IMPROVEMENTS IN TALLOW CANDLES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Mathieu do Albytre, of Bordeaux, (Ruo Laporte
No. 14,) Department of the Gironde, in the Empire of France, Gentle-
man for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TALLOW CANDLES."
Scaled the 23rd November 1861, and dated the 27th May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Mathieu de Albytre at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents with his Petition, on the 27th
May 1861.
I, MATHIEU DE ALBYTRE, of Bordeaux, (Rue Laporte No. 14,) Depart-
ment of the Gironde, in the Empire of France, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TALLOW CANDLES," to
be as follows:-
With 112 lbs. of tallow, melted by steam, water bath, or open fire (the
two latter methods preferred), mix alumina (pectine) precipitated about 13
ounces, essenco of lavendula spica 1½ ounces, (or other essences may be em.
ployed); heat about 40 minutes, care being taken to stir well so as to separate
the alumina and cause it to combine with the tallow; then add white chlorine
of zinc about 20 ounces, chlorure of lead (boiling) about 2 ounces, continue
the heat from forty to forty-five minutes, stirring the mass with a spatula,
or otherwise withdraw it from the fire, when tho scum shews nearly black and
the whole is dissolved, then strain off and allow to cool. It is then ready for
the moulds. For candles six to the pound use twenty to twenty-two threaded
wicks; for five to the pound, twenty-eight to thirty-four threads to the wick.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Mathieu de Albytre in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATHIEU
DE ALBYTRE, of Bordeaux, Rue Laporte No. 14, Department of the Gironde,
in the Empire of France, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Mathieu de Albytre, Her special licence that I, the said Mathieu de Albytre,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Mathieu
de Albytre, 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 TALLOW
CANDLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Mathieu de
Albytre, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Mathien de Albytre, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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:-
I take, say, one hundred and twelve pounds weight of tallow, and melt by
steam, water bath, or open fire, giving preference to the two latter methods, and
when it has been fused I add about thirteen ounces of alumina precipitated
by ammonia, I then pour in about one onnce and a half of essence of
spikenard ("lavendula spica,") but other essences may be used if preferred,
I heat about forty-two minutes, taking care to keep constantly stirring
in order to divide or separate the alumina and cause it to combine with
the tallow, I then add about twenty ounces of chlorure of zinc, (the chlorure
of zinc which I use must be perfectly white, and it is prepared in an
alembic or mattrass in which zinc cut into very small pieces is placed in

page_text: a sufficient quantity of acid to dissolve it). To this I add about twenty
ounces of chlorure of lead boiled or in pulp, and then the same quantity of
solid chlorure of zinc, I then continue to heat for from forty to forty-five
minutes, being scrupulously careful to keep constantly stirring the mass with
a spatula, I remove the composition from the fire when the scum is nearly
black and the dissolution of the matters complete, I then pour the mass into
a trough or tub, or by preference into a glazed earthen pan, well stirring, after
which I allow it to rest until I desire to pass it into the moulds. When I am
manufacturing candles of six to the pound I use from twenty to twenty-three
threads for the wick, and for those of five to the pound from twenty-eight to
thirty-four threads. By these means I obtain candles, one pound of which will
give light for from eighty to eighty-five hours and which while in whiteness and
consistence almost equal to wax will not cost more than the commonest candles
now made. In conclusion I would observo that I do not bind myself to the
precise relative proportions therein given as they must necessarily vary occasion-
ally with the quality of the ingredients and for other reasons.
In witness whereof, I, the said Mathieu de Albytre, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
MATHIEU DE ALBYTRE. (L.S.)