IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING WAX MATCHES AND WOOD MATCHES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Felix Perrier, of Marseille, in the French
Empire, Joiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
MAKING WAX MATCHES AND WOOD MATCHES."
Sealed the 3rd July 1860, and dated the 6th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Felix Perrier
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th January 1860.
!
1, LOUIS FELIX PERRIER, of Marseille, in the French Empire, Joiner,
lo hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MAKING WAX MATCHES AND WOOD MATCHES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in arrangements of machinery, whereby waxed
threads and wooden splints are cut off to certain determined lengths, and are
afterwards prepared for being dipped in the lighting composition.
In operating upon waxed threads they are passed through apertures in a
plate, so as to keep every thread or bundle of threads of which each match is
to be formed apart; the threads are held between rollers, which are made to
rotate intermittingly, and which are so set and arranged as to draw forward
the threads the length of the intended match; then the same driving power
imparted to the rollers is transmitted through bevelled and other gearing to a
traversing steel belt attached to a knife-holder. As soon as the threads have
Price Sd 1

page_text: been drawn the length for the matches, the steel belt traverses the machine
and severs the threads. By an arrangement of toothed racks, arms, and
pinions the motion of the belt is reversed, and when the succeeding set of
threads is ready for being severed the belt travels across the machine in the
contrary direction, and so on. When severed, the waxed threads are received
in a frame, and by motions communicated from the main shaft pieces of wood
are made to fall and are pressed upon every successive layer of the threads; a
distance is preserved in every direction between each thread, and the whole of
the severed threads are bound in a frame, and are ready for dipping in the
phosphorus or other lighting composition. The successive actions take place
as follows: Ist. the descent of the frame for receiving the cut threads;
2nd, the driving forward of the threads: 3rd, the descent of the pieces of
wood for separating layer from layer; 4th, the pressure of the wood on the
threads; 5th, the movement of the knife.
For cutting and preparing wooden splints for dipping or receiving the
lighting composition I slightly vary and modify parts of the machine, but
the action is substantially the same as that described when acting on waxed
threads.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Louis Felix Perrier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LOUIS
FELIX PERRIER, of Marseille, in the French Empire, Joiner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Louis Felix Perrier, Her special licence that I, the said Louis Felix
Perrier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Louis Felix Perrier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with. and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING WAX MATCHES AND WOOD MATCHES,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Louis Felix Perrier,
"

page_text: my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under, my, or
their, or one of their hands and seats, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE. that I, the said Louis Felix Perrier, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention. and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:
My Invention consists in arrangements of machinery, whereby waxed.
threads and wooden splints are cut off to certain determined lengths, and are
afterwards prepared for being dipped in the lighting composition.
In operating upon waxed threads they are passed through apertures in a
plate. so as to keep every thread or bundle of threads of which each match
is to be formed apart; the threads are held between rollers, which are made to
rotate intermittingly, and which are so set and arranged as to draw forward
the threads the length of the intended match: then the same driving power
imparted to the rollers is transmitted through bevelled and other gearing to
a traversing steel belt attached to a knife-holder. As soon as the threads have
been drawn the length for the matches. the steel belt traverses the machine
and severs the threads. By an arrangement of toothed racks, arms, and
pinions the motion of the belt is reversed. and when the succeeding set of
threads is ready for being severed the helt travels across the machine in the
contrary direction. and so on. When severed the waxed threads are received
in a frame, and by motions communicated from the main shaft pieces of wood
are made to fall, and are pressed upon every successive layer of the threads: a
distance is preserved in every direction between each thread. and the whole of
the severed threads are bound in a frame, and are ready for dipping in the
phosphorus or other lighting composition. The successive actions take place
as follows:-1st. the descent of the frame for receiving the cut threads:
2nd. the driving forward of the threads: 3rd, the descent of the pieces of
wood for separating layer from layer: 4th, the pressure of the wood on the
threads: 5th, the movement of the knife.
For cutting and preparing wooden splints for dipping or receiving the
lighting composition, I slightly vary and modify parts of the machine, but
the action is substantially the same as that described when acting on waxed
threads,

