IMPROVEMENTS IN LUCIFER MATCHES, FUSEES, AND OTHER SIMILAR LIGHTS, AND IN THE BOXES OR HOLDERS FOR CONTAINING THE SAME
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Squire Bruce, of Great St. Helen's
Bishopsgate Street, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LUCIFER MATCHES, FUSEES, AND OTHER SIMILAR LIGHTS,
AND IN THE BOXES OR HOLDERS FOR CONTAINING THE SAME."-A communica-
tion from abroad by Thomas Jordery, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 7th January 1864, and dated the 7th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Squire Bruce at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th July 1863.
I, WILLIAM SQUIRE BRUCE, of Great St. Helen's, Bishopsgate Street, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUCIFER MATCHES, FUSEES, AND OTHER SIMILAR LIGHTS,
AND IN THE BOXES OR HOLDERS FOR CONTAINING THE SAME," to be as follows, that
is to say:
These improved matches are made by a prolonged immersion in a solution
of nitrate of potash while in a boiling state, the material of which they are
composed being wood or any other substance suitable for the purpose. This
immersion, however, ought only to be partial, so that one half or thereabouts of
the length of the match may be thus prepared, while the other half remains in
its natural state, so that the match when lighted may burn with a flame at one
end and with sparks only at the other, being thus adapted for the various
uses of the common match, and at the same time also adapted to the purpose
of a cigar or pipe light. The match may be prepared to light. at either or both
ends. The improved boxes or holders may be made in various ways, and of

page_text: different materials, chiefly however of reeds or other hollow ligneous substances,
veneer wood, natural cork, or any other suitable material, tinted, painted,
varnished, or stamped, or otherwise ornamented, according to fancy, with
different colors and designs, and may also be covered with colored or other
paper, so as to present when finished a neat and compact appearance. One
of the objects of the improvements in these boxes or holders is to so increase
their strength that the matches or lights contained therein may be protected
from the accidents to which they are constantly liable in the boxes or cases
hitherto used, from their fragile nature, from a broken drawer, and their
liability to be crushed either by the weight of the body or by a number of
articles in the pocket, by which the lights are often ignited, and injury
cr accident ensues.
Another improvement which it is proposed to introduce in these boxes consists
in so forming them as to increase the facility with which a single match can
be taken out; for this purpose the lid is furnished with a suitable aperture,
or made with a portion thereof to open, and these apertures or lids may be
made to open at the sides or ends. The general form which I have adopted
is that of a semi-cylinder, the curved portion being formed from reeds, canes,
or other similar naturally hollow or solid ligneous substances split down the
centre; the two halves are then subjected to a mechanical operation by which
the core or pith is separated from the skin or outer portion, the latter forming the
base of the box. A flat piece is used as a lid, two pieces of cork or other suitable
substance being glued in at either end. The lids may be formed in various ways,
and may either open sideways similar to the lid of a common snuff box, or may
open endways, the lid being glued partially along the top of the box, and
then split about midway; the lid may thus be divided lengthways or crossways,
in the latter case it will be found advantageous to fix the cork end to that
portion of the lid which opens, thus forming a larger aperture for taking out
the match. These boxes may be formed so as to open only at the end. In
order to increase the pliability and durability of these hinges, the flat pieces of
wood (in which the slit is cut) are subjected to a prolonged immersion in
boiling water, which totally deprives them of all resinous particles, leaving
them in a limp state, so that they easily bend. Another mode of forming
these semi-cylindrical boxes is to make the flat side or lid entire, and to slide
in or upon the semi-cylindrical portion; when the sliding lid is placed outside,
the two longitudinal edges are turned slightly up, and are joined in the centre
by a band passing round the curved portion. The lids in all the above cases
are fitted with a strip or strips of india-rubber for holding the folding and
sliding lids in their proper position when closed, and rendering the said boxes

