Candlestick and method of making same

A candlestick includes a tubular cartridge of biodegradable material having an upper end which forms a socket for a candle and a lower end, and a sleeve of flexible biodegradable material encircling the cartridge and extending appreciably above the upper end thereof. The sleeve is collapsible lengthwise towards the upper end of the cartridge so that when a candle is received the cartridge, the sleeve is gathered around the candle at the upper end of the cartridge forming a cuff or skirt which can catch any melted wax dripping from the candle. A method of making the candlestick is also disclosed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a candleholder or candlestick. It relates more particularly to a holder for supporting a miniature candle, i.e. a birthday candle, upright in a cake or other confection.

The usual candlestick comprises a rigid member having a lower end shaped to form a stable base and an upper end defining a socket for holding a candle. Such candlesticks are designed to be placed on a stationary support surface such as a table or desk.

Candlesticks for supporting miniature candles on a cake or other confection usually include a cup-shaped plastic base defining a socket for receiving the lower end of the candle. The underside of the base is usually pointed enabling the candlestick be stuck into the top of a cake or other confection so that the candle is supported in an upright position. These prior candlesticks for birthday candles are not particularly convenient to use and they do not exclude the possibility of hot wax from a lit candle dripping onto the confection. Also, the prior candlesticks used for this purpose being made of plastic are not environmentally friendly.

Utility model RU No. 19309 discloses a candlestick of the general type with which we are concerned which has a full body, the upper part of which is widened to catch hot wax dripping from the candle. A candleholder is positioned inside the body and has a stepped form for accommodating candles having various diameters. Although this known candlestick catches dripping wax, it is made of plastic or other non-biodegradable material and is therefore not environmentally friendly. Moreover, that candlestick is difficult to place on a cake or other confection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved candlestick for supporting a small candle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a candlestick of this type which is disposable and therefore environmentally friendly.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a candlestick which is easy to make and convenient to use.

Other objects will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the following detailed description, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

Briefly, my candlestick comprises a relatively stiff, tubular, biodegradable cartridge and a sheet of highly flexible biodegradable sheet material snugly encircling the cartridge so that its edges overlap thereby forming a tube. Preferably, the lower end of the tube is even with the lower end of the cartridge and the tube is appreciably longer than the cartridge so that the tube extends well beyond the cartridge. Preferably also, the inside diameter of the cartridge is the same as or only slightly larger than the diameter of a typical birthday candle so that it forms a ring or socket for snugly receiving a lower end segment of the candle.

In use, a candle is inserted into the upper end of the tube until the lower end of the candle is plugged into the upper end of the cartridge. Then, the segment of the tube extending above the cartridge is slid down toward the cartridge so that it is gathered around the candle at the upper end of the cartridge thereby forming a larger diameter cuff or skirt around the base of the candle which can catch any melted wax running down the candle when the candle is lit.

The lower end of the cartridge may be pinched together to facilitate staking the cartridge in a cake or other confection so that the candle is supported in an upright position thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 1of the drawings, my candlestick comprises a tubular, open-ended cartridge12having an upper end12aand a lower end12b. Preferably, cartridge12is formed of a stiff paper or cardboard. The inside diameter of cartridge12is more or less the same of that of a standard candle C of a type commonly placed on birthday cakes or other confections. Thus the upper end12aof cartridge12forms a socket or ring for snugly engaging around the base of candle C so that the candle extends up vertically from cartridge12.

Snugly encircling cartridge12is a tubular sleeve14of very flexible sheet material such as tissue paper, cigarette paper, thin parchment or the like. A sheet of that material may be engaged around cartridge12with the edges of that sheet overlapping and being secured together along a seam15as shown inFIG. 1. The fit of the tube around the cartridge is tight enough to prevent relative movement of those two parts. Preferably sleeve14is appreciably longer than cartridge12so that its upper end14aextends well above the upper end12aof cartridge12when the lower ends12b,14bof the cartridge and sleeve are even as shown. Preferably, the sleeve is about twice as long as the cartridge.

In use, the candle C is coupled to the candlestick10by inserting the lower end of the candle into sleeve14until that lower end plugs into the upper end12aof cartridge12so that the candle is an extension of the cartridge as shown inFIG. 2.

Then, a downward force F is applied to the upper end14aof sleeve14as shown inFIG. 2which causes that segment of the sleeve to slide down around the candle and become gathered around the candle at the upper end of cartridge12thereby forming an enlarged cuff or skirt16which extends all around the candle as best seen inFIGS. 3 and 4. The material of sleeve14is flexible and extensible enough to enable the formation of the radially enlarged corrugations or wrinkles that form the cuff or skirt16. Thus, when the candle is lit forming a flame F which melts the top of the candle, any hot wax W running down or dripping from the candle is intercepted by the cuff or skirt16at a location above cartridge12.

As shown inFIG. 3the lower end12b,14bof the candlestick may be pinched to from an edge or point18so that that end may easily penetrate the surface S of a confection such as a cake, scoop of ice cream or the like.

If desired, the sleeve14may be formed with circumferential corrugations or score or fold lines to facilitate the collapsing of the tube in bellows-like fashion to form the cuff or skirt16.FIG. 5illustrates such a sleeve14′ having in and out fold lines22aand22b.

Also, to provide a larger diameter cuff or skirt16, the sleeve may be slitted lengthwise.FIGS. 6A and 6Bshow a sleeve14″ having two sets of slits24aand24bwhich are offset circumferentially. When the sleeve is collapsed, the material between the slits bows out to form two sets of tabs26aand26bwhich are offset so as to form a substantially continuous skirt around the base of the candle.

Since the cartridge12and sleeve14are both made of paper or similar biodegradable material, the candlestick will not persist and is therefore environmentally friendly. Also, being composed of simple parts which may be made using conventional tube making machinery, the candlestick is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. By the same token, it is quite easy to use and therefore should prove to be a very marketable item.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above among those made apparent from the preceding description are efficiently attained. Also, since certain changes may be made in carrying out the above method and in the constructions set forth without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description as shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention described herein.