CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATIIS TO FACILITATE IN MANATHIDING FACILITATE THE MANUFACTURING OF MOULD CANDLES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Kendall, of the City of Providence,
in the State of Rhode Island, in the United States of America,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATIIS TO FACILITATE IN MANATHIDING Ал
Sealed the 5th March 1853, and dated the 12th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Kendall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th November 1852.
I, GEORGE KENDALL, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE
MANUFACTURING OF MOULD CANDLES" to be as follows:-
The main object of this Invention is to diminish the manual
labor of moulding candles, and to give to the operation increased
accuracy by making the necessary adjustments automatically instead
of depending upon the care and attention of a workman.
The first improvement consists of an arrangement of cars and
railways, by means of which the moulds are run when empty to the
oven to be heated, thence to the vessel containing the melted fat to

page_text: be filled, thence to a stand to remain until the fat is set, thence to
the place where the candles are drawn out of the moulds and a
fresh supply of wick drawn therein.
The next part of the Invention consists of an apparatus for draw-
ing the candles from the moulds, and is large enough to draw all
the moulds of a car, and is so placed and arranged with respect to
the railway that any number of cars may be brought up to it in
succession, to have the candles drawn from their moulds, and the
latter re-wick'd ready for the reception of another charge of fat.
The next improvement relates to the mould, and consists in
fitting the tip or lower ends of each mould with an elastic stopper
perforated with a hole sufficiently small to embrace the wick tightly,
so that an amount of force is required to pull the wick through
sufficient to stretch and straighten it in the mould, while at the
same time the escape of fat is effectually prevented.
The next improvement consists in mounting the spools of wick
and a series of stands of moulds upon a car, in such manner that
the whole are carried about from place to place during the various
operations in their proper relative order, thereby avoiding the
derangements and re-adjustments that become necessary when the
moulds are worked in the usual manner.
The next improvement relates to the centering of the wicks in
the moulds, and consists in extending the wicks through the moulds
from the tips or lower ends thereof towards one side of their upper
ends, in such manner that the centering apparatus will be sure to
act properly upon each wick.
The last improvement consists of an apparatus for drawing the
candles from the moulds, and for centering the new wicks therein
preparatory to the introduction of the melted fat, whereby the
operation of drawing a whole stand of candles is effected as expe-
ditiously and readily as the drawing of a single candle, and the
centering of the wicks of a row of moulds is effected with greater
expedition and accuracy than the wick of a single mould could be
centered by the eye and hand of even the most skilful workman.
The operation of moulding candles by my improved method

page_text: involves the expenditure of but little labor, as the candle moulds
are carried about from place to place, as required, on cars which
run on cross railways laid down on the floor of the moulding room.
The inoulds are mounted upon cars, each of which carries severa
dozens, and they are heated to about the temperature of the meltedċ
fat, with which they are to be filled by running the car into an
oven; after the moulds are thus heated they are carried by the car
to a cauldron containing the melted fat, and filled therewith. The
car is then run to one of the empty tracks, and permitted to stand
until the candles are cooled, when it is moved to an apparatus by
the aid of which the candles are drawn and the moulds re-wick'd
ready to be again heated and filled. To facilitate the transference
of the moulds to different parts of the room, the cars on which they
are mounted are carried about on trucks fitted with rails at right
angles to the track on which they run, so that the car with the
moulds can be carried forward or back by the truck, and run to
the right or left on its own wheels upon lateral tracks, as may be
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Kendall in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 12th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE KENDALL, of the City of Providence, in the State of Rhode
Island, in the United States of America, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, A. D.
Eighteen hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto mc,
the said George Kendall, Her special license that I, the said George
Kendall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Kendall, 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,

