US2527707A - Decorative candleholder - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 31, 1950 c. R. CURTIS DECORATIVE CANDLE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 10, 1949 [HZ/EIZZDP 7 6767 67206 R Uzzrzzlq by 74 7 y an;

Oct. 31, 1950 c. R. CURTIS DECORATIVE CANDLE HOLDER Filed March 10, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllllllll Lllllllllllllllllv.

[Hz E17 far 676F606? JP. 6 157 5535 Patented Oct. 31, 1950 2,527,707 DECORATIVE CANDLEHOLDER Clarence E. Curtis, Lombard, Ill., assignor to F. H. Smith Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 10, 1949, Serial No. 80,718

The present invention relates to a decorative candle holder, and more particularly to a candle holding device including a candle holder for firmly retaining a candle therein with the holder itself being adapted for attachment to different types of bases to provide varying decorative effects.

The employment of candles for decorative purposes is a custom which dates back to antiquity, and the difliculties inherent in this use are widely known and appreciated. Even in this machine age there is no standard size of candle nor is there a standard candle holder now on the market which is adapted to receive all of the varying types and sizes of candles now available. The difiiculties caused by this lack of standardization are numerous and irksome inasmuch as it necessitates either the shaving of an oversized candle to fit within a given candle holder or the wrapping of paper or similar padding about an undersized candle so that it may be retained firmly within the same candle holder. Even these expedients are frequently of no avail since the candle holder socket size and shape, as well as the candle size and shape, may vary over a wide range.

The present invention now provides an improved candle holder which is adapted to receive candles of varying sizes and tapers with a firm grip so that any one of the sizes and shapes of candles now generally available on the market may be readily accommodated and mounted therein. Further, the candle holder of the present invention is provided with means for employ.- ing these varying sized candles in conjunction with various decorative bases or holders so that the overall decorative effect is susceptible of considerable variation.

The simple and inexpensive design of the candle holder of the present invention and the ready adaptability of the holder to various decorative effects will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and by those who desire to employ candles for lighting or decoration. My candle holder is adapted for manufacture by inexpensive mass production methods, as by the use of automatic screw machinery, and the low initial cost of my improved candle holder, together with the efficient and simple operation thereof, now makes possible the employment of candles for decorative and utilitarian purposes without encountering the difi'lculties hereinbefore explained.

In general, the decorative device of the present invention includes a candle holder body portion having a recess adapted to receive one end, of a 3Claims. (CI. 67-43) own base.

candle and means for securing the body portion to a holder. The candle receiving recess is preferably tapered and threaded to provide means for receiving and retaining candles of various size and contour. The threads of the recess are flat to avoid undue chipping or cutting of the candle stem received by the recess while still being capable of pressing into the candle to firmly anchor the same therein. It is not necessary that the candle have exactly the same taper as the recess, nor is it necessary that the candle extend completely within'the recess to be secured within the candle holder body portion. Sufiicient anchoring engagement of the candle within the holder is obtained when only one turn of the candle holder thread engages the candle.

The various bases upon which the candle holder may be mounted may desirably include a relatively flat cylindrical lower base, a removable upper base for securing to the lower first-mentioned base, and a deformable resilient band cap- .able of deflection from a straight configuration,

as into a circular contour. Suitable means are provided for securing the candle holder body to the bases as by the use of a threaded stud or by the use of slots formed in the candle holder body for receiving the deformable band. Alternatively the body portion may be provided with a lower surface for contacting a supporting member, such as a table, so that the body portion provides its A modified form of the candle holder of the present invention is provided for insertion into the candle-receiving recess of conventional decorative candle holders, made of glass, metal or similar material, to provide a threaded recess capable of receiving and firmly retaining therein awide variety of candles as hereinbefore explained. -The conventional candle holder thus serves as an additional type of base which may be v,employed in conjunction with the candle holder varied bases to provide a number of different decorative effects.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a decorative device comprising a candle holder body portion having a threaded recess for receiving and securing therein candles of varying sizes and contours and a base for maintaining the handle holder body in upright position with the candle secured therein extending therebyond.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a candle holding means adapted for insertion in conventional recessed candle holders including a candle holder body portion having an interior threaded recess adapted to receive candles of various sizes and shapes and means carried by the body portion for engaging the conventional candle holder, so that the conventional candle holder serves as a decorative base.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings which, by way of preferred example only, illustrates one embodiment of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective, elevational view of a decorative candle holder of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a broken vertical, cross-sectional view, with parts shown in elevation, of 'the candle holder of Figure 1, showing a candle positioned therein;