page_text: self-closing. I also propose to form a box with a draw to pull out from the
end; the end of the outer case being closed, the draw is retained in
its closed position by an india-rubber spring as before described. The box last
described is of a rectangular shape. I also propose to form a box of the latter
class with two drawers inverted, the outer being half the length of the inner,
also closed with a spring as before described. I also propose to form a draw
box the outer case of which is open at both ends, but the draw moveable at
one end only, the outer case being cut away in the shape of a lyre, in which the
thumb or finger can traverse in pushing out the drawer, which is also made
self-closing by an india-rubber spring.
The boxes above described are for the pocket.or for ordinary use. Those
for large establishments or for public smoking rooms I propose to make of a
large size, but in such a manner that only one match can be taken therefrom;
for this purpose I divide a box of suitable shape into two parts, in one
of which the matches are placed, and in the other the delivering apparatus.
The bottom of the compartment which contains the matches dips each way to
the centre from the sides, and at each end of the box at the bottom and in a
line with the bottom of the channel are two apertures. In the compartment
which contains the delivering apparatus there is a rod held back by a spring;
this rod is placed in a line with the two apertures before mentioned, and when
pushed forward enters the compartment containing the matches through one
aperture, and pushes out a match at the other, where it can be taken hold of;
the piston when released recovers its former position by the action of
the spring, another match falls into the place of the ejected one, which can
then be delivered in like manner. Another box for similar establishments is
made to contain two rollers, one at the top and the other at the bottom of a
compartment containing the matches; round these rollers a band is stretched,
upon which a number of small shelf-like projections are formed; the axis of
one of these rollers passes through the sides of the box, where it is fitted with
a knob or handle for turning it; this operation puts the band in motion,
each shelf thereon carrying up a match over and round the top roller,, when it
falls through an aperture into a concave receptacle formed outside the box,
where it can be taken as before. Along one edge of these receptacles, and
upon the boxes before described, there is a suitably prepared surface, upon
which the match being subjected to friction by the consumer is ignited or
otherwise ready for use.. The india-rubber springs of the boxes before
described with folding lids are so fitted that while they operate for holding
such lids in a closed position they also hold them back when open.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Squire Bruce in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th January, 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SQUIRE BRUCE, of Great St. Helen's, Bishopsgate Street, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Squire Bruce, Her special licence that I, the said
William Squire Bruce, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Squire Bruce, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LUCIFER MATCHES, FUSEES, AND OTHER SIMILAR LIGHTS, AND IN.
THE BOXES OR HOLDERS FOR CONTAINING THE SAME," a communication to him from
abroad by Thomas Jordery, of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Squire Bruce, 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 William Squire Bruce, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
These improved machines are made by a prolonged immersion in a solution
of nitrate of potash while in a boiling state, the material of which they are
composed being wood or any other substance suitable for the purpose. This
immersion, however, ought only to be partial, so that one half or thereabouts of
the match may be thus prepared while the other half remains in its natural
state, so that the match when ignited may burn with a flame at one end and
with sparks only at the-other, like a fuzee, being thus adapted for the various

