Improvements in Night-lights and similar Articles, and in the Holders used in Burning the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug., 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1850
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Night-lights and similar Articles, and in the
Holders used in Burning the same.
I EDWARD LUND of 22 St. John's Street Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Surgeon do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists chiefly in certain improvements in the holders used in
burning night-lights made of paraffin wax cocoa-nut oil or other compounds which
have been moulded into form (but are not to be covered with paper, card-board, or
other material) and placed in a holder usually made of glass, the material melting
and being consumed gradually as the night light burns, the wick being held in the
middle of the night-light by a small metal plate or disc.
In place of the said cups or holders now in use which are ordinarily made of
glass in the shape of a shallow cylinder or drum with a flat base or bottom, I
propose to make cups or capsules (in which to place a night-light before it has been
lighted) of copper or any other metal or material suitable for the purpose; and to
make the inside of the said cup or capsule smooth and polished, or to cover the
inside surface of the said cup with electro-silver, electro-nickel, tin, enamel, white
paint, or other suitable substance, so as to secure a polished or white reflective surface
by which to diffuse the light from the night-light when burning; and I form the
bottom of the cup holding the night light into a concave surface which shall present
the segment or part of a hollow sphere. The paraffin wax or other material, being
in a liquefied state as it burns away, the last few drops thereof will gravitate to the
centre of the concave bottom of the cup and be drawn up by the wick and so
completely burnt, leaving the inside of the cup clean and ready for the reception of
another night-light, which, before it has been lighted must be so formed as to fit
into the metal cup or capsule.
In this way I propose to economize the use of paraffin wax by leaving none
unconsumed and to leave the cup clean and ready for use.
The particular form of the surface just under the line of the flame of the wick in
the centre of the night-light will tend to add to the luminosity of the night-light
when burning, and the light will last for a longer time than with a flat bottomed cup
with sides at right angles to the bottom.
"
I propose to make the night lights of paraffin wax and of other compounds with a
central wick held in position by a
wick sustainer made of a disc or plate of some
non-metallic combustible material, such as paper, card board, or thin wood, and to
fix one end of the wick to this disc as the night-light is being moulded into shape,
and allowed to cool; when the night-light has been lighted and burnt down to the
level of the disc the latter will itself be burnt away and leave only a few ashes to
be removed when cleaning the cup ready for further use.
To secure this result I propose to have the discs of paper, card board, or wood
steeped in a solution of potash nitrate potash chlorate or other suitable salt and
thoroughly dried, before the paraffin has been moulded around the disc and wick,
and then as the flame from the wick reaches the disc, it will burn up the paper or
woody fibre, by a gentle deflagrating action, and facilitate the cleansing of the cup.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1889:
GEORGE DAVIES,
+, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Night-lights and similar Articles, and in the
Holders used in Burning the same.
1 EDWARD LUND of 22 St. John's Street Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Surgeon 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 :-
My invention consists chiefly in certain improvements in what are known as night
lights, and the holders used in burning night lights and other similar articles such
for instance as the lights used in what are termed "Fairy Lamps" made of paraffin
wax, cocoa nut oil or other compounds which are moulded into form (but are not-
covered with paper, cardboard or other material) and which are placed in a holder
usually made of glass, the wax or other material melting and being consumed
gradually as the night light burns, the wick being usually held in the middle of the
night light by a small metal plate or disc; the objects of my invention being to obtain
a more complete combustion, and greater economy and cleanliness as there will be
absolutely no waste of the wax or other material nothing being left remaining in
the holder but a small quantity of ash.
The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to
the annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
In place of the said cups or holders now in use which are ordinarily made of glass
in the shape of a shallow cylinder or drum with a flat base or bottom (as shown
at Fig. 1 on the drawings) I propose to make cups or capsules (in which to place a
night light before it has been lighted) of copper or any other metal or of carthenware
or other material suitable for the purpose, and to make the inside of such cup or
capsule smootli and polished, or to cover or coat the inside surface of the said cup
with electro silver, electro nickel, tin, enamel, white paint or other suitable substance
so as to secure a polished or white reflective surface, by which to diffuse the
light when burning and I form the bottom of the cup holding the night-light into a
concave surface which shall present the half or other segment of a hollow, sphere as
shown at Fig. 2.
The object of this is that the paraffin wax or other material being in a liquefied state
as it burns away, the last few drops thereof will gravitate to the centre of the concave
bottom of the cup and be drawn up by the wick and thus be completely burnt, leaving
the inside of the cup clean and ready for the reception of another night light, which I
prefer to make with a hemispherical or convex bottom, to fit the cup although night
lights with flat bottoms may be burned therein if desired.
