Match carrier including frangible protrusions

A matches-carrier including a support for the matches arranged in rows thereon and a friction-strip carried on the support. The support includes resilient bearing means arranged to bear on the matches and press the same against the friction-strip. Withdrawal of a match from the support causes the match to slip against the friction-strip to kindle the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a match carrier. 
The match carrier disclosed is characterized by a support for receipt of 
matches arranged in rows thereon and at least a friction-strip carried by 
the said support. Resilient bearing means, also carried by the said 
support, are arranged to bear on the matches so that, when a match is 
withdrawn from the support, the match head slips on the friction-strip 
against which the match is forced by the bearing member, and thereby 
kindle the match.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The match carrier represented comprises a support constituted by a 
rectangular plate 1 provided, on its rear face, with an auto-adhesive 
coating 2 (FIG. 2) permitting securement of the carrier on a cigarette box 
3. The plate 1, formed preferably of plastic material, is provided with 
four rows of pins 1a between which are placed the matches 4, arranged in 
ear way. The distance between the pins 1a is such that the stems of the 
matches are arranged between said pins without play, while, when a 
longitudinal traction is force exerted on the matches, their inflamable 
heads 5 are be retained by the pins 1a between which they can not pass. 
The support 1 carries two chemical friction-strips each situated between 
two rows of pins 1a. 
The plate 1 is provided with a central rib 1b, coinciding with its great 
axis, the longitudinal lateral faces of which are provided with alveoles 
7, having an arc of circle shaped wall, in each of which is partially 
engaged the head 5 of a match. One of the ends of the plate 1 is provided 
with a thickened portion 1c. 
The match carrier comprises moreover a bearing plate 8, formed of plastic 
material, of rectangular shape, the great axis of which coincides with the 
great axis of the plate 1, and which is welded on the central rib 1b of 
plate 1. The plate is cambered and bears, by its two opposed longitudinal 
edges, on the stems of the matches 4, opposite the friction-strips 6. 
When the matches are arranged in ear way on the plate 1, they do not extend 
beyond the edges of the plate. On the other hand, the matches extend 
beyond the edges of the bearing plate 8, the width of which is less than 
the width of the plate 1; thus, the end of each match extending beyond the 
bearing plate 8 is thereby rendered accessible. The user grips one or the 
other of the two matches positioned at the base of the ear, i.e. the 
matches 4a and 4b of FIGS. 1 and 3, and exerts thereon a folding back 
movement in the direction of arrows 9, respectively 10, respectively of 
FIG. 3. Such movement will break the pins 1a which the stem of the folded 
back match encounters when moving. During this movement, the head 5 of the 
match rotates in the corresponding alveole 7, as a bowling joint. 
Once the match 4a or 4b is brought into the position represented in 
dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 3, in which the match is perpendicular to the 
longitudinal edge of the support 1, the end of the match extends beyond 
said longitudinal edge to permit the user to obtain a better grip on the 
match for exerting thereon a traction force. Exerting said force comes the 
match to slip between the support 1 and the bearing plate 8 which presses 
the head 5 of the match against the friction-strip 6 opposite to which it 
moves. This latter action produces automatically kindling of the match 
thus extracted from the match carrier. 
Due to the very low cost of the said match carrier, entirely made entirely 
of plastic material except for the friction-strips 6, constituted by bands 
sticked on the support 1 or by chemical material directly deposited on the 
support, the present match carrier is intended to be disposed to waste 
after use.