AN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING CANDLES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederic Vasserot, of 45, Essex Street,
Strand, London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN APPARATUS FOR
MOULDING CANDLES."-A communication from François Paul Morane, of
Paris. in the Empire of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederic Vasserot
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd July 1857.
I, CHARLES FREDERIC VASSEROT, of 45, Essex Street, Strand, London,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
APPARATUS FOR MOULDING CANDLES," (a communication from François Paul
Morane, of Paris, in the Empire of France,) to be as follows:-
This apparatus has for its object,-1stly, to mould candles of any kind by
means of a continual thread for the wicks; 2ndly, an arrangement for heating
the moulds with steam, and cooling them by means of air when the candles
are moulded; 3rdly, for changing easily the worn out moulds with new ones,
the cost of which is but trifling.

page_text: It is composed of a wooden or metallic frame, supporting a case of sheet
iron, in which the moulds are placed vertically. Under this case is a com-
partment, in which are placed as many reels as there are moulds in the appa-
ratus. The wicks rolled on the reels pass through small holes made in a
plate above the reels, and enter into the moulds, above which they are kept
and centred by means of two tinned plates of sheet iron, in which are grooves
corresponding over the centre of each mould. The moulds are wormed at
both ends; the upper part is fixed into the basin in which the liquid is melted,
and where the wicks are centred ; the lower end passes through the bottom of
the case, and is fixed there by means of a nut outside the case. The case of
sheet iron being covered up by the basin or mould bearer forms an air-tight
chamber into which steam is admitted to heat the moulds.
The apparatus is furnished on each side with a door, serving to close the
case when the steam is admitted; it is opened when it is required to admit
cold air into the chamber.
The closing of the lower part of the mould is made by means of a hollowed
conical piece of tin or other metal, in the small end of which a groove is
made, so as to assist the threading of the wick. A ring, on which a branch
of metal is soldered, is placed on the aforesaid conical piece; the branch
enters into its groove, and fills the cavity when the wick is under its pressure.
Those two pieces enter into a conical opening made in that part of the
mould which projects from the case, and around which is the nut. They are
kept in that position by the simple pressure, and also by the tension of the
work.
When candles are made of tallow or ordinary matters, the moulds can be
made with a moveable head, the side of which should enter into and make
joint with the inside of the lower part of the mould. The partial removal of
'the said head would uncover some openings made on the side of the lower
part of the moulds, and by that means admit the air under the head of the
candles. The uncovered space could be used also for driving back the candle
into the mould, so as to loosen it and make it come off more easily.
The end of the mould into which enters the conical piece destined to stop
the lower orifice, and to give the tension to the wick, being placed outside the
.heated chamber, it will always be cool enough to stop the liquid that would
tend to flow through the said orifice.
Two rails or bars, supported by columns above the apparatus, bear a kind
of carriage, on which is mounted a rack and a wheel. The lower part of the
rack is furnished with two rods, which hook into a bar with handles, and the

