GB2531493A

GB2531493A - Wicks

Info

Publication number: GB2531493A
Application number: GB1409684.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Madalura Jenny
Original assignee: Just Love Candles Ltd
Current assignee: Just Love Candles Ltd
Priority date: 2014-05-30
Filing date: 2014-05-30
Publication date: 2016-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 2034-05-30
Also published as: GB201409684D0; GB2531493B

Abstract

A wick 3 for a liquid fuelled candle comprising a length of non-combustible fibrous material in the form of a rod-like elongate structure impregnated with a mixture of at least one oil and one wax. The fibrous material may be an array of parallel strands in a braid or plait and formed from glass or mineral fibre. The highly hydrophobic wax and oil mixture may include more than one wax of the type stearine, paraffin wax or beeswax and the oil forming part of the mixture may be palm oil. The diameter of the wick may be between 2-3mm and produced by winding a single fibre on a circular former or by combining individual fibres. The wick may be reusable and is formed by impregnating the elongate fibrous structure with a heated liquid mixture of oil and wax and letting the impregnated wick solidify to form a rod-like structure, which when used causes the oil/wax mixture carbonise to form a rigid porous wick structure aligned with the wick.

Description

WICKS

This invention relates to wicks, particularly but not exclusively for candle structures where the combustible fuel is an oil which is liquid at room temperature rather than solid as is the case with a conventional wax candle.

The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically a simple structure for a liquid fuelled candle of this type. It consists basically of a glass container 1 having a generally frusto-conical shape open at the top and with a closed base. Resting on the base is a relatively heavy disc 2 of density greater than that of water and protruding from the base 2 and set in it is a wick 3. The disc shape 2 does not have to be flat but can be shaped in any 3D form (for example, in an artistic design) and can have a dome shaped base in order to retain buoyancy and stability if glass is carried by hand from one place to another.

In order to use this as a candle, the container 1 is filled to a certain extent with water 4 and then further filled with a combustible oil 5 which, because it is of lower density than the water 4, forms a discrete layer floating on top of the water.

The top of the wick 3 is then lit and continues to burn because of the wicking action of the wick on the oil 5. Initially the flame burns from only the top portion of the wick indicated by 6 in the drawing while the lower portion 7, above the level of the water 4 but below the upper surface of the layer of oil 5, continues to draw oil into the wick until finally all of the oil has been drawn in, whereon combustion ceases, i.e. the candle goes out.

The length of time for which the candle will burn will depend on the amount of oil as well as on the porosity of the wick. It can be arranged to be up to several hours. The oil may contain ingredients which impart an aroma or mixture of aromas to the surroundings as the candle burns.

In order to provide greater visual interest to the candle as it burns, it is known to locate around the base of the wick 3 and the holder 2 highly reflective shapes which reflect the light passing from the flame downwards through the layer of oil and the water and then out through the glass container 1. The container 1 is normally clear glass, but it may be tinted. Likewise, the combustible oil 5 may be tinted artificially if desired or have its own natural, usually relatively pale, colour.

It is highly desirable that the wick 3 is reusable. If the wick is made of conventional wick material such as used in wax candles, then, after the candle has burnt out, i.e. after all the fuel has been consumed, the other end of the wick is generally highly fragile. Even if the wick consists of customary cotton or like fibre and contains e.g. a strengthening wire keeping it straight and acting as an armature on which the coked wick material is supported after the fuel is exhausted, it is easy to detach from the wire and while a fresh piece of wicking material could be slipped over the end of the wire to enable the wick to be reused, this is fiddly and not very effective.

I have now found that wick structures may be produced which are inherently stable and which enable a wick to be reused many times without requiring any messy manipulation to occur and without material deterioration in the performance of the wick over time.

According to the present invention, a wick for a liquid fuelled candle consists of a length of non-combustible fibrous material in the form of a rod-like elongate structure and where the structure is impregnated with a mixture of oils and waxes which, at room temperature, provide a relatively rigid wick structure and which, when the wick is used, carbonise to form, with the non-combustible fibrous material structure, a rigid porous wick structure aligned with the remainder of the wick.

