US3180065A

US3180065A - Method of making candle packages

Info

Publication number: US3180065A
Application number: US206244A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph H Churchill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-10-28
Filing date: 1962-06-29
Publication date: 1965-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 1982-04-27

Description

April 27, 1 R. H. CHURCHILL METHOD OF MAKING CANDLE PACKAGES Original Filed Oct. 28, 1960 United S This invention relates to a candle package and to a method for producing such a package, the method being particularly useful in connection with candles formed from low meltin point waxes.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 74,127, filed October 28, 1960, new Patent No. 3,l24,247.

Certain candles, such as the type commonly known as sanctuary candles, are customarily molded from waxes having melting points within the range of about 90 to 130 degrees 1 Because of the relative softness and low melting points of these waxes, the candles from which they are formed require special protective containers for retaining their shape during transit, storage and use. Ordinarily, the containers comprise hollow glass cylinders closed at their bottom ends. Such containers or vessels are expensive in relation to total candle cost and, because of their weight and breakability, are inconvenient and expensive to ship and handle. The ultimate users, usually churches, funeral establishments and the like, are burdened with this inconvenience and expense, both of which are often considerable in view of the extensive and continuing dema d for such consumable items.

..ngly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively fast and inexpensive method for formin and packaging candles of low melting point wax. Another object is to provide a candle package which is relative inexpensive and which is particularly adapted for so as a replacement item for permanent candle holders. Another object is to provide a method for making a candle package including a wrapper which may be easily removed from the candle prior to insertion of the candle into a suitable holder, ordinarily a permanent and higmy decorated glass holder. A still further object is to provide a candle forming method in which a wrapper formed of paper or other flexible, deformable material is utilized in forming the candle into a cylindrical shape.

Other objects will appear from the specification and drawings in which:

FEGURE 1 is a broken perspective view showing, in somewhat schematic form, the forming and cutting of candle sections;

FlGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating a further o in the method of forming a candle package;

ZGURE 3 is a side elevational view taken partly in section and showing a candle immediately after insertion into its wrapper;

FEGURE 4 is a side elevational view, taken partly in section, which is similar to FEGURE 3 but which shows he package at a later step in the method;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which a plurality of candle packages may be supported for shipment and storage in vertical condition;

i i-GU is a broken perspective view illustrating a modification of the method of the present invention.

in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in H6- URES 1 through 5, the numeral it) generally designates a candle or candle section formed by an extruding machine ll and cut by blade 12. Candle section ll), as Well as the wax rod 13 from which it is cut, is preferably cylindrical in shape. Through the center of the rod extends a wick which is sliced by a blade 12 as the extruded wax rod is cut into candle sections, Therefore, immediately all r cutting, each candle section has a zick 1d of the same length as the cylinder of wax.

tes Patent 0 For reasons which will appear hereinafter, it is desirable to provide a relatively stiff Wick for each candle section. This may be accomplished by using a leaded wick, as it is commonly known in the art, consisting of cloth fibers extending about a thin wire core of lead or some other low melting point metal.

While Waxes of various melting point ranges might be used, the present invention has particualr utility in the forming of candles from low melting point waxes. By low melting point waxes, I mean waxes and wax compositions having melting points ranging between to degrees F. Such waxes are soft even at room temperature and result in a candle lacking the stability of form characteristic of candles made of hard high melting point wax. Immediately following extrusion, and to a lesser extent when the candle section has cooled to room temperature, such waxes can best be described as soft, plastic and semisolid.

immediately following the extruding and cutting steps, the candle section Ill is inserted into a vertical sleeve 15 formed of paper or other flexible, deformable and nonstretchable material. The paper should be treated so that it is substantially non-porous and impermeable. While paper has been found highly effective for forming the sleeve or wrapper 15, other materials such as foil or plastics having similar properties might also be used.

The length of the sleeve is the same as the length of a freshly cut candle section lib or, to put it diiferently, is the same as the length of leaded wick 14. The sleeves internal diameter is appreciably lar er than the diameter of the freshly cut candle section and, as a result, such a section may be readily placed within the upright sleeve as indicated in i IGURE 2.