page_text: "
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation of the machinery I
employ, with part of the frame removed; Figure 2 is a transverse section;
Figure 3 a plan, and Figure 4 a vertical section on the line 1, 2, of Figure 3.
The end of each of the waxed threads to be formed into matches is introduced
between the two cylinders A, A'. as more particularly hereafter described, and
passes on to the holes in the plate a, shown at Figures 3 and 4. The cutting
of these threads is effected by a knife i. inserted in the knife carrier I. The
upper cylinder A is pressed at its ends by the weights B. B, suspended from
the levers b. b. into contact with the ends of the lower cylinder in order that it
may partake of the motion of the lower cylinder A', to which an intermittent
rotary motion is imparted in the following manner:-C is a crank handle
mounted on the shaft D, which, through the bevil wheels D", and D, com-
municates a motion to the shaft D'; e is a tappet on the crank E, which is
connected to the shaft D'; this tappet acts against the sides of a frame F,
(Figure 4) throws it successively to the right and to the left, and causes it to
oscillate about the point a' g is a' connecting rod attached at one end to the
lower part of the frame F, and at the other to a stud on the crank G, shown
in red Figure 4. and it is through this connecting rod that motion is com-
municated to the ratchet wheel H', which is mounted on the same shaft as the
wheel A'. Each partial rotation of this cylinder A depends on the time
during which the tappet e acts against each side of the frame F, and this
time is regulated by altering the position of the tappet in the slide . On
every rotation of the crank handle C an intermittent rotary motion is imparted
to the cylinders A and A. whereby the waxed threads between them will be
constantly driven a given length, which is equal to that of the intended match.
The knife carrier I is fitted in a groove j, and at each rotation of the crank C
the knife carrier and knife pass from end to end of the plate a, and in their
course cut off all the waxed threads driven forward by the cylinders as herein-
before described. The knife carrier is connected at its ends to a steel belt 1,
(Figure 3.) which passes round the wheel or pulley M, and the loose pullies m.
The wheel M. mounted on the shaft K, receives, as well as the latter, an
intermittent rotary motion, which imparts a rectilinear motion to the knife.
n, n', are tappets on an eccentric N (Figures 3, 5, and 6,) fixed on the shaft D'.
These tappets alternately come in contact with one or other of the racks O, O',
working in guides 0", through the arms o, o', and drive them up or down;
P is a toothed pinion on the shaft K, which it drives as well as the wheel M.
The pinion is geared into by the racks O, O', and consequently alternating
rotary motion is imparted to it. In order that the tappets n, n', shall act
alternately on the arms o, o', I fix a pinion Q, on the shaft D'. This pinion Q,