Figure 3 is a vertical, cross-sectional view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the body portion of a candle holder of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view similar to Fig- 'ure 1 illustrating the employment of a diiferent base with the candle holder body portion of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a-perspectiveview similar to Figure 4 showing the candle holder body portion employed with a band-type base;

Figure 6 is a perspective view similar to Figure 5. illustrating the positioning of the candle holder body portion in a different position upon theband illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a bottom elevational view of the v band and candle holder of Figure .6;

Figure 8 is a vertical, cross-sectional view of a modified form of a candle holder of the present invention; and

Figure 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the modification of Figure 8, illustrating the modified form of the present invention inserted within a candle holder of conventional design which serves as a base.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1, reference numeral I0 refers generally to a candle holder of the present invention comprising a lower base portion I I, an intermediate base portion I2, and a body portion I3.

From Figure 2 it may be seen that the base portion I I is provided with a central cylindrical threaded aperture 14 for receiving a threaded stud I 5, formed integrally with or secured to intermediate base portion I2, to secure the intermediate portion I2 t0 the base portion II. The intermediate base portion I2 is provided with a plane circular upper face I6 provided with a central threaded recess I! of the same thread as recess I4 of base II.

A stud I8 of cylindrical configuration and having threads 18a complementary to those of recess -I'I is adapted to be threadedly retained by the aperture IT. The threaded portion I8a of stud, I8 is adapted to be threadedly received by a threaded recess I9 formed in that end of the candle holder 4 body portion I3 adjacent to the intermediate base section I2.

As may readily be seen from Figure 3 of the drawings, the body portion I3 is generally frustoconical in configuration, having one fiat end face 20 adapted to abut face I6 when the holder I0 is assembled as viewed in Figure 2. Alternatively the body portion I3 may be supported in upright position on its own lower surface 20. Body portion I3 is provided with an upper flared lip 2| extending radially outwardly of the body portion I3 and having a conical opening 22 centrally thereof communicating with a tapered recess 23 provided interiorly of body portion I3 and in communication with the threaded aperture I9 hereinbefore described.

The tapered recess 23 is provided with a flat thread formed by lands 2 extending radially inwardly of the recess and grooves 25 between the lands 24. As best shown in Figure 2, the threaded recess 23 is adapted to receive one terminal end of a candle C. The candle C is of such size as to bear against lands 24, the candle being retained in recess 23 by the lands 2-4 pressing into the candle, as at 2-6. Thus, the threads of the recess, constituting the female member of the threaded connection, form corresponding threads on the candle, constituting the male member of the connection.

The exact taper of the recess 23 may be varied as desired, as may the pitch and the depth of the threads formed therein. However, I have found that for general use it is preferable to employ a recess 23 having an included taper angle of about 16 and a thread having a top face of about 0.062 inch and a bottom face of about 0.104 inch with the depth of a single thread being about 0.015 inch and a thread to length ratio of about 6 to 1 inch. By the use of such a taper and thread, it is possible to employ a cavity of about inch dtpth which is capable of holding candles having a wide range of sizes.

As shown in Figure 4, the candle holder body portion l3 may be secured to the bottom base section II, with the elimination of the base section I2, through the use of stud I8 to vary the decorative effect of the candle holder.

