IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Augustus Biertumpfel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th November 1873.
I, HENRY AUGUSTUS BIERTUMPFEL, of the Firm of Biertumpfel and
Son, of 138, Albany Street, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex,
Candle Machine Builders, Candle Mould Makers, and Pewterers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CANDLES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," to be as follows :—
The first part of my Invention consists in modes and means for
saving the wicking which now is wasted in the Pitman and other
candle machines, viz., the pieces between the tips of the moulded
candles held in the so called "clamps" and the butts of the next following
or newly cast candles still in the moulds. For this purpose I construct
the "clamps" so as to permit the candles to lodge on the two inside
halves instead of on the two outside halves, as heretofore; and the
outsides of my improved clamp I make like the two inside halves of
the present clamps, as far as the wood parts are concerned, I am thus
enabled to lower the tips of the candles when in the clamps close down

page_text: to the butts of the newly cast candles in the moulds; and in order
further to assist and regulate this mode of manufacture I cut away
sufficient of the wood of the clamps at the feet and at the bridge end,
or otherwise shape them so that they can be conveniently lowered into
the tray. And in order to facilitate the insertion and working of a pair
of suitably bent scissors or other cutting instrument for severing the
wicks between the clamp and the edge of the tray I cut away or bevil
the lower part of the clamp; a two-edged knife attached to a rod may
used for severing the wicks by drawing or pushing it along the face
of the tray. In order to avoid any splashing of the tips of the candles
in the clamps by the material while being poured in I make the clamp
so as to be raised with facility either at the pouring end only or
all together throughout the length. One means for accomplishing this
purpose consists in applying hinged legs to the clamps, which legs of
their own accord will fall down and rest on the tray, thus supporting
the clamps when raised. When the material has been poured the
attendant raises the pendant supports or legs and drops the clamps.
into their former lowered position; the continuous candle wicking
should then be strained, which may be done in the usual manner or by
a weight on each wick fitting on the same, so as just to cling to or
keep on it. The clamps require to be properly fixed or centred, as
heretofore, or may be adjusted by guides provided for that purpose.
Other modes of partially accomplishing the saving of the now wasted
candle wicking are the making the tray wider and shallower or
using narrower clamps.
Another mode and means of accomplishing the saving of the now
wasted candle wicking is as follows:-I fit bars or rods, by preference
square and made of iron, between the frames or standards of the
machine, these rods have holes opposite and corresponding with the
holes in the sliding tips or pistons, there is one such bar for each row
of tips; the holes are of such a size as to have a certain grip or cling
on the continuous wicks passing through them. The bars are united
by levers or other gear, so as to patake of the same movement when
actuated in a rotary direction, which may be done by a wheel or lever;
when thus turned round, which operation takes place as soon as the
candles in the clamps can be dislodged from the candles just cast in
the candle moulds, the wicks are all at the same time drawn down
through the candles the required distance. Other means may however

page_text: be applied for taking hold of and lowering or drawing down all the
wicks simultaneously.
The next part of my Invention refers to means for protecting the
wick and wick bobbins from dust or dirt, or from being covered with
candle material in consequence of a leakage from or bursting of a
mould or overflowing of the tray, or from other causes. For this
purpose I enclose this part of the machine by means of a box
consisting of a top fastened over the bobbins and made with a gutter
or channels for the material to run off one side or the other, but I
prefer to make it sloping down towards the middle, forming a gutter
there. Where the wicks have to pass through from the bobbins I fit
screws or nibs of metal or other material, and with a hole through each,
by preference of such a size as to have a certain grip or cling on the
wicks; and in order to facilitate the passage of the wicks from the
bobbins I prefer to make the holes of a bell mouth or elongated shape
below. To the top of this bobbin box I hinge the two sides by
preference so as to have the hinges at the bottom, and so as to overlap
the top almost up to the nibs for the cotton wicks in the same.
side flaps are connected to the top by hooks, buttons, or other
fasteners.
The
The next part of my Invention is the production of a candle moulding
machine for sperm and such like materials which have to be poured in
exceedingly hot, and for which the ordinary "Pitman" or other
moulding machines are not suitable because of the liability to leakage
at the bottom of the candle moulds; and I accomplish under this head
the same as I have shown with reference to the previous part of this
Invention, viz., the saving of the now wasted candle wicking, and secure
other advantages besides, for instance, the saving of the wear and tear.
of the candle moulds by the friction of sliding tips in them.
My improved candle moulding machine is also chiefly applicable to
the manufacture of superior candles where high gloss and extreme
beauty of finish is required. I employ a tank or water cistern fitted on
standards. In this tank there are a number of candle moulds, with their
"butts" fixed into trays or gullies placed in such a manner as to facilitate
the pouring in of the melted material. I prefer to place them across the
tank, to that the material can be poured from the sides of the tank.
The wick nibs protrude through the bottom of the tank. Pieces of iron
or other material are placed into each of the trays in such a manner as

