Variations and major patents of ‘Miller’ lamps
Edward Miller constantly strove to improve his designs for his lamps. A major area that underwent the most change was the method of controlling the wick in his central draught lamps. The central draught lamp posed a number of unique difficulties that the ‘flat wick’ lamp did not. Miller made his lamps under four major patents which he branded. The first ‘The Miller Lamp’ (c.1892), and ‘The Juno’, then ‘The New Juno’ (c.1895) and finally ‘The New Vestal’ (c.1902). The basis of each patent design was the wick raising devise and wick carriage. In about c.1916 a fifth patent seems to have been introduced, although marketed without a brand name. Other types of Miller lamps exist, such as the 'Empress' and 'Non Explosive Lamp', however these are variations of one or more of the these patents.
The ‘Juno’ – c. 1892?
There exists two distinct types of 'Juno' lamp. This, the first is very very similar in style and form of the 'Rochester' lamps that Miller made under contract up untill 1892. These early Juno lamps have a older style embossed lettering of the words 'The Juno lamp' and is distictly different to the 1895 Juno lamp and more than likely predate his famous patents of June 1892. The wick raiser has no wick wheel and the arm connects to the wick carriage differently to other patents. I suspect it connects in a similar way to that of the 'Rochester' lamps.
The ‘Miller’ Lamp – patent date 28 June 1892
An ingenious devise albeit somewhat complicated to manufacture. The ‘barley twist’ shaft is made up of many moving parts which cause the ‘arm’ to rise and fall as the external wheel is turned. This allowed for accurate wick adjustment (thus flame hieght and brightness) and overcame the problem of the wick 'slipping' whilst in use. In side the lamp the wick is fitted over the outside of the carriage.
The ‘Juno’ Lamp – patent date 21 May 1895
An improvement on his 1892 patents in that the wick raiser is a much simpler devise that no doubt was much cheaper to manufacture. Adjustment now was possible simply by sliding the lever up and down, which was assisted by the geared wheel. The geared wheel allowing for better wick movement and adjustment then the earlier 'Juno' type. Inside the lamp the wick remained over the outside of the carriage and the carriage was unchanged from his June 1892 patents.
The ‘New Juno’ Lamp – c. 1898?
The 'New Juno' seems to have appeared from the production lines of Millers factory around 1898 and represents only very minor changes is design and style to that of the c.1895 patents. The lamps marked 'New Juno' to tend to the 'Edwardian' style and are simpler in style and appearance then those holding the 1895 patent. It would also appear likely that the addition of the word 'new' was to differentiate his c.1895 patents from the much earlier c. 1892 'Juno' lamps. Basically, 'New Juno' lamps have the same wick raising assembly as its c.1895 patented cousin.
The ‘New Vestal’ – c. 1902
Finally Miller was able to incorporate into the burner a thumbwheel similar to that of the flat wick lamp. The carriage was also re-designed so the wick fitted inside it, so that it was the wick next to the central draught tube, not the carriage. With this patent, when removing the burner, the carriage and the wick comes with it. The thumbwheel is embossed with E. Miller & Co. and was made in all three main sizes (#0, #1, #2)
Un-named patent – c. 1916-18?
Following Miller's Vestal patent an adjustment was made, simplifying the method that the thumbwheel would control the wick carriage, necessitating the moving of the thumbwheel from perpendicular to the burner, to the side. The carriage was also completely re-designed, but remained outside the wick, like the Vestal patent. Although definately a Miller design, the vast majority of lamps with this patent are un-branded, in that there is neather a brand name, nor Miller's company Logo (appart from on the flame spreader) on the lamp. I have found this style of burner on both table lamps and student lamps. A double No. 1 student lamp does have embossing 'Miller's Ideal No. 1 Student Lamp' and is in brass, table lamps are usually nickel and are found both embossed and plain. I have not seen this patent in the #0 size. I estimate the date of this design to be 1916 -1918 as it does not appear in a 1915 catologue of Edward Miller & Co.