IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT LIGHTS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Jekin Elwin, of Dartford, in the County of..
Kent, Tallow Chandler, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT
LIGHTS."
Sealed the 30th April 1858, and dated the 9th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Jekin Elwin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th November 1857.
I, WILLIAM JEKIN ELWIN, of Dartford, in the County of Kent, Tallow
Chandler, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN NIGHT LIGHTS," to be as follows: -
My improvements in night lights consist in applying a hollow central stem
or tube of metal or other suitable material, which sustains the wick and
maintains the flame at a uniform height during the burning of the light.
Night lights usually consist of a short piece of tallow or matter having a
central wick, and enclosed within a paper case, which, when the combustible
matter is nearly consumed, throws a dark shadow around, the wick being also
consumed, the flame or light approaches the bottoin of the box, which results
in the shadow mentioned, whereas by maintaining the flame at the same.
level at last as at first, a uniform light is obtained throughout the duration of
its burning:
I use a small conical stem of metal supported on a metal base, under which

page_text: the matter to be consumed is free to flow and to enter the central stem. I
place the wick within this stem, having first wrapped a small piece of cotton
wadding around the lower part, which fills up the lower and larger end of the
stem. The cotton absorbs the matter to be consumed, contained within the
paper or other case of the night light, and conducts it to the wick, which 5
maintains the flame throughout above the level of the stem, and consequently
above the level of the box or containing case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Jekin Elwin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JEKIN ELWIN, of Dartford, in the County of Kent, Tallow Chandler, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Jekin Elwin, Her special licence, that I, the said
William Jekin Elwin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Jekin Elwin, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT LIGHTS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Jekin Elwin, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
I NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Jekin Elwin, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say): -

page_text: .
My improvements in night lights consist in applying a hollow. central stem
or tube of metal or other suitable material, which sustains the wick and
maintains. the flame at a uniform height during the. burning of the light.
Night lights usually consist of a short piece of tallow or other fatty matter-
having a central wick, and enclosed within a paper case, which when the
combustible matter is nearly consumed throws a dark shadow around, the
wick being also consumed, the flame or light approaches the bottom of the box,
which results in the shadow mentioned, whereas by maintaining the flame at
the same level to the last as at first, a uniform light is obtained throughout
the duration of its burning:
For this purpose I use a small conical or parallel stem of metal supported
on a metal base, under which the matter to be consumed' is free to flow and
to enter the central stem. I place the wick within this stem, having, if
necessary, first wrapped a small piece of cotton wadding, (or it may be a
little excess of the wick) around the lower part, which fills up the lower and
it may be larger end of the stem. The wick absorbs the matter to be con-
sumed, contained within the paper or other case of the night light, and conducts
it up the wick, which maintains the flame throughout the burning of the
light above the level of the stem, and consequently above the level of the box

page_text: saturate it in the fatty matter; it becomes also further saturated when the
fatty matter is poured into the case a. In burning these night lights they are
used in the ordinary way, the fatty matter contained in the wick supplies the
combustion in the first instance, the flame produced immediately begins to
warm the metal tube d, which soon melts the fatty matter in contact with it
down to the bottom of the case. By thus melting the fatty matter a fluid
supply is always kept round the lower part of the tube, which by capillary
attraction ascends the wick to supply the flame, as well understood, and which
thereby maintains a steady light at a uniform elevation, until the fatty matter
in the case a is exhausted. If it is desirable to introduce more cotton round
the lower part of the wick, or excess of wick, I form the tube d, tapered as
represented in side view and section at Figs. E and F. In all cases care
must be taken that the fatty matter has free access to the tube.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application or intro-
duction of the tube d in night lights, as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jekin Elwin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
WILLIAM JEKIN ELWIN. (L.B.)