Im- PROVEMENTS IN CANDLESTICKS AND CANDLE HOLDERS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alice Isabel Lucan Gordon, of Prince's Gate, Hyde
Park, in the County of Middlesex, Spinster, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN CANDLESTICKS AND CANDLE HOLDERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alice Isabel Lucan Gordon
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with her Petition, on the
.....
7th February 1865,
I, ALICE ISABEL LUCAN GORDON, of Prince's Gate, Hyde Park, in the
County of Middlesex,..Spinster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CANDLESTICKS AND CANDLE HOLDERS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention is designed for the purpose of firmly holding or supporting
candles of any size in candlesticks, candelabra, sockets, or other candle
holders.
The Invention consists principally of two circular plates, discs, or blocks,
one of which is capable of turning, whilst the other is stationary. One of the
plates, discs, or blocks has three (or any other convenient number of) slots cut
or formed through it in a radial direction, whilst the other plate, disc, or block

page_text: has a similar number of slots formed through it in a spiral direction. These
plates, discs, or blocks being placed one over the other so that one can turn
on a central pin attached to the other, and three vertical pins being passed
respectively through the slots in both plates it will be evident that upon
turning one of the plates, dises, or blocks round, the action of the spiral slots
will cause the three pins to approach the centre or recede from it simulta-
neously, the pins moving inwards or outwards in the radial slots according
to the direction in which the circular motion is given to the plate, disc, or block
which is turned.
The above described arrangement may be applied practically in a variety of
ways, for instance, a candle holder to be used with ordinary candlesticks may
be formed of a small cylindrical metal box which is of such a form as to fit
closely into the socket of the candlestick. Three spiral slots are made in the top
and bottom plates respectively of this box, and a circular block is placed inside
the box, fitting snugly therein, and having three corresponding radial slots.
Three pins pass vertically through the slots (both in the block and the box)
the pins being made square where they pass through the radial slots to prevent
them from turning round. These pins may be carried up above the box so
as to form clips to embrace the lower end of the candle, or clips of any suitable
form may be rivetted or otherwise attached thereto. This holder is adjusted
to the candle by turning the inner block round by means of a pin or button
which causes the clips to embrace the end of the candle, and it is then placed
in the socket of the candlestick, in which it fits and holds the candle quite.
firmly. This arrangement also answers all the purposes of what is commonly
called a "save all."
In making a candlestick upon this principle one of the plates, discs, or
blocks is fixed firmly to the stem of the candlestick, whilst the other is attached
to or forms part of the upper flange at the top of the candlestick, by turning
which round the clips are caused to approach to or recede from each other, so
as to hold any size of candle firmly. In this case the socket may either be
very shallow or entirely dispensed with.
In applying this Invention to candelabra the candle holder may be in the
form of a flower, the central petals of which stand up and form the clips for
holding the candle, whilst the outer petals (or corolla) replace the flange..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alice Isabel Lucan Gordon, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALICE
ISABEL LUCAN GORDON, of Princes' Gate, Hyde Park, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alice Isabel Lucan Gordon, Her special licence that I, the said
Alice Isabel Lucan Gordon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alice Isabel Lucan Gordon, my executors, administrators.
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CANDLESTICKS AND CANDLE HOLDERS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alice Isabel Lucan Gordon, 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 Alice Isabel Lucan Gordon, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say:-
This Invention is designed for the purpose of firmly holding or supporting
candles of any size in candlesticks, candelabra, sockets, or other candle
holders.
The Invention consists principally of two circular plates, discs, or blocks,
one of which is capable of turning, whilst the other is stationary. One of the
plates, discs, or blocks has three (or any other convenient number of) slots
cut or formed through it in a, radial direction, whilst the other plate, disc, or
block has a similar number of slots formed through it in a spiral direction.

