Cambrian Flame Safety Lamp
A Rare Working Item!
This is a genuine flame safety lamp that was used for a short period in a South African colliery some 25 years ago. Not many collieries used these as most used the Wolf (design) flame safety lamp (see my other auction). Just after the Cambrian flame safety was introduced to the collieries, the GME (Government Mining Engineer) of the day, repealed the regulation where flame safety lamps were used as the means of detecting methane and "new" electronic detection devices were introduced. Oher countries, including the USA are still using this this type of lamp for the detection of methane and deficiency of oxygen in the workplace undergound.
This lamp is unlocked, i.e., the mechanism that was used to lock the lamp to prevent users from opening the lamp underground has been by-passed. This means that the lamp can be filled with light fuel oil and lit.
The Cambrian lamp (designed in Wales) (click on the link, left, underlined, to read about it) had a round shape wick. This allowed the user to observe the flame from all directions when checking for methane gas.
All the components are present and the Pyrex type glass is perfect.
A superb example of this type of flame safety lamp.
The lamp is in an excellent condition!
Some history:
The danger from explosions is ever present in coal mines. Ignition of naturally occurring methane gas can be disastrous. This gas is known in the pits as "firedamp", a mixture of methane gas and air. Methane (CH4) is odourless, tasteless, colourless, and lighter than air which means it is found near the roof of the mine workings. The most dangerous mixture is between 5% and 15% when an explosion is possible.
When the weather was bad and the barometer dropped, extra care was needed. All coal seams contain methane, but during bad weather methane seeps back into the main body of the mine from old workings or from the waste areas, therefore gas could begin to accumulate where the air flow was weakest, which is next to the hanging-wall (roof).
When miners know where gas is accumulating it was then possible to dilute the gas by the addition of fresh air, thus lowering the concentration of the gas.
As all coal mines are troubled by methane gas; the coal mine management paid someone to disperse the gas by igniting it with a naked flame. As you can imagine this was a very dangerous occupation and these "firemen" literally risked their lives every time they entered a gaseous area of the mine.
He had one of the most dangerous jobs. He walked down roads or tunnels with a candle and ignited any accumulated gases he encountered. He held a long stick with a candle at the end. Naturally this exploded any methane present. His only protection was to wear clothing such as wool, or leather, well damped, and his head protected by a hood (sometimes he was referred to as the 'penitent', because his dress resembled certain religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church). Very often the fireman was killed during the operation of igniting the gas.
Inventors worked on developing a flame lamp which could be safely taken into a coal mine without igniting the methane gas present.
In 1815 Humphrey Davy invented a safety lamp, George Stephenson, working in a colliery near Newcastle, also produced a safety lamp that year. Both men claimed that they were first to invent the safety lamp.
How it works:
The safety lamp burns oil. Inside the lamp is two wire gauze cylinders of fine mesh which forms a cage around the flame. Heat from the flame is dissipated and this prevents the flame from propagating outside of the lamp.
The quantity of methane gas present in a particular part of the mine was obtained by switching off caplamps (lights fitted to hard hats) etc., so the mine was in darkness except for the light generated by the flame safety lamp. Then holding the lamp up to the hanging-wall (roof), lowering the wick, and looking at the colour, size and shape of the flame. If firedamp was present, a pale blue flame appeared around the central flame, sometimes referred to as the "blue-cap".
The flame safety lamp also detects oxygen deficiency, known by miners as blackdamp, a mixture of air and carbon dioxide (CO2) which could be found near the footwall (floor).
Please Note:
1. This flame safety lamp is not a replica or toy - it is the genuine article.
2. Spare components are not available in South Africa. One may get them from Wales, UK.
2. The weight of the lamp is 1,7 kilograms. Constructed of solid brass and stainless steel as per GME approval of the day.
A talking point in any pub!
