kerosene lamp

kerosene lamp

      vessel containing kerosene with a wick for burning to provide light. Such lamps were widely used from the 1860s, when kerosene first became plentiful, until the development of electric lighting. Compared with other oil lamps, they were safe, efficient, and simple to operate. The kerosene fed the wick by capillary action alone. An adjustment knob, the only mechanism needed, controlled the lamp's brightness by raising or lowering the wick to vary the size of the flame. A glass chimney, which was used more widely and effectively on kerosene lamps than on any previous lamps, enhanced the steadiness, brightness, and cleanness of the flame.

      No inventor of the kerosene lamp can be named, but hundreds of persons filed patent applications for modifications. In 1865 the duplex burner, with two flat wicks set near each other to augment the heat and brilliance of their flames, was introduced. In Europe, Argand burners (Argand burner) with cylindrical wicks were widely used. See also Argand burner; lamp.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Kerosene lamp — The kerosene lamp (widely known in Britain as a paraffin lamp) is any type of lighting device which uses kerosene (paraffin) as a fuel. There are two main types of kerosene lamp which work in different ways, the wick lamp and the pressure lamp… …   Wikipedia

  • kerosene lamp — /kɛrəsin ˈlæmp/ (say keruhseen lamp) noun a lamp in which kerosene is used as a fuel. Also, kerosine lamp …  

  • kerosene lamp — noun a lamp that burns oil (as kerosine) for light • Syn: ↑oil lamp, ↑kerosine lamp • Hypernyms: ↑lamp • Hyponyms: ↑safety lamp, ↑Davy lamp • …   Useful english dictionary

  • Kerosene — Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, [Webster s New World College Dictionary, kerosene .] is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros (κηρός wax). The word Kerosene was registered… …   Wikipedia

  • Kerosene (disambiguation) — Kerosene can be:* the fuel kerosene. * power kerosene, see tractor vaporising oil. * a lubricant, see mineral oil. * Kerosene (band). * a song by Bad Religion. * a song by Big Black. * Kerosene (album), the debut album of Miranda Lambert.:*… …   Wikipedia

  • lamp — [n] lantern beacon, flashlight, gas lamp, gaslight, hurricane lamp, kerosene lamp, light, searchlight, torch; concepts 620,624,628,810 …   New thesaurus

  • kerosene — /ker euh seen , kar , ker euh seen , kar /, n. 1. a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons obtained by distilling petroleum, bituminous shale, or the like, and widely used as a fuel, cleaning solvent, etc. adj. 2. using or fueled by kerosene: a kerosene… …   Universalium

  • Kerosene heater — A kerosene heater, also known as a paraffin heater, is a portable, unvented, kerosene fueled, space heating device. In the United States they are used mainly for supplemental heat or as a source of emergency heat during a power outage. In some… …   Wikipedia

  • lamp — lampless, adj. /lamp/, n. 1. any of various devices furnishing artificial light, as by electricity or gas. Cf. fluorescent lamp, incandescent lamp. 2. a container for an inflammable liquid, as oil, which is burned at a wick as a means of… …   Universalium

  • lamp — noun we had plenty of illumination from our lamps Syn: light, lantern; floor lamp, table lamp, bedside lamp, banker s lamp, gooseneck lamp; chandelier; candelabra; trademark Tiffany lamp; floodlight, spotlight, strobe light, arc lamp; fluorescent …   Thesaurus of popular words

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”