An Improved Fire Lighter.
Year: 1896

page_text: An Improved Fire Lighter.
I GEORGE WALLIS HARRIS, of Prince's Villas, 91, St. George's Road, Hull, in the
County of York, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention utilizes the discovery, that the true principle of making an ordinary
fire, is to bring the draught towards the central part of the grate, about midlength
of the front bars, by the construction of a fire lighter, of suitable materials and in a
suitable form, with a partially inclosed air-space or chamber and a through draught;
whereby the flaine may readily ascend, and the heat radiate, to ignite the coals, or
other combustible materials about it, which are to form the fire.
This invention consists (1) of two small stays, the upper and the lower; (2) of an
inner stick connected, or not, with the centres of the said stays; (3) of four or more
outer or inclosing sticks attached to the outer edge or ends of the said stays; (4) of
the filling or charging of the thus partially inclosed air-space or chamber. With the
materials of these constituent parts of the invention suitably prepared, its method of
construction may be as follows:-
The stays may each be made in one piece cut or cast into four short lengths equally
spaced and uniting, as if crossing each other, in a common centre; and may be of
wood or other inflammable substance, or of an inflammable composition moulded
into the required form under pressure; those of the lower stay at the base of the fire
lighter, being somewhat longer than those of the upper stay. Iu which case the ends
of the stays may be cut or moulded to make a dovetail or other form of connection
with the suitably prepared ends of four outer or inclosing sticks. The inner stick,
whether coated or not with au inflammable substance, and the filling, which may be
of paper or paper and wood shavings, completing the construction.
Or the stays may each be made of two pieces of wood crossing each other, and
which may be pinned or pegged together and to the inner stick, coated with an
inflammable substance, at their centres, the pieces forming the lower stay being
longer than those of the upper; and their ends may be attached by similar means to
the face ends of four outer or inclosing sticks. The filling or charging with paper or
shavings completing the construction."
Or the pieces of wood thus crossing each other in the making of the stays, may be
let into one another at their centres, and thus be interlocked; and their ends may be
shaped to form a dovetail or other form of connection with the suitably prepared ends
of the four outer or inclosing sticks. The filling or charging may be of any light
ignitable material in combination with the inner stick, which may coated with an
inflammable substance, and attached while hot to the paper portion of such fillings.
It is then placed in the space between the two stays; and the fixing of the fourth
outer or inclosing stick to the stays, completes the construction.
The fire lighter so constructed is placed in position in the grate, and the fuel put
about it so as to keep its top end open, when the application of a lighted match to
the fillings in one or more of the openings between the outer or inclosing sticks

page_text: at its base, is all that is necessary; the fire lighter instantly becoming a fire and a
fire lighter in one.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of August 1896.
An Improved Fire Lighter.
I GEORGE WALLIS HARRIS, of Prince's Villas, 91, St. George's Road, Hull, in the
County of York, Gentleman, do hereby delare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following stateinent :-
This invention utilizes the discovery that the true principle of making an ordinary
open grate house fire (but this invention applies also to the lighting of closed
grate fires), is to bring the draught towards the central part of tho grate, about
midlength of the front bars, by the construction of a fire lighter of proper materials
and in a suitable manner and form, with a partially inclosed air-space or chamber
having a through draught, whereby the flame may readily ascend and the heat
radiate to ignite the coals, or other combustible materials about it, which are to
form the fire.
This invention consists (1) of two small stays, the upper and the lower; (2) of
four or more outer or inclosing sticks attached to the ends of the said stays;
(3) of an inner stick or sticks, which, if but one, may be connected with the
centres of the said stays; (4) of the filling or charging of the air-space or chamber
thus provided and partially inclosed by attaching four of the said outer sticks to
the stays.
The method of constructing this invention may be as follows:-
The stays may each be made of one piece cut or cast into four short lengths which
are equally open-spaced and uniting, as if crossing each other, in a common centre;
and may be of wood or other inflammable substance or an inflammable composition
moulded into the required form under pressure; the lower stay at the base of the fire
lighter being about an inch longer than the upper stay. In this case the ends of the
stays may be cut or moulded to make a dovetail or other form of connection with
the correspondingly prepared ends of four outer or inclosing sticks, the stays being
thus connected at about five inches from each other. The inner stick may be coated
or partially coated with rosin or other inflammable substance, and may be placed or
connected with the two stays at their inner centres; the filling or charging, which
may be of paper or paper and wood shavings placed loosely about the inner stick in
the partially inclosed air-space or chamber between the stays, and the connecting of
the last outer stick with the stays completing the construction.
Or the stays inay each be made of two transverse pieces of wood pinned or pegged
together and also to the inner stick at their centres, and which may be coated or
partially coated with an inflammable substauce; the pieces forming the lower stay
being an inch longer than those of the upper; and their ends being attached by
similar means to the face ends of four outer or inclosing sticks. The filling or
charging of the partially inclosed air-space about the inner stick and between the
stays loosely with paper or shavings, and the attaching of the last outer stick
to tho stays completing the construction.
Or the traverse pieces of wood used in the making of the stays may be let into
one another at their centres, and be thus securely interlocked, and their ends may be
shaped to form a slot or groove connection with the ends of the four outer or.

