#25 - 1929 L220 - "Slant"

Vital Stats

Model: L220
Date: July 1929
Technology: Instant-light
Mantles: 2
Fuel: Gasoline
Date Acquired: October 14, 2017   




I couldn't think of a better model/piece for the mid-point entry.  The L220 "Slant". 

The L220 is the first entry in the iconic 220 line. But its differences significantly outnumber the similarities to the letters that followed.  When acquainting oneself with this lantern this becomes apparent from the outset, given the model number itself starts with a letter ("L", for the fount style) rather than being suffixed with one.

The L220 is Coleman's first lantern to use "instant-light" technology, wherein a mixture of fuel and air is delivered from the fount and used to preheat the generator.  However, the mechanism is significantly different than what was actually used for or the following 50+ years.  I was so struck by how different this lantern was from it's predecessor (L427 Quick-Light) and its successor (220B), that I even counted up the number of similarities between the three and found that the 220B had more in common, parts-wise, with the L427 than the L220 had with with either of them.   I have often described this lantern to friends as such: "It's almost as if Coleman had a core group of engineers who went on strike from 1927-1929 and brought in replacements to design the Slant, then the core group returned in 1929 to design and release the 220B in 1930)."

This all doesn't make the Slant any less functional, and is definitely a fan favorite.   The term "slant" is derived from the fact that the generator is oriented on slant between the valve and the the burner; all other Coleman lanterns are vertical, and stoves are horizontal.  This design was also used in some lamps from the same time period, but otherwise is unique to this model.

The fuel-air pickup located inside the fount is also unique.  Instead of using an actuated rod in the fuel pickup that determines whether the fount is pushing fuel or a fuel/air mixture, it relies on a parallel tubes governed by pressure gradients between valve position and fount pressure.  It has been discussed that the Slant's F/A pickup has more in common with the Schrader valve based 290 (1986) than with the mechanism used in the remainder of the 220 and 200A series.      

This particular lantern is one my worst condition pieces, but it is absolutely one of my favorites; and a great runner.  It was gifted to me by a fellow collector after I helped mentor him in his early days.
Thanks, still, Dave!

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