IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES AND MATCHES, AND WICKS FOR LAMPS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lyon Field, of Worthing, in the County of Sussex
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES AND
MATCHES, AND WICKS FOR LAMPS."
Sealed the 12th August 1879, and dated the 23rd May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lyon Field at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd May 1879..
JOHN LYON FIELD, of Worthing, in the County of Sussex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES AND MATCHES, AND WICKS FOR LAMPS."
When candles are made with wicks or matches with steins prepared in the usual
manner as employed in manufacturing ordinary bougies, tapers, spills, wax or
wooden matches or night lights, or when simple wicks are prepared as ordinarily
used for lamps, if the flame be extinguished the wick end usually remains for some
time in a state of incandescence, glow, burning, or smouldering; also when the
stems of wood or fibre are prepared as usually employed for matches if the flame be
extinguished the end of the match usually remains for some time in a state of
incandescence, glow, burning, or smouldering.
Now my Invention consists in treating or preparing wicks of various kinds, as
above referred to, and also the stems intended for matches in such manner that the
incandescence, glow, burning, or smouldering above referred to shall be caused to
disappear or stop when the flame is extinct, as, for instance, on the flame of a lighted
candle, bougie, taper, spill, wax match, or night light, or the flame of a burning
match being blown out or extinguished, or on the flame of a lamp dying out or
becoming extinct through want of oil or otherwise.
In carrying my Invention into practice I treat the wick of a candle or lamp, or
the stem of a match (as the case may be) with a substance or substances having
such qualities that volatilization will take place at the high temperature due to the
flame or resulting from combustion in a burning wick or piece of wood, and that
at the lower temperature obtaining on the extinction of the flame volatilization
will cease, and combustion will be completely arrested.
My Invention may be carried out in various ways. One method which I find
advantageous consists in soaking or steeping the wicks or stems in or applying
thereto a solution of phosphoric acid in cold distilled water. Another consists in
Pine A1

page_text: soaking or steeping the wicks or stems in a solution of phosphate of ammonia in
cold distilled water. Another consists in soaking or steeping the wicks or stems
in a solution of phosphate of ammonia and borax in cold distilled water. Another
consists in soaking or steeping the wicks or stems in a solution of phosphate of
ammonia and boracic acid in cold distilled water.
It is obvious that other chemical substances or solutions which are found to have
similar properties to the chemicals or combinations above described or referred to,
as regards volatilization at a comparatively high heat, such as is caused by the
flame or burning of an ordinary wick, and the complete arrestation of combustion
when the flame is extinct, may be employed in carrying out my Invention.
It will be found that the employment of the various chemical substances or com-
pounds will be more or less successful in result in proportion as they more or less
completely impart to wicks and steins when applied thereto the properties above
mentioned, that is to say, the property of allowing combustion to be freely main-
tained during volatilization, and the property of causing the incandescence, glow,
burning, or smouldering, hereinabove referred to, to disappear or cease when the
flame is extinct.
Wicks prepared in the manner above described are manufactured into candles in
the ordinary way, but such candles will be found much safer and more convenient
for use than candles manufactured of ordinary wicks as heretofore. Again, stems
of matches prepared as above described are manufactured into matches in the
ordinary way adopted in matches made either with wooden or fibrous stems,
but such matches will be found, as in the case of candles, to be more con-
venient, and much safer for use, as being far less likely to cause accidental
fires.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Lyon Field in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
November 1879.
JOHN LYON FIELD, of Worthing, in the County of Sussex.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES AND MATCHES, AND WICKS FOR LAMPS."
When candles are made with wicks or matches with stems prepared in the usual
manner as employed in manufacturing ordinary bougies, tapers, spills, or what are
known as wax matches, or when simple twisted cotton wicks are employed as
ordinarily used for certain kinds of oil lamps, if the flame be extinguished without
excluding the air from the wick end, the wick end usually remains for some time
in a state of incandescence or glow.
Now my Invention consists in treating or preparing wicks of various kinds, as
above referred to, in such manner that the incandescence or glow above referred to
shall be caused to disappear or stop when the flame is extinct, as, for instance, on
the flame of a lighted candle, bougie, taper, spill, or wax match being blown out,
or on the flame of a lamp dying out or becoming extinct through want of oil or
blowing out.
