IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TALLOW AND OTHER CANDLES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Watkins, of Newport, in the County of
Monmouth, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TALLOW AND OTHER CANDLES."
Sealed the 28th January 1859, and dated the 30th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Watkins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
July 1858.
I, JAMES WATKINS, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TALLOW AND OTHER CANDLES," to be as
follows:-
In carrying out these improvements, I employ an upright pillar made of
deal or other suitable material, on both ends of which are screwed or otherwise
attached steel "gudgeons," which work in sockets fixed in the flooring and
ceiling respectively; the said pillar is perforated with six mortices, through
which six beams (constructed partly of wood and partly of iron or other
metal) are passed and secured to the pillar by any suitable contrivance.
On the ends of each beam are placed the frames for dipping twenty-five
"broaches" or rods of candles.
The pillar carrying the frames is set in motion by the attendant, and kept
revolving at any desired rapidity, thus cooling the candles much sooner than

page_text: by the ordinary means, and the machine or apparatus in its revolution will
convey each frame of candles in succession to and from the dipping mould.
The dipping mould is so constructed that by the use of a lever or levers
the wiping board passes over it, by which means the candles are regularly
wiped when required. By the use of this machine or apparatus the labour of
four men can be dispensed with, one man only being required at a time to
attend to the efficient working of the same.
In consequence of the rapidity with which this machine or apparatus revolves
through the air, the candles are cooled very much sooner than by the ordinary
means, this being of especial advantage in the summer, and the candles are
rendered much firmer and of a superior quality than those made according to
the ordinary means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Watkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th January 1859..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WATKINS, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Watkins, Her special licence that I, the said James Watkins, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Watkins, 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
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TALLOW AND OTHER CANDLES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Watkins, 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 per-
formed, 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 1, the said James Watkins, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that is
to say :-
In carrying out these improvements, I employ an upright pillar made of
deal or other suitable material, on both ends of which are screwed or otherwise
attached steel gudgeons, which work in sockets fixed in the flooring and
ceiling respectively. The said pillar is perforated with six mortices, through
which six beams (constructed partly of wood and partly of iron or other
metal) are passed and secured to the pillar by pins or any other suitable
contrivance. On the ends of each beam are placed or suspended the frames
for dipping the candles, each frame carrying twenty-five "broaches" or rods of
wicks. The pillar carrying the beams and frames is set in motion by the
attendant, and the machine or apparatus in its revolution will convey cach
frame of candles in succession to and from the dipping mould. This dipping
mould is so constructed that by the use of a lever or levers the wiping board
passes over it, by which means the ends of the candles are regularly wiped
when required. By the use of this machine or apparatus the labor of four
men can be dispensed with, one man only being required at a time to attend
to the efficient working of the same.
In consequence of the rapidity with which this machine or apparatus
revolves through the air, the candles are cooled very much sooner than by the
ordinary method, this being of especial advantage in the summer, and the
candles are rendered much firmer and of a superior quality to those made
according to the usual means.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for improvements in
machinery or apparatus for the manufacture of tallow and other candles, I
will proceed to describe more in detail the manner of carrying the same into
practical effect; and in order that my Invention may be clearly understood, I
have annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked thereon figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in
the following description thereof.
Sheet 1 of the Drawings represents a plan or horizontal view of my improved
apparatus as seen from above. In Sheet 2 of the Drawings, Figure 1 is a
side view of the same, only one of the beams (with its corresponding frames)
being shewn for the sake of clearness. Figure 2 is a top view of one of the
frames of broaches," and Figure 3 is a front view of the same. A, A, is a
vertical central pillar of wood, furnished with metal gudgeons B, B, at each

page_text: end, and provided with six mortices at or near the centre; C, C, are six
beams, each beam being composed of two wooden arms a, a, united by a
central casting b, through which (and the pillar A) a pin c passes, on which
the beam vibrates. The curve of this casting varies in each beam (one being
straight,) so that the six beams pass and rock over each other at the centre, the
wooden arms being all level, and their ends in the same plane.
Each of the arms a is furnished near its outer end with a small crescent-
shaped casting d, on which the frame D, D, is suspended by means of a
crank E, E, the latter being furnished with a small cylindrical neck e. The
cranks E, E, are also furnished with two eyes f, f, by which they can be
suspended from the ordinary balance beam F, F, by two hooks and straps g, g:
Each frame D (as shewn at Figure 2, Sheet 2,) carries twenty-five "broaches"
or rods of candles, and if there are twenty-five wicks on each "broach," it follows
that as there are twelve arms the machine is capable of making and cooling
seven thousand five hundred candles at a time, twenty-five "broaches," or six
hundred and twenty-five wicks, being dipped at one operation, and the wholê
weight borne by the machine instead of by the attendant. G, G, is the
dipping mould, and H, H, is the wiping board. The dipping mould is
furnished with a pan about a foot deep, provided with a tap for drawing off
the tallow, and has an opening in the front below the pan for the introduction
of a brazier or gas jet to keep the tallow at the proper temperature. It is
placed upon four wheels, and can be run in or out as required upon the
railway h, h. In Sheet 1 it is represented as moved out to allow the apparatus
to be revolved for cooling the candles, and in Sheet 2 it is shown as run in
under the frame ready for dipping. It will be seen that the wiping board
H, H, is mounted at the upper ends of four levers i, i, (two on each side of
the dipping mould). These levers vibrate on fulera at their lower ends, and
are connected by links and other levers to the handle k, in such a manner as
that by raising the said handle the wiping board is thrown backwards off the
dipping mould, as shewn in Sheet 2, and by depressing the same the wiping
board is thrown forward over the dipping mould, as shewn in Sheet 1, and
also in dotted lines in Sheet 2, when the candles-are-wiped-in-succession:
Upon the dipping mould being drawn out on the rails, the machine can be
revolved with great rapidity, carrying the whole of the candles through the air
with it, and thus causing uniformity and firmness in the candles, and obviating
the difficulty of making in summer.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention of
improvements in machinery or apparatus for the manufacture of tallow and
other candles, together with the manner of carrying the same into practical

page_text: effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the general
construction and arrangement of the apparatus as shewn in the Drawings and
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Watkins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JAMES WATKINS. (L.S.)