An Improved Candle Moulding Machine.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Candle Moulding Machine.
I ALEXANDRE ALPHONSE ROYAU, Director of the Chinese Candle Manufactory
of Chatillon sous Bagneux (Seine) France, 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 machine for moulding candles which
notwithstanding its relatively small dimensions is capable of a considerable out-put
with little labor, say, of turning out 250 candles every quarter of an hour when
worked by one man only, whereas candle moulding machines usually necessitate
considerable labor and are slow in operation.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figures 1 and 2 represent side and end elevations of the machine.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sections of a portion of the mould chest.
Figure 6 is a plan corresponding to Figure 3.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 show in section and plan the cases or sheaths for receiving
the moulded candles.
Figure 10 is a section of a portion of the multiple supply cock.
Figure 11 shows the mechanism for discharging the candles from the moulds.
The principal characteristic of the machine is the rapidity with which either hot or
cold water can be introduced into the mould chest. In order to instantly fill the
mould chest with water at the desired moment, the following arrangement is
employed. The machine comprises two parts symmetrically arranged as shown in
Figure 2, each consisting of a mould chest a combined with a system of pipes
for the supply of water thereto. At the upper part of the machine frame are
mounted two tanks for supplying water to the two mould chests. In order to
admit water around the whole of the mould at once, a series of pipes d connect
each reservoir with the cylindrical casing e of a multiple way cock extending the
whole length of the machine, the hollow plug of which is made in two parts and
operated from opposite ends to avoid torsion. The casing e is connected with the
corresponding mould chest by as many pipes y as there are transverse rows of
moulds in the chest, the whole of these pipes being controlled by the hollow plug f
and the water if cold serving to cool them suddenly for discharging the moulded
candles, or if hot to heat the moulds as required. The water supplied from the
reservoirs 6 passes through cocks e and pipes g to the mould chests and thence
around the moulds c. In order that the water whether cold or hot, shall reach the
moulds at the required temperature, the latter are enclosed concentrically in tubes h
leaving an intervening annular space for the current of water. All the tubes h are
fixed by their upper ends in a plate i just below the pipes g, as shown in Figures 3, 4
and 5, so that the water is first distributed over the plate i and then descends
through the tubes / around the moulds, and finally escapes through the slits kat
the lower part of tubes into the mould chest a from which it is drawn off by a
cock /.
b
Upon a longitudinal plate m are mounted as many brackets n as there are moulds
forming a row in the longitudinal direction, there being connected with each
bracket n by a sliding connection as many tubular piston rods o as there are moulds
In the transverse direction, the ends of the plate m resting upon bracket arms p
provided with a guide collar g sliding on a vertical guide rod r mounted between
wo cross bars s. At each end of the machine a crosshead t works in guides and is
raversed up and down by means of a screw shaft u worked by a pair of bevel
pinions v and winch handle a for the purpose of elevating the plates m and the rods o

page_text: (which carry the pistons which from the tips of the candles) for discharging the
moulds. The crossheads t may be made to lift either one or both plates m
according as the moulds of one or both chests are to be discharged at one time.
For this purpose the said crossheads t are connected with the plates m to be lifted
by means of latches y which are caused to engage with lugs on the guide collars g.
After the moulds are filled, the layer of wax in the mould trough is removed, for
which purpose the side 1 of the trough is turned down on its hinge 2 and the wax
cut off flush with the moulds. The crossheads t are then raised so as to force up
all the piston rods o and push the moulded candles into the sheaths 3 separately
represented in Figures 7, 8, 9. The candles on entering these sheaths raise forked
spring flaps 4 (as shown in Figure 4) which afterwards come beneath and retain the
candles (as shown in Figure 5) the sheaths 3 holding the candles sufficiently to give
time for the spring flaps to engage beneath them. The sheaths are mounted in
series upon forked brackets 5 fixed to a bar 6 extending the whole length of the
mould chest. After the candles have been raised into the sheaths 3 the rods o are
again lowered by moving down the crossheads, after which a fresh quantity of wax
is run in before cutting the wicks of the previous batch of candles held in the sheaths 3
in order to keep the wicks stretched and central in the moulds c. These operations
are represented in the drawings, Figure 3 showing a batch of candles moulded and
cooled, Figure 4 their removal from the moulds, the rods o being still in their
highest position, and Figure 5 the candles held in the sheaths 3 while another batch
is being moulded.
It is evident that the form of the tank b, the number of pipes 9 and moulds c, &c.,
as well as the dimensions of the various parts, may be considerably varied without
departing from the nature of the invention.
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 :-
1st. The combination with a machine for moulding candles, of a hot or cold
water supply apparatus consisting of a tank communicating by pipes y with the
chest containing the moulds e, as described.
2nd. The combination with the candle-moulds of surrounding tubes / with
intervening annular spaces for the reception of the water to maintain the moulds at
the required temperature.
3rd. The combination with the candle moulding machine of the sheaths 3 with
spring flaps 4 for supporting the candles after they have been raised out of the
moulds and the piston rods o have been drawn down, as described.
4th. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improvements in
candle moulding machine herein described.
loted a
LOD
Dated 17
A. A. ROYAU.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.