US1988703A - Light - Google Patents

Description

H. H. RooT Jan. 22, 1935.

LIGHT Filed June 9, 1952 INVENTOR BY /a'ef l/oo i vzrnfma/ ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE A. I. tion of Ohio Root Company, Medina, Ohio, a corpora- Application June 9, 1932, Serial No. 616,281

4 Claims.

This invention is a modification f the inven-y tion disclosed in my prior application Serial Number 494,459, filed November 10, 1930, (Patent 1,867,420, reissued October 18, 1932 as Re. 5 18,623) and this application is, in part, a continuation of said prior application.

In my prior application, there are shown two types of devotional or sacramental lights employing a solid fuel body and translucent or transparent casing for the fuel body, which casing substantially fits the body. The latter in the preferred type, is shaped by the casing walls, being solidified in place from a molten state. 'Ihe other illustrated type is vone yin which the fuel body is formed or cast separately from the casing and later placed therein for consumption by lighting a suitable wick contained in the body. The present case relates to the latter type. An essential improvement over prior arrangements represented by both types is a restricted opening at the top of the casing which retains heat from the flame, conducts this heat to the fuel bodywhich is substantially in close contact with the vertical or side surfaces of the fuel bodythereby maintaining the Walls of the casting free from congealed fuel opposite the flame at all times, and,

I moreover, has been found to restrict the entrance of air to the ame to such an extent that the flame is maintained relativelyy small and smokeless.

The fuel body (actually a candle) may extend into close tting contact with the restricted portion of the casing with beneficial results, as pointed out and claimed in my prior case, or this body may initially lie below the restricted portion. -In the latter event, lighting the wick is diilicult and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide for more easily lighting such candle.

Anotherobject is to provide a removable restriction affording casing section for a lightof the character shown in my copending case,

which section is maintained in full heat con-A It is sometimes desirable to make the casing ing forfsuch purpose which may be easily cleaned, notwithstanding that the fuel is maintained in close contact4 with the casing during substantially the entire burning period.

Where the casing is open at the bottom, I 5 discovered in my early experiments that leakage of melted fuel often resulted at or near the 'end of the burning period, notwithstanding the use of what would seem to be very effective sealing means at the bottom. In line withl the l0 above, an object is to provide for containing and supporting the lower end of such casing in such manner Vthat leakage of melted fuel does noharm. In other words, if leakage results, it does not reach the visibly exposed surfaces of l5 the base of the light and thereby become unsightly or spill out onto the surface supporting the light.

Other objects and features of the invention will become-apparent from the following de- 20 scription relating to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred forms. The lessential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a central sectional view of one form of light suitable as a sanc- 25 tuary light; Fig-2 is a similar view showing the lower portion of the light near the end of the burning period; Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing. particularly a modified joint between two portions of the casing, and Fig. 4 is a sec-` 30 tional view showing a preferred .ick holder particularly for a casing with a closed bottom.

Referring rst to Fig. 1, this shows a suitable translucent or transparent main casing member at 1, preferably glass, housing the Vfuel body 35 A; having a suitable wick B. The member 1, as shown, comprises a cylinder open at both ends. If there is no surrounding-casing (ruby preferably the joint provides at least one denite abutment surface, such as at 4, and also mutuallytelescoping surfaces as at 5 for adequate heat conductive contact between the two. The telescoping surfaces'are preferably at 55 leastslightly conical.

The upper end of the casing member 1, as shown in Fig. 1, is brought in slightly at 6 from the general diameter of the casing member, reinforcing the rim and providing the shouldered joint just described. With this arrangement, the joint will be inconspicuous on the outside surface of the casing.

Fig. 3 shows another arrangement of joint. Here the heat conducting contact between the parts 1 and 2 is afforded by definite complementary conical surface at '7, but sloped or beveled at such an angle that upon expansion of one member with reference to the other (as when heated), the expanded member may move freely radially or axially relative to the other. 'Ihe part 2, as shown in Fig. 3, when expanded by heat as the candle starts burning, will merely rise a -very slight distance, later settling back but always preserving full contact.

then the entire light (with no base) may be very easily suspended, say by a suitable ring embracing the casing 1 below the flange effect V9 at the top -of the latter, and suitable chains attached to the ring. Y

The telescoping joint between the members l and 2 may be loose enough to take care of unequal expansion, but this cuts down the desired conductivity of heat from one member to the other at the start.