page_text: 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS TO PACILITATE THE MANUFACTURING OF MOULD CANDLES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Kendall, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particu-
larly 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 George Kendall, 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 (that is to say):
The main object of my Invention is to diminish the manual labor
and expense of moulding candles, and to perform many of the nicer
parts of the operation automatically, thereby rendering it in a great
measure independent of the skill of workmen.
The first
part of
my Invention consists of an arrangement of cars
and railways, by means of which the moulds are run when empty
to the oven to be heated, thence to the vessel containing the melted
fat by which they are to be filled, thence to a stand to remain until
the fat is set, thence to the apparatus by which the candles are
drawn out of them, and a fresh supply of wick drawn in.
The next part of my Invention consists of an apparatus for draw-
ing the candles from the moulds, and is large enough to draw all the
moulds of a car at the same time, and is so placed and arranged
with respect to the railway that any number of cars may be brought
up to it in succession to have the candles drawn from their moulds,
and the latter re-wicked, ready for the reception of another charge
of fat.
The next part of my Invention relates to the mould, and consists
in fitting the tip or lower end thereof with an elastic cap, perforated
with a hole made sufficiently small to embrace the wick tightly, so
that an amount of force is required to pull the wick through suffi-

page_text: cient to stretch and straighten it in the mould, while at the same
time the escape of fat is effectually prevented.
The next part of my Invention consists in mounting the spools
of wick and a series of stands of moulds upon a car, in such manner
that the whole are carried about from place to place during the
various operations in their proper relative order, thereby avoiding
the derangements and re-adjustments that become necessary when
the moulds are worked in the usual manner.
The next part of my Invention relates to the centering of the
wicks in the moulds, and consists in extending the wicks through
the moulds from the tips or lower ends thereof towards one side
of their upper ends, in such manner that the centering apparatus
will be sure to act properly upon each wick.
The last part of my Invention consists of an apparatus for draw-
ing the candles from the moulds, and for centering the new wicks
therein preparatory to the introduction of the melted fat, whereby
the operation of drawing a whole stand of candles is effected as
expeditiously and readily as the drawing of a single candle, and the
centering of the wicks of a row of moulds is effected with greater
expedition and accuracy than the wick of a single mould could be
centered by the eye and hand of even the most skilful workman.
The process of moulding candles by my improved process is illus-
trated in the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1, represents
a plan of my improved moulding apparatus, including the railways,
cars, oven for heating the moulds, pot for melting the fat, the
moulds, and apparatus for drawing the candles therefrom. Figure 2,
represents a view in perspective of an apparatus for moulding
and drawing the candles, and supplying and centering fresh wick
in the moulds. Figure 3, represents a vertical transverse section
through one of the mould frames, showing the candles drawn from
the moulds. Figure 4, represents a top view of one row of moulds,
showing the clamp in place ready to centre the wicks. Figure 5,
represents a view in perspective of a centering gauge and its clamp.
turned bottom side uppermost, by means of which the wicks are
centered in the moulds, and so firmly griped that the candles when_

page_text: set can be drawn by it. Figure 6, represents a plan of the center-
ing and drawing clamp inverted and closed.
The moulds are mounted upon cars, by which they are carried
from place to place as required. Each of these cars carries several
dozens of the moulds, and the latter are heated to about the tempe-
rature of the melted fat with which they are to be filled, by running
the car into an oven. After the moulds are thus heated, they are
carried by the cars to a cauldron containing the melted fat, and
filled therewith. The car is then run to one of the empty tracks, and
permitted to stand until the candles are cooled, when it is moved to
an apparatus by the aid of which the candles are drawn, and the
moulds re-wicked, ready to be again heated and filled. To facilitate
the transference of the moulds to different parts of the room, the cars
on which they are mounted are carried about on trucks fitted with
rails at right angles to the track on which they run, so that the car
with the moulds can be carried forward or back by the truck, and
run to the right or left on its own wheels upon lateral tracks as
may be required.
The accompanying Drawings represent a series of railways (A) of
the length of a car, for the purpose of receiving the cars after their
moulds are filled, and permitting them to stand until the fat therein
sets, or for the passage of cars to and fro from the tracks (B, & C,)
which are at right angles to the tracks (A), and at either end of
them. The short tracks (A) are on a higher level than the
long tracks (B, and C), so that the rails on the trucks D, and E,
which run on the latter tracks, may be on a level with and form a
continuation of any of the tracks (A) when placed opposite the
same, by the movement of the trucks. Upon the truck (D) is repre-
sented a car G, with two stands (H, & H',) of moulds (m) thereon,
from one of which the candles are drawn, and in one row of the
moulds the new wicks are centered by one of the clamps (I), the
other row of wicks being ready to be centered and clamped by
means of another clamp.
The remainder of the stands of the car are not shown in the
Drawing, but they are supposed to have the candles drawn from their

