CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CANDLEWICK
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathaniel Card, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Candlewick Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CANDLEWICK."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathaniel Card
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th January 1853.
I, NATHANIEL CARD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Candlewick Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said In-
vention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CANDLEWICK " to be as follows:-
Candlewick has hitherto chiefly been manufactured by simply twisting
together a sufficient number of cotton thèreas to form a wick of the
required thickness; and latterly another description of candlewick has
been manufactured by slightly doubling two soft spun yarns together
into a twist or strand, and afterwards twisting together as many of these
strands as required for the wick.
My Invention consists in manufacturing candlewick by first tightly

page_text: doubling two hard spun threads together into a strand, then doubling
two or more of these strands together into a cord (two being preferred),
and afterwards twisting together as many of these said cords as will
produce a wick of the required thickness. By this means I produce a
much more even, hard, and compact wick; having no loose fibres. The
wick being hard will also preserve a more upright position whilst
burning than one of the ordinary construction; and being more open
than the common wick will present a series of channels for the passage
of the tallow or other inflammable matter, and also air to the flame
during the process of combustion, hereby effecting a more perfect
ignition, and also a considerable economy both in the cotton & in the
surrounding material, as the candle will give more light, and yet burn
much slower, than one with a wick of the ordinary construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Nathaniel Card in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th July 1853..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
NATHANIEL CARD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Candle-
wick Manufacturer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, för Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, tlie said. Nathaniel Card, Her special licence that I, the said
Nathaniel Card, my 'executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Nathaniel Card, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to tinic and at all:
times thereafter during the term tlierein 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CANDLEWICK," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Nathaniel Card, by an instrument in writing

page_text: under my hand and seal, 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 Nathaniel Card, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performel, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say):
Candlewick has hitherto chiefly been manufactured by simply twisting
together a sufficient number of single cotton or other threads to form
a wick of the required thickness; and latterly another description of can-
dlewick has been manufactured by slightly doubling two soft spun yarns
together into a twist or strand, and afterwards twisting together as many
of these strands as may be required for the wick.
My Invention consists in manufacturing candlewick by first tightly
doubling two or more single threads together into a strand, then
doubling two or more of these strands together into a cord or thread
(two being preferred), and afterwards twisting together as many of these
said cords or threads as will produce a wick of the required thickness.
By the use of this improvement I can produce a much more even,
firm, and compact candlewick than by the ordinary method of manufac-
ture. The wick thus produced is free from loose fibres, and will also
preserve a more upright position whilst burning than one of the ordinary
construction; and being more open than the common candlewick will
present a series of channels for the passage of the tallow or other in-
flammable matter, and also air to the flame during the process of com-
bustion, thereby effecting a more perfect ignition, and .lso a considerable
economy both in the wick and the surrounding material, as the candle
will give more light, and yet burn much slower, than one with a wick of
the ordinary construction.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said In-
vention of Improvements in Candlewick, I would remark, in con-
clusion, that I claim as my Invention manufacturing candlewick
by first doubling two or more single yarns together into a strand,

page_text: then doubling two or more of these strands into a thread or cord,
and afterwards twisting together as many of these said threads or cords,
as may be necessary to form a wick of the required thickness.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathaniel Card, have hereunto
hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of ou
set
my
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
NATHANIEL CARD. (L.s.)