The present invention refers to a method for joining together moulded stearine candle halves as well as a device for carrying out the method.

The invention is directed to the production of stearine candles and si lar products.

Stearine candles are today made by dipping or moulding.

The dipping is a time consuming method and is thus not suitable for in strial production.

In moulding the centering of the wick is a problem. Another problem is the material waste that occurs since moulded candles commonly have to be cut into desired lengths with the wick moulded-in.

For obtaining a high manufacturing rate big expensive moulding machine with many wick holders are necessary.

Thus the object of the invention has primarily been to achieve a more rational manufacturing of stearine candles and similar products of the kind referred to.

To accomplish these and other objects the invention has the characteri of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of examples a device for bringing the method into practice ^as well as various methods for heati a part of the device respectively various methods for guiding a wick a some examples of products.

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a first step in the stearine candle p duction according to the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a second step in this stearine candle production an

Fig. 3 a third step in said manufacturing.

Fig. k shows schematically a first method for guiding a wick at the ma

facturing method according to figures 1-3 inclusive.

Fig. 5 shows a second method for guiding the wick and

Fig. 6 a third method for the same purpose.

Fig. 7 schematically shows a first method for heating a heating means used in the manufacturing process,

Fig. 8 shows a second method for this purpose and

Fig. 9 shows a third method for the same purpose.

Fig. 10 shows a stearine candle with substantially square section as well as the parts in a joining zone,

Fig. 11 shows a conical stearine candle with the parts in a joining zon and

Fig. 12 finally, shows a tetrahedral ly shaped candle with the parts in a joining zone.

According to the invention a stearine candle is manufactured which com- prises two or more moulded stearine candle halves surrounding a wick wherein the stearine halves in a first manufacturing step are so oriented relative to each other and relative to a heating means in the shape of a plate or disk that they turn substantially planar joining surfaces towards each other with said joining surfaces at a distance from each other that substantially corresponds to the thickness of the the heating means and in such alignment that said joining surfaces when the stearine candle halves are displaced to and beyond th heating means in a second manufacturing step will slide against opposit directed surfaces of the heating means and thereby receive adhesive pro perties, that a wick is applied between said stearine candle halves and that the stearine candle halves in a third manufacturing step are press against each other such that the adhesive surfaces will adhere to each other while holding the wick.

In order to bring this method into practice there is according to figur 1-3 inclusive provided a track 1 along which the candle halves 2a, 2b

may be displaced in the direction of the arrow.

Means not shown are provided to locate the candle halves 2a ,2b in such a manner in relation to each other that they turn two substantially planar joining surfaces 3a,3b towards each other with said joining sur- faces 3a,3b located at a distance from each other perpendicular to the tion of the arrow which substantially corresponds to the thickness of a heating means k , which in the exemplifying embodiment consists of an up ended heated plate.

The plate is located in a plane parallell to and located between the planes through the joining surfaces 3a,3b. A wick in the shape of a continuous material string 5 is carried through an opening 6 penetratin the plate h .

In the initial position shown in fig. 1 the two stearine candle halves 2a,2b are aligned in the manner referred to and in front of the heatin means k. It is obvious that they when displaced according to fig. 2 wil touch the front respectively rear side of the heated plate with their joining surfaces 3a,3b and that said joining surfaces will be adhesive by means of the heat transmission which occurs. When the candle halves after having passed the heated plate k are pressed against each other this will give as a result firstly that they during the subsequent cool ing will be joined and secondly that they enclose and hold the wick 5 and carry it with them in their continued displacement movement. In or to obtain the stearine candles it is additionally only necessary to cu the wick between the various semi-manufactures and to undertake a cert surface finishing such as polishing the splice, padding or the like. I is further evident that the method now described easily may be automat and that a rational candle manufacturing thus can be achieved.

For the candle manufacturer the method further offers the advantage th he can work with candle halves moulded by the stearine manufacturer whi means that the material except for the melting which takes place in th join layers need not be melted respectively stiffen which brings forth considerable savings in time.

For guiding respectively fixing the wick or the wicks the methods illu strated in figures 4-6 inclusive may be used.

Fig. k illustrates the method described in connection with the embodi¬ ment according to figures 1-3 inclusive, i.e. the wick 5 is threaded through a through hole 6 in the plate 4. According to ig. 5 the wick is fed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the arrow and is deflected at one end of the plate h . In the embodiment according to fig. 6 finally the wick 5 is threaded through a groove 10 in the plate k .

As appears from fig. 7 the heating means may comprise heating coils 7 for the heating.

In the embodiment according to fig. 8 the heating means consists of a plate, which is being heated by means of heat radiation from heating lamps 8a,8b and in the embodiment according to fig. 9 the heating means is in the shape of a plate 4, which is connected to a heated lower plate 9.

Fig. 10 shows in a transverse section a square candle 11, which has been made from two triangular halves 12a,12b.

Fig. 11 shows a conical candle 13, which is made from two halves 1 a and 14b respectively and fig. 12 shows a pyramide-shaped candle 15, made from two tetrahedron-shaped halves.

The expression "adhesive" in this case means that the candle halves when heated will receive such properties that they by being pressed against each other will be joined together, which usually occurs by welding.