It will be noted from Figures 1, 3, 5 and 6 that the plane face 20 of the candle holder body portion I3 is provided with a pair of slots 26 and 21 respectively extending parallel to the axis of rotation of body member I3. The functional purpose of slots 26 and 21 will be observed in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings in which the candle holder body portion I3 is mounted upon a resilient band 28 formed of suitable material such as a metal strip. The band 28, which can be originally either straight, circular .or arcuate, may be deformed into an arcuate or circular configuration by merely overlapping the free ends of the strips. The slot 26 is of substantially twice the thickness of slot 2'! and is adapted to receive the overlapped ends of resilient band 28 so that these ends are held in flush relation by means of the slot 25 formed in candle holder body portion I3 positioned on the band.

In Figure 6 of the drawings, slot 27 is employed to position the body portion I3 upon a single thickness portion of the resilient band 28. In Figure 7 of the drawings, it may be seen that the slot 2'! is so dimensioned relative to the width of the band 28 that the band is readily insertible in the slot when the-band is substantially straight. However, when the band is deformed to a circular or arcuate configuration, there is not sumcient space in the slot 21 to freely accommodate such deformation of the band, and, accordingly, frictional engagement between the band 28 and the walls of slots 21 is caused which snugly anchors the candle holder body portion l3 to the band 28. The snug fit between slot 21 and band 28 actually produces a transverse stressing with in the band 28 with a deformation of the band into tight gripping engagement with the sides of slot 21. It will also be evident that upon straightening the band 28 from its arcuate or curved configuration as shown in Figure '7, the band will readily slide from slot 21 allowing easy removal of the body portion. Slot 26 is also dimensioned to cause transverse stressing of the overlapped end portions of band 28 in the manner hereinbefore described.

In the modified form of the invention as shown in Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, a body portion 30 of substantially the same contour as the body portion is herebefore described and having an axial threaded. recess 3| formed therein is provided, the axial recess 3| being similar to the recess 23 hereinbefore described. The body portion 38 carries a peripheral flange 32 surrounding the lower portions of the bod 30 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The plane bottom 33 of recess 3| is counter sunk as at 34 to snugly receive the head 35 of a screw 36 depending from the body portion 30. A pair of circular mounting plates 31 and 38 are mounted on screw 35', the upper plate 31 having an upper arcuate surface 39 abutting the central portion of the lower extremity of the body portion at and having an interior bore 4:) receiving the non threaded shank portion of screw 35 immediately adjacent head 35. A second circular mounting plate 38. provided with an axial bore 4| receiving the threaded portion of the shank of screw 36, is mounted on screw 36 in spaced relation to plate 31. The plates 31 and 39 are each provided with a central cylindrical boss 42 and 43, respectively, the bosses facing each other when the plates are mounted on screw 36, as shown in Figure 8, to provide spaced mounting shoulders 44.

A cylindrical resilient collar 5 is adapted to be mounted between the plates 31 and 38 upon shoulders 44 with the bosses 42 and 43 extending into opposed open ends of the interior bore of the collar 45.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the embodiment of Figures 8 and 9 will be evident to those skilled in the art. For example, it may be seen that upon rotational movement of screw in the appropriate direction, the plates 3! and 38 will be moved toward. each other with deformation of the resilient collar 45 as shown in Figure 9. The resilient collar 45 is preferably made of rubber or other material capable of frictionally engaging a metal, plastic, or glass surface.

As shown in Figure 9, the modification of Fi ure 8 may be preferably mounted within a candlereceiving recess 46 of a conventional candle holder 4! made of a suitable material, such as glass, with the conventional candle holder serving as a base. Prior to insertion of the device within the recessed portion 46, the plates 31 and 38 are moved toward each other so that collar 45 is distorted. and so that its outer periphery is substantially the same as the interior periphery of the recess 46. Following this adjustment of the device, the device is inserted within the recess 46 with the flange 32 bearing against the upper surface 48 of candle holder 41. Next, the

collar 44 is still further distorted upon movement of screw 36 relative to the plates 31 and 38.

