What the heck is a flame spreader?

I was casing the joint, meticulously combing the tables at one of my favorite auction houses for the unfamiliar. Nothing was calling out to me to come over, pick it up, become overwhelmed with its lineage.

Then I came upon a group of kerosene lamps typical of the ones I see sometimes on the auction tables. As I peered in closer, I saw lying just beyond them some miniature brass cylinders with flat tops.

I pulled out nine of the items hung together on a thin metal wire, them clanging together a tune as I did so. Four single ones were lying unattached among them. They were different sizes – most round and fat, no more than 1 ½” to 2″ tall. Some had tops, others did not.

What were they? I checked for an inscription, and found the manufacturers’ names and patent dates on the tops.

E. Miller with an M in a stylized design, B&H,  Rayo, Mehlen, Aladdin. Most had patent dates from the early 1900s.

These were antiques, not reproductions, with a nice patina. They were lovely utilitarian pieces that some websites described as resembling thimbles. They looked more like chimney or smokestacks to me. I could see these worked into a craft project or dangling like a wind chime on my front porch (they’re much too nice to hang outside to brave horrid weather).

But right then, I wanted to know what they were called. I pulled out my Droid, found a quiet spot in the auction house and Googled. Even with that search engine, it’s hard to find something if you don’t have a name for it. But that’s what discovery and auctions are all about: the hunt.

First, I tried the manufacturers’ names from some of the items. Since they were lying near the kerosene lamps, I tried kerosene lamps on eBay. Then I found them: flame spreaders, first patented in 1884. They were parts for a specific type of burner for kerosene lamps.

The previous owner – by linking them on the wire – apparently wanted to make sure they didn’t get lost. A website called Miles Stair’s Wick Shop noted that most have been lost over the years and are hard to find. 

Flame spreaders are placed in the burner that sits atop the opening on the base of the lamp. Here’s how the website 19^th Century Lighting Co. described their function on its website:  

Flame spreaders, sometimes called “air diffusers,” were “solid brass ‘caps’ that slipped down inside of the Central Draft Burner Shaft that helped to disperse air evenly around the burning central draft wick to create a more brilliant light.”

Here’s a flame spreader in a burner on the 19th Century site.

This site noted that they have become collectible over the last few years. It was selling them for $45 to $75 each. On eBay, they were selling for $1.61 to $42 each. Another site, the Lampworks, offered tips for collecting vintage or antique lamps.

At the auction, some of the lamps had chimneys, others were merely the base. Most were clear glass, but the lot did include one with a copper and clear base. There were no burners for the lamps.

When they came up for auction (along with two rusty lanterns and four ruby red globes), I was only interested in the spreaders. The auctioneer, though, pointed out that they came with the lamps. So, I bidded on the whole lot and another bidder chimed in. We went tit-for-tat until he backed off at $25.

I got the flame spreaders and the lamps for $22.50, and have no idea yet what I’ll do with them. Doesn’t matter. It was big fun just to find such small things I had never heard of before.