Abstract
A method of manufacturing self-filling candles uses a pour table and with cylindrical cavities and removable, insertable cores. The self-filling candle fills itself with melted wax to form a second candle for additional burning. The shape of the self-filling candle generally includes a hollow cylindrical candle body with the internal cavity having a solid bottom wall and extending upward to a top opening. The candle body is made of a single wax. A first wick is spirally located along the inside surface of the cylindrical sidewall, with its inner surface exposed. As the first wick is burned, melted wax pools in the cavity to form a second candle. A second wick, e.g., a wooden wick, is positioned in the bottom surface of the cavity, and is burned once the second candle has been formed. The manufacturing method is capable of making multiple self-filling candles with the first and the second wicks molded in place without the need for additional labor.
Claims
1. A method of forming a self-filling candle comprising the steps of: a) providing a pouring table with a horizontal surface and a plurality of molding cavities extending downward from the horizontal surface of the pouring table, each said molding cavity including an outer mold; b) providing an insertable and removable mold core for each molding cavity; c) providing a lifting ring at the bottom of each cavity, each said lifting ring being configured to lower to the floor of the cavity and to raise; d) releasably attaching a first wick made from a cord and wrapping the first wick around each mold core; e) placing each of the lifting rings in a fully down position at the floor of the molding cavity; f) affixing each mold core with an attached, wrapped first wick in a respective molding cavity; g) preheating the pouring table and the outer molds; h) flooding the pour table with melted wax to completely fill the plurality of molding cavities containing the mold cores, each with an attached, wrapped first wick; i) cooling the pour table and the outer molds to cool and harden the wax in the molding cavities; j) removing excess wax on the pour table above and around the molding cavities; and k) raising the lifting rings to push the hardened wax with the wrapped first wicks substantially from the respective molding cavities.
2. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 1 wherein the height of a top surface of each mold core is sunken compared to the height of the horizontal surface of the pour table, and the flooding of the pouring table in step h) also fills the open volume in the molding cavity above the sunken top surface of the mold core with wax; wherein the hardened wax in the volume above the sunken top surface of the mold core and below the height of the horizontal surface of the pour table forms a bottom wall of the respective self-filling candle.
3. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 2 wherein each mold core includes a wick slot for a wooden wick in the top surface of the mold core, and the method further comprises the step of placing a wooden wick in a wick sustainer for each of the mold cores, and positioning the wooden wick in the wick slot of the mold core with at least part of the wick sustainer located above the top surface of the mold core, prior flooding the pour table with melted wax.
4. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 1 wherein: the base of each mold core includes an annular beveled edge, and a bottom circular surface; each molding cavity includes a circular recess with matching beveled side surfaces configured to receive the annular beveled edge of the base of the respective mold core and means for affixing a removable mold core to a floor of the molding cavity; the base of each mold core is lowered into the respective molding cavity and removably affixed to the floor of the molding cavity such that the annular beveled edge of the mold core seats on the matching beveled side surfaces of the circular recess of the molding cavity; and the lifting ring for each molding cavity is located annularly around the affixed mold core.
5. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 4 wherein means for affixing a removable mold core to a floor of the molding cavity comprises a threaded shaft extending upward from the floor of the molding cavity, and the bottom surface of each mold core included a threaded hole to receive the respective threaded shaft.
6. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 2 wherein the top surface of the mold core when inserted and affixed is between 0.4 and 0.6 inches below the horizontal surface of the pour table.
7. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 3 wherein the entire sustainer is contained within the wax bottom of the candle after it is hardened and ejected from the molding cavity.
8. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 3 wherein the wick slot is sealed around the wooden wick to substantially prevent melted wax from leaking into the slot when the melted wax is poured onto the horizontal surface of the pour table and into the molding cavities.
9. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 1 wherein wax adhesive is used to releasably attach the first wick to the mold core when wrapping the first wick.
10. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 1 wherein flooding the pouring table with melted wax further comprises flooding the melted wax to a level in which an excess layer of wax is provided above the horizontal surface, and removing excess wax on the pouring table above and around the molding cavities includes scraping the excess layer of wax after it has hardened.
11. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 10 wherein the wax cools for 10 to 15 minutes prior to scraping the excess layer.
