How a Coleman Lantern and Stove Works: Old Town Coleman

Home
Safety First
Product Information
Technical Information
User's Manuals
Parts Diagrams
Care & Operating
Theory Course
Technical Assistance
Collecting
About
Site Revisions

http://www.oldtowncoleman.com/tech/theory.htm

How a Lantern Works

It is not magic nor is it difficult to understand. Pressurized lamps, lanterns,
stoves, irons and burners all use simple mechanics and basic principles for
operation.

Custom Search

This "theory" chapter will discuss a Coleman lantern. The principals are the
same for just about every pressurized gasoline or kerosene lamp or lantern,
regardless of manufacturer. Many of these functions also apply to stoves,
however, a stove creates flame rather than light so we will also cover the basics
of how a stove works at the end of the discussion.

Part One: Building and maintaining pressure.The driving force behind any
pressurized appliance is pressure. Pressure is created and maintained within the
fount, or tank, of an appliance.

Fig 1

Figure 1 shows the fount of a single-mantle lantern. Imagine this as any lantern
or lamp sitting on any table, ready to be lit.
The pump and the check valve are used to create pressure. The fuel filler
cap gasket is important for maintaining the pressure.
I'd like you to notice the pump, air stem and check valve first. The pump is fully
clockwise, or "closed," and this means that the threaded air stem is all the way
down and fully seated in the check valve. When we are to use a lantern the first
thing we do is give the plunger a counter-clockwise twist, grab it and start
pumping away. Simple enough but let's look at what happens.

Fig 2

In Figure 2 we've taken the first step and turned the pump plunger counterclockwise.
The graphic is over-exaggerated for clarity but you see what occurred. The
twisting motion of the pump actually turns the air stem and unseats it from the
check valve. There is now sufficient space at the bottom of the air stem for air to

1 din 6

04.01.2015 11:58

How a Coleman Lantern and Stove Works: Old Town Coleman

http://www.oldtowncoleman.com/tech/theory.htm

pass.

Fig 3

In Figure 3 we're pulling the pump plunger back to pump the lantern.
This pulling motion creates a small vacuum inside of the plunger cylinder, below
the pump cup. The check valve at the very bottom has a small ball bearing in it
that is being pulled up into the closed position with this motion. This helps create
the vacuum because no air can be drawn out of the fount. In order to fill the
vacuum, air is pulled down the pump cylinder and around the outside diameter
of the pump cup.

Fig 4

Figure 4 illustrates what happens when you press the pump plunger down to
pump the lantern.
During the down-stroke the pump cup forces that air in the pump cylinder into
the fount. As the pump cup moves downward, the increasing pressure in the
cylinder forces the check valve (down) to unseat it, and air passes freely through
the valve. After the check valve, air travels up through an inlet tube and into the
fount.
Wondering why the air inlet tube the end of the pump cylinder travels "up" to
near the top of the fount? This is a clever safety feature. Should the check valve
fail while the appliance is under pressure, air (rather than fuel) will be released
back up into the pump cylinder. With a burning mantle or flame, it would be
much better to have air coming out of the pump than fuel!

Fig 5

After (let's say) 30 pumps, Figure 5 shows what the lantern looks like now that it
has been pressurized and is ready to operate.
First note that the constantly (30 times in this case) increasing amount of air has
put pressure on the fuel and this pressure has caused it to flow upward into the
tube in the center. The fuel has risen to the level allowed, that being to the
(closed) main valve above the fount. Also note the ball in the check valve. Due

2 din 6

04.01.2015 11:58

How a Coleman Lantern and Stove Works: Old Town Coleman

http://www.oldtowncoleman.com/tech/theory.htm

to the extreme pressure inside the fount the ball is locked into the "up" position,
thus keeping air (and pressure) from leaving the fount via the pump cylinder.
When you're finished pumping up the lantern the last step is the opposite of the
first: turn the pump plunger fully clockwise to "CLOSE." This will re-seat the air
stem in the check valve and acts as additional protection against an unwanted
release of air.
Before we leave Figure 5 we should discuss one part inside the fount that will be
important later in the lesson. The fuel and air tube is fitted to the bottom of the
valve and extends down into the fount. Older appliances have nothing more than
a small hollow tube called the "pick-up tube." The fuel and air tube has a hole at
the very bottom for fuel and passages near the top for air. The rod is used to
meter the amount of fuel versus air and the spring acts as a counter to the
downward force applied by the valve stem.
When the valve is off the conical tip of the valve stem is forcing the rod down.
When we turn the valve stem counter-clockwise, the conical end will pull back
out of the valve body and relax the downward pressure on the rod. As the valve
opens, more fuel and less air will be delivered to the system. This means that a
very lean mixture is applied when you first crack the stem open and an
increasingly rich mixture as the valve is opened.. This allows the lantern to use a
lean mixture during initial lighting and then a standard mixture during normal
operation.

Part Two: From gas to gas. That doesn't make a lot of sense but it is exactly
what a lantern, lamp, stove or burner does.

Fig 6

Refer to Figure 6 and note that the pressurized fuel is resting below the closed
lantern valve, which means that the valve stem is fully clockwise. Also notice
that, although exaggerated for illustration purposes, the tip cleaner stem is in
the "up" position causing the tip cleaner to be exposed above the generator .
Red indicates an air and fuel mixture, not pure fuel.
When we open the valve, that is to turn the valve stem counter-clockwise, the
conical end will pull back out of the valve body. As previously discussed this will
relax the downward pressure on the fuel and air tube rod. The other result of this
action is allowing pressurized fuel to pass from the fuel and air tube, through the
valve body and up into the generator. The amount of fuel mixture allowed to
pass is proportional to how much the valve is opened.

