Aladdin Model 6 Lamp Sold from September 1914 through July 1917, In Canada through August 1920

Table lamp #101   Oil pot #106

The Aladdin model 6 lamp may well be the most famous model of them all and is the only model to have dated wick adjuster knobs. In 1915 the Aladdin model 6 lamp won a gold medal and a blue ribbon at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. I suspect the date was added to let customers know that this was the model that was judged to be the best in the world. The first model six lamps had insulated burners with no dates. After the prize was won, the date was hurried into production by stamping the date on the wick adjuster knob. Later the wick adjuster stamp mold was modified to include the date. Then starting 1917 through 1920 undated uninsulated model 6 burners were built for the Canadian market. Aladdin applied for a patent on this burner on 28 Aug 1914. The patent was filed on 19 Feb, 1918 after sales of the model 6 had ceased (patent 1256879 ). Because model 7 and later burners were not backwards compatible to model 6 and earlier, the model 6 burner stayed in production through the 1930 lamp selling season as a replacement for model 3 through 6 lamps. Model 6 wicks and flame spreaders were kept in production through 1954 as replacement parts for the model 3 through 6 lamps. To date I have found five different versions of the model 6 burner: vers 1 2 3 4 5 no date stamped date molded date molded date no date insulated insulated insulated uninsulated uninsulated Earliest       Newest 1914 Fount lamp #102

Stamped date 1915 Embossed date, 1915 & 1916 Undated knob, 1914 & 1917 & later

The insulated wick tube started with the new style model 5 burners and was discontinued sometime during the model 6 burner production while the wick adjuster knobs were still dated. The Aladdin model 6 lamp was replaced by the model 7 for the 1917 lamp selling season in the United States but was sold in Canada instead of the models 7 and 8.

Variations: Table - Finish: Clear lacquer over satin brass, or Nickel plated Fount - (Wall mount & hanging,) - Clear lacquer over satin brass or Nickel plated Oil pot - Finish: Clear lacquer over satin brass Floor lamp - Finish: oxidized bronze Transition (very early lamps) - As near as I can tell model 6 lamps using undated #6 insulated burners and late model 5 lamp are identical except for the model number. Accessories: Bug screen: Early style bug screen in 1917. Could be found on lamps with uninsulated undated model 6 burners Originally sold into Canada during 1917 & later. wick cleaner: 3 prong style. Shade ring: Attached to the base of the gallery and had a scallop design along the inside ring. The arms are round in cross section and support a 10 inch glass shade. This is the same style used for model 3, 4 & 5 lamps. Shades: table - A 201 shade made from a new mold was offered for the model 6 during the 1914 season then replaced by the 301 "Chippendale" shade for the 1915 and later lamp selling seasons. Hanging - 215 and a very small number with 325 hanging globe. Floor lamp - Old rose silk with tassel fringe along bottom. Chimney: Heelless globe type (rounded bulge near base), crest logo. Match Holder: Model 6 lamps came with a copper plated steel match holder that had pockets for the instruction booklet, warranty card, a spare generator and the wick cleaner.  Match holders sold during the 1914 model year may not have had the Aladdin name on the holder. A spare mantle and generator was also provided with each lamp.

Documents: 1914 Supply and Repair parts, side A   1914  Supply and Repair parts, side B   1916 Wholesale price list, pages 1 & 4   1916 Wholesale price list, pages 2 & 3     1916 Supply and Repair parts   Patent for the early model 6 insulated burner filed Aug. 22, 1914 by Cortland W. Davis and Victor S. Johnson granted June 5, 1917

Common model 6 instruction manual

Reward advert off an envelope cover After Aladdin won the world fair gold medal in 1915 they launched this major marketing campaign for the model 6 lamps

1914 only (?) version of the model 6 manual

This is a disassembled model 6 uninsulated burner

Insulated burner base on the left and uninsulated burner base on the right. The quickest way to tell on an assembled burner is to remove the gallery and look for radial creases on the outer wick tube ridge. The insulated outer wick tube started with the late version model 5 burner and was carried into the early model 6 burner. My guess is that Aladdin went to the uninsulated burner around the end or 1915 or early 1916.

This picture shows the gearing used in the model 6 burner. The 'C' shaped brace can be carefully bent towards the gear if the gearing slips when trying to adjust the wick. This is a late uninsulated burner.

The air distributor used throughout the late model 5 and model 6 burner production fit both insulated and uninsulated burners.

The air distributor fits the side of the crease in the outer wick tube. The upward fold in the outer wick tube provides a tight friction fit for the air distributor against this uninsulated burner.

The gallery used throughout model 6 production was carried over from the model 5 The writing on the side says "PATENTS APPLIED FOR"

The model 6 wick raiser. It was normally sold premounted on an unreinforced wick.  The model 6 wick was sold as a replacement wick for models 3 through 6. The model 6 wick was in production through 1954 when the tooling was destroyed in a flood.

The model 6 generator was the recommended replacement for model 5 & 6 lamps.  After the model 4 generator was discontinued the #6 generator became the recommended replacement for model 4 lamps as well. The Aladdin model 6 generator stayed in production through 1954.

