Victorian oil lamps? Anyone?

[swee'pea99]

Just on the off-chance, wondered if there might be anyone hereabouts who could tell me what this little lever is for:

It seems to raise...

and lower

metal 'sleeves' around the wicks.

But I can't figure out what purpose that's actually supposed to serve.

I've been googling, but all I can get is endless links to lamps for sale, or people (mostly in America) talking about lamps that are similar but not the same, and, crucially, don't seem to have this 'sleeve' mechanism.

CC has helped me with many out of left field queries in the past, so I figured what have I got to lose.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

mmmm, sorry didn't look at the pictures properly. Some guesses:

A built in snuffing mechanism?
Something to stop it smoking when the flame is out but before it cools?

 

[classic33]

If the sleeves fully enclose the wicks then you'd be cutting of one side of the "Fire Triangle".

Does the glass raise with a similar lever?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I'd have thought you'd have a bigger flame/more light with more wick showing, so it's like a Victorian dimmer switch.

 

[Beebo]

As 3BM says, it makes it brighter or dimmer.

 

[green1]

As 3BM says, it makes it brighter or dimmer.

Also makes it easier to light.

 

[swee'pea99]

"a Victorian dimmer switch" - love it! When I get it going I'll check that theory. Makes sense. Certainly you get a bigger flame by exposing more wick (it has two windy-wheels on the other side for doing that).

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Another vote for the dimmer switch.
When I was a kid our paraffin light had a wheel that moved the wick up and down.

 

[Lozz360]

I think it pushes the wick up. Most of them had a wheel that you turned so you could raise or lower the wick. I guess the lever only pushes the wick upwards.

 

[classic33]

"a Victorian dimmer switch" - love it! When I get it going I'll check that theory. Makes sense. Certainly you get a bigger flame by exposing more wick (it has two windy-wheels on the other side for doing that).

Still think it's for putting the light out, given there's seperate controls for the wick.

 

[sight-pin]

I think the main lever is a snuffer and the two winding controls the other side will have push the material wick through the blades to be able to adjust the two flame height independently and to prevent smoking.

 

[snorri]

Don't these people get on your wick who ask all and sundry for information instead of just reading the Instruction Book?

 

[swee'pea99]

a snuffer

Hmmm. So, a dimmer switch or a snuffer. When I get to light it I shall report back. Thanks all.

 

[Alex H]

See here http://www.1900s.org.uk/oil-lamps.htm - "Trimming the Wick"

 

[tyred]

You should get that new-fangled electricity put in.