IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR KINDLING FLAME, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MATCHES OR FUSEES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George De Winton, of Clifton Villas, South Norwood, in
the County of Surrey, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS
AND APPARATUS FOR KINDLING FLAME, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE
AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MATCHES OR FUSEES." A communication from abroad
by Teodor Remus, of Plauen-Dresden, in the German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George De Winton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1880.
GEORGE DE WINTON, of Clifton Villas, South Norwood, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR KINDLING FLAME, MORE
PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MATCHES OR FUSEES." [A
communication from abroad by Teodor Remus, of Plauen-Dresden, in the German
Empire.]
According to the present Invention a band or strip of paper or other suitable
fabric treated with any known chemical substance that will ignite on being brought
in contact with a roughened surface or with amorphous phosphorus, and that will
burn with a flame, is enclosed within a casing, one end of the band (which is by
preference rolled up in a coil) being passed through an orifice in which it is nipped
by spring action, so as to prevent the flame of the ignited part outside the orifice
from extending to the part inside the casing. At the side of the said orifice is
provided a small candle or taper, and covering the latter is a cap or cover, a portion
of the sides or surfaces of which is either roughened or provided with a coating of
amorphous phosphorus. On opening or removing the cover for the purpose of
kindling a light, the roughened or prepared surface thereof is brought in close
contact with the short piece of the inflammable material that has previously been
made to project from the orifice by any suitable known contrivance, whereby this
is ignited, and in burning for a short time with a vivid flame effects the ignition
of the wick of the candle or taper, which may then be used either for giving light
itself, or for igniting other lights or fires.
I prefer to prepare the inflammable band or strip so that it is itself not
spontaneously inflammable, but requires to be brought into contact with the

page_text: amorphous phosphorus preparation to ignite and burn with considerable flame.
For this purpose I prefer to treat the band or strip with a compound consisting of
about 70 parts by weight of chlorate of potash, 7 parts of sulphate of antimony,
11 parts of umber, and 12 parts of gum arabic, but I do not limit myself to this
compound, or to the proportions given. The amorphous phosphorus preparation
may suitably consist of a solution of gutta-percha in bisulphide of carbon, to which
any desired proportion of amorphous phosphorus is added.
Either the entire length of the band or strip may be treated with the above
described or other inflammable compound, or it may be treated therewith at short
intervals of its length, so that portions of inflammable material intervene.
The apparatus may, according to one arrangement, be so constructed that a lever
which effects the protusion of the inflammable strip at the same time effects the
opening of the cover, and the pressing of the inflammable strip against the
amorphous phosphorus or roughened surface so as to ignite it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George de Winton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
August 1880.
GEORGE DE WINTON, of Clifton Villas, South Norwood, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR KINDLING FLAME, MORE
PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MATCHES OR FUSEES." A
communication from abroad by Teodor Remus, of Plauen-Dresden, in the German
Empire.
According to the present Invention a band or strip of paper or other suitable
fabric treated with any known chemical substance that will ignite on being brought
in contact with a roughened surface or with amorphous phosphorus, and that will
burn with a flaine, is enclosed within a casing, one end of the band (which is by
preference rolled up in a coil) being passed through an orifice in which it is nipped
by spring action, so as to prevent the flame of the ignited part outside the orifice
from extending to the part inside the casing. At the side of the said orifice is
provided a small candle or taper, and covering the latter is a cap or cover, a portion
of the sides or surfaces of which are either roughened or provided with a coating of
amorphous phosphorus. On opening or removing the cover for the purpose of
kindling a light, the roughened or prepared surface thereof is brought in close
contact with the short piece of the inflammable material that has previously been
made to project from the orifice by any suitable known contrivance whereby this
is ignited, and in burning for a short time with a vivid flame effects the ignition
of the wick of the candle or taper, which may then be used either for giving light
itself, or for igniting other lights or fires.
I prefer to prepare the inflammable band or strip so that it is itself not
spontaneously inflammable, but requires to be brought in contact with the
amorphous phosphorus preparation to ignite and burn with considerable flame.
For this purpose I prefer to treat the band or strip with a compound consisting of
about 70 parts by weight of chlorate of potash, 7 parts of sulphate of antimony,
11 parts of umber, and 12 parts of gum arabic, but I do not limit myself to this
compound or to the proportions given. The amorphous phosphorus preparation
may suitably consist of a solution of guttapercha in bisulphide of carbon, to which
any desired proportion of amorphous phosphorus is added. Instead of the solution
of gutta percha other adhesive materials, such as glue, gum, starch, and the
like may be employed to fix the amorphous phosphorous. Either the entire length
of the band or strip may be treated with the above described or other inflammable
compound, or it may be treated therewith at short intervals of its length, so that
portions of uninflammable material intervene.
The apparatus may, according to one arrangement, be so constructed that a lever
which effects the protrusion of the inflammable strip at the same time effects the
opening of the cover, and the pressing of the inflammable strip against the
amorphous phosphorus or roughened surface so as to ignite it.
The accompanying Drawings shew a convenient form of apparatus according to
this Invention, Fig. 1 being an external elevation of the apparatus in its closed
condition, as it may be carried in the pocket, and Fig. 2 being a vertical section of
the apparatus as it is used for causing ignition. A casing A of cylindrical form has
n space a in its lower part to contain a roll of the strip or band b, coated as above
described on its inner surface with the chemical composition. This strip passes up
a recess at the side of the casing, projects a small bulge b' externally over an
elastic part of the casing which acts as a spring, pressing the strip where it reenters
the casing at 6. In the upper part of the casing A there is an inner tube con-
taining a piece of candle or taper C, which is pressed upwards by a spring, so that

page_text: its wick w projects through a hole in a cap c, which is secured by a bayonet catch
as shewn. A retractile tube D, which ordinarily is inserted into the annular space
between the casing A and the inner tube containing the candle C, can be withdrawn
by applying the fingers to its milled head. The lower part d has its external
surface coated as above described with amorphous phosphorus. The prepared
strip being drawn out by applying the finger nail at b', and pushed upwards so
that its upper end presents itself inside the casing at 6, the tube D is pressed or
rubbed against the end of the strip, as shewn in Fig. 2, and a flame is produced
which ignites the wick w. The flame is prevented from extending down the
strip b by the clamping of it by the spring b', where it reenters the tube at b.
The flame of wis extinguished by replacing the tube D in its usual position, as
shewn in Fig. 1.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
hereby declare that I make no general claim to producing ignition by the frictional
contact of amorphous phosphorus with a band or strip of paper or fabric coated
with suitable composition, but I claim,―
First. The herein described method of igniting a candle or taper by flame
produced near its wick, by the frictional contact of amorphous phosphorus with the
end of a strip or band of paper or other fabric coated with suitable composition,
and pinched near its end by a spring so as to prevent the flame from extending
along it.
Second. For obtaining ignition of a taper or candle in the manner above referred
to, the use of apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as herein described
with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George de Winton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
MON