A NEW AND IMPROVED MEANS OF READILY IGNITING FUEL AND LIGHTING FIRES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and Foreign
Patent Offices, 24, Rue du Mont Thabor, Paris, in the Empire of
France, and 38, Porchester Terrace, Bayswater, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "A NEW AND IMPROVED
MEANS OF READILY IGNITING FUEL AND LIGHTING FIRES."-A communication
from Arsène de Pillon de St. Paul, residing at Saint Germain-en-Laye,
in the Empire of France. Gentleman.
Sealed the 30th August 1867, and dated the 2nd April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd April 1867.
I, HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices,
24, Rue du Mont Thabor, Paris, in the Empire of France, and 38, Porchester
Terrace, Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW AND IMPROVED MEANS
OF READILY IGNITING FUEL AND LIGHTING FIRES," a communication from Arsène
de Pillon de St. Paul, a person resident at Saint Germain-en-Laye, in the
Empire of France, aforesaid, Gentleman, to be as follows:-
The Invention communicated to me relates to an improved means of readily
igniting fuel in fire-places or elsewhere, and consists in impregnating or
covering with resin, or any other inflammable resinous matter first reduced by
the agency of heat to a liquid state in a recipient the ears of maize or Indian
corn from which the grains have been taken away. The spungy substance
which characterises these ears rendily absorbe the resin or resinous matter

page_text: reduced to a liquid state, and in order to light a fire it is merely necessary to
apply an ordinary match to one or more of these ears thus prepared so as to
ignite the same, after which the fuel has only to be added.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville in the Great Seal Patent Office ou
the 30th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI
ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 24, Rue du
Mont Thabor, Paris, in the Empire of France, and 38, Porchester Terrace,
Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, Her special licence that I, the said Henri
Adrien Bonneville, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"A NEW AND IMPROVED MEANS OF READILY IGNITING FUEL AND LIGHTING FIRES,"
a communication from Arsène de Pillon de St. Paul, a person resident at Saint
Germain-en-Laye, in the Empire of France, Gentleman, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The Invention communicated to me relates to an improved means of readily

page_text: igniting fuel in fire-places or elsewhere, and consists in impregnating or
covering with resin, or any other inflammable resinous matter first reduced by
the agency of heat to a liquid state in a recipient, the ears of maize or Indian
corn, generally known by the name of corn cobs, from which the grains have
been taken away. The spungy substance which characterises these ears
readily absorb the resin or resinous matter reduced to a liquid state, and in
order to light a fire it is merely necessary to apply an ordinary match to one
or more of these ears thus prepared so as to ignite the same, after which the
fuel has only to be added.
The corn cobs to be used for the purposes above described must be sub-
jected to a previous treatment which increases their inflammability and their
combustibility. With that view they are plunged and immersed in petroleum
or in turpentine, or in schist oil, or any sort of heavy oil. The substance
employed is readily absorbed. After this preliminary preparation the corn
cobs thus treated are done over with resin or naphthalin, or any other such
like inflammable resinous substance, but preferably with resin or naphthalin.
In order to use the said corn cobs thus prepared it it is merely necessary
to take one or more of them, to light and place the same in contact with the
superincumbent fuel employed so as to set fire to it.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I would have it to be clearly understood that
I do not intend to restrict myself to the special mode of preparation above
described, which may vary without affecting the principle of my said Invention;
but what I claim is, the use for the lighting of tires in furnaces, ovens, stoves,
fire-places, and such like, of the grainless ears or husks of Turkey or Indian
corn or maize, generally known by the name of corn cobs, previously prepared
with oil of petroleum, or turpentine, or schist oil, or other heavy oils, and
combined with any resinous substance or matter, but preferably with resin or
naphthalin, as herein-before substantially set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
H. BONNEVILLE. (L.S.)