I first saw this Windhorst twin mantle gasoline hanging lamp at the 2004 International Coleman Convention held at Wheaton (Chicago) Illinois where it was being displayed by the then owner, Frank Bebb of The Old Town Coleman Center who remarked that it had once hung in a railroad repair shed (somewhere) in Pennsylvania. Needless to say I was impressed and when the lamp came up for sale a couple of years later, I bought it. Windhorst & Company. St. Louis, MO. From the pre instant light early 19 teens, this door gives access to the generator for preheating. The internal parts Assembled. The burner is a heavy brass casting and the nozzles are not small either, the groove where the mantle is tied is 1" / 25mm diameter, that calls for big mantles and it's possible this lamp could have been rated at 1000 cp. Note the unusual way the tank is constructed. The indentation on the left is where the needle control sits. View from below. With no hope of finding a glass to fit, this mica shade from Fred Kuntz gives some protection to the mantles. Up and running.
Thank you all for your compliments. It is a grand lamp, it's also very old and very rare, I consider myself lucky to be its custodion. Additional information: The reflector is 16" / 406mm as is the outer diameter of the tank which at approximately 2.75" / 70mm across, is smaller in cross section than e.g. a Tilley or Petromax donut. I haven't done any fancy calculations but experience tells me it will take 3 US quarts / 5 Imp. pints / approx 3 ltrs., any more fuel and there wouldn't be enough room for sufficient air to keep the lamp burning all night. I don't know what kind of globe it would have had Wim but I like to think it would have been like a goldfish bowl with a 6" / 150mm fitter.
Henry Plews A magnificent lantern. Pardon my naiviety - May I ask: Behind that little door, is there a spirit cup ? Not shown with the parts ? Where does the cup sit, to warm up the two-legged yoke thingo ? (Bifurcated burner ?) Does it have a separate pump ? And I can't see a filler cap. Thank you.
Paul, there is no spirit cup, originally there would have been a shaped asbestos wicked torch which would have been soaked in spirit, put through the door and held underneath the vapouriser to preheat it. I use the flame from a gas blow torch. Yes, it takes a seperate pump, ideally with an end like this The filler "plug & air screw" can be seen here
Henry Plews Thank you ! What a most remarkable lantern. I'm still trying to figure out how it works and how it was made. So the fuel mixes with the air at that open fitting, but what holds the fitting in place ? Just a close fit on the tubes, no doubt. And no provision for adjusting the gap, as on a Solar or somesuch with a vertical tube. The fuel mixture travels up the left arm, then down to the burners, so the right arm does nothing but support the fount ? Or half the fuel travels up the right arm to mix at the TEE casting ? I count approx. six castings in that lantern. And the fount is clamped in place by the two screws through the reflector. I'm wondering why one arm has a ball end and the other does not ? I like the bayonet fitting of the screen, a very practical and simple solution. Down here, especially in summertime, a large moth or beetle would take out both mantles on its way to Valhalla. It would be handy to fit a screen underneath to keep out the bugs. My apology for all the questions, but it's the first time I've seen a doughnut lantern dismantled. Thanks for stimulating interest. Cheers.
The end of the jet is threaded The fitting A slides onto the tube at B and screws onto the jet at C. Its purpose is to support the free end of the vapouriser which being subjected to extended periods of high temperature, would sag and thus not line-up correctly with the entrance to the mixing tube. Although the air gap would have been set at the factory, there is room for adjustment. The vapouriser can be scewed in or out of the valve block and sealed by tightening the gland nut complete with packing. Correct. I think the spherical chamber gives a curved surface for the fuel/air mix to follow as it changes direction from the horizontal to vertical. Good idea about fitting a mesh screen across the bottom of the mica. Time to go shopping. Have a look at this post from @Tony Press Gloria 400 (Australia)
Henry Plews Thank you. A magnificent lantern, and a very clever design. Interesting the two different methods of making the fount: the Gloria fount is made in two circular halves, and lock-seamed, whilst the American fount is made by bending large diameter thinwall tubing in a tight radius and swaging the ends. I would think this latter method the more difficult one. Cheers.
