National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-06-23
The Manufacture OF Matches.

s"' w
The making Of the splint is the first
step The reader, no doubt, has wonder
ed how these are made exactly Of one
size. Of old they were split by hand,
but now they have 10 he made by
machinery, and an old contrivance IL
resorted to, We may say, ut the outset,
however, that the wood must be perfect
~ dry TO burn, consequently the blocks
out of which they are made are fir .
slowed Mt II temperature of 1902 Fahren-
hcit, Nothing but the best quality of
pine wood, MS free ~ possible from
knots, is employed. planks of this
kind ARE cut into blocks eleven inches
long by about four and II hnlf inches
wide These pieces of wood when thor
oughly dried, ARE taken to the cutting
machine This is mn apparatus having
nm iron bed, through which project
thirty lnncets one-eighth of an inch
apart these lancets, as the end passes
over the bed, project IN 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 Il knife which
cuts the block horizontally, in the direc-
ton of the fibre, an eighth of an inch in
thickness and by 80 doing libe rates,
say, thirty splints, that had previously
been scored longitudnally. As fast ~ 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 IL to collect the
splints in bundles of six dozen each.
This is done by men who take the splints
lying irregularly rs they do, and by n
clever knack acquired by practice, plac
ing them with shake parallel So
nicely do these men judge the number,
that they rarely have to add to the orr
ginal handful they have seized These
they place III II semi-circular cradle with
"A piece of string lying ut the bottom, and
at once tie them up in bundles if they
doubt whether they have enough, they
apply IA circular spring of metal, which
gauges them properly. They are now
tied up, knocked Hat mt either end SO as
to insure the splints lying in equal
lengths, and are then again dried for
several hours in "A hot stove As the
wood, even if ignited by the chemical
pr oparation with which they are tipped,
woild not burn readily they are dipped
III n preparation of sulphur in some
cases wax is used instead OF sulphur, but
with n similar motive. BY means Of
frame with holes, each individual splint
is fixed by the end Just like the bristles
of IA brush This is done by very
machine which it is difficult
to describe, and would be still more diff
cult for the reader to understand. So
adjusted, the splints are ready to be
dipped. The igniting mixture is made
OF II small portion of phosphorus, chic
rate of potash, ground glass to harden
the compound, and crocus to color, or
any other pigment that may be approved
This mixture is spread with spatula Oh
a hot plate to an even depth of about an
eighth Of an inch. The small amount of
phosphorus i'll this compound is observ
able. III more were added, in this moist
country, its power of absorbing moisture
would tend the match to hang fire. This |
is merciful arrangement to the work |.
men, for where, as IN Germany, the pro-
portion of phosphorus is much larger,
the workmen are subject to terrible |
disease which We shall refer to presently. |
The whole composition is fixed on the |
Top of the splint, in the case of the COM
non luciier, by the addition of little
glue. The splints thus tipped are placed
N II current of air to dry them, and the |
other end of the bundle is coated i'll the !
same manner. This process is called |
. frame dipping half Il dozen workmen
AN dip 20, 0O0 900 matches III a day. A
million seems number that is beyond
he mind to count comfortably but by
he processes adapted in large manufac
cries, twenty times that number are
ctually handled.
There is another method of dipping,
~ which only the end of the match re-
ewes any composition. This plan is
performed more eXpedltiously, The
tipping composition has large proper
ION of phosphorus in it, Matches SO
made are preferred by some people, but
hey are apt to get damp. In this coun-
ry, where but small proportion of
phosphorus is used, the terrible disease,
ecrosis Of the jaw, is scarcely known,
tut in Vienna, which is the seat of many
latch manufactures, the disease is very
The action of the phosphorus
in this wise Wherever there is de-
iyed tooth the fumes of the phosphorus /
nd admittmce and gradually destroy
lie tooth, making their way to the bone :
t the jaw, which is attacked in the most /!
irulent manner.-CasselLs' Nagazine