IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES, NIGHT LIGHTS, AND MORTARS
Year: 1851

page_text: FIELD, of Lambeth, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the, Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of
July, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, in the fifteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Arthur Field, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Arthur
Field, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur
Field, my exors, admors, 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, ny Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES, NIGHT LIGHTS, AND MORTARS;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said
Arthur Field, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 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
Arthur Field, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
The first part of my Invention consists in making the moulds in which
candles are cast of plaster of Paris, Portland cement, Roman cement, Keene's
cement, clay, or other suitable earthy matter, or mixtures of any of the above-
named earthy materials, the same being longitudinally divided into two or
more pieces. I also employ metal moulds divided in a similar manner, see
Drawing No. 1. Moulds made as above I also employ for the casting of
night lights and mortars (see Drawings Nos. 1 and 4). The use of my
improved candle moulds must be so obvious to any one engaged in the manu-
facture of candles, that it will be useless to describe it further than that,
instead of drawing the candles, the moulds are opened and the candles lifted
out.
Secondly, I manufacture sustainers for the wicks of night lights and mortars
of plaster of Paris, Portland cement, Roman cement, Keene's cement, clay,
or other suitable earthy matters, or admixtures of any of the above substances,
in lieu of metal as now employed. The clay sustainer I sometimes heat to
redness in a suitable furnace, and then glaze them either with salt or other
substances generally employed for such purposes, see Drawing No 2.
Thirdly, in describing the method of carrying out my Invention (as regards
night lights and mortars, it must be mentioned that mortars as ordinarily
manufactured are cast in cardboard boxes, similar to pill boxes, and when in
use are placed in a saucer or other vessel containing a small quantity of
water; to these and the mode of burning the following disadvantages are
attached the box is seldom or never made so accurately that when the
fatty matter contained in it is in a melted state the whole of it is retained,
and the consequence is, that a certain portion escapes, and the night light or
mortar does not burn the time expected; moreover, the presence of water
is not at all favorable to an even combustion. These objections, however, are
entirely overcome in the mortar about to be described, and not only is this
effected, but the quality and amount of the light evolved is much improved,
inasmuch in lieu of a bright spot of light on the ceiling of the room in which
they are burnt, it is equally and agreeably diffused. The above-mentioned
improvements are thus effected:-Instead of a box made in two pieces, as a
pill box, the cases or envelopes of the night lights or mortars are made of one
piece of a material that is impervious to the fatty matter, and which is nearly
transparent. The material employed is gelatine, or gelatine mixed with other

page_text: substances to be presently described. It may be mentioned, however, that
although I prefer to make the gelatine or gelatine mixture cases in one piece,
yet I do occasionally make them of sheet gelatine (or gelatine mixture) in
two or more pieces.
I will now describe the method of manufacture of the gelatine or gelatine
mixture cases or envelopes:-I prepare a solution of gelatine, or of gelatine
admixed with the solutions of the gums and mucilages soluble in water, of
the gum resins and resins soluble in spirits of wine, alkaline solutions, or of
the gums and mucilages soluble in water, and the gum resins and resins
soluble in spirits of wine or alkaline solutions, or simple admixtures of gelatine
with either or any of the gums or mucilages soluble in water, or the gum
resins soluble in spirit of wine or alkaline solutions, or the simple solution of
gelatine is admixed with all or any of the above in a pulverulent state, and
stirred into it until thoroughly combined. I here mention, that I do not
confine myself to any particular proportions of the above substances, neither
to any particular shape or form the envelope is to be, nor to any color of the
above solutions, but use them either plain or colored in such a manner as I
may think desirable. The moulds on which the cases or envelopes are formed
I make either of metal, shellac, or admixtures of shellac with resins or other
like matters, the shape or size of the mortar or night light is intended to be,
but do not confine myself to moulds of any particular shape or size, see
Drawing No. 3. Into the solution of galatine prepared in either or any of
the above-mentioned methods, I dip a mould the shape or size the night light
or mortar is intended to be, turn it upside down so as to allow the superfluous
gelatine or mixture to run off, and set it aside until the gelatine or mixture is
sufficiently hard to remove from the mould, it is then ready to be placed on the
mortar or night light, which operation, together with the manufacture of the
mortar or night light, I shall now describe:-The moulds having their wires
furnished with wick sustainers, as shewn in the Drawing No. 4, are filled
in the usual manner, and allowed to remain until the fatty mater has suffi-
ciently hardened to allow the moulds to be separated, the mortars can then
be removed, and are ready for wicking and casing as under:-The mortar
or night light is then wicked in the usual way (well known to mortar or
night light manufacturers), the case or envelope of gelatine, or any of the
gelatine admixtures above mentioned, is taken from the mould on which it
was made, is turned inside out, and the base of the case or envelope is placed
on the base of the mortar or night light (the latter being turned upside down),
and the case is then drawn over it, or the case or envelope may be taken
from the mould without turning it inside out, and the night light or mortar

page_text: i
may in this condition be thrust into it. The night light or mortar is now.
allowed to remain in the case until the latter slightly hardens on the edges.
These edges are then removed by scissors or otherwise until the rim of the
case or envelope is on a level with the face of the mortar or night light; they
are now set aside on racks, over which a free current of air is allowed to pass
until they are perfectly hard and dry; they are then fit for use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
No. 1, half of candle mould, shewing. the keys by which the parts are
adjusted. Metal. .moulds similarly divided have an hinge at A. No. 2, a, a
metal plate used in forming the wick sustainers, in which cavities are turned,
a small hole being drilled in the centre of each cavity. b, à metal plate with
crosses and pins to correspond with cavities and holes in plates a.
bottom of sustainer, sliewing channel for melted fat to reach the wick. No. 3,
mould or dipper on which the cases or envelopes are formed. No. 4, A, under
part of... mortar mould shewing wire with sustainer fixed. a, shoulder formed
in.the wire to receive the sustainer 6 in its place on the wire. B, half of
upper part of mould. . No. 5, mould ready for filling.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Field, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day, of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fiftuitive