AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
WHELE, of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Tallow Chandler, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent
under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of August now last past, did
give and grant unto me, the said Edwin Whele, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Edwin Whele, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin
Whele, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
CANDLES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
the said Edwin Whele, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters.
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
me,
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edwin Whele, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following description
thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of a machine by which a much greater number of
candles may be dipped in a given period of time. The same letters or
figures of reference are used in the Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, to denote
similar parts wherever they occur. Fig. 1 is a bird's-eye view of part of the
machinery for carrying my Invention into effect. a represents four drums.
whereon the chains wrap in winding the machine up, the chains of one
set of rails (which in this Drawing consists of three pairs) wrapping round
in the reverse way to the other, so that as one set rises the other falls. These
drums are fixed square on the shaft 6, at the end of which is a bevil cog wheel
marked c. e are grooved pulley wheels over which the chains run. These
pulleys work upon the rods f, which brace the outside framing g together.
hare the journeys for, the drum shaft b. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same
part as Fig. 1. c, a bevil cog wheel fixed upon the shaft b, and working in a
bevil cog wheel i, which is fixed upon the shaft j, which shaft works in the
journeys k. 1, a bevil cog wheel fixed upon, the shaft j. m, a bevil cog
wheel working in the wheel l, and fixed upon the spindle. n, one end of which
works in a hole drilled in a boss o, in the upright of the outside framing.
The spindle n is supported by the chair p. 7 is a windlass by which the
machine is worked. r, the uprights of the outside framing. s, frames to
which the rails are fastened. t, hooks running through the top of the frame s
and to which the chains d are linked. These hooks are wormed, and have a
nut at the bottom, by which means the chains are adjusted if they are not of
equal lengths. u, sections of the rails or T irons, shewing the flange, and also
shewing where they are fastened to the frames s. v, a brace by which the
uprights rare braced together at the bottom. Figures 3 and 4 are front
views of the same. g, top brace of the outside framing. w, slanting
stays of the framing. r, uprights. u, rails or Tirons whereon the frames
Fig. 5 run, the distance and position of which are shewn in the end view
marked u. The frames s slide against the uprights r when the rails are
required to be raised or lowered; and of course, as there are three pair of rails
fixed to each pair of these frames marked S, three pair of rails rise or fall
together. Figure 4 is a counterpart of Fig. 3, with the exception of the
windlass and winding up parts being reversed. Fig. 5 shews the frame upon
which the rods are placed. These frames should be forty in number for a
machine as represented in Drawing No. 1, and I usually make them of wood.
They should be three feet one inch and seven eighths square outside, about

page_text: one inch thick, and two inches deep, dovetailed at the corners, and an iron
plate screwed upon each, as shewn at x. Upon the bottom of the ends
marked B must be screwed a flange of about five eighths of an inch thick,
projecting inwards one inch or thereabouts. This flange should not extend
the whole breadth of the frame by about one inch, or the breadth of the flange
of the rails of the machine, then leaving a clear space of two inches from the
outside of the frame on each side. It should be marked out into twenty-five
equal distances, and at each distance a groove made for the end of the rods or
broaches to rest in. These grooves are represented at A, Fig. 5, and the
dotted lines from flange to flange shew the position of the rods when placed
upon the flames. On each side are three mortices made quite through, marked
C, into each of which is fixed a wheel of about three inches diameter. Upon
these wheels the frames move in the act of drawing them along upon the rails
of the machine, but they should not project below the frame more than half
an inch or they will be found inconvenient. The outside framing, together
with the drums and pulley wheels, are made of cast iron, all the other parts
are wrought iron. Wood may be substituted, but at very little less expence,
and is much less durable. Fig. 6 is a side view and Figure 7 a front view of
the mould or dipping vessel. 1 is a square box of wood lined with lead,
copper, or zinc, two feet ten inches wide, three feet two inches from front to
back, and fifteen inches deep, all in the clear, supported by four legs 2, placed
upon wheels 3, upon which the mould is run upon a railway from one range
to the other. The front legs are continued above the mould, and stand
about seven feet from the floor. They are also braced together at the top by
a strong brace 10, whereon are placed the eyes 4, in which the centres 5,
of the scale beam 6 work. 7 is the scale wherein the weights are placed..
This beam is made in the usual manner of candle beams, excepting that it
should be about two foot six inches wide, and without a circle at the end
where the scale hangs. The length should be about three feet six inches, but
in this the workman must be guided by the position of the front legs and the
breadth of the mould. 8 are two substantial pieces morticed into each of the
front legs and connected together at the top by means of a strong brace
running over the top of the beam 6, by which means the beam is prevented
from rising higher than necessary. 9 are chains, by which the dipping
5 iron is connected with the beam. 11 is the dipping iron, consisting of two
pieces of inch angle iron 23, of about three feet three inches long, braced
together at the same distance as the rails of the machine by means of the
part 11. 12 is the wiping board, a light flat board, two inches wider than
the mould, and about the same length. This board must be well jointed and

