# US 11,906,453 B1 · Candle combustion testing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,453 B1 - Document ID: US11906453B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/151,183 - Filed: 2023-01-06 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-29 - Applicants: Bruce Campbell - Inventors: Bruce Campbell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906453B1 ## CPC - G01N 25/22: on combustion or catalytic oxidation, e.g. of components of gas mixtures - G01J 5/0018: {Flames, plasma or welding} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) ## Abstract A machine that automatically performs select tests on candles includes a pedestal onto which a candle is positioned. The machine also includes cameras, focused on the candle, to collect thermal emission and visual data resulting from a “candle burn”. The machine is used in a “candle burn” test method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A machine (100) for testing candles by automatically viewing and recording thermal and visual data associated with the burning of a candle by its flame, comprising: a housing (14) defining an interior region (15), wherein the housing (14) includes a plurality of sidewalls (31, 33, 35, and 37) which partially enclose the interior region (15); a pedestal (24) onto which a candle (40) having a flame (41) associated with said candle (40) is placed, wherein the pedestal (24) is disposed within the housing (14); first and second thermal-and-machine-vision cameras (12, 34) located by an upper surface (39) in the housing (14), wherein the first camera (12) is located by a first sidewall (35) of the plurality of sidewalls (31, 33, 35, 37), wherein the second camera (34) is located by a second sidewall (31) of the plurality of sidewalls (31, 33, 35, and 37), and wherein the first and second cameras (12, 34) are each oriented to view and are configured to record the thermal and visual data associated with the burning of said candle (40) by its flame; a soot-detection camera (38) disposed in the housing (14) oriented to view and configured to record soot data associated with the burning of said candle by its flame; and a system (30) for automatically operating the machine, wherein the system (30) is disposed within the housing (14), wherein the system (30) includes a memory device (51) operatively associated with each of the first and second thermal-and-machine-vision cameras (12, 34) and the soot-detection camera (38), for storing the thermal and visual data, and the soot data, respectively recorded in relation to the burning of said candle by its flame, and wherein the system (30) includes a switch (28) for powering the machine on and off. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The machine (100) of claim 1, wherein the housing (14) includes a plurality of legs (20) extending from an underside surface thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The machine (100) of claim 1, wherein the housing (14) includes an external light (32) for indicating that the machine (100) is operational when the light (32) is lit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The machine (100) of claim 1, further including a programmable fire extinguisher (36), mounted in the housing (14) near the upper surface (39), wherein the extinguisher (36) is programmed to dispense a fire-extinguishing composition throughout the interior region (15) when the extinguisher (36) is heated to or above a preselected temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The machine (100) of claim 1, further including a perforated platform (18) onto which the pedestal (24) supporting said candle (40) is put, wherein the platform (18) is disposed in the housing (14). ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The machine (100) of claim 5, further including a backlight (16) disposed within the housing (14) and spaced from the soot-detection camera (38), with said candle (40) and its flame (41) disposed therebetween, for enabling the soot-detection camera (38) to view and record high-quality soot data associated with the burning of said candle (40) by its flame. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The machine (100) of claim 6, further including a load cell (26) disposed beneath the pedestal (24), wherein the load cell (26) is adapted to sense and record initial weight data and change-in-weight data of said candle placed on the pedestal (24), and wherein the load cell (26) is operatively connected to the memory device (51) for storing in the memory device (51) the initial weight data and the change-in-weight data of said candle placed on the pedestal (24). ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The machine (100) of claim 7, wherein the system (30) includes a processor (53) operatively connected to the memory device (51), a touch-sensitive panel (55) operatively connected to the processor (53), and a portal (57) operatively connectable to a printer.