A New or Improved Manufacture of Matches of the Vesta Type.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct.,
1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Manufacture of Matches of the Vesta Type.
We, INOCENCIO GONZALEZ GOMEZ of Cascante, Navarra, Spain, and PEDRO
FRANCO of Saragossa, Spain, 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:
Matches of the Vesta type are at present constructed of cotton impregnated and
covered with wax and stearine or paraffin and stearine and are expensive owing to
the high price of the cotton and the method of manufacture.
By our invention instead of employing cotton as a base for the matches we employ
cardboard, Bristol-board or the like and instead of impregnating this with wax or
paraffin we do so with a composition as hereinafter set forth.
We may carry our invention into effect by either of two processes which we
shall now proceed to describe.
By the first of our processes we take a sheet or plate of Bristol-board, ordinary
cardboard, paper or of other analogous material of suitable thickness and this we cut
into strips by means of scissors or by a guillotine-press or by a fly-press or by any
other suitable tool. The width to which these strips should be cut will depend upon
the thickness of the sheet of material from which they are cut and upon the
size and strength which the bodies of the matches are desired to have. We then
place the strips in a frame or any other suitable known device for the purpose of
cutting them to the desired lengths or we effect this by hand in one of the well
known ways. We then prepare by melting a mixture or composition consisting of
4 kilogrammes of colophane and 1 kilogramme of stearine to which is added
200 grammes of "zinc-white," if the matches are desired to have that colour, or and
50 grammes of anilin dye, violet or otherwise according to the colour which it is
desired the matches should have. In this composition whilst it is still liquid the
matches are then immersed so as to be impregnated; and this may be effected either
in the vessel in which the colophane has been melted or in a separate receptacle.
After being dried the matches are ready to receive their heads in the usual manner.
Matches thus made are capable of burning throughout their whole length with flame
after ignition of the head.
By our second process the strips are cut as in the first process (herein before
described) and after having been impregnated with the solution or composition before
mentioned they are passed, either singly or stuck together, through a draw-plate or
between rollers. They are then cut to the desired lengths and the heads are added
after which they are dried and are now ready for the market.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. As a new article of manufacture matches formed from sheets either of card-
board or of other similar material and impregnated or covered with a composition
substantially as specified.
2. The process of manufacture herein before specified as the first process.
3. The process of manufacture herein before specified as the second process.
Dated this 11th day of September 1890.
INOCENCIO GONZALEZ GOMEZ.
PEDRO FRANCO.
Per J. G. L.