page_text: moulds, and new wicks centered and clamped in place. When all
thic candles are drawn, and the wicks of cach row of moulds on
a car have been centered and clamped, a knife is passed along
the top of each clamp to separate the wicks of the drawn candles
from the newly clamped wicks in the moulds below. The whole
of the moulds on the car being thus re-wicked, and the centered
wicks separated from the drawn candles, the truck is run back
until opposite an empty track (A), when the car with its wick'd
moulds is run across to the truck (E) on the track (C). The
truck (E) is then run along until the car (G) is brought oppo-
site the oven (0), when the car is run therein to have its moulds,
heated to the proper temperature to receive the melted fat. After
the moulds are heated the car is run out of the oven upon the truck
(E), and carried by the latter to a melting-pot (P) containing the
fat, which is run from suitable stop-cocks into the moulds, or ladled
therein, as may be deemed advisable. This being done, the truck
is run opposite an empty track (A), and the car is run thereon to
rest until the fat is set in its moulds, when it is ready to be run up
to the apparatus for drawing its candles and re-wicking its moulds.
While the moulds of one car are being heated and filled, and
standing on the track for its candles to cool, the operation of draw-
ing, re-wicking, and refilling other moulds is going on, so that if the
number of tracks, trucks, and moulds be sufficient, the operation
may be continuous, as the cars would have their moulds filled and
drawn in endless succession, without any greater interruption than
is requisite for changing from one car to another.
The stands (H) for the moulds are firmly secured to the cars;
and the moulds, to the number of, say twelve, are firmly secured in
each stand in an upright position, and at equal distances apart, in
horizontal boards (a, b,) placed about two-thirds of the length of the
moulds apart in the upper portion of the stand frame. The upper-
most (a) of the horizontal boards is placed an inch, more or less,
below the top of the stand, and has a fixed ledge (c) fastened on
its rear edge, and a sliding ledge (d) that can be moved up or
down, is fitted to its front edge; when this front front ledge

page_text: at once.
The
is up, the two ledges and the ends of the stand form a tray,
into which the upper ends of the moulds open, so that, when
the fat is poured into it, all the moulds of the stand will be filled
Preparatory to withdrawing the candles from the moulds,
the cake of fat which fills the tray must be loosened; this is done
by pressing down the moveable ledge (d), and jarring the fat by a
knock with the hand, which renders it sufficiently loose.
lower ends or tips (n) of the moulds (m) rest in this instance upon
pieces of vulcanized india-rubber (o) let into the lower cross bar
(e) of the stands (H). Each of these pieces of india-rubber is
pierced with a hole, somewhat smaller than the wick; and as the
wick is passed through this hole, the latter compresses it so tightly
as to prevent the fat from leaking out; in like manner, leakage is
prevented between the bottom or tip of the mould and the rubber
by the pressure of the former upon the latter. The spools (K) hold
wick enough to supply the moulds for several months; the end of
cach wick is passed from the spool up through the india-rubber
into the mould, and through the latter to the jaws of a clamp (I)
above, by which it is firmly grasped; all the wicks of each row of
moulds in the stand are secured in one of these clamps. When
the moulds are filled, and the fat therein has set or become
sufficiently cool, the candles are drawn by lifting their clamps; and
as the wicks extend down through the candles to the spools, the
act of drawing a candle out of the mould draws a fresh supply of
wick therein; and as a gauge or stop is provided for limiting the
height to which the candles are raised, precisely the proper quantity
of wick to supply the moulds, and leave a snuff on the candle, will
bo drawn from the spools. The candles, after being drawn, are
moved a little to one side, as seen in Figures 3, and 4, by the
movement of the lifter, in order to incline the wicks in the moulds
that the notches of the gauge-plate of each clamp may be made
certain to catch and centre the wicks; for if the wicks should
happen to incline, some one way and some another, there would be
no certainty. of centering them, and an imperfect candle would of
course be the result. When the candles have been withdrawn by

