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World's Largest Selection of Wicks!
Wicks for virtually every heater, stove and lamp made since 1850
Wild & Wessel
Globe Vulcan
(Central Vulcan) Chimneys &
Wicks
14''',
16''',
18''', 24''' &
30'''
Also fit some Agni & Kronos Lamps
W&W Patents,
W&W Imperial, Side Draft,
Center Draft, Kosmos,
"Search lamp,"
Flame Spreaders,
History, W&W
advertisements
W&W Agni Brenner chimneys
Photos of W&W Central Vulcan
Burners (click)
Some history of Catterson's
(click)
The Safe Use of
Kerosene Lamps
Registered Design Numbers
For British Lamps
Emil Wild was perhaps the most brilliant lamp
engineer who ever lived. His designs were exceptionally
clean burning and by far the most versatile of any lamp created.
The 18''', for example, was made as a true Kosmos wick side draft
with a flat wick (the Imperial burner), a circular wick side draft
and a circular wick central draft (Globe/Central Vulcan) and a
20''' Kosmos version with a thimble flame spreader (Agni-Brenner) sold in Europe, all of which used the same
chimney!
The 30''' Globe Vulcan was perhaps the ultimate
"White Light" burner, a lamper's dream furnace, producing
incredible light as well as heat.
In Germany, these were labeled "Central Vulkan" lamps,
in the UK
"Globe Vulcan".
| Dimensions of: |
14''' |
16''' |
18''' |
24''' |
30''' |
50''' |
Wick width |
1 7/16" |
1 3/4" |
1 7/8" |
2 1/4" |
2 3/4" |
? |
Chimney Base |
2" |
2 1/4" |
2 7/16" |
2 3/4" |
3 1/8" |
3 7/8" |
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Wild & Wessel
of Berlin developed the "Kosmos" burner in 1865, where a
flat-wick
is formed round. By the early 1880's their absolutely perfected
Kosmos burner was being imported into the US as the
"Imperial"
burner by Bennet B. Schneider; in England it was imported by Catterson as
a center or side-draft draft burner as the "Globe
Vulcan" burner using a
post-style
flame spreader and a unique
wick. In the US, the Imperial burner was
used as a replacement for a duplex burner originally fitted on
the lamp. Most of the lamps using the Imperial/Vulcan burners
were table lamps, but a few were large,
elegant banquet lamps.
My 1884 B&H Imperial is shown at right. Other Vulcan
lamps and burners are shown on the
lamp photo page, lower right column. |
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The Wild & Wessel
Imperial/Vulcan chimney was very unusual, with a wasp-waist
below a tall flame spreader. Without the correct flame
spreader and chimney, these lamps burn poorly at best.
With the correct flame spreader,
wick and chimney, they burn magnificently! The Imperial
18''' was a true Kosmos wick style, 3 5/8" flat wick, yet was
a Vulcan using the 18''' Vulcan chimney. The 18''' "Central"
Vulcan burners were EITHER side draft OR
center draft but used the same wick and chimney. The
reason for the
side draft Central Vulcan burners was so they could be
used on
glass and fancy fonts where a draft tube was impossible.
Absolutely nobody but Wild & Wessel had three different
configurations for the same flame spreader and chimney. No other
chimney will work on this lamp to produce a decent burn except
the original design...chimneys and
wicks have not been
available for many decades - until now!!! These chimneys
are made from borosilicate glass in a mold made from a signed
original 1884 W&W chimney.
Alex Marrack makes
reproduction flame spreaders so there is no excuse for not
burning these magnificent lamps. (For more on these lamps,
click here.) |
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ALL
Vulcan chimneys made from tempered borosilicate glass!!!! |
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The automatic postage is calculated by the
amount of the item, NOT the weight or size.
Postage is now incremental by weight, NOT by
the piece. 1 to 8 ounces to England, for example, is $18.95;
the next jump is 9 ounces to 2 lbs being $28.95. I only want
to break even on postage so I refund down to the actual cost of
postage when I receive an order.
Vulcan chimneys will weigh more than 8 ounces
when properly boxed for safety, so the total amount of shipping to
Europe should be $28.95, quite a refund from the $58.95 for
shipping charged on the PayPal checkout page!!!
