US1974037A - Wick structure for wax lights and the like - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 18, 1934.

F. P. ATKINS WICK STRUCTURE FOR WAX LIGHTS AND THE LIKE Filed April 15, 1931 WWW ATTORNEG Patented Sept. 18, 1934 Urrso stars 1 Claims.

My invention relates primarily to the manufacture of wicks for lights such as votive lights, night lights and the like, wherein a vessel is provided which contains the wax or combustible material,

5 and a wick is provided to produce and control the desired flame; but my invention is not restricted to this type of light. It has been appreciated that in such lights particularly, a self-sustaining wick is highly desirable. It is not unusual to support the wick by a small metallic stand, or the like, in the bottom of the vessel; but this cannot serve to support the wick throughout its length for the reason that, if extended, it would interfere with the flow of wax, or other combustible, to and through the wick, and also because it would not be expended as the supply of wax is lowered, and as the wick burns away. The heat developed by the burning of the light is usually sufficient to melt a very considerable portion of the wax surrounding the wick. This takes away the support of the wick, and if it is not self-sustaining, it tends to fall over in the vessel, and in some instances to become submerged, whereby the light is put out.

p In my Patent No. 1,496,837, I have described and claimed a wicking of self-sustaining character containing as a core, an expendable metallic wire. This wick has proved entirely satisfactory, burning down with the wax in the light, and sustainmg itself perfectly throughout the length of life of the device.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide a new type of self-sustaining wick, which has a number of important advantages in economy of manufacture and the like, and is adequate and satisfactory in use.

These and other objects of my invention which will become more fully apparent hereinafter, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts and by that process of which I shall describe exemplary embodiments.

The drawing shows, partly in section, a piece of wicking which is exemplary of an embodiment of my invention, but which is not limiting thereon.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention, I have ound that instead of using metallic wire or the like, I treat a portion of the structure of the wick itself by means, which serve the end desired. More specifically, I combine with a braided, 50, woven, or other wick, a core of one or more strands of material so treated, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

It will be understood that a wick to be satisfactory for the uses described, must have its ca- 5 pacity for capillary absorption of the melted wax unimpaired. It must be stiff enough tobe self-sustaining; but it must be expendable as the wax burns away, since otherwise it would not control the flame adequately. It would be possible to take a pre-formed wick and dip it in or an otherwise impregnate it in with a stiffening agent, and thereby produce a wick which would both be self-sustaining and expendable; but it would not bean adequate wick for the reason that the stiffening agent would tend in greater or less measure to seal the pores of the wick, and to inhibit the necessary capillary action. Consequently, it is highly desirable to confine the stiffening agent to particular strands of which the wick is composed, whereby the porosity of the 70 Wick may be maintained; but it is not necessary separately to impregnate each strand, and it is not ordinarily desirable, since the strands themselves are preferably somewhat porous. In prac-' tice, I have achieved excellent results with one or more strands of stiffened material, which may be employed as a core or as one or more of the filaments making up the interwoven structure of the wick itself. Where hollow braided wicks are being made, it is advantageous to employ the 30 stiffened filament as a core, but this is not a limitation upon my invention, nor is the particular way in which the wicking is braided, plaited, or woven. In any event, however, where the continuous production of wicking is contemplated, 35 it is highly desirable that the stifiened strand or strands be made in a continuous manner, so that the completed structure may be produced in pieces of indefinite length to be cut apart and used as desired.

In the figure I have shown a candle wicking formed upon a braiding machine, and comprising strands of ordinary cotton or other suitable textile fibers 1, and a core 2 of textile material treated so as to render it stiff, but expendable.

For the purposes hereinabove described, I have found cellulosic stiffening agents to be preferable, and of these the most available for use are collodion, nitro-cellulose, cellulose acetate, and any of the several cellulose esters, although other cel- 10o lulosic material will also be found serviceable.

In general, organic substances of relatively stiff 7 nature, susceptible of being handled by means of a solvent orotherwise, are suitable. I avoid thermoplastic substances which would lose their stiffness under conditions of use; but apparently a degree of softening under heating is not disadvantageous in my product. A number of synthetic resins may also be employed.

In practice, I take a strand of desired thickness 11o and comprising textile material of a desired character, and run it through a bath of the stiifening agent, containing sufiicient solvent to produce a liquid or semi-liquid consistency. The strand absorbs more or less of the substance and becomes coated therewith. The extent of the resident coating thereon may be controlled by doctors, or the like, or by running the strand through a perforatedmember, which removes from its surface any excess of the material. When the strand is dried, it will be found to be stiffened by the process, and then may be used either as one of the strands in a braiding, plaiting, or the like process, or as the core in a hollow braid or weave.

fibers, such as linen fibers having inherent stiifness, may be employed usefully to increase the overall stiffness of the product.

Flame retardants may also be used in my Wick, if desired, and any or all of the strands may be treated with substances to retard combustion, either before or after treatingwith the stiffening agent.

5, In-some instances inorganic materials may also be employed, such as silicate of soda; but my investigations have indicated that these are apparently not complete equivalents for cellulosic stifiening agents, because either they do not produce gq an adequate stiffening alone, or they tend to produce a wick which is not adequately expendable in use.

The employment of cellulosic derivatives I have found to be most advantageous; but it is also pos- ;;sible to produce a stiif fiber, core, or strand, by

taking a core or str-and of' textile fibers and paror other fibers and convertthem partially into cellulosic derivatives, Without destroying the char- C0nsiderations of economy will ordinarily govern the selection of fiber for the stiffened strand. Some acter of the treated material as a strand or core, fibrous in its nature. For example, by an alkaline treatment carried short of the point at which the fibers completely lose their identity, followed by an acid treatment, it is possible to produce a relatively stifi strand, which will lend a selfsustaining character to a wicking.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A process of making wicking which comprises treating a substantial length of a strand of textile fiber to convert at least a part of .its substance into a cellulosic derivative as a stiffening agent therefor, permitting said agent to harden in' the strand, and incorporating said strand with unstiffened textile strands to form a wick with said strand as the sole stifiening means therefor.

2. A wick comprising related strands of textile material, a substantial length of one at leastof which is impregnated-with a cellulosic derivative cellulosic derivative as a stiifening agent, permit- 4. A. process of producing awicking which comprises passing a substantial length of a' strand of textile fiber through a bath of cellulose derivative dissolved in a solvent, permitting said solvent to evaporate from said strand so that the cellulose derivative forms a stiffening agent for'the strand, and incorporating said strand with strands of unstiffened textile fiber to forma-wick structure of which said strand is the sole stifiening means;

FRANKP. ATKINS.

Images