US2099213A - Wax cake - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 16, 1937. L, MACQMBER 2,099,213

WAX CAKE Filed June 12, 1955 Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES earn WAX CAKE Lewis ILMacomber, Kalamazoo, Mich, assignmto Kalamazoo Paraffi Mich.

ne Company, Kalamazoo,

Application June 12, 1935, Serial No. 26,193

waxed'cakes and the like.

"Fourth, to provide an improved shape for paraflin wax cakes whereby they may be handled more efficiently as individual units or cakes.

Fifth, toprovide means for preventing injurious slippage between the waxed cakes of a stack.

Sixth, to provide .means preventing the wax cakesof a stack from solidifying by heat into a singleunit.

Objects relating to details and economies of my invention will appear from. the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved wax cake.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end 'view of two stacks of the wax cakes, the wax cakes being only three cakes high but it will be understood that in commercial practice they are ordinarily several cakes high.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on line 3-3 of. Fig. 2.

In the past, it has been the customary practice to manufacture paraffin wax cakes in the shape of rectangular blocks or prisms approximately one foot wide by two feet long by two and onehalf inches thick. These cakes are commonly, for shipment and storage and cooling, placed one on top of another. Since these paraffin wax cakes are of considerable size and body, the central portion of the cake cooling more slowly than the outer portion, there is a marked tendency for discoloring and clouding within the cake with a result that the cakes are not uniformly transparent and have the appearance of being inferior or damaged, although not seriously injured in quality. This discoloration frequently leads to complaints and rejections with consequent loss to the p'araiiin manufacturer.

When these flat or rectangular cakes are piled in stacks, there is a tendency for them to unite with each other which prevents their being individually removed from the stack except with extreme difficulty and frequently wedging and prying is necessary which results in chipping and breakage and further loss. Owing to the smooth character of the surface of the cakes, they fre- 3-,;

quentlyi fit so closely together that practically all air is. excluded with a result that they are separated with extreme difliculty even when'there is ,no-adhesion between the superimposed cakes.

Also, it frequently happens that the cakes in a stack slip relative to each other and cause serious damage to workers and others and to the cakes themselves.

I provide means for overcoming all of these objections which means consists in forming the lie? shape of a slab having parallel side portions 3 extending from end to end and central longitudinal recessed portions l between these parallel side portions, the bottom of the recessed portions being joined to the fiat side portions by the inclined portions 5, or in other words, each side of the cake has a wide longitudinal groove with inclined edges, the longitudinal groove comprising more than half the side'surface of the cakes. The edges 6 of the cakes are beveled toward each side from a central point.

With the cakes thus formed, when they are stacked upon each other, as shown in Fig. 2, there is a relatively wide opening between each pair of adjacent cakes. This allows for free circulation of air and allows the center portions of the cakes to cool uniformly with a result that the cakes are clear and transparent throughout. Also, these passages 1 permit circulation of air through the stacks to effectively prevent the cakes adhering as frequently results when the cakes are stacked and require complete cooling or as results from the temperatures such as frequently result in freight cars, storage buildings and the like, owing to exposure to the sun or other operating conditions.

the slippage is almost always sidewise of the cake and the stacks rarely topple.

By forming the edges as illustrated and described with the double bevel, the stacks of cakes may be in substantial abutting relation without their being fused together and without desired circulation of air being provided for as the stack ofcakes when in abutting relation as illustrated provide a series of longitudinal passages 8 and there is very small contacting surface between the stacks,

My improvements result in great economy in handling, in a superior product; that is, one that.

is not likely to discolor from unequal cooling, and breakage in handling is minimized because of the fact that the cakes do not become welded or fused together so that they are likely to be broken in separating them. 7

While I have illustrated and described my invention as particularly applicable to cakes of paraffin and it is to such material that I have applied my improvements, it is to be understood that it may prove desirable for other similar materials especially waxes having low fusing points. I have illustrated my improvements in cakes of approximately the size which has become standardized through usage. It will'be understood that this may be varied as conditions or use or materials may dictate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. As an article of manufacture, an elongated flat cake of parafiin wax having fiat parallel side surfaces at each edge thereof, and a central recess of substantial depth between said flat surfaces, the recesses extending from end to end of the cake so that when a plurality of said cakes 'ty of the cakes are stacked.

are superimposed one upon another the flat side surfaces are'in contact and the recessed portions opposed providing longitudinal passages between the cakes, the edges of said cakes being oppositely beveled from a central point to the said side surfaces. V

2. As an article of manufacture, a flat elon gated cake of paraifin wax having opposed parallel siderportions extending from 'endfto end of the cake and adapted to face corresponding fiat side portions of other cakes when the cakes are stacked and a central longitudinal wide recess between said fiat side portions and extending from end to end and adapted to oppose corresponding recesses of other cakes when a plurali- 3. An article of manufacture comprising a solid cake of wax material having opposed parallel side faces, each having a longitudinal relatively Wide groove extending from end to end thereof, the edges of the cakes being oppositely beveled from a central point to the said side faces.

4. As an article of manufacture, an'elcngated flat cake of paraffin wax having fiat parallel side portions at each longitudinal edge thereof extending fromend to end of the cake, and central longitudinal recesses between said parallel side portions extending from end to end of the cake, said recesses being of substantial and uniform depth and of a width substantially that of the combined Width of the said side portions, the edges of the channels being inclined inwardly from said side portions and the longitudinal edges of said cakes being oppositely beveled from a central point to the said flat side surfaces.

H. MACQMBER,

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