Title of Invention

LAMP

Abstract

This invention provides a candle lamp comprising a candle stand and a glass chimney, said candle stand having a neck for engaging with the said chimney, characterized in that at least said neck of the candle stand is made of a material such as plastic having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that Df the glass of the chimney, said neck is dimensioned to fit into the lower mouth of said chimney, and openings or channels are provided on the said neck of the candle stand or towards the lower end of the said chimney, opening into the tubular space within the fitted chimney, said channels or openings providing the means for air entry from below into the fitted chimney, as shown in Fig.1.

Full Text

This invention relates to a candle lamp. More particularly this invention relates to a candle stand provided with a glass chimney for burning candles. A survey of the prior art discloses that a simple, economical and fianctional candle lamp is not to be found anywhere. The popular candle lamp available in the market has a body having a spring mechanism for pushing up the candle as it is consumed and a glass chimney provided within the spring loaded jaws of the chimney holder for enclosing the flame. Though this is theoretically attractive the melted wax soon disrupts the mechanism and the candle gets stuck. The spring also loses its tension in the long run. The candle lamp mostly used in churches from ancient times has a metallic candle stand with or without spring loaded jaws for holding the glass chimney. For these metal candle lamps with spring-loaded jaws the glass chimney is held within the jaws of the candle stand and the glass is well protected during thermal expansion. For candle lamps with a rigid metal rim and the glass chimney held within the said rim, the manufacturers are forced to space the lower end of the glass chimney from the metal rim of the candle stand thereby predisposing to a gentle shake of the glass chimney on shifting the candle lamp from place to place, hi the rough day-to-day use such lamps are dangerous to use. A further limitation of such lamps is that the glass chimney that is used has only a short height (to minimize the shaking) and therefore the usual elongated candles have to be cut into two before being used. The cost of these metal stands with chimney is also forbidding. As such one finds people sticking candles on any available object in the home or at best on open candlesticks and the benefits of a glass chimney are so far denied to the public at large. A tall glass chimney held by spring-biased jaws on the outside is liable to get dislocated easily. The few plastic based chimney holders that are available are exact copies of the traditional spring biased metal jaws of wick lamps. The mould cost of the candlestick with these plastic spring biased jaws is also high. The object of this invention is to propose an economical candle lamp that can be transported without chimney dislocation, in which the economical long candles can be used and in which the candle can bum undisturbed till the end without fianctional failures. Accordingly this invention provides a candle lamp comprising a candle stand and a glass chimney, said candle stand having a neck for engaging with the said chimney, characterized in that at least said neck of the candle stand is made of a material such as plastic having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of the glass of the chimney, said neck is dimensioned to fit into the lower mouth of said chimney, and openings or channels are provided on the said neck of the candle stand or towards the lower end of the said chimney, opening into the tubular space within the fitted chimney, said channels or openings providing the means for air entry from below into the fitted chimney. In the preferred embodiments the candle stand has a body comprising a base, a column extending upwards from the base and a neck extending above the said column. Candle stand without the said column is also another preferred embodiment. The body of the candle stands comprising the base and neck with or without the said column is usually molded as a single piece. The bodies of the candle stands made of such materials as plastics that are likely to bum have to be protected. For this a flame guard member made of a heat stable material such as metal is provided on top of the candle stand within the said fitted chimney. This metal flame guard member is usually either disc shaped or cup shaped and is positioned spaced from the chimney to avoid any thermal expansion breakage of the glass chimney. A chimney can be tightly fitted on to the plastic neck of the candle stand according to the invention and as such there would be no shaking of the chimney even if it is tall. Also a chimney fitted on the outside of the neck of the candle stand would not dislocate itself easily. It is easy to provide holes, tunnels or grooves on a candle stand made of a synthetic material such as plastic as the same can be done at the time of molding and this reduces the cost of manufacture. As the coefficient of thermal expansion of plastic is less than that of glass, the glass chimney tightly fitted outside the plastic neck of the candle stand is unlikely to break during the routine use of the lamp. The metal member over the plastic neck