IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING CANDLES GUTTERING OR DROPPING, AND WHICH PERMIT THE USE OF AN ORDINARY CANDLE AS A NIGHT LIGHT
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Charles Steane and Frank Alexander Steane,
both of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Candle Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING CANDLES
GUTTERING OR DROPPING, AND WHICH PERMIT THE USE OF AN ORDINARY CANDLE
AS A NIGHT LIGHT."
Sealed the 20th December 1864, and dated the 27th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Charles Steane and
Frank Alexander Steane at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 27th June 1864.
We, HENRY CHARLES STEANE and FRANK ALEXANDER STEANE, both of Brixton,
in the County of Surrey, Candle Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING CANDLES
GUTTERING OR DROPPING, AND WHICH PERMIT THE USE OF AN ORDINARY CANDLE AS A
NIGHT LIGHT," to be as follows:-
Our proposed apparatus for preventing candles from guttering or dropping,
when lit and moved from place to place, or exposed to a draught consists of a
cap composed of an inner tube or ring, usually from to of an inch in depth,
open top and bottom, and of sufficient diameter to permit an ordinary candle
to pass through it, the bottom of this inner tube joins an outer tube or cylinder
of larger diameter, the bottom of which is closed so as to leave between the

page_text: two tubes a circular channel or gutter of say from one-eighth to one-quarter of
an inch broad; this outer tube rises vertically say one inch, and then terminates
in a cone rising, say about another inch and having an orifice at the top, the
inner and outer tubes being either of one piece or joined round the entire
circumference of their lower edge, so as to form a bottom to the circular
formed by the difference of diameter between the exterior cylinder and the
inner ring which it will thus carry. The vertical part of the outer tube may
also be of one piece with the conical part, or in two pieces screwing on to each
other, or otherwise united.
space
The application will be as follows:-The apparatus is passed over the
candle (which the inner ring or tube closely embraces) until the wick passes
through the orifice at the apex of the cone, which then rests on the top of the
candle. Now if the candle be moved about, the melted tallow or composition
which might otherwise drop about the place or which if any cap hitherto in-
vented were used would gutter down the candle and on to the candlestick, giving
both an unsightly appearance, will be caught and retained in the circular
channel or gutter; further, the vacant space left between the outer cylinder and
the candle keeps this latter cool and the grease from its sides. As the candle
consumes, the cap by its own weight descends along it, the inner tube or ring
keeping the cap always upright on the candle. The space for circulation of
air between the inner circumference of the cap and sides of the candle which is
one of the main objects of our Invention might also be obtained, and the circular
channel or cup formed by bending up the bottom edges of the cap which would
thus act like the inner ring or tube above described.
Our Invention further consists in an apparatus by the use of which we
purpose to make an ordinary candle burn so slowly as to permit its use as a
night light. We purpose placing on the apparatus above described, a dome
shaped cap made of wire gauze strengthened and kept circular by a ring at
bottom, and having an orifice formed by a ring at top, for the passage of the
wick of the candle, this orifice will be of less diameter than that of the conical
cap upon the shoulder of which the lower ring of the dome will rest in its
entire circumference, and so as to leave a certain space between the conical
cap and the wire gauze, in order that air may circulate through this latter and
keep the whole cool, and that the ring forming orifice at top of dome may
further isolate the flame from the candle and lessen the capillary attraction in
the wick. It will be understood, that this wire gauze cap is only used in con-
junction with the cap first above described when slow combustion is desired,
and that it may be applied over the cap of a single wick candle lamp.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Charles Steane and Frank Alexander Steane in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
CHARLES STEANE and FRANK ALEXANDER STEANE, both of Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, Candle Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and ixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Henry Charles Steane, and Frank Alexander Steane, Her special licence
that we, the said Henry Charles Steane, and Frank Alexander Steane, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry
Charles Steane, and Frank Alexander Steane, our 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 APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING CANDLES GUTTERING
OR DROPPING, AND WHICH PERMIT THE USE OF AN ORDINARY CANDLE AS A NIGHT
LIGHT," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry Charles
Steane, and Frank Alexander Steane, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 Henry Charles Steane, for myself and
on behalf of my Co-patentee, Frank Alexander Steane, do hereby declare the
nature of our 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 accompanying Sheet of Drawing, forming part.of
this our Specification, and to the figures and letters of reference placed thereon,
Figurel shewing an elevation of our improved apparatus, and Figure 2, sec-
tion of same taken at A, B, Figure 1.
The caps hitherto used for preventing candles dropping or guttering when
exposed to a draught or moved from placed to place have always failed to effect