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NEW!!! 14''' Vulcan,
Agni & Kronos chimneys! Wild & Wessel lamps made in 14''' size
are exceedingly rare and were essentially hand made
to order - they were not even listed in the W&W catalog! YOU MUST MEASURE
YOUR lamp
base-to-top of the draft tubes to know if
this_chimney
will fit your lamp to determine
if the flame spreader disk is up into the bulge.
(Click here to see photo of
measurement required.) For reference,
my Catterson Globe Vulcan wears a 1.28'' to the pinch chimney
and the flame spreader disk is 1.75'' above the chimney seat but
the flame spreader is a thimble style which may be unique. The
patented 14''' Vulcan flame spreader measurements are
here. |
14''' Vulcan, Agni & Kronos chimneys, side draft and center
draft. Also for "15''' Odin burners sold by DHR.
1.1" (28mm) to pinch. See
above.
2.10'' (53.3mm) Base fitter,
10'' (254mm) tall =
2.6'' (66m) bulge.
IN STOCK!. $57.95 |
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Globe Vulcan
16'''_Chimney,
side draft and center draft for Central Vulcan and Globe Vulcan
lamps. 2.280'' fitter (57.91mm), 11.5'' (292mm) tall
Special wasp-waist as per the
original German design
by Emil Wild.
Thickness: 2/32"
Glass weight: 5.1 oz.
Shipping wt: 1 lb.
Made in USA of
fully annealed heat resistant
borosilicate glass
<<<16''' Central Vulcan burning
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16''' Globe/Central Vulcan chimney
- $57.95 - |
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Imperial /
Globe Vulcan 18''' Chimney,
side draft and center draft for Central Vulcan and Globe Vulcan
lamps ("Imperial" burner made to fit American
duplex thread size, made by W&W for
Bennet
B. Schneider (B.B.S) for sale in the US). (Also fits some 20'''
Agni-Brenner
lamps (see below). Check the base height if you have a 20''' Agni
burner. An 18''' Vulcan has the disk 1.043'' to 1.172''
above the draft tube. The height to the pinch in the chimney is
1.692'', so the flame spreader disk is about 0.640'' above the
pinch in the chimney. The dimensions of an 18''' Vulcan flame
spreader are
here. 2
7/16" fitter (2.412", 62mm), 11 1/2" (292mm) tall
Special wasp-waist as per the
original German design
by Emil Wild.
Thickness: 2/32"
Glass weight: 5.1 oz.
Shipping wt: 1 lb.
Made in USA of
fully annealed heat resistant
borosilicate glass.
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Imperial,
Globe/Central 18'''
Vulcan Chimney - $59.95 |
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20''' Agni chimney, some Kronos
lamps. 2.465" slip, 12"
tall. 1.25" (31.75mm) height from base to the center of
pinch. More information,
click here. $59.95 IN STOCK |
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Globe Vulcan 24''' Chimney
2.841" fitter (72.17mm), 12
1/4" (311mm) tall
Special wasp-waist as per the
original German design
by Emil Wild.
Thickness: 0.060" - 1.55mm
Glass weight: 7.4 oz.
Shipping wt: 2 lb.
Made in USA of
fully annealed heat resistant
borosilicate glass
Click on the image at right to expand it to see the
chimney and measurements.
THE FIRST NEW VULCAN CHIMNEYS IN MANY DECADES,
AND MADE FROM HEAT-RESISTANT BOROSILICATE GLASS. |
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24''' Globe Vulcan
Chimney -
$59.95 IN STOCK
plus we have the two modified special order chimneys now in
stock. |
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Globe Vulcan 30''' Chimney
3.182" fitter (80..82mm), 12
5/8" (321mm) tall
Special wasp-waist as per the
original German design
by Emil Wild.
Thickness: 0.060" - 1.55mm
Glass weight: 8.5 oz.
Shipping wt: 2 lb.
Made in USA of
fully annealed heat resistant
borosilicate glass
Click on the image at right to expand it to see the
chimney and measurements.
Note: The 1933 Veritas catalog lists a 50''' Vulcan
chimney having a 3 7/8'' base diameter. I have never even seen a
reference to a 50''' Vulcan lamp so they must be exceedingly rare.