The casing member l is shown as entirely open at the bottom, allowing the candle to be slid through the open end into the position illustrated. It is obvious that with the open bottom end, the casing 1-2 may be made all in one piece, more in accordance with my copending application. l

At the base of the casing member 1 and embracing a portion of the latter, there is an imperforate cup 10, perferably formed in one piece, the side wall 11 of this cup extending above the normal maximum depth of melted fuel at or near the end of the burning period of the candle (see Fig. 2). This cup may be metal, but in order not to obstruct light from the burning wick near the end of the burning period, the cup is preferably translucent. It may be made of glass or other transparenter translucent noninilammable composition.

I have observed that, during some temperature conditions, the fuel melts between the still solid fuel body and the inside surface of the casing for a considerable distance down from the melted fuel pool at the top of this solid fuel body. At some intermediate stage in the burning period., it is manifest that this may cause melted fuel to seep out from under the lower edgesof the casing linto the cup. By enlarging the cup at the base, adequate space may be provided as at 11x, which will collect such slight seepage, preventing an overflow, notwithstanding that the level of the pool of melted fuel is still well above the 'brim of the cup. Fuel seeping into the cup at the stage just mentioned is solidified in the annular space 11:1; probably both because of loss of heat by convection, due to the fact that the space 11:1: is not closed at 4the top and loss of heat from the lower portions of the casing part 1, fuel body etc. by conduction of heat to the wall 11, and radiation therefrom into the outside air. An inch and one-half high wall on the cup is adequate at maximum expected temperatures. The wall may be higher, and ,if transparent or adequately translucent for the light to show through the wall may be several inches high with no disadvantageous effects. The depth of melted fuel illustrated in Fig. 2 is, incidentally, an exaggerated condition. Ordinarily, the depth is no more than an inch in a casing measuring three inches, outside diamter. With a larger casing, the depth at the same temperature would be less.

The parts above described, including the candle may be suitably supported as by a conventional base indicated in broken lines at 12, which, as shown, has a flange embracing the lower portion of the cup and which underlies the cup to support it.

The fuel body and wick, as above mentioned, may comprise a suitable candle, preferably of such size as to substantially t the casing member 1. As shown, the fuel body lies wholly within the cylindrical portion of the casing but, it may, instead, extend upwardly into the restriction affording member 2 in close contact with or spaced therefrom as desired.

At the lower end of the wick and embedded in the fuel body is a preferred wick support. This comprises a small block of wood 15, apertured as at 16 to receive the wick and suitably weighted so that it will not float in the melted fuel. The weight, as shown, comprises a strip of sheet metal 1'7 having an opening therethrough to receive a reduced portion 15a of the block which extends upwardly through the opening into the fuel body. This upwardly projecting portion of the block burns for a time when exposed above the level of melted fuel and lengthens the burning considerably while still supporting the wick in upright position. The bottom of the cup l0 slopes inwardly in the form shown and substantially all the fuel, including any that may have seeped into the space 11m, is consumed, the heat near the end of the burning period being adequate to maintain such fuel as may be caught in the outer portions of the cup melted.

A modification of the wick support is shown in Fig. 4, wherein the ends of the metal strip 19 arevshown as bent down at 19a into contact with the outer bottom surfaces of the main casing member 1' (shown as closed at the bottom in this gure,-conventional glass jar or bottle construction. It will be understood that the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 may have an inwardly turned reinforcing rib as indicated at 20, which, While it precludes inserting the candle from the bottom, supports the candle in such manner that the latter may be picked up with the casing. Moreover, the novel characteristics of the detachable top section of thev casing may, of course, be used with a casing, the bottom of which is closed in the manner of an ordinary glass jar (according to the disclosures of my prior application, e. g.)

