AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFAC TURE OF CANDLES IN WHICH TALLOW IS USED
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Morgan, of Manchester, Manufacturer of
Plaited Wicks, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFAC
TURE OF CANDLES IN WHICH TALLOW IS USED."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Morgan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
March 1855.
I, JOSEPH MORGAN, of Manchester, Manufacturer of Plaited Wicks, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES IN WHICH TALLOW IS USED" to be as follows:-
It has often been attempted to employ platted wicks in the manufacture
of tallow candles, or candles for the most part of tallow, but up to this time
such manufacture of candles has not been successful, and I have discovered.
that the failure has been consequent on the descriptions of platted wicks which
have heretofore been employed, which have in all cases consisted of more than
four plats to the inch; and I have further discovered by a series of experiments
the nature of the wicks which may be used with success and advantage in
tallow candles, or candles made for the most part of tallow, whether "moulds "
or "dips;" and the improvement consists in employing platted wicks in tallow
candles, or candles for the most part of tallow, which consists of less than four
plats to the inch when in the natural or unstretched state....

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Morgan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
MORGAN, of Manchester, Manufacturer of Plaited Wicks, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Morgan, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Morgan,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Morgan, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANU-
PACTURE OF CANDLES IN WHICH TALLOW IS USED," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Morgan, by an instrument in writing 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 Joseph Morgan, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof (that is to say) :-
It has often been attempted to employ platted wicks in the manufacture of
tallow candles, or candles for the most part of tallow, but up to this time such
manufacture of candles has not been successful, and I have discovered that the
failure has been consequent on the descriptions of platted wicks which have
heretofore been employed, which have in all cases consisted of more than four
plats to the inch; and I have further discovered by a series of experiments the
nature of the wicks which may be used with success and advantage with
tallow candles, or candles made for the most part of tallow, whether "moulds "
or "dips;" and the improvement consists in employing platted wicks in tallow
candles, or candles for the most part of tallow, which consist of less than four
plats to the inch when in the natural or unstretched state.

page_text: Ilaving thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
In carrying out this Invention, I employ wicks of a peculiar description,
the making of which by machinery is described and claimed under a Patent
granted to me, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five. And it is the application of cotton wicks
consisting of less than four plats to the inch when in the natural and undis-
tended state, in combination with tallow in the manufacture of candles, which
constitutes the peculiarity of this Invention. In the manufacture of mould
candles made wholly or for the most part of tallow, I prefer to employ platted
or plaited wicks composed of double yarn (though single yarn may be
used). That which I have employed for the purpose is No. 18 double
unbleached cotton yarn, such as has heretofore been employed in making
other platted or plaited wicks for candles. And in the manufacture of dip
candles made wholly or for the most part of tallow, I prefer to employ single
yarn, and I have used No. 5 unbleached cotton yarn, such as has heretofore
been employed for making other platted candle wicks, but finer or coarser
yarn or double yarn may be used in making the description of wick
which is to be used for "dips" to carry out my Invention. The quantity of
wick used in a candle, whether "mould" or "dip," will, as heretofore, depend
on whether the candle is desired to burn quickly or slowly. For ordinary
purposes I employ in the making of mould candles called "short sixes" and
"long fours" a wick consisting of three strands with ten double No. 18 yarn
in each strand. These strands are platted together, each plat or link of the
plat being about oths of an inch in length, that is, about four links or plats in
one and a quarter inches length of the wick. It is not essential that this exact
length of link or plat should be observed, but a material departure therefrom
will prevent the wick burning well in a mould candle composed wholly or for
the inost part of tallow. In making other sizes of candles I use propor-
tionately larger or smaller quantities of yarn in each strand according as the
candles are of larger or less diameter than what is above mentioned, but I
retain in all cases as near as may be the same length of link or plat. And if
I wish the candles to burn faster or slower, and therefore to give a greater or
lesser light than will result from the use of wicks such as are above mentioned,
then I use more or less yarns in each strand of the platted wick. In making
dip candles, "eights" and "sixes," I ordinarily use a plat of three strands, each
strand being composed of eight No. 5 single unbleached cotton yarn, and I
vary the quantities of yarns in the strands proportionably when for candles of
larger or less diameter, and also when the candles are desired to burn faster

page_text: or slower than will result from the quantities above mentioned. In all cases,
however, the wicks are to be platted with links or plats of about three-eighths
of an inch in length, that is, there shall be about four links or plats in an
inch and a half of the length of the wick when the wick is in the natural or
undistended state. I would, however, remark that although I believe three-
eighths of an inch to be the best, yet some slight departure may be made
without destroying the utility of the wick when used in a tallow candle, but
in all cases it is essential according to my Invention that an inch of the
length of the wick used should consist of less than four links or plats, as by
such manufacture of candles, whether "moulds" or "dips," the wick will
sustain themselves when burning, and will turn out of the flames sufficiently
to be consumed without snuffing. In making candles according to my
Invention it is important that the wicks should be straight and kept from
twisting, and that they should be held, stretched, or distended when making
candles thereon.
J
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
employment of wicks, such as are herein described, in combination with tallow
in the manufacture of candles.
.In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Morgan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
THOS SOUTHAN, Solicitor,
Manchester.
JOSEPH MORGAN. (L.S.)