Carriage lamp
A carriage lamp is a candle- operated lantern for lighting horse - drawn carriages .
Before electric lighting was introduced, candles were used to illuminate carts and illuminate the path. Oil or kerosene lamps were only suitable to a limited extent because of the vibrations and the associated risk of fuel leakage. A reflector or concave mirror was attached behind the flame in order to focus the light from the candle and direct it towards the front .
Since the candle burned down over time, i.e. the flame was no longer in front of the reflector or in the focal point of the concave mirror, it was placed in a metal sleeve with an opening at the top that was smaller than the diameter of the candle. A metal spring pushed the candle up against this opening through which the candle's wick protruded. The burning candle was pushed continuously upwards by the spring so that the flame always burned in the right place in front of the reflector.
This stem-like metal sleeve for accommodating and guiding the candle gave the carriage lamps a characteristic appearance; the upper part where the candle burned was usually round, corresponding to the shape of the reflector. On the top there was usually a vent for the combustion gases, sometimes also a side glazing that let some light outside for people standing next to the carriage or boarding.
Carriage lamps were provided with a pluggable shaft so that they could be exchanged on the go (e.g. when sooty), used as a hand lamp when stopping, or ignited and refilled in a sheltered place in stormy weather. and used for their intended purpose on traditional carriages.
Historical carriage lamps are often traded as antiques and are sometimes used (electrified) as room or exterior wall lighting.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Carriage lamp ( Memento of the original dated May 30, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Museum Neukoelln
- ↑ Carriage lamps ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Kibele carriages
