IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FIREWORK KNOWN AS ROMAN CANDLE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John
Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
FIREWORK KNOWN AS ROMAN CANDLE."-A communication from abroad by
Henri Frédéric Favre-Couvel, of Nantes, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd July 1864.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said 'Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE FIREWORK KNOWN AS ROMAN CANDLE," (a communication to me
from abroad by Henri Fréderic Favre-Couvel, of Nantes, France,) to be as
follows:-
After numerous experiments the Inventor of these improvements has arrived
at new processes of manufacturing Roman candles, which give simpler, more
economical, and better results than those hitherto practised.
Firstly, his cartridges or pasteboard tubes do not require renewal each time

page_text: they are used and may serve at least fifty times. Further, he substitutes
sawdust, which is of an insignificant price, in lieu of the composition hitherto
used to fill up the spaces, and which is of a price relatively high. It should
also be observed that in operating thus the smoke which nearly always clouds
the best firework is prevented. And this is not all, by this new method the
stars never consume in the tube, need not be so bulky, and with the same
charge are projected to a greater height. Lastly, if gun barrels are employed
in lieu of pasteboard, they may be used for an indefinite period. To sum up,
an economy of more than 75 per cent. and better results.
The following is the improved method of operating according to this Inven-
tion: The quick match is manufactured with the ordinary revolving frame,
or, better still, by stretching it on the frame with tension screws (see Figure 4
of the annexed Drawing, forming part of this Provisional Specification).
From one pin to the other, and from top to bottom, the quick match is of
cotton in five or six threads, according to thickness, the smaller and finer the
better it is; the tension or stretching screws are a little tightened, and with a
house painter's brush a light solution of spirits of wine and gum lac is passed
on each side of the frame over the threads of cotton; the screws are then a
little further tightened to stretch the filaments and give strength and a suit-
able stiffness to each thread; it is then allowed to dry, and some gunpowder
dust mixed into a paste as for ordinary quick match, neither too thin nor too
thick, is taken up with the brush and passed very equally several times up
and down on each side the frame, passing twice over the same cotton if
necessary to the equal spreading of the paste; it is then allowed to dry, and
this quick match is packed into a box to be used as hereafter set forth.
Ordinary quick match may also be used, so that it is not too thick and is well
gummed. In this process, as in the old, stars pierced in the centre must be
used, but pierced with a larger hole, so that the quick match may pass easily
through it. These new Roman candles are charged by first placing in the
barrel or pasteboard tube a piece of quick match a little longer than the tube,
on the top of which is adjusted the funnel, Figure 3, the socket of which is
big enough to permit the entrance of the tube; a small measure of gunpowder
(an approximate idea of the capacity of which is given Figures 1 and 2) is
then poured in, and a star passed over the head of the piece of quick match
is threaded upon it until it descends to the bottom of the tube or barrel, a
small measure of finely sifted sawdust is then put in, and the ramrod, Figure 5,
pierced through the centre, is introduced into the tube (by threading it on to
the quick match) and lowered to the bottom and pressed a little on the saw-
dust in turning the rod, which is then withdrawn, and the same operation

page_text: recommenced uutil the tube or barrel is full. The Roman candle thus
charged, a band of paper is pasted or gummed on to the top to form the
communicating sheath.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 31st December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wel-
lington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times therearer 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 THE FIREWORK KNOWN AS ROMAN CANDLE,"
(a communication to me from abroad by Henri Frédéric Favre-Couvel, of
Nantes, France,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Gedge, 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 sand 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 William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The Roman candle is a small firework which at first sight appears easy to
make, but the proper making of which demands very great care and pre-

