Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Fire Kindlers.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Fire Kindlers.
A communication from BENJAMIN BARNARD JENKINS, of the Town of Barrie, in
the County of Simcoe, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, Mechanic.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 :-
The object of the invention is to design a fire kindler of such a substance as will
soak up
and retain a sufficient quantity of an igniting fluid to light the fire, and yet
when the fluid is lit will be indestructible during the process of combustion, thereby
enabling the kindler to be used again and again, and it consists essentially of a
cylindrical or other suitably formed block preferably made of asbestos, clay, borax
and glue in the proportions and in the manner hereinafter described, and having
secured in it a ring or hook by which it may be lifted and placed in the stove in
position in the stove or igniting fluid.
Fig. is a perspective view of the kindler in an oil-can with lifter applied to
remove it after it has been sufficiently soaked.
A is the kindler block which is preferably made up of the following ingredients,
which by weight consist of;-
Asbestos 50 parts; clay 35 parts: borax 10 parts; and glue 5 parts. These
parts are mixed together, the glue being first dissolved, so as to form a stiff'
paste.
A quantity of this mixture sufficient to form one lighter is taken and roughly
formed into shape, and a piece of wire is placed in the centre with the ring pro-
jecting sufficiently to enable the kindler to be lifted.
The whole is now pressed into a mould suitably constructed for the purpose,
so as to completely eject the surplus water, and thereby form a solid mass.
This is then left to dry or harden or is preferably baked over a fire and then the
kindler is complete.
The block A may be cylindrical or in any other suitable form the peculiar
capilliary attractive property of the asbestos tending to soak up the oil with great
rapidity and then retain it. In fact my correspondent finds in practice that
a few seconds only are required to soak up a sufficient quantity to light
a fire.
Although it is preferred to use the ingredients in the proportions specified
above it will be understood that a less quantity of clay may be used or either the
borax or glue left out. It is found from experience however that the ingredients
and proportions specified above give the best result and produce a fire kindler, most
economical in its use of the igniting fluid and practically indestructible from
abrasion or any other cause.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. As a new article of manufacture a fire kindler composed of a block formed of
asbestos, clay, borax and glue, in the manner shown, in combination with the
ring the stem of which extends partly through the kindler as and for the purpose
specified.
2. The process of making the fire kindler which consists of mixing the ingredients
with water the pressing a sufficient quantity of the mixture in a suitable press or

page_text: mould to eject the water and then finally drying or baking the solid block formed
in the mould as specified.
Dated this.8th day of June 1891.
WP. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.