There are at least four different stampings used on model 6 generators. If you are into counting the tiny holes, there may be more versions based upon hole diameter, location and quantity. Unfortunately these generators are not pictures in order of age. The right is the earliest generator and was replaced sometime during production by the bottom left generator. The bottom right generator probably went into production for the replacement part market around 1920 when the model 6 was discontinued and the model 9 was introduced. The line under the 6 on this generator and under the 9 on the model 9 generator helped people tell them apart. The flame spreader in the upper left corner would be the newest and made specifically for the replacement part market. Before 1928 flame spreaders were officially named generators. In 1928 the name was changed to flame spreader to avoid confusion with a gas light generator. So the upper left flame spreader probably went into production on or slightly after 1928 and was the last replacement available for the model 3 through 6 lamps.

There were at least two sets of dies used to stamp model 6 flame spreaders between 1928 and 1953. The one with the larger '6' is
considered to be the newer of these 2 versions.
Photo courtesy of Steve Fowler

And sometimes Oops happens. On this flame spreader the 'N' is backwards on the word GENERATOR

 

Late model 5 and model 6 cap on left.  Model 1-early 5 cap on right

Aladdin model 1 through 6 used a filler cap with a flower pattern on top. There were two varieties, vented, with a hole in the centre top and unvented. Models 1 through early 5 lamps with slotted burners used the vented cap.  Late model 5 and model 6  lamps used the non vented type.

The lamp tank needs to be ventilated so that kerosene can be drawn up the wick. If it is unvented, the tank would start to draw a vacuum as kerosene is drawn up and the fluid level dropped causing less and less kerosene to be drawn up the wick. In model 1 through early 5 the vent was in the cap as shown above.  For the late model 5 and model 6, three small holes were drilled in the centre draft tube above the fluid level.  This allowed Aladdin to use an unvented cap.

Model 6 draft tube on top and model 4 draft tube below.  You can see one of the three vent holes drilled into the draft tube.

This is an early model 6 fount lamp. The fount is identical to the late model 5 one quart fount. This version appears to have only been offered in 1914  and would be the correct fount to use with a #115 hanger and undated insulated model 6 burner.

This is a late model 6 hanging fount introduced in 1915. The sole differences between the late model 5 & 1914 model 6 founts and the 1915 & newer fount is the bottom plate and the tabs at the base of the skirt for mounting the bottom plate. I do not know if this font was introduced in time for the insulated undated and date stamped burners but it would be correct for insulated molded date and the uninsulated versions of the model 6 burner.

Here is a side by side comparison of a 1 quart model 6 fount and a model 4 1-1/2 quart fount. I could not find any differences in the bowl top sections. This implies that the same top bowl half forming tooling was most likely used on both models

An end to end comparison Model 6( top) and model 4 (bottom). The 18 hole base used on early model 6 founts (top) is identical to the model 4 fount (bottom). This again indicates that the same bottom skirt tooling was used in model 4, 5 and early six font lamps. The only difference between the early and late model 6 fount base is the presence or absence of base plate mounting tabs.

Smoke bell used on all hanging lamps from model 1 through 6. NOTE: These have been reproduced in brass. The original Aladdin smoke bells are made from a non-magnetic nickel Iron alloy.
Catalogue # 115, 115A included a ceiling extension. 1914	Catalogue # 116 introduced in 1915. #116A came with ceiling extension

115 hanging model 6 on left without shade. Style 116 model 6 hanging lamp on right with 215 shade. Notice difference in harp shape between the two. The 115 is the earlier version used in 1914 and possibly into 1915. It used the early version of the font and insulated undated burner.  The 116 style is the later version.   The model 6 harp rod is approx. 1/4 inch dia. The harp rod used in the earlier model 5 version of these hangers is 3/16 " dia. Note the smoke bell shown is incorrect for these lamps.  Both hangers used the 215 shade.

TOP BRACKET: The top wall mount bracket likely was in use in 1914 with the first model 6 lamps and would be correct for the earliest version of the model 6 font lamp. BOTTOM BRACKET: The bottom bracket came into production likely starting 1915, but possibly sometime in 1914 when the ring mount of the model 6 hanging lamp was redesigned.  The mounting rings on the wall mount brackets and on the hanging lamps have the same pattern and when expandable, the same expansion latch so I am going by the change in the hanging lamp mounting ring to date the changeover between the two wall brackets. The lower wall mounting bracket is by far the most common being used through most of model 6 production through the end of model 11 production without change.

 

The oil pot used with the model 6 was manufactured using "generic" off the shelf Plume & Atwood tooling that had been in use since the late 1800's. Oil pots were much used by the kerosene lighting industry during the late 1800s and very early 1900's as lamp inserts for glass  'gone with the wind' style lamps and  in an assortment of fancy stamped metal bases commonly used for hanging, piano and banquet style lamps. The early Aladdin oil pot lamp is standard industry size of 5 inches in diameter and was offered for sale to people who wanted to upgrade their oil pot lamp with an Aladdin. The model 6 oil pot was the first to be used in a complete Aladdin lamp. It was used in the model 6 floor lamp, which was Aladdin's first floor lamp. Aladdin's next oil pot lamp would be a model 12 which was built primarily to go into Aladdin vase lamps.

 

Model 6 fancy hanging lamp, catalogue number 125-A came finished in Clear lacquer over Satin brass only.  This lamp used a model 6 oil pot. Globe shade No, 325 was the only ball shade ever made for an Aladdin lamp.  This ball shade hangs from a top shade collar and not from the bottom.  This shade does not fit any Aladdin hanger that I know of except for this limited edition hanging lamp.   The shade is thin clear crystal that was acid etched on the outside and hand painted.  It originally cost 18.00 which was over twice that of the common model 6 hanging lamp. top ring of Aladdin model 6 ball shade

 

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