Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Matches."
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Matches."
I, ANDREW JOHN FREDRIKSON, of Jönköping, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
All wax-matches which are now on the market, consist as is well known in a
core of twisted cotton yarn, which core is provided with a cover of a fat, combust-
ible substance, such as stearine or a composition of stearin and paraffine.
Wax-matches with a core of twisted cotton-yarn have several inconveniences.
It is evident, that, when matches are made of a core of such soft and flexible
material as cotton yarn, which matches ought to be stiff enough to he seized
between the fingers and pressed rather hardly against a suitable ignition-surface,
the said core must be covered with the fat (stearine) in such a manner, that the
same penetrates completely the core, aud forins a coherent mass, hence a rather
thick layer of stearine is necessary to obtain the necessary stability.
An analysis of such matches has shown, that the same contain at least 75 per
cents by weight of fat. The matches denominated candles, which are nothing but
miniature stearine candles at the ends provided with fulminate, contain of course
still more fat, but, if we keep to the common so called wax-matches, it will be
evident that the same, in spite of a careful impregnation with fat, may be easily
bont and will not have the necessary stability.
Tho inconvenience attending the use of wax-matches is still greater when used
in the tropical countries, in which case as soon as the fat, in consequence of the
heat, has been somewhat softened, the matches become still more lank and for
this reason such matches have never been in great demand in those countries.
Moreover the cotton wick does not burn with flame but only glows when ignited.
This invention relates to wax-matches, the core of which has the stability
necessary for the purpose and at the same time constitutes a substance by itself
easily combustible and moreover considerably cheaper than cotton yarn. This
substance is wood and preferably. aspenwood.
The invention therefore relates to matches the cores of which consist in round
or angular pieces of wood and, which are covored with stearine or other suitable
combustible fat, these matches being provided with fulminate in the ordinary
manner.
The advantages of a core of wood are considerable. First such cores are of
course much stiffer than cores of cotton yarn, secondly the wood is considerably
cheaper and finally the core in consequence of the resin constituents contained
therein, forms by itself a material, that is easily combustible and burus with a
clear flame.
In consequence of this and because the wood absorbs rather a small quantity of
fat, it will be possible in manufacturing matches with wood core to use a smaller
quantity of fat without reducing the lighting capacity of the match.
Although the wood, such as obtained commonly by cutting matches of vaneer,
can be used, in which case it is only necessary to provide the matches with a cover-

page_text: of stearine or other suitablo fat, and then cut them into suitable strips and to pro-
vide them with fulminate, it is in certain cases. preferable to prepare the wood in
such a manner, that the fat partly penetratos the core.
The second part of the present invention relates therefore to a manner of prepar-
ing the wood for the said purpose.
'
The process of preparing the wood which is cut into veneer, consists in subject-
ing it to a mellowing or loosening on the surface, so that the material becomes
porous and fibrous, during which time however the inner part of the material
remains unchanged.
This may of course be effected in several ways and the process, hereinafter
described being given only as an example.
A mellowing or loosening on the surface of the veneer may be effected by caus-
ing the veneer to pass between two grooved or channelled rollera, which are placed
at such a distance from each other with relation to the veneer to be worked, that
grooves or channels are formed on the upper as well as on the lower side of the
veneer, without however penetrating it completely. In consequence of the great
compression between the rollers, the wood then expands in both directions, so that
the veneer that has passed between the rollers becomes thinner but also broader.
By this means the upper as well as the lower side of the veneer is mellowed or
loosened and becomes fibrous while at the same time the middle is maintained in
its former state, so that the whole is still kept together.
As the inner part of the veneer is not loosened or mellowed but rather com-
pressed, the matches made of veneer prepared in this way will be rather stiff.
If moreover the veneer is caused to pass between another pair of rollers provided
with sharp edges which touch each other and placed at a distance apart correspond-
ing to the width and thickness of the match, there is cut from the veneer a certain
number of matches the core of which consists of wood in an unchanged condition
or somewhat compressed, while the outer portion consists in the material loosened
or mellowed by the treatment above described which material in the later treat-
ment is somewhat compressed, so that it obtains a form, corresponding to the
form of the grooves, which may be round or angular.
Matches prepared in this way are then coated with stearine or other suitable fat,
so that this penetrates the porous portion of the material.
The matches thus provided with stearine are then cut in suitable lengths and
provided with fulminate in the ordinary manner.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C. Agents for the Applicant.
"Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Matches."
I, ANDREW JOHN FREDRIKSON, of Jönköping, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Munu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
samo is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and liy
the following statement:-
-
Wax-matches as heretofore manufactured consist of a core of twisted cotton
yarn, which core is provided with a cover of a fat, combustible substance, such as
atearine or a composition of stearin and paraffine.
These wax-matches have several disadvantages. It is evident, that, when matches
are made of a core of such soft and flexible material as cotton yarn, which matches
ought to be stiff enough to be seized between the fingers and pressed rather hardly

