US2688157A

US2688157A - Positioning means in candle making apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2688157A
Application number: US412256A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl J Schroeder
Original assignee: Standard Oil Co
Current assignee: Standard Oil Co
Priority date: 1954-02-24
Filing date: 1954-02-24
Publication date: 1954-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1971-09-07

Description

Sept. 7, 1954 Filed Feb. 24, 1954 C. J. SCHROEDER POSITIONING MEANS IN CANDLE MAKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l I iiiii 'wluuwi INVENTOR.

Sept. 7, 1954 c. J. SCHROEDER POSITIONING MEANS IN CANDLE MAKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1954 11v VEN TOR. Carl J. Scfvmea'w J. SCHROEDER POSITIONING MEANS IN CANDLE MAKING APPARATUS Sept. 7, 1954 Filed Feb. 24, 1954 INVENTOR Carl J. Schroeder ATTORNEY ,7 I I IIIHIIHHHI HHIIHHIHH Patented Sept. 7, 1954 POSITIONING MEANS IN CANDLE MAKING APPARATUS Carl J. Schroeder, Hammond, Ind., assignor to Standard Oil Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Indiana Application February 24, 1954, Serial No. 412,256

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a candle making apparatus and it pertains more particularly to-a means for positioning candle holders over a wax bath in an apparatus for making dipped candles.

In apparatus for making dipped candles having a rotatable horizontal wheel for supporting candle holders and a wax bath positioned below the holders, difficulties have been encountered in properly positioning the candle holders over the wax bath. As a result candles are damaged in the dipping operation by hitting the sides of the bath, and manufacturing costs per marketable candle are high. In addition, the apparatus itself may be damaged and costly frequent repairs may be needed. An illustration of such an apparatus is U. S. 2,647,282. r

The main object of my invention is to provide an improved apparatus for dipping candles whereby production costs are reduced to a minimum, speed of production is increased and the uniformity of the product is improved. A further object is to provide a candle dipping apparatus that is essentially automatic in operation. A particular object of my invention is to provide an improved means to aid in the proper positioning of the candle holders over the wax dipping bath. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a specific example thereof.

In order to carry out my invention I have provided a wheel which is rotatable on a vertical axis. The holders for supporting the wicks and partly formed candles are attached to the wheel. Positioned around the central axis under the holders is a molten wax bath and a candle cooling means, if desired. The wax bath may be positioned on a platform which may be moved vertically, means may be provided for moving the holders vertically, or a combination thereof may be used. Hold-back means, e. g., spring-loaded convex buffer hold-back means, and means to prevent rebound from the hold-back means to aid in positioning the holders over the wax bath are provided. The entire candle dipping operation may be carried out automatically by means of control mechanisms.

A clearer understanding of the invention and the various features thereof will be gained from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings similar parts are designated by like reference characters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a partial plan view 01' a wheel showing a triple crank and the location of the hold-back means and pawl means associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the wheel showing in elevational section the vertically movable wax bath and two holders being cooled.

Figure 3 is a partial plan view showing the triple crank and pawl means and the hold-back means in partial section.

Figure 4 is a partial plan view showing part of one crank arm associated with both the pawl means and the hold-back means which is shown in partial section.

Figure 5 is an elevation view of the pawl means of Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 1, wheel I l is shown having radially extending arms I2 which support holders It for sup-porting the tops and bottoms of wicks and partially formed candles. Wheel I I is rotatable on vertical shaft I l. One of the holders is shown positioned over wax bath l5. Triple crank H5 for rotating wheel i l is shown with some of its supporting structure. Hold-back means Ill and pawl means it are shown as to their location by block diagram.

Referring to Figure 2, motor means I9 is shown associated with triple crank I6, which it operates. Two candle holders are shown with cooling equipment which consists of a circular open channel 29 having a perforated inner horizontal partition. Cooling air is introduced via the perforations to aid in solidifying the wax on the wicks and partially formed candles. Cooling channel 20 encircles all holders !3, except the holder positioned over wax bath l5. That is, channel 20 does not quite form a complete circle. Wax bath i5 is shown mounted on platform 2|, which can be raised by hydraulic lift 22. Associated with wax bath is are lines 23a, 23b and 230, which can be either flexible hoses or swivel jointed pipes. Lines 23a, b and c are used for introducing or removing wax from tank l5 and for providing heat in the form of hot water or steam to keep the wax molten and at the proper dipping temperature. Wax bath I5 is an insulated rectangular vessel open at the top. Either a coil or a jacket or both can be used to add heat to keep the wax. in bath l5 molten and at the proper dipping temperature.

