IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NIGHT LIGHTS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert More Butt, of Fairfield Works, Bów, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF NIGHT LIGHTS."
Sealed the 29th May 1855, and dated the 15th March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert More Butt at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th March 1855.
I, ROBERT MORE BUTT, of Fairfield Works, Bow, in the County of Middle-
sex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF NIGHT LIGHTS" to be as follows:-
Heretofore in the manufacture of night lights, which are coated externally
with paper, it has been usual so to manufacture them that they require
when used to be immersed to a slight extent in water. Now, my objects are
so to construct night lights when cased with paper that they shall not require
to be immersed in water, and also to support the wicks in an improved
In constructing the paper cases for night lights, in place of simply
introducing the bottoms of the short cylinders of paper, I cause the bottom
and the cylinder for each night light to be formed either of one piece of paper,
or else I cover the joint and form it fluid-tight, and I saturate the case with a
solution of salt, suitable for rendering the paper uninflammable, as is well under-
stood when rendering paper uninflammable for other purposes. And in order

page_text: to support the wick of a night light, I introduce the wick, and fix it at its
bottom end in a small disc, and I support the wick, intermediate of its length,
by a metal support made in the form of a star or cross, or tripod, which, in
addition to supporting the wick, keeps it correctly centred. At the bottom of
such night lights I affix discs of woollen cloth, or such like non-conducting
material, in order to prevent the heat descending.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert More Butt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MORE BUTT, of Fairfield Works, Bow, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert More Butt, Her special licence that I, the said Robert More Butt,
mý executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert More Butt, 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 NIGHT LIGHTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert More Butt, 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 Robert More Butt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):
-
Heretofore in the manufacture of night lights, which are coated externally
with paper, it has been usual so to manufacture them that they require when
used to be immersed to a slight extent in water. Now, my objects are so to

page_text: construct night lights when cased with paper that they shall not require to be
immersed in water, and also to support the wicks in an improved manner. In
constructing the paper cases for night lights in place of simply introducing the
bottoms of the short cylinders of paper, I cause the bottom and the cylinder
for each night light to be formed either of one piece of paper, or else I cover
the joint, and form it fluid-tight, and I saturate the case with a solution of salt
suitable for rendering the paper uninflammable, as is well understood when
rendering paper uninflammable for other purposes. And in order to support
the wick of a night light, I introduce the wick, and fix it at its bottom end in
a small disc, and I support the wick intermediate of its length by a metal
support made in the form of a star or cross, or tripod, which, in addition to
supporting the wick, keeps it correctly centred.. At the bottom of such night
lights I affix discs of .woollen cloth, or such like non-conducting material, in
order to prevent the heat descending...
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same..
The object of this Invention is, as above stated, to manufacture the paper
cases of night lights in such manner that they shall not require to be partly
immersed. in. water. when being used; for which purpose it is necessary to
render the paper uninflammable, also to close the bottom of each case or box
in such manner as to make it fluid-tight, and also to avoid making a hole
through the bottom to fasten the wick. For these purposes 1 cause the paper
used for making the boxes or cases of night lights to be impregnated with a
salt which is known to prevent paper burning with a flame, and for this
purpose I prefer to use a saturated solution of sal-amoniac, but do not confine
myself thereto. In order to support and correctly to centre the wick without
making a hole through the bottom of a case or box for a night light, I employ
two thin pieces of tin or other metal, in one of which the wick is fixed, and
the second is formed with radial arms with a hole in the centre, by which the
wick is truly centred, and by which. it is also upheld at a point above
the bottom of the box or case; and with a view to prevent such a night light
becoming hot at the bottom, a disc of woollen-cloth, felt, stout paper rendered
uninflammable, or other imperfect conductor of heat, is fixed,, which will
admit of such a night light being burned on wood or other surface without
injury.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a section of a night light; Figure 2 shows a plan of the two
parts of the wick holder. The paper case a is either to be formed of one
piece, or to be made in like manner to a box, the bottom being separate. The

page_text: b
joints, when using several pieces to make a case, are to be covered and cemented
over so as to close all parts fluid-tight, in order to prevent the melted stuff of
which the night light is composed passing through. b, c, are the two parts of
which the wick supported is composed; the wick d is passed through the
lower piece e, and upset at the end. The part 6 is made with three or more
radial arms, which are bent to a convex form on the upper side, so that the
central portion through which the wick passes comes some way up the wick,
and thus sustains it from falling over when the stuff is melted, and the radial
arms centre the wick in the case or box. e is a disc of woollen or stout paper
rendered uninflammable, or other fabric to act as a non-conductor of heat.
I would remark that the impregnating of the paper of which the cases or
boxes for night lights are made (with a salt known to prevent paper burning
with a flame) may be performed before or after making the cases or boxes.
I prefer to prepare or impregnate the paper first, excepting when the cases are
made entire from the paper pulp.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
combination herein described for making night lights, which, though covered
with paper, do not require to be partly immersed in water when used.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert More Butt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
R. M. BUTT. (L.S.)
Witness,
JAMES ALFRED LANG,
Clerk to the British Sperm Candle Company,
Fairfield Works, Bow.