IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE-LIGHTERS
Year: 1876

page_text: 1
LETTERS PATENT to James Templeman, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Artificial Fuel Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-LIGHTERS,"
Sealed the 21st July 1876, and dated the 26th January 1876,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Templeman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th January 1876.
JAMES TEMPLEMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Artificial Fuel Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-LIGHTERS."
This Invention has reference to improvements upon the Invention for which
Royal Letters Patent were granted to the Petitioner, No. 3244, dated 15th
November 1867; and has for its object their more speedy and convenient
ignition.
And the nature and novelty of this Invention consist in attaching one or more
projecting pieces of a richer or more inflammable material to the surface or body of
the fire-lighter, preferably with a corresponding hollow part slightly larger on the
opposite side to facilitate the packing of the fire-lighters into smaller space, by
enabling the projecting part of one lighter to enter the hollow part of another.
These igniting projecting pieces are preferably made separately in lengths, round or
polygonal, and afterwards cut into short pieces for attachment to the fire-lighters,
partially sunk into holes of a corresponding round or polygonal shape compressed
or formed right through the fire-lighters (as the other interstices are in the former
patented Invention above referred to) so as to leave a sufficient depth of recess on
the opposite side. As a rule one of these igniting and projecting pieces is found
to be sufficient in the centre of each fire-lighter, but two or more may be used
placed in suitable positions and at regulated distances apart. These igniting pieces
are preferably used for densely compressed fire-lighters made of poor material, such
as soft wood sawdust with a small proportion of rosin, pitch, or other resinous or
oleaginous substances, which are found to require some means of lighting them
quickly; and they are by preference formed of sawdust with a much larger pro-
portion of resinous or oleaginous substance than the fire-lighter contains, or they
may be made of porous wood, cork, rope, tow, or other similar material steeped,
boiled, or dipped in oil, or resinous, or oleaginous substances, and are secured by
melted rosin, pitch, or other suitable sealing or adhesive material into their holes, or
it might be on to the plain surface of the fire-lighters opposite the corresponding
hollow on the other side.
Although these igniting pieces have been described as made separately and fixed
on or into t'e fire-lighter to facilitate their lighting and burning, it is obvious that
[Price fid

page_text: they may be compressed or formed on the one surface of the fire-lighter when that
is male of a richer mixture of materials than the body, as described in the said
former patented Invention; or an equivalent to these lighting projections may be
formed by dropping or laying a mixture of semi-liquid or melted rosin and other
rich burning material, as sawdust, on to the surface of the fire-lighter, and where
the fire lighters are specially desired to be closely packed, as for storage or distant
transit or shipment, the hollows on the one side for the corresponding projections to
fit into may be dispensed with.
It is to be understood that these projecting igniting pieces when made separately
may be sent out to the users in that state, for being inserted into the-holes made
for them in the fire-lighters themselves before being lighted, when the fire-lighter
would be turned with the lighted projection downwards to ignite the whole.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Templeman in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 24th July
1876.
JAMES TEMPLEMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Arti-
ficial Fuel Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-LIGHTERS."
My said Invention has reference to 'improvements upon the Invention for which
Royal Letters Patent were granted to me, No. 3244, dated 15th November 1867;
and has for its object the more speedy and convenient ignition of fire-lighters made
under or in accordance with the improvements of that Patent.
--- 2
And the nature and novelty of this Invention and mode of performing it consist
in attaching one or more projecting pieces (as A, A³,) of a richer or more inflam-
mable material to the surface or body of the fire-lighter (as A), preferably with a
corresponding hollow part (as A¹) slightly larger on the opposite side of the fire-
lighter to facilitate their being packed over each other in smaller space, by enabling
the projecting parts (A² or A³) to enter the hollow parts (A¹) of another. These
new igniting projecting pieces A are preferably made separately in plain round
blocks, as shown in detached elevation and plan in Figure A2; but they might be
made in lengths equal to two, three, or more, of a round, polygonal, or other shape,
as shown in Figures 11 to 13 in elevation and plan; and afterwards cut at 2
into the short pieces A as required for attachment to the fire-lighters, preferably
by inserting them into slightly larger corresponding round or polygonal holes A¹
formed right through the fire-lighter A, Figure 1 (as the other interstices a are by
core pieces projecting up within the moulds while being compressed, as described in
the Specification of the said former patented Invention), so as to leave a sufficient
depth of recess on the under or opposite side, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, for the
projection of the lighter A2 below or next it to enter into in packing them, as shown
in Figure 3. As a rule, one of these igniting or projecting pieces is found to be
sufficient in the centre of each fire-lighter; but two or more may be used placed in
suitable positions, and at regulated distances apart, as indicated in dotted lines
at A*, in Figure 4, for example, so that in packing the lighters each projection
would be sure to enter the proper hole made for it in the fire-lighter placed next it.
