The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-07-30
Making Match Sticks.

sticks used for matches Is an interesting
one, and in writing this description we
shall endeavor to make it clear to the
reader in as simple language as possible.
1t must be borne in mind that making
match-sticks is one branch of business
applying the composition another. After
the pine logs are reduced to plank the
next operation is to cut them into blocks
four and five inches in length, by means
Of small circular saws. They are then
assorted by boys, preparatory to being
fastened to the gr I wheels, to be cut
into match-sticks, Pine slabs obtained
from the sawmills- manufacture blocks
are found to anstt the purpose well, as
the lumber in the s of the best quality.
In thus utilizing 4 Srefuse lumber there
as. '' now . esaps are n' made In
the nrst place ths is an immense wheel
twenty feet in dcvte ter, with two six
feet faces or brepes much resembling an
old-fashioned 9TH srshot" water-wheel,
on which these vaAtks are fastened in
rows by mdu of clamps or
screws. The = felinery is of such
a powerful cha a; GER that the frame
work on which til ponderous wheel is
hung Is composed Of heavy oak timbers,
twelve by sixteen inches, resting on
solid stone foundation twenty five feet by
twelve and five and one-half feet deep,
laid in cement. The necessity for such
firm foundation will be readily seen
when the reader is informed that this
wheel makes twenty-one revolutions in a
minute, and must not vary hairs breadth
in its motion. The face of the wheel
being loaded with blocks, the process
of cutting the sticks is commenced. A
rest, similar to an iron lathe, is placed in
front of the breast of the Wheel which is
moved right or left, on the lathe princi-
pie, by means of screws, ETC., on which
| number of small steel cutters, with holes
| like an eyelet, are fastened. These cut
ters are adjusted SO as to face the blocks,
| and as the wheel revolves each one cuts
splint out of the wood and drops it be-
| low. There are sixteen of these cutters
or punchlike chisels to each wheel, and
the number may be increased to thirty
| two if necessary. The principle upon
| which the match-stick is made is the
same as that used in olden time for max
ing rake-teeth round, which consisted in
driving piece of wood through steel
tool having hole in it with sharp edges.
the large revolving wheel In this case
serves as the propelling power, and forces
the faces of the bloc that are securely
fastened to its outes arface through the
small steel eyelet-lih hole in the end of
the tool, and spill is cut out almost
with the rapidity lightning, and
dropped below. tn Machine is so per-
fectly adjusted, an u works with such
exact minuteness, t, it cuts 100 splints
from every solid Nfh of timber-no
more, no less. Thmos t has been demon
strated. The del !. o,sutting tools are
moved horizontal .s.;s,.-. hit angles with
the face of the wheeiiop4 screw, which
moves the row of Gu )rs exactly the
thickness of a ma,sh Of ~, from left to
right, at each the TO. IN Of the large
wheel. Each pail ater atters has sec
ton of blocks to p. Trough, six, eight
to ten inches, as TIL se may be, which
when performed, I'll ender, by the turn
of small wheel, dyngs them back to
the starting point, 7ets the cutters by
the turn of another small wheel, and
they start again across the breast of the
large wheel AS the round splints are
cut out of the face of the block it as
sumesa corrugated appearance, not un
like the face of an ordinary washboard,
and when the machine starts on the next
cut the projections forming one-half OF
the splint, are cut out, thus alternating
the corrugations The two machines
thus in operation will cut twenty-four
gross of sticks 1,2OO to the gross per
minute, with sixteen cutters to each,
or, in the aggregate, 172, 800 per minute,
10,368 600 per hour, or 1O3,680, 600 per
day of ten hours Scientific american.