778 



SILBER LIGHT 



By the means adopted, it is proposed to use any combustible oil, in a manner 

 similar to that of gas, the oil flowing from a reservoir placed at some elevated point, 

 and from it supplying any number of lamps. In the case of using petroleum or any 

 easily inflammable oil, certain precautions particularised in the patent, are adopted. 

 Sufficient for our present purpose to say that from the reservoir the combustible liquid 

 is conducted (Jiff. 1761) to the receiving box H, through a branch pipe K, widened out 

 into a box at F, and terminating in a tap o, that is to say, K, is a branch pipe, which 

 leads from the cistern through the filtering box F and tap a, into the receiving box or 

 chamber H. The box F and tap G form, in effect, portions of the service or supply- 

 pipe leading from the main service ; or, in other words, the branch E, box F, and tap 

 a form a service or supply pipe. The filtering box F, which is connected with the 

 branch E, is also attached to the back of the chamber H, and it contains a partition or 

 diaphragm /, made of wire-gauze or perforated metal ; g is an opening at the bottom 

 of the box F (closed by a joint, nut, or screw cap <? x ) for removal of subsidence or 

 deposit from time to time. G is a tap connected with and leading from the box F, and 

 forming the termination of the service or supply pipe. This tap G leads from the box 

 F into the chamber H. The pipe E opens into the box F below the partition/, and the 

 tap G opens out of that box at a point above the partition/, so that the oil or liquid in 

 passing from E to G is filtered by its passage through /. H is a vessel or chamber 

 which contains a float-valve for opening and closing the pipe G. i is or are (one, two, 

 or more) pipes, "which lead from the vessel H, and communicate with burners i. 3 is 

 an overflow pipe leading from the interior of the chamber H into the waste pipe. The 

 oil or liquid in the tank will, by the law of equilibrium of fluids, flow through the 

 branch pipe E into the filtering box F, and passing through the diaphragm /therein, it 

 will rise into and flow through the tap G into the chamber H, the tap of pipe G being 

 open, because the float hereinafter described will be depressed while the chamber H is 

 empty, and it will rise when the chamber H is filled with oil or liquid to a certain 

 level or height. From this chamber H the oil or liquid will flow through the pipes i 

 and through the conduits communicating therewith (arms, brackets, pendants, as the 

 case may be), to the burners where such oil or liquid is to be burnt and used for 

 illuminating purposes. 



1761 1762 





In a communication made to the Society of Arts 

 on December 21, 1870, Mr. Silber proposed by 

 arrangements of this kind to light private houses, 

 towns, or factories. 



In the course of experiments upon combustion 

 of petroleum, it was found that, by permitting the 

 oil to remain below a certain level in the burner, 

 a greatly-increased illumination was obtained with 

 a diminished consumption of the oil, which is 

 then vapourised in the upper part of the burner, 

 before it reaches the flame, and is consumed at 

 the top of the wick. By this method no residue 

 is ever loft in the burner itself. 



The arrangement of this burner will be seen in fig. 1762. A is the case or body of 

 the lamp. The lamp contains a number of concentric chambers. The outermost 

 chamoer B contains the oil or combustible liquid to be supplied to the burner, c is a 

 tubular or annular space into which air is fed and through which it circulates ; it 