Details are shown in Figure 3 of triple crank it associated with hold-back means I! and pawl means 58. Triple crank [6 consists of three crank arms 24a, 24b and 240 radiating from central hub 25. The external ends of each crank arm terminate in a crank pin 26 and a boss. Crank arms 24a, 24b and 240 are 120 degrees apart, and bosses 21a, 21b and 210 are connected by bars 28 to form an equilateral triangle. Crank l6 rotates on central shaft 29, which is operated by motor means I9, shown in Figure 2. Bosses 21a, 21b and 21c are the portions of the triple crank which contact the hold-back means and pawl means.

Hold-back means The hold-back means I1 is shown in detail in Figure 3. This mechanism has support 30 as its base. Lever 3| is pivotably attached by a pin 3|a to support 30. Attached to lever 3| is roller 32 and rod 33, which is pivotably attached to lever 3| by pin 33a and is approximately perpendicular to lever 3|. As a substitute for roller 32 a convex buffer having no moving parts may be used. Cylinder 34 is rigidly attached to support 30 and is so positioned that it is coaxial with rod 33. This cylinder has spring positioned within it and it is closed at its free-end by adjustable plug 36. The free-end or rod 33 is enlarged to form piston 33 which is positioned within cylinder 34, and piston 31 is prevented from escaping from cylinder 34 by shoulders 310. on the cylinder at its open end near the point of attachment to support 30. This piston 31 coacts with spring 35, which resists being compressed by piston 31.

Roller 32 can be mounted on the same axis as the point of attachment of rod 33 with lever 3|. However, preferably lever 3| is made wide at its free-end with a knob-like portion 3|b for roller 32 to be attached. Such an arrangement allows boss 21c, approaching from a direction about parallel to lever 3|, to contact roller 32 substantially head-on upon initial contact and not tangentially. In any event it is preferred that the direction of approach of boss 210 to roller 32 be substantially less than perpendicular to lever 3|. Hold-back means ofiers maximum resistance to boss 210 at the time of initial contact with roller 32, because only a small increment of force is applied by boss 210 to press lever 3| down against the resistance of spring 35. As power is applied to triple crank I5, roller 32 is forced down in a direction toward cylinder 34 and about parallel to the longitudinal axis of cylinder 34, the resistance offered by hold-back means rapidly decreases, since the direction of force being applied by boss 210 to roller 32 is rapidly changing from approximately parallel to lever 3| to perpendicular to lever 3|. As boss 21c passes beyond roller 32, roller 32 is forced up by spring 35 to engage a following boss. The tension of spring 35 may be adjusted by plug 36. Normally the tension will be adjusted to be just a little more than sufiicient to stop the rotation of the triple crank upon initial contact of a boss with roller 32, when the inertia of the system is greatest, i. e. when the candles are ready for their final dip.

The hold-back means ll will not work if the parts are so arranged that a boss upon contacting roller 32 does not tend to force lever 3| down toward cylinder 34. Furthermore, reduced effectiveness of hold-back means will result, if a boss approaches roller 32 initially from a direction approaching perpendicular to lever 3|.

Pawl means The pawl means l8 acts in cooperation with hold-back means I! to position properly holders |3 over wax bath l5. The pawl means I8 comprises a base 38, three

pawls

39a, 39b and 390 rotatably connected to base 28, three springs 40 attached one to each pawl, springs 40 being held in place on base 38 by three pins 4|a, MD and He and pin 4|d which with the aid of springs 40

positions pawls

39a, 39b and 390. As a boss passes a pawl, a spring causes the pawl to snap back to its normal non-operating position and the boss is prevented from rebounding from hold-back means l1. Multiple pawls are used to prevent triple crank l6 from rotating in the opposite direction even though a boss has not quite contacted hold-back means H but has rotated far enough to at least pass pawl 39a.

Refer to Figure 4, which is a different embodiment of the invention wherein hold-back means I! and pawl means l8 coact with the same boss at the same time. In Figure 3 the hold-back and pawl means are shown coacting with different bosses at the same time. Either embodiment is satisfactory, but the one shown in Figure 3 is preferred to avoid crowding of the parts. In the embodiment of Figure 4:, a part of a crank arm and one boss is shown associated with pawl means l8 and hold-back means I! which is shown except for a portion of cylinder 34 and related parts. Pawl means H3 is rigidly attached to support 33 of the hold-back means.

