An Improved Automatic-extinguishing Candle-stick.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic-extinguishing Candle-stick.
I, BASIL LEEMING LATHAM of Dunedin, Otago, in the Colony of New
Zealand, Commercial Traveller, 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 relates to an improved automatic-extinguishing candlestick, and
its object is (1) to prevent waste of candles; (2) to prevent people when going to
bed and leaving the candle alight, from burning a whole candle where an inch
might do, or preventing a candle from burning away when left in a room and
forgotten. (3) to prevent grease from running down the sides of the candlestick
or dropping about; (4) to automatically extinguish the candle in a short space of
time should the candle be left unnecessarily burning.
The candlestick is constructed firstly to automatically extinguish the candle
every half hour (or at periods according to the time nominated in the manufacture
of the candlestick); all that is required is to place a candle in the candlestick and
it will be automatically extinguished every half hour (or periodically according to
the time for which the candlestick is made) unless an arm in the setting rod is
turned when the candle may be burnt for another half hour, and so on by
periodically turning the said arm until the whole candle is consumed; secondly
that it may be set to burn a whole candle without interruption if necessary:
thirdly that it may be set to limit the supply of candle to be burnt if desired.
In many hotels and boarding houses, it is customary to cut candles into small
pieces and taper one end in order to enable the wick to be lighted, thus a
considerable portion of every candle so cut is wasted.
Now by the use of my automatic-extinguishing candlestick, there is no need to
cut a candle at all consequently there is no such waste; and when a candle is
placed in the candlestick it cannot fall out; and if the candlestick be upset or
accidentally knocked over whilst the candle is burning, the act of falling causes
the extinguisher to be automatically released thereby extinguishing the light: thus
the risk of fire is prevented.
Every particle of candle can be consumed and the wick when near the end does
not fall but burns to the last.
Should a candle be left burning in the candlestick, the light will be auto-
matically extinguished when it has burnt for the time for which the candlestick
was set.
If a person tampers in any way with the candlestick whilst the candle is burning,
the candle will burn down in the tube and soon snuff itself out, but the candle
cannot be relighted.
The grease cannot run down outside the candlestick or drop from the candle
whether the candlestick be stationary or in transit.
No education is required to set the candlestick.
Briefly the candlestick consists of a main metal tube fitted on to a stand or base
and having an internal spiral spring and collar on which the bottom of the candle
is placed; this collar is provided with a pivoted crank which (when down) projects
through a vertical slot in the said main tube into an outer smaller tube connected
to said main tube; a setting rod is placed in this smaller tube, which rod is provided
with a number of lugs and holes, and has a catch, and an arm at top; these lugs
are placed alternately on each side of the rod at intervals, and are so arranged that

page_text: one side of the rod is clear from top to bottom. A movable cap is fitted on
top of main tube provided with arms to which an extinguisher is pivoted, and
a loop is fitted on the opposite side, corresponding with a loop on main tube, so
that the said cap may be locked by means of a small padlock, thereby securing the
candle.
The candle having been placed in the main tube and the cap fastened, the
extinguisher is thrown back and held hy the catch on the setting rod. As the
candle (after being lighted) burns away, the action of the spiral spring causes it to
rise until the pivoted crank within main tube comes in contact with the first lug
on setting rod, when the said rod rises and causes the catch to release the
extinguisher which falls over the top of main tnbe and puts out the light. The
lugs on setting rod may be arranged any desired distance apart so that the candle-
he set to enable the candle to barn any required time. If the distance
between the lugs allows the candle to burn, say half an hour, and it is desired,
before that time expires to burn the candle longer, the setting rod may be turned
partially round by means of the arm at top, thus turning the lug clear of the crank
and bringing the next lug in the line of said crank, thus the time can be extended
as may be desired, by repeatedly turning said setting rod; or by turning the
setting rod further round and dropping the arm into the slot un opposite side of
outer tube; all the lugs are then clear of the crank, thus enabling the candle to be
consumed and then extinguished.
If however it is do-irl to burn the ranille any particular length of time without
manipulating the setting rod after the candle is lighted, a separate stud can bu
placed in any one of the holes in said setting rod, which stud will be in the line of
the crank, but all the lugs will be clear of said crank, so that the candle will burn
until the said crank rises to the said stud when the light will be extinguished.
A warning bell may be attached to the candlestick if desired.
