IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
JOHNSON, of Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex, Tallow Chandler, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the sixth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said George
Johnson, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said George Johnson, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said George Johnson, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said George Johnson,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Johnson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following 'description thereof, reference being had to

page_text: (that is to say):-
My Invention relates, first, to the coating of a platted wick with melted
spermaceti or with stearic acid, and combining the same with tallow or com-
position, in the manufacture of composition or a tallow moulded candle.
Secondly, the Invention relates to a mode of preparing platted wicks used
in the manufacture of tallow and composition candles.
And thirdly, my Invention relates to a mode of twisting platted wicks used
in the manufacture of tallow and other candles after such platted wicks have
been introduced into the pipes of a mould frame. And in order that my Inven-
tion may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to
explain the means practised by me in carrying out my Invention; and,
first, in respect to that part of my Invention for coating platted wicks with
melted spermaceti or stearine. The way of performing this operation is
by hanging any number of wicks in a row, suspended by their loops to
the upper part of a wooden frame, and letting them sink into a vessel filled
with melted spermaceti..or stearine, and when thoroughly immersed to
raise the frame and fasten the loose end of the wicks to pins or points at the
bottom part of the frame, keeping each wick straight and full stretched until
cool. The wicks thus coated are then to be introduced in the manufacture
of mould candles, by placing them in the ordinary pipes, and the melted tallow
or melted composition run into the moulds, by which candles will be made
having platted wicks coated, as above explained, with a material which,
melting only.at a higher temperature than the tallow or composition, will cause
the platted'wicks. to be supported when consuming with the comparatively low
melting materials of, tallow or composition.
The second part of my Invention consists in the preparation of platted
wicks used in the manufacture of tallow or composition candles, by a solution
of the chlorate (oxymuriate).of potash and then dried, by which solution the
wicks are strengthened, and will maintain themselves in a convenient curved
position while burning, which renders the operation of snuffing unnecessary.
The strength of the solution need not exceed one ounce to the gallon of water.
I will now describe the manner of introducing the wicks, as above prepared
and specified in the first. and. second. parts of my Invention, into the pipes of
the moulded frames used in the manufacture of tallow or composition candles.
The wicks coated with stearic acid' or spermaceti being increased in size
by the coating, they could not be admitted into the small holes at that
end of the pipes which form the top parts of the candles; I therefore reduce
"one end of the wick by binding it round with thread for about half an inch
before coating, which, when stiffened with the sperm or stearine, will pass

page_text: making mould candles with platted wicks, and it will be found more particu-
larly useful when the candles are composed of low melting materials, such as
tallow. I would also remark that I am aware that platted wicks have before
been proposed to be platted, and a description for the making tallow candles
with twisted platted wicks will be found in a Specification of a Patent lately
granted to Mr. Morgan, of Manchester; and I mention this circumstance in
order to state that I make no claim to the making mould candles with twisted
platted wicks therein, but only when the same are twisted in the pipes by
being put in connection with rotatory axes, as herein described.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,
First, the mode of manufacturing tallow and composition candles by com-
bining therein platted wicks coated with spermaceti or stearic acid.
Secondly, I claim the mode of manufacturing tallow and composition
candles by combining therein wicks saturated with a solution of chlorate of
potash.
And, thirdly, I claim the mode of manufacturing mould candles by causing
the plafted wicks used therein to be twisted by rotatory axes after they have
been introduced into the pipes or moulds.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.