These igniting pieces A2 or A³ are essentially for the more certain and easy lighting
or ignition of densely compressed fire-lighters made chiefly of poor burning material
mixed a small proportion of highly inflammable material, such as a large proportion
of wood sawdust for the body of the lighter with a small proportion of rosin or
pitch or the residues obtained in the distillation and refining of mineral oils, all as
described in the Specification of the said former Patent, and which when compressed
are found to require some means of lighting them more quickly than heretofore;
and these lighting pieces A2 are by preference formed of a small proportion of saw-
dust with a much larger proportion of rosin, or it might be paraffin, or the crude or
residuary oils obtained from the distillation of bituminous minerals or mineral oils,

page_text: so as to be of a more inflammable nature than the material of which the body is.
composed, the proportions preferred being from 1 part of sawdust to 3 of
ground rosin; or these lighting pieces A² may be made of porous wood, rope, tow,.
or other suitable material dipped, steeped, or boiled in the said oils, or in paraffin or
rosin in a melted state; and then in either case securing them by dipping them in
melted rosin, pitch, glue, or other suitable adhesive or cementing substance into
their holes A', or it might be so sealed or cemented on to the plain surface of the
fire-lighters opposite the corresponding hollows on the other side, though this is
not preferred; or an equivalent to these attached lighting projections A²
may be
formed by placing a simple mould piece A having a hole with tapered sides over
each fire-lighter where the projection is to be formed, as shown in dotted lines in
Figure 5, and then dropping or pressing into the mould a mixture of rosin and other
good burning material, as sawdust, which would adhere to the surface of the fire-
lighter, preferably over a hollow A" previously formed in the other side, so that
the projection A³ so formed after removing the mould A would enter the hollow
A", that is, when the fire-lighters A are specially desired to be closely packed, as
for saving room and freight in distant transit, or shipment, the hollows A¹ and A".
on the one side are made rather larger and to correspond in position to the pro-
jections on the other side, so that these may fit into or over each other.
It is to be understood that these projecting igniting pieces, as A2, when made.
separately, may be sent out to the users in that state, for being tightly inserted into
the holes made for them in the fire-lighters immediately before being lighted.
The fire-lighters A when lighted at their projections A2 or A³, before being placed
in the grate, would be turned with the lighted projections downwards so as to
ignite the whole.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation of a fire-lighter A made in accordance with
my said former patented Invention with the new hole A¹ formed in it for the
insertion of the new or improved projecting igniting or lighting piece A², shown in
elevation and plan detached in Figure A 2; and Figure 2 is a corresponding
sectional elevation of the same fire-lighter A with the projecting ignition piece A³
inserted a short distance into the hole A¹, and fixed by melted rosin or other
equivalent, into which it is dipped before insertion.
Figure 3 shows an elevation of a series of six of these fire-lighters placed over
each other for package and transit, the top lighter being shown in section to show
the projecting piece of one lighter entering the corresponding recess or hole in the
opposite or adjacent side of the fire-lighter next to it; while Figure 4 shows a
plan of the same lighters, preferably made square, also for economizing space in
packing, and with the ventilating interstices a and cross supporting arms a¹, and
made by pressure and heat in moulds with central core pieces and pressing portable
plates and pistons, all substantially in accordance with my said foriner Patent.
