Improvements in the Construction of Fire Lighters.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1873
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Fire Lighters.
I, FRANK CALVERT POUSSETT ANSTEY of Fairlawn Woodside Road Sutton
Surrey Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of a new method of constructing fire lighters.
My plan is to make a lighter in the shape of a cone with a hollow centre, (Fig. 1)
the pieces of wood of which it is formed (A in drawing) being placed vertically
from the base to the apex of the cone, and being kept in position by means of
wire (B in drawing) passing through each piece of wood which are separated from
each other at the base by small cubes of wood (C in drawing) or other material
placed between same, & through which the wire (B) also passes. The cone being
formed so as to be collapsible for the purpose of close packing (Fig. II).
Dated this 8th day of December 1892.
FRANK CALVERT POUSSETT ANSTEY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Fire Lighters.
I, FRANK CALVERT POUSSETT ANSTEY, of Fairlawn, Woodside Road, Sutton,
Surrey, Gentleman, 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 :-―
According to my invention I construct a fire lighter in the shape of a cone or
pyramid with a hollow centre-the pieces of wood of which it is formed being
placed vertically from the base to the apex and being kept in position by means of
wires passing through each piece of wood-one at the apex and another near the
base where the pieces of wood are separated from each other by distance pieces
which may be small cubes of wood or other material through which the wire also
passes. Conical or pyramidal fire lighters so formed are collapsible which allows of
their being packed closely together.
Figure 1 of the drawing annexed is a perspective view of a fire lighter constructed
as above described and opened out ready for use.
Figures 2 and 3 are plan and edge views of the fire lighter when collapsed for
packing.
AA are strips of wood tied together at one end by a wire B (preferably fine iron
wire) threaded through them and near the other end by another wire B similarly
threaded through them and also through small blocks C interposed between the
strips A and which serve as distance pieces to keep them apart. Or in place of the
blocks C small bends might be made in the lower wire B on each side of each
strip A so that the strips would then be kept apart by the wire itself. Or in
place of the wires being passed through holes in the strips pairs of wires might be
made to embrace a strip then be twisted together for a time then embrace another
strip and so on.
It is not essential that distance pieces should be inserted between all of the
strips A-they or some of them might be in pairs the two in each pair being parallel
with one another.
A small quantity of wood shavings which will readily ignite may be placed in the
interior of the fire lighter if desired.

page_text: When the fire lighter is collapsed for packing three of the strips A lie flat over
the other three strips as shewn in Figures 2 and 3.
When opened for use as shewn in Figure 1 and ignited on the inside the small
central opening between the upper ends of the strips A serves as an outlet
for the smoke and flames and combustion goes on freely and rapidly and the wires
which hold the pieces together not being inflammable the fire lighter retains its
form until practically the whole is consumed.
The pieces of wood of which the fire lighter is formed may be coated or
impregnated with resinous or other materials to increase the heat given off when
the lighter is burnt.
It is not essential that the fire lighter should be made collapsible some of the
advantages would be attained even if the strips were held together in a rigid way
as by making the fire lighter of a hollow conical or pyramidal form its interior
serves as a hollow tapering shaft from base to apex in which light compressible
inflammable material may be placed for convenient ignition and when the material
is ignited the opening at the top of the fire lighter gives a good vent for smoke and
flame.
To construct the fire lighter in a rigid form the ends of the strips of wood near
the base may be kept apart as before described by distance pieces placed between
them and be all tightly bound together by a surrounding tie of wire or string-or
they might be held and kept apart in other suitable ways.
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. A fire lighter composed of strips of wood held together in a hollow conical or
pyramidal form substantially as described.
2. A collapsible conical or pyramidal fire lighter composed of strips of wood held
together by wires substantially as described.
3. A collapsible conical or pyramidal fire lighter composed of strips of wood held
together at one end by a wire passed through them and near the other by a wire
passed through them and through small blocks interposed between them to serve
as distance pieces substantially as described.
4. The construction of fire lighters substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of September 1893.
FRANK CALVERT POUSSETT ANSTEY.