Figure 5 is an elevation view of pawl means |8 of Figure 4 to aid in showing the arrangement of parts of this device. The three small dotted circles 40a, b and c on

pawls

39a, 39b and 39c represent the points of attachment of springs 40 to the pawls.

Operation After holders |3 with wicks attached have been positioned on wheel II, the machine is ready to begin the candle dipping operation. After a holder has been positioned over wax bath l5, hydraulic lift 22 raises wax bath [5 to cause the Wicks on the holder to be completely submerged in the molten wax which had been previously added to bath l5. Power is then cut-ofi from lift 22 and wax bath I5 is lowered to its rest position. When bath l5 has reached its rest position, solenoid controls actuate motor l9 which rotates triple crank [6 for of a revolution. One crank pin of the triple crank [6 always engages wheel II to cause wheel II to rotate with crank l6 and another holder is moved toward position over wax bath |5 while the holder that has just been dipped is moved into cooling channel 20. The mechanisms are so adjusted that motor power is stopped just prior to a boss contacting hold-back mechanism however, the inertia of wheel II and triple crank |6 causes the boss to rotate to contact roller 32. The roller 32 offers such resistance to the boss that the rotation of triple crank I6 is stopped and in fact the boss tends to rebound and cause the triple crank IE to reverse its direction of rotation. It is at this point that multiple pawl means l8 operates to prevent the boss, which has just passed the last pawl 390, from reversing its direction of rotation. If the timing of power cut-off of motor I9 is slightly off and/or the inertia of the rotating apparatus is not sufiicient to quite carry a boss into contact with roller 32 of hold-back means I I, normally the boss will at least have moved far enough to pass the first pawl 39a, and the holder will be sufficiently well positioned over wax bath l5 that it will not strike a side of bath l5 during the dipping operation. A holder which had just been dipped, moves next into cooling channel 20 and continues to rotate in cooling channel 20, where the wax is aided in solidifying by forced cooled air, until it is time for the next dipping step for that holder.

The sequence of operations described above is repeated with each holder in turn until the candles are built up to the desired size.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications and alternatives, arrangements and procedures will be apparent from the above description of those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A candle making machine comprising a wheel rotatable on a vertical axis, holders attached to said wheel for supporting wicks and partly formed candles, a wax bath, means for intermittently rotating the wheel to carry said holders into position over said wax bath, means for reciprocally immersing the wicks and partly formed candles thereon in the wax bath during each stop period, spring-loaded convex buffer hold-back means to aid in positioning the holders over said wax bath, and pawl means to prevent said wheel from rebounding when the hold-back means is contacted.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said holdback means is a roller means, and a multiple pawl means is used to prevent said wheel from rebounding when said roller means is contacted.

3. In a candle making machine comprising a wheel rotatable on a vertical axis; holders attached to said wheel for supporting tops and bottoms of wicks and partly formed candles; a wax bath; crank means for intermittently rotating the wheel to carry said holders into position over said wax bath; means for reciprocally immersing the wicks and partly formed candles thereon in the wax bath during each stop period of the wheel; the improvement for positioning of said holders over said wax bath called a hold-back means which comprises a support, a lever having a convex buffer pivotably attached to said support, a rod pivotably attached to said lever, a supported hollow cylinder, a spring positioned within said cylinder and operating with said rod, said buifer being positioned so said crank approaches it at an angle substantially less than perpendicular to said lever with the result that said crank meets the greatest resistance upon initially contacting said bufier and the resistance decreases rapidly as said crank continues its movement; and pawl means which prevent said crank from rebounding upon contact with said bufier.

4. A candle making machine comprising a wheel rotatable on a vertical axis; radially extending arms on said wheel; holders for supporting the tops and bottoms of wicks and partly formed candles positioned below and supported by said radial arms; a wax bath; multiple crank means for intermittently rotating the wheel to carry said holders into position over said wax bath; means for reciprocally immersing the wicks and partly formed candles thereon in the wax bath during each stop period of the wheel; holdback means to aid in positioning the holders over said wax bath which comprises a support, a lever pivotably attached to said support, a roller attached to said lever, a rod pivotably attached at an angle of about perpendicular to said lever, said rod having an enlarged free-end in the form of a piston which coacts with a spring positioned Within a supported hollow cylinder having an adjustable plug to close one end thereof, said roller being so positioned said multiple crank means approaches it from a direction about parallel to said lever; and multiple pawl means comprising a base, a plurality of pawls pivotably attached to said base and springs attached to said pawls and to said base.

5. The machine of claim 4 wherein said hold back means and said pawl means act on different bosses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 17, 1922