AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Alfred Cowper, of Great George Street,
Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES."
Sealed the 11th November 1856, and dated the 26th August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Alfred Cowper
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th August 1856.
I, EDWARD ALFRED COWPER, of Great George Street, Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AM IMPROVE-
HENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the application of air or aeriform fluid to the
purpose of expelling or withdrawing candles from their moulds, whether such
moulds have or have not been artificially heated or cooled by air, steam, water,
or otherwise; I prefer to employ the pressure of atmospheric air forced in or
caused to press on the candles at the tips of the moulds.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Alfred Cowper in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
ALFRED COWPER, of Great George Street, Westminster, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Alfred Cowper, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Alfred Cowper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Edward Alfred Cowper, 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
IMPROVELIENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, my executors or administra-
tors, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 Edward Alfred Cowper, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:―
My Invention consists of the application of air or aeriform fluid to the
purpose of expelling or withdrawing candles from their moulds, whether such
moulds have or have not been artificially heated or cooled by air, steam, water,
or otherwise; I prefer to employ the pressure of atmospheric air forced in or
caused to press on the candles at the tips of the moulds.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a vertical section through a candle and candle mould, and also
of an air pump; Figure 2 is a plan of same. The same letters of reference

page_text: are used in these Figures to indicate the same parts. A, A, is the candle
mould, having a small trough or "bed" B, at the top for the reception of the
melted candle material, and it is shewn with a candle C, C, in it in section.
The candle is supposed to have become cool in the mould, and to be now
ready to be forced out by the application of compressed air or aeriform fluid.
D is a plug, so formed at its upper end as to give the required shape to the
tip of the candle. The plug D is shown to be provided with a screw thread
on its outside throughout the greater part of its length, and is made to fit into
an internal screw formed in the bottom end of the candle mould A, A; there
is also a projecting flat part at the bottom of the plug D, by which it can be
turned by hand, and thus elevated or depressed; or the plug D may be
arranged to be moved by any other suitable means. The plug D is by prefer-
ence turned somewhat smaller in diameter at its upper end, and is finished
with a short cone so as to fit into a conical recess provided for it inside the
lower end of the candle mould. There is a small hole through the centre of
the plug D, for the passage of the wick. There is provided a pipe E, at the
side of the candle mould, having thereon a cock F, by which the compressed
air or aeriform fluid from the air pump G, or other arrangement of forcing
apparatus, may be admitted. In order to remove the candle from the mould
the plug D is to be moved down a short distance, so as to leave a small space
between its upper end and the candle, the cock F is to be turned, and com-
pressed air or aeriform fluid is to be forced into the space below the tip of the
candle by means of the pump G, or other forcing apparatus. The candle
C, C, will thus be propelled or forced upwards out of the candle mould A, A.
The air pump G is provided with a safety valve H, to allow of the escape.
of the air or aeriform fluid when the cock F is shut, and the air pump is at
work. When the candle has been forced up the mould in the manner
described, the plug D is to be raised up into its place again, and the cock F is
to be shut, then a wick is to be fixed in its place in the mould in the ordinary
manner, and the mould is to be again filled. The candle moulds may, as
heretofore, be arranged to be warmed by hot air or steam or water, or any
other means when such warming is desired; the candle is to be allowed to
cool, or it may be cooled by the application of cold air or water, or otherwise,
as heretofore, applied externally of the mould, and when the candle is suf-
ciently hard and cool it is to be removed or forced out in the manner already
described.
Although I have only shewn and spoken of a single mould, it will be
evident that several moulds may be arranged together, and receive compressed

page_text: air or aeriform fluid from one air pump or air-forcing apparatus, but in such
case there should be cocks arranged to give control over each of the moulds,
and a separate cock to each mould would be preferable.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not claim
any of the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise
details as they may be varied without departing from my Invention; what I
claim is, the mode herein described of forcing or removing candles out of
moulds in which they have been cast, by means of compressed atmospheric
air or aeriform fluid.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
AR. CARPMAEL.
EDWARD ALFRED COWPER. (L.S.)