Figure shows a sectional elevation of a mode of forming the projecting piece
on the fire-lighter instead of being made separately and inserted into it as described
in reference to the former Figures. In this case the fire-lighter A is made Hat on
the one side, and with a recess A" in the opposite side for the reception of the pro-
jecting piece of the adjacent lighter in packing; which projecting piece A³, in this
case, is afterwards formed on the said flat side of the lighters opposite the said
recess by a small portable hand mould A laid thereon, as indicated in dotted lines
in this Figure, into the recess of which the mixed rosin and sawdust in a molten or
plastic state is inserted or pressed, after which the mould A¹ is removed, leaving
the projection A and fire-lighter A complete all ready for packing and use, as
shown in sectional elevation in Figure 6, Figure 7 showing a plan of the same,
corresponding to Figures 5 and 6.
Figure 8 shows a sectional elevation of a mould B, b, taken on the lines 1 1,
in Figure 9, which is a plan of the same, with the top pressure plate removed, all
for forming the cylindrical projecting pieces A² in lengths suitable for two fire-

page_text: lighters, when cut at the dotted line 2 2, Figure 11, which shows one of these
duplex lighters in elevation and plan as removed from the mould, all as described
in reference to and shown in Figures 1 to 4. The mould box B is shown of a small
size with sixteen cylindrical moulds of the length and diameter suitable for
forming two igniting pieces A² in one with loose pressing and portable pistons E at
the bottom of each mould b resting on a collar or shoulder b₁ at the top of a
smaller hole formed through the bottom of the mould box B, through which pressing
pins F formed or attached to the pressing plate G are reciprocated by the action
of a powerful lever, screw, or hydraulic press (substantially in the same manner
as described in my said former Patent for forming the fire-lighters themselves)
to compress the mixture of materials previously filled into the top of the several
moulds b, over which the pressure sustaining plate F1 is laid and held by the cross
heads or other equivalent of the press itself, the mould box B being fixed by its
handles B¹ or otherwise to the base of the press. After the material has been com-
pressed to the proper extent by the pistons E reaching to the dotted lines 3 - - - 3,
the top pressure plate F¹ is removed, and the mould box B being previously fixed
as stated, the pressers F, G, are still raised until the pistons E reach the top of the
mould box B, carrying the compressed pieces A2 with them to the top ready for
being removed and cut to the desired lengths for insertion into the fire-lighters A,
as before described.
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3,
Figure 10 is a sectional elevation of a slightly different arrangement of mould
box B and pressing piston from that shown in Figures 8 and 9; in this case the
moulds b are made parallel throughout and filled to the top, previously fixed over
the pressure plate E¹ to the bed or frame of the press, with the pressing pistons E¹
made cylindrical and formed or attached to their pressing plate G¹, so as themselves
to compress the lighting projections within the moulds direct (without the inter-
mediate presser F, as in the former modification) and when they have compressed
the material to the proper extent and length, indicated by the dotted lines 3
the pressure plate F¹ is removed or unfastened, so that the continued depression of
the pistons E forces the compressed blocks down out of the moulds b ready for
being removed with or upon the plate FI in readiness for a fresh plate F¹ being
inserted for refilling and repeating the compression of another series of lighters A
Although the moulds b and pistons E, E¹, have been shown cylindrical, as in
Figure 11, they might be made polygonal or fluted, or of other shape, as shown in
elevation and plan in Figures 12 and 13, which might be either inserted and fixed
in a correspondingly shaped or in a round hole, as seen dotted in Figure 13, which
would leave interstices 4 for air to pass up and assist the ignition and combustion
of the lighters A, which in Figures 12 and 13 are shown as made for cutting at
the dotted lines 2 2 to form three igniting pieces; and although the fire-lighters
A have only been shown square, they may be made oval, round, polygonal, or of
other form.
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Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing or putting it into effect or practice, I have to state that I do not confine
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction, application, and use
of highly inflammable projecting lighting pieces A, A³, to the moulded or com-
pressed fire-lighters A, which are made of less inflammable materials, all substan-
tially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings,
or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Templeman, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
JAMES TEMPLEMAN. (LS.)