IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED WHEN BURNING CANDLES
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY JONES, M.A., of Queen's College, Oxford, and of Chailey, in the County
of Sussex, Clerk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of
December (One thousand eight hundred and fifty), in the fourteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Henry Jones, my exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said William Henry Jones, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Henry Jones, my exors, adññiors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE
USED WHEN BURNING CANDLES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said William Henry Jones, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Henry Jones, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
"
The safety candle cap of which I claim the Invention, and to which I give
the distinguishing name of "acolyte " is formed, as that term denotes, so as to
rest "loosely" and "freely" on the upper end and margin of a burning candle,
and to descend by its own gravity gradually and "freely" (axwhúrw;-) as
the candle burns away. Its object is to prevent candles of all descriptions
from swaling or guttering and dropping their melted substance in draughts,
or when carried in the hand, as well as to give the power of using conveniently
with a candle a shade of paper or glass, &c., by its being attached to the
acolyte, so as to descend with it as the candle burns. It is essential to the
proper action of the "acolyte" that its upper part or "cap," which rests on the
candle's edge, should be made of some substance having considerable heat
couducting power, such as most metals have, for example, of silver, brass, and
others, in order that it may attract and radiate the heat produced by the flame,
and so regulate the supply of melted wax or tallow, or other "candle stuff
required by the wick. It is also essential to the due action of the "acolyte
that the heat conducting "cap" should be separated at its lower extremity
from the candle, so as not to approach its surface, and so melt the candle
below, and at the same time that it should by some method maintain its
perpendicularity. For this purpose I make use of a "guide" or ring encircling
the candle "loosely," and attached to the "cap" so as to keep it at a proper
distance from the candle below, and this "guide" is formed of some substance
of sinal heat conducting power, such as glass, wood, ivory, earthenware,
plaster of Paris, cement, and others. I prefer to use glass for such purposes,
particularly for the more costly ones; but, for cheapness, in the lower priced
instruments, I employ plaster of Paris. I make the "acolyte" of different
sizes and weights, thus adapting it to candles of all sizes and substances.
I also make it of such form and with such apparatus as may best support a
shade of glass or paper. When the candle burns away towards the socket of
the candlestick the "acolyte" rests upon the margin of the socket and a
portion of the candle remains unconsumed; I recommend, therefore, the use
of a "save-all" of the exact size of the candle, over which the acolyte may fall

page_text: freely as if over the candle itself, and so effect the entire consumption of the
candle. And for the more convenient effecting of this object I use candle-
sticks so constructed as to allow the acolyte to pass over the bottom of the
socket raised for this purpose (when the candle has burnt down) the full
height of the acolyte above the outer margin of the socket. For additional
convenience in the use of the acolyte I likewise attach to candlesticks "rests"
or stands to fit the "acolyte," on which it may be placed when not in use.
And I also make extinguishers to fit the "acolyte."
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a section, Figure 2 an external view, Figure 3 a plan of
an arrangement of apparatus according to my Invention. a, a, is the part
of metal, the part a¹ of which rests upon the top of the candle; the part b, as
shown, is of glass.
Figure 4 shows one of such apparatus (which I call "acolyte,") applied
to the top of a candle in order to show the mode of using the same.
Figure 5 shows a section, and Figure 6 an external view of another appa-
ratus differing only slightly in form, and having plaster of Paris or other
suitable coment applied as a non-conductor, and guide at 6 in place of the
glass shewn in the other Figures.
Figure 7 shows another form adapted to support a shade of glass or other
material.
Figure 8 shows the section of the upper part of a candlestick constructed
as described to facilitate the use of the acolyte in burning up the last portion
of a candle. It will be seen that the socket is deeper than in candlesticks as
ordinarily constructed, and the plug c, for lifting the lower part of the candle
as it burns away, is extended, as shown, and is capable of being raised some
distance above the top of the candlestick, so as when so raised (as indicated
by dotted lines) to act as a save-all, and admit of the acolyte passing on to
it, by which the whole of the candle may be consumed.
I am aware that it has been proposed to employ a cap of metal for the
purpose for which my acolyte is intended, and that it has also been proposed to
employ a cap of glass for the same purpose. I disclaim the use of such caps,
the former being of so great heat-conducting power as to melt the lower part
of the candle, and so cause obstruction to its descent; the latter being of so
low a heat-conducting power as to cause the accumulation of too great a
quantity of liquid substance around the wick as the candle burns, and thereby
increase its tendency to overflow. My acolyte is so constructed as to remedy

page_text: W. HENRY (L.S.) JONES.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of June, in
the year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid William Henry Jones came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifica-
tion aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.