Carbide Hand Lamps/Little Giant Bottom II

Carbide Hand Lamps

Little Giant Bottom II.jpg - LITTLE GIANT - Justrite cast aluminum 6 hr. hand lamp with steel bail and hook andSpiral Feed, marked LITTLE GIANT on left side top and JUSTRITE MFG CO CHICAGO on left side of bail, with nickel-plated burner and wind screen, has correct internal gas screen; ex-Bob Schroth collection (The Justrite Manufacturing Co. of Chicago, Illinois was formed in 1906 as an industrial fabricating company making special machinery and tools. With Frederick J. Becker as president, Justrite would become the most prolific manufacturer of carbide lamps for underground use and a name synonymous with the carbide lamp. In 1911, Becker realized the potential market for carbide mining lamps and supplies and along with his chief designer August L. "Augie" Hansen, they created a product name with one of the top reputations in carbide lamps. The first lamps manufactured and advertised by Justrite in their first known advertisements of 1912 were the No. 99 horizontal, wire feed brass cap lamp priced at one dollar with nickel plating at a dollar and a quarter, the No. 100 superintendent's lamp priced at a dollar and a half with nickel plating extra, and the rare No. 77 stick lamp priced at two dollars and 50 cents. Justrite continued to expand the product line and their facilities and in 1914 they filed a patent application for what would be their very popular 6-hour "Little Giant" cast aluminum carbide hand lamp with a large spiral feed. A limiting design factor that plagued this lamp was the standard "V" cut threads used to connect the water reservoir top and the carbide chamber bottom. A heavy rubber gasket seal did little to prevent spent carbide and lime from corroding the threads. Patent #1,230,892 issued June 26, 1917 was awarded for this mechanical design. See the Copper Queen photo for a special version of this lamp. Over the history of Justrite production from 1912 to 1931(catalogs 1 through 10A), at least 154 different lamp model numbers and at least 246 part numbers for a total of at least 400 number identifications were used by Justrite. However, a number of lamps, older versus newer, and parts used the same numbers so the whole identification matrix is ingrained with confusion. Nevertheless, it is very clear that Justrite provided more carbide lamps over a longer period of time than any other U.S. manufacturer. See Pohs, Miner's Flame Light Book, pp 435-462) CHECK OUT THE HANSEN LITTLE GIANT PATENT IN THE FOLLOWING PIC

Little Giant Bottom II | LITTLE GIANT - Justrite cast aluminum 6 hr. hand lamp with steel bail and hook and Spiral Feed, marked LITTLE GIANT on left side top and JUSTRITE MFG CO CHICAGO on left side of bail, with nickel-plated burner and wind screen, has correct internal gas screen; ex-Bob Schroth collection (The Justrite Manufacturing Co. of Chicago, Illinois was formed in 1906 as an industrial fabricating company making special machinery and tools. With Frederick J. Becker as president, Justrite would become the most prolific manufacturer of carbide lamps for underground use and a name synonymous with the carbide lamp. In 1911, Becker realized the potential market for carbide mining lamps and supplies and along with his chief designer August L. "Augie" Hansen, they created a product name with one of the top reputations in carbide lamps. The first lamps manufactured and advertised by Justrite in their first known advertisements of 1912 were the No. 99 horizontal, wire feed brass cap lamp priced at one dollar with nickel plating at a dollar and a quarter, the No. 100 superintendent's lamp priced at a dollar and a half with nickel plating extra, and the rare No. 77 stick lamp priced at two dollars and 50 cents. Justrite continued to expand the product line and their facilities and in 1914 they filed a patent application for what would be their very popular 6-hour "Little Giant" cast aluminum carbide hand lamp with a large spiral feed. A limiting design factor that plagued this lamp was the standard "V" cut threads used to connect the water reservoir top and the carbide chamber bottom. A heavy rubber gasket seal did little to prevent spent carbide and lime from corroding the threads. Patent #1,230,892 issued June 26, 1917 was awarded for this mechanical design. See the Copper Queen photo for a special version of this lamp. Over the history of Justrite production from 1912 to 1931(catalogs 1 through 10A), at least 154 different lamp model numbers and at least 246 part numbers for a total of at least 400 number identifications were used by Justrite. However, a number of lamps, older versus newer, and parts used the same numbers so the whole identification matrix is ingrained with confusion. Nevertheless, it is very clear that Justrite provided more carbide lamps over a longer period of time than any other U.S. manufacturer. See Pohs, Miner's Flame Light Book, pp 435-462) CHECK OUT THE HANSEN LITTLE GIANT PATENT IN THE FOLLOWING PIC

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