Carbide Hand Lamps/Uncle Sam Bottom

Carbide Hand Lamps

Uncle Sam Bottom.jpg - UNCLE SAM #308 - Justrite cast aluminum hand lamp model # 308 8-hr UNCLE SAM, steel bail and hook, Spiral Feed, marked UNCLE SAM PAT. APP’L’D FOR on left side of bail and JUSTRITE MFG CO CHICAGO, USA on right side of bail; ex-Scott Brady 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 1917 they announced the new "Uncle Sam" carbide hand lamps. They were manufactured in 1/8-in.seamless cast aluminum and advertised in four sizes - 6, 8, 10, and 12-hour capacities, although it is thought the 12-hour lamp was never produced. Justrite model Nos. 306, 308, and 310 (the last two digits being the capacities) varied in size such that the 306 was 5 1/2 in. high to the water door and 3 1/8 in. base dia.; the 308 was 6 in. high to the water door and 3 3/4 in. base dia.; and the 310 was 6 1/2 in. high to the water door and 4 in. base dia. Each came with conventional reflectors as shown here or with a special brass umbrella for wet mines. The main feature of the lamps was a new toggle lever lock to attach the top and bottom of the lamps and avoid the troublesome thread corrosion problem. The Uncle Sam shared many of the same features with the Little Giant aluminum lamp shown elsewhere in the pics such as the spring loaded water door, the spiral water feed, the burner wind guard and the fish-tail burner tip. The Uncle Sam holds the longevity record for Justrite as the longest available aluminum lamp, nearly 10 years, having finally been removed from Justrite's No. 6 catalog in 1927. 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 and Moon, Mining Artifact Collector #16, pp 3-5)

Uncle Sam Bottom | UNCLE SAM #308 - Justrite cast aluminum hand lamp model # 308 8-hr UNCLE SAM, steel bail and hook, Spiral Feed, marked UNCLE SAM PAT. APP’L’D FOR on left side of bail and JUSTRITE MFG CO CHICAGO, USA on right side of bail; ex-Scott Brady 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 1917 they announced the new "Uncle Sam" carbide hand lamps. They were manufactured in 1/8-in.seamless cast aluminum and advertised in four sizes - 6, 8, 10, and 12-hour capacities, although it is thought the 12-hour lamp was never produced. Justrite model Nos. 306, 308, and 310 (the last two digits being the capacities) varied in size such that the 306 was 5 1/2 in. high to the water door and 3 1/8 in. base dia.; the 308 was 6 in. high to the water door and 3 3/4 in. base dia.; and the 310 was 6 1/2 in. high to the water door and 4 in. base dia. Each came with conventional reflectors as shown here or with a special brass umbrella for wet mines. The main feature of the lamps was a new toggle lever lock to attach the top and bottom of the lamps and avoid the troublesome thread corrosion problem. The Uncle Sam shared many of the same features with the Little Giant aluminum lamp shown elsewhere in the pics such as the spring loaded water door, the spiral water feed, the burner wind guard and the fish-tail burner tip. The Uncle Sam holds the longevity record for Justrite as the longest available aluminum lamp, nearly 10 years, having finally been removed from Justrite's No. 6 catalog in 1927. 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 and Moon, Mining Artifact Collector #16, pp 3-5)

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