Improvements in Firelighters, and in Apparatus 'for the Manufacture :thereof.
Year: 1894

page_text: .Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1894
-
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1895
Improvements in Firelighters, and in Apparatus 'for the Manufacture
:thereof.
We JOHN HARGRAVES CROSBY1 and MICHAEL MCINERNEY. sole members of
the Firm of Liver Resin Firelight Company of Rumford Place, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object is to manufacture firelighters in a more speedy and satisfactory manner
than heretofóre.
The invention consists essentially in making firelighters: continuouslyi by making
a plastic. or viscid mass of inflammable materials such as a heated, mixture..&f
divided or disintegrated-wood, cork and resin, in forming theisaid mass into sheets,
rolls or the like and in shaping the sheets, rolls; or the like into blocks:
Apparatus consists of melting and mixing-pots, feed hoppers, or their equivalents
continuous sheet or roll forming webs or rollers, rotating dies and moulds ontheir
equivalents, and' take off or 'delivery and receiving appliances.
Suitable apparatus consists of a steam heated pot provided with rotating stirrers
and having a discharge valve near the bottom' through which the viscid materialis
run down a' hopper or shoot between rollers. The rollers are carried ina suitable
frame and 'deliver the material in the form of a sheet to an endless travellingaweb.
The endless web passes over a table beneath a rotating die of cutter which separates
the sheet. into blocks, or delivers the sheet, between rollers one of which is provided
with dies abd-the other with moulds to form the shid sheet into cakes..
Framework and 'driving gear of any suitable form is provided.
Improvementslin' Firelighters; and in Apparatus for the Manufacture
thereof.
'We 'JOHN HARGRAVES CROSBY' and 'MidHAEL: MINERNEY,sole-i-members
of the Firm Liver Resin Fire Light Company of RuthfordePlaces Liverpool.in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what' manner the same is to be performed, torbe,particularly described and
ascertained in add by the following statement :-
The object is to manufacture fire-lighters' in a more speedy™ and satisfactory
manner than heretofore.
The invention consists essentially in making fire-lighters continuously by
producing a plastic or viscid mass of infainable materials such as a heated mixture
of rosin and divided or disintegrated wood, cork, of the like, in forming thetald
mass into sheets or the like, and in shaping the said sheets or the like into blocks,
cakes or tablets of any suitable shape. A suitable mixture of materials consists of

page_text: about equal parts of rosin and disintegrated or finely divided woody material to
which we find it advantageous to add about ten gallons of oil such as pine or other
suitable oil, for preventing the mixed material from sticking to the apparatus and
for enabling it to be more easily manipulated.
Apparatus consists essentially of melting and mixing pots or vessels; feed hoppers
or their equivalents; continuous sheet forming webs or rollers; rotating dies
and moulds or their equivalents; and take-off or delivery and receiving appliances.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Fig. 1 is an elevation, part being, in section, of apparatus suitable for use in
manufacturing fire-lighters in accordance with our invention, and Fig. 2 is an end
elevation of the sheet, block, cake or tablet forming apparatus.
"
a is a pot or vessel in which rosin or other like suitable substance is. melted.
6 discharge way with tap 61 leading to the hopper c of the mixing vessel c¹. The
said pot a is shown heated by means of a furnace and having the chimneys or waste
gas fine passing through the said pot. If desired, steam or gaseous fuel may be
used to impart the necessary hent to the said pot. d is a hopper with a worm d¹ for
feeding divided or disintegrated wood, cork, or. the like to the mixing vessel c':
The vessel c¹ is fitted with a rotating spindle e provided with mixing blades or
arms el preferably made inclined or screw shaped so as to mix.and force the heated
materials through the vessel c: By regulating the opening of the tap band the
speeds of rotation of the worm a and spinuie e, any desired remainin
admixture and flow of the materials in and through, the vessel c' may be obtained.
The said vessel c¹ is surrounded by a steam jacket by means of which the mixed
materials are maintained at a temperature which will allow of free admixture and
flow fare slides for regulating the outlet. area of the vessel c¹. Under a
modification the divided or disintegrated woody material together with ground,
crushed, or powdered rosin are fed into the vessel cand the pot a is not used.
9 is an endless travelling web on to which the mixed and viscid materials are
delivered from the vessel c'. The web g is carried by rollers h in-bearings on a
frame i. The said web g passes beneath a roller ¹ in a trough j containing water
whereby the said web is damped so as to prevent the viscid mixture from, adhering
thereto. The web may be of canvas, woven wire, or of other suitable material or
make. The frame i is made with tables on which the endless web g rests; and is
fitted with gauges k to regulate the width of the sheet of viscid material. roller
for regulating the thickness of the said sheet. The mouth of the mixing vessel c
may be fitted with plain or moulding rollers instead of with slides for delivering
a plain or moulded or impressed sheet to the web g. m, n are rollers between
which the viscid sheet passes, the lower roller-m has a plain cylindrical surface,
whilst the upper roller n is made with dividing pieces o which form moulds by
means of which the sheet of viscid material is divided wholly or partly into blocks,
cakes or tablets the divisions on the upper roller may be fixed or movable. The
bearings p of the upper roller are free to move in guides g. springs acting on
the bearings p, so as to give the desired downward pressure to the upper roller,
weights may be used instead of springs. 8, water vessel with drip cocks & to keep
the surface of the upper roller moist and so prevent the viscid material from
adhering thereto, a brusb, endless web, or other distributor may be used instead
of, or with, the drip cocks. u take off band with, fixed. cover v. A current of
air is forced between the cover and. the band by means of a fan or blower to
cool the fire-lighters before they reach the delivery end of the band u.
w driving gear..
1
.
When perforated fire lighters are desired studs or dies are secured to or made
with the web g and there are recesses in the roller n.
The mixing vessel c¹ may be inclined or horizontal and the delivery orifice
may be along the side in any well known way such as is used in making sheets
of dougb.
....

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The continuous process of making firelighters by obtaining a plastic or
viscid mass of inflammable materials, forming such mass into a sheet, and shaping
or dividing the said sheets into blocks, cakes, or tablets.
Second. Mixing a stream or feed of melted or crushed, ground, or pounded rosin
or the like with a stream or feed of divided or disintegrated wood, cork, or the
like; forming such mixture into a sheet; and shaping or dividing the sheet into
blocks, cakes, or tablets.
Third. The combination of a melting and mixing pot with sheet forming
apparatus; an endless web and rotating dies or moulds; for the purpose set
forth.
Fourth. The combination of apparatus for forming a sheet of viscid material
with apparatus for moulding the sheet into blocks, cakes, or tablets, and for cooling
the said blocks, cakes, or tablets for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. The combination of a melting pot a, feed appliances d, and mixing
vessel c¹, endless web g, trough j, die and mould rollers m and n and take off
appliances for the purpose set forth.
Sixth. Apparatus for the manufacture of fire lighters substantially as set forth.
Dated the 24th day of May 1895.