IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR IGNITING MATCHES AND PARTIALLY EJECTING THEM FROM THE BOX
Year: 1884

page_text: :
CLY S
I, ROBERT MAYES of 6, Ravenswood Road, Redland, in the County of Gloucester,
Artist, do hereby declare the nature of said invention, for. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MECHANISM FOR IGNITING MATCHES AND PARTIALLY EJECTING THEM FROM THE
BOX," to be as follows:-
'
This invention is designed to mechanically effect the ignition of matches and
their partial ejection from the box by means of mechanism actuated by exerting a
pressure by hand upon the button or knob of a spring-catch forming part of the
said mechanism.
Under one form of applying my invention to a match box, a carrier is placed at
one side of a tray fitted in the box, which carrier is free to slide in a slot cut in
the tray. By a spring an upward pressure is exerted on the carrier constantly
tending to maintain the carrier at that end of the box at which is situated the
orifice through which the ignited matches are, at will, projected.
In the position occupied by the mechanism when not required to be brought
into action to ignite and partially eject a match, the aforesaid tendency of the
spring acting upon the carrier is counteracted by a lever conveniently pivotted to
the bottom of the box and held down by the spring catch- acting through a system
of levers linked thereto. Thus the carrier is thereby held down at the bottom of
its travel. The oritice through which each match is in turn ejected is situate
towards that side of the box at which is the carrier and is formed over the latter.
By means of a cover fitted in the tray aforesaid more than one match at a time is
prevented from assuming the position necessary for the proper action of the
mechanism, and as one match is struck and ejected, another assumes the position
previously occupied by that struck and ejected. A spring placed at the bottom of
the travel of the carrier prevents interference by the matches with the free return
of the carrier when being moved into place to receive a fresh match.
The matches are prevented from becoming reversed in the box by a plate
conveniently fitted in the tray. Thus the matches are always presented with their
heads towards the end of the box at which is situate the orifice through which
they are ejected.
By exerting pressure on the button or knob of the spring catch aforesaid a bolt
or slide, previously engaged therewith, is released and the bolt or slide, which
}

page_text: works in a groove or between guides, is, by the action of the spring bearing against
one of the system of levers aforesaid, forced outwards at one side of the box
beyond which it is thus made to project.
Upon the underside of the bolt is a tablet or friction plate of metal or com-
position or other material, and as the surface thereof is passed across the head of
a match, as the bolt or slide is shot outwards, the match being pressed upwards
against the friction plate or tablet by the spring acting upon the sliding carrier,
becomes ignited. A hole is formed in the bolt or slide and when this is brought
over the orifice in the box, which occurs immediately after the match is struck, the
match is shot partially out of the box and through the said hole, but is prevented
from being wholly ejected by a rocking clip which, as the carrier rises, is thereby
tilted and caused to grip the match between it and the side of the orifice. As the
sliding carrier is being returned to the bottom of its travel the clip is tilted back
to its original position by the bearing thereon of a spring. The unconsumed end
of the match may then be removed. It may, however, be pulled out without
tilting back the rocking clip.
By pressing the bolt or slide aforesaid in wards in the box to re-engage with the
spring catch, the mechanism is re-adjusted for the ignition and ejection of a fresh
match.
Two springs are preferably brought to bear upon the sliding carrier, and are
so arranged that the resistance of one spring only has to be overcome when
pressure is first applied to force inwards the bolt or slide, the resistance of the
other not coming into play until the bolt or slide has been partially pressed home.
The united power of both springs is available for forcing the matches upwards
against the friction plate or tablet for ignition.

page_text: I ROBERT MAYES of 6 Ravenswood Road Redland in the County of Gloucester
Artist do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MECHANISM FOR IGNITING MATCHES AND PARTIALLY EJECTING THEM FROM THE
Box," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My said invention is designed to mechanically effect the ignition of matches and
their partial ejection from the box by means of mechanism actuated by exerting a
pressure by hand upon the button or knob of a spring Catch forming part of the
said mechanism.
Under one form of applying my invention to a match box, a carrier is placed at
one side of a tray fitted in the box, which carrier is free to slide in a slot cut in the
tray-By a spring an upward pressure is exerted on the carrier constantly tending
to maintain the carrier at that end of the box at which is situated the orifice
through which the ignited matches are, at will, projected.
In the position occupied by the mechanism when not required to be brought
into action to ignite and partially eject a match, the aforesaid tendency of the
spring acting upon the carrier is counteracted by a lever conveniently pivotted to
the bottom of the box and held down by the Spring catch acting through a system
of levers linked thereto. Thus the carrier is thereby held down at the bottom of
its travel. The orifice through which each match is in turn ejected is situate
towards that side of the box at which is the carrier and is formed over the. latter.
By means of a cover fitted in the tray aforesaid more than one match at a time is
prevented from assuming the position necessary for the proper action of the
mechanism, and as one match is struck and ejected, another assumes the position
previously occupied by that struck and ejected. A spring. placed at the bottom of
the travel of the carrier prevents interference by the matches with the free return
of the carrier when being moved into place to receive a fresh match.
The matches are prevented from becoming reversed in the box by a plate
conveniently fitted in the tray Thus the matches are always presented with their
heads towards the end of the box at which is situate the orifice through which they
are ejected.
By exerting pressure on the button or knob of the spring catch aforesaid a bolt
or slide, previously engaged therewith, is released and the bolt or slide, which
works in a groove or between guides, is, by the action of the spring bearing against
one of the system of levers aforesaid, forced outwards at one side of the box beyond
which it is thus made to project.
Upon the underside of the bolt is a tablet or friction plate of metal or composition
or other material, and as the surface thereof is passed across the head of a match,
as the bolt or slide is shot upwards the match being pressed upwards against the
friction plate or tablet by the Spring acting upon the sliding carrier becomes
ignited. A hole is formed in the bolt or slide and when this is brought over the
orifice in the box which occurs immediately after the match is struck, the match iş

