A lamp from Aktiebolaget Atella, probably called Simplex considering this catalogues sheet. It shows many similarities to the very first lamps made briefly by Primus around 1912-14 or so. The vaporiser is a bit cruder, though. Primus used the "Lux-lamp vaporizer" in the shape of a ball above the mantle. Here we have a coil instead. This lamp is complete except for the combined flame spreader and mixingchamber. From the look of this lamp and its construction, I would expect this assembly to look pretty much exactly the same as on Lux or Aladdin, and therefore it's a pretty easy thing to turn in a lathe, so I will come back later with pictures of it running. I actually think that this globe is original since the lamp also was offered as hanging in a lyre. Just compare it with the Primus 1007, and you'll see the resemblance. This low cut globe was typical when mounted in a hanger at the ceiling and perhaps with a metal shade above. This is the lamp with the combined mixing chamber and flamespreader from a Lux mounted just to give an idea of how it probably should look: And here's the Atella with a Primus 1024 globe mounted, just to give a look similar to the one in the sheet Notable is that a Lux globe will fit perfectly (it has a smaller fitting than the later Primus ones as you could see on the picture below since the globe is sort of riding outside the fitting)
Kello Christer, a fine lamp, I assume that it's meant to fit into a hanger or a wall bracket etcetera?
Christer, another lovely lamp. So its just the top cover that is missing? Any chance of taking a picture lighted Ron
Great lamp Christer. I like the hooks to hang the mantle, very ingenious. The Lux flame spreader/chamber looks to be a little high. Maybe the original sat down in the ring. The tank has some minor differences to the Primus 1005 so I don't think they came from the same factory, but there must have been collaboration or the design was 'borrowed'.
Thanks guys! Yes Jeff, it was made for use in a hanger. The shape of the tank itself does not necessarily mean that it was solely made for a hanger, but rather to make it versatile. Just look at the Primus 1005. The catalogue I posted says that it can be used in regular, large hangers. Ron, a picture of it in shining glory will come as soon as I have made that missing flame spreader. 8) Yes Nils, the flame spreader from Lux sits on top of the holder. I'm sure the real flame spreader assembly shall be positioned inside the ring, and therefore a centimeter lower which would give the correct distance from the bottom of the chamber to the jet. You're right. The Primus tank does not look exactly the same, but very, very similar. It would be nice to see some photos of a 1005. Maybe you could post yours in the Primus gallery? How large is the tank on that one? This is about 23 centimeters in diamater at the widest.
I replaced some seals and fixed the nrv in the tank lid, and just felt that I had to test it a little bit. I have started in making the missing piece, but wanted to see if everything else worked as it should, so I just placed the flame spreader assembly from the Lux burner on the lamp instead. I was expecting that the air-fuel ratio should be a bit off since the flame spreader/mixing chamber sits so high, but it went pretty well. I have noticed this before with this burner construction; it's very forgiving about things. They generally give you a nice blue cone without any fuzz. So now I'm well motivated to finish up the missing piece.
Thanks Ron, but I haven't really started fettling yet... I'm finishing work early today, so I will probably make that missing burner this afternoon. I'm very eager to get this oldie going!
Yep, it did! OK! So I had to spend some hours by the lathe, but that's no labour. Just pleasure. Firstly I made my own version of a Lux burner/mixing chamber/flamespreader. (hereafter just simply called "flame spreader". I have no idea of what that gismo should be called for real...) I have no doubts that this lamp also used this kind of flame spreader, which was the usual way to get a "blue cone" on Swedish lamps with an upright mantel during this early period. Lux, Aladdin, eventually Primus... they all used it. The flame spreader consists of three parts; an outer housing, an inner cap and the flame spreader gauze. The outer housing and the inner cap are easily turned in brass on a lathe, and the gauze is made by firstly making a die to help forming the stainless mesh into the correct shape. The parts for the die is preferably made by the leftovers in the chuck after making the other pieces! No need to be wasteful. Here's the three parts seen before assembly from the upside, and then from the downside. The rim near the centre -seen on the outside - is to seat it at the holder at the lamp. The lesser noticeable rim on the outside a bit higher is just the widening for the seating of the gauze. (The observant will also notice that I made two different gauzes. Later test prooved the finer gridded one to be the best, no surprise ): The inner cap has three little feets which both lifts it up to let the vapour pass, but also keep it centered inside the housing: Here it is compared to a regular Lux flame spreader. My version is a tad bit smaller to fit inside the holder mounted just above the jet on the Atella: And here the complete assembly is mounted on the lamp: I tested it, and it performed well enough. Then the trouble came up to get a suitable mantle. The correct size isn't available anymore. The gaslight mantles I like to use on many of this kind of lamps had to small diameter at the base so I tested a regular Aladdin mantle (not the good old Swedish pressure-Aladdin, but the more common wickie lamp, e.g. No.23). I just put it above the flame, and it performed very well so I decided that this was the mantle to go for. It's very important to me that I have a lamp that I can use, and this also means that mantles must be available. I could of course hang it loose on the existant mantle holder, but I thought it would be more convenient to just simply be able to seat any complete Aladdin mantle directly at the burner, which meant that I also had to make an adapter to put on the flame spreader to get it to firmly hold an Aladdin mantle. This is it: It sits tight and firm, and doesn't interfere with the nice blue flame, which still looks good enough to me: On with the mantle again and let it go! First picture with the shade that came with the lamp. Second with a Lux-modified Primus globe, and the last to show the light. It actually performs great. And yet I haven't dared to pump it up to more than half the normal value of 1,5 atm overpressure.: I must say I'm impressed by this lamps performance. And then after about an hour of problem free and stable light - a confirmation that it all have worked well; a totally soot free Aladdin mantle! Not really the way we are used to see those when mounted on the regular wick lamp they were intended for PS. On the last picture with it lighted, you can see a part of the Lux lamp I borrowed the round globe from, hanging from the ceiling
