Improvements in and relating to Match Holders or Stands.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 30th May, 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Match Holders or Stands.
I, AUGUSTE GERKEN, of 6 Rue du Bequinage, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
My invention relates to match holders or stands.
It has for its object to produce a match holder or stand having an exchangeable
rubber or igniting device, and studied with a view to its practical and economical
construction and to the fulfilment of all conditions required for its use for domestic
and public purposes.
The great extension of the employment of Swedish matches has given to this
question a considerable importance, and numerous systems have been proposed for
its solution, it may however be affirmed that the combinations devised up to the
present time do not satisfactorily fulfil all the exigencies, some being imperfect
and inconvenient in use, and others being of too complicated construction and
too expensive so that there are many obstacles to their general employment.
The systems which have given the least satisfaction are the cylindrical match
holds or stands, because on the one hand the lighting is difficult in this sense
that the match holder or stand has always to be held with one hand so as not to
upset it, while on the other hand the rubber or igniting device requires to be of
hard material, as the rubbers or igniting devices of soft material, not bearing on a
resistant base, are liable to be torn. The match holders or stands with a conical
receptacle not having this defect are too costly in construction, because it is
necessary to place in the conical receptacle a cylindrical cup for holding the
matches which without this provision, when there are only a few matches in the
receptacle, fall down upon the very wide bottom and cannot be taken out without
turning over the receptacle.
Now the improved match holder or stand which forms the subject of my said
invention appertains to the conical systems, but is arranged in such a manner that
the cylindrical cup shall be superfluous and that a rubber or igniting device of any
kind may be applied and removed with the greatest facility by any person.
This match holder or stand has a conical receptacle chased or beaten out from
a single piece of sheet copper or other similar material.
The base of the conical part is connected with a cylindrical socle forming a
slight shoulder which serves as a seat at the lower end of the rubber or igniting
device consisting of any appropriate material such as fine sheet metal, paper cloth
or the like coated with an igniting paste and which fits simply upon the cone,
which latter terminates at the top in a cylindrical edge with an interior flange
presenting two diametrically opposite notches which serve for the passage of two
corresponding nipples formed by punches in the cover ring whose flange bent
outwaids and constituting the final moulding bears against the upper edge of the
rubber or igniting device which is thus held in its place when the nipples are
turned below the flange after the manner of a bayonet joint, the whole being thuз
firmly fitted together and having a finished appearance.
The employment of the simple ring, or moulding in combination with the single
chased hollow body of the match holder or stand does not appreciably increase the
first cost of this article, whereas such is not the case when it is necessary to provide
the holder or stand interiorly with an additional cylindrical cup for the reception

page_text: of the matches even if held in its simplest form in one piece with the ring in order
to be applied with the latter to the conical body of the match holder or stand.
The great difference which this cylindrical cup effects in the cost price arises from
the fact that it is almost impossible to chase the same and has therefore to be made
in several parts, thereby considerably increasing the cost of manufacture apart
from the increase of the price due to the greater quality of material used.
As
This cup may be dispensed with if, instead of a flat bottom in the conical space
upon which the matches bear, use is made of a concave bottom so that the matches
when they are free always tend to slide with their heads towards the centre and
bear with their extremities against the said ring so as never to be turned over.
long as the matches are pressed one against the other they are held up and it matters
little what form the bottom has, but when they become loose they are left to
themselves and according to their position upon a flat bottom they turn over and
cannot then be taken hold of. This inconvenience is completely obviated by the
concave bottom which unites the heads at its centre so that the rods will always
bear against the edge of the receptacle, will not turn over and can always be
taken out with facility. This concave bottom which is easily chased may be fixed
in the cone with solder or otherwise without any difficulty.
The same arrangement may evidently be used with the same facility in the case
of cylindrical match holders or stands, but as stated I prefer the conical form,
because it permits of the use of less rigid rubbers or igniting devices like those of
cloth, paper or the like, which being much cheaper than the rubbers or igniting
devices made of sheet metal are naturally preferable in most of the applications.
It is certain that a match holder or stand having an exchangeable rubber or
igniting device could not be made more economically nor could a simpler arrange-
ment be used than the said ring for fixing and exchanging the rubber or igniting
device, several of which may thus always be kept in reserve, because any one may
replace them so that the question is really reduced to that of a simple match holder
or stand which may be filled with matches at will in the ordinary manner so that
the exchange need not be effected by the match maker as with most of the systems
in use with all the trouble and inconveniences and the different modes of packing
which cause so much useless expense and constructional difficulties.
The match holder or stand thus constructed may also be transformed at will for
the use of ordinary matches by simply replacing the rubber with igniting material
by a non-chemical rubber, and as such I prefer to use a jacket of fine sheet metal
perforated with a great number of small holes so as produce as rough a surface as
possible by the displacement and the piercing of the metal which forms the
rubber.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Match Holders or Stands.
I, AUGUSTE GERKEN, of 6 Rue du Beguinage, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to match holders or stands. It has for its object to
produce a match holder or stand having an exchangeable rubber or igniting device,
and studied with a view to its practical and economical construction and to the
fulfilment of all conditions required for its use for domestic and public purposes.
The great extension of the employment of Swedish matches has given to this