3 din 6

04.01.2015 11:58

How a Coleman Lantern and Stove Works: Old Town Coleman

http://www.oldtowncoleman.com/tech/theory.htm

Fig 7

Now a real tip cleaner stem in the "up" position probably would not stop fuel as
the picture shows. Also, the generator in the picture appears hollow except for
tip cleaner stem. It has small coil springs or formed paper tubes or a
combination of them inside. The reason for these is for heat transfer and to
provide resistance to the fuel flowing through the generator. They are essential
to rapid fuel vaporization.
Please notice what is above the generator: air. As important as fuel is good air
flow. The graphic used is just one way to mix fuel from, and air above, the
generator. Your lantern probably has a more common "air intake tube" that has a
crook in it and the tip of the generator enters this bend. Whether from the side
air tubes as shown or a "crooked" air tube on other models, the point here is that
an unrestricted supply of air is directly above the tip of the generator.
We have pressurized fuel at the top of the generator and we have a good supply
of air above the generator. Let's turn the tip cleaner stem down and do some
mixing.

Fig 8

The orifice of the gas tip at the end of the generator is very small, usually 0.005"
to 0.012". Because there is a great deal of pressure inside the hot generator and
that small orifice is offering a great deal of resistance, the generator will "shoot"
fuel up into the lantern, much like placing your finger over the end of a garden
hose. An "uncapped" generator will shoot a stream of gas a few feet in the air.
Now that we have a stream or spray of fuel coming out of the top of the
generator it is a good time to stop and discuss fuel vapor. "Fuel," which is for all
practical purposes gasoline, will vaporize at room temperature. It has a -45
degrees Fahrenheit flashpoint so as long as it is above that temperature it will
produce vapor. Our cold lantern will spray vapor, sure, but mostly what comes
out initially is a mist of raw gasoline.

4 din 6

04.01.2015 11:58

How a Coleman Lantern and Stove Works: Old Town Coleman

http://www.oldtowncoleman.com/tech/theory.htm

This fuel/vapor enters an area we can generically call a mixing chamber. On

double mantle lanterns the top piece of the burner assembly is called the mixing
chamber. On single mantle lanterns like the 200A, the fuel enters into a venturi.
It makes no difference what we call it, the fuel is sprayed up and mixes with air.
The shape of the mixing chamber will direct this mixture around and down into
the burner tube, burner cap and screen.
Wondering why kerosene lamps and lanterns need to be pre-heated? Kerosene
has a flash point of 100 degrees Fahrenheit which means it needs to reach that
temperature before it will produce vapor. Also, kerosene vapor is 30%-50%
higher in density than gasoline vapor. Kerosene needs more air (or less fuel)
than does gasoline so kerosene generators have a smaller orifice. Another
interesting item is that kerosene lanterns have basic fuel pickup tubes rather
than fuel and air tubes.

Part Three: Producing Light.Finally we come to the end where the fuel vapor
is ignited inside the mantle to produce light.

Fig 9

The mixture of fuel and air directed down the burner tube comes out the burner
cap and to the mantle. When ignited, the flame is restricted to the inside of the
mantle during normal operation. This flame will cause the mantle to incandesce
which is why the mantle is much brighter than just a flame.
So what exactly is a mantle and why does it do what it does? Since I am not a
chemist or metallurgist, I can only provide the information I found after much
research...and the information that made sense to me.
Mantles are a fabric material saturated with metallic salts. Most modern mantles
are saturated with Yttrium and Cerium Nitrate. By pre-burning the mantle, the
fabric burns away to leave a ceramic shell of Yttrium and Cerium dioxides and is
veryfragile.
Yttrium has a very high melting point and incandesces when heat is applied to it.
The light the lantern generates is not from the flame contained inside the mantle,
rather, it is the result of the Yttrium and Cerium being heated by that flame.
Old mantles, and some of the currently-made off brand ones, are saturated with
Thorium rather than Yttrium. I point this out because Thorium is radioactive. All
current Coleman mantles are made with Yttrium. Always pre-burn mantles
outside with good ventilation and avoid breathing the fumes.
Please understand that these are the basics of how a pressure lantern works. It
has been simplified, obviously, for the layman writer and the layman reader.
They are relatively simple devices and keeping this simple is a good thing.

Part Four: Stoves in a Nutshell.Just about everything you just read on

lanterns also applies to stoves, up to the point where fuel is shot out the end of
the generator. You can even imagine tilting all the graphics above by 90 degrees
and that lantern being a stove tank.
In a stove, the pressurized fuel is applied to the manifold rather than the burner
cap. It travels through the manifold and to the burner(s) where the bunsen

5 din 6

04.01.2015 11:58

How a Coleman Lantern and Stove Works: Old Town Coleman

http://www.oldtowncoleman.com/tech/theory.htm

effect occurs to produce flame.

The Bunsen effect is really nothing more than using the correct amounts of gas
and air to produce a very high temperature flame with little luminescence. The
air-gas mixture enters the burner where it is spread evenly to a pattern of small
outlets. By igniting the fuel from these outlets we get a pattern, usually a small
circle, of intense flame.
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Information may not be copied, printed or otherwise reproduced without the written consent of the owner.
Coleman is a registered trademark of The Coleman Company, Inc.
Site Revisions

6 din 6

Site Map

About

04.01.2015 11:58