IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SNUFFLESS DIP CANDLES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Blinkhorn, of St. Helen's, in the
County of Lancaster, Candle Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SNUFFLESS DIP CANDLES, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 30th June 1868, and dated the 4th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John
Blinkhorn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th January 1868.
I, WILLIAM JOHN BLINKHORN, of St. Helen's, in the County of
Lancaster, Candle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SNUFFLESS DIP
CANDLES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to produce snuffless dip candles con-
taining one, two, or more wicks of a better quality as regards hardness
and appearance than those hitherto made, and this whilst simplifying
the manufacture in fact reducing the cost for labour and plant.
. In carrying my improvements into effect I proceed as follows:-I first
stretch a length of wick, single or multiple wicks can be used, in lines
parallel or nearly parallel to each other on and between fixed points,
such fixed points being formed on in or as part of a holding and dipping
frame constructed as hereafter described. Whilst the said lines of wick

page_text: are so formed I dip them for a length of time in the melted composition
sufficient to coat them thinly, and yet enough to render them rigid when
the composition has cooled. After this the lines are cut through near
one row of fixed points, and the candle cores left suspended and ready
for further dipping. Instead of forming candle cores I sometimes
complete the dipping during the time the wick is stretched in lines.
The holding and dipping frame consists of two longitudinal bars with
projecting pins or studs formed or fitted thereon on both sides at short
distances apart. These pins or studs are the fixed points between which
the wick is stretched; transverse pieces connect the two longitudinal
bars and keep them at proper distances apart. When the wick cores
or candles are made as above described and cut off near one row of fixed
points on one of the longitudinal bars the said transverse pieces and one
of the longitudinal bars can be removed, and the candle cores or candles
left suspended from a simple bar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William John Blinkhorn in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHN BLINKHORN, of St. Helen's, in the County of Lancaster, Candle
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William John Blinkhorn, Her special license
that I, the said William John Blinkhorn, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William John Blinkhorn, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF SHUFFLESS DIP CANDLES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William

page_text: John Blinkhorn, 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 William John Blinkhorn, 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 thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and letters thereon,
that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to produce snuffless dip candles
containing one, two, or more plaited or other wicks of a better quality
as regards hardness and appearance than those hitherto made, and this
whilst simplifying the manufacture in fact reducing the cost for labour
and plant.
In carrying my improvements into effect I proceed as follows:-Į
first stretch a length of wick, single or multiple wicks can be used, in
lines parallel or nearly parallel to each other on and between fixed points,
such fixed points being formed on in or as part of a holding and dipping
frame constructed as hereafter described. Whilst the said lines of wick
are so formed I dip them for a length of time in the melted composition
sufficient to coat them thinly and yet enough to render them rigid
when the composition or candle stuff has cooled. After this the liues
are cut through near one row of fixed points, and the candle cores
left suspended and ready for further dipping. Instead of forming candle
cores I sometimes complete the dipping during the time the wick is
stretched in lines.
The holding and dipping frame consists of two longitudinal bars with
projecting pins or studs formed or fitted thereon on both sides at short
distances apart. These pins or studs are the fixed points between, which
the wick is stretched; transverse pieces connect the two longitudinal
bars and keep them at proper distances apart. When the wick cores
or candles are made as above described and cut off near one row of
ixed points on one of the longitudinal bars the said transverse pieces
nd one of the longitudinal bars can be removed, and the candle cores
r candles left suspended from a single bar.

page_text: The manner in which the wick is stretched in lines according to my
Invention, and the construction of the holding or dipping frame to be
employed are represented on the accompanying Sheet of illustrative
Drawings. Fig. 1 being a side elevation; Fig. 2 an end elevation, and
Fig. 3 another side elevation shewing the frame separated and candle
cores ready for further dipping suspended therefrom as hereafter will
appear. In all these views like letters denote the same parts.
a, a', are the longitudinal bars constructed with a row or line of pins
or studs on two of their sides; on a the pins or studs are marked b, and
on a¹ they are marked 6'. It will be obvious these pins or studs might
be formed on one side only of the said bars, but it is an important
feature of my Invention, for convenience in distending the wick and
preventing waste of it that they should be placed on the sides in the
same plane; c, c', transverse pieces to connect a and a¹ when the frame
is to be used, removeable pins d, d', being provided to bind the
parts in proper position; e, the wick shewn single and composed of
parallel threads. I would have it understood nevertheless that double,
treble, or multiple wicks can be used with equal facility, and that these
can be plaited, gimped, or otherwise prepared as may be considered best.
In ordinary practice I prefer a single plaited wick. Candles of any
required length can be made by moving a on c and c¹, and fixing it by
passing d and d¹ through the desired opening. The wick is stretched
in the following manner :-One end of it, a knot having first been made
thereon, is placed in a saw draught a*, and is led therefrom backwards
and forwards between 6 and 6' on the same side of the frame and is
finally tied at the end to one of the pins or otherwise; or instead of being
tied it is led preferably over to the other side and there distended in a
similar way. After the wick has been stretched as described the frame
is taken to the vat containing the fatty material and dipped therein, by
preference vertically up to or near to the longitudinal frame a.
loops or parts of the wick passing over 6 are thereby left untouched
by the candle stuff; this is a great convenience both in "pounding "
and lighting, and is in every respect desireable. If candle cores only
are to be made, and this is what I prefer in practice, dipping once or
twice will be sufficient, but if the dipping is to be completed before the
wicks are cut repeated dipping must be made until the required thick-
ness has been attained. In either case the next part of the manufacture
is to take a knife and run it along the bar a' first on one side and then
on the other so as thereby to sever the wicks; this being done the
The

page_text: pins d, d', are removed, and the frame a removed from c, c¹, and a¹.
In Fig. 3 the parts are shewn in position after the lines of wick have
been cut, candle cores 6* are shewn as suspended from a. In both
Figs. 1 and 3, the fixed points 6' are placed two and two, close together,
so as to render the portions of wick cut off as short as may be. Of course
when candles are to be made the fixed points must be sufficiently
far apart to allow the proper thicknesses of the candles to be reached.
A modification of the holding or dipping frame, called by me the
duplex frame, is represented by Figs. 4 and 5, the former a side, and the
latter an end elevation. Here the distance between the fixed points f, f',
secured on the longitudinal bars g, g', is equal to the length of two
candles; g and g' are connected by the transverse pieces h and h³, and
fastening pins i, i, are used to bind the several parts in position; j is the
wick. When dipping with a frame of this double width the loops of
one of the rows of candles would get saturated or covered with the candle
stuff. After dipping the coated wicks are separated by a knife in the
case of candles of equal length at the dotted line A, B, the pins i, i,
withdrawn, and 9 and g¹ freed and carried away with the cores to
be further dipped or the candles to be gathered and "pounded as the
case may be.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and par-
ticularized the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First. Stretching a single or multiple wick in lines between fixed
points, substantially as described, and coating or dipping the same,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The holding and dipping frame constructed substantially as
described and shewn on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William John Blinkhorn, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
WILLIAM JOHN BLINKHORN. (L.S.)