of the candle stand would also protect the plastic neck of the candle stand from the flames of the candle. By using a tall chimney a long candle can be used in the candle lamp according to the invention and there is no need for any springs to push up the candle. As such fimctional failures are unlikely. Candle lamps with a chimney have been known to humanity for centuries. But in all of them the lower end of the chimney is fitted within the rim formed by the candle stand. This is necessitated because most of these candle stands are made of metal and the coefficient of thermal expansion of metal is greater than that of glass. With the advent of the new materials such as plastics that can be resilient and have a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of glass the situation has changed. However all the plastic candle lamps we encounter are exact copies of their metal counterparts and are relatively costly. Therefore providing the chimney outside the neck of the candle stand has not been obvious. And fitting the chimney by this method has the advantage that it enables a tall chimney to be safely employed and this is of great relevance for the present invention. Providing a tall chimney within a tightly fitting plastic rim may result in breakage of the glass due to expansion. Also the light of the burning candle can be seen angst till its very end in the candle lamp according to the invention whereas the candle stand rim in the conventionally fitted candle lamps will hide the terminal burning part of the candle. Using a moldable material such as plastic reduces the cost. Providing a heat stable material such as metal at the crucial place where burning may take place protects the plastic. And the combination of all these features works together to provide an economical candle stand that holds a long candle and a tall chimney. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig.l: is the sectional elevation of a candle lamp according to the invention. As shown in the figure, a preferred embodiment of the candle lamp according to the invention comprises a glass chimney C fitted on to the neck N of the body of the candle stand. The body of the candle stand is made of a synthetic material such as plastic and is inverted cup shaped. This body has a base B and a column M extending upwards food the base. A flame guard member comprising a metal cup T with a flat surface portion at its base is fitted on to the top of the neck of the candle stand by tightening a nut U on to the bolt S as shown in the figure. This metal cup is positioned spaced the glass chimney in its fitted position thus preventing any chance of breakage of the glass. Airflow through the glass chimney is ensured by the holes H provided on the neck N and base B of the candle stand. Channels or tunnels may also be provided instead. The lower rim of the glass chimney abuts on the step P provided below the neck of the candle stand. The candle D is first stuck on to the flat surface portion of the metal cup, the candle is lighted and the chimney fitted. In the preferred embodiments the glass chimney has a hollow cylindrical shape and has a height of at least 10 cm. I claim: l.A candle lamp comprising a candle stand and a glass chimney, said candle stand having a neck for engaging with the said chimney, characterized in that at least said neck of the candle stand is made of a material such as plastic having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of the glass of the chimney, said neck is dimensioned to fit into the lower mouth of said chimney, and openings or channels are provided on the said neck of the candle stand or towards the lower end of the said chimney, opening into the tubular space within the fitted chimney, said chaimels or openings providing the means for air entry below into the fitted chimney. 2. The candle lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flame guard member made of a heat stable material such as metal is provided on top of the candle stand within the said fitted chimney 3. The candle lamp as claimed in claims 1 to 2, wherein said candle stand has a body comprising a base and a neck extending above the base. 4. The candle lamp as claimed in claim 3, wherein a column extends upwards food the said base to end in the said neck of the candle stand. 5. The candle lamp as claimed in claims 1 to 4, wherein said neck of the candle stand is made of a resilient plastic and is dimensioned to push fit into the lower mouth of the chimney. 6. The candle lamp as claimed in claims 1 to 5, wherein said metal flame guard member is held spaced from the said glass chimney. 7. The candle lamp as claimed in claims 1 to 6, wherein said body of the candle stand is molded from plastic. 8. The candle lamp as claimed in claims 1 to 7, wherein said glass chimney has a hollow cylindrical shape and has a height of at least 10 cm. 9. A candle lamp substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

0300-mas-1999 abstract.pdf

0300-mas-1999 claims-duplicate.pdf

0300-mas-1999 claims.pdf

0300-mas-1999 correspondence-others.pdf

0300-mas-1999 correspondence-po.pdf

0300-mas-1999 description (complete)-duplicate.pdf

0300-mas-1999 description (complete).pdf

0300-mas-1999 drawings-duplicate.pdf

0300-mas-1999 drawings.pdf

0300-mas-1999 form-1.pdf

0300-mas-1999 form-19.pdf

0300-mas-1999 form-3.pdf