Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-06-19
INVENTION OF
FIRE BUILDER
John H. HEB May Begin Its
Manufacture Here This
Fall.
FIRE BUILT WHILE
YOU ARE ASLEEP
Apparatus Not Larger Than a
Silver DOllar==Patented
Nay IL.

No more will the busy housewife OF
Grand Rapids have to labor in vain
when she is trying to kindle kitchen
| fire; no more will the sleepy husband
gnash his teeth and utter unseeming
/ words when in the cold morning hours
of winter he is urged to start the fire
+! in the various stoves. An automatic
fire builder has been invented by John
Fl. Heb, of this city, and Judge M.
G. Hoffman, of Merrill. It was
patented May II, 1908, Now the
owner of this device may GO to bed
and when he wakes up in the morn
ing a warm and comfortable room
awaits him.
The Invention Simple.
The net result of the work of these
two men is that they have invented d
little apparatus not larger than a
silver dollar which can be attached to
an ordinary alarm clock. Into this
apparatus is deposited a loaded one of
the Eliminates and the fuse leads from
iG into the fireplace of any wood or
coal stove. In the evening when the
kitchen stove is out, the clock is taken,
the alarm is set to go off at the pro-
per time. then the illuminate and fuse
is put into the proper place. Every
thing is ready and the owner goes to
bed and sleeps in peace.
Brief History Of Invention.
Two years ago, Mr.. Heb, then liv-
ing in Merrill, went to interview Judge
HOFFMAN on the subject of his auto
matte fire builder invention. 1t then
consisted of an alarm clock fastened
| by it's feet being fitted into groove
of box. On the box was a carriage
which, actuated by spring. ran from
one end of the track to the other.
1t was like sawmill carriage. On
top of this carriage a piece Of sand
paper had been nailed. Then there
was a mechanism working like a
human hand holding and pressing the
match upon the sand paper 1t was
d delicate thing to SO arrange the
springs that there was enough force
to ignite the match and yet not sc
much as to tear it's head off and thus
| produce failure. But Mr.. Heb had
accomplished that. Over the match
string was placed, which just before
setting the machine" was dipped
into kerosene. In the evening when
the family had retired into the
| parlor and the Kitchen fire was out
| Mr.. Heb would set his machine, dip
his string into kerosene and make it
| lead from the match into the stove.
Almost Lost Eye Sight.
Hoffman pointed out to him some
obvious defects, and Heb took the
suggestions one after another as they
came and improved it some In this
manner they kept on for year and a
half and have about fifteen different
ways and plans by which to accom-
plish the same results.
During the series of inventions
which led up to the present simple
device the inventors conceived that
| they needed a illuminate and fuse
They never, it seems, stopped to con.
slider the danger, but worked away at
odd hours, nights till II and l.
O'Clock, and Sundays. 1t became q
mania with them. Finally such Z
combination of chemicals was made
as resulted in making perfect full
inmate and fuse, cheap, and effective
1t was during these experiments
that a terrible explosion occurred
Instead of the judge laying down tht
laws of explosive chemistry it laiC
down the judge. He claims that ;
thin sheet OF water placed on them b!
him as a precaution saved his eye
sight, and, perhaps, his life. Thi
was on a Sunday. The next day tn,
judge went to the courtroom, his heat
and face all bandaged up looking lik,
a SNOWFALL, wearing only one ey
google, and a small opening for th
nose and known only to the police
men by his familiar voice. He cheer
: fully explained to those preSen
how it happened and seemed happy t.
, be informed by an eye specialist tha
his sight would be all right in fey
i. days.
! Mr.. Heb hopes to begin the manu-
] featuring of the automatic fir
builder in this city this fall. Th
, citizens should give every encourage
mcnt to tue inventors. Grand Rapids
, as the home of this little blessing an,
{ divorce-pregenter, will soon becom
famous throughout the land.
L