Improvements in or appertaining to Apparatus applicable for Lighting Fires, Lamps, Cigars, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Apparatus applicable for
Lighting Fires, Lamps, Cigars, and the like.
I, THOMAS CLARKE, of 118, Needham Road, Edge Lane, in the City of
Liverpool, Designer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object an arrangement for lighting lamps, fires cigars
and the like in which a single match out of a reservoir of matches, is forced through
a ring or rings of steel or other points or edges and thereby ignited, a simple
extinguisher or ejector being added to extinguish or eject the match after use, when
required.
The apparatus consists of a reservoir of any convenient shape preferably
rectangular, which is filled with ordinary matches or vestas with their heads all
pointing in one direction, towards the orifice hereafter described. The trough like
bottom of this reservoir opens out into a slot the depth of a single match. In a
transverse slot in the walls of the said slot and trough a stop is placed with a button
on the outside. This stop can be raised so high that one match at a time can pass
down the trough into the slot and the stop can be lowered on to the matches which
have so passed down, holding them tight. On the very bottom of the slot below
the trough I place a pusher projecting from one end of the box; at the other end
and opposite the pusher I place a ring of preferably four steel spring curved points
or blades. Round this ring of blades, which may project for a considerable
distance I sometimes place a tubular extinguisher; this tubular extinguisher on
being propelled forward will extinguish the flame of the match before it has time
to burn down to the blades, or in place of having an extinguisher I may have a
pivoted ejector, passing through a slot in the bottom and which on pressing the
other end of this lever ejects the match from the embrace of the steel blades. The
extinguisher is especially useful in the case of a bicycle lamp attachment in which
case the attachment containing the matches is suspended on the side of the lamp,
the steel blades passing into a hole into the lamp. A simple pressure on the knob
of the pusher by this means lights the lamp, and as soon as the lamp is lit the
cyclist pushes the extinguisher forward, thus extinguishing the match. The lamp
is thus lit without access of wind which usually makes lighting so difficult.
Similarly cigars can be lit with their ends projecting into a wind tight box-in fact
in a similar position to the aforesaid lamp wick.
In lighting gas lamps I prefer to have the reservoir vertical and so arrange the
matches as to fall down one at a time into the tube in which the ejector works; the
ejector presses these matches up into and through the ring of blades at the top thus
igniting the match and causing it to project so that it can light the gas lamp or
other combustible.
The apparatus can be applied to walking sticks, cigar end cutters, both portable
and fixed, and can be made an ornamental attachment for card tables and the like
with the cigar cutter attached thereto and a cigar ash tray below. The cigar
cutter which I prefer to use with this apparatus is a simple pricker passing through,
near the end of the cigar transversely; the cigar is placed in the hole, and the
pricker, which is surrounded with a spring in compression, passes through this hole
transversely the spring causes the rebound of the pricker after use so that the.
cigar can be withdrawn.
;
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100

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Apparatus applicable for
Lighting Fires, Lamps, Cigars, and the like.
I, THOMAS CLARKE, of 118 Needham Road, Edge Lane, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancashire, Designer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its objects an arrangement for lighting lamps, fires, cigars
and the like in which a single match out of a reservoir or box of matches is forced
through a ring or rings of blades of steel or other points or edges and thereby
ignited. A simple extinguisher or ejector may be added to extinguish or eject the
match after use when required.
I attain these objects by the illustrations in the accompanying drawings, in
which―
"
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a lighting rod;
Fig. 2, is a section on line A B;
Fig. 3, is a vertical section of the rod;
Fig. 4, is a section on line CD;
Fig. 5, is a perspective view of a lamp;
Fig. 6, is a section on line C D of Fig. 8;
Fig. 7, is a side elevation of a case for lighting a bicycle lamp;
Fig. 8, is a section on line A. B;
Fig. 9, is an elevation of a match box:
Fig. 10, is a section on line A. B;
Fig. 11, is a section on line E F ;
Fig. 12, is a view of a vesta box ;
Fig. 13, is a section on line CD;
Fig. 14, is a section on line AB;
Fig. 15, is a plan of the apparatus fitted to the handle of a walking stick ;
Fig. 16, is a section on line CD;
Fig. 17, is a section on line AB;
Fig. 18, is a side view of Fig. 17.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the views.