THE FIRST NEW VULCAN CHIMNEYS IN MANY DECADES,
AND MADE FROM HEAT-RESISTANT BOROSILICATE GLASS. |
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30''' Globe Vulcan Chimney -
$69.95 IN STOCK |
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Chimneys are well protected in sturdy boxes for
safely shipping without breakage, but that weight combined with
postage rate increases for boxed items that went into effect on
Jan. 18, 2016, mandate only one or two chimneys per order, please.
Vulcan Wicks
As of September 10,
2021 I can sew some custom wicks again. Please inquire via
email (Miles@MilesStair.com)
for your individual wick requirements.
The surgery (fusing)
of
both
thumbs and 3 carpal tunnel surgeries have taken their toll on
the dexterity and stamina in my hands and I am still recovering from a total
reverse shoulder
replacement.
Please ask first
before ordering the custom wicks.
Miles@MilesStair.com
Custom, hand-made Wicks for W&W Vulcan
lamps, for either side or bottom draft are available by special
request only.
|
The automatic postage is calculated by the
amount of the item, NOT the weight or size.
Postage is now incremental by weight, NOT by
the piece. 1 to 8 ounces to England, for example, is $18.95;
the next jump is 9 ounces to 2 lbs being $28.95. I only want
to break even on postage so I refund down to the actual cost of
postage when I receive an order.
Two of the Vulcan wicks will weigh less than 8
ounces so the total amount of shipping should be $18.95, quite a
refund from the $58.95 for shipping charged on the PayPal checkout
page!!! |
14''' |
W&W 14'’‘ Central Vulcan wick, draft tube
0.682" (2 tails) $24.95 |
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16''' |
W&W 16''' Central Vulcan wick, draft tube
0.082'
(2 tails)
$24.95 |
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18''' |
Imperial Vulcan Kosmos flat wick for Imperial
burner marked B.B.S. (Bennett B. Schneider),
3 5/8" x 8"
(86mm), 30''' flat wick for Brenner Ideal
#20i Burner/ Trawler Lamp; $11.75 |
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18''' |
W&W 18''' Central Vulcan wick, draft
tube 0.98" , 0.092" thick
(2 tails)
$24.95 |
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24''' |
W&W 24''' Central Vulcan wick
(3 tails) $29.95 |
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30''' |
W&W 30''' Central Vulcan wick
(3 tails) $29.95 |
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30''' |
W&W "Search" center draft 30''' lamp
wick. 1.480"
draft tube. Circular wick. Inquire. |
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30''' |
Wild & Wessel 30'’‘ Kosmos
Vulcan wick. 48mm outer tube, 38mm draft tube. Flat wick
5.5'' wide. (Photos of 30''' Kosmos Vulcan burner,
click) |
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Center and side-draft Vulcan wicks were made
with a solid top section. The tails were pulled down through
"pockets" to secure the base of the upper solid section against a
groove in the burner, thus eliminating the wick gap common to many
other lamps. This wick design was complicated but eliminated the
possibility of fuel fumes from escaping from the font and igniting
as fuel vapor. There were no standards for fuel prior to 1908 and
some refineries produced "kerosene" with a considerable "aromatic"
or volatile content such as gasoline! More vehicles
available in 1908 meant more gasoline had to be refined (or
separated from other refined fuels) to fill that market niche.
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My custom wicks are made
using original wicks as samples for diameter, width, and
thickness of the burning section as well as thickness of the
"tails" for proper capillary action to sustain a full burn as
originally designed. They do not look the same as
original Vulcan wicks because that is impossible without the
original looms, but they fit and function just as well as the
original wicks.
24''' W&W Central Vulcan wicks >>>>> |
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Catterson 18''' Globe Vulcan |
Perfectly even flame with custom wick. |
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Above, Rob Gregor's 18''' Central Vulcan with full curl burn with
my custom wick. |
Alex Marrack's test of the
my 18''' Central Vulcan wick: "Yes, it is 'as good
as old' .. worked to the bottom of the fount without flagging flame or
burnback of the wick." |
W&W Patents
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The first W&W Vulkan patent
was applied for on Dec. 8, 1881. Note there as a flame
spreader. The Henkle US patent for a flame spreader is
dated Jan. 15, 1884. L&B could well have had a post-type
flame spreader in 1879 for center draft lamps and a thimble
style flame spreader for Kosmos Matador burners in 1879.