Well done Christer . As a moderator I think you can make a copy of this thread and put it into the Fettling Forum - "Fettlers Master Class". I didn´t know you was so handy with the lathe, I got a few projects of my own......., can I call you later . /Conny
Hello Christer, excellent stuff! I wonder if Verma lamps work by the same method. Perhaps you could check out the link below and let me know your opinion. https://classicpressurelamps.com/index.php?threads/932
Thanks Jeff! I don't think the Verma works in the same way. Atleast it doesn't seem to use this kind of method to vapourize the fuel. It looks more like it is working with vapourising the fuel below the burner. Perhaps by heat transportation downwards by metal contact, like a rod or such? Do you know how a HS2 burner work? (Or a Kriegslicht) Can it be something like those, but with the difference that the Verma obviously use a pressurized tank rather than a wick to get the fuel up. Just my first guess by a quick glance at your documents.
Thanks a lot Conny! I'm not very skilled. These are just simply pieces that are quite easily made, just as long as you own a lathe, which I'm fortunate enough to do. I would never dream of putting my own posts in the fettlers master class! But you are correct in that I could post it in the fettling forum. But then rather about the working process before these pictures above (which all just were about the already finished up burner). A tutorial of how to make a Lux burner, my way! I actually think I might do that later, even if I notice that the interest for Lux/Aladdin/Earliest Primus etc (read: real lamps ) is very low at this forum. Thanks again Conny, and keep yourself in the shade down there. 8) .
Hello Christer, those 2 lamp burners are not known to me; I had thought that perhaps the Verma lamps worked in the same way as some of the Tito Landi lamps do. The Verma table lamp which sold on UK., Ebay well over a year ago, I think that it went to mainland Europe, but I'm not sure. Perhaps some research on Verma lamps could be done by some of the mainland Europe collectors, the reason why I suggest this is that Verma lamps look continental to me.
Ah! That's your problem then The continental has absolutely nothing to do with things made in a far away place as Sweden and lamps produced here like Aladdin, Lux or in this particular topic; Atella. The continental means Germany, France and all those other strange states down there on the other side of the sea. To be serious again... The Tito Landi you refer to is actually not so far away from the HS2 that I suggested, so we think the same here! They work in similar ways, and might be close to the Verma except for the probable pressurized tank on the latter. But none of those are near to the Lux-lamps way of working (Again also Atella, Aladdin early Primus etc.)
Jeff, The Verma seems to be a very interesting and intriguing lamp, with as you say references to Tito Landi and other wick fed system lamps, but also with a pressurized tank. From the images of the catalogue you can´t determine how the Verma burner works, but the lamp paraphernalia and the gas chimney indicates a burner using the same technique as the Tito Landi etc. with the vapourising below the jet, but fuel fed with pressure instead of a wick, I can show how this works with a loop burner a little similar to Christers but with the technique as the Tito Landi. This is a French gasoline wick fed Boler burner. You can see the big loop beeing preheated from the spirit cup beneth. This brings heat downwards through the prehaeted rods and in contact with the fuel brought up by the wick the vapourising is starting below the jet you can see as a small square piece in the middle of the burner. With the Atella lamp the pressurized fuel, if I am correct, is passing through the coiled loop and there it is vapourized by firstly preheating and later heat from the burning process. The loop is bringing down vaporized fuel to the jet beneth. The vaporizing process here is above the burner/jet and pressure is essential to keep the fuel up to the loop and keep the process going. /Conny
Hello Christer & Conny, I reckon that we are on the right track, perhaps more information will turn up. Good photos and description Conny! A Verma lamp or 2 would also be useful, cheers from Jeff in Shetland, (Or in the Norse, Hjaltland).
Very well done Christer. After showing this your going to get lots of orders for hard to find parts. Do you usually use an Aladdin mantle on your Lux and Aladdin lamps? It seems to work well with the adapter you made.
Nils, it's actually the first time I used these large Aladdin mantles for this type of burner. This mantle is actually to wide to fit on the similar Lux (and your Primus, I would guess), but this Atella had some more space between the flame spreader and the fuel tubes, that's why I choosed to use it since the first test turned out so well. For the smaller Lux burners, like the Victoria, I use the 3" upright gaslight mantles, also made by Aladdin. The few Aladdins (real Aladdins, i.e. ) I have, has an inverted burner, so I guess I could hang a regular soft mantle on those, even if they really should use the rigid type on a ceramic ring. I haven't gotten them into action yet, so i don't know for sure...
