go through a jet, mixing with air to burn at the mantle. This one is a little bit different. What I am expecting is that after preheating the "J" tube and opening the fuel valve, the flame would start at the point marked "a",with flame running up the tube "b" and creating enough heat to continue vapourisation at the mantle "c". So the question I have is would the flame start at the point "a"? Thanks.
The gap between A and the base of B is where the vapourised fuel mixes with air... The flame will be higher up.
looks like it but what makes the fuel vaporize then ? If flame exits top of part B. Heat is needed on the downward part of J-tube.
Tony, At the end of the J-tube generator the gas tip (below A) sprays heated fuel into the mixing tube (B) and the blue flame starts at the flame spreader (C). Heat is supposed to be recycled by the cast iron burner holder and the burner itself. /Conny
Only a tiny amount of fuel flows through at a time as the bulk of it is held back by the vapour pressure in the J-tube, therefore once it is going it doesn't take a great deal of heat to maintain it. Conducted heat from the burner which has a fairly large thermal mass is more than sufficient...
Is there any examples of a lamp that is lit directly at the jet or the burning process begins at the jet? I would suppose no, but took this opportunity to ask.
Thanks every body. Will try to fit a shut off on the weekend and if I have no leaks or other problems will give it a run. .... to be continued.
Conny,Gneiss, again thanks for your guidance. The length of the tube "b" is what had me confused but now I see it needs that length to hold the "bubble" of vapourised fuel in the J tube. Just as Gneiss explained. It is surprising how much heat is convected through the heat sink between c and b and I guess through the b tube itself. Even with the lamp turned down as low as I can get it there is still enough heat to continue vapourisation. No flame is below the mantle. It has an Aladdin wick lamp mantle on it which is not the correct mantle and the glass is not correct either. Once I get the right mantle and glass I will post it in the gallery.
Anthony. You have done well in bringing this old light back to life again .To put just fuel in tank add mantle and fix valve its working again . Bob .
Simple as that Bob. Nothing tricky here. Any one who has lamps like this in the shed with the intention of doing some thing with them some day, pull them out. You may be surprised how little there is to them and they may be more complete than first thought. Do your research first of course but if I can do it any one can.
Do you know what the correct glass looks like? Is it taller? Just wondering if the heat deflector should be the other way up too.... Either way it's great to see it running
Gneiss just what the correct glass is I don't know. I have done a fair amount of looking around and can't come up with much. The patent date, 29 May 1900 is not much help either. Seems most lamp burners were patented that day. If I was to guess I would say the right glass would be straight sided, about 10 to 12 inches tall. The glass in the picture is from a Miller wick lamp so not likely to be the right one. Heat deflector is taken from a model 1 hanging Aladdin and was the closest deflector at the time. Got really hot really quick and just under a tank of shellite. As for the direction of the heat deflector, nar, nothing wrong with it.
Anthony, The Standard Gas Lamp Co. was established in 1899 and the application for the patent by J.J. Snyder was made first of July 1899 and was granted May 1900. We can assume that production of this type of lamps shown in the patent, was started when the company began production in 1899. The Standard lamp you have (also I have a Standard student lamp) has the inscription "THE NEW STANDARD" on the burner inner casing brass tube. This may refer to a small change/inprovment of the burner, where the fuel valve control is placed outside the burner on the inlet fuel feeding tube (it looks like the fuel control is inside the burner in the patent). In an undated catalogue from probably 1902/03 (there´s testimonial letters from customers and retailers from October 1901, so catalogue must be later than that date), shows lamps with yet another burner type - now with a cleaning needle control. These lamps and burner type can be seen in catalogues of the Standard-Gillett Light Co., that is the name since the merger with Gillett 1906 and until the company ceased in 1911. This lamp took a straight chimney with an opal petticoat shade. I made a lighting try of my Standard Gas Lamp Co. years ago. I may do it again and put it in the Reference gallery. /Conny Moderators - I would have liked to make thumbnail images, but was not given the option ??