This patent drawing has a
6-tailed wick. I have not seen any examples of
this wick or burner, but they may exist in private
collections. This patent was modified in 1884 for a
2-tailed wick (see below). |
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At right, the 1884
modification of the 6-tailed wick to a 2-tailed wick dated
1884. This patent is for a side draft "Central Vulcan"
burner. The wick carrier has the distinctive wick
"pockets" for the tails, and the base of the carrier is solid
and holds the bottom of the gear toothed lift rod. Note
also the unique safety feature of Central Vulcan burners:
the wick tails go through slots in the bottom of the burner
and the circular section of wick above the tails seals off the
font. Fuel in the 1880's was of variable quality and
some fuel was quite volatile. |
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Below we can see why the Imperial burner
marketed in the US was not called an Imperial-Vulcan.
The German patent for the Imperial Vulcan is dated July, 1888,
4 years after the Imperial was sold in the US. |
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W&W listing in the 1911 Goldberg catalog.
Click on the images to
enlarge them. |
German
Patent application of Dec. 28, 1884 for a Vulcan chimney. |
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American patent
for Imperial Kosmos, Aug. 19, 1884 |
Patent application for Kosmos
Vulkan dated July 16, 1888. |
W&W_advertisements,
1906 Goldberg catalog (Click images to enlarge in a
separate window.)
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The Kosmos-Vulcan appears to be
the same burner as sold in the US as the Imperial, but the
Imperial was only sold in 18''' size. These lamps used the
unique Vulcan chimney and a flat wick turned round, Kosmos
style. In essence, the top of the burner was Vulcan,
the bottom was Kosmos. |
The Central-Vulkan above left
was a side-draft burner with a Vulcan post-type flame
spreader and used a 2-tailed Vulcan wick. The Agni
burner was shaped differently and is shown with a thimble
flame spreader and used a flat wick Kosmos style. The Agni
also had a wick guide, unlike the Kosmos-Vulkan at left. |
Vulkan-Universallampes were
true center draft designs but used a 2-tailed Vulcan wick
(14''', 16''' & 18''') or 3 tailed wick (24''' & 30''') with a post-type
flame spreader and Vulcan chimney. All had wick guides with
''pockets'' below the burner. This burner was also used on
fancier true center draft fonts, unlike the burners at left. |
Wick Knobs
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Knob from 16''' Agni |
Catterson Vulcan knob |
R.V. Vulcan knob |
Universallampe knob |
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Kosmos-Vulcan 30''' knob |
Imperial knob |
"Search" knob |
16''' Vulkan knob |
First, my latest Central Vulkan, a 16'''
side draft.
More W&W Vulcan Burners are below
|
Wick knob with "Central Vulkan"
spelling but intended for sale in the UK. The English
D.R. Patent of 18574 indicates the lamp was made in the
latter part of 1884. This lamp does not have the "Catterson"
plate, so it could pre-date the UK import agreement
between W&W and Catterson. The burner on this lamp
is so perfect after 131 years that is provides a terrific
example of how the burner was made (see below). (Photo of
glass insert font,
click
here.)
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16''' Lamp assembled |
W&W Vulcan Lamp Construction
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Outer wick tube |
Note the seam
inside the tube. The tubes were flat stock formed round,
not drawn tubes! |
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The outer wick tube at right covers the
assembly above. |
Polished so well there is no
visible seam on the outside of the tube! |
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Wick would be lowered in the photo above.
Notice the position of the wick guide clips and complexity/quality build. |
The photo above shows the wick sleeve raised.
The burner then fits into the glass insert font > (shown
here without the gallery installed). |
14''', 16''' and 18''' W&W Vulcan Burners, Side Draft and
Center Draft
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RV Importe Burner parts, a
16''' side draft Central Vulcan |
16''' RV Importe - new wick
installed |
Made by Wild & Wessel for
Robert & Villette, Paris &
Bordeaux |
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Wild & Wessel 14''' Globe
Vulcan, center draft |
W&W 16''' Central Vulcan, side
draft |
W&W 18''' Central Vulcan, side
draft |
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Wild & Wessel 14''' Globe
Vulcan, center draft, parts and original wick. |
16''' Globe Vulcan burner
(side draft) with unusual bayonet fitter for Brit Duplex fonts. |
W&W Agni-Brenner 20''' side
draft, a form of Vulcan using an
18''' Vulcan chimney |
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Unique Flame Spreaders! W&W Vulcan
lamps were hand made and many were unique unto themselves.
