Victorian oil lamps? Anyone?

[Fnaar]

Miss Goodbody has promised to come round this evening and trim my wick for me

 

[welsh dragon]

I had an oil lamp once. Mine had a little wheel that you turned. It is inded a dimmer if you will. Turn it one way and the flame or wick raises up and makes the light brighter. The other way and it lowers the wick and makes the flame dimmer.

 

[classic33]

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.

Wouldn't a snuffler put the light/flame out?

 

[accountantpete]

Wouldn't a snuffler put the light/flame out?

The glass chimney gets hot so you need an easy way to extinguish the flame without removing the chimney - hence the lever.

 

[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?

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.

Which is sort of what was said above

The glass chimney gets hot so you need an easy way to extinguish the flame without removing the chimney - hence the lever.

 

[Paulus]

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

When I was a kid, my dad had something similar to this lamp, he used it when we had power cuts. The lever is to raise or lower the wick. The higher the wick, the brighter the light.

 

[Brains]

Have you tried rubbing the lamp ?

New lamps for old, new lamps for old

 

[Profpointy]

If I've understood the OP correctly there are two twiddles which adjust the two wicks. I therefore expect it is indeed a mechanical snuffer as the burny finger method of trying to blow it out would be extra tricky with a double wick lamp

 

[sight-pin]

Wouldn't a snuffler put the light/flame out?

Yeah, that's what it is i think.

 

[swee'pea99]

I hope it is a snuffer, 'cos putting the thing out has proved a bit of a pain.

 

[Profpointy]

It's possible that the bits the lever thing operates have broken or been lost so not impossible that it no longer actually works

 

[swee'pea99]

'tis pretty when it's going...

 

[swee'pea99]

It's possible that the bits the lever thing operates have broken or been lost so not impossible that it no longer actually works

I don't think that's the case - it distinctly slides a 'sleeve' up/down each of the wicks. I'm just not sure why!

 

[Profpointy]

I don't think that's the case - it distinctly slides a 'sleeve' up/down each of the wicks. I'm just not sure why!

If it doesn't work as a snuffer, might it be "turbo" mode for ligthing up?

 

[Markymark]

A lever on the side? I would imagine possibly a volume control but given the age it may be an early home button.