Patent Publication Number: US-6655031-B1

Title: Wick cutting device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The subject of the invention relates to a cutting device, and relates more particularly to a wick trimmer for candles. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Before the advent of electricity, candles, oil and gas lamps provided all necessary illumination in houses and streets. Once modern electricity was accessible, the development of other types of lighting devices increased and use of candles as a primary source of illumination decreased. Candles became primarily an emergency item to be used in case a power outage took place. In recent history, the interest in candles and candle burning has increased. The practice of burning and using candles has increased due to a climbing interest in relaxation and aromatherapy and the beauty of candles in general. Evidence of this trend can be found in the tremendous variety of candles now offered on the market. In addition, magazines have also increased the advertisement of various types of candles and uses of candles for home decoration. The making of candles has also become a popular hobby. 
     The wick is an important component of a candle or an oil lamp. The wick is delivers the fuel to the flame that will keep the candle or oil lamp burning. Wicks are usually made of cotton fibers woven very compactly. Early candles used plain cotton wicks. The wicks in these early candles needed to be trimmed as the wax burned down. Most of the modern commercial candles have wicks to which chemicals have been added. The chemicals added to the wick allows the wicks to burn along with the wax. In some cases, the wick is plaited such that the tip will curl over into the hottest part of the flame. The high heat then burns the tip of the wick off. In theory, this design will keep the wick at the right length for optimal burning. Unfortunately, not all commercial candles have the ideal length for a wick when first purchased. In addition, there is a great variety in the quality of the candle and wicks available. Further, if candles are made by a hobbist, proper tools are required to cut the wick of the candle to the right length. 
     The trimming of the wick is an important step in the making and maintenance of candles. If the wick of a candle is too long the flame will be very large, burning the wax away very quickly. This shortens the useable lifetime of the candle. If the wick is too short for the candle, excessive smoking can occur. The tools for trimming wicks are as old or older than candles. In antique shops, many examples of wick trimmers can be found. Most of these early wick trimmers are shaped like scissors. A disadvantage of the scissors-like design is that the scissors-like design cannot fit within the modern containers for candles. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. D 422,470 illustrates a modern candlewick cutter that is shaped like a pair of scissors. There are disadvantages to this design. For instance, the scissors-like design does not cut to a specified length on a consistent basis. In addition, the scissors-like design does not fit into some designs of candle holders. If candle production is occurring at home, it is difficult, with the scissors-like design, to assure all the candles will have the same wick length once the wick is inserted in the candle. Another disadvantage of the scissors like design is the difficulty of use if an injury or a limitation of the hand (such as arthritis) is present. The scissors-like design will also requires modification for a left or a right handed person and, thus, is not universal to all users. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention seeks to overcome the above mentioned limitations of the prior art. The present invention describes a wick cutting device, particulary designed to clip the wicks of candles to a specified length. The invention comprises two cylinders, one with a grip and one with a handle. The wick trimmer is assembled as a cylinder inside a cylinder in which the inner cylinder has a steel blade at the bottom. The inner cylinder rotates within the outer cylinder. The wick is cut with a simple twist of the handle. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a wick trimmer that will consistently cut the wick to the same length. A recessed blade of hardened steel or any other appropriate material decides the length of the wick. Also, the design of the present invention will allow trimming of wicks in hard to reach places, such as a tall glass container in which a small candle is burning. 
     The invention comprises a first hollow cylinder and a second cylinder. The second cyliner possesses a recessed blade at one end of the cylinder. The second cylinder is placed within the first cylinder. The cutting device is then placed over the wick and second cylinder is twisted. The twist of the second cylinder will result in the cutting of the wick at the specified length. Due to the design, the wick cutting device will fit inside most commercially designed candle holders and trims hard to reach wicks. Another object of the invention is to create a wick trimmer which has ease of application for either a left or right handed user. Also, the invention will allow ease of use in case of hand limitations such as arthritis. Finally the risk of injury on this design is minimal in comparison with the scissors like design. The blade in the invention is recessed lowering the possibility of an accidental cut. These above mentioned characteristics and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cutting device that allows access to hard to reach wicks of candles and to fit within modern designs of candle holders. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cutting device that cuts a wick to a specific length consistently. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a universal cutting device that will operate easily for all types of users, including but not limited to, right and left hand users and users with arthritis. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention appear more clearly on reading the following best mode for carrying out the invention, given by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIGS. 1 a  and  1   b  illustrate prior art designs of wick cutters. 
