IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING CANDLES BY DIPPING, AND IN THE SELF-FEEDING AR MIN TAZZONE VISORY OR MOTTED MURDEAD
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clements Ralston, of the Firm of Ralston
and Clements, Soap and Candle Manufacturers, of Newry, in the County
of Armagh, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING CANDLES BY DIPPING, AND IN THE SELF-FEEDING
AR
MIN TAZZONE VISORY OR MOTTED MURDEAD"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clements Ralston
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th June 1867.
I, JOHN CLEMENTS RALSTON, of the Firm of Ralston and Clements, Soap
and Candle Manufacturers, of Newry, in the County of Armagh, Ireland,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING CANDLES BY DIPPING, AND IN THE SELF-
FEEDING OF THE TALLOW VESSEL OR MOULD THEREOF," to be as follows:--
This Invention relates to apparatus for making dipped candles, by the aid
of which a much superior article may be produced than by the ordinary hand
method, and a great saving in manual labor effected, as one workman can dip
from 24 to 72 rods of candles, according to the size of the machine, in the
same time as six or eight rods would require by the hand method.
The dipping apparatus is mounted in suitable framing, at one end of which
is a large drum turning in bearings at the upper part of said framing; a rake
or dipper is suspended from this drum by belting attached to same, and

page_text: provided with a counterpoise. The rods from which the wicks are suspended
are placed in blocks, each block being successively lowered by the dipper into
the tallow mould at the lower part of the apparatus by rotating the drum by
the aid of straps passing over pullies mounted on its axis at either side of the
framing. The rake or dipper carrying the rods and wicks is raised out of
the mould by turning the drum in the contrary direction, a sliding frame
pushing each block of rods and wicks from the rake or dipper through grooves
made in the upper stage of the framing on to a dropping frame at the opposite
end of the machine. The sliding frame is provided with counterbalance
weights, and is actuated by a cord passing around a small drum to a second
sliding frame placed parallel with the grooves of a lower stage at the other
end of the apparatus; said drum is mounted in bearings on the framing, and
is provided with toothed gearing operated by a winch handle, by turning which
in one or other direction the sliding frames are actuated alternately. The
dropping frame above mentioned is attached to the rake drum by bands
passing over a roller at the other end of the apparatus, and rising and falling
in grooves of the end frames, the movements of the dropping frame being
simultaneous with that of the rake. When the blocks are received on the
arms of the dropping frame, the latter, together with the rake, are lowered
until they are brought on a level with the lower set of grooves; the winch
handle is then turned for actuating the second sliding frame, which removes
the rods and wicks from the dropping frame, pushing them through the lower
grooves on to the rake; the large drum is then revolved for lowering the
rake and wicks into the tallow mould for receiving another layer of tallow,
the operation being repeated as often as required. A metal plate is placed
alongside the mould heated by rows of gas jets from underneath, over which
the candles are caused to pass in their traverse through the machine in order
to remove any inequalities from their ends; the plate is adjusted in position
with regard to the candles by the aid of a lever handle.
The Invention further relates to the self-feeding action of the tallow mould.
For this purpose the mould is provided with rows of gas burners underneath
for keeping the tallow in the proper degree of heat, and at one end of same
there is a vessel by means of which the mould is kept self-supplied with
tallow; this vessel is provided with a syphon tube pivotted thereon, having a
counterbalance at one end, the other end being attached to a wood float which
rises and falls in the mould as it fills or becomes empty; said float is adjusted
in position on the syphon tube by the aid of screws for the purpose of regu-
lating the height to which the surface of the tallow is to rise; this is effected

