Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Applying Sealing Wax
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1898-Accepted, 20th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Applying Sealing Wax
We, BELLE RIDER, Matron, of No. 2, West 104th Street, and ('ELINDA PORTER
ROBINSON, Matron, of 2085, Fifth Avenue, both in the City of New York, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its objects to aid and facilitate the use of sealing wax
or the application of sealing wax to envelopes, packages, etc., and consists of a
device for applying sealing wax. The application of sealing wax has usually here-
tofore been effected by holding the end of a stick of sealing wax over a flame with
the object of melting the small portion usually desired by the direct action of the
flame. As the sealing wax is combustible it is usually ignited by such procedure
with the result of decomposing or charring a portion of it, and portions of melted
sealing wax are apt to drop upon the hands and clothes of the person using the
sealing wax. To guard against ignition of the envelope or package it is usually
necessary to remove the flame from the end of the stick of sealing wax, before
applying the wax, and as the sealing wax hardens very quickly it is exceedingly
difficult to deposit at the proper place upon the envelope or package the exact
quantity required to secure the flaps and to receive the impression of the seal.
Our invention has for its objects, as aforesaid, to aid and facilitate the application
of the sealing wax, and a device embodying our invention is so constructed that
the sealing wax is held or enclosed within a casing having only a small or restricted
orifice at the point where the sealing wax is to be melted so that there will be no
direct exposure of the sealing wax to the flame, and provision is made for apply-
ing the heat in proximity to this orifice only, so that the desired quantity of seal-
ing wax may be melted and may be flowed or run out of the restricted orifice upon
the flaps to be secured together. One feature of our invention is a device to pre-
vent too rapid an outflow of the sealing wax from the restricted orifice and
especially to prevent the outflow of lumps or insufficiently melted portions, and
comprises a screen interposed at such restricted orifice and which may be located
within the casing, through the meshes of which the melted sealing wax must flow
to escape at the orifice. The device embodying our invention is small and easily
handled and in some embodiments of our invention gravity may be alone relied
upon to feed or force the stick of sealing wax to the point of heating, the casing
being held by hand in an inclined or nearly vertical position and the extent of
flow being governed by the extinguishment of or removal from the heating flame
or by tipping the casing backward when the desired quantity of fluid sealing wax
has escaped, but in the device embodying all features of our invention the forward
feeding of the sealing wax is effected by a spring and a movable gate is pro-
vided at the restricted orifice which may be manipulated by the user and opened
to permit the sealing wax to flow out and closed to stop the flow when the desired
quantity has escaped. In the device embodying all features of our invention a
reservoir for inflammable fluid and a burner are provided for melting the sealing
wax and the reservoir and burner are removably attached to the sealing wax

page_text: casing, so that where sealing wax of different colors is to be used the several
necessary casings may be provided but a single heating device will be sufficient
as it may be attached to whichever casing it is desired to use.
•
The device embodying all features of our invention is also provided with a
shield in proximity to the restricted orifice to prevent contact of the heating flame
with the melted sealing wax flowing out of the orifice. Other features of our
invention will appear from the following description of the accompanying draw-
ings and from the claims.
The drawings show embodiments of our invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation parily in section of a device embodying all features
of our invention.
Figure 2 is an end view of the same looking toward the left hand or heating end.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section of a modified construction.
Figure 4 is a similar view of another modification.
A tubular casing 1 tapering or reduced at one end, the left hand end as shown,
and having a small or restricted orifice 2 at this reduced end and having a
removable cap 3 at the other end, forms the receptacle for the sealing wax, which
is usually in stick form, and which may fit within the casing so as to move freely
therein or may be considerably smaller than the casing.
The end of a stick of sealing wax 4 is shown in Figure 1, and in the construc-
tion shown in Figures 1 and 2 a spring 5 is provided between the cap or right
hand end of the casing and the rear end of the stick of sealing wax which acts to
force the sealing wax toward the reduced end of the casing.
Within the casing at the restricted orifice 2 is located the sieve or screen 18,
which may be cup shaped as shown and which acts to restrain the outflow of the
sealing wax until melted and prevents the escape of insufficiently melted portions
or lumps of sealing wax.
Means are also provided to open and close the restricted orifice, such means
being shown in Figures 1 and 2 as a gate 6, on a pivoted shaft 7, the shaft 7 being
pivoted in lugs 8, 8, extending upward from the casing 1, and the right hand or
rear end of the shaft 7 being provided with a handle or finger piece 9; and a
coil spring 10, secured at one end to the shaft and at the other end to the right
hand lug 8, and acting to normally hold the gate in closed position, being shown
for returning the grate to closed position when the pressure upon the finger piece 9
is relieved. The gate 6 is shown in open position and the finger piece 9 in depressed
position in Figure 2, and the gate is shown as closed in Figure 1. The stop to
the movement toward closed position is shown as a slight flange or projection at
the rear of the gate, and the stop to the movement toward open position is shown
as effected by the contact of the finger piece 9 and the casing 1.
