GB669176A - Improved process and machine for the production of candles - Google Patents

Abstract

Candles are produced by immersing a bundle of wicks freely depending from a common holder 9 alternately into a bath 32 of low melting combustible material and into individual cells 37, Fig. 2, of a liquid cooler 33 a number of times to form on the wicks a deposit of combustible material of desired thickness. The wicks are fully immersed in the first immersions so as to stiffen them and thereafter in successively increasing depths to form a tapering tip <PICT:0669176/III/1> <PICT:0669176/III/2> <PICT:0669176/III/3> <PICT:0669176/III/4> thereon. The candle material may be paraffin wax or an ester wax or mixture thereof, preferably used in the first immersions to form a soft core followed by immersions in stearine to form a stiff outer shell. The ends of the candles may be flattened by a melting operation. In a suitable plant, the wick holder 9 is supported by counterweights attached to chains passing over sprockets 7 driven through sprockets 11, 13 by a hand-crank 15. The bath 32 of candle material and the liquid cooler 33 are carried by a carriage 31 running on a track 30, the carriage being given a reciprocating motion so as to bring the baths alternately below the wick holder 9. The latter comprises a frame 18, Fig. 7, carrying a system of parallel outer tubes 20 with inner tubes 21 slidably mounted therein; both tubes have a series of vertical holes 22, 23 which can be adjusted to align, when a wick thread is passed therethrough, and then relatively displaced to lock the thread by means of a spring 25 to each inner tube compressed by a bar 24 and screws 26. Guide tubes 27 with lips 28 are mounted in line with the outer holes 22. The wick threads may be fed from rollers in boxes 66 through holes in a guiding member 29. The cells of the liquid cooler 33 are formed by packed vertical tubes 37 supported on the bottom by lips therefrom; a cold water supply pipe, overflow 38, and a valved drain pipe 40 are provided. The flattening of the ends of the candles may be effected by sliding a heated tray 69 under the candles in their raised position and lowering the candles thereupon; the tray may contain molten candle material. The finished candles are removed from the wick holder by means of an arrangement comprising an open ended frame 47, Fig. 10, pivotally mounted in front of the wick holder and adapted to be swung from the vertical position to the horizontal position where it registers with a corresponding fixed frame 48. The frame 47 carries a wick detaining device comprising a system of parallel outer tubes 49 with inner tubes 50 mounted therein, both the inner and outer tubes being provided with notches 52, 51 respectively. The wick detaining device is slid as a unit from the frame 47 into the frame 48, the pairs of tubes 49, 50 moving between the rows of candles depending from the wick holder which are set at a level so that the free wick ends at the tips of the candles are on a level with the pairs of tubes, each wick being situated near one of the notches of the pairs of tubes. The wick detaining device is then laterally displaced so that a wick enters each of the notches which are in alignment in the tubes at this stage. By displacement of the inner tubes, by means of a bar 54 and springs 55, the wicks are clamped in the notches in the pairs of tubes. After raising the wick holder to set new lengths of wick for a fresh batch of candles, the candles already produced are severed by passing a knife 86 slidably mounted under the wick holder through the bundles of wicks clamped in the wick detaining device. The finished candles fall into a carriage 56 run into position, the carriage comprising a tray 58 and two perforated sheets 59, 60 forming cells for receiving the individual candles. The wick detaining device is slid into the frame 47 and the latter swung to its vertical position. The plant is then ready for a fresh cycle.