Even the flame spreaders could be designs from different W&W
lamps! The height of the flame spreader disk could vary
from one lamp to the next. |
Right when you assume you
have all the variations of Wild & Wessel lamps figured out,
W&W throws in some odd ones. Near right is a 14''' Globe
Vulcan with an Agni-Brenner flame spreader without a post - a
straight thimble flame spreader!
Far right is a 20''' Agni-Brenner
with a Vulcan post-type flame spreader! The Agni-Brenner
is a true Kosmos style using a 3 9/16" thick,flat wick, uses
an 18''' Vulcan chimney, but unlike the Imperial has a wick
carrier.
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The two
variations above are
not supposed to exist as they are not in the W&W catalog,
but I have recently seen two more 14''' Vulcans (#1
and #2) and
one more Agni. With more 14''' surfacing I had 14''' Vulcan/Agni
chimneys made. |
Center Draft 18''' Burners |
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W&W 18''' Central Vulcan, center draft. Note
bottom of draft tube is open. With lift gallery. |
W&W 18''' Central Vulcan,
center draft. |
W&W 18''' Central Vulcan,
center draft, showing wick pockets |
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30''' W&W Central Vulcan, Kosmos Vulcan (side draft) |
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30''' W&W
Central Vulcan side draft; bottom of draft tube closed. |
30''' W&W
Central Vulcan center draft. |
30''' W&W
Central Vulcan side draft. |
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30''' W&W Globe Vulcan
center draft burner,
apart, showing the wick pockets on the wick sleeve.
Vulcan wicks are unlike any other center draft lamp wicks, but
I can make them. |
The photo above shows the slots
for the 3 tails of the wick.
The tails fit first though the slots above,
then on down through the pockets shown at left.
The flame spreader support is visible in the draft tube. |
30''' Globe Vulcan
burner assembled.
Note
this is a true center draft burner requiring a draft
tube. |
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The 30''' Globe Vulcan could be
used in a heater body (left) or as a lamp (right). It burns so
brightly the camera was overwhelmed by the light.
Lamp owned and photographed by Rob
Gregor. Click on the photos to enlarge them. |
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30'''_Kosmos_Vulcan_Burner_photos
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This series of 30''' Vulcan burners
show the incredible genius of Emil Wild. The
burners above use the unique 3-tailed Vulcan wick in both side draft
and center draft versions. The side draft Vulcan burns above
are not Kosmos burners because they have a tubular top section of
wick above the 3 tails.
Below right is a 30''' Kosmos Vulcan burner which uses a very wide,
thick flat wick. The burner details are shown.
The next section below shows a
real center draft Vulcan burner (sold under the "Search" label)
using a tubular wick. And all of these 30''' Vulcan burners
use the same flame spreader and require the wasp-waist 30''' Vulcan
chimney. |
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<<< 30''' Kosmos Vulcan wick knob
>>>
30''' Kosmos Vulcan burner |
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Bottom of 30''' Kosmos Vulcan burner. |
Burner markings show this lamp
was intended for the French and British market. The British patent
number indicates manufacture in 1884. |
Burner with sleeve at left removed, showing the unique
perforated inside tube. |
18''' Imperial Vulcan
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At right is a
B&H "Imperial" lamp. The contrasting colors - bottom
polished brass, center silver, top polished brass - are
highlighted beautifully.
The Imperial burner unit is a Kosmos-Brenner
type flat wick burner using a
3 5/8" wide wick. This is a rare
non-circular wick B&H lamp with a drop-in fount. It was
apparently sold with a duplex wick burner and retrofitted with
an Imperial burner made by Wild & Wessel in Berlin, Germany,
imported by Bennet B. Schneider.