It will be seen that with 4the dev ice of the proportions shown, as soon as the flame is burning the walls of the casing which are adjacent conductivity of heat from the inwardly overhanging portion of the casing (part 2, as

shown). As the .candle burns down, the side walls of the casing are further heated by direct Meegos radiation from the flame. A pool of melted fuel extending entirely across the casing is formed in an hour or less after lighting, and the pool is retained by the casing walls. The heated walls of the casing prevent the fuel from congealing and forming an opaque ring on the wall opposite the candle flame, obstructing the light of the flame. Moreover, the restricted opening at 3 reduces the volume of air admitted to the candle ame and thus causes the flame to burn relatively low, thus lengthening the burning period. The features and advantages mentioned in this paragraph are all present in the arrangements of my prior application.

Where the candle is initially below the top edges of the cylindrical portions of the casing as in the present arrangement illustrated, it will be seen that the matter of lighting the Wick is facilitated, asit is only necessary to remove the top section 2 and replace after lighting to avoid all danger of damage to the glass by the lighter flame.

The casing being entirely open at one end (or both ends) permits easy cleaning, notwithstanding that some fuel and carbon is inevitably left on the walls. The removable section 2 of the casing collects the residue which is most difcult to clean oif and the separability of the part 2 from the main portion of the casing is thus' an advantage in cleaning both parts.

The advantages on the deep bottom closure cup, the wick support herein shown, and other distinctive features disclosed in this and not in the prior application, are believed clear from the above description. 1

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A light of the class described comprising an elongated translucent glass casing open at the top, a fuel body and suitable flame supporting wick within the casing, said fuel body being substantially transversely coextensive with said casing `and -substantially filling the same. vertically, a glass hood detachably andy snugly telescopingly engaging the upper marginal wall of said casing by glass to glass contact therewith and forming substantially a continuation of the casing wall for conducting the initial heat of the flame to the casing, said hood being in intimate heating relationship to the flame during initial burning thereof and having a central opening for admitting air to and. discharging hot gases from the flame of the wick, and means for compensating for expansion of the hood rela.- tive to the casing consequent upon initial heating of the hood by the flame, whereby danger of breaking the casing and hood is minimized.

2. A light of the class described, comprising a translucent hollow easing open at the top, a. solid fuel candle contained in the casing in close proximity to the inside surfacesthereof 'throughout substantially the length 0f the of said member and the casing having an adjacent substantially complementarily beveled upper surface contacting therewith for the full width thereof, whereby more effective heat conducting contact between the annular member and casing will be maintained and whereby the annular member and casing may move relatively during unequal contraction and expansion. l

3. A light of the class described comprising a 4hollow translucent casing, an elongated solid fuel candle body disposed within the casing in such proximity to the wall thereof throughout substantially the entire length of the body that the casing retains a pool of melted fuel material on top of the remaining solid fuel during the burning thereof, the casing being open at the bottom, anda cup device telescopingly receiving vsaid open bottom epd portion of the casing and having an imperforate wall extending upwardly exteriorly of the lower margin of the casing wall and terminating upwardly close to the level defined by the level of the fuel in the casing When'all the remaining fuel in the casing has reached a molten condition as a result of the heat of the flame of the light under surrounding conditions in which the light is utilized, whereby the melted fuel will be .prevented from escaping and flowing onto surfaces on which the light may be supported. l

4. Alight of the class described comprising an elongated hollow translucent casing, a solid fuel candle body disposed within the casing in such proximity to the wall thereof throughout substantially the entire length of the body that the casing retains a pool of melted fuel material on top of the remaining solid fuel during burning thereof, the casing being open at the bottom, and' a cup device telescoping said open bottom end and having a translucent imperforate wall extending upwardly exteriorly of the lower margin of the casing wall to a height suicient to prevent overflow of the cup device at a`time when all the remaining fuel in the casing is in a molten state, whereby melted fuel will be prevented from flowing to surfaces lon which the light may be supported and whereby the flame of the candle will be visible from a point of view horizontally opposite the imperforat/e wall when the ame is below the upper edge of said imperforate wall.

HUBER H. ROOT.

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