Improvements in the Manufacture of Bars of Sealing-wax with Wicks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1893-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1893
Improvements in the Manufacture of Bars of Sealing-wax with
Wicks.
I, GEORG KRESSEL, of 10, Mittel Street, Brengenz, Lindau, Austria,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved method of manufacturing bars of sealing-
wax to be used without the aid of a light for melting the same. Ordinary bars of
sealing-wax with single twisted cotton wicks do not light very quickly and
extinguish easily. However if the same are saturated with an easily inflammable
substance, for instance, such as wax, a strong smoky flame is obtained and the
glowing wicks grease the sealing-wax.
According to this invention a direct impregnation of the wick is obviated and the
sealing wax itself caused to penetrate the wick and effect a ready and complete
burning of the wick. For this purpose loosely woven wicks are employed in lieu of
twisted ones and by extending the same they are considerably opened and thus an
easy penetration of the liquid sealing-wax attained. The absorption of the
sealing-wax is also facilitated by an addition of camphor-oil and by excluding any
specific heavy ingredience which ordinary sealing wax contains, in particular cawk,
chlack, gipsiun, cinnabar, vermilion, and the like. In lieu of the said earthy
colours organic colours are used in particular aniline colours. The sealing wax
candles thus produced burn slowly, free of smoke, do not extinguish and separate
no glowing sparks.
The said sealing-wax candles possess also the advantage that their production and
use is not injurious to health, the smell resulting from the manufacture of the
sealing-wax heretofore in use being such to render the existance of such works
nearly impossible near inhabited districts. The use of such sealing-wax has also
been anything but agreeable or conducive to health.
In this invention the poisonous mineral colours containing quick-silver sulphor,
lead and arsenic and the like are not only obviated and substituted by organic
colouring matter free of poison, but also the impure state of the turpentine and
shellac previous to being worked up which produces the benzine smell of the molten
sealing-wax is also obviated. Organic colouring matter going very far, very little
of the same will be sufficient to colour the sealing-wax.
To divide the colouring matters equally in the shellac the same are used in an
enriched alcoholic solution.
:-
The method of manufacturing bars of sealing-wax thus takes place as follows:-
Six kilograms of purified white Venetian turpentine are, melted with five
kilograms of shellac freed from fatty acids and with about 50 grammes of camphor,
oil to which is added an enriched solution of 10-20 grammes of organic colouring
matter in spirit free of poison. This matter is melted around the wick which is
extended. The purifying of the Venetian turpentine takes place by boiling the
same in five parts of water. All impurities particularly acids will join the water.
After having become cold the turpentine is washed out by cold water and dried.
The shellac may be purified in the well known manner by soda and ultimately
treated with acids.
However this treatment is not very suitable for the purpose of this invention, as
shellac thus purified still contains a certain amount of acid, which renders the
manufacture and use of such sealing-wax injurious to health. It is thus of
advantage to remove the fatty acid from the shellac, which it contains in quantity
up to 10 per cent., by boiling it with four parts of spirit and afterwards distilling the

page_text: spirit. The residue in the boiler forms two layers, the perfectly pure shellac being
at the top and the fatty acid in cake form at the bottom, which after being
separated does not combine again with shellac. The latter is dried before
being worked up.
To mould the sealing-wax I prefer to employ the apparatus illustrated in the
annexed drawing.
For instance, if it is desired to manufacture bars of square and semi-oval section,
a mould or frame, as shown in Fig. 1 is used, which is placed on a marble slab.
The separate moulds a, a, are formed by the longitudinal bars b, b, and the cross
bars c, c, and the division pieces d, d. The longitudinal and cross bars are
connected together by recessing the same double whilst the division pieces are
simply let into the longitudinal bars. The wick is threaded through the holes e in
the longitudinal bars. After the mould has gone cold the wick is cut between each
two holes and the frame lifted off.
To produce bars round in section, the mould shown in Fig. 2 is employed.
In the upright plate fare formed semi cylindrical openings g, which at their
lower ends are conical and have a small opening i, two such plates hinged together
forming a mould. To facilitate the introduction of the wick holders k are arranged
on the upper smaller end of the plate, to which the wick is fastened and threaded
through the cylindrical holes. After pressing the two plates securely together the
sealing-wax is poured from the top into the said cylindrical holes, the finished bars
being removed by throwing back the plates after having been cooled.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim, is―
1st. The method of manufacturing bars of sealing-wax with wicks, consisting in
pouring sealing-wax matter composed of such as turpentine, shellac and camphor
oil, around a wick extended rigidly and formed of loosely woven cotton strands for
the purpose of increasing the burning qualities of the bars of sealing-wax and of
obviating soot, after glowing and impurity of the sealing-wax through sparks,
substantially as set forth.
2nd. In the method specified in the preceding claim, the use of organic colouring
matter free of poison in concentrated alcoholic solution, as well as of purified
turpentine and shellac free of acid for the purpose of obviating in the manufacture
and use of bars of sealing-wax, the benzine like smell which is injurious to health,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 2nd den of Iul 1002
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.