In this way I both economize the use of the paraffin wax or other material by
leaving none unconsumed and at the same time the cup is left clean and ready
for use
The particular form of the surface just under the line of the flame of the wick in
the centre of the night light will tend to add to the luminosity of the light when
burning and the light will last for a longer time than with a flat bottomed cup with
sides at right angles to the bottom as usual.
In some cases when the burning night light is exposed to a cold draught of air or
when the cup is placed upou a cold surface such as metal marble or stone, a certain
amount of heat is radiated from the cup and becomes carried away by the cold air or
other conducting medium in contact with the cup, and the sides of the latter being
thus cooled a portion of the paraffin compound may be caused to remain unmelted and
adherent to the sides of the cup.
To prevent this the cup may be placed in a small box or receptacle lined with a
thick piece of felt or woollen material a or other suitable non conductor of heat, as
shown at Fig. 3 or a hemispherical cup may be made of thin copper or other metal as
at Fig. 4, and soldered inside the top of a cylinder c of similar metal, the space in
between the two is then filled in with the substance known as "silicate cotton" or

page_text: with asbestos or other suitable non-conducting substance, and the bottom is then
closed in with a disc of wood or other material d secured by pins or otherwise.
The cylinder c instead of being made of metal may be made of thin wood card-
board or other material, and if preferred the silicate cotton or other filling may
be introduced through a hole in the side or bottom, which is afterwards closed by a
plug e.
I propose to make the night lights of paraffin wax, and of other compounds with a
hemispherical bottom or end to fit the cup or rather less in size and with a central
wick held in position by a "wick sustainer" made of a disc or plate of some non-
metallic combustible material such as paper, cardboard or thin wood prepared as
hereinafter stated so that as the night light burns down to the level of the disc the
latter will itself also become ignited and burn away leaving only a few ashes to be
removed when cleaning the cup for further use.
I prefer to make the "wick sustainer" in the following manner:
I take a sheet of thick unsized bibulous paper out of which I punch small discs of
about half an inch in diameter and these I steep in a solution (about five per cent.) or
potash nitrate, potash chlorate, sodium tungstate ammonium phosphate or ammonium
sulphate or other equivalent salt, but I prefer the sodium tungstate as it causes the
paper to burn away with with a more gentle deflagrating action.
When these discs are removed from the solution and dried or nearly so I make a
linear cut (about a quarter of an inch long) across the centre of each (see Fig. 5)
using by preference a blunt chisel, so as to produce a burr or rough projecting edge
on the back.
I also provido a number of strips of similarly prepared paper of the form shown at
Fig. 6 (not so thick as the former) with a hole in the centre of such a size as to admit
the wick to be supported.
The wick is also treated with the sodium tungstate or other solution then passed
through melted paraffin wax and cooled. One of the strips Fig. 6 is then folded across
the middle and a piece of wick f drawn through the hole leaving out about half an
inch between the folds of the paper as shown at Fig. 7. The wick and folded paper
is then drawn nearly through the slot in one of the paper discs (Fig. 5) and the end
of the wick and the folded strip being opened out and flattened at the front of the
dise the wick will be thus firmly attached to the sustainer.
In moulding the night-lights I take one of the "wick sustainers" thus prepared
and holding it by the wick I dip the same into hot paraffin wax, and immediately
removing it I place the same in the centre of a metal mould (see left hand of Fig. 9)
to which it will adhere provided that the mould is quite cold at the moment of
contact.
For this purpose I prefer to fix the moulds in a hollow box or casing as shown at
Fig. 9 and to provide the same with entrance and exit tubes by means of which cold
water may be inade to flow through the same for the above purpose, and when the
night lights have been moulded and become solid warm water may be run through
the same so as to warm the moulds and allow of the night lights being slipped out of
the same by a slight downward pressure at or near one edge.
If I wish to make a short candle instead of a night light I use a longer wick and I
place above the hemispherical night light already mouded and solidifici a cylindrical
glass tube of the required depth which I support and fix in any convenient manner
before pouring in the remainder of the melted paraffin wax.
To prevent the wick from getting out of place when pouring in the hot wax I find
it preferable to pour in only a small quantity at first as shown in the centre mould at
Fig. 9, and then to allow it to cool partially and when this has solidified I pour in the
remainder as shown at the right hand of such fig.
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 1 claim
as my invention is :-
First. The manufacture of night-lights and other similar articles of paraffin wax or

page_text: other suitable compound with hemispherical or convex bottoms or ends and with non-
metallic combustible "wick sustainers" substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Secondly. I claim the preparation and use of non-metallic combustible "wick
sustainers" in night lights and other similar articles not having a hemispherical or
-convex bottom or end as and for the purposes herein before described, and
Thirdly. I claim the construction and use of the hemispherical or similarly formed
cup or holder for burning such night lights or other similar articles either with or
without the addition of the non-conducting material, substantially as hereinbefore
-described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 1st day of August 1890.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.