Mower County transcript., 1871-06-29
The Manufacture Of Matches.

The making of the splint is the first
step. The reader, no doubt, has wondered
how these are made all exactly of one size
OF old they were split by hand, but now
they have to be made by machinery, and
an odd contrivancc is resorted to. We
may say, at the outset, however, that the
wood must be perfectly dry to burn, con.
scuucntly the blocks out of which they
arc made arc first desicated by being stow
cd ut temperature Of 400 degrees Fahren-
heit. Nothing but the estquality Of pine
wood, rs free as possible from knots, is
employed. Planks of this kind are cut
into blocks eleven inches long by about
four and q half inches wide. These pieces
of wood which, when thoroughly dried
are taken to the cutting machine. This is
All apparatus having an iron bed, through
which projects thirty lancets, one eighth
OF an inch apart; these lancets, as the end
passes over the bed, project an eighth OF
an inch in depth, and score or cut the
wood to that depth this is done by one
motion forward of the block of wood.
The motion backward moves knife
which cuts the block horizontally. in the
direction Of the fiber, an eighth Of an inch
say, thirty spints, that had been previous
ly been scored longitudinally. AS fast as
the machine can work, say eighty times in
minute, splints an eighth of an inch
square are being detached, and fall down
into receptacle, until the whole block is
consumed.
The next process is to collect the splints
in bundles of six dozen EACH This is
irregularly as they do, and by clever
hx,,, via
with shake parallel So nicely do these
men judge the number, that they rarely
have TO add to the original handful they
have seized. These they place in a semi
circular cradle with piece of string lying
at the bottom, and at once tie them up in
bundles; if they doubt whether they have
enough, they apply a circular spring of
metal, which guages them properly. They
are now tied up, Knocked flat on either end
so as to insure the splints lying in equal
lengths, aud are then again dried for sew
eral hours in hot stove. As the wood,
even if ignited by the chemical prcpera-
tion with which they are tipped, would
not burn readily, they are dipped in a
preparation of sulphur; in some cases wax
is used instead of sulphur, but with
similar motive. BY means Of frame with
holes, each individual splint is fixed by
the end just like the brist,es of brush.
This is done by a very ingenious machine
which is difficult to describe, and would
be still more difficult for the reader to
understand. So adjusted, the splints are
ready to be dipped. The igniting mixture
is made of small portion of phosphorus,
chlorate of potash, ground glass to harden
to compound, and crOcus to color, or any
other pigment that may be approved.
This mixture is spread with spatula on a
hot plate to IN even depth OF about an
eight of an inch. The small amount of
phosphorus in this compound is observ.
able. If more were added, in this moist
country, its power of absorbing moisture
would tend to make the match hang fire.
This is a merciful arrangement to the
workmen, for where, as in Germany, the
proportion Of phosphorus is much larger,
the workmen are subject to terrible dis
ease, which we shall refer to presently.
The whole composition is fixed on the top
OF the splint, in the case of the common
lucilcr, by the addition of little glue.
The splints thus tipped are placed in a
current OF air to dry them, and the other
end OF the bundle is coated in the same
manner. This process is called "frame
half dozen workmen can dip
100000 matches in a day A million
seems number that is beyond the mind
to count comfortably; but by the rapid
processes adapted in the these large man
ufactories twenty times that number are
actually handled.
There is another method of dipping, by
which only the end of the match receives
any composition. This plan is performed
more expeditiously. The dipping compo-
sition has large proportion of phos-
phorus in in it. Matches so made are pre-.
ferred by some people, bat they are apt to
get damp. In this country. where but a
small proportions of phosphorus is used,
the terrible disease, necrosis of the jaw, is
known. But in Vienna, which
is the seat of many large match manufac-
tories, the disease is very common. The
action of phosphorus is IA this wise:
Wherever there. is a decayed tooth the
fumes of the phosphorus find admittance
anG gradually destroy the tooth, making
their way to the bone of the jaw, which is
attacked in the most virulent manner
IN osoWo lT0uu,ino