page_text: drives the wheel Q', which carries on each side a tappet q, q', Figure 5.
These tappets impart a forward or backward motion to the slide R; a rod S,
centred at R, and attached at one end to the slide R, guides the excentric
to the right and to the left.
In order to preserve the distance vertically between every two horizontal
rows of cut threads. I separate row from row by a wooden lath or rod u, the
ends of which are tapered or cut in such manner as to slide in a groove u',
formed for that purpose in the frame. These laths are placed between the
two parallel parts f', ", of the frame T. and are supported by movable stops v, v.
which, at the proper moment, allow the lath immediately above them to fall
& rest on the row of cut threads below. In order that only one piece of
wood shall fall at a time and at each revolution of the crank handle C, I have
added two other stops v', ', which are also movable, and are placed below the
others as shown in Figure 4. The rods s, Figure 3, unite the stops v, v, and
v, v, and being connected together by the shaft z, two similar couples of stops
are arranged on each side of the frame T. An alternating rectilinear motion
is communicated to the stops through the shaft D'. which carries a cam D¹¹¹1,
moving in a frame formed by two parallel plates d, d, and two rollers d', d¹.
The action of this cam on the rollers is to impart to its frame, which is guided
by the shaft D'. a rectilinear alternating motion, which is transmitted to the
pairs of stops before mentioned through a connecting rod h. attached at one
end to the frame at c', and at the other to the shaft x at c¹. To allow one
lath or rod to descend and make room for another at each revolution of the
crank handle C, it is necessary that the preceding row and lath should have
descended and should yield their place, for which purpose the frame C¹, which
receives each of the rows of wood and waxed threads, becomes displaced and
descends at each revolution of the crank a distance equal to the thickness of
the wood and threads in the following manner:-Upon the whole length of the
uprights m2, m, of the vertical frame U, which slide in grooves n³, of the
frame B, I have arranged racks r, which gears into wheels B', B', fixed on a
common shaft S'. It is the frame U which produces the displacement before
mentioned by drawing with it the frame C', to which it is attached, and in
order to obtain this result, a cam E¹, Figure 2, is fixed on the shaft D, and
arranged in a similar manner to the cam D. By its action on the rollers e¹,
the lever Q, Figure 1, is made to move about the point s', and the ratchet
wheel S, is forced after each stroke of the knife to produce a displacement in
a circular direction and move with it the shaft S', on which it is fixed, and the
frame U descends the desired distance by the effect of the toothed wheel B', on
the racks, The vertical displacement of the frame Ų depends, as shown in the

page_text: Drawing, on the course of the cam E', as well as the point at which the lever Qu
is connected to the rod f. The threads which have been cut by the last stroke
of the knife are prevented from becoming disarranged by the wood which covers
the last row being submitted to a pressure sufficient to maintain them in the
frame C. To produce this pressure I resort to the horizontal shaft T'. upon
which are fixed three levers the first of these levers is subjected to
the action of the cam p of the crank E", on the shaft D, and produces at each
revolution of the said crank an oscillation from bottom to top or upwards, taking
with it the shaft T', as well as the two other levers : the use of the last
motion is to allow a free passage for the laths or rods of wood during their
descent as soon as the camp leaves the first of the levers (1, the parts return
into the first position indicated at Figure 4. by the aid of springs. and the said
levers then press on the wooden laths or rods. covering the last row of the cut
threads with a degree of pressure regulated by the strength of the springs. A
plate with slots or vertical openings C".Figure 2,holds the cut threads in position
during the descent of the frame U. The waxed threads are led to the cylinders
A', A', in the manner shown at Figure 7. X, X, X", are three drums or cylinders
set on a frame 1. The upper drum X is shown in section: each drum is formed
with four arms m³. forming a cross frame; the rim of each drum is armed
with pins; studs; or projections o". in such manner as to form on each drum as
many separations as threads to be laid on. To prevent the threads of one of
the drums X, X, X", from. mixing one with the other, each row of threads
delivered by the drums is separated from the other by small boards I", attached
to the frame. The threads afterwards pass through a grooved plate M³, then
to a guide z attached to the frame itself, and seen at Figure 4, where they are
united in a single horizontal line, as before described. The machine is driven
by hand, or by steam, or other prime mover.
I will now describe the modifications which are necessary for adapting this
machinery to wood matches.
•
Figure 8 is a vertical section, and Figure 9 a plan of a machine modified
for this purpose.
The operations relating to the cutting of the threads, the
pressing, the descent of the frame and laths or rods of wood, and the motion of
the knife are the same as in the machine just described. The modifications
about to be described refer only to the manner in which the wood is intro-
duced. A number of pieces of wood or splints which have been previously
cut square are arranged in a case X3. equal to the number of orifices in the
plate a.
2 are holders formed with two branches, which open on the side of
the case to seize the wood which is fed in by an endless screw X', Figure 9.
Each holder moved by a metallic plate or cam z", which the frame Y moves,