     FIG. 2 depicts a three dimensional front view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows three-dimensional front views of the separate components of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows a three dimensional bottom view of the separate components of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 5 A, B, C, D, and E show cross sectional views of the separate components of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 depicts a cross sectional view of the invention, as assembled. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates how the present invention is used. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The drawings will be described in detail. For the ease of the reader reference numerals designating identical or similar parts will remain consistent throughout the drawings. 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B show views of a prior art wick trimmer. FIG. 1A shows the wick trimmer  10 , which is an early American antique made of wrought iron. In FIG. 1B the wick trimmer  10  is placed in base  11 . The base  11  is made to complement candlesticks of the period. It can be appreciated that the wick trimmer  10  is shaped like a scissors. 
     FIG. 2 shows a three dimensional front view of the wick cutter  20  featured in the invention. The wick trimmer  20  is made of injection molded plastic with a hardened steel blade. It should be noted that the wick cutting device can be made of other various sturdy materials. The wick trimmer  20  is composed of two parts, a hollow outer cylinder  40  and an inner cylinder  48  that can be inserted inside the outer cylinder  40 . The outside cylinder  40  is shorter in length than the inner cylinder  48 . The outer cylinder  40  has a grip  70  which is shaped like a gearwheel. The outer cylinder  40  has a groove  50  in the top of the cylinder. The basic design of the wick cutting device is a tube inside a tube. The inner cylinder  48  has a handle  60  at the top, also shaped like a gearwheel. A groove  50  is cut in the grip  70  of the outer cylinder  40  in the shape of a letter C, and is adapted to receive hanging wall  33  which extends from handle  60  in which part of the inner cylinder  48  sits. 
     FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional front view of the hollow cylinders taken apart. The outer cylinder  40  is shorter than the inner cylinder  48 . The outer cylinder  40  is approximately 15 cm and the inner cylinder  48  is approximately 17 cm. The groove  50  can be seen surrounding the hole  51  in which the inner cylinder  48  is inserted. The groove  50  is shaped like a letter C. Details of the inner cylinder [ 30 ]  48  can be observed in the figure. The tube (or cylinder)  48  is inserted inside the hole  51  of the outer cylinder  40 . The tube  48  has a pin  32  sticking from the side, this pin  32  fits inside an inner groove or channel  52  in the inside wall of the outer cylinder  40 . When the tube  48  is inserted into the outer cylinder, the pin  32  sits on the inner groove  52 . During manufacture, inner cylinder  48  is forced into outer cylinder  40  until pin  32  sits in inner groove  52  by using a suitable press or similar device capable of applying pressure to a workpiece. Such press devices are well known to those skilled in the art. This locks the tubes together, allowing free rotational movement of the inner tube  48  inside the outer cylinder  40 . It can also be noted in the drawing the semicircular hanging wall  33  from the top handle. In the most preferred embodiment, the hanging wall  33  is approximately 2 cm long. This hanging wall  33  is inserted in the groove  50 . The groove provides the range of twisting allowed for the inner cylinder  48 . The inner tube  48  contains the blade  35  that will cut the wick. The cut wick can be removed by the hole  34  in the inner cylinder  48 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional bottom view of the hollow cylinders taken apart. Pin  32  and the semicircular hanging wall  33  can be seen. The outer diameter of outer cylinder  40  is approximately 2.5 cm; the inner diameter of outer cylinder  40  is approximately 1.8 cm. In the most preferred embodiment, the outer diameter of inner cylinder  48  is approximately 1.7 cm and the inner diameter is 1.2 cm. At the bottom of inner cylinder  48 , blade  35  can be seen. Blade  35  is attached to plastic section  36 , covering at least half of hole  34  and forming aperture  51  when inner cylinder  48  is placed inside outer cylinder  40 . In a most preferred embodiment, blade  35  is made of hardened steel and is flush with the end of inner cylinder  48  opposite handle  60 . It will be understood by one skilled in the art that a wick cutting device can be made of different colors, including but not limited to, gold, silver, and black. At the bottom of outer or first cylinder  40 , semicircular plastic cover  42  covers half of aperture  51 . Plastic cover  42  is attached by pin  41  to outer cylinder  40 . Plastic cover  42  is fixedly secured to the outer or first cylinder  40 . In a most preferred embodiment, plastic cover  42  is recessed approximately 0.64 cm (¼ inch) allowing the trimming of the wick to the length recommended most often by the candle industry. In an alternative embodiment, plastic cover  42  can be removably secured to outer or first cylinder  40 . 