page_text: to lie on each side of the candles or alongside of the butts of the moulds,
the ends being formed to suit the shape of the trays, and to overhang at
either end; when the material is poured I am by this means enabled to
raise the whole of the tray full of candles by their own material, and all
trays at once.
Suitable well-known raising appliances, consisting for instance of
a screw and bevil wheel gearing at each end, and pinion shaft
from end to end, are applied for this purpose. I arrange a flat
piece of iron forming with the screw a T, and having a slot at each end
of the top or flat; from each of these I connect to the other by a sliding
flat rod worked to and fro in the slots, the whole forming a lifting square
frame for raising the ends of the pieces of iron embedded in the material
lying in each tray; the whole of the frame being raised, and catching
the ends of the pieces of iron aforesaid, all the candles will be raised
with them, this of course supposing the material to be so far set as to
admit of it, each lot being attached to the piece of material poured into
each tray; when all raised sufficiently the attached candles will each
centre its continuous wicking ready for the next filling. I prefer to
raise them so high up as to avoid any splashing of the candle nibs.
The attendant next places the aforesaid supports for the material,
pours
in the material, and repeats the before-described operation. When
the material is cold enough, the raising apparatus should be lowered
sufficiently close on to the candle as to economize the candle wicking
between the last moulded and the next lot of candles. All the candle
wicks can be strained if necessary by the attendant, or it may be done
by weights clinging on the wicks as above referred to.
The next operation is the severing of the candles from the blocks of
their own material; this may be done by a scissors or other cutting
instrument. The candles can be sawn off by a circular saw or rotary
knife, or a pair of scissors with cutting edges of half-moon shape, the
two edges meeting severing the candle at the base all round at once; or
it may be accomplished by having a gulley or single tray fitted up with
moulds of such sizes as to permit the whole of the candles on the block
into the moulds at once; this tray has a knife sliding over the face to
and fro. The gully has a swinging action on centres at each ends so
arranged that when the candles are detached it can be canted or tipped
in order to let the candles slide out on to the tray to be carried to the
candle packer.

page_text: The next part of my improvements consists in a new mode of making
candles with a core of one material and the outside or case of another
material. For this purpose an ordinary " Pitman or other machine, or
my just described machine may be used.
,,
The apparatus which I use for and apply to such machines according
to this new mode of making such candles is as follows:-To a flat bar
of iron I fix a series of mandrils exactly corresponding to the position
of the candle moulds in the machine. The mandrils are of the size
required for the cores of the candles, and so long that their points
touch the bottoms or centres of the sliding tips, and close up the cotton
holes when the material is being pourred to prevent it from leaking out,
and to get the cores duly centred and to pass partly through.
The mandril bar with its mandrils may be raised or lowered by any
simple or known lifting gear over the machine, and it can be made to
work in guides.
When the material poured in has set sufficiently and the butts "shaved,"
the mandril's frame is raised and the cores put in; these are similar to
ordinary candles, and may be made on an ordinary candle machine or in
any other way. When put into their "clamps," they are put over the
candle moulds lined with the shells or cases as just described; the
clamps are then opened in the ordinary manner, the cores fall into their
places, and when pressed home after the removal of the clamps the butts
can be welded by passing a piece of iron over them, or it may be done
any other known and suitable manner. The finished candles can then
be ejected into the clamps in the usual manner, and carried away ready
for packing.
in