Davy-type safety lamp
Date1830-1860
Inventory Number1998-1-0127
ClassificationLamp
Subject
Maker
Deleuil
fl. 1820 - 1894
Inventor
Sir Humphry Davy
1778 - 1829
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensions25 × 8.3 × 8.3 cm (9 13/16 × 3 1/4 × 3 1/4 in.)
Material
DescriptionThe base contains the oil that burns the wick producing the flame. The outside structure is made of five vertical tubes, built around and protecting a wire sieve. The latter encloses the flame. On top is a hook to hang the lamp.
Signedon base: DELEUIL / A PARIS
FunctionDavy published his invention in the Philosophical Transactions of 1816 before making it into a book. This famous safety lamp enabled miners to carry a light without the danger of igniting the methane gas found in coal mines.
Davy had discovered that, to explode, the gas must be heated to its ignition temperature and that if such heating is prevented, combustion cannot occur. If the flame in a lamp is surrounded by metal gauze to distribute the heat over a large area, the maximum temperature of the screen is below the ignition temperature of the gas. The first trial of a Davy lamp with a wire sieve was at Hebburn Colliery on 9 January 1816. (Taken from Wikipedia.)
Davy had discovered that, to explode, the gas must be heated to its ignition temperature and that if such heating is prevented, combustion cannot occur. If the flame in a lamp is surrounded by metal gauze to distribute the heat over a large area, the maximum temperature of the screen is below the ignition temperature of the gas. The first trial of a Davy lamp with a wire sieve was at Hebburn Colliery on 9 January 1816. (Taken from Wikipedia.)
Woodhouse & Rawson Electrical Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
Date: 1890-1900
Object number: 1996-1-0597
James W. Queen & Company
Date: circa 1890
Object number: 2007-1-0060
Théodore and Albert Duboscq
Date: 1880-1890
Accessories: small metal piece
Object number: 1998-1-1635