page_text: plates which hold the extremities of the wicks. The ascending motion of the
rack raises up the candles from the moulds, and draws after them the wicks
into the moulds. Those wicks passing through the grooves of the two tinned
plates of sheet iron above mentioned, are centred and kept into them by
means of a rectilinear movement given by an eccentric lever. The wicks are
then cut above the plates by means of a suitable knife.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Frederic Vasserot in the Great Seal Patent Offico
on the 23rd January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FREDERIC VASSEROT, of 45, Essex Street, Strand, London, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Frederic Vasserot, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Frederic Vasserot, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Charles Fréderic Vasserot, 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 "AN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING CANDLES," (a communication
from François Paul Morane, of Paris, in the Empire of France,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Fréderic Vasserot, my
exccutors 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 Charles Frederic Vasserot, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This apparatus has for its object, 1stly, to mould candles of any kind by
means of a continual thread for the wicks; 2ndly, an arrangement for heating
the moulds with steam, and alternately cooling them by means of air when
the candles are moulded; 3rdly, for changing easily the worn out moulds, the
cost of which is but trifling.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a trans-
verse section of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a plan of the same, supposing its
upper part removed.
The apparatus is composed of a wooden or metallic frame a, supporting a
case or envelope 6 of sheet iron, in which the moulds c are kept vertically.
Under this case 6 is a compartment, in which are placed, so as to be able to
turn, as many reels d as there are moulds in the apparatus. This compartment
is closed by means of doors of sheet iron a³, which slide laterally. The wicks
rolled on the reels & pass through the small holes of a plate placed above
them, represented separately, Figs. 4 & 5, and enter into the moulds, at tho
upper part of which they are kept and centred by means of notches mado
opposite the center of each mould in the special plates e, similar to those made
in the plates e*, one of which is represented in plan and transverse section in
the Figs. 6 & 7. The moulds c are wormed at both ends; the upper end
is fixed to the basin f, in which the liquid destined to form the candles is
poured, and the lower end passes through the bottom of the case or envelope b,
and is fixed there by means of a nut 9 outside the caso. The sheet-iron case
b being covered up by the basins forms an air-tight chamber, into which is
introduced alternately the steam through the pipo h and a draught of cold air,
which may be actuated by means of a ventilator, blowing or aspirating in tho
case through the twyer or pipe j.
b
The case is furnished with doors on each side; they are closed when the
steam is admitted through the pipe h, which distributes it in the case through
the pipes 6, pierced with small holes. When the moulds and the candles
contained in them are to be cooled, the steam cock is turned and the doors
opened.
The closing of the lower part of the moulds is made by means of a conical
piece i of tin or other metal, shown in the Figs. 6 & 7. So as to facilitate
the threading of the wick, a longitudinal groove is made in the small end of
the said conical piece. This groove receives a small branch of metal, on which
one or two rings are soldered. By forcing the ring or rings in the conc, the

page_text: branch which springs will press on the wick, and thereby the flowing out of
any liquid contained in the mould will be prevented, and as the end of the
mould in which enters the conical piece i projects outside the hot chamber,
that part will always remain cool enough to stop the passage of any liquid
through the lower orifice of the mould. When a new wick is to be put on,
the conical piece i (which is inserted by a simple pressure in the part of the
mould projecting from the case) will be easily taken off and replaced after the
threading has been made.
Two rails or bars k are placed horizontally, and supported by the columns 2
above the apparatus. They bear a kind of carriage m, which may be brought
above every basins. This carriage is furnished with two racks n, gearing with
two pinions worked by means of the small crank o. At the lower part of
each rack is a rod, furnished with hooks, which clasp a bar p, furnished with
handles 9, which pass
into the matter poured in excess in the basins.
By turning the crank o in the proper direction all the candles will be drawn
out of the moulds at the same time, and by the same movement the wicks
will likewise be drawn into the moulds. It will suffice then to place fresh
plates c and and a bar p with handles on the basins, for centering anew the
wicks above the moulds. In this state that part of the apparatus will be
ready for a new moulding. For separating the candles drawn out of the
moulds from those in the moulds, after a new moulding bas taken place, any
knife may be employed, but it is necessary to work the lever of the rule,
Figs. 6 & 7. This movement operates the blade r, the notches of which
tako hold of all the wicks at once. The prepared candles are then removed
from the carriage of the machine.
It will be easily understood that by means of this apparatus, with continual
threading, candles of any description or quality will be moulded with a greater
rapidity than it could be made with the machine hitherto in use, since it
will be sufficient when the wicks are centered above the moulds to intro-
duce the steam through the pipo h. When the moulds shall be at the
proper temperature the steam will be shut up, and the matter poured into
the moulds. The lateral doors of the case will then be opened, and the motion
of the ventilator will cool the whole and allow the candles to be drawn out
soon after.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in which
it is or may be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I claim
and desire to secure by the present in part recited Letters Patent is, the
apparatus for moulding candles hercin described, in which the moulds are

page_text: alternately heated by means of gas or hot air, and cooled by a draught of air
produced by means of a ventilator, a pump, or otherwise, substantially as set
forth in this Specification and Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Frederic Vasserot; have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of 5
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
CHI FRÉD. VASSEROT. (L.B.)