AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE BOXES OR CASES USED FOR NIGHT LIGHTS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Childs, of Belmont, Vauxhall, in the County
of Surrey, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF THE BOXES OR CASES USED FOR NIGHT LIGHTS."
Sealed the 27th. April 1858, and dated the 1st February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Childs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
February 1858.
I, JAMES CHILDS, of Belmont, Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF THE BOXES OR CASES USED FOR NIGHT LIGHTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in the manufacture of
the boxes or cases used for night lights. For this purpose the cylindrical
portion of each box or case is made, as heretofore, of paper or wood, and in
order to form the bottom to such case or box, the cylinder is placed on a
mandril in such manner as to leave a small length of the case beyond the
mandril, into which fluid plaster of Paris or other cement is run and allowed
to set before running in the fatty or other matter to form the night light, by
which means the bottom of each case or box consists simply of plaster or

page_text: cement.
On the top of the mandril there is a spike or projection, in order to
produce a recess in the centre of the plaster bottom into which the lower end
of the wick passes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Childs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHILDS, of Belmont, Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Childs, Her special licence that I, the said James Childs,
my, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Childs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 MANUFACTURE OF THE BOXES OR CASES USED FOR NIGHT LIGHTS," upon the
condition (amongst others), that I, the said James Childs, my executors or
administrators, 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 James Childs, 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:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in the manufacture of
the boxes or cases used for night lights. For this purpose. the cylindrical
portion of each box or case is made, as heretofore, of paper or wood, and in
order to form the bottom to such case or box, the cylinder is placed on a

page_text: mandril in such manner as to leave a small length of the case beyond the
mandril, into which fluid plaster of Paris or other cement is run and allowed
to set before running in the fatty or other matter to form the night light, by
which means the bottom of each case or box consists simply of plaster or
cement. On the top of the mandril there is a spike or projection, in order to
produce a recess in the centre of the plaster bottom into which the lower end
of the wick passes.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mandril such as I employ, and which
I prefer to be made of pure copper or tin; Figure 2 is a board with a number
of mandrils screwed upon it; and Figure 3 is a cylinder or "round," such as
is ordinarily used for night lights. The manufacture of the cases or boxes is
conducted in the following manner:-In order to grease the upper surface of
each of the mandrils, the board shewn at Figure 2 is inverted and pressed
down on to another board covered with flannel saturated with oil, and when
this is done, a cylinder or round is placed over to each of the mandrils, and it
will project up beyond the edge of the mandril, as is shewn at Figure 4; the
cement is then poured into the space left at the top of the mandril. The
cement which I prefer to employ is a mixture of plaster of Paris and size, in
the proportion of one part, by measure, of plaster to one and a half parts of
size. The size is rendered liquid by heat, and before mixing it with the
plaster this latter is raised to about the same temperature as the liquid size.
When the mixture is made it is kept hot, and constantly stirred until it is
used. As soon as the cement sets, the cases are removed from the mandrils.
Afterwards the wick is inserted into the hole formed for it in the plaster
bottom by the projection from the mandril; and, lastly, the fatty matter
poured in in the ordinary manner.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details described; but what I claim is, the running into a
cylinder or "round," such as those now used for night lights, plaster of Paris
or other cement in a fluid state, so as to form a box or case suitable for being
afterwards filled with fatty matter to produce à night light. I also claim the
placing the cylinders or "rounds' on mandrils, beyond which they project

page_text: slightly, and running plaster of Paris or other cement into the projecting
portions of the cylinders or "rounds," so as to form bottoms to them, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Childs, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord One-
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEO. CHILDS,
Ivy Cottage, Battersea Rise.
JAS. CHILDS. (L.S.)
.