Sleeve 15 and the inserted candle section it rest on the non-porous surface of a suitable sealing element 16. Element 16 may be formed from any fiat, non-porous and oil-impermeable material although a'thin sheet of metal foil or some other material which tends to be cool to the touch is preferred.

Candle section it) is placed within the sleeve immediately following the extruding and cutting steps while the wax is in a particularly soft and plastic condition. Lacking adequate lateral support because of the annular spacing 1'7 between the candle section and sleeve, the wax tends to ilow outwardly to fill the space and, as a result, the upper surface of the candle section sinks downwardly below the tip of the wick to expose the wicks upper portion (FIGURE 4). The downward and outward flow of wax continues until the wax exerts a firm outward force in all horizontal directions upon the non-stretchable sleeve.

The difference etween the inside diameter of the sleeve and the diameter of the candle section immediately following extrusion depcnds upon the extent of wick exposure desired at the top of the completed candle. Ordinarily, the length of the exposed wick portion 18 should range between about one-eighth to three-eighths inch. Therefore, the volume of the annular space 17 should be substantially the same as the volume of wax which must settle downwardly and outwardly to expose a wick portion of desired length.

Since the sleeve is substantially non-stretchable, its inner diameter defines the diameter of the finished caudle. While both the candle and the wrapper or sleeve are of cylindrical shape after the wax has sunk down into the position shown in FIGURE 4, it is not essential that the candle section it) or the sleeve 15 be of c lindrical shape at the time the two are assembled (FIGURE 2). Generally cylindrical configuration for both at the time of assembly is preferred because it facilitates insertion of the candle section within the sleeve. Nevertheless, the flexible and deformable sleeve and the a candle section will assume final cylindrical configurations even if they are non-cylindrical prior to the settling of the wax. As the soft wax settles, it tends to assume a shape of minimum volume and, since the sleeve is substantially non-stretchable, such a shape is necessarily cylindrical.

Metal foil has been found particularly effective as a sealing means for preventing leakage of the soft wax from the bottom of sleeve or cover 15. While the reason for this is not definitely known, it is believed that the fact that metal tends to be cool to the touch results in greater solidification of the wax at the base of the sleeve with less tendency for the wax to flow outwardly from the open end of that sleeve.

The candle packages as illustrated in FIGURE 4 may be shipped and stored as long as some means is provided for preventing tipping movement of the candle packages in response to the lateral forces which may be expected to occur during handling and shipment. Such lateral stabilizing means might take the form of partitions 19 and the walls 20 of a carton or container 21 as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The vertical dimensions of the compartments defined by the partitions are substantially the same as the vertical dimensions of the sleeves 15 or" the candle packages disposed within those compartments so that axial movement as Well as lateral movement of the packages is prevented. It is to be understood that the bottom inside surface of the carton is lined or coated with foilor some other suitable waximpermeable material to form a bottom wall corresponding exactly with sealing element 16.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a variation in the steps illustrated in FIGURES l and 2. In FIGURE 6, the slicing or cutting step occurs after the candle section 10 has been inserted into sleeve 15, the two elements'being cut simultaneously by blade 12. The sleeves are formed by a continuous strip 22 of sheetmaterial which is continuously folded by a suitable forming element 23 which also brings the longitudinal edges of the strip together so that they will seal upon contact or upon the application of heat or the provision of some other condition prerequisite to the forming of a suitable seal.

While in the foregoing I have disclosed two embodiments of the invention in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of these details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a method for forming a candle package, the steps comprising pre-forming a candle section of semisolid wax having a melting point within the range of about 90 to 130 degrees F., enclosing the sides of said preformed candle section in a flexible, readily-deformable and non-stretchable sleeve having open ends and having internal cross sectional dimensions greater than the cross sectional dimensions of said candle section, and orienting said sleeve and candle section vertically while at the same time completely sealing off the bottom of said sleeve to permit settling of the semi-solid wax under the influence of gravity and lateral expanding of said candle section into tight peripheral contact with said sleeve, the settling of said wax thereby forming said sleeve into generally cylindrical shape.

