Photo by George Bacon. |
This incandescent oil vapor (IOV) lamp is on display
at Montauk Point. IOV lamps were the last generation of fuel-powered lamps. Electricity
replaced these lamps in the early- to mid-1900s. The tank,
in the back, was pressurized by the hand pump. This fed the fuel to the light.
The burner, in front, was a rather elaborate setup that was
mounted inside the lens, with the flame at the focal plane of the lens. The fuel for the
flame would enter a tube that went over the burner, then returned to the bottom of the
burner, where air would mix with the fuel before being sent to the burner. Heat from the
flame would preheat the fuel, atomizing the fuel so that it would burn properly. To light
the flame,. there was a "spirit lamp," not seen in the photo, that was put in
place of the burner to begin heating the oil. The copper cap, seen in the photo, would
hold the heat from the spirit lamp at the tube. Once the fuel was warm enough, the burner
would be swung into place, replacing the spirit lamp, and lit. The copper cap would then
be removed. The lamp used a mantle, like modern Coleman lamps, to produce a bright light. |