page_text: These plates, discs, or blocks being placed one over the other so that one can
turn on a central pin attached to the other, and three vertical pins being
passed respectively through the slots in both plates, it will be evident that
upon turning one of the plates, discs, or blocks round, the action of the spiral
slots will cause the three pins to approach the centre or recede from it simul-
taneously, the pins moving inwards or outwards in the radial slots according
to the direction in which the circular motion is given to the plate, disc, or
block which is turned.
The above described arrangement may be applied practically in a variety of
ways; for instance, a candle holder to be used with ordinary candlesticks may
be formed of a small cylindrical metal box which is of such a form as to fit
closely into the socket of the candlestick. Three spiral slots are made in the
top and bottom plates respectively of the box, and a circular block is placed
inside the box, fitting snugly therein, and having three corresponding radial
slots. Three pins pass vertically through the slots (both in the block and the
box) the pins being made square where they pass through the radial slots
to prevent them from turning round. These pins may be carried up above
the box so as to form clips to embrace the lower end of the candle, or clips of
any suitable form may be rivetted or otherwise attached thereto. This holder
is adjusted to the candle by turning the inner block round by means of a pin
or button, which causes the clips to embrace the end of the candle, and it is
then placed in the socket of the candlestick, in which it fits, and holds the
candle quite firmly. This arrangement also answers all the purposes of what
is commonly called a "save-all."
In making a candlestick upon this principle one of the plates, discs, or
blocks is fixed firmly to the stem of the candlestick, whilst the other is attached
to or forms part of the upper flange at the top of the candlestick, by turning
which round the clips are caused to approach to or recede from each other,
so as to hold any size of candle firmly. In this case the socket may either be
very shallow or entirely dispensed with.
In applying this Invention to candelabra, the candle holder may be
in the form of a flower, the central petals of which stand up and form the
clips for holding the candle, whilst the outer petals (or corolla) replace the
flange.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in Candlesticks and Candle Holders," I will now proceed to describe more in
detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, and in order that the same may be distinctly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have

page_text: marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof, that is to say: -
Figure in the annexed Drawing represents a circular plate or disc A,
having three radial slots a, a, a, therein.
Figure 2 is a similar plate or disc B, having three curved or spiral slots
b, b, b, therein.
Figure 3 represents the plate B placed over the plate A in such a position
that three pins c, c, c, can be passed through the respective slots in both
plates.
It will now be evident that if the plate A be held stationary, whilst the
plate B is turned round into the position shown in Figure 4, the action of the
curved slots b, b, b, will cause the pins c, c, c, to slide simultaneously towards
the centre in the radial slots a, a, a, and that if the plate B is turned back
again the pins will be caused similarly to recede from the centre. The same
effect will be produced if the plate B is held whilst the plate A is turned.
The above is the principle or basis of my Invention and various methods of
working out or applying the same practically to candlesticks and candle
holders will readily suggest themselves to any competent mechanic.
For instance, Figure 5 represents (in elevation) a candle holder or "save-
all" which may be applied to any ordinary candlestick and will fit any ordinary
candle, and Figure 6 is a plan view of the same..
a, a, is a hollow cylindrical box having a dished flange b, b, at the top,
the external diameter of the box a, a, being such as to fit into the socket of the
candlestick. The top and bottom plates of tho said box are made with curved
slots similar to those in the plate B (Figure 2). In the interior of this box
fits snugly a block c, c, (shown in elevation and plan view at Figures 7 and 8)
having three radial slots therein, similar to those in the plate A (Figure 1).
Passing perpendicularly through these radial slots (and through those in the
top and bottom plates of the box a, a,) are three pins d, d, one of which is
represented at Figure 9. These pins are made square at the part which
passes through the radial slots to prevent their turning round, and to their
upper ends are firmly screwed or fixed the clips e, e. The block c, c, is furnished
with a central pin or spike f, projecting through the top and bottom of the
box, and may be turned round inside the latter by means of the button g, or
in any other convenient manner. It will now be evident that as the block
c, c, is turned round inside the box a, a, in either direction the clips e, e, will
be caused to approach to or recede from the central pin f, simultaneously.
The "save-all" is used as follows:-The clips e, e, being expanded to their
fullest extent, a candle is placed on the central pin f, and the clips e, e, con-

page_text: tracted till they grasp the candle firmly, the "save-all" is then placed in the
socket of the candlestick which it exactly fits, and hence any size of candle
will be held firmly, as represented at Figure 10.
In making a candlestick upon this principle I prefer so to arrange the parts
that the turning of the top flange of the candlestick to the right or left shall
cause the clips to approach to or recede from each other.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for "Im-
provements in Candlesticks and Candle Holders," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the improvements
in candlesticks and candle holders as above described and illustrated by the
Drawings annexed, or any mere imitation or modification thereof, constructed
and operating in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alice Isabel Lucan Gordon have hereunto
• set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Sol. & Patent Agent,
1, Serle St., Lincoln's Inn.
A. I. L. GORDON. (L.S.)