A wheat lamp is a type of incandescent light designed for use in underground mining, named for inventor Grant Wheat and manufactured by Koehler Lighting Products in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States, a region known for extensive mining activity.[1] [2]
A safety lamp designed for use in potentially hazardous atmospheres such as firedamp and coal dust, the lamp is mounted on the front of the miner's helmet and powered by a wet cell battery worn on the miner's belt. The average wheat lamp uses a 3-5 watt bulb which will typically operate for 5 to 16 hours depending on the amp-hour capacity of the battery and the current draw of the bulb being used. [3]
A grain of wheat lamp is an unrelated, very small incandescent lamp used in medical and optical instruments, as well as for illuminating miniature railroad and similar models.
References
- ^ City of Marlborough, retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ Erin Ann Thomas, Coal in Our Veins: A Personal Journey, University Press of Colorado, 2013, ISBN 1457184435,Chapter 23, first page
- ^ L.C. Isley, A. B. Hooker, Permissible Electric Mine Lamps, US Department of Commerce Bulletin No. 332, 1930, pages 32-34