The impressing seal 11, is shown in Figure 4 as formed at the extreme right
hand end of the movable cap 3 of the casing. This is the upper end of the device
when the device is in position for melting or applying the sealing wax.
When
sufficient sealing wax has been deposited upon the letter or envelope, the device
may be quickly inverted and the seal impressed upon the soft wax.
Where no gate is employed, as in the constructions shown in Figures 3 and 4,
the flow of the sealing wax will usually be checked by tipping the device back
and the complete reversal of the device will only be a continuation of this move-
ment, so that a single movement will stop the outflow of the sealing wax and
bring the device into position for impressing the seal. The knob of the removable
cap 3 also forms a convenient handle for holding the device.
By the device as thus far particularly described the sealing wax while within
the casing is enclosed and shielded from the heating flame so that ignition of the
scaling was is practically impossible. It is usually desirable also to prevent con-
tact of the heating flame with the melted sealing wax issuing from the orifice 2
of the casing and to that end we provide a shield, shown in Figures 1 and 2 as
a lip or apron 12 extending downward below and on either side of the orifice 2
and extending downwardly a sufficient distance to effectually interpose a barrier

page_text: between the heating flame and the melted sealing wax issuing from the orifice 2,
and shown in Figures 3 and 4 as a spout shaped extension 17 in continuation of
the lower part of the casing.
In Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, we have shown the heating device comprising a
reservoir 13 for inflammable fluid and which may be filled with a fibrous absorbent
as shown, and a burner 14 extending therefrom, and which may be simply a tube
and wick as shown, the burner being located beneath the reduced end of the
casing 1 and so as to heat the extreme end thereof. A removable cap 15 is shown
as provided at the right hand end of the reservoir 13 for convenience in filling or
charging it with inflammable fluid.
By this construction the heat is locally applied at the point of melting and the
apparatus is complete in itself.
It is frequently desirable to employ sealing wax of several different colors. We
contemplate for such purpose the use of a separate casing for each color, but pro-
vide means whereby the heating device may be removably attached to a casing so
that the same heating device may be used with several casings. and may be readily
and quickly removed from one casing and attached to another casing whenever
sealing wax of a different color is desired. Such means are shown in Figures 1
and 2 and comprise sets of spring fingers 16, 16, extending from the reservoir 13,
and constructed to embrace or partly embrace the casing 1, but so that they will
readily spring outward upon a forcible separation of the casing and reservoir. In
the construction shown in Figure 3 the casing and reservoir are permanently
secured together as will be desirable in some instances.
The manner of using a device embodying our invention has been to some extent
explained. While the sealing wax is being heated the device should be held in
inclined position with the reduced end of the casing downward so that none of the
melted sealing wax will run backward into the casing, and should be usually held
so that the orifice 2 will be directly over the point of the envelope or package at
which the sealing wax is applied, and when the gate 6 is opened or, if a construc-
tion is use:l having no gate, as soon as a portion of the sealing wax is melted, the
melted sealing wax will flow out of the orifice 2 and drop upon the envelope or
package. Where a gate is employed the flow of sealing wax may be checked at
any time by closing the gate. Otherwise the flame may be extinguished or the
device tipped backward or both to check the outflow. The seal may be impressed
by quickly reversing the device and pressing the seal down upon the soft wax.
It is evident that various modifications may be made in the construction above
particularly described without departing from the nature of our invention, as for
example the casing may be used alone, as shown in Figure 4, or the casing and
the heating device may be used without other features of our invention as shown
in Figure 3. Other modifications will be evident and may be desired for special
purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
-
1. A device for applying sealing wax comprising an encasing envelope for the
sealing wax tightly closed with the exception of a restricted orifice at one end for
the escape of melted wax, whereby the sealing wax may be melted out of contact
with the heating flame and its ignition prevented, substantially as set forth.
2. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a casing for the sealing wax
having a restricted orifice at one end and a reservoir for inflammable fluid and a
burner therefor, the burner being in proximity to the restricted orifice of the seal-
ing wax casing, substantially as set forth.
3. A device for applying sealing wax comprising an encasing envelope for the
sealing wax tightly closed with the exception of a restricted orifice at one end for
the escape of melted wax, whereby the sealing wax may be melted out of contact
with the heating flame and the ignition of the sealing wax within the casing pre-

page_text: vented, and a shield in proximity to said orifice to prevent contact of a heating
flame with the sealing wax issuing from said orifice and whereby the ignition of
the sealing wax flowing out of said casing is prevented, substantially as set forth.
4. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a casing for the sealing wax
reduced in dimensions at one end and having a restricted orifice at such reduced
end, and a reservoir for inflammable fluid and a burner therefor, the burner being
in proximity to the restricted orifice of the sealing wax casing, and a shield in
proximity to said orifice to prevent contact of the Hame of such burner with the
sealing wax issuing from said orifice, substantially as set forth.
5. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a casing for the sealing wax
having a restricted orifice at one end, and a reservoir for inflammable fluid and a
burner secured thereto, and means for removably attaching said reservoir and
burner to said casing, substantially as set forth.
6. A device for applying sealing wax comprising an encasing envelope for the
sealing wax tightly closed with the exception of a restricted orifice at one end for
the escape of. melted wax, whereby the sealing wax may be melted out of contact
with the heating flame and its ignition prevented, and a movable gate at such
orifice and means for actuating said gate whereby the outflow of softened wax
may be checked, substantially as set forth.
7. A device for applying sealing wax comprising an enclosing envelope for the
sealing wax tightly closed with the exception of a restricted orifice at one end for
the escape of melted wax, whereby the sealing wax may be melted out of contact
with the heating flame and its ignition prevented, a spring located in said envelope
and constructed to force the sealing wax toward said orifice and a movable gate
at such orifice and means for actuating said gate, whereby the outflow of softened
wax may be checked, substantially as set forth.
8. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a casing for the sealing wax
reduced in dimensions at one end, and having a restricted orifice at such end, a
movable gate at such orifice, a reservoir for inflammable fluid and a burner there-
for, the burner being in proximity to the restricted orifice of the casing, and a
shield in proximity to said orifice to prevent contact of the flame of such burner
with the sealing wax issuing from said orifice, substantially as set forth.
9. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a casing for the sealing wax
reduced in dimensons at one end and having a restricted orifice at such end, a
spring constructed to force the sealing wax toward the reduced end of the casing,
a movable gate at such orifice, a reservoir for inflammable fluid and a burner
therefor, the burner being in proximity to the restricted orifice of the casing, and
a shield in proximity to such orifice to prevent contact of the flame of such burner
with the sealing wax issuing from such orifice, substantially as set forth.
10. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a casing for the sealing wax
reduced in dimensions at one end and having a restricted orifice at such end, a
spring constructed to force the sealing wax toward the reduced end of the casing,
a movable gate at such orifice, a reservoir and a burner secured thereto and means
for removably attaching said reservoir and burner to said casing, and a shield in
proximity to such orifice to prevent contact of the flame of such burner with the
sealing wax issuing from such orifice, substantially as set forth.
11. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a casing for the sealing wax
reduced in dimensions at one end, and having a restricted orifice at such end, a
reservoir for inflammable fluid and a burner secured thereto and means for remov-
ably attaching said reservoir and burner to said casing, and a shield in proximity
to such orifice to prevent contact of the flame of such burner with the sealing wax
issuing from such orifice, substantially as set forth.
12. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a tubular casing reduced in
dimensions at one end and having a restricted orifice at such reduced end, and
having a removable cap at the other end, a shield in proximity to such orifice and
a reservoir for inflammable fluid and burner therefor, said burner being in
proximity to said orifice, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 13. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a tubular casing reduced in
dimensions at one end and having a restricted orifice at such end, and having a
removable cap at the other end, a reservoir for inflammable fluid and a burner
secured thereto and spring fingers secured to said reservoir and constructed to
embrace said tube, substantially as set forth.
14. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a tubular casing reduced in
dimensions at one end and having a restricted orifice at such end, and having a
removable cap at the other end, a pivoted gate constructed to close said orifice and
a shaft movable with said gate and extending along said tubular casing and means
whereby said shaft may be actuated to open and close said gate, substantially as
set forth.
15. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a tubular casing reduced in
dimensions at one end and having a restricted orifice at such end and having a
removable cap at the other end, a pivoted gate constructed to close said orifice
and means whereby the same may be actuated, a spring located in said casing and
constructed to force the sealing wax toward the reduced end thereof, and means
for heating said casing in proximity to said orifice, substantially as set forth.
16. A device for applying sealing wax comprising a tubular casing reduced in
dimensions at one end and having a restricted orifice at such end, and having a
removable cap at the other end, a pivoted gate constructed to close said orifice and
means whereby the same may be actuated, a spring located in said casing and con-
structed to force the sealing wax toward the reduced end thereof, a shield in prox-
imity to such orifice, and means for heating said casing in proximity to said orifice,
substantially as set forth.
17. A device for applying sealing wax comprising an encasing envelope for the
sealing wax having a restricted orifice and a screen interposed at said orifice, sub-
stantially as set forth.
18. A device for applying sealing wax comprising an encasing envelope for the
sealing wax having a restricted orifice at one end and a cup shaped screen located
within said envelope and interposed at said orifice, substantially as set forth.
19. The device for applying sealing wax consisting of the device substantially
as shown and described.