The structure of the non-combustible fibre in the wick may vary widely. While it is possible to envisage the wick structure being that of a fibrous braid or plait, as in known combustible fibre wicks for candles, it is also possible to construct wicks according to the invention simply using an array of parallel strands of non-combustible fibrous material, for example glass or mineral fibre. The thickness or average thickness of the fibres used may vary.

The mixture of waxes and oils used to impregnate an elongated fibrous shape to form a wick in accordance with the present invention may be varied widely.

The mixture must contain at least one wax and at least one oil, but the mixture may contain more than one waxy or oily ingredient and the proportions of those ingredients may vary widely. All that is important is that the mixture may be impregnated in liquid form at elevated temperature into the incombustible fibre structure which, once left to cool, solidifies forming a solidified fibre-reinforced rod which can then be inserted into a base as shown in the accompanying drawing. The mixture of oil(s) and wax(es) means that the wick is highly hydrophobic and accordingly unaffected when water is poured in to the container around it, but not to its top. The combustible fuel is then poured round the wick usually until just a little of the top of the wick protrudes and, so long as the combustible fuel has been poured over the top of the wick, the thin layer of fuel which then remains on the wick can usually be ignited without difficulty. The first time such a wick is used, it burns relatively slowly compared to subsequently. As the fuel is consumed, the end of the wick above the water line is progressively heated up in the flame enabling the organic components of the oily and waxy materials to carbonise to form a structure which, while brittle, is relatively strong on account of the supporting incombustible fibre-reinforcing structure within the carbonaceous matrix.

By choosing appropriate fibre types and structures and appropriate mixtures of at least one oil and at least one wax, I have found that it is possible to produce wicks of this type which are satisfactory in practice, i.e. they perform their wicking function and produce a good light from the oily liquid fuel, and which can then be re-used again and again to provide candlelight as described above.

If the top of the wick is broken off, then it remains useful, for example, by filling the container 1 with water to a lower level than before, for some considerable while, but eventually the remainder of the wick can be easily pulled out from the base 2 and a fresh wick inserted if necessary.

The following example will serve to illustrate the invention: Wicks were produced by the following method: Glass fibre was wound on to a circular former of diameter around five inches until 60 turns had built up, whereon the loop was taken and cut at one point with the ends being secured with a blob of a mastic-like material to stop them spreading apart. The diameter of the loop in its loose form was about 5mm.

Another way of achieving this is by taking individual glass fibre strands (of a nominal thickness of 1-2mm) of a measured length, and then laying them side by side to form a bundle of the measured length and about 5mm diameter, again securing the ends of the strands together with a blob of a mastic-like material to stop them spreading apart. Alternatively a thinner bundle may be assembled and then folded to form the desired size bundle.

Another method is by taking a measured length of glass fibre strands of nominal thickness of 2.5mm, and then folding them together to form the 5mm thickness of the wick.

By taking the two ends (or just one if the bundle is folded), the array of fibres between them can then be easily dipped into a bath of hot oil/wax mixture and the two ends then secured with the fibres extending between them in a straight line, a very slight twist being imparted to the fibres to hold them together. The bundle is then further compressed, for example, by using two fingers, rolling the fingers from the mastic end downwards while the oil/wax mix solidifies. The oil/wax mix solidifies about the fibre structure to form a soft but relatively rigid rod of reduced diameter, e.g. 2 to 3mm, which can be simply chopped into appropriate lengths using a suitable cutter and each length can then be inserted into a suitable base 2 to constitute a wick for a candle structure as shown in the accompanying drawing.

The glass fibre strand and wick diameters given above are of course merely illustrative. The wick may need to be wider or narrower depending on the size of the container (which forms the candle) in which the wick is to be used.

A typical mixture which I have found to work well for the impregnating mixture of oil and wax is as follows (parts by weight): Stearine 2 parts Paraffin wax 5 parts Beeswax 3 parts Palm Oil 2 parts The preparation of the appropriate mixture is very simple: These ingredients, in liquid form in the case of the palm oil, and as flakes of granules in the case of the remainder, are simply placed into a suitable container in the relevant proportions and the container then heated with stirring as the solid ingredients melt to form a final hot relatively fluid impregnating mixture. After it has been used for impregnating appropriate mineral fibres or glass fibre structures, it can be allowed to solidify but can be easily re-heated to a molten state so it can be used to impregnate further wick structures as desired.