Burn & Robinson Improved Lift

The Burn & Robinson Improved Lift was based off the 1886 Ernest Schultz “Schultz’s Improved Lift Lantern” patent. Production began January of 1886. In 1887 a new “Safety lock” was added to the burner. It was a L shaped piece of metal soldered to the burner collar, the Burner stem would slide under this lock and would hold it in place. This feature remained on lanterns designed by Ernest Schultz until the 1900’s. The B&R Improved was made until B&R was bought out in 1890, however the design of the lantern was used until the mid 1890s. Making it a popular long term design, not often seen with these older Canadian lanterns.

One of the unique features of this lantern is the Globe plate and Guard, the globe plate is floating (meaning not attached to any part of the lantern), and uses compression to hold onto the globe. The compression is done by a latch on one side of the guard, in order to remove the globe from either the lantern or the guard, the latch needs to be pulled out.

Interestingly, the B&R improved is one of few Canadian Lanterns of this era to be embossed with a name or marking. On the top of the fount it reads “BR Improved” Most times the only markings on the metal of lanterns were patent dates stamped into the lantern. One of the other manufacturers to emboss their lanterns was Dominion Tubular Lamp Co.