Cutlery – Cutting tools – Plural cooperating blades
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-17
2002-06-18
Payer, Hwel-Slu (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Cutting tools
Plural cooperating blades
C030S134000, C030S233000, C431S120000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405441
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to wick trimmer and capture device and more particularly to an adjustable wick trimmer that can be permanently or adjustably preconfigured to trim one or more wicks to a predetermined length, and to capture the trimmed wicks, for a variety of single and multi-wick candle and wick burning device configurations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For centuries, candles and other types of oil burning lamps have used wicks for purposes of providing a flame that emanates light. In recent times, and with the advent of electrically powered lighting devices, the art of candle and wick burning lamp manufacturing, and use, has developed into an industry more focused on creating artistically, aesthetically, and aromatically pleasing candles and wick burning lamps.
In commonly used present-day candles, one or more round wicks are generally situated in the center of the candle. Once ignited, the wick begins to burn and to heat the wax that surrounds the wick, which forms a molten wax pool. As the wax proximate to the wick melts, it is absorbed by the wick, and is drawn by capillary action into the flame where it is vaporized and burned into carbon dioxide, water, and other by-products. As the wax in the wick proximate to the flame burns away, more wax is drawn into the wick and up to the flame. As wax from the molten pool surrounding the wick is burned off, the flame moves down the wick. As the flame moves down the wick, it melts the surrounding wax, which flows into the molten pool. This process continues, and over time, in candles that have a large enough outside diameter, a recess develops within a wall or walls that are formed by the portion of the candle that is not burned away by the flame. In turn, the level of the molten pool of wax moves lower into the recess that forms within the candle. The recess that forms within the candle and which is surrounded by the remaining walls is termed the primary well.
As large diameter candles are burned over time, a type of chimney forms that is commonly referred to by those with skill in the art as the primary well, which forms as the wax is burned off and the wick burns down into the candle. Ideally, when candles are extinguished and reignited, they are left to burn for a period of time that is long enough so that a single well forms within the candle well or chimney. In less than ideal situations, and as is often the case with most consumers of large diameter candle products, the candle is extinguished, reignited, and reextinguished without regard to whether it has burned for the proper period of time so that only the single, primary well develops. Instead, what typically happens is that a second well forms within the primary well as the wax surrounding the burning wick slowly begins to absorb heat from the flame and melt into a pool that surrounds the wick. In time, the pool becomes large enough whereby the base diameter of the pool of molten wax normalizes and eventually equals the diameter of the primary well. However, when the candle wick is prematurely extinguished, that is, before the wax pool reaches the primary well diameter, the molten wax pool cools and hardens and leaves a secondary well that is smaller in diameter than that of the primary well. This is because the secondary well pool will have a surface that is lower than that of the primary well since wax has been burned off therefrom. Accordingly, the surface of the molten wax pool in the secondary well will not be at the same level as the base of the original primary well until the secondary well and the surrounding, unmelted wax has been fully heated and melted. After being fully heated, the secondary well walls melt and merge into the wax pool, which after sufficient time, merges into the primary well, thereby forming a new primary well and molten wax pool. As the candle is continuously reignited and extinguished, without regard for normalization of the well diameter, then tertiary and quaternary wells can also form.
In candles and other types of wick burning lamps, the wick, or a plurality of wicks, is periodically trimmed to an optimum length that eliminates unnecessary waste wick and debris, and overheating of the surrounding candle wax, chimney material, lamp components, and smoking of the burning wick, which in turn minimizes the black carbon-based soot that can emanate from such devices. Many types of wick burning lamps exist that may include, for example, an elongate chimney. The chimneys can take the form of either glass or other suitable material which surrounds the wick burning lamp or a small candle, and wherein the wick(s) are located within the chimney, usually near the bottom.
In any of the preceding configurations and situations, the wick eventually leaves a blackened waste wick and/or cast off debris that becomes ashen and no longer burns. In candles, the wick and debris often fall into the molten wax pool, which, after hardening, leaves an unsightly and aesthetically displeasing appearance to the candle. Even in other types of wick burning lamps, the unsightly debris and waste wick is aesthetically undesirable. In wick burning devices that include chimneys and in candles that have developed more than a single well, it is extremely difficult to reach into the well and to trim the wick to the proper length. Even more so, it is very difficult because of the space constraints, to capture the waste wick and debris without inadvertently casting the waste wick and debris into the molten wax pool. Even if the user waits until the wax cools and hardens before attempting to trim the wick, it is difficult, even impossible to trim the wick to the proper length because the proper length must measured from the base of the primary well, not from the base of either the secondary, tertiary, or quaternary wells.
Over the years, various attempts have been made to remedy the problems associated with waste wick and debris, and with maintaining optimum wick length in candles and other wick burning devices. Since the earliest of times in the United States, patents have issued that are directed to various types of wick maintenance devices. U.S. Pat. No. 18,713 to Stow et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 36,590 to Eagle both disclose wick trimmers that recognize the importance of trimming the wick. However, neither of these devices is suitable for purposes of the present invention. More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,262 to Pappas disclosed a wick trimmer device that is directed to trimming a wick to a predetermined length by use of a gauge device. However, this device also has shortcomings that prevent its use for purposes of the present invention.
None of the various prior art devices are suitable for use for purposes of the present invention because they each fail to either measure the wick from the proper datum, fail to be compatible for use in chimney mounted and deep well wicks, and/or they fail to capture the waste wick and debris to keep it from falling into the molten wax pool. Moreover, most present day wick trimmers are incapable of trimming a burning wick that is surrounded by a molten pool of wax. Additionally, none of the prior art device can be used in a way that avoids touching the waste wick and debris. Even more importantly, prior art devices do not keep the user from coming in contact with molten wax, which is common when individuals attempt to remove trimmed waste wick and debris from the molten wax pool as it cools.
What has been missing from the art is a device that can solve these problems without an extraordinarily complicated device, or without the need to fabricate an expensive device that does not have broad market appeal. Each of such attempts falls short of offering any motivation, suggestion, or description of a device that incorporates compatibility for use with a variety of wick burning devices, such as (1) lamps having chimneys that surround a candle, or an oil or wax burning wick, and (2) small, medium, and large diameter elongated candles that form deep primary wells over time. While the previously known devices have been able to
Casey Sean M.
Payer Hwel-Slu
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