This relative movement is carried out in either of two ways. By'one 'method, a screw driver may be inserted to engage the slot formed at the head 35 of screw 36 and the screw is rotated to draw plates 43 and 33 toward plate 31, distorting collar into gripping engagement with the interior surface of recess 45. Alternatively, the body portion 30 may be rotated-to cause rotation of screw 36 relative to plates 37 and 38. Inasmuch as the head of the screw 35 is in complete circumferential surface engagement throughout its entire length with the c'ounterbore 34 of body portion 35, and the arcuate upper surface 39 of the plate 31 is in very slight contact with the body member 30, it is evident that the friction between the screw head 35 and the body member 36 will be greater than the friction between the body member 30 and plate 31. Accordingly, rotation of the body member 30 will cause rotation of the screw 35, thus causing relative movement between plates 31 and 38 and the bulging of collar 45 into contact with the interior surfaces of recess 46. v

The advantages residing in the present invention will be appreciated to those skilled in the art in the provision of a candle holder body adapted for attachment to supporting bases of various types. The base may take the form of the em bodiments shown and described in connection with Figures 1 and 4, the band of Figures 5 and 6, and the conventional candle holder of Figures 8 and 9. In each case, the candle is firmly and threadedly retained within the candle holder body to prevent relative separation thereof. It is not necessary that the candle portion inserted in the holder have a taper identical with the holder recess, nor is it necessary that the candle have sides of a shape corresponding to that of the candle holder recess. This feature of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 2 and 9 of the drawings and will be evident to those skilled in the art.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a candle holding adapter for insertion into a recess of a supporting base having a rim, a body portion having an axially extending frustoconical recess formed therein provided with flat threads for receiving and supporting the lower end of a candle, said body also having a flanged portion extending therefrom and adapted to have supporting engagement with said rim of said supporting base, and means extending from the lower end of said body for engagement with the wall of said recess of said supporting base and holding said flange in engagement with said rim including an expansible collar, a plate interposed between said body and one end of said collar and another plate abutting the opposite end of said collar, and a member connecting said body with said last mentioned plate and moving said plate in a direction to expand said collar into clamping engagement with the walls of said recess of said supporting base upon turning movement of said adapter.

2. In a decorative candle holder including a supporting base having a recess formed therein and having a flange extending laterally from the top thereof, a candle holder adapter for said candle holder comprising a body having a tapered interior recess formed therein for receiving one terminal end of a candle, said recess having a shallow interior flat thread for threadedly engaging the candle end, to secure the same therein and having a flange extending therefrom intermediate the ends thereof, and means for securing said body portion within said supporting base recess including a resiliently deformable collar adapted to extend into said base recess, two opposing plates on opposite sides of said collar, and a threaded member carried by said body portion and threaded within said plate remote from said body portion for deforming said collar into surface engagement with the walls of said base recess and drawing said intermediate flange of said adapter into supporting engagement with said flange of said candle holder upon turning movement of said adapter.

.3. A candle holding adapter for insertion into a recess of a supporting base comprising a generally cylindrical body portion defining an axially extending interior conical recess and provided with flat threads for receiving one terminal end of a candle, said body also having a radially outwardly extending peripheral flange for overlying said recess in said supporting base in contact with the upper portion of said supporting base when said candle holder is inserted therein, and

means carried by said body and extending therebeyond for entry into said base recess to secure said candle holder to said supporting base, said means including a resiliently deformable cylindrical collar underlying said interior recess, a plate on the side of said collar opposite said body and having a boss extending within said collar, and screw thread means connected between said body and plate, for deforming said collar radially outwardly after insertion of the same into said base recess, to engage adjacent portions of said supporting base, thereby securing said candle holding adapter in position thereon.

CLARENCE R. CURTIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 273,103 Keibel Feb. 27, 1883 1,439,243 Hughes et al Dec. 19, 1922 2,406,777 Koretzky Sept. 3, 1946 2,480,333 McClory Aug. 30, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 391 Italy of 1879 4,845 Switzerland Feb. 8, 1892 26,176 Great Britain 1902 211,583 Germany July 7, 1909

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