page_text: is forced to open outwardly, and to place the, wood between the cylinders A, A',
which carry it to the plate a, and then to the knife. The rectilinear motion
of the frame Y is obtained by means of the lever T and of the connecting
rod y, working on the shaft D'. At the end of each stroke of the frame Y,
tappets V force the lever X, which is attached to " to the plate z", on which
the holders are fixed, to place itself first to the right and then to the left of the
line of oscillation; a balance weight z retains the holders alternately in one
of the two positions mentioned.
Other modifications may be made in the machine, which I will now describe
in substance with reference to Figures 10, 11, and 12, Sheet 2. The letters
on Sheet I refer to like parts in Sheet 2.
Figure 10 is a sectional elevation of the machine; the red lines are intended
to show some of the details relative to the arrangement of parts. Figure 11
is a plan of the top, and Figure 12 an end view of the same machine. The
descent of the laths or rods of wood is effected directly by the crank C, which
communicates motion to the driving shaft 1. The motion of, this shaft through
a slotted sling 2, alternately drives the two arms of a sector 3, which is free
to oscillate about the point 4, and through the rods 5', 6, and 7 communicates
motion to the ratchet wheel 5; this wheel is fixed on a shaft 8, which also
carries a toothed wheel 9. An eccentric N is keyed on one end of the shaft 1,
which through two arms n, n', drives the two racks O, O', in a similar manner
to that described with reference to Figure 2, Sheet 1. The pinion P, which
acts on the two racks O, O', is fixed on the shaft K, carrying the wheel M;
this wheel has an alternating rotary motion communicated to it, and carries
the strap, cord, or band of steel 1, which passes round the pulleys 23 and 24,
and to which the knife carrier is fixed. Iron frames 10,, united by regulating
screws 11, driven by a chain 12, support the cylinders A, A¹, the plate with
slots C, and the plate a, which are thus mobilised. The plate with slots C"
is intended to keep the splints at the proper distance apart. The lowering of
the frame C is produced by the toothed wheels 9, gearing
the frame. The rotation of the cylinder A' is effected by
levers or rods deriving their motion from the main shaft I.
to one of the frames 10 is for the purpose of causing the
the horizontal motion of the whole arrangement. The delivery of the laths or
rods of wood u is accomplished in the following manner-Rods 15 acted upon
through slotted links 16 or by cranks act directly on the stops 17 and 18,
which replace the pointed stops v, v, and v', v', in Figure 4, Sheet 1. The
intermittent rotary motion of the cylinder A is obtained through slotted links,
or cams, or cranks 16 acting against the arms of the sector 19, and by the rods
into racks fixed to
means of cams and
The arm 14 fixed
pulley M to follow

page_text: or cranks 20, 21, 22, I am enabled to effect the cutting of wooden splints by
employing instead of a single knife a series of vertical and horizontal blades or
circular saws, or other means of cutting wood.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that I claim,-
First, the general arrangements of machinery for cutting and preparing
waxed threads or other supple textile materials for matches, herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the general arrangement of machinery, together with the modifica-
tions thereof, for the manufacture of wooden matches, as herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the feed apparatus employed in the manufacture of matches, herein-
before described and illustrated at Figure 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, the means and appliances herein-before described, by which motion
is communicated to the cylinders marked A, A', the method of action of the
knife. carrier I, and of the plate a.
Fifth, the causing of the frame for receiving the rows of matches delivered
by the knife to rise and fall, in manner and for the purpose described.
Sixth, the preparing of splints, whether of waxed threads or wood for
dipping, by interporing laths or rods of wood between the rows, as herein-before
described.
And, seventh, the modifications of machinery for cutting and preparing
splints, represented in Figures 10, 11, and 12, and herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Felix Perrier, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
CH. ARMENGAUD, Je, Ing' Civil,
Boulev de Strasbourg, No. 23,
a Paris.
L. F. PERRIER. (L.S.)