page_text: raising one clamp, another must be ready to apply to the wicks,
between the tops of the moulds and tips or lower ends of the
candles, as seen in Figure 2. It will be observed, that one of the
jaws of the clamp (I) is provided with a plate (F) having a series
of inclined teeth or notches in it, corresponding in number to the
wicks it is designed to clamp. It will also be observed, that at the
inner end of the clamp a narrow slot (g), Figures 4, 5, & 6, is
formed between the jaws, and at the outer ends a round hole (/)
is formed between the jaws when closed. It will also be observed,
that two pins (i) project up from the ends of the stands in a line
with the center of each row of moulds: now, by applying the clamp,
as seen in Figure 4, in such manner that the toothed jaw will rest
against the pins (i), and pushing it as far across the stand as the
slot (g) and pin (i) will allow, and then drawing it back, each tooth
or notch catches a wick, and moves it along until the hole (h) in
the front end of the clamp is brought against the pin (i), when
every wick will be centered in its mould. The outer jaw of the clamp
is now shut upon the toothed jaw, without moving the latter, and
the two are held together by a spring catch ("), in order that the
clamp may hold the wicks with equal firmness throughout its entire
length. The adjacent sides of its jaws are made convex in the
direction of their length; and one of them has a tongue or rib, and
the other a corresponding groove, so that the wick, in being clamped,
may be kinked by the groove and rib, and prevented from drawing
out, which is highly important, as the pulling of the candles from
the moulds requires a considerable amount of force, which would
draw the wicks from smooth jaws before the candles would rise.
The front extremities of the jaws of the clamp are held together,
when closed, by the spring catch or hook ("), and when this catch
is unfastened the jaws are thrown open by a spring (s) between
the handles (t). The jaws of the clamp are pivoted together in the
manner of pincers, and the joint should be firm and strong, as the
first operation preparatory to drawing the candles from the moulds
is to loosen them by rolling the clamp slightly by its handles, which
can only be done by applying considerable force. The jaws of the

page_text: clamps I prefer to make of cast iron for cheapness and convenience.
but they may be made of any other suitable material. The moulds
(m) are made of metal in the usual manner, and are fixed in the
stands in the same way it is cominon to fix others. The lifting of
the clamps, to draw the candles from the moulds, is effected by
means of flat hooks (L) affixed to upright bars (M) that slide up
and down in oblong mortises in a frame (N), and which, when
raised, are counter-balanced by a weight (Q) that preponderates
sufficiently over the weight of the bars, with the clamp and candles
hanging upon it to keep them elevated. The flat hook (L) at the
bottom of the bar is introduced beneath both the clamps of each
stand so as to draw all the candles of a stand simultaneously. The
bar has sufficient play in the guide mortises to allow it to be swung
back far enough to enter the hooks (L) beneath the clamps (I, I);
this bar is struck by the hand of the attendant a smart blow upon
the bevelled corner (a) of its lower end, and at the same time lifted
by the other hand for the purpose of starting the candles out of the
moulds. This is usually found to be sufficient; but if the candles
should still remain in the moulds, a repetition of the knocking with
one hand on the lower end of the bar, and of the lifting with the
other, must be resorted to, which will prove in every case sufficient.
Just as the bar approaches the limit of its upward motion, an
adjustable inclined plane (y) on one of its edges strikes against the
end of the guide mortise, which deflects it far enough to throw
the wicks to one side of the moulds, to insure the proper action
upon them of the centering notches of the clamp, as before men-
tioned. The upward movement of the lifting bars (N) is deter-
mined by a pin (1), which is passed into a higher or lower hole in
the bar, as it is required to raise the bar more or less.
In this
way the same lifting bars are adapted to the drawing of candles of
various lengths. When the candles have been drawn from the
moulds of all the stands of a car, and the new wicks have been
centered, the drawn candles are separated from the wicks by passing
a sharp knife along the top of the lower clamps; the candles are
then taken from the hooks (L) and laid on a table or shallow tray

