Petromax

The Petromax lamp is a high-powered lamp is directed at the petroleum under pressure through a carburetor and the resulting vaporized fuel is burned in a mantle, creating a bright light is created. The lamp was developed in 1910 by the Berlin Kommerzienrat Max Ehrich & Graetz at Graetz. Since Max Graetz was called by his friends in Berlin " Petroleum - Maxes ," the name Petromax was quite close to the lamp. The first Petromax was a hanging lamp that today most well known version in lantern shape has been around since 1922.

Operation

Using the built- hand air pump, a pressure of about 2 bar is generated in the container. This pressure is necessary to drive the operation of the lantern Petroleum enough up into the carburetor and into the sitting to the carburetor nozzle. During operation, the carburetor is strongly heated constantly by the flame in the mantle. By this heat evaporates approximately half the height of the gasifier until then liquid paraffin at a temperature of about 250 ° C. The vaporous petroleum then flows through the vaporizer line, and is further heated - in technical terms overheated - until it then almost the speed of sound (300 m / s) comes out of the small hole of the nozzle. After exiting the nozzle, the hitherto much compressed petroleum gas expands and rips the air required for combustion from the annular space in the top of the lantern with. The resulting vortex and vibration impacts and the high speed causing the hissing sound of the Petromax lanterns. Air and petroleum vapor reach above the nozzle at high speed into the mixing tube, where they are mixed by turbulence so that the petroleum gas can completely burn below the mouthpiece in the mantle.

The filament is composed of a synthetic fiber fabric which has been impregnated in the manufacture with a plurality of salts. The mantle is burnt off at the first start of the lantern, that is transformed into ashes. The salts give the ash on a certain shelf life. The inside of the mantle burning, non-luminous blue flame heats the filament to incandescence, and thereby generates the high light intensity of the Petromaxlampe.

On start-up, first the carburetor must be preheated, that the gasification process is initiated. This is done either by burning off alcohol in Anheizschale or by the rapid Schnellvorwärmer working with petroleum and air from the container.

Petromaxlampen were manufactured in various sizes and types. The smallest model in the Petromaxlaterne was the model 900 with 100 HK (about 90 cd), the brightest lantern delivered 500 HK. The largest structurally Petromaxlaterne was the model 830 with 300 HK and 2- liter tank. Under the name Petromax there are also other appliances: Stoves and ovens, as well as hanging lamps for interior and exterior in various sizes and with intensities up to several thousand Hefner candles.

Usually a Petromaxlampe with petroleum is operated, but it was just for the military and petrol versions. Emergency and the operation with diesel or fuel oil was possible, but the possible operating time shortened greatly because of the deposition of cracking residues. The German army had, for example, the type 829B in use, a 500 -HK- lantern with a matte chrome plating, pressure gauge and Rapidvorwärmer. For the Swiss army a special model was produced, 523 / 821 250 HK: A lamp with the big tank, but the small tower of the 250 -HK- lanterns, with Spiritusvorwärmung and gasoline operation.

Past and Future of Petromaxlampe

Since the Second World War, the Graetz -Werke in Berlin Treptow and in Lunzenau (Saxony ) were declared state-owned enterprises and the Bregenz work had been placed under trust management, the Graetz AG built in Altena / Westphalia, a new plant for the production of radio equipment and Petroleum -pressure lamps on. There, the Petromax was produced in large numbers.

The market

In the 1960s, at least 80 % of the lamps were exported. Main markets were all countries where electricity was not widely available. The Petromax was the standard lamp in the home and at markets. In relation to the brightness it was very economical in petroleum consumption. The lamp could be disassembled and repaired easily.

There were several copies of the lamp by Asian manufacturers. In Graetz museum room was a shelf full of them. Despite the higher price, the original was far from happy to buy because of better quality. It was also important for the copies wholly owned interchangeability of spare parts. For this purpose, necessarily had to be maintained, the special Graetz thread.

The lamp was also available with the brand 's "Aida " and in various versions, such as with green cap instead of nickel for some Islamic countries.

Production

A complete production run lasted about 20 days. " Just in Time" did not exist and was hardly possible. The steps include: stamping, deep drawing, lettering stamping, pressing, soldering, nickel plating, assembly, packaging. Only the last two of these operations could be produced on an assembly line. For the others had each tools are changed and then larger lot sizes are prefabricated in stock.

Since the orders and letters of credit to often came late and less than 20 days remained to delivery, enough parts of each version had to be kept in stock.

The lettering Petromax and Aida was impressed to differentiate to copies on many parts of what the stocking of parts complicated.

Offshoring

In the 1970s, the demand collapsed. To reduce the production cost, production was relocated to what was then low-wage country Portugal and Casa Hipólito ( in Torres Vedras, Portugal ) presented high-quality brand Petromax lamps, Geniol Hipólito ago. With the aim to reduce the manufacturing costs, the production was finally transferred to China. There was successfully produced and cheap and the manufacturers realized that he was not just rely on his German clients. He produced for the world market soon identical and similar lamps, which he sold under various names. The then- trademark owner for Germany and Central Europe ( Schott AG Glass Works ) This has not prevented. According to the company Pelam International Ltd. , Which took over the rights to the Petromax brand in December 2006, individual components of the lamp are made by different producers since 2007, some components also in Germany. The final assembly of Petromax lamps successes contribute to ensuring an adequate level of quality, also in Germany.

Trademarks

In Europe, the rights for many years at Schott AG, which it had acquired KG some detours on a number assignee of the extinct Graetz AG / Graetz were. In July 2005, the trademark of Schott AG were transferred as part of the outsourcing of laboratory and industrial glass business to DURAN production GmbH & Co. KG ( a subsidiary of Adcuram group) that they work on the English Pelam International Ltd.. Early 2007, London UK with a branch in Magdeburg, sold.

In the U.S., however the trademark rights were not extended in the late 1990s by the owner of Schott AG and re-registered by the American Lamp Supply Co.. However, this took the trademark itself not to leak this entry end of 2006 was the mark of the U.S. company Britelyt that had already sold in this period lamps under the name Petromax, re-registered. An appeal of the company Pelam against the notification was withdrawn in September 2009, the brand registered on 27 October 2009 for Britelyt.