AN IMPROVED MATCH-BOX, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER BOXES."
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Julius Jacoby at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 15th September 1880.
ff
JULIUS JACOBY, of King Street, Covent Garden, in the County of Middlesex.
'AN IMPROVED MATCH-BOX, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
BOXES."
My Invention relates to an improved box or apparatus designed chiefly for con-
taining lucifer-matches, and for delivering them, one by one, from the interior to the
exterior of the box as they are required for use. The said box may however
be used advantageously for pins, needles, or any similar articles.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I construct the said box or apparatus
in the following manner, that is to say:-I provide a case which is open at its lower
part or bottom, and has within it two inclined pieces extending downward from
the top, or near the top, in such a manner that the lower edges of these pieces
converge towards, but do not touch, each other, a narrow slit or opening being
left between them to receive a blade or pusher hereinafter described.
The two
said inclined pieces form the floor or bottom of the receptacle for the matches, which
are inserted through a long narrow slit in the top or upper part of the aforesaid
case, which slit is exactly opposite to and of the same length as the slit in the
floor of the match-receptacle. The top portion of this receptacle is formed by the
cover or top part of the case, and the walls of the receptacle are formed by a
portion of the walls of the case, that is to say, the upper portion of the said case
forms the receptacle or holder for the matches. This upper part or cover may
be either slanting, curved, or flat, and may have upon its outer surface the
sand-paper composition or other material upon, or by, which the matches are to
be ignited.
I also provide a base, to the centre of which a thin flat piece is securely fixed
in such a manner that it projects upward at right angles to the plane of the base,
and extends longitudinally nearly, but not quite, from end to end of the latter,
that is to say, a space is left at each end of the base beyond the end of the vertical
flat piece. This flat piece is covered by the case above described, and forms the
blade or pusher herein before mentioned, being fitted in guides provided within
the said case in such a manner that the case may move vertically upon the said
flat piece or blade. When the sliding case is in its normal position the lower part
thereof rests upon the base, and the blade or pusher, which passes through the

page_text: slit in the floor of the match-receptacle, projects slightly above the cover through
the slit in the same. The said blade or pusher has a longitudinal groove in its
upper edge, and when it is desired to cause a match to be delivered from the
interior of the receptacle the case is lifted vertically from the base until the upper
grooved edge of the pusher or blade lies within the slit in the floor of the match-
receptacle, and consequently below the mass of matches in the latter; a stop being
provided to prevent the case from rising too high. Then the case is puslied
downward to its place of rest over the blade or pusher, and when the latter again
projects through the slit in the top of the case it brings with it a match, which
lies in the groove of the pusher in a convenient position to be taken therefrom
and.used. It will thus be seen that as long as there are any matches in the
receptacle they may be very conveniently removed therefrom, one at a time, by
simply lifting and depressing the case. The inclined position of the floor of the
said receptacle causes the matches to tend towards the centre thereof, so that
however many or few matches there may be in the receptacle there will always
be one in the proper position to be caught and brought up by the pusher.
By means of my Invention the matches are kept in a very safe manner, for the
reason that they are at no time exposed, as in ordinary match-boxes when the
latter are opened, but are enclosed on all sides, excepting when the case is in its
_highest position, at which time-the-only-opening is the narrow slit at the top.
My improved box or apparatus may be made of wood, metal, earthenware, or
of any other suitable material.
When the said apparatus-is-to-be-used-for-pins, needles, or-the-like,-its-
_construction_will_be_similar_to_that_above_described,_with_the_exception_of_obvious_
modifications, which will be sufficiently apparent without description.