page_text: (T), where they are separated from the cake of fat cast with them
by means of a knife; the candles thus separated are removed to a
suitable receptacle, and the cake of fat and other trimmings are
thrown into the melting-pot to be again melted and cast. The
cars (G) are all of the same size, and contain an equal number of
stands of moulds, which are all of the same size, and arranged in
exactly the same relative position on each car, in order that when
the cars are run against the stop (u) on the truck (D), and the
latter is run against the stop (v) on the track (B) under the frame
(N), the clamps (I) may always be exactly in the proper position
to be drawn by the hooks (L).
The several improvements which I have specified may be greatly
modified without the least departure from the principle of my Inven-
tion; as, for example, I have mentioned vulcanized india-rubber for
the purpose of rendering the lower end of the mould, through which
the wick enters, elastic, because it is the substance I have tried, and
found to answer the purpose well; but I claim the right to use for
this purpose any yielding or elastic substance or contrivance what-
soever, such as felt, leather, cork, or elastic packing of any kind, or
two or more pieces of wood, metal, or other rigid substance, pressed
towards each other, to embrace the wick tightly, and also to press
against the lower end of the mould, so as to prevent the leakage of
the fat, and to retard the passage of the wick so as to require it to
be pulled hard enough to stretch it tightly in the mould. The jaws
of the clamps may be varied in construction and arrangement, with
reference to either of the functions which they have to perform,
to any extent; and, instead of combining the centering and clamp-
ing functions in the same instrument, there may be a separate
instrument for each. The form I have described, however, I
believe to be the best, as also the arrangement of the railway
tracks, and the construction and arrangement of the apparatus for
drawing the candles; and the oven for heating the moulds may be
indefinitely varied to adapt them to particular circumstances, or
to suit the particular views of different constructors. Changes of
this kind are, however, too obvious to render a detailed description
of them necessary, and I have therefore omitted it.

page_text: Having thus described my improvements, and indicated a few of
the many modifications of which they are susceptible, what I claim
therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-First,
the arrangement of the travelling and fixed railways on which the
moulds are transferred from place to place as required in the pro-
cess of casting candles as herein described, in combination with an
oven for heating the moulds, a melting-pot to prepare the fat for
casting, and apparatus for drawing the candles from the moulds,
substantially as herein set forth. Second, I claim the hooks or the
equivalent thereof, in combination with a series of moving stands of
moulds, arranged and operating substantially as herein set forth, to
aid in drawing the candles in such manner as to dispense with
much of the care and skill heretofore required for the performance
of this operation. Third, I claim an elastic or a yielding cap for the
lower end or tip of the moulds, which performs the two functions of
stopper and friction brake to stretch the wick, substantially as
herein set forth. Fourth, I claim the arrangement of the stands of
moulds with their wick spools on a series of cars, so that the corre
sponding stands of all the cars may in succession be brought into
the proper position to be drawn and re-wicked by the same drawing
apparatus, substantially as herein set forth. Fifth, I claim the
wick clamp, constructed and operating substantially as herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Kendall, have heretofore
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, A. D.
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
In presence of,
HENRY HOWARD.
GEORGE KENDALL. (L.S.)