IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NIGHT LIGHTS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Field, of Lambeth Marsh, in the County
of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
NIGHT LIGHTS."
Sealed the 19th April 1865, and dated the 7th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Field at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
November 1864.
I, ARTHUR FIELD, of Lambeth Marsh, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF NIGHT LIGHTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of night
lights.
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, and dated 22nd July
1851 (No. 13,696), there is described the making of night lights with cases
of gelatine; these, however, have not been extensively used, for when made in
the manner described in the said Specification they are liable to split. To
overcome this inconvenience in place of putting the gelatine case on to the
moulded fat or night light material immediately after taking it off the form on
which it is made, and whilst it is still wet, I take it off the first form and put
it to dry on to another form, of similar shape, but of smaller size, so that the
case is allowed to contract as it dries, and when dry the fat or night light

page_text: material is put into it. Cases which are thus allowed freely to contract
before filling will be found much less liable to crack.
Also, in place of making the cases of gelatine only, as heretofore, I mix
glycerine with the gelatine conveniently in the proportion of about one part of
glycerine to fifteen parts of gelatine. When this composition is used in the
manufacture of cases they will when dry be softer and more pliable, and
consequently less liable to crack than when gelatine only is employed.
Also, according to my Invention, I employ as the night light material
paraffine by preference mixed with stearine or other fatty matter, which
causes it to burn away at a slower rate than it otherwise would. A suitable
proportion is about one part of paraffine to two parts of stearine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur Field in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
FIELD, of Lambeth Marsh, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Arthur Field, Her special licence that I, the said Arthur Field,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Arthur Field, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF NIGHT-LIGHTS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Arthur Field, 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 Arthur Field, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
.
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of night-
lights.
f
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, and dated 22nd July
1851 (No. 13,696), there is described the making of night lights with cases
of gelatine; these, however, have not been extensively used, for when made
in the manner described in the said Specification. they are liable to split. To
overcome this inconvenience in place of putting the gelatine case on to the
moulded fat or night light material immediately after taking it off the form
on which it is made, and whilst it is still wet, I take it off the first form and
put it to dry on to another form of similar shape but of smaller size, so that
the case is allowed to contract as it dries, and when dry the fat or night light
material is put into it. Cases which are thus allowed freely to contract
before filling will be found much less liable to crack.
Also, in place of making the cases of gelatine only, as heretofore, I mix
glycerine with the gelatine conveniently in the proportion of about one part
of glycerine to fifteen parts of gelatine. When this composition is used in
the manufacture of cases they will when dry be softer and more pliable, and
consequently less liable to crack than when gelatine only is employed.
Also, according to my Invention, I employ as the night light material,
paraffine by preference mixed with stearine or other fatty matter, which
causes it to burn away at a slower rate than it otherwise would. A suitable
proportion is about one part of paraffine to two parts of stearine.
The following is the manner in which I prefer to proceed :-I prepare a
solution of gelatine, and for this purpose I take, say, fifteen lbs. of gelatine
and soak it in three gallons of cold water until it is thoroughly swelled; the
whole is then melted by immersing the vessel containing it in a pot in which
water is boiling over a fire; when the gelatine is melted the vessel is removed
from the fire, and there is added one lb. of glycerine which is well stirred in.
The cases are made from this composition by dipping into it moulds or forms
such as that shown at Figure 1; these moulds or forms I prefer to make of
boxwood polished on the surface, and in dipping them they are immersed
nearly up to the top of the bulb; the moulds or forms are then placed with
the bulb upwards in a rack where it is left until the film of gelatine
upon it has set. The gelatine whilst it is still moist, and as soon as it is
sufficiently firm to bear handling, is taken off the first mould or form and put
on a similar but smaller mould or form, Figure 2, which latter corresponds
in size with the night light case which it is desired to produce, and the

page_text: gelatine gradually shrinks until it comes to the size of the second form. In
this manner night light cases are produced which are not liable to crack, and
even if the gelatine employed be unmixed with glycerine the cases will be
much sounder than any heretofore made from gelatine. I use as a night
light material, whether it be with gelatine or other cases a mixture of paraffine
and stearine or other fatty matter. I prefer to employ one part of paraffine
and two parts of stearine, by preference that obtained by pressing tallow ;
palm and other stearine may, however, also be employed.
L In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Field, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
ARTHUR FIELD. (L.S.)