AN IMPROVED FIRE-LIGHTER
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN FLETCHER WILES, of 3, Park Place, Old Charlton Village, in the
County of Kent, Insurance Broker, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED FIRE-LIGHTER," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved fire-lighter. In carrying the said Invention
into practice I take a block of wood about six inches long by three inches deep
and about one inch thick or a block of any other suitable dimensions and by means
of a band saw or other suitable means cut the same from one end to the other in a
zigzag manner or in other words in such a manner that the two parts of the block
thus divided have a series of teeth or tapered projections each of such two parts
of the block thus divided being intended to serve as a fire-lighter. In order to
increase the draught and improve the burning properties of such fire-lighters I
prefer to cut a groove in both of the longitudinal edges of the said block prior
to cutting the latter into two parts such groove being sufficiently deep to intersect
the apex of the teeth or pointed projections afterwards formed by the band saw
or other device in the act of dividing the block into two parts. If desired I can
still further increase. the draught through my improved fire-lighter by boring
(centrally or nearly so) a longitudinal hole through the block prior to cutting the
same into two parts as above explained. It will follow therefore that when the
said block, is divided as above described there will be a hole through each of the
teeth on the two fire-lighters produced by such division through which hole air
can pass.
I prefer to dip my improved fire-lighter in resin or some other inflammable
liquid or composition to facilitate the lighting of the same but it will be evident
that this is not imperative as such fire-lighter may be employed without any
inflammable material thereon.

page_text: I JOHN FLETCHER WILES of 3 Park Place Old Charlton Village in the County
of Kent, Insurance Broker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for AN IMPROVED FIRE-LIGHTER 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 an improved fire-lighter and is illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side view of a block of wood shewing my method of cutting or
dividing the same so as to produce two fire-lighters and
Figure 2 is a similar view representing one of such fire-lighters produced by
outting the said block in the manner hereinafter described.
.
Figure 3 is an end view of the block shewn in Figure 1 and
Figure 4 is an end view of the fire-lighter shewn in Figure 2.
Figure 5 represents a similar view to Figure 2 of a fire-lighter wherein the teeth
or projections are more pointed than those shewn in such Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a perspective view representing a block of wood cut according to my
Invention so as to produce two fire lighters.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing..
In carrying the said Invention into practice I take a block a of wood about six
inches long by three inches deep and about one inch thick or a block of any other
suitable dimensions and through the medium of a band-saw or other suitable
means cut the same from one end to the other in a zigzag manner or in other
words in such a manner that the two parts bc of the block thus divided have a
series of teeth or projections d as shewn each of such parts of the block thus
divided being intended to serve as one fire-lighter.
The block may however be cut so that the teeth or projections have other forms
than that shewn in the Drawing without departing from the spirit of my
Invention.
In order to increase the draught and improve the burning properties of such
fire-lighters I prefer to cut a groove e in both of the longitudinal edges of the
block a prior to cutting the same into two parts such groove being sufficiently
deep to intersect the apex of the teeth or projections d afterwards formed by the
band saw or other device in the act of dividing the block into two parts. If
desired I can still further increase the draught by boring (centrally or nearly so)
through the block a a longitudinal hole f prior to cutting the said block into two
parts. It will follow therefore that when the said block is divided as above
described there will be a hole ƒ through each of the teeth on the fire-lighters
produced by such division through which hole air can pass and thus facilitate
combustion.
I prefer to dip my improved fire-lighter in resin or some other inflammable
liquid or composition to facilitate the lighting of the same but it will be evident
that this is not imperative as such fire-lighters may be employed without any
inflammable material thereon,

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention and shewn how the same
may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice I wish it understood
that I claim
A fire-lighter constructed in the manner herein set forth so that it has a series of
teeth or projections & which may or may not have grooves e or both grooves c and
holes f therein substantially as described.