In carrying my Invention into practice I treat the wick of a candle or wax
match, or the twisted cotton wick for a lamp (as the case may be) with a substance
or substances having such qualities that it or they will volatilize in a burning
wick, and that on the extinction of the flame volatilization will cease, and com-
bustion will be completely arrested.
My Invention may be carried out in various ways. One method which I find
advantageous consists in soaking or steeping the wicks in a solution of phosphoric
acid in cold distilled water.
Another consists in soaking or steeping the wicks in a solution of phosphate of
ammonia in cold distilled water. Another consists in soaking or steeping the wicks
in a solution of phosphate of ammonia and borax in cold distilled water.
consists in soaking or steeping the wicks in a solution of phosphate of ammonia
and boracic acid in cold distilled water.
Another
It is obvious that other chemical substances or solutions which are found to have
similar properties to the chemicals or combinations above described or referred to,
as regards volatilization at a comparatively high heat, such as is caused by the
flame or burning of an ordinary wick, and the complete arrestation of combustion
when the flame is extinct, may be employed in carrying out my Invention, and it
is to be understood that although I have specified the use of cold distilled water,
which I prefer in practice (especially when using phosphate of ammonia), I do not
limit myself to any particular temperature. It will be found that the employment
of the various chemical substances or compounds will be more or less successful in
result in proportion as they more or less completely impart to wicks when applied
thereto the properties above mentioned, that is to say, the property of allowing
combustion to be freely maintained during volatilization, and the property of
causing the incandescence or glow hereinabove referred to, to disappear or cease
when the flame is extinct.
To improve the combustion of candles their wicks are generally treated with
some sort of preparation. The preparations employed by different makers vary
widely in their composition. Now in carrying out my Invention care must be
taken that the ingredients used to treat the wicks for the purposes for which they
are now generally prepared shall be such as will not prevent or interfere with the
impregnation of the wick with the chemical substance employed according to my
Invention for extinguishing the incandescence or glow on the extinction of the
flame. For instance, when using phosphate of ammonia or phosphoric acid for the
purposes of my Invention, in treating the wick such substances must be avoided as
those that combine with phosphoric acid forming in soluble compounds. The

page_text: solution of the substance or substances employed according to my Invention for
extinguishing incandescence or glow may be added to an ordinary preparation
(prepared subject to the direction herein-above contained), though sometimes when
the ordinary preparation is a very strong solution it will be found more effective to
steep the wicks separately in it, and in a solution prepared according to and for the
purposes of my Invention. I have found that from two grains to ten grains of phos-
phoric acid or of phosphate of ammonia to the ounce of distilled water is sufficient,
some classes of candles (for example, stearine) requiring the higher, some (for example,
sperm) the lower quantity. The proportions however may with advantage be
varied according to the composition of the candle or wax match, and to the
character of the preparation used for treating the wicks for the purposes for which
they are ordinarily treated.
The use of borax or of boracic acid (which I do not separately claim) in con-
junction with phosphate of ammonia is to improve the burning of the candle, as is
well understood. When phosphate of ammonia is used for the purposes of my In-
vention, in conjunction with borax or boracic acid, as above specified, the proportion
of phosphoric acid or phosphate of ammonia to water may be, as already stated,
the proportion of either borax or boarcic acid (as the case may be) added, being
The mixtures of
also about from 2 to 10 grains to the ounce of distilled water.
phosphate of ammonia with either borax or boracic acid are for the treatment of
wicks intended, for example, for paraffin or sperm candles, and which have not
been already treated with the preparations usually employed for treating wicks,
the borax or boracic acid in these cases taking the place of an ordinary pre-
paration.
Wicks prepared in the manner above described are manufactured into candles
and wax matches in the ordinary way, but such candles and wax matches will be
found much safer and more convenient for use than candles and wax matches
manufactured of ordinary wicks as heretofore.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and explained in what
manner the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
hereby declare that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as
secured to me under the Letters Patent hereinbefore in part recited is,-
The treating or preparing wicks in or for the manufacture of candles and wax
matches and twisted cotton wicks for lamps, with a substance or substances having
such qualities that it or they will volatilize in a burning wick, and that on the
extinction of the flame volatilization will cease and combustion will be arrested,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lyon Field, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JOHN LYON FIELD. (L.S.)