12. The method of forming a self-filling candle as recited in claim 10 wherein the first wick made from a cord comprises cotton.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a removable molding core with a cotton wick wrapped around its outer surface.
[0015] FIG. 1B is a bottom perspective view of the removeable mold core showing a threaded opening to enable attachment of the molding core within a molding cavity in the pouring table.
[0016] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a pouring table with an array of cylindrical molding cavities.
[0017] FIG. 2B is a downward looking view of a molding cavity showing a lifting ring at the bottom of the cavity.
[0018] FIG. 2C is view illustrating lifting rings raised on the pouring table shown in FIGS. 2A and B.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a molding core with a cotton wick wrapped around its outer surface and a wooden wick and wick sustainer mounted to the top of the core mold.
[0020] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a molding core (with wicks attached) lowered into one of the molding cavities.
[0021] FIGS. 6A and 6B show wooden wick secured within a metal wick sustainer.
[0022] FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate a plastic wick insert that is threadably secured within a threaded opening in the top surface of the core mold.
[0023] FIG. 8 shows the pouring table with an array of molding cavities and molding cores, each molding core having a cotton wick and wooden wick attached and lowered into the respective cavities.
[0024] FIG. 9 shows the pouring table being filled with melted wax.
[0025] FIG. 10 shows the pouring table once the melted wax has been poured over the array of cavities.
[0026] FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of a self-filling candle constructed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0027] These drawings illustrate an exemplary embodiment of carrying out the invention, namely using a pouring table with an array of molding cavities to manufacture multiple self-filling candles in a batch.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] Referring first to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a pouring table 10 has a horizontal surface 12 and an array of molding cavities 14 in the horizontal surface 12 of the pouring table 10. FIG. 2B shows an individual molding cavity 14 with a lifting ring 18 located in a recess at the bottom of the cavity 14. The bottom surface of the cavity 14 has a threaded shaft 20 to which a mold core 22, see FIGS. 1A and 1B, is attached. Still referring to FIG. 2B, the outer surface of the cavity 14 is defined by a cylindrical mold 16. The outer cylindrical mold 16 defines the outer wall of the self-filling candle when the wax is poured. In FIG. 2B, the lifting ring 18 is in the down position. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the lifting ring 18 in FIG. 2B as well as the lifting rings in the other cavities 14 in the array shown in FIG. 2A are preferably raised and lowered contemporaneously as various steps of the candle making process. In the exemplary embodiment, a hydraulic drive system raises and lowers the lifting rings 18 although the invention can be implemented using other kinds of drives such as pneumatically or electrically powered drive systems.
[0029] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a mold core 22 that is adapted to be attached to the threaded shaft 20 in one of the respective cavities 14. The mold cores 22 have a cylindrical outer wall 24. This cylindrical wall 24 of the mold core 22 forms the inner surface of the cylindrical wall of the self-filling candle. In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the molding core 22 is illustrated with the bottom end 26 facing upward. The bottom surface 26 of the mold core 22 includes a threaded opening 28 that enables the mold core 22 to be removably attached to the threaded shaft 20 in the respective mold cavity 14. The base of each core 22 has an annular beveled edge 30 between the cylindrical wall 24 and the bottom surface 26. Referring to FIG. 2B, the bottom of each cavity 14 includes a circular recess 32 that has matching beveled side surfaces configured to engage the annular beveled edge 30 on the base of the molding core 22. The threaded shaft 20 is located in the center of the circular recess 32 of the molding cavity 14. With the lifting ring 18 lowered to the fully down position in the molding cavity 14, the mold core 22 (with the wicks 34 and 38) is tightened onto the threaded shaft 20 such that the annular beveled edge 30 on the mold core 22 seats against the matching beveled side surfaces 32 of the circular recess of the molding cavity 14. This engagement is tight and does not allow wax to leak beyond the point of contact. The lifting ring 18 is also configured to provide a tight seal when it is in the fully down position. FIG. 2C shows the lifting rings 18 in the fully up position (without candles removed). The upper surface of the lifting ring 18 forms a mold for the top of the cylindrical wall of the respective candle. Using the lifting rings 18 to push the cylindrical walls of the candle upward from the molding cavity is particularly reliable.