     FIGS. 5A,  5 B,  5 C,  5 D and  5 E show cross sectional and top views of the wick trimmer components. FIG. 5A shows a top view of the gear wheel handle  60  which is attached to the inner cylinder  48 . The hole  34  can be seen and is crossed by the pin  32 . The gear wheel is smooth, with soft indentations  38  and teeth  37 . The indentations  38  allow for a comfortable fit of the fingers of the hand when holding the wick cutter. FIG. 5B shows a top view of the outer cylinder  40 . The outer groove  50  in the top of the grip  70  can be observed. In a most preferred embodiment, the grip  70  of the outer cylinder  40  has a height of approximately 3.8 cm as compared to the 1.3 cm height of the handle in the inner cylinder  48 . Also in the most preferred embodiment, the diameter of both handles is exactly the same, such that when one observes the wick trimmer from the top only one gear wheel can be seen, as shown in FIG.  5 C. FIG. 5D shows a cross sectional view of the inner cylinder  48 . The pin  32  is located on the body of the inside cylinder  48  such that it will mate with the inner groove  52  of the outer cylinder, as shown in FIG.  5 E. In addition, FIGS. 5D and 5E depict the other mating components such as the semicircular hanging wall  33  and the C-shaped groove  50 . 
     FIG. 6 shows cross sections of the assembled wick trimmer. FIG. 6 depicts how pin  32  goes through the hole  34  and sits in the inner groove  52 . The semicircle hanging wall  33  is shown sitting in the outside groove  50 . Also the space  43  between the bottoms of the inner and outer cylinder can be noted. This space allows to recede the blade 0.64 cm (or ¼ inch), the recommended length for candle wicks. 
     FIG. 7 shows wick trimmer  20  in use. The cylinders forming the wick trimmer  20  are rotated into a position that creates a half circle aperture (as shown in FIG. 4 by aligning the blade  35  over the recessed plastic cover  42 . Wick trimmer  20  is put at the top of candle  21  allowing for the introduction of the candle wick (not shown) into aperture  51  (not shown). As mentioned supra, plastic cover  42  is recessed allowing for the recommended length of wick to remain on the candle. One hand  22  holds the outer cylinder  40  by the grip  70  while the other hand twists the handle  30  of the inner cylinder  48 . The twisting motion causes blade  35  to push the wick against the plastic cover  42 . The groove  50  in combination with wall  33  controls the amount of rotation by limiting over-rotation or twisting of the inner cylinder  48 . The wick is then cut by blade  35  to the desired length using plastic cover  42  to hold the wick while it is being cut. Once cut, the sheared wick is captured on the inside of recessed plastic cover  42 , lifted from the candle and later removed from the inside of the inner cylinder  48 . Alternatively, the cut wick may be lifted from the top of candle  21 . 
     The description presented in the preferred embodiments of a wick trimmer made of injection molded plastic with a recessed blade of hardened steel is not intended to demonstrate all the possible arrangements and modifications to design. For those skilled in the art changes will be suggested in the within the scope of the present invention.