The apparatus consists of in the case of the match box (lettered A and shown on
my sheet of drawings) of a box or reservoir with the bottom of the said box formed
in the shape of. a trough or tubular shape. This box or reservoir is filled with
matches or vestas with there heads all pointing in one direction.
The bottom of this box being made in the form of a small tube, or from inside
appearance as shown on section half a tube or trough the depth of a single match.
At one end of this tubular bottom I place a small pusher or ejection (lettered on
my drawing B). This pusher or ejector being connected through a grove in the
tubular bottom to a small button, or anything of a similar shape or character on
the outside of the box. At the other end of this tubular bottom and opposite the
pusher or ejector I place 4 steel points bent to the shape shown on my drawings
and lettered C. The steel points are made in the form of a spring being made of
good-tempered pen steel. To protect these points and to act as an extinguisher for
the match to prevent it burning down to the said points I enclose them on the
outside with a small piece of tube as shown on drawings and lettered D. Then by
moving the button which is connected with the pusher or ejector inside of the box
along the groove in the tubular bottom. This pusher or ejector drives the match
which is in the said tubular bottom through the 4 steel points thereby igniting it
and holding it firmly in position ready for use. The small projecting tube at the
pusher end of this box (and shown on drawings and lettered E) and opposite to the
striking points is formed for the purpose of receiving the said pusher when pulled
$

page_text: back to the end of the box. So as to enable one match or vesta to fall into the
tubular bottom. On the end of said pusher and nearest the striking points, I form
a small ring to project over the said pusher or ejector a very small distance. The
said ring is intended to clasp or encircle the end of the match or vesta and to keep
it firmly down while moving the pusher towards the striking points and to keep the
vesta from slipping upwards or back into the box. In one part of this box I
purpose forming a cigar piercer or pricker.
The cigar is placed in the hole shown on drawings and lettered F and the pricker
which is surrounded by a spring in expansion passes through this hole transversely.
When by pulling the knob on the outside of the box it causes the spring to compress
and the hole left open for inserting the cigar. When by pressing back the piercer
it pricks the cigar by cutting a hole through it near the end and saves the leaf
from unrolling as is generally done when the cigar point is cut off. By pulling the
piercer back again the cigar is withdrawn and the pricker rebounds back again
after use.
In the case of the vesta or match-box lettered G on drawing, this box is formed
in a similar manner to the aforesaid one but without the cigar pricker. And with
this difference that instead of having the button that moves the pusher on to the
bottom of the box. I prefer in this case to put it on the side of the box as shown
on drawing and lettered H. Connecting it to the pusher by a small piece of metal
to work along the inside of the box and shown and lettered I when by moving the
button in a similar manner along the grove to the other box, it moves the pusher
or ejector as well along the tubular bottom driving the match through the steel
points. Only instead of having the matches arranged with there heads facing the
steel points, I purpose in this case to put them in the opposite direction, that is to
say the head of the match will be next the pusher, when by moving the button on
the outside of the box, the candle end of the match or vesta will appear first through
the striking points, and as you pull the match away from the box by the hand the
head of the said vesta in passing through the striker ignites it, and leaves it in the
hands of the person who pulled it out ready for use.
I apply the same principle of my invention to the lighting of bicycle or other
lamps. For instance in the case of a bicycle lamp 1 purpose having my box made
as shown in drawing and lettered J, in this case the box is shown with square edges
with the tubular formed bottom inserted through the box separately (although it
could be formed in a similar manner to the others), but I prefer in this case to
insert the tube with the same striking steel points at the one end, as in the others.
But in the case of the pusher, I intend having it to extend nearly the full length of
this tubular bottom and up to the striking points, with the button or knob fixed on
to the end of this pusher and projecting from the opposite end and outside the box
as shown on the drawings and lettered K and not as in the case of the others from
the bottom or side of the box.
In a transverse slot in the walls of this box and as shown on the drawings and™
lettered L.