Now that a marked 30''' Kosmos Vulcan has
surfaced (above) which is essentially a scaled up version of
the Imperial burner, it can be stated with certainty that the
Imperial burner marketed in the US really is a Vulcan burner. |
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Imperial/Vulcan Flame
Spreader |
Flame spreader in burner |
"Tulip" flame shape |
Rare original Imperial Vulcan
chimney |
Another Imperial or two
|
This lamp appears to have been entirely made by
W & W rather than being a burner adapted to a duplex lamp
font. The burner is larger and heavier than the B&H
Imperial's burner (above) with the same patent date. The
font is cast brass, not turned or formed. It is heavy.
This lamp was sold by "SHREVE CRUMP & LOW MFG CO BOSTON" as
marked on a brass plate on the bottom of the font: the company
was founded before the Revolution, across the street from Paul
Revere's silversmith shop, and is still in business.
This lamp is illustrated
wearing one of my Imperial/Vulcan chimneys and an Alex Marrack
flame spreader. |
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The flame spreaders for
these
lamps have been almost always lost over the years.
Precise new flame spreaders made to original specifications
are available from Alex Marrack in England. |
I now have new Vulcan
chimneys! |
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18''' Imperial burner (near right) on a P&A Duplex
peg font. The font is sitting in a base I made from cedar -
something needs to be done to hold a peg font upright. |
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30''' "Search" Center Draft Vulcan
|
This 30''' Search burner is a true center draft
burner using a conventional tubular wick of the exact
same diameter as a 30''' Central or Globe Vulcan burner. It is
the exact opposite of the 30''' Kosmos Vulcan above. This huge
burner weighs almost a pound by itself!
Though not signed as a W&W burner,
the gallery is the same as other 30''' Vulcan burners and the
techniques of using flat stock formed round instead of tubing;
soldering so precise the solder line is only visible with a
magnifier on the inside surface of parts, and the same gear track as
the 30''' Vulcan burner above demonstrates this is a W&W burner. |
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Liverpool Lamp & Hardware sold lamps under the trade name
"Search." Some Search brand lamps were made by Sherwoods.
The catalog page at left from Liverpool's 1904 catalog shows a W&W
universallampe font, identifying the lamp as a W&W. Search
lamps were NOT Vulcan lamps, they were conventional straight,
tubular wick center draft lamp designs as shown above.
Catalog page at left and information courtesy of
Alex Marrack. |
Globe Vulcan lamp size comparison
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Left to right above, 14''' Catterson
center draft Globe Vulcan with Agni draft tube and flame spreader. 16'''
Central Vulcan side draft burner, "R V Importe" for the French market, in
20''' L&B side draft font. 18''' Central Vulcan center draft in copper
W&W Universallampe font. 30''' Central Vulcan in W&W Universallampe
font. From my collection. |
Non-Vulcan W&W Lamps
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A few of my non-Vulcan W&W lamps, from 6'' to
10''', the lamp on the right is an Imperial (side-draft Kosmos
Vulcan). |
A Beauty from Russia
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The fabulous 8''' W&W Kosmos lamp shown at left
is owned and was photographed by a wonderful W&W collector in
Russia. I had a computer crash and lost his email address -
wish I could show more of his fabulous collection. |
Fuel for Globe & Central Vulcan lamps
I burn mineral spirits (LOMS) or a combination of 50%
kerosene and 50% mineral spirits in my Globe Vulcan lamps. With the
Vulcan design burners, Emil Wild took capillary action to the extreme,
really stressing the ability of the wick to supply the burner with
sufficient fuel to produce the white light flame. LOMS is thinner and
more volatile than kerosene and therefore has better `'wicking'' ability
than pure kerosene and can properly feed to the top of the wick in a
Vulcan. Kerosene is thicker and the result is fuel starvation which
causes the wick to burn down much faster than when burning LOMS or a
combination of LOMS and kerosene.
Dimensions of Vulcan Chimneys
For reference, here are the dimensions for 14''' and 16''' Vulcan
chimneys. These original, signed chimneys are from my own collection.
I also have an original 12'' Vulcan chimney. If there is any interest I
could have the 12''' and 14''' Vulcan chimneys replicated in borosilicate
glass.
Email me if interested.
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Indicia detail on lamp shown at
left. Click photo to enlarge it. The measurements on the two
chimneys shown can be read more easily by clicking on each photo
to enlarge them. |
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Wild & Wessel lamp exports, US and UK Globe Vulcan
by Catterson's
As mentioned above,
Wild & Wessel of Berlin in 1865 developed the "Kosmos"
burner. Emil Wild was an undoubted genius at lamp designs.
