IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FIRE LIGHTERS AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME AND PRINTING THEREON
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOSEPH COWAN of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Cabinet Maker,
and ABRAHAM JACOB WOLF SAMUEL of Liverpool aforesaid Merchant do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE
TO FIRE LIGHTERS AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING THE
SAME AND PRINTING THEREON, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to produce a fire-lighter which would be better
adapted for the purpose of lighting fires than many of those at present in use and
at the same time to utilize it as an advertising medium.
Chips or fire-lighters made from pine or other kinds of timber are at present
universally made by cutting the wood into short lengths and splitting it into
narrow pieces, leaving the longest dimension in the direction of the grain of the
wood. These when burning (especially when spruce deal is the wood used) crackle
and spark about creating a very unpleasant noise and are also dangerous, the sparks
often flying about for some distance.
We have found that this crackling and sparking may be avoided by cutting the
wood into thin slices across the grain, thus forming thin flat fire-wood or fire-lighters
of about a quarter of an inch in thickness in the direction of the grain of the wood.
We accordingly take a plank or log of wood preferably of spruce deal to produce
fire-lighters of the size required, say twelve inches by three inches and of any
convenient length. This plank or log is then placed on a bed such as is used in
connection with an ordinary saw-mill and moved along at each cut of the saw by a
toothed wheel or roller actuated by ratchet and pawl or by other convenient
mechanism. On a frame at one end of the bed we arrange a circular saw.
The
frame carrying the circular saw is what is known in connection with a swing cross-
cut. The saw is cut with a flame tooth so as to cut in both directions.
Hinged or pivoted to the end of the bed of the machine is a frame carrying type
and at each successive stroke or cut of the saw this frame is raised into a position
at right angles to the bed of the machine with its surface parallel to the end of the
plank of wood, and as the wood is moved on, the two come in contact leaving the
imprint from the type upon the end of the wood which is then cut off forming a
fire-lighter with the imprint of the advertisement thereon. As soon as the wood
Frmine Rd 1

page_text: and the type have been in contact and preferably before the cutting action of the
saw commences on the return stroke, the frame carrying the type assumes a flat
position and by a roller or brush being passed over it receives the ink for the next
impression.
Instead of type a stereotype or a wood block or other similar thing may be used
to print from, or the printing may be effected after the fire-lighters leave the cutting
machine. In this case we could use several saws on the one spindle, then cut off
any number of pieces at each operation of the saw. We prefer the method
described.
We may say that fire-lighters prepared in this manner burn more clearly and
brightly and longer and with a much better flame than chips prepared in the usual
manner as above described, and further we find that they are much more easily
ignited, not requiring the paper which is at present used.

page_text: We JOSEPH COWAN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Cabinet Maker,
and ABRAHAM JACOB WOLF SAMUEL, of Liverpool, aforesaid, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE
TO FIRE LIGHTERS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING THE
SAME, AND PRINTING THEREON" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this Invention is to produce a fire lighter which would be better
adapted for the purpose of lighting fires than many of those at present in use, and
at the same time to utilize it as an advertising medium.
Chips or firelighters made from pine, or other kinds of timber, are at present
made by cutting the wood into short lengths and splitting it into narrow pieces,
leaving the longest dimension in the direction of the grain of the wood. These
when burning (especially when spruce deal is the wood used) crackle and spark
about, creating a very unpleasant noise, and are also dangerous the sparks often
flying about for some distance.
We have found that this crackling and sparkling may be avoided by cutting the
wood into thin slices across the grain, thus forming thin flat fire wood or fire
lighters of about a quarter of an inch in thickness in the direction of the grain of
the wood. We accordingly take a plank or log of wood, preferably of spruce deal,
to produce fire lighters of the size required, say twelve inches by three inches and
of any convenient length, and from this plank or log cut the firelighters preferably
at right angles, though at any angle approximately thereto will answer the same
purpose more or less efficiently.
In carrying out this Invention we have designed and use the machine, which,
together with its parts, is shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 shews an elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2 a plan.
Figs. 3 and 4 enlarged detail view of table or rest for the wood and supports for
the saw blades when a number are used.
Fig. 5 enlarged plan apparatus for printing on the firelighters.
Fig. 6 side elevation of apparatus shewn in Fig. 5.
In these like letters refer to like parts.
A is a framework of cast iron, wood or other suitable material which supports
the working parts of the machine. B is a table on which the log or plank to be
sawn is placed, supported by the framework A. The wood is laid on this table
and moved slowly along it by the action of the machine a given distance at each
stroke of the saw. This motion is conveyed and transmitted from a belt on the
driving pulley C, through the bevel wheels D, the transverse shaft d, and an
eccentric e to the swinging arm or rod E. E¹ is another swinging arm or rod.
These rods are suspended from brackets F and F and to them is attached a
horizontal bar G with a spring catch g at one end. The bar G receives a transverse
reciprocating motion from the eccentric e. The spring catch g presses down into
the wood when the bar moves in one direction, but passes over it when moving in
the opposite direction so thereby an intermittent feed is established. The position
of the spring catch g holds the wood steady during the operation of sawing. I is a
swinging frame supported and pivoted on a shaft J running in suitable brackets j.
i are bushes through which the shaft J passes and from which the swing frame-I is
suspended. The shaft. J receives motion at a high speed from a strap on the

