Improvements in Firelighters...
