The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-07-07
HOW MATCHES ARE MADE.
Not Matrimonial Ones, but Those
Made to Burn.

Not m0tPtnontoI OneS, out Ino8o
Made to Burn.
The wood used in the manufacture
Of matches is principally white pop
lar, aspen and yellow pine. In the
United States white pine is used al
most exclusively. 1t burns freely,
steadily, slowly, constantly and with
good volume of fame. The wood
is soft, straight grain, easily worked
and it's light weight is Of no small
consequence in the matter Of trans
portation charges, which are usually
high on combustible articles.
For the best grade OF matches the
choicest quality of cork pine is used,
variety Of white pine, the trees'be-
ing large and we'll matured. The
Diamond Match Company about
twelve years ago secured hundreds Of
millions Of feet Of choice standing
cork pine timber on the waters Of the
Ontonagon River in the upper penin-
sula OF Michigan. This company now
cuts annually upward OF 30, OOO, 900
feet OF this timber, but this is by no
means all that is used in the manu-
facture OF matches in this country.
Millions Of feet more OF choice white
pine timber are bought every year
and made into matches by number
OF factories under the control of this
corporation.
In Sweden the method of manu-
facture is us follows: The timber is
cut into blocks about fifteen inches
long and and placed in lathe. With
each revolution slice or veneer is
peeled off the thickness required for
the match sticks, while at the same
time eight small knives cut the slice
into seven pieces, like ribbons and Of
the length required for the sticks.
These ribbons are then broken into
lengths OF six to seven feet, knotty
and defective pieces are removed and
the ribbons are then fed through q
machine which cuts them into pieces
like a straw cutter, these then pass
ing through an automatically arrang-
ed machine with cutters. which slices
off as many pieces, the thickness re-
quired for match as there are cut
ters One machine will turn out
from 5000 600 to 10,0O0, 600 match
splints day.
In this country choice, clear two,
three and four inch planks are used,
also pieces from the ends Of planks
and timbers, edgings and other suit
able parts Of the log not utilized.
These are cut the required length
and sliced or split by machinery
adapted for the purpose. After pass
ing through these machines the
match splints are dried in heated re-
volving drums, during which process
the loose splinters clinging to the
splints are separated. They are then
placed in sieve and sifted, an
operation which finally places the
sticks in parallel order so that they
can be conveniently bundled. after
which they are ready for the dipping
operation.
The head of each stick, to be thor
oughly dipped or covered, must be
separated from the others, that no
danger shall ensue from ignition, as
would be done if they came in con-
tact with the inhammable material
used in the coating. The sticks are
separated by machinery and placed
each by itself in dipping frame,
which is fitted in n movable lathe,
and number Of these lathes are
placed on machine. One person
can arrange with one Of the machines
nearly 1900 900 splints in II day.
The splints are then heated so as to
more readily absorb paratfin, which
is confined in it's molten state in shall
low pans.
The first dipping covers the head
Of the match sticks with the paratfin
preparation; by the second operation
it is covered with the igniting COM
position. different devices being used
for this purpose. A competent per-
son will dip 5000 600 matches in a
day. After the last dipping the
frames containing the matches are
placed in heated room, that the ig-
hitting composition may be dried.
They are then removed from this
room and packed in boxes ready for
Shipment Chicago Journal of Com