page_text: pulley J. The frame I is preferably of metal and of light construction, and
carries at its other extremity a shaft K which is driven at high speed by straps
from the pulleys J' unto the pulleys K¹. Two pulleys are shewn on each shaft for
connecting them as we consider that this arrangement is best, though one only on
each might be used if preferred. The shaft K is carried in suitable bearings and
to one end of it is affixed one or more (one only is shewn in the Drawings) circular
saws L cut with flaine teeth. When the frame I is suspended perpendicularly the
centre of the saw L should be directly over the centre of the block of wood to be
cut. The frame I working on its bearings at i receives a swinging movement and
at each movement backwards and forwards cuts a length off the end of the plank
or log. The object in cutting the circular saw with Blame" teeth is that it may be
cut when moving in either direction through the wood. Around the circular saw
is fixed a casing L¹ preferably of metal which acts as a guard to prevent anything
falling onto the saw, but its chief object is that it acts as a fan cover and causes a
draught of air which carries away the sawdust from the teeth of the saw and thus
facilitates the action of sawing. Motion is conveyed to the frame I from the
shaft by means of the elliptical gearing M, toothed gearing would answer the
purpose, but we prefer the elliptical as shewn, as it gives the slowest travel to the
saw frame at the centre of the swing when the most work is being performed,
rather than, as would be the case with spur gearing, at the commencement and
finish of its swing. The ellipse M' is connected with the frame I by means of a
connecting rod m attached to a pin m¹ on its face. The machine as above described
is complete for cutting the wood and producing the fire lighters, but in order to
utilize the same as an advertising medium we print upon one or both sides of each.
This may be done at a separate operation, and when printed on both sides must be
so as far as one side is concerned. When the printing is intended to be on both
sides we prefer to have the printing done by a separate machine and at an
independent operation; in this case and in order to facilitate the cutting of the
wood, we aflix a number of circular saws to the shaft K and of course at each
stroke or swing of the saw frame cut off a number of pieces corresponding to the
number of the saws used. When it is intended to print on one side of the fire
lighter only, and at the same operation and in the same machine as that in which
the wood is cut, we use only one saw blade as shown in the Drawings and attach
to the end of the framing A the printing apparatus as shown in Fig. 1. This
consists of the apparatus shown in detail on Sheet 3. The type, or preferably a
casting taken from the type, in either metal or india rubber, is affixed to a frame
or plate O, (a plate is shown). The plate O is provided with pius o one at each
end, upon which it is pivoted so as to be able to freely turn. These pins pass
through slots in a fixed frame or bracket P which offer no resistance and enter into
a hole or socket o¹ in a reciprocating frame O¹. This frame receives motion from
the connecting rods p¹. The pivoted type plate O carries at one end a bracket oll
with a slot or groove in which works the pin p of the fixed bracket P. By the
action of the pin in the groove the plate O is caused to assume a horizontal position,
as shewn in Fig. 5, when withdrawn from the surface to be be printed on, and
assume a vertical position, or a position in any plane parallel to the surface to be
printed upon, when moved forward towards that surface. The object of altering
the position of the plate O is for the purpose of supplying the type or characters
with the ink from which they are to print. The ink is contained in a tank Q.
This tank has a perforated bottom covered with one or more pads q of hair, felt,
flannel or other similar material, through which the ink may slowly pass and keep
the outer surface moist. At each stroke of the printing surface the type is supplied
with fresh ink therefrom. The end of the connecting rod p¹ carries a projection R,
inclined to both back and front, which passes under a small roller R' on the ink
tank and thereby raises the tank. When the incline R has passed from under the
roller R¹, the tank then descends. The end of the connecting rod p¹ where it
engages with the pin p is provided with a slot which allows the frame O¹ to
remain at rest during part of the travel of the rod; by this means when the

page_text: forward movement again begins the end of the incline R engages with the roller K¹
and raises the ink pad g off the type plate O before any motion is given to the
latter. On the return movement the type plate O is returned to the position
shewn in Fig. 5, by the springs S, which have been compressed in the forward
movement acting against the fixed frame P. The necessity for these springs is
obvious as the pin p is at the end of the slot, and on the change of direction of
motion of the connecting rod the pin p¹ would not be acted upon. The tank
moves up and down on slides T. U is an inlet for filling the tank and for
admitting air. When it is required to change the ink in use to that of a different
colour this can easily be done by simply removing the tank Q and placing another
of similar construction on the slides and containing the ink of required colour.
This part of our Invention may be used in combination with the cutting
machine as shewn in Fig. 1, or separately and independently from it for printing
on the firelighters after they have been cut off by a number of saws, or for
printing the reverse side. In this case the cut pieces would be led forward on a
travelling band, or passed down a shoot, a fresh side or piece being presented at
each stroke of the printing surface.
We may say that fire lighters prepared in this manner, burn more clearly and
brightly and longer and with a much better flame than chips prepared in the
usual manner, and further we find that they are much more easily ignited, not
requiring the paper which is at present used, more particularly if slightly saturated
with a little paraffin oil, which we intend to use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1st. As a new article of manufacture, a firelighter composed of a piece of timber
cut transversely with the grain of the. wood preferably at right angles, but so that
its shortest dimension shall be in the direction of the grain, either with or without
printing matter thereon, substantially as described.
2nd. The manufacture and use of a machine or apparatus for cutting firelighters,
in which the wood to be cut is fed up with an intermittent action in the direction
of its length, and cut transversely into pieces of a required thickness by means of
"swing cross cut" saws (with one or more revolving on a shaft), substantially as
and for the purposes described.
3rd. In a machine for printing or stamping on fire lighters an ink tank working
on slides, and raised from and lowered to the type by means of a projecting portion
of the connecting rod which propels the type plate or frame, substantially as
described and shewn.
4th. The combination with a machine for cutting fire lighters, of a printing
apparatus for making impression on same, substantially as and for the purposes
described.