page_text: inclosing sticks; and, if necessary, they may be further secured by a touch of glue.
The filling or charging of the fire lighter may take place when three of the four
outer sticks have been connected with the stays, and may be of paper or wood
shavings together with odds and ends of wood, or of any other light ignitable
material, in addition to or instead of an inner stick or sticks, and portions of which
may be coated or partially coated with rosin or other inflammable substance; and
when the partially inclosed air-space or chamber between the upper and lower stays
is thus filled or charged, which must be as loosely as possible for free combustion, the
fixing of the fourth outer or inclosing stick to the two stays completes the
construction.
The accompanying drawings illustrate this invention as made out of three eighths
of an inch wood. Figure 1, is the elevation, showing the upper stay from the top, the
transverse pieces, two and a quarter inches long, as let into each other at A; and
the manner in which their ends are connected with the top ends of four outer or
inclosing sticks at D, so as to prevent them falling inward. Figure 2, is the plan,
showing the lower stay at the base, the transverse pieces, three and a quarter inches
long, as let into each other at B; and the manner in which their ends are connected
with the bottom ends of the four outer or inclosing sticks at C, to prevent them
falling inward. Figure 3, shows the manner in which the trausverse pieces forming
the upper stay are let into one another at A. And Figure 4, does the same at B,
with respect to the lower stay. Figure 5, shows the inner stick detached.
Figure 6, shows an elevation of the fire lighter constructed. One of the
ends of the upper stay is connected with the top end of one of the outer or
inclosing sticks at D; and which is five and a half inches long and one inch wide,
and has its bottom end connected with one of the ends of the lower stay at C. The
alanting form of the outer or inclosing sticks, from the lower to the upper stay,
having the twofold effect of improving the draught for free combustion, and of
tightening their connection with the stays. The filling or charging of the fire lighter,
in the air-space or chamber between the stays, is shown at F, iu two of the openings
between the partially inclosing outer sticks, along with the inner stick at E.
The fire lighter thus constructed presents a novel and somewhat peculiar form,
being neither exactly round or square at either end; and broader at one end than the
other. It may be placed in an upright position in the fire grate upon its larger end
or base, or it may be inclined towards the back of the grate; and when the fuel is
put about it so as to keep its top end open, the application of a lighted match to the
fillings, in one or more of the openings between the outer or inclosing sticks at its
base, is all that is necessary; the fire lighter forthwith becoming a fire and a fire
lighter in one.
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 :-
1. Each of the several parts thereof, as herein enumerated and specified, wherewith
to form and utilize a partially inclosed air-space or chamber with a through draught
in fire grates, for the purpose of fire lighting.
2. The combination of these several parts, or any number of them, in the
construction thereof, in a manner and form adapted to this purpose; more especially
in the manner and in the form as herein described, and as shown by the drawings
herewith.
Dated this Thirtnarth day of Ma 1907