Hi all, at the CCS forum I learned a lot about classic stoves and their history. So I learned these were already made at the end of the 19th century, gaining a lot of popularity in between both World wars and still going strong up to this very day (although most manufacturers have now gone). Now I'd like to learn a bit more on the history of pressure lamps. Can anyone provide links or whatever re the history of CPL's please? Many thanks in advance, regards, Wim
Hello, the earliest pressure lamp patent found so far is dated 1865, but that lamp did not use a mantle, because the mantle had not been invented then, it was more of a flare lamp. This link will show that patent. https://classicpressurelamps.com/index.php?threads/877 The first commerically successful mantle was invented in 1891 and marketed in 1892. The 3 links below will show you the next 3 patents for pressure lamps that have so far been found. https://classicpressurelamps.com/index.php?threads/882 https://classicpressurelamps.com/index.php?threads/874 https://classicpressurelamps.com/index.php?threads/863
Well summed up Jeff! The pressure lamp, and it's origin seems a bit more complex than that of the pressure stove, and therefore harder to put any actual birth date of.
Hello Christer, yes, it's origin does appear to be more complex, but in my opinion 1892 is the very earliest, that we can expect to find a patent for a pressure lamp which used a commercially successful mantle. There were mantles around before that, but they were not very successful, that's true even for Carl Auer von Welsbach's first mantle, it worked, but it gave off a green light. It's obvious when studying patents, that several inventors had the same idea around the same era, but without Carl Auer von Welsbach's second mantle, progress would not have occurred. The link below is worth checking out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_mantle
Hi Jeff, I do absolutely agree. The pressure lamp that we are focusing on at this site can not have existed before the incandescent mantle came in actual use - assumingly around the year of it's patent date in 1892. To me the first real pressure lamp must be even later. Atleast in, or after, 1895 - the year of the Spiel & Brückner patent I have posted in the Patent Section.
Hello Christer, that probably will remain the earliest patent, but it's just possible that an earlier one may turn up.
You are right, of course. There might be earlier patents, even if we havent found them. And to complicate things even further... in reality many inventions came to practical use without even ever being patented. But it would be a good estimation to say that the pressure lamp as we know it started to take form in around 1892-95. ...Or thereabout.
About 1895 would be probably as near as we can call this. In fact that may be a little too early. We have to remember that a patent is not a lamp it is an idea. So the first lamp is not the first one patented it is the first one made and sold. So the true answer is more likely to be found in adverts than patents. That again is a problem because certainly in the US early lamps seem to have often been made in small one man operations and only sold locally by a guy working his local area and flogging lamps to local shops and houses. So by the time he thought about an advert he had probably been flogging light for a year or so. In fact for most collectors the real early stuff is less interesting anyway because they can be incredibly difficult to fettle and run. Most guys will only really want to play with stuff made after about 1909. ::Neil::
It depends on your definition of "pressure lamp." In a sense, the early pump lamps and moderator lamps were pressure lamps. A bit later there were non-mantle lamps using pressure. See J.S. Hull's U.S. patent from 1867, for instance (patent #64768) or J.P. Driver's patent from 1865 (U.S. patent #49613). I don't think a lamp needs a mantle to be a pressure lamp, and I consider those later lamps pressure lamps, though I've not found one "in the flesh" so to speak, yet. Perhaps you can also argue the early gravity feed vapor lamps (starting with Isaiah Jennings' patents) are pressure lamps, albeit, with low pressure.
I have to confess I find the early stuff most interesting (though a a Coleman CQ is what I consider the most practical pressure lamp for normal use). Some of the early items are just downright absurd in their overly complex design, and others are incredibly simple. It is certainly a greater challenge to run the early items, given the issues related to fuels, the frequently plugged and nearly irreplaceable generators, and the abundance of unsafe tanks, but I think it makes it more rewarding when one is finally running. I think even my Coleman AA paled in comparison when I got it running to my first "arc" lamp...
Well I guess it does depend on what you decide makes a pressure lamp that you want to collect and play with. History is one thing and I have an abiding passion there but for the collection I tend to avoid most made before about 1908 ish and in general won't collect gravity lamps or lamps with an upright mantle. I do have one or two like that though including an awesome huge AutoLux. So the PLC lists mostly post 1905 and not many before about 1910. Just my personal take on what I like and gather in. ::Neil::
