An Improved Match Box or Reservoir.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Match Box or Reservoir.
JOHN DAVIS, Publisher 6 Pepy's Road New Cross, County of Kent, and
ALFRED BRADLEY, Printer, 172 Elms Road, Clapham, S. W. do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An improvement in the manufacture of match-boxes or reservoirs, whereby a
great saving is effected in the use of matches as also effecting a novelty in the
manner of constructing the box.
In the great majority of match-boxes especially those in which the box is drawn
from the cover from either end a great waste occurs from the accident of opening
the box upside down, thereby scattering the contents. As also with the upright
boxes or circular stands commonly in use in public-houses or restaurants in which
the matches are placed on end and open to view. In these a great waste occurs
owing to the tendency of more than one match being drawn out at a time either
by design or accident. We secure this saving or economy in the use of matches by
delivering only one at a time. We call our box or stand the Duplex because we
deliver a single match at either end. We also call it the Automatic because the
match is brought to view by the simple depression to the right or left of an upright
lever placed at the top. By pressing the lever to the right a match is delivered on
the left and also reversely. A single movement suffices for the effect, that is to
say by moving the lever to the left or right a match is produced at the reverse
end but in either case one only is delivered at a time.
In this box or stand we construct a double V shaped reservoir having a transverse
slot at the lowest point. In either slot is fixed a vertical slide having on its upper
edge a V shaped groove. These slides are actuated by an upright double right
angle triangle working on a fixed pivot at the juncture of either arm one arm
piercing either slide laterally at a point below the centre and the remaining arm
rising through a longitudinal slot at the top of the box vertically.
When the vertical arm is moved to the right or left the lateral arms also rise or
fall on the left or right thereby raising or depressing either slide as the case may
be. Supposing the vertical arm or lever is pressed to the right hand slide is brought
to its lowest point thereby bringing its top V shaped edge to the bottom of the
V shaped reservoir. Supposing this reservoir to be supplied with matches, on
reversing the vertical arm the slide is raised by the lateral arm bringing with it.
through the transverse slot in the lid a single match which is retained in the
V shaped groove in its top edge. By continuing this movement of the vertical arm
to the right or left the matches are brought up one at a time and may be removed
as they are brought up until the box or reservoir at either end is emptied. If not
removed they are returned to the box.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim in
respect to this improved match-box or reservoir is :-
The delivery automatically of a single match right or left by the simple move-
ment of an arm or lever and the mechanism therewith.
We also claim to vary the same by using only a single slide and box in the same
manner or by delivering the matches at the front or back or sides by the same
method.
We also claim the box as a novel automaton.
JOHN DAVIS.
ALFRED BRADLEY.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Match Box or Reservoir.
We JOHN DAVIS formerly of 6, but now of 90 Pepy's Road, New Cross in the
County of Kent, Publisher and ALFRED BRADLEY of 172 Elms Road, Clapham
in the County of Surrey Printers Overseer 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:-
With the majority of match boxes now in use, especially with those in which
the box is withdrawn from either end of the cover great inconvenience and waste
often arise from the accidental opening of the box on the wrong side so that the
matches drop out. With upright boxes or stands such as are used in public houses
and restaurants great waste also occurs through more than one match being drawn
out at a time either accidentally or purposely.
The object of our invention is to avoid this inconvenience and waste, and with
this view we construct a match box or reservoir which by the simple movement of
a lever delivers or presents only one match at a time.
Our box or reservoir is constructed with a V or hopper shaped receptacle near
each end, each of these receptacles having a slot or long opening at bottom.
Through each slot passes the upper end of a vertical slide which has a groove at
its upper edge capable of holding only one match. These two slides are actuated
by a lever of shape working on a fixed pivot, the two horizontal arms of the 1
passing respectively through apertures in the two slides while the vertical arm
passes through a longitudinal slot in the top of the box. It will readily be under-
stood that when the two receptacles contain matches if the vertical arm of the lever
be moved in the longitudinal slot towards the one or the other end of the box the
slide at the opposite end will be lifted and its upper end holding one match in its
groove will rise through an opening in the top of the box and present or deliver
the match; if the vertical arm be then moved to the other end of the longitudinal
slot the slide that was raised will descend, while the other slide will be lifted and
will similarly present or deliver one match and so on for every movement of the
lever from one end to the other of the longitudinal slot. If the match presented
by either slide is not removed it will return to the receptacle at the next move-
ment of the lever.
The accompanying drawings represent a box or reservoir constructed according
to our invention.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the box on the line 1-1 of Figure 2 and
Figure 2 is a plan.
a is the outer box or stand; the two hopper shaped receptacles situated
respectively near each end. cc are openings in the top of the box through which
the receptacles can be supplied with matches and through which the matches are
delivered one at a time by the slides. d d are the slides which pass respectively
through slots in the bottoms of the two receptacles bb. Each of these slides has
a groove e at its upper edge capable of holding only one match. ff, is the
1-shaped lever pivoted at g. The horizontal arms f¹f of this lever pass
respectively through apertures h h in the two slides d d and the vertical arm f
passes through a longitudinal slot i in the top of the box. The arm has a handle k
for moving it. The drawings show the lever arm fas moved over to the left hand
end of its slot in which position the arm holds up the right hand slide so as to
present a single match above the corresponding opening c. When the lever arm f
is moved over to the right hand end of its slot the right hand slide descends while
the left hand slide is in turn pushed up by the arm so as to present a single
match, and so on alternately. ll are surfaces on which to strike the matches;
these surfaces may either be at the top of the box as shown or at the ends or sides
as thought best.

page_text: In some cases as for example when it is intended to be fixed to a wall we construct
our box with only one receptacle and one slide d; the lever will then have only
one horizontal arm and the slide may be weighted so as to descend when the lever
is released; in this case the lever may be conveniently pulled by a cord.
Instead of the slides being arranged to present the matches at the top of the
box as described they may be arranged to present them at the ends or sides.
We also sometimes arrange that the act of pushing out a match as described may
also bring into view an advertisement on the box. This can readily be done by
fitting a pin to the vertical slide, this pin working in a vertical slot cut in the
side of the box and moving a plate so as to alternately uncover and cover the
advertisement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A match box or reservoir having one or more receptacles, one or more slides
and a lever, the parts being so arranged that by the simple movement of the lever
a single match is delivered or presented by the slide or one of the slides, substantially
as set forth.
2. The improved match box or reservoir hercinbefore described in its several
modifications.
Dated thin 10th 1
hauhan 1000
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.