The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-08-08
Making Match Sticks.

lie process OF cutting small, round stick,
used for matches Is an interesting one, and il
writing this description we shall endcavor tt
make ii clear to the reader in rs simple Ian
gunge 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 ale 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
great wheels to be cut into match sticks.
Pine slabs obtained from the sawmills To
manufacture blocks are found 10 answer the
purpose well, as the lumber in them is of the
best quality. In thus utilizing the refuse
lumber there is great saving. Few people
have a correct idea how match.sticks are
made, In the first place there is an immense
wheel twenty feet in diameter, with two six.
feet faces or breasts, much resembling an old
fashioned OverShot water-wheel, on which
these blocks are fastened in rJws by means
OF clamps or screws. The machinery Is of
such powerful character that the frame
work on which this pondcrous wheel is hung
is composed of heavy oak timbers, twelve by
sixteen inches, resting on solid stone foun-
dation twenty five feet by twelve and five and
half feet deep, laid in cement The ne
cessity for such a firm foundation will be
readily seen when the reader is informed that
thls wheel makes twenty-One revolutions in a
minute ana must not vary "A 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 principle, by means of screws, etc,
on which number OF small steel cutters,
hnl Ia a. IN
cutters are adjusted SO as to face the blocks
and as the wheel rcvolves each one cuts a
splint ont of the wood and drops it below.
There are sixteen of these cutters or punch
like chisels to each wheel, and the number
may be increased to thirty-two if necessary.
The principal upon which the match. stick is
made is the same as that used in oldcn time
for making rakc.teeth round, which consisted
in driving Il piece of wood through a steel
tool having a hole in it with sharp edges. In
this case the large revolving wheel serves as
the propclling power, and forces the faces of
the blocks that are securely fastened to its
outer surface through the small steel eyelet-
like hole IL the end of the tool and "a spllnt
is cut out almost with the rapidity of light
ming, and dropped below. The machine is
so perfectly adjusted, and works with such
exact minntcness, that it cuts 100 splints from
every solid inch of timber-no more, no less
This fact has been demonstrated The deli
cate cutting tools are moved horizontally at
right angles with the face Of the wheel by a |
screw, which moves the row of cutters exact. |
ly the thickness CT match-stich, from left to
right at each revolution Of the large wheel.
Each pair of cutters has section of blocks
to pass through, six, eight to ten inches as the
case may be, which when performed, the |
tender, by the turn of a small wheel, brings |
them hack to the starting point sets the cut
tiers 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 assumes corrugated
appearance, not unlike the face OF an ordinary
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 OPP
Grafton will cut twenty.tour gross of sticks
1900 to the gross per minute, with sixteen
cutters to each, or, in the aggregate, 172,S00
per minute, 10,36S 900 per hour or l03GS0,000
per day of ten hours-ScitntJic 1mericon.