page_text: caution. Each time that new tubes are used numerous trials are necessitated,
and the same observation applys to the pasteboard. Cartridges or tubes of
good pasteboard require less projective force than if the pasteboard be soft,
If no attention were paid to the greater or less strength of the tubes in
regulating the quantity of powder required to project the stars, the result
would be that those contained in strong and well-made tubes projected with
too much power would be blown out or extinguished in issuing, while those
of the soft tubes would rise but to a very little height, or even burn in the
tubes, as often occurs under the present method of manufacture. Ends of
gun barrels may also be used in the making of Roman candles, and this
method is even the most economical, inasmuch as it is no longer necessary, as
when pasteboard is used, to renew them after each discharge; but it is very
dangerous to employ them, as they often explode and cause serious accidents.
If use is made of cartridges or tubes of pasteboard it must further be observed
that the quantity of powder to throw the star must be different for each star
in the same tube, and that account must be kept of the place which the stars
occupy in the tube, or rather of the distance at which they are placed from
the orifice of the tube. Thus, supposing a tube to be thirteen inches long and
three-quarters of an inch in inner diameter, if close and hard it would require
a little more than the twentieth part of a grain (in weight) of ammunition.
powder to project the star which is placed at the bottom of the tube, whereas
for that placed nearest the ends of the tube more than twice as much, about
one-tenth of a grain (weight) would be required, and those placed between
the two should have proportionate charges. Thus the making of Roman
candles is not at present exempt from difficulties.
off
After numerous experiments the Inventor of these improvements has arrived
at new processes of manufacturing Roman candles, which give simpler, more
economical, and better results than those hitherto practised.
Firstly, his cartridges or pasteboard tubes do not require renewal each time
they are used, and may serve at least fifty times. Further, he substitutes
sawdust, which is of an insignificant price, in lieu of the composition hitherto
used to fill up the spaces, and which is of a price relatively high. It should
also be observed that in operating thus the smoke which nearly always clouds
the best fireworks is prevented. And this is not all, by this new method the
stars never consume in the tube, need not be so bulky, and with. the same
charge are projected to a greater height. Lastly, if gun barrels are employed
in lieu of pasteboard they may be used for an indefinite period. To sum up,
an economy of more than seventy-five per cent. and better results.
The following is the improved method of operating according to this Inven

page_text: tion: The quick match is manufactured with the ordinary revolving frame,
or, better still, by stretching it on the frame with tension screws (see Figure 4
of the Drawing accompanying and forming part of this Specification). From
one pin to the other, and from top to bottom, the-quick match is of cotton in
five or six strands or threads, according to thickness, the smaller and finer the
better it is; the tension or stretching screws are then a little tightened; and
with a fish-tail or other brush a light solution of spirits of wine and gum
lac is passed on each side of the frame over the threads of cotton; the screws
are then a little further tightened to stretch the filaments and give strength
and a suitable stiffness to each thread; it is then allowed to dry, and some
gunpowder dust mixed into a paste as for ordinary quick match, neither too
thin nor too thick, is taken up with the brush and passed very equally several
times up and down on each side the frame, passing twice over the same cotton
if necessary to the equal spreading of the paste; it is then allowed to dry,
and this quick match is packed into a box to be used as hereafter set forth.
Ordinary quick match may also be used so that it is not too thick and is well
gummed. In this process, as in the old, stars pierced in the centre must be
used, but pierced with a larger hole, so that the quick match may pass easily
through it. These new Roman candles are charged by first placing in the
barrel or pasteboard tube a piece of quick match a little longer than the tube,
on the top of which is adjusted the funnel, Figure 3 of the annexed Drawing,
the socket of which is big enough to permit the entrance of the tube, a small
measure of gunpowder (an approximate idea of the capacity of which is given
Figures 1 and 2) is then poured in and a star passed over the head of the
piece of quick match and threaded upon it until it descends to the bottom of
the tube or barrel; a small measure of finely sifted sawdust is then put in,
and the ramrod, Figure 5, pierced through the centre, is introduced into the
tube (by threading it on to the quick match), lowered to the bottom, and pressed
a little on the sawdust, turning the rod, which is then withdrawn, and the
same operation recommenced until the tube or barrel is full. The Roman
candle thus charged, a band of paper is pasted or gummed on the top, which
closes the sheath for the communication.
In his numerous experiments the Inventor had commenced by forming very
small paper tubes, charging them with a composition of saltpetre, gunpowder,
dust, sulphur, and antimony, placing these tubes sometimes on the inner side
of the Roman candle cartridges, using either fluted ramrods or rods with
oue groove on one of their sides, to load and to push the powder dust in the
middle through the star. These means, however, although very practicable
and auswering very well, appeared to him to occupy too much time and be

page_text: very finical, and to avoid these inconveniences he essayed the quick match,
made, firstly, of the composition with which he charged the small tubes; but
it often happened that the detonation of the charge for projecting the star
blew out this quick match, and from thence resulted the idea of using a quick
match composed simply of gunpowder dust and charcoal, placing it first on
the inner side of its tube, using, as above, the grooved rod for loading; and
preference is given to this latter mode, which might be applied to fire-arms
with hollow balls in lieu of stars.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.8.)