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 1A, a first wick 34 is attached to the outside diameter 24 of the mold core 26 using wax based adhesive 36. The first wick 34 can be attached manually, or with the aid of an automated winder. In the preferred embodiment, the first wick 34 comprises a braided wick with a cotton core. However, it is appreciated that various other types of wicks may be utilized for the first wick 34. The first wick 34 is attached so that it spirals within a cylindrical side wall of the self-filling candle but will not extend to the base of the candle. Referring for example to FIG. 12, the wick 34 spirals around the inside surface of the cylindrical wall of the candle 100 with a part 102 of the first wick 34 exposed near the upper opening of the candle 100 and the other end of the spiral cotton wick 34 stopping at a height above the floor or bottom wall 104 of the candle 100, thereby enabling the bottom portion of the cylindrical wall to capture melted wax within the central cavity of the candle 100.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a mold core 22 with the wooden wick 38 installed in addition to the spiral wick 34. In FIG. 3, the mold core 22 is shown with its top surface 44 facing upward and the lower beveled annular surface 30 at the base on the bottom of the mold core 22 facing downward. This orientation shown in FIG. 3 is the orientation of the mold core 22 when it is inserted into the respective cavity 14 and attached to the threaded shaft 20. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the mold core 22 when it is mounted in a respective cavity 14. Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B in addition to FIGS. 3-5, the wooden wick 38 is held in a metal sustainer 40. The wooden wick 38 held in the metal sustainer 40 is then inserted into a slot that extends into the mold core 22, and more specifically within a plastic insert 42 that is inserted into a threaded opening in the top surface 44 of the mold core 22. FIGS. 7A-7B show an insert 42 made of plastic that is screwed into the opening in the top surface 44 of the respective mold core 22. The insert 42 includes slot 46 designed to accommodate the wooden wick 38. The top of the slot 46 includes lips to provide a seal against the wooden wick 38. The bottom of the slot 50, FIG. 7C is open since the wooden wick 38 is longer than the insert 42. The threads 48, FIG. 7B on the insert 42 are used to secure the insert 42 within the threaded opening in the top surface 44 of the mold core 22.
[0032] FIGS. 5 and 8 show the removable mold cores 22 (with the wrapped cotton wick and the wooden wick installed) lowered into and mounted in the molding cavities 14 prior to pouring the melted wax. The mold cores 22 are recessed below the horizontal surface 12 of the pouring table 10 prior to pouring the melted wax. The mold cores 22 are recessed about 0.45 below the horizontal surface 12 of the pouring table 10 to allow for the bottom wall 104 (FIG. 11) of the candle 100 to be formed with the wooden wick 38 and metal sustainer 40 embedded within the bottom wall 104 of the candle 100.
[0033] Hot water is circulated through the pouring table 10 (100-110 degrees F.) to preheat the table. A portable wax melting system 106 is moved next to the pouring table 10, see FIG. 9. The pouring table 10 is then flooded with melted wax completely filling the molding cavities 14 (with the mold cores 22 mounted in the cavities 14) and covering them with approximately ? of wax, see FIG. 10.
[0034] Cooling water is then circulated through the pouring table 10 to rapidly cool the wax. FIG. 10 shows the poured wax being cooled on the pouring table 10. Once the wax has cooled (e.g., 10-15 mins), the excess wax is scrapped off the top of the pouring table 10 and recycled. The hydraulic lifting rings 18 then raise the solidified wax candles 100 out of the cavities 14 revealing a complete set of self-filling candles 100 which contain both the cotton wick 34 and the wooden wick 38 as shown in FIG. 11.
[0035] The method can be used with various types of wax and wax blends. In the exemplary embodiment, the wax is BW-93301. BW-93301 is a fully refined paraffin/microcrystalline wax blend with stable color and can be used as a base product or as a blending component. BW-93301 is refined to meet the following consistent and narrow specification requirements.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Wax Specifications: ASTM Test Typical Value Properties Method Values Ranges Melt Point (F.) D-87 157 154-159 Oil Content % D-721 .5 .5% max. Penetration @77 (F.) D-1321 14 12-16 Color D-156 +30 +30 min. Viscosity @ 210 (F.) SUS D-88 44 43-45
[0036] While the invention can be implemented with different candle waxes, BW-93301 has been found to release easily and reliably from the cavities 12 and the mold cores 22, provides adequate strength when hardened for reliable removal from the cavities 12 and also produces a desirable sheen on the sidewalls of the self-filling candle.