page_text: planed quite level, underneath which, at each side, a board 13, about one inch
thick, must be screwed, with two small wheels 14 at the bottom of each.
These wheels run upon the flange 15 of the frame 16. This frame is about
one inch and a quarter thick, four inches deep, and extends beyond the
mould about three feet. It must fit close to the sides of the mould, and must
be braced together at the far end, and also about three inches from the back
of the mould. The back brace 17 forms a stop for the wiping board. 18 is
a centre, whereon the frame 16 works. 19 is a rule joint by which the
upright 20 is connected to the frame 16. 21 is a piece of wood connecting
the treadle 22 to the upright 20. 22 is the treadle whereon the man places
his foot and presses it down, by which means this frame, moving upon its
centre 18, is thrown up behind, forming an inclined plane towards the front,
and the wiping board, moving upon its wheels on the flange 15, runs over the
mould; then, by removing his foot off, the frame falls again, forming an
inclined plane in the opposite direction, and the wiping board returns to its
former place. This mould should stand about two feet eight inches from the
ground, and should be placed in the centre betwixt the two parts of the
machine upon a railway, the man at work placing it so that the dipping
iron hangs parallel and exactly opposite one pair of rails; he then with his
hand draws one of the frames, Fig. 5, from off the rails on to the dipping
iron, the whole of the frames having been previously filled with rods and
placed upon the rails of the machine ready for dipping. The frames being
linked or joined together by springs or catches, the workman, in drawing one
frame forwards, pulls all the rest of the frames on that pair of rails forwards.
He then unlinks the first frame, and placing it on the dipping iron dips it in
the usual way; then, by drawing up the wiping board in the manner before
described, be gently touches the bottom of the candles upon it, and passes the
frame off the dipping iron on the corresponding rails of the opposite side
of the machine, where it connects itself by means of the spring catch to the
frame immediately preceding it on the rails (the spring catches are so well
known that I need not here describe them), and so on till he has emptied that
pair of rails, then, by turning the windlass of the machine, he brings up
another pair of rails parallel with his dipping iron. In this way he proceeds
till he has worked the whole of the rails on each side of the mould; then,
by moving the mould upon a railway, he is enabled to bring it in a line with
the rails on the opposite side of the machine, and proceeds to dip as before.
In running in the candles the workman must have a dripping board of the
length of the rails of the machine and the breadth of the frames, Fig. 5, placed
upon the bottom part of the frames marked s. I have in Fig. 8 described an

page_text: end view of another mode of carrying my Invention into effect. Figure 9 is
a front view of the same, and Fig. 10 is a bird's-eye view of the frames as
they lie upon the rail with the dipping iron. I have found this form to answer
best when made of wood. In these Figures 1 is a standard, about one inch
and an half thick, with a triangular foot; in these standards the spindles 7
of the wheels 2 work. These wheels consist of a centre 3, of about three
inches thick and twenty-two inches, into which are firmly screwed the arms 4.
These arms are about three feet four inches long, measuring from the
centre of the wheels, about one inch and a quarter thick, and four inches
broad, and are braced by stays 5, which are about the same thickness. Into
At the out-
the centre 3 is firmly morticed the end of the shaft 6 in Fig. 9.
side of the wheel over this mortice is an iron plate about twelve inches
diameter, through which the spindle 7 passes, and is driven about twelve
inches into the shaft 6. Upon the ends of the arms 4 are placed the
centres 8, which are made of iron; upon these the irons which brace the rails
10 together work. The rails are about four inches deep, with a flange
inwards at the bottom of about one inch, upon which the frames, Fig. 5,
run. 12 is the dipping iron, and 13 the mould and wiping board, described
in Fig. 6, excepting that this mould has no wheels, but is stationary. 14 is
the dipping iron and beam, also described in Fig. 6, except that it is more
convenient for this beam to be fixed to the roof of the building than to the
mould. This form is worked by the man laying hold of the arms of one of
the wheels and pulling it round to the position required for working, each pair
of rails keeping in a horizontal position by working upon their own centres 8
upon the arms 4, and when brought to their proper position they are held in
their places by means of a stay 15, which may be fastened to the roof
or ceiling of the building, or any other convenient place. It should be about
one inch thick, six or seven inches broad, tapering towards the bottom, and
the length must be according to the part you have to fix it to. It is made
moveable by means of the hinges 16. At the bottom there is an iron pin
projecting inwards about one inch and a half. This should pass through a
small hole made in the arms of the wheel. By this means it will be stayed
or prevented from turning while the workman is employed in dipping, and
the arm is released by the workman simply pulling the stay forward, which
removes the pin out of the hole. The whole of the rails of both sides of the
machine should be filled with the frames, excepting one of the two pairs in
the parallel line with the dipping iron, which are held by the catches above
mentioned. The workman first dips those which are nearest to him on the
wheel where the rails are full, and on taking them out of the mould puts

page_text: them on the empty arm of the opposite wheel to that from which he took
them. He then pulls-down that wheel to the next arm from which he takes
the frames to be dipped, again returning them to the opposite side at which
he commenced. He then pulls down that wheel to the next arm, thus
working the frames alternately from one side to the other, having only to
turn that part of the machine which has all its rails filled with frames.
The dripping boards of this form of the machine are like those used in the
machine first described. They should be placed underneath those rails which
are parallel with the dipping iron upon ledges fixed to the standards or
other convenient places at each end; so that the workman can draw them
out sufficiently to allow the candles to pass. When the wheels are required
to be pulled round to the dipping iron or beam, a swivel may be fixed, the
form and use of which is well known to candle makers.
I do not intend to confine myself to the particular form, dimensions, or com-
bination of machinery herein-before given, nor to the precise number of the
rails or rods used, or the nature of the materials, but have only described those
which I consider as the best adapted to the purpose. I have herein-before stated
that my Invention consists in enabling a workman to convey a larger number
of candles at one time on to the dipping iron than has heretofore been practised
by means of the frames, Fig. 5, moving or running upon rails or continued
lengths, whether such rails are moveable, as herein-before mentioned, or fixed
in one position, and I claim the combination of machinery for the purpose
of effecting that object. I also claim the moveable wiping board with its
frame, and the improved form of the dipping iron.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Whele, have hereunto set mys
hand and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
EDWIN WHELE. (L.s.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Second day of February,