In the walls of the said slot and trough I place a stop with a button on the
outside. This stop can be raised so high that one vesta or match at a time can pass
into the tube from the upper reservoir. And the stop can be lowered on to the vesta
or match which has passed down and thereby holding it tight in the tubular
bottom.
I also place a tubular extinguisher around the striking points as in the boxes.
mentioned before. But in this case the tubular extinguisher may be of any con-
siderable length to suit the distance from the outside of the lamp to be lighted to
the wick inside. I may also have a pivoted ejector passing through a slot in the
bottom and which on pressing the other end of this lever ejects the vesta or match
from the embrace of the steel blades. This extinguisher or ejector is especially
useful in the case of a bicycle lamp attachments in which case I may attach the.
box containing the vestas on to the side of the lamp. The tube containing the
steel points of the striker passing through a hole made by cutting a semi-circle in

page_text: the lower flange of the sliding shutter used on the side of all bicycle lamps. The
other semi-circle being cut in a similar manner in the side of the lamp. This
shutter in being pushed upwards meets the other or lower semi-circle, therefore
making a complete circular hole as shown on the drawing and lettered M for the
insertion of the tube containing the striker.
Then by drawing out knob affixed to the pusher or ejector it clears the tube for
one match to pass into after moving the button on the side, and by driving the
pusher back again it drives the resta or match through the steel points igniting it
and holding it in position to light the lamp without any access of wind whatever
which makes lighting so difficult. In a similar manner cigars and pipes etc. can be
lighted by inserting there ends in a wind tight box. In fact in a similar manner to
the aforesaid lamp wick.
In lighting gas lamps I prefer to have the reservoir vertical as shown on drawings
and lettered N and so arrange the matches to fall down one at a time into the tube
in which the ejector works by simply giving the wood handle of the reservoir a
turn therefore rolling one match into the tube. By moving the button affixed to
the ejector it presses the vesta or match through the striking points thus igniting
the match and causing it to project so that it can light the gas lamp or other
combustible and all as shown on my sheet of illustrated drawings. On one end of
this gas lighter that is on the handle I place a small brass ring so that it can be
fixed or hung on a nail when not in use.
On the other sheet of drawings I show the same principle of my invention
adapted to a walking-stick umbrella or other handle. The principle is similar to
the others. I form a reservoir or box by cutting a mortice or hole in the handle of
the stick and by boring a hole longitudinally through the handle then inserting a
tube which is cut in the centre and the length of the mortice or box containing the
matches which then forms the trough for the vesta to fall into at opposite ends I
place the steel points and ejectors as in the case of the cyclists lamp lighter.
Around this trough and bent to the side of the box (as shown on sectional drawing
and lettered O) I form two flanges so as to lead the vestas from the box into this
trough like bottom. Over the mortice or box 1 place a hinged lid or cover with a
small spring fastener to keep it in position and as shown on drawing and sections.
This cover or lid also serves as a name plate for having the owners name engraved
on it.
The working of this box is similar to the others by pulling out the pusher it
enables one vesta to fall into the trough and by driving it back it presses the
vesta through the steel points therefore igniting it and holding it in position ready
for use.
The principle of my invention can be applied to cigar and cigar cutters both
portable and fixed and can be made an ornamental attachment for card tables and
the like with the cigar-cutter attached thereto and the ash tray below. It can also
be applied to cigar and cigarette cases and almost to any purpose where vesta or
match lights are required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the apparatus fitted to a lighting rod, substantially as
herein described and according to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, of the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a lamp, the combination of the apparatus, substantially as herein described
and according to Fig. 5, of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a lighter for a bicycle, the combination of the apparatus, substantially
as herein described and according to Figs. 6, 7, and 8, of the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a match box, the combination of the apparatus, substantially as herein
described and according to Figs. 9, 10, and 11, of the accompanying drawings.
:

page_text: 5. In a vesta box, the combination of the apparatus, substantially as herein
described and according to Figs. 12, 13, and 14, of the accompanying drawings.
6. In a walking stick or umbrella handle, the combination of the apparatus,
substantially as herein described and according to Figs. 15, 16, 17, and 18, of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of February 1892.
THOMAS CLARKE,
Applicant.