His August 19, 1884 design for a burner with a flame spreader was sold
in the US as an "Imperial" brand and in the UK under the "Vulcan" brand
name (The Imperial patent was granted to Emil Wild of
Berlin, Gemany, the assignor was Bennett B. Schneider of Orange, NJ.). The unique chimney for that burner was also
patented by Emil
Wild. Unfortunately, Emil Wild was apparently not an astute
businessman. From what I can determine, Wild had an exclusive
import arrangement with Bradley & Hubbard in the US and Catterson's in
the UK, yet failed to put a performance clause in either contract.
B &H was far more concerned with marketing their new line of center
draft lamps than trying to market the more expensive, exquisite Imperial
burner. And Catterson's in the UK was more interested in selling
lamps in their London department store than actually working as a
wholesale agent for the Vulcan line of lamps - to the point their Vulcan
lamps actually had their own badge on the burner! (There
are Vulcan lamps found in the UK without the Catterson's
badge (I
have one), so they apparently did some wholesale business.) Thus Imperial
and Vulcan lamps are quite rare, which is a real shame because they were
one of the cleanest burning lamp designs ever produced.
AGNI VERSUS VULCAN
W&W Vulcan chimneys appear to be the same as W&W Agni
chimneys. They are NOT the same. The main dimensional change
is the Agni chimney has a shorter height to the pinch. Antonio
Cota Fevereiro of Lisbon, Portugal, has contributed the magnificent photos and
drawings below to show the difference in the two chimneys. The
Vulcan chimney has a base-to-pinch height 3cm (1.18") higher than the Agni, and an 18''' Vulcan chimney is 47mm (1.85") taller than a 20'''
Agni chimney. Click on the images below to enlarge them.
Please note there were exceptions! After Hugo
Schneider purchased W&W in about 1902 they would apparently make up
lamps with parts at hand. I own a 14''' signed Globe Central
Vulcan lamp with a factory-installed Agni flame spreader, and Collin in
the UK has two 20''' Agni lamps with Vulcan flame spreaders! If
you need to know if your Agni will accept a Vulcan chimney, refer to the
detailed measurements shown above and measure your lamp from the chimney
base to the disk on the flame spreader.
Flame Spreaders
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W&W Imperial Flame Spreader.
This 18''' flame spreader was used on most 18''' Vulcan lamps
whether side draft, center draft or Kosmos, varying only in size
from 14''' to 30'''. |
W&W Agni flame spreader with a
post, but variations exist which are straight thimble flame
spreaders as on my 14''' true center draft Catterson Central
Vulcan, shown above. |
Chimneys
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Composite from the W&W 1902 catalog |
Left ^ 18''' Vulcan; Right, 20''' Agni |
`
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20'''' Agni left, 18''' Vulcan right |
18''' Vulcan left, 20'' Agni right |
Superimposed, Vulcan chimney in red. Note
the pinch in the Vulcan chimney is noticeably narrower than the Agni. |
Antonio noted "The Agni chimney works perfectly with
Matador burners. The Matador chimney does not work with the Agnis,
rather tricky..."
W&W BURNERS, 1864 TO 1894 (Click
to enlarge the image)
[Description of the burners,
in
German)
History
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Some history of Catterson's as generously supplied by
Rob Gregor in Australia
SP Catterson & Sons (Summarised version):-
Address was the Globe Lamp works, 87 to 89 Newington Causeway, Worthing,
London SE1.
The Firm traded as "Lamp Manufacturers and Importers/Exporters" and
their primary product line was Paraffin/Petroleum Lamps and Stoves. From
the mid 1880's they exclusively sold limited quantities of the Wild &
Wessel Lamps to one of the large London Department Stores and apparently
had a small wholesale business in lamps as well.
They also had a smaller operation in Liverpool and that branch was
called "The American Light Co" and it sold "Electrical Apparatus and
Appliances".
In the 1930's, large sections of the UK economy were suffering
contraction as a result of the "Great Depression" and Catterson's
relatively narrow market segment had also contracted. Thus not only were
they operating in a difficult economic environment but at that time they
also became subject to serious and ongoing fraud by their head Cashier.