page_text: by the aid of a valve at the lower part of the syphon tube in the tallow vessel,
and opening downwards by its own weight when the float sinks so as to
admit tallow to the mould until it again rises to its proper level, when the
valve again closes. A funnel mouth is provided at one part of the syphon for
filling it on starting; for this purpose the stop-cock above the float is closed,
and the valve in the tallow vessel above-mentioned pressed down, after which
by closing the funnel cock and opening that of float the syphon will commence
to act as desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Clements Ralston in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CLEMENTS RALSTON, of the Firm of Ralston and Clements, Soap and Candle
Manufacturers, of Newry, in the County of Armagh, Ireland, send.
greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters:
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One.
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,.
did,. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant- unto me, the said
John Clements Ralston, Her special licence that I, the said John Clements.
Ralston, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Clements Ralston, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING CANDLES BY DIPPING, AND IN
THE SELF-FEEDING OF THE TALLOW VESSEL OR MOULD THEREOF," upon the con-
dition (amongst others). that I, the said John Clements Ralston, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Clements Ralston, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention relates to apparatus for making dipped candles, by the aid
of which a much superior article may be produced than by the ordinary hand
method, and a great saving in manual labor effected, as one workman can dip
from twenty-four to seventy-two rods of candles, according to the size of the
machine, in the same time as six or eight rods would require by the hand method.
The dipping apparatus is mounted in a suitable framing, at one end of
which there is a large drum turning in bearings at the upper part of said
framing. A rake is dipped or suspended from the drum belting attached
to the same and provided with a counterpoise. The rods from which the
wicks are suspended are placed in blocks, each set of blocks being successively
lowered by the dipper into the tallow mould at the lower part of the apparatus
by rotating the drum, by the aid of straps passing over pullies mounted on its
axis at either side of the framing; the rake or dipper carrying the rods and
wicks is then raised out of the mould by turning the drum in the contrary
direction, a sliding frame pushing each set of blocks with rods and wicks from
the rake or dipper through grooves made in the upper stages of the framing
on to a dropping frame at the opposite end of the machine. The sliding
frame is provided with counterbalance weights, and is actuated by a
passing around a small dram to a second sliding frame placed in a line with
the grooves of a lower stage at the other end of the apparatus, said drum is
mounted in bearings in the framing, and is provided with toothed gearing
operated by a winch handle. The dropping frame above mentioned is attached
to the rake drum by a belt passing over a roller at the other end of the
apparatus, rising and falling in grooves of the end frame, the movement of the
When the blocks
dropping frame being simultaneous with that of the rake.
are received in the dropping frame the rake and consequently the dropping
frame are lowered until they are brought on a level with a lower set of
grooves; the winch handle is then turned actuating the second sliding frame,
which removes the rods and wicks from the dropping frame, pushing them
through the lower grooves on to the rake; the large drum is then revolved,
lowering the rake and wicks into the tallow mould for receiving another layer
of tallow, the operation being repeated as often as required. A metal plate
is placed alongside the mould heated by rows of gas jets from underneath,
belt

page_text: over which the candles are caused to pass in their traverse through the
machine in order to remove any inequalities from their ends. The plate is
adjusted in position with regard to the candles by the aid of a rack-and-pinion
movement or communicated by a lever handle.
The Invention further relates to the self-feeding action of the tallow mould.
For this purpose the mould is provided with rows of gas burners underneath
for keeping the tallow at the proper degree of heat, and at one end of same
there is a vessel by means of which the mould is kept self-supplied with
tallow; this vessel is provided with a syphon tube pivotted thereon, having a
counterbalance at one end, the other being attached to a wood float which
rises and falls in the mould as it fills or becomes empty; said float is adjusted
in position on the syphon tube by the aid of screws for the purpose of regulating
the height to which the surface of the tallow is to rise; this is effected by the
aid of a valve at the lower part of the syphon tube in the tallow vessel and
opening downwards by its own weight when the float sinks, so as to admit
tallow to the mould until it again rises to its proper level, when the valve
again closes. A funnel mouth is provided at one part of the syphon for filling
it on starting; for this purpose the stop-cock above the float is closed and the
valve in the tallow vessel above mentioned pressed down, after which by.
closing the funnel cock and opening that of float the syphon will commence to
Figure
Drawing
epresents
for the manufacture of dipped candles; Figures 2 and 3 being views of
opposite ends of the same.
A, A, is a suitable framing having a drum B mounted at one end, from
which is suspended, the rake or dipping frame C, separately represented at
Figure 4, by means of belting D attached to the drum, which is further pro-
vided with a counterpoise E. The dipping frame C sliding in the end frames A
carries the wicks a, a, which are placed on rods a¹, a', Figure 3, fitted in
blocks b, as shown separately in plan at Figure 5 and section Figure 6; this
dipping frame is suspended over a tallow mould F at the lower part of the
apparatus, into which it is lowered with the wicks by rotating drum B by the
aid of straps c, c, attached to pullies d, d, mounted outside the framing at each
end of said drum. After receiving the tallow from the mould the dipper
carrying the wicks and rods a¹, a', is raised therefrom by rotating the drum B
in the reverse direction by the straps c', c', to a sufficient height to bring it