page_text: question a considerable importance, and numerous systems have been proposed for
its solution, it may however be affirmed that the combinations devised up to the-
present time do not satisfactorily fulfil all the exigencies, some being imperfect
and inconvenient in use, and others being of too complicated construction and too
expensive so that there are many obstacles to their general employment.
The systems which have given the least satisfaction are the cylindrical match
holders or stands, because on the one hand the lighting is difficult in this sense that
the match holder or stand has always to be held with one hand so as not to upset
it, while on the other hand the rubber or igniting device requires to be of hard
material, as the rubbers or igniting devices of soft material, not bearing on a
resistant base, are liable to be torn. The match-holders or stands with a conical
receptacle not having this defect are too costly in construction, because it is
necessary to place in the conical receptacle a cylindrical cup for holding the
matches which without this provision, when there are only a few matches in the-
receptacle, fall down upon the very wide bottom and cannot be taken out without
turning over the receptacle.
Now the improved match holder or stand which forms the subject of my said
invention appertains to the conical systems, but is arranged in such a manner that
the cylindrical cup shall be superfluous and that a rubber or igniting device of any
kind may be applied and removed with the greatest facility by any person.
The improved match holder or stand is represented by way of example in the
accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a match holder provided with a flat bottom.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the application of a curved bottom.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 2 with the cover ring removed and
Figures 4 and 5 are an elevation and section respectively of a non-chemical
friction device.
As shown in Figure 1 the conical receptacle is made from a single piece of sheet
copper or other similar material.
The base of the conical part C is connected with a cylindrical socle S forming
a slight shoulder which serves as a seat s at the lower end of the rubber or igniting
device F consisting of any appropriate material such as fine sheet metal, paper
cloth or the like coated with an igniting paste and which fits simply upon the
cone C, which latter terminates at the top in a cylindrical edge with an interior
flange in which are cut two diametrically opposite notches e which serve for the
passage of two corresponding nipples t formed by punches in the cover-ring B whose
Hanger bent outwards and constituting the final moulding bears against the upper
edge of the rubber or igniting device F which is thus held in its place when the
nipples are turned below the flange b after the manner of a bayonet joint, the whole
being thus firmly fitted together and having a finished appearance.
The employment of the simple ring or moulding B in combination with the single
chased hollow body of the match holder or stand does not appreciably increase the
first cost of this article, whereas such is not the case when it is necessary to provide
the holder or stand interiorly with an additional cylindrical cup for the reception
of matches, even if held in its simplest form in one piece with the ring B in order
to be applied with the latter to the conical body of the match holder or stand.
The great difference which this cylindrical cup effects in the cost price arises from
the fact that it is almost impossible to chase the same and has therefore to be
made in several parts, thereby considerably increasing the cost of manufacture
apart from the increase of the price due to the greater quantity of material used.
This cup may be dispensed with if, instead of a flat bottom in the conical space
upon which the matches bear, use is made of a concave bottom so that the matches
when they are free always tend to slide with their heads towards the centre and bear
with their extremities against the said ring B so as never to be turned over.
long as the matches are pressed one against the other they are held up and it
matters little what form the bottom has, but when they become loose they are left
to themselves and according to their position upon a flat bottom they turn over
As

page_text: and cannot then be taken hold of, as shown in Figure 1.
This inconvenience is
completely obviated by the concave bottom which causes the heads to collect at
its centre so that the stems will always bear against the edge of the receptacle will
not turn over and can always be taken out with facility. This concave bottom
which is easily chased may be fixed in the cone with solder or otherwise without
any difficulty.
The same arrangement may evidently be used with the same facility in the case
of cylindrical match holders or stands, but as stated I prefer the conical form,
because it permits of the use of less rigid rubbers or igniting devices like those of
cloth, paper or the like, which being much cheaper than the rubbers or igniting
devices made of sheet metal are naturally preferable in most of the applications.
It is certain that a match holder or stand having an exchangeable rubber or
igniting device could not be made more economically nor could a simpler arrange-
ment he used than the said ring B for fixing and exchanging the rubber or igniting
device, several of which may thus always be kept in reserve, because any one may
replace them so that the question is really reduced to that of a simple match
holder or stand which may be filled with matches at will in the ordinary manner so
that the exchange need not be effected by the match maker as with most of the
systems in use with all the trouble and inconveniences and the different modes of
packing which cause so much useless expense and constructional difficulties.
The match holder or stand thus constructed may also be transformed at will for
the use of ordinary matches by simply replacing the rubber with igniting material
by a non-chemical rubber, and as such I prefer to use a jacket of fine sheet metal F
perforated with a great number of small holes so as to produce as rough a surface
as possible by the displacement and the piercing of the metal which forms the rubber
as shown in Figures 4 and 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An improved match holder or stand with exchangeable rubber or igniting
device, the essential feature being the concavity of the bottom which causes the
matches to converge toward the centre so that they are prevented from turning
over, further the arrangement, at the edge of the receptacle, of a ring with
bayonet joint enclosing the upper edge of the rubber or igniting device the said
ring being held in place at the upper edge upon a shoulder piece or flange of the
match holder.
2. A rubber or igniting device for matches consisting of a thin sheet metal plate
pierced with numerous very small holes arranged closely together, the perforation
being effected by displacing the material so as to suitably roughen the outer surface
in order to produce the necessary friction for igniting the matches when rubbed
along such surface.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.