IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, of the
English and Foreign Patent Office, 4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
and 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, France, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Armand le Comte de
Fontaine Moreau at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th March 1854.
I, PETER ARMAND le Comte DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of the English &
Foreign Patent Office, 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, and 39, Rue de
l'Echiquier, Paris, France, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES," to be as follows:-
The Invention communicated to me consists in introducing oil of turpentine
into melted tallow for manufacturing candles, by which to prevent its putre-
faction; and in mixing with the same tallow a certain quantity of potato flour
dissolved in hydrochloric acid, by which means the candles acquire a high
degree of whiteness and firmness.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th September 1854..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
ARMAND le Comte DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of the English and Foreign Patent
Office, 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, and 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris,
France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, Her special license that I, the
said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agreo
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 THE MANUFACTURE OF
CANDLES," communicated to me from a foreigner residing abroad, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):-
The Invention communicated to me consists in the combination of rectified
oil of turpentine and potato flour, treated as herein-after described, with tallow
employed in the manufacture of candles. Two great obstacles impede the
manufacture of candles. The first and most serious is the action of putrifaction;
the second is the want of firmness of the tallow. For arresting putrifaction I
employ rectified oil of turpentine, and for giving firmness and whiteness I use
potato fecula, treated as herein-after described.
I introduce a quantity of pure water equal to the weight of the fecula to be

page_text: treated into a glass or well glazed earthenware vessel, and pour upon it hydro-
chloric acid in the proportion of one forty-seventh part of the weight of fecula,
and stir up the whole during several seconds. I then introduce about a quarter
of the fecula into this acidulated water, and stir it up with a spatula to saturate
the water. I then add another quarter of the fecula, which I also stir up like
the first, adding the remainder in a similar manner. When all the fecula is
added, I again agitate during about a minute, and then leave it to rest three
or four hours, when I recommence the stirring, which should not be discon-
tinued until the fecula is entirely mixed with the water. I then allow it to
settle during about four hours, when I pour off the supernatant water, and
replace it by at least double the quantity of pure water, continuing to stir with
a spatula until the water is entirely saturated with the fecula, and not any
remains at the bottom of the vessel. In the course of four hours I recommence
this washing operation, which should be repeated about ten times.
It is now necessary to remove the excess of acid which keeps the fecula in
solution. To effect this, I carefully dry the fecula, cither by the heat of the
sun or by means of heating apparatus, taking care that no dust should mix
with it. The matters for making candles should be employed in the following
proportions, videlicet:-To one thousand parts of tallow, of eight days' melting,
when the temperature is forty-six degrees to fifty degrees Fahrenheit, I add
one to two parts by weight of rectified oil of turpentine, (when the temperature
is higher, the proportion of turpentine should be increased by one quarter,)
thirteen parts fecula, and twelve. parts well dissolved camphor.
Veal tallow, by my process, may be used, in the proportion of one-fourth of
the matters to be employed, for which I employ twenty-four parts of fecula per
one thousand parts of tallow. It should be treated separately, and added only
when the matters are ready to be poured into the moulds. The tallow being
melted, and having been passed through a linen cloth or sieve, is heated nearly
to boiling point. When it has attained this heat I remove the fire from under
the copper and pour in the oil of turpentine (previously weighed). I stir up the
mass of tallow so as to bring all the parts under the action of the antiseptic
agent.
After the addition of the turpentine I keep up merely sufficient heat for
afterwards introducing the fecula and twelve parts of camphor. I afterwards
add sixteen parts of camphor per ten thousand parts of tallow, which I dis-
tribute over the copper. I pour the matters several times into half tubs, without
disturbing the sediment at the bottom of the copper.
I then cover them up
and leave them to rest about four hours. During this time the impurities of
the tallow are precipitated to the bottom of the copper. Should any remain

page_text: T
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on the surface they must be removed as lightly as possible without disturbing
the bottom. The tallow should be put in another vessel to receive the fecula;
this vessel should be previously weighed, so as to allow the weight of the tallow
to be ascertained. The matter should be decanted with precaution, to avoid
disturbing the dregs, which are treated by another operation. I add the fecula
in the proportion of twelve parts to a one thousand parts of tallow to be manu-
factured. The fecula is deposited in a clean vessel of any kind large enough
to contain a part of the tallow. I pour upon the fecula a portion of the tallow
which becomes charged with part of it. I agitate it with a spatula, and pour
it on the mass of tallow to be treated. I agitate the mass after the addition of
,,this first part, and then make a second addition of tallow and fecula in a
similar manner.
If after twice pouring the fecula from one vessel to another it is not entirely
absorbed, it will be necessary to recommence until all the fecula is mixed,
taking care to agitate the mass each time fecula is added. The whole of the
fecula being introduced, I agitate the mass as violently as possible during about
twelve minutes, at the end of which time it should be recovered and left to
settle during four hours. After the tallow has received the fecula it should be
allowed to thicken, and not, be melted till three or four days afterwards. The
wicks should be made of well dried bleached cotton, having one hundred threads
for the candles of four or five to the pound, of ninety for those of six or seven
to. the pound, and of eighty for eights.
And having th described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into execution, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein laid down, as the same may be
modified or varied according to circumstances, so long as the principal features
of the Invention be retained; but what I claim as new and intended to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
The combination of rectified oil of turpentine and potato flour for improving
the manufacture of candles, as herein-before, described..
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of
...September, in the year of our. Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-four.
L' DE FONTAINEMOREAU. (L.S.)