page_text: a
opposite sliding frame G connected by means of a belt e passing round a
drumf mounted in suitable bearings in the side frames A, A, and attached at
the other end of the machine to a second sliding frame G¹ placed at a lower
level, as will be presently referred to. The drum f is provided with toothed
gearing 9 and winch handle h, by rotating which the belt eis caused to operate
the sliding frame G so as to remove each block of rods and wicks in succession
from the dipper into the grooves i, i, of framing A, whence they pass on to the
bars b of a dropping frame I disposed at the opposite end of the machine.
This dropping frame is connected to the large drum B, before mentioned by
means of bands k, k, attached thereto,. and passing over a roller at the
opposite end of the machine to said drum from which it is suspended. The
dropping frame H is fitted to rise and fall in grooves in the end framing, as
shown, and on the drum B being rotated as before explained by the straps c, c,
the dropping frame will be lowered simultaneously with the dipper C, depositing
the blocks on brackets H¹ so as to bring them together with the wick blocks
on a level with the lower row of grooves 1, 2, in the frames A, into
which the wick blocks are immediately introduced and passed through the
grooves ¹, i, by the aid of a second sliding frame G¹ before referred to as
connected to the belting of drum f, which is effected by operating the winchi
handle h. In this manner the wick blocks bare again delivered on to the
dipper C in readiness for receiving another layer of tallow by the lowering of
said dipper into the mould F by the aid of the drum B, as before described, the
operation being repeated as often as necessary, thus a continuous action is
maintained, the wicks being dipped, passed through the machine, and trans-
ferred to a lower level to be again delivered to the dipper, and so on. The
sliding frames G, G¹, after removing the blocks from the dipper and dropping
frame are returned to position by means of the weighted cords and pullies m, m,
at either end of the machine. I is a metal plate placed near the tallow mould F,
heated by gas jets n, n, as seen, by means of which any inequalities may be
removed from the ends of the candles before passing out of the machine, said
plate being raised by the aid of a rack and pinion, or motion may be com-
municated by means of a lever p so as to bring it in contact with the candle
ends.
The advantages of this machine over the ordinary hand method as regards
speed are, that the workman can dip at once from twenty-four up to seventy-
two rods of candles, according to the size of the machine, while by hand only
six or eight rods can be dipped in the same time, while the workman being
able to balance the weight accurately by means of the counterpoise E can

page_text: readily manage the largest sized machines. Further, on account of all the
candles passing through the same currents of air by moving over every part of
the machine in turn they are all equally exposed while dipping, and so are
when finished as nearly as possible equal in size, which is an important
advantage. This machine is extremely simple in its action, and from the
extreme steadiness of every motion there is not the slightest tendency in the
candles to stick together.
My Invention further relates to a means of obtaining the self-feeding action
of the tallow mould F. This improvement is represented in Figure 7 of the
Drawings, which shows a side view of the mould, partly in section, on an
enlarged scale to the other Figures; for this purpose I provide a row of gas
jets F underneath the mould for keeping the tallow contained sufficiently
heated, and at one end of said mould I place a vessel or receptacle K for
keeping the mould supplied with tallow by a self-acting arrangement, said
tallow vessel being also heated by gas jets s at its under part. I obtain the self-
feeding action by means of a syphon pipe L pivotted to the tallow vessel at t,
one end of which is weighted at u, u, while the other and depending portion v
is received in the mould F, where it is provided with a float w which rises and
falls with the syphon pipe L according to the amount of tallow in the mould,
the position of the float for regulating the height to which the tallow may rise
being adjusted by the screws a. The tallow is supplied from the vessel K
through the other limb L' of the syphon pipe L, depending in said vessel and
having a valve y at its bottom end, which opens as the float w sinks in the
mould, when the supply of tallow falls short in order to admit the melted
tallow to the open end of the syphon pipe, which passes through said pipe to
the lower part of said mould F at the bent arm, as shown, and when the
level of the tallow rises the syphon will be again raised by the float w so as to
close the valve y and cut off the supply from vessel K; a funnel M is placed
on the syphon for filling it at starting, for which purpose the stop-cock N
above the float is closed, as also the valve y in the tallow vessel K, after
which by closing the cock of funnel M, and opening N, the syphon at once acts
as desired for supplying the mould with tallow.
.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
First, the arrangement and combination of parts forming an improved
machine for the manufacture of dipped candles, as herein-before described and
illustrated in the Drawings.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the means and apparatus for obtaining the self-feeding
of the tallow mould, all as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clements Ralston, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN CLEMENTS RALSTON. (L.S.)