Roman candle

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Consumer Fireworks. An assortment of small fireworks devices are permitted for use by private citizens in many areas in the United States and elsewhere throughout the wodd. These devices consist of items such as wire sparklers, fountains, Roman candles, sky rockets, mines, and small aerial shells. 

Wire sparklers are wires coated with pyrotechnic composition which are hand-held and produce a gende spray of gold sparks from iron filings. Fountains are cardboard tubes filled with chemical mixtures that produce a spray of color and sparks extending 2—5 m into the air. Roman candles are cylindrical tubes which repeatedly fire colored stars distances of 5—20 m into the air. These items typically contain 5—12 stars. 

Figure 4.4 shows shell stars bursting above fans of Roman candles. 

As with rockets, Roman candles may be fired individually or in fans or bouquets to give a multiple effect (Figure 8.1 and 8.2). 

Figure 8.1 Perfectly synchronized bouquets of Roman candles. (Courtesy of Pains Fireworks Ltd.)...

The larger Roman candles are htted with plastic end-caps in the obvious interest of waterproofing, and the fuses are extended to include a piped match and a delay fuse. Display hreworks are often arranged as fans on a wooden framework (Figure 8.4) or wrapped as bundles with an interconnecting fuse. 

Burning stars, such as those originating from Roman candles or shells (Figure 8.5), emit radiation in the ultra-violet, the visible, near-infrared and mid-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, as displayed in Figure 8.6. 

The rims of the wheels are fitted with eyelets to accept rockets whose sticks are supported by the lower wheel. These are matched to fire at intervals as the wheels revolve, while a battery of Roman candles fires from the centre of the top wheel. Both wheels are fitted with gerbs and drivers to effect rotation, the complete device being appropriately matched such that the overall effect includes two revolving circles of fire, each throwing out glittering arrays of sparks, while candle stars emanate from the centre and rockets fly off vertically. 

Roman candles, set-pieces, wheels and other devices are normally secured to stakes placed in the ground. This is a safe practice so long as the stakes are positioned between the firework and the audience, whereby any loosely-held firework cannot tip towards the audience. 

Succeeding chapters describe the manufacture and functioning of the most popular hreworks, including rockets, shells, fountains, roman candles, bangers, gerbs and wheels in what is hoped is a stimulating and easily assimilated way for those approaching the subject for the hrst time. 

BATTERY A group of Roman candles or a set of similar or connected fireworks. 

BOMBETTE A Combination of candles and/or shells packed in a box and fired by interconnecting fuse or a mini shell found as a component of a Roman candle, mine or shell. 

CATEGORY 2 EIREWORKS Fireworks intended for use in conhned areas such as small gardens (e.g. small fountains, Roman candles and rockets). 

ROMAN CANDLE A tubular hrework usually containing a plurality of alternate pyrotechnic units and propellant charges. 

STAR A compressed pellet of explosive composition designed to be projected as a pyrotechnic unit, with visual effects. Used in mines, shells, rockets and Roman candles. 

Other fireworks involve more complicated chemical processes. Roman candles contain a mixture of combined, or compound, substances just waiting for the opportunity to change partners and rearrange themselves into new substances. When this happens, huge amounts of energy are released - the source of the dazzling displays of fire seen as the Roman candle burns. Some of the new substances are shot into the air as fiery sparks others erupt like lava from miniature volcanoes. 

This display was followed by a machine-gun succession of Bees , which may be called miniature unguided BkPdr rockets launched from a Roman candle... 

Figure 19. Stamp Mill for Making Black Powder. (Courtesy National Fireworks Company and the Boston Globe.) This mill, which makes powder for use in the manufacture of fireworks, consists of a single block of granite in which three deep cup-shaped cavities have been cut. The stamps which operate in these cups are supplied at their lower ends with cylindrical blocks of wood, sections cut from the trunk of a hornbeam tree. These are replaced when worn out. The powder from the mill is called meal powder and is used as such in the manufacture of fireworks. Also it is moistened slightly with water and rubbed through sieves to form granular gunpowder for use in making rockets, Roman candles, aerial bombshells, and other artifices.

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