Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Lucifer Matches.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 7th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 13th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing
Lucifer Matches.
I, JOHN FRASER of Billiter House, Billiter Street in the City of London, Chartered
Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to receiving the splints as they are cut and holding them
whilst they are dipped and is especially suitable to receiving splints cut by the
machine described in the Specification of a patent granted to Norris and Hagan on
the 23rd day of May 1885 No. 6343 but is also applicable to other splints which are
delivered or arranged on a band parallel to each other and a short distance apart.
According to my invention the band on which the splints are delivered or arranged
parallel to each other and a short distance apart is of such a width or is so placed that
one or both ends of the splints project beyond it. The band with the splints upon it
is wound up upon a spool so that the middles of the splints are firmly held between
Whilst so held the splints
two adjacent convolutions of the spirally wound band.
have their projecting ends dipped in the usual compositions and are dried to complete
their manufacture into lucifer matches.
Dated this 8th day of March 1887.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing
Lucifer Matches.
I, JOHN FRASER, of Billiter House, Billiter Street in the City of London, Chartered
Accountant, 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:-
This invention relates to receiving the splints as they are cut and holding them
whilst they are dipped and is especially suitable to receiving splints cut by the
machine described in the Specification of a patent granted to Norris and Hagan on
the 23rd day of May 1885, No. 6343, but is also applicable to other splints which are
delivered or arranged on a band parallel to each other and a short distance apart.
According to my invention the band on which the splints are delivered or arranged
parallel to each other and a short distance apart is of such a width or is so placed that
one or both ends of the splints project beyond it. The band with the splints upon it
is wound up upon a spool so that the middles of the splints are firmly held between
two adjacent convolutions of the spirally wound band. Whilst so held the splints
have their projecting ends dipped in the usual compositions and are dried to complete
their manufacture into lucifer matches.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing my invention applied to Norris and
Hagan's machine.
Figure 2 is a detached view of the spool holder.
a a are a pair of rolls so geared and driven that they have equal surface speeds.
The surface of each roll is provided with a number of equidistant grooves each parallel
to the axis, the shape of the grooves is varied, according to the matches to be made.
A piece of veneer (that is a thin sheet of wood) b of a width equal to the length of the
matches to be made is fed along the table c between the rolls a a and is cut by them
almost but not quite through so that it becomes a number of match splints arranged
side by side and adhering to one another. The end of the table c is curved downwards
so as to partially surround a roll d which is driven at a greater surface speed than the
rolls a a.
This roll d completes the division of the veneer into match splints and by
reason of its greater speed arranges them a short distance apart but still parallel to
one another. So much of the apparatus is old and I lay no claim to it.
Beneath the
roll d there is an endless band e running at the same surface speed and above this and
supported by it is a band falso running at the same surface speed. This band fis
unwound from a spool g onto the spool h. The splints as they come from between the
table cand roll d fall onto the band f which is so placed and of such a width that one
or both ends of the splints project beyond it whilst their middles are firmly hold

page_text: between two adjacent convolutions of the band as it is spirally wound up on the
spool h. The spool is carried on a spindle having a plate or pulley at one end.
The plate is provided with pins which enter holes in the end of the spool and cause it
to revolve. The plate is driven by a weight or spring or a slipping band and is 30
arranged that it is free to rise as the spool fills.
When a sufficient number of splints have been received the spool with the spirally
wound band and splints is removed and the splints whilst still held as above described
have their projecting onds dipped in the usual compositions to complete their manu-
facture into lucifer matches. When tho matches are dry the band is unwound and
the matches are removed and packed into boxes. This method of holding match
splints whilst they are dipped may be used for splints cut in other ways.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The method of manufacturing matches consisting in holding the splints whilst
being dipped between the convolutions of a spirally wound band substantially as
described.
2. The method of and apparatus for manufacturing lucifer matches substantially as
described.