Object Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Auto-Lite Carbide Miners Lamp with Blade Hook |
Object Name |
Lamp, Carbide |
Catalog Number |
2021.046 |
Description |
Auto-Lite Carbide Miners Lamp with Blade Hook ca 1925 Used by George Radachy working as a coal miner near Uniontown, PA. In 1930, at the age of 39, he was killed by a cave-in at the Filbert Mine located in Fayette, PA. >> Written on the rubber-like base: "Bumpergrip PATD USA 1,790,709 British 354,676 Canada 310,911 Blade is used to attach lamp to miners hard hat. >> Carbide lamps, also known as acetylene gas lamps, are simple lamps that produce and burn acetylene (C2H2) which is created by the reaction of calcium carbide (CaC2) with water. The conventional format of producing acetylene in a lamp is by putting the calcium carbide in the lower chamber (the generator). The upper reservoir is then filled with water. A threaded valve or other mechanism is used to control the rate at which the water is allowed to drip onto the chamber containing the calcium carbide. By controlling the rate of water flow, the production of acetylene gas is controlled. This, in turn, controls the flow rate of the gas and the size of the flame at the burner, (and thus the amount of light it produces). >> The Universal Lamp Company was organized in 1913 by Jacob S. Sherman to produce his Auto-Lite carbide lamps. Sherman first lamp patent was filed in 1914 and awarded as #1,167,942 on Jan. 11, 1916 that would identify the pronounced crown top and concave, urn-shaped design of all Auto-Lite lamp tops for the length of manufacture >> During the 1913-1960 span of Auto-Lite's cap lamp life, the company produced at least six top design styles, four bottom styles, six cap mounting hooks, three water valve variations, three different water doors, two gas tube variations, at least nine top markings, and at least seven different bottom markings. That's a lot of combinations for a cap lamp that maintained its distinctive looks over those 47 years. Although they produced mainly cap lamps, Auto-Lite did manufacture an 8-hour hand lamp marked Big Boy in combinations of brass and steel and with two different bail designs. The Springfield plant of Universal Lamp Co. has claimed that it produced over 9,000,000 carbide lamps during its operations! |
Date |
1925 ca |
Year Range from |
1920 |
Year Range to |
1930 |
Dimensions |
H-3.9 W-2.5 D-3.75 inches |
Material |
Brass |
Subjects |
Mining Miner's Lamp Carbide lamp |
Search Terms |
Minerals |
Catalog date |
2021-07-12 |
Collection |
Burns, Dorothy P. |
Relation |
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