page_text: against a suitable ignition-surface, the said core must be covered with the stearine
in such a manner, that the same penetrates completely the core, and forms a
coherent mass, hence a rather thick layer of stearine is necessary to obtain the
necessary stability.
Analysis of such matches has shewn, that the same contain at least 75 per cent
by weight of fat. The matches denominated candles, which are nothing but
miniature stearine candles at the ends provided with fulminates contain of course
moro fat, but, if we keep to the common so-called wax-matches, it will be evident
that the same, in spite of a careful impregnation with fat, may be easily bent and
will not have the necessary stability.
The inconveniences attending the use of wax-matches is still greater when used
in the tropical countries, in which case as soon as the fat, in consequence of the
heat, has been somewhat softened, the matches become still more lank and for this
reason such matches have nover been in great demand in those countries. More-
over the cotton wick does not burn with flame but only glows when ignited..
This invention relates to wax-matches, the core of which has the stability
necessary for the purpose and at the same time constitutes a substance by itself
easily combustible and moreover considerably cheaper than cotton yarn. This
substance is wood and preferably aspenwood.
The invention therefore relates to matches the cores of which consist in round
or angular pieces of wood and which are covered with stearine or other suitable
combustible fat, these matches being provided with fulminate in the ordinary
manner.
The advantages of a core of wood are considerable. First such cores are of
course much stiffer than cores of cotton yarn, secondly the wood is considerably
cheaper and finally the core in consequence of the resin constituents contained
therein, forms by itself a material, that is easily combustible and burns with a
clear flame.
In consequence of this and because the wood absorbs rather a small quantity of
fat, it will be possible in manufacturing matches with wood core to use a smaller
quantity of fat without reducing the lighting capacity of the match.
Wax matches provided with a core of wood have heretofore been used, but they
have not fully met all the requirements. These matches possess the disadvantage
that the stearine which is melted after lighting, drops from the match, and this
even if the said match has been impregnated, with a relatively thin coating of
stearine. This results from the fact that the stearine has not been absorbed by the
wood to a sufficient depth which wood, in its normal condition, only absorbs the fat
on the surface. In order to make the wood more absorbent so that it will take up
a relatively large portion of stearine or other suitable fat, it is necessary that the
wood be submitted to a special treatment and this invention relates to a method of
preparing the wood for the above named purpose.
The process for preparing the wood which is cut into veneer consists in subject-
ing it to a mellowing or looseing on the surface, so that the material becomes
porous and fibrous, during which time however the inner part of the material
remains unchanged.
This may of course be effected in several ways and the process, hereinafter
described being given only as an example.
A mellowing or loosening on the surface of the veneer may be effected by caus-
ing the vencer to pass between two longitudinally grooved or channelled rollars,
which are placed at such a distance from each other with relation to the veneer to
be worked, that grooves or channels are formed on the upper as well as on the
lower side of the veneer, without however penetrating it completely. In
consequence of the great compression between the rollers, the wood then expands
in both directions, so that the veneer that has passed between the rollers becomes
thinner but also broader. By this means the upper as well as the lower side of
the veneer is mellowed or loosened and becomes fibrous while at the same time the
middle is maintained in its former state, so that the whole is still kept together.⚫

page_text: As the inner part of the veneer is not loosoned or mellowed but rather compressed,
the matches made of veneer prepared in this way will be rather stiff.
The veneer prepared in the above described manner is thus to be cut into splinte
in any well known manner. If the veneer for instance is caused to pass between
another pair of rollers provided with sharp edges which touch each other and
placed at a distanco apart corresponding to the width and thickness of the match
there is out from the veneer a certain number of matches the core of which consists
of wood in an unchanged condition or somewhat compressed, while the outer por-
tions consists in the material, loosened for mellowed by the treatment above
described which material in the latter treatment is somewhat compressed, so that
it obtains a form corresponding to the form of the grooves, which may be round
or angular.
Matches prepared in this way are then coated with stearine or other suitable fat,
so that this penetrates the porous portion of the material.
The matches thus provided with stearine are then cut in suitable lengths and
provided with fulminate in the ordinary manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of matches consisting of a core of wood with a cover of
stearine or other suitable fat, the method of preparing the wood, so that it can
absorb greater or smaller quantities of stearine or other suitable fat, consisting
in loosening or mellowing the wood (which has been previously cut into voncer
by mechanical treatment), on the upper as well as on the lower side, in such a
manner that the core of the material remains unchanged.
2. A special process for effecting the mechanical treatment of the wood, stated
in claim 1, consisting in pressing the veneer between grooved rollers, sa adjusted
that the grooves enter somewhat into the veneer, without completely penetrating it.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C. Agent for the Applicant.