Research Type
CuratorPerson
Shaun SliferDate
Nov 18, 2020Notes
A mining or caving lamp has calcium carbide placed in a 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 into 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.Research Type
CuratorPerson
Shaun SliferDate
Nov 18, 2020Notes
(from halslamppost.com)
The Ashmead Manufacturing Co. marketed two brands of carbide cap lamps, the Elkhorn and the Buddy. The Elkhorn was their first lamp and produced in both brass and nickel plate and in both a cap and superintendent style lamp. Sometime later, they produced the Buddy lamp (the two lamps were not produced at the same time). The retail price was one dollar with the nickel plate adding an additional 25 cents.
The Ashmead Manufacturing Co. was started sometime during World War I with Ben Williamson as president. They bought the Meyer and Philip Stein patent of May 3, 1921 for water feed improvements and incorporated those features into the Elkhorn. Later in 1929, Williamson was awarded patent #1,716,809 for improvements incorporated into the Buddy lamp. Located in Ashland, KY, the company ceased operations in 1933.
(See Clemmer, American Miner's Carbide Lamps, p 62)Research Type
CuratorPerson
Shaun SliferDate
Nov 18, 2020Notes
Rarity: 7 (https://caves.org/member/mfraley/rarety.htm)