page_text: the desired object from the absence of any provision having been made for
keeping the cylinder of the cap, and the lower part of its cone away from the
candle, and by admitting a current of air to keep it cool, the consequence being
that after a little while the cap became heated, and was rather a cause of
guttering than otherwise, neither was any provision made to stop or retain any
grease which might gutter down.
The improved apparatus by which we effect the proposed object of prevent-
ing candles from guttering or dropping when lit, and moved from place to
place, or exposed to a draught consists of a cap having an inner tube or ring
a usually from one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch in depth, open top and
bottom, and of sufficient diameter to permit an ordinary candle to pass through
it; the bottom of this inner tube joins on to or is of one piece with an outer
tube or cylinder of larger diameter; 6 the junction of these two tubes forms
a circular channel or gutter c, of say from one-eight to one-quarter of an inch
broad; from this outer tube rises vertically, say half an inch, a wire gauze
cylinder d, which is terminated by a cone e rising say about another half an
inch and having an orifice e¹ at the top. The tubes or rings a and b may as
before stated be either of one piece, the channel c being grooved or stamped
out of the solid as shewn, or be joined round the entire circumference of their
lower edge, but always so as to leave the circular space or channel e, formed
by the difference of diameter between the exterior cylinder and the inner ring.
The vertical part of the outer tube may also be of one piece with the conical
part, or in two pieces screwing on to each other, or be otherwise united, but we
find the use of the wire gauze d preferable to that of a single piece of per-
forated or unperforated metal, as permitting a freer circulation of air and
preventing too great heat near the side of the candle, but any non-conducting
material between and uniting the cone e and the cylinder b, will effect our
purpose.
The application will be as follows:-The apparatus is passed over the
candle (which the inner ring or tube a closely embraces) until the wick
passes through the orifice at the apex of the cone e, which then rests on the
top of the candle, be moved about, the melted tallow or composition which
might otherwise drop about the place, or which if any cap hitherto invented
were used would gutter, down the candle and on to the candlestick, giving
both an unsightly appearance, will, if any guttering takes place (which when
our apparatus is used is very rare), be caught and retained in the circular
channel or gutter c; further, the vacant space left between the outer cylinder
or wire gauze d and the candle, keeps this latter cool, and the grease from

page_text: its sides. As the candle consumes, the cap by its own weight descends along
it, the inner tube or ring a keeping the cap always upright on the candle.
The space for circulation of air between inner circumference of cap and side
of candle, which is one of the main objects of our Invention, might also be.
obtained, and the circular channel or cup formed by bending the bottom edge
of the outer cylinder 6 inward and upward, or. inward only, so as to form a
flat plate in lieu of the channel c, in which case the inner ring or tube a
above described will be dispensed with.. The pin f, with spiral spring 9, is
used to retain the glass in position in the gallery i, in lieu of the ordinary
It will be understood that the cap above-described may be used with
screw.
or without a glass or chimney.
Our Invention further consists in an apparatus by the use of which we
propose to make an ordinary candle burn so slowly as to permit its use as a
night light. We purpose placing on the apparatus above-described, a dome
shaped cap made of wire gauze, strengthened and kept circular by a ring at
bottom, and having an orifice formed by a ring at top, for the passage of the
wick of the candle, this orifice will be of less diameter than that of the conical
cap upon the shoulder of which the lower ring of the dome will rest in its entire
circumference, and so as to leave a certain space between the conical cap and
the wire gauze, in order that air may circulate through this latter, and keep
the whole cool, and that the ring forming orifice at top of dome may further
isolate the flame from the candle and lessen the capillary attraction in the wick.
It will be understood that the wire gauze cap is only used in conjunction with
the cap first above-described when slow combustion is desired, and that it
may be applied over the cap of a single wick candle lamp.
Having now described the nature of our said improvements in apparatus
for preventing candles from guttering or dropping, and that which permits the
use of an ordinary candle as a night light, we would have it distinctly under-
stood that we do not confine ourselves precisely to the details herein given
and illustrated on the annexed Sheet of Drawing, as variation may be made
therefrom without departure from our Invention, for example, by varying the
form or shape of the channel e, or using a flat piece or flange only, instead of
a gutter, or again by perforating other parts of the outer cylinder or cap, or
of the inner ring in lieu of using the wire gauze; but we claim as of our
Invention,-
Firstly, the exclusive use of caps between the inner periphery of which,
and the outer periphery of the candle, is left a space or chamber for keeping
the cap cool, and thus preventing it melting the candle.

page_text: Secondly, the exclusive use of the channel c, or a cup or flange made on
or by bending the outer cylinder b.
Thirdly, the exclusive use of the combination herein-before described and
shewn.
And, lastly, the apparatus or dome shaped wire gauze cap above described
when used for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Charles Steane, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
HENRY CHARLES STEAŅE. (L.S.)