This lamp showed up recently in the Netherlands, and in many ways is similar to the lamp David Shouksmith spirited away from there some time ago. See lamp with a Dutch history in this section. The noticable details are the metal label suggesting what fuel to use (paraffin) and the clips, securing the hood to the lamp. Although effective, I wonder why these clips seemed important as, come to think of it, I cannot find any reason wanting to arrest the top. The clips are attached to the frame by means of a small cotter pin inside drilled holes. That construction, with the metal label, indicate a deliberate modification, likely for quite a quantity of lamps to be so modified. As it seems (now) a Dutch moddy, I can only think of the Dutch Civil Defense (Bescherming Bevolking or BB) to order this version of Tilley lamp. But perhaps some more would have to surface here to substantiate that theory. The brown top with the lower curled edge is from a later model as I understand it, and not supposed to be in combination with a speculum'ed tank.
I imagine it would be quite annoying if you turned the lamp over for whatever reason and the hood fell off and clattered to the floor. Especially considering that would then allow the globe to do exactly the same thing, probably with shattering results. I like spiriting stuff away from foreign countries although I prefer to see it as 'repatriation'. On the same occasion, I also repatriated a Dutch Waterways (RWS - Rijkswaterstaat) Tilley SDR which I found an immensely satisfying experience...
Call it any way you want, David, but I sense a modicum of misschief if only for that choice of word. Mike.
That's right David, YOU! Studies have shown it only gets worse when age progresses. Sorry. As for the lamp, I think you have come up with a good - if not the only - reason why the hood on these lamps are 'clipped'. Not something I would like to put to the test, though, with the glass at risk regardless. And, it makes you wonder why this feature has not been continued on subsequent models. I guess the extra expense did not warrant the (theoretical) advantage.
Tilley solved the problem in the mid 1950s with a new handle type of fitting which uses the end of the bail to lock the hood in place. This lantern shown here is the last one they made with a loose hood. ::Neil::
Do you mean the new attachment of the bail from 1955 on was meant to do just that Neil? On my 55-56 model it leaves the top completely free whether standing or carried. Given a knock-over as David suggested, the hood would come off just as easy. The attachment 'ears' are not bent outward; perhaps the short lenghts after the pressed flats are not long enough on mine.
Its not the ears that stick up but the bail handle ends that stop the vent from coming off . you have to spring the bail handle outwards to release the vent. Bob
There are or better where more Dutch companies who used pressure lighting. NS > Dutch railways, Petromax, Tilley RWS > Dutch waterway thingy BB > civil defense> I am not sure about this I only have seen evidence of AIDA and heard of Hipolito and coleman. But all are (semi) government. So quantities would be high and modification therefore professionally done (more then one).
It's actually both - the handle ends have a wider, flattened section and the ears have a vertically slotted hole to allow that section to pass through. You have to deliberately position the handle at the horizontal to allow the wider section to pass through the vertical slot in each ear, otherwise you can't spring it out - that's how it works to prevent the hood falling off. Notwithstanding all that, Tilley realised there was a problem with the hood on earlier lanterns being able to fall off and took steps to alter the design of later lanterns to prevent that happening. The Dutch bods (whoever they were) took steps to modify the existing design of the earlier generation of lanterns. Either way, a problem detected and engineered out...