In order that my invention may be more easily understood, I will now procee!
to more particularly describe the same by reference to the annexed sheet of
drawings wherein :-
Fig. is an elevation of iny automatic-extinguishing candlestick complete.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of same.
Fig. 3. is a plan shewing shape of stand or hase.
Fig. 4. is a back view of the top portion of candlestick.
Fig. 5. is a view of the setting rod removed from the outer tube.
Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged plan and side view respectively of the stud for setting
the candlestick so that the candle may be burnt any particular length of time
uninterruptedly.
Fig. 8. is an enlarged section of the setting rod showing the form of the
alternate luga.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures.
A is the main tube fitted to the stand or base B which is shaped as shown, so
that if the candlestick be upset it will fall on one of the straight sides and cause
the light to be extinguished; a spiral spring a and collar & are placed within the
said main tube, on which collar the bottom of the candle C, rests; this collar is
provided with a pivoted crank e, which projects through a vertical slot running
down the main tube A. D is the outer smaller tube connected to main tube and
provided with perforations d on each side, also a slot d' on one side at top, and
another slot forming a shoulder d. E is the setting rod placed within the outer
tube, and having a catch e pivotally connected to the top, and also having an
arm fitted just helow the said catch; lugs are formed on each side of the
said rod alternately, and at intervals as may be necessary or desired; holes g
being also formed in said rud into which the stud (Figures 6 and 7) is placed as
hereafter described. F is the movable cap, provided with projecting arms i to
which the loop of extinguisher G is pivoted; a spring & being attached for
closing extinguisher. This cap may be constructed so as to fall back in a

page_text: horizontal position if desired. AT shaped slot m is formed in one side of the
cap F, through which a pin m' on main tube passes, to enable the cap to be
turned and raised sufficiently to allow the setting rod to be taken out without
necessarily taking off the said cap, the back of the cap being cut away to allow it
in turning to clear the catch e; the said cap also has a loop n while another loop o
is formed on or attached to the main tube A so that the cap may be fastened by
means of a padlock.
His a warning bell which may, if desired be placed on the stand or base B,
the hammer 1 being pivotally connected to main tube; the end of said hammer
having a small catch p which, when the hammer is raised, is held by the bottom
point of setting rod, so that when the setting rod is raised the hammer falls and
strikes the bell thereby giving warning of the candle being extinguished.
The setting rod E having been placed within the outer tube D the candle is
placed within the main tube A pressing down the spring a to allow the cap F to
be fixed on and secured. If the setting rod is placed with the arm in the
position as shown in Fig. 4, the crank c in rising comes in contact with the first
lug, causing the catch e to release the extinguisher which falls over the cap F and
puts out the light but if it is desired to burn the candle for a longer time, the
said arin can be turned round against the shoulder d2, when the candle will burn
until the said crank in rising comes in contact with the next lug, and by repeatedly
turning the said arm backward and forward, so the time may be extended as may
be desired. When it is desired to burn the candle uninterruptedly, the said arm
is turned right round and dropped into the slot d thus turning the lugs on setting
rod clear of the vertical slot in main tube and enabling the crank e to rise with the
collar until the whole of the candle is consumed. If however it is desired to
extinguish the light at any particular time, the stud h is placed in one of the holes
in setting rod (according to the time desired) so that when the crank in rising
comes in contact with the said stud, the catch e releases the extinguisher which
falls on the cap F and puts out the light.
In drawing the setting rod out of the outer tube D the crank e falls back within
the main tube allowing the said rod freedom.
The candlestick may be made of different sizes and the lugs and holes may be
arranged on the setting rod at intervals to suit requirements. The candlestick
may also be made so as to be used on board ship.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In automatic-extinguishing candlesticks,
1. The combination with the main tube A mounted on stand or base such as B,
of a movable cap such as F provided with arms to which the extinguisher G is
pivoted substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The combination with the main tube A, of an outer tube D containing setting
rod E, having catch such as e and provided with arm, lugs f¹ and holes g
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination with the main tube A, of a crank such as e pivoted to collar b
and working in a slot in said main tube and within the said outer tube D
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The general arrangement and combination of the several mechanical parts,
constituting the improved automatic-extinguishing candlestick substantially as
herein described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 26th day of November A.D. 1895.
BASIL LEEMING LATHAM.