The fraud continued for at least 3 years due to inadequate internal
controls and after it was finally detected and the culprit duly
punished, it also resulted in a Court Case between Catterson's and their
regular Auditors, in which they claimed the Auditors had been negligent
by not detecting the fraud earlier.
It was noted by the Court that their Auditors had earlier advised
Catterson's Directors on their business lacking adequate financial
controls and they had also recommended a number of changes be made, but
those were not put in place.
The following sequence of events is generally considered to have been
the major factors in the business failure and they entered liquidation
in 1937.
Contributing Factors
Catterson's, like many firms of their time, had underestimated the
impact and the duration of the Western Worlds recession and they were
also reluctant or unable to undertake rapid and significant
restructuring. The financial cost from the long period of fraud was also
significant and they then faced substantial costs from an unsuccessful
Court Battle.
Court Decision (in summary):
SP Catterson & Sons [1937] 81 Acct LR 62
http://b.quizlet.com/a/i/spacer.Thhr.gifCourt stated:
Held in Auditors' favour
It was not part of their duties to tell directors how to run the
business and they had no power to insist that their recommended changes
were put into operation
(NOTE:
The above article contains items which may be of interest
to those who collect Wild & Wessel and Globe Vulkan Lamps but it is not
meant as a complete history of SP Catterson & Sons PL. Should anyone
have more complete detail, this will be welcomed.)
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Above, Rob Gregor's fabulous 18'''
Arts & Crafts style W&W lamp.
Photo by Rob Gregor. |
Original wick in the burner.
Photo by Rob Gregor. |
Globe Vulcan lamps used as heaters
Below is a 30''' W&W Vulcan burner on a ''Universallampe" font.
Below left is the lamp burning as a heater in an original W&W heater
cabinet and at right the lamp used as a lamp, the pretty shade helping
to tame the incredible brightness produced by a 30''' Vulcan lamp.
Photographed and owned by Rob Gregor in OZ. Click on the photos to
enlarge them.
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Lamp Wicks:
Center Draft Wicks - Wicks
available only from this Wick Shop.
#0L,
#1B,
#1M,
#1R,
#2L,
#2R,
#2 P&A,
#2B,
#3L.
Flat lamp wicks
and
Kosmos Lamp Wicks
Aladdin Lamp Wicks
& parts
Lamp Chimneys:
Center Draft Lamp
chimneys in borosilicate glass
from Junior "Tiny" to Mammoth lamps.
#0M,
Rayo
Jr.,
2
1/2",
2 5/8",
2
15/16",
3 1/8",
4",
4
1/2"
Standard glass lamp chimneys
& Kosmos chimneys
Globe Vulcan (Central Vulcan) Chimneys - 18''', 24''' & 30'''
Fabulous "Sans Rival"
borosilicate chimney for 14''' Kosmos lamps
Student Lamp Sans Rival Chimney with
1 7/8" fitter!!!
Angle
Lamp chimneys
Sonnenbrenner Lamp Chimneys
Lamp Chimneys
- Dimension of
nominal base diameter by make, model and "line".
Information on lamps:
Aladdin Lamp History
Aladdin Lamp Wicks & Chimneys,
Aladdin - Exploded burner views
Beginning Lamp
Restoration
Center Draft Kerosene Lamps
(Photos, information and history, etc)
Center Draft
Lamp manufacturers and brand names
Kosmos-Brenner
lamps
Photos of
restored center draft lamps
Victorian Era
Student Lamps
USE, CARE and WICKING of CENTER DRAFT LAMPS
Early American Metal Font & Specialty Lamps
Flame Spreaders and
"Smoke
Consumers"
from Alex
Marrack
- Vulcan, Imperial, Veritas,
Belgian, Hinks, Messenger's, Young's Court, etc.
Articles by Alex Marrack:
Home Page
Site Index
Site Index for all things Perfection
Links to web sites for parts,
information and restoration.
Home Page
Site Index
Site Index for all things Perfection
Kindler Wicking For Oil Stoves & Ranges
Kerosene Heaters
Alphabetical list of most kerosene heaters and the proper wick,
& cart checkout.
List by wick number and the heaters that fit them. (A
helpful guide for buying on eBay)
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