page_text: uses of the common match, and at the same time also adapted to the purpose
of a cigar or pipe light. The match may also be prepared to light and burn
with a flame at both ends if desired, or to ignite and burn as a fuzee. The
improved boxes or holders may be made in various ways and of different
materials, chiefly however of reeds or other hollow ligneous substances, veneer
wood, natural cork, or any other suitable material, tinted, painted, varnished,
stamped, or otherwise ornamented, according to fancy, with different colors and
designs, and may also be covered with colored or other paper, so as to present
when finished a neat and compact appearance. One of the objects of the im-
provements in these boxes or holders is to so increase their strength that the
matches or lights contained therein may be protected from the accidents to
which they are constantly liable in the boxes or cases hitherto used, from their
fragile nature, from a broken drawer, and from their liability to be crushed
either by the weight of the body or by a number of articles in the pocket, by
which the lights are often ignited, and injury or accident ensues.
"
Another improvement which it is proposed so introduce in these boxes consists
in so forming them as to increase the facility with which a single match can be
taken out; for this purpose the lid is furnished with a suitable aperture or
made with a portion thereof to open, and these apertures or lids may be made
to open at the side or ends. The general form proposed to be adopted is that
of a semi-cylinder, the curved portion being formed from reeds, canes, or other
similar naturally hollow or solid ligneous substance split down the centre; the
two halves are then subjected to a mechanical operation by which the core or pith
is separated from the skin or outer portion, the latter forming the base of the
box. A flat piece of wood or suitable material is used as a lid, two pieces of cork
or other suitable substance being glued in at each end completes the case of
the box. The lids may be formed in various ways, and may either open
sideways similar to the lid of a common snuff box, or may open endways,
the lid being glued partially along the top of the box and then split about mid-
way. The lid may be thus divided lengthways or crossways, in the latter case
it will be found advantageous to fix the cork end to that portion of the lid
which opens, thus forming a larger aperture for taking out the match when
required. These boxes may also be formed so as to open only at the end by
making one of the ends the lid. In order to increase the pliability & durability
of these hinges the flat pieces of wood (in which the slit is cut) are sub-
jected to a prolonged immersion in boiling water, which totally deprives them
of all resinous particles, leaving them in a limp state so that they easily bend.
Another mode of forming these semi-cylindrical boxes is to make the flat
side or lid entire, and to slide in or upon the semi-cylindrical portion; when

page_text: "
:
the sliding lid is placed outside, the two longitudinal edges are turned slightly
up, and are joined in the centre by a band passing round the curved portion.
The lids in all the above cases are fitted with a strip or strips of india-rubber
for holding the folding and sliding lids in their proper position when closed,
and rendering the said boxes self-closing. It is also proposed to form a box
with a drawer to pull out from the end; the end of the outer case being
closed, the draw is retained in its closed position by an india-rubber spring as
before. The box last described is of a rectangular shape. It is also proposed
to form a box of the latter class with a double drawer closed at each end
and partly along the top, and partially enclosed by an outer case, or with two.
drawers inverted, the outer being half the-length of the inner, also closed with
a spring as before described. It is also proposed to form a draw box the outer
case of which is open at both ends, but the drawer moveable at one end only,
the outer case being cut away in the shape of a lyre, in which the finger or
'thumb can traverse in pushing out the drawer, which is also made self-closing.
by an india-rubber spring.
The boxes above described are for the pocket or for ordinary use. Those
. for large establishments or for public smoking rooms are to be made of a
larger size, but in such a manner that only one match at a time can be taken
therefrom; for this purpose a box of suitable shape is divided into two parts, in.
one of which the matches are placed, and in the other the delivering apparatus.
The bottom of the compartment which contains the matches dips each way to
the centre from the sides, and at each end of the box at the bottom and in a
line with the bottom of the channel are two apertures. In the compartment
which contains the delivering apparatus there is a rod held back by a spring;
this rod is placed in a line with the two apertures before mentioned, and when
pushed forward enters the compartment containing the matches through one
aperture, and pushes out a match at the other, when it can be taken hold of;
the piston when released recovers its former position by the action of the
spring, and another match falls into the place of the ejected one, which can then
be delivered in like manner. Another box for similar establishments is made
to contain two rollers, one at the top and the other at the bottom of a compart-
...ment containing the matches; round these rollers a band is stretched, upon which
a number of small shelf-like projections are formed; the axis of one of these
rollers passes through the sides of the box, where it is fitted with a knob or
handle for turning it; this operation puts the band in motion, each shelf thereon
carrying up a match over and round the top roller, when it falls through an
aperture into a concave receptacle formed outside the box, where it can be
taken as before. Along one edge of these receptacles, and upon the boxes before

page_text: described, there is a suitably prepared surface, upon which the match being
subjected to friction by the consumer is ignited or otherwise ready for use.
The india-rubber springs of the boxes before described with folding lids are
so fitted that while they operate for holding such lids in a closed position they
also hold them back when open; this is effected by so fixing the strip of
india-rubber that its tension is greatest when the lid is open to a certain given
extent, and when opened further the distance between the point where one end
of the spring is attached to the lid and the point where it is attached to the
box diminishes.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Squire Bruce, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.