Patented Lock Bobeche

by Mark Nye
Issue No. 247 - November 1993

When I did the series of articles on candle holders, candelabra and epergnes several years ago, I overlooked the patent Cambridge held on detached but locking bobeches. Wilber Orme filed the application on January 27, 1931 and was granted patent protection for the locking design in August of the same year. Unfortunately the term of the patent is not on the patent copy.

Throughout the patent application the word sconce is used rather than the term bobeche. The single exception is in the introductory paragraph where both appear: "... by making the stem and base separate from the sconce or bobeche ..." There is no question that within the context of the patent application the object called a sconce is what is known today as a bobeche. The usual definition of a sconce is a wall bracket for holding one or more candles. An obsolete or rare usage is as a screen, shelter or protection. Why the term was used in the patent application remains a mystery Perhaps the fact that a bobeche (a French term) does protect a table by catching dripping wax is the explanation.

A catalog page issued as a supplement to the 1930 Cambridge catalog is captioned "Lustre Cut Prism Candlesticks" with a sub-caption "Patented Lock Bobeche." Generally believed to have been issued in late 1930, this page and several others may instead date to 1931. Additional research should be done on these pages to confirm their publication date. Despite the date it was issued, the page is the only one with a reference to a patented lock bobeche found in the 1930-34 Cambridge catalog or in any subsequent Cambridge catalog. It is entirely possible other glass companies questioned the patent and it was found invalid. Additional research should be done to find out if this is lie case.

Other glass companies produced candelabra with locking bobeches. I cannot provide any specific dates about when such items first appeared in their catalogs. However, the previously described Cambridge catalog page was the first time Cambridge showed a candle stick with a detachable bobeche.

The text of the patent provided below, while at times repetitious and hard to follow, does make interesting reading.

"This invention relates to candle holders, and pertains more specifically to candle holders made of glass, Patent Drawing the primary object of the invention being to simplify the manufacture, by making the stem and base separate from the sconce or bobeche, and at the same time to provide for rigid attachment of the sconce to the holder proper so as to prevent the sconce from becoming disengaged and broken in moving the candle holder from one position to another.

"A further object of the invention is to provide means for latching the sconce by a dual wedging action thereof so as to hold the scone against movement axially, as well as laterally, of the holder proper.

"A still further object of the invention is to provide means for enabling the sconce to he easily and quickly applied to and removed from the holder, the removal being for the purpose of either packing for shipment, or to facilitate cleaning of the pans.

"The invention has further and other objects which will be later set forth and manifested in the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

  • Fig. I is a side elevation of the invention, the glass prisms being shown in dotted lines;
  • Fig. 2 is top plan view;
  • Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3 -- 3 of Fig. 2;
  • Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 -- 4 of Fig. 3: and
  • Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts at the inception of assembly.

"In proceeding in accordance with the present invention a base 1 having a stem 2 of any desired type is employed, the stem having a tapered socket 3 to receive a candle. A preferably circular seat 4 encircles the stem 2 and extends outwardly therefrom as shown, so as to provide for seating of the sconce 5 thereon. A tubular extension 6 projects upwardly from the seat 4 and is formed at its upper end with a series of radial outwardly extending and spaced lugs 7. These lugs it will be noted are also spaced above the seat 4 and are formed to have their under faces engage the upper faces of a corresponding series of curved latching projections 8 which latter project into the open center 9 of the sconce 5. These latching projections 8 have inclined upper faces 8 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and have their peripheral faces 9 also tapered or inclined at 8 and adapted to also engage the under faces of the lugs 7. It win be noted that the projections 8 have their ends spaced at 10 so as to provide for the reception of the respective lugs 7 in such spaces.

in operation, the sconce is initially applied as shown in Fig. 5 wherein the spaces 10 register with the lugs 7, whereupon the sconce is moved into engagement with the seat 4 as shown in Fig. 3 and the sconce then rotated clock-wise as shown by the arrow in Fig. 5. This causes the lugs 7 to ride upwardly against the tapered upper faces 8 of the projections thereby forcing the sconce downwardly into firm engagement with the seat 4. At the same time the under faces of the lugs will also ride against the inclined peripheral faces 8 of the projections so that the sconce will be held against lateral movement relative to the stem. It will thus be seen that the sconce is wedgedly held in position not only axially of the stem but also laterally thereof, effecting a dual wedging engagement of the sconce with the stem.

"From the foregoing it will be seen that the parts can also he readily disengaged by counter clockwise movement of the sconce as to enable be parts to be more readily cleaned and also packed for shipment.

"What is claimed is:

  1. A candle holder composed of a member having a candle receiving socket, an outwardly extending sconce seat carried by the member in encircling relation to the socket, said socket having a tubular extension projecting above the seat, a series of radial lugs extending outwardly from the extension and being spaced above the seat, a sconce having an open center to receive the extension, and a series of curved latching projections carried by the sconce and extending into the open center thereof, said projections having tapered upper faces to engage with the under faces of the lugs so as to force the sconce against the seat and having their peripheral faces tapered so as to wedge against the under faces of the lugs upon rotation of the sconce, the projections being spaced at their ends to receive the lugs through such spaces.
  2. A candle holder composed of a member having a candle receiving socket, an outwardly extending sconce seat carried by the member in encircling relation to the socket, said socket having a tubular extension projecting above the seat, a sconce having an open center to receive the extension, one of said two last named elements having a series of radial lugs and other having complementary latching projections formed to have dual wedging engagement with the lags whereby upon relative rotation of the extension and sconce the latter will be forced against the seat and also wedged against lateral movement.
  3. A candle holder composed of a member having a candle-receiving socket, a sconce seat below the upper end of the socket, a sconce open at its center to receive the upper end of the member, and complementary means carried by the sconce and member whereby upon relative rotation of the sconce and member, the sconce will be forced against the seat and also wedged against lateral movement.
  4. A candle holder composed of a member haying a candle-receiving socket, a sconce seat below the upper end of the socket, a sconce open at its center to receive the upper end of the member, lugs carried by the member and located above the seat, and means carried by the sconce to engage the lugs whereby to force the sconce against the seat upon rotation thereof and to wedge the sconce against lateral movement.
  5. A candle holder composed of a member having a candle-receiving socket, a sconce seat below the upper end of the socket a sconce open at its center to receive the upper end of the member, a series of spaced curved projections carried by the sconce and extending into the open center thereof and having their upper faces circumferentially inclined, and a series of radial lugs carried by the member and engageable with the inclined upper faces of the projections to wedge the sconce against said seat.

"In testimony whereof I affix my signature."

WILBER L. ORME.

Despite what the patent states, I do not recommend packing a candelabrum with the bobeche locked in place. One of mine was packed that way (not by me) and it jammed. The bobeche was chipped during the subsequent removal process.