page_text: shot partially out of the box and through the said hole, but is prevented from being
wholly ejected by a rocking clip, which, as the carrier rises, is thereby tilted and
caused to grip the match between it and the side of the orifice-As the sliding
carrier is being returned to the bottom of its travel the clip is tilted back to its
original position by the bearing thereon of a spring-The unconsumed end of the
match may then be removed-It may, however, be pulled out without tilting back
the rocking clip.
By pressing the bolt or slide aforesaid inwards in the box to re-engage with the
spring catch, the mechanism is re-adjusted for the ignition and ejection of a fresh
match.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
to further describe the same with reference to the appended sheet of illustrative
drawings and the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig 1. on the accompanying sheet of drawings represents a part front elevation
and part section of a match box constructed in accordance with my said invention
the lid a of the tray b-being raised and a portion thereof broken off. The system
of levers through the medium of which the matches are partially ejected is
represented in part in dotted lines.
Fig 2. represents a front elevation of the said levers, the tray which normally
lies over them being removed.
Figs 3 and 4. represent respectively a back view and a side view of the tray.
Bearing against the back of the lever c, which may be grooved to receive the
same, is one end of the spring d secured at the other end to the box frame. The
lever, c is pivotted to the box case at c'. The tendency of the spring d is to cause
the lever c to assume the position shewn at Fig: 2, but this tendency is overcome
by the exertion by hand of an inward presure on the bolt e.. The inner end of
the bolte may thus be passed over and beyond the top of the spring catch f
pivotted at the back of the tray, and the lever c and the levers and i become
locked in the position shown at Fig: 1. The lever his pivotted to the box case.
at the lever i is pivotted to the lever h and to the lever c, as shown. By the
lever, the free end of which bears in the recess n upon the upper-end of the
match carrier k, see Figs: 3 and 4, the latter is depressed in the groove m to the
lowest point of its travel to receive a match.
By the pin or stud 7 carried at one end of the spring o the matches are prevented
in turn from occupying the position necessary for being raised for ignition and
ejection until the carrier k returns after the ejection of the match previously,
raised.
Hence no obstruction is offered by the matches. to the return. of the carrier
which in its descent depresses the said pin or stud land occupies its place.. The
matches are caused to fall into position on the carrier by inclining or shaking the
box.
When an inward pressure is exerted by hand on the knob g. of the spring catch f
the bolt e is released and is free to be forced. outwards by the, spring d acting
against the lever c.
The spring pacting below the carrier k now raises the latter,
and the head of the match carried thereby is pressed upwards against the underside
of the friction tablet e¹ of the bolt e and when the. hole e* formed towards the inner
end. of the bolt coincides. with the corresponding orifice s, Fig: 2, in the top of the
case a free passage. is provided for the match which becomes partially ejected
there through in an ignited condition, as represented. at. Figs 3. and. 4 of the
drawings.
As the carrier approaches the upper limit of its travel the top thereof, which is
wedge-shaped passes under the lower end of the. rocking, clip v which is thereby
tilted and caused to. impinge against the match and hold it steadily and lightly in
position, whence, it may be readily plucked out after use. A Spring bearing
against the lower part of the Clip v restores the clip to its. normal position. when
the carrier is drawn downwards from us.der it by the lever k.

page_text: Matches are prevented from becoming reversed in the tray by the baffle plate t,
Fig 1, and, by the rails u, more than one match at a time is prevented from
passing to the carrier, the rails being at such distance from the bottom of the tray
as to afford space for the passage of one match only at a time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The combination of mechanism in a match-box for the ignition and partial
ejection of matches, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, whereby the matches are,
in turn, both ignited and partially ejected from the box by the exertion of a
pressure by hand on a spring catch or its equivalent and the mechanism restored to
the position required for re operation for effecting the same object with each match
in turn by the exertion of a pressure by hand on a sliding bolt or its equivalent.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Applicant's Agent.