2. A method for forming a candle package comprising the steps of pre-forming a candle section of semisolid wax, enclosing the sides of said preformed candle section in a flexible, readily-deformable and non-stretchable sleeve having internal cross sectional dimensions greater than the cross sectional dimensions of said candle section, and orienting said sleeve and candle secsemi-solid wax under the influence of gravity and the lateral and downward flow of the same into tight peripheral contact with said sleeve, the settling of said wax thereby forming said sleeve into generally cylindrical shape.

3. In a method for forming a candle package, the steps of extruding a bar of semi-solid wax having a wick extending therethrough, cutting said bar into candle sections of predetermined length, enclosing the sides of each of said candle sections in a flexible, readily-deformable and non-stretchable sleeve having internal cross sectional dimensions greater than the cross sectional dimensions of said candle section, and orienting said sleeve and candle section vertically while at the same time com pletely sealing off the bottom of said sleeve to permit the settling of the semi-solid wax under the influence of gravity and the lateral and downward flow of the same into tight contact with the inner surfaces of said sleeve, the settling of said wax thereby forming said sleeve into generally cylindrical shape.

4. The method of claim 3 in which said cutting and enclosing steps are performed at substantially the same time.

5. The method of claim 3 in which said cutting step precedes the enclosing of said candle section.

6. In a candle package forming method the steps of extruding and cutting wick-equipped candle sections formed of warm semi-solid wax, enclosing each of said candle sections in a flexible, readily-deformable and nonstretchable sleeve while the wax thereof is still soft and warm, and immediately thereafter orienting each of said sleeves and candle sections vertically upon a non-porous surface to seal off the open lower ends of said sections, said sleeves each having internal cross sectional dimensions greater than the cross sectional dimensions of said candle sections, whereby, the soft warm wax settles under the influence of gravity and expands outwardly into firm contact with the inner surfaces of said sleeves to expose portions of said wicks at the upper ends of said sections and to form said sleeves into generally cylindrical shape.

7. The method of claim 6 in which said candle section is formed from a semi-solid wax having a melting point within the range of about 90 to 130 degrees F.

8. The method of claim 6 in which there is the additional step of supporting said candle sections and sleeves against lateral tipping movement after the same have tion vertically upon a non-porous surface to seal off the lower end of said sleeve and permit the settling of the been assembled and oriented upon said non-porous surface.

9. In a candle package forming method, the steps of extruding and cutting wick-equipped candle sections formed of semi-solid wax, enclosing each of said candle sections in a flexible, readily-deformable and non-porous paper sleeve having internal cross sectional dimensions greater than the cross sectional dimensions of said candle sections, said sleeve having a length substantially the same as the length of the candle :sections wick, and thereafter orienting said sleeve and candle section vertically upon a non-porous surface toseal completely the lower end of said sleeve and permit a downward and outward settling of the semi-solid wax under the influence of gravity, thereby forming a candle of cylindrical shape having a wick portion exposed at the top thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,654,871 Gage et a1. Ian. 3, 1928 1,986,589 Mapes Jan. 1, 1935 2,006,376 Vogt July 2, 1935 2,103,237 Deckert Dec. 28, 1937 2,137,707 Wade et a1 Nov. 22, 1938

Claims

3. IN A METHOD FOR FORMING A CANDLE PACKAGE, THE STEPS OF EXTRUDING A BAR OF SEMI-SOLID WAX HAVING A WICK EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, CUTTING SAID BAR INTO CANDLE SECTIONS OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH, ENCLOSING THE SIDES OF EACH OF SAID CANDLE SECTIONS IN A FLEXIBLE, READILY-DEFORMABLE AND NON-STRETCHABLE SLEEVE HAVING INTERNAL CROSS SECTIONAL DIMENSIONS GREATER THAN THE CROSS SECTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF SAID CANDLE SECTION, AND ORIENTING SAID SLEEVE AND CANDLE SECTION VERTICALLY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME COMPLETELY SEALING OFF THE BOTTOM OF SAID SLEEVE TO PERMIT