IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND COMBINING MATERIALS USED IN LIGHTING OR KINDLING FIRES
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
EDWARDS, of Fairfield Place, Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Dealer in
Emery Cloth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-ninth day of February, in the third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Edwards, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority
that I, the said Richard Edwards, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Edwards, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND COMBINING MATERIALS
USED IN LIGHTING OR KINDLING FIRES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that I, the said Richard Edwards, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same"
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calender months next and immediately after the date of

page_text: the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Edwards, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to a mode of preparing and combining wood or reeds,
or wood and reeds, with other materials into suitable bundles for lighting fires,
which I call "ventilated faggots;" and in order to give the best information in
my power I will describe the mode pursued by me in carring out my Invention.
In forming bundles of wood usually called fire wood, as at present practised,
it is customary to tie up several pieces of wood or sticks, or reeds, which when
used are generally cut or untied to separate the pieces, and should such
bundles be used without untying the pieces of wood, sticks, or reeds are too
closely laid and retained together, side by side, to offer a ready means of
combustion to each and every part or piece at the same moment, in addition to
which the pieces of wood, sticks, or reeds being of nearly equal size at
each end, they do not offer a ready means of taking light. Now, according to
my Invention, I so combine the parts or pieces of wood, sticks, or reed that
there is a space between each of the neighbouring pieces, and thus allowing
spaces which may be called flues, and by this means inducing drafts or currents
of air to rush through, and thereby aid combustion; and in order to facilitate
the first taking fire of each particular piece of wood, stick, or reed, I point or
cut away the surface or surfaces at one end of each piece of which the bundle
is to be composed, and in some cases where the " ventilating faggots" are
desired to light very quickly, I dip the pointed ends into melted brimstone,
resin, or other inflammable matter. In combining the portions of wood,
sticks, or reeds together I employ resin, glue, pitch, or other adhesive material
preferring a material which is combustible, and by means whereof I cause the
pieces of wood, sticks, or reeds to adhere to a strip of paper, rag, wood shaving,
or thin wood, string, tape, or other cheap combustible material, each piece of
wood, stick, or reed being caused to adhere at a distance from the other, thus
leaving spaces, which, when the whole is combined into a bundle, will offer
what I have called small flues for drafts of air to pass through; and I cause
all the pointed or sloped ends of the pieces of wood, sticks, or reeds to be in
one direction, and which ends when made into a bundle form the lower part

page_text: or end of the faggot. When I wish to make a cylindrical bundle or faggot, I
fold the strip of rag or other material, having wood, sticks, or reeds therein, as
above explained, in spiral layers one around the other, as is represented at
Figure 1, or the faggot may be oblong or square, as shewn at Figure 2; and I
would here remark that my Invention does not depend on the shape or figure
of the bundle or faggot, but in the mode of so combining the parts of which
each bundle or faggot is composed that there are spaces between the different
parts to produce or permit drafts of air through when lighted, aided by strips
of paper, rags, shavings, or other thin combustible matter which, with the inflam-
mable adhesive matters and the pointed ends in addition to keeping the parts
separated, and in the general combustion of the faggot. By such means of
preparing and combining materials I am enabled to light fires with more
certainty and at the same time with a great saving of fire wood, sticks, or reeds,
as the whole bundle or faggot when made according to my Invention, becomes
quickly lighted throughout all its many surfaces, and thus produces a strong
fire which will quickly light the coal or cinder which is placed about the faggot.
In using what I have called "ventilated faggots" in lighting a fire, a faggot is
placed in the fire-place, in its combined state, with the pointed ends of the
pieces of wood, &c. downwards, then cinders or coals are to be packed around
and above it, and a light is to be applied to the faggot at its lower end, where
the whole faggot or each and every part thereof will become almost instantly
inflamed. I would state, that in some cases I place several knobs of coal or
cinder in the faggot, which being in the direct drafts of the flames in the
interior of the faggot, will be quickly in flames or red hot, and thus ensure the
lighting of the fire.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would remark that
although I have described the best means I am acquainted with for carrying
out my Invention, some variations in the means of bringing the parts
together may be resorted to, provided the general mode of combining the parts
be retained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Edwards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty
RICHARD (L.S.) EDWARDS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of August,
in the year of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid Richard Edwards came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statue made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.