Improvements in Sulphur Candles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sulphur Candles.
We, STEPHEN B. MORSS, Merchant, residing in Rahway, Union County, New
Jersey, and THEODORE F. BOURNE, Patent Solicitor, residing in Clifton,
Richmond County, New York, United States of America, 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 :-
Our invention relates to sulphur candles used for disinfectant purposes.
The object of our invention is to provide a sulphur candle that can be readily
ignited, and the improvement consists in undermining the surface of the candle so
that a flame will attack and ignite the sulphur quickly and positively.
The invention also consists in the novel details of improvement that will be more
fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof,
wherein
Figure 1, is a vertical central cross section of a sulphur candle embodying our
invention;
Figure 2, is a plan view of the same ;
Figure 3, is a sectional detail view of the candle, showing the undermining
cavity, and
Figure 4, is a perspective view of a mould for forming the undermining cavity in
the candle.
We find that sulphur when moulded into a block or mass becomes hard and is
difficult to ignite when a flame is applied to its upper surface, and further, on
account of the fumes that rise a person cannot long remain in proximity to the
candle in order to insure its ignition. We therefore, in order to overcome these
difficulties, undermine the surface of the candle or form a cavity therein, wherein a
flame can be made to burn that will attack the sulphur above it and around it,
whereby the sulphur will become readily and positively ignited.
In the drawing, the letter A, indicates a candle preferably made by moulding
melted sulphur or sulphur as an ingredient, into the desired form, and B is a cavity
or chamber in the block or mass of sulphur, whereby the surface of the latter is
undermined. This cavity is preferably made larger beneath the surface of the
candle A than at the surface, in order to form overhanging walls, so that the flame
This cavity may be
will reach the sulphur around and above it, (the flame).
formed by any suitable means, but we find it advantageous to use a hollow mould D,
having a suitable outline, and made of combustible material, say paper.
mould D is shown open at both ends, and in the form of a truncated cone, and it is
shown in Figure 1, filled with a suitable combustible material E, say cotton, paper
or the like, or a suitable combustible powder.
This
F, is a suitable wick shown extending through the cavity B, and also through
the mass of the candle, which when lighted, acts to ignite the combustible
material E.
To form the cavity B, in the candle A, by means of the mould form D, the latter
is placed, small end down in a suitable mould (the large end of D being first closed
by any suitable means, say a piece of paper) and then the melted sulphur is poured
into the large mould and surrounds the mould D leaving the cavity ae in Figure 1.
The mould D may then be removed, leaving the cavity as in Figure 3, in which a
combustible may afterwards be inserted, or the mould D may be left in the cavity B
to assist in igniting the sulphur, which latter is preferable.
Or the combustible E, and wick F may be first placed in the mould form D and
then the sulphur be moulded around it, so that when the candle is withdrawn from

page_text: its mould, it will have the cavity B, beneath its surface already filled with a
combustible.
With this construction when the wick is lighted, the combustible will burn and
open the cavity and ignite the sulphur surrounding it, which as it melts will fall
into the cavity beneath the surface of the candle, forming a sort of lake of burning
sulphur, which gradually spreads out, consuming the sulphur above and around it,
until the entire candle is consumed. By this method of undermining the surface of
the candle, a perfect consumption of the candle is assured.
Although the surface of the candle A may be flat as in Figure 3, or of any
desired outline, we find it advantageous to form a number of annular concentric (or
other shaped) depressions a, on the top of the candle, leaving corresponding ridges b,
as in Figures 1 and 2, whereby the sulphur as it burns from the centre ridge 6 of
the candle will flow into said depressions and be prevented from running to and
over the sides of the candle, but will gradually eat its way along the top of the
candle consuming the ridges consecutively, whereby the candle will burn more from
the centre the parts above gradually melting and running down into the burning
portion.
The candle may be bound by a metal or non-combustible ring or band G, having
a bottom or not as desired, and in order to catch any sulphur that might run over
.the side of the candle, a chamber d is made between the sides of the candle and the
band G at the upper part, and for this purpose said band is made larger, as at d,
than at the lower part, so as to leave a chamber or space between the candle and
.band, see Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
1. A sulphur candle composed of a mass or block of sulphur, having a combustion
cavity or chamber beneath its surface, substantially as described.
2. A sulphur candle composed of a mass or block of sulphur, having a combustion
cavity or chamber that is larger beneath its upper part than at its upper part,
whereby overhanging walls of sulphur are formed, substantially as described.
3. A sulphur candle composed of a block or mass of sulphur having a combustion
cavity or chamber beneath its surface and a combustible material within said cavity,
substantially as described.
4. A sulphur candle having a cavity or chamber beneath its surface, and a
hollow combustible mould D within said cavity, substantially as described.
5. A sulphur candle having a cavity or chamber beneath its surface, a hollow
mould D within said cavity, and combustible material within said mould, sub-
stantially as described.
6. A sulphur candle having a series of depressions with corresponding ridges to
prevent the too quick spread of melted sulphur over its surface, substantially as
described.
7. The combination of a candle, with a band G, surrounding it, and a chamber
between the upper parts of said candle and band, substantially as described.
8. The combination of a sulphur candle with a band G surrounding it, said band
being larger at its upper part than at its lower part, whereby a chamber is formed
between the candle and band, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of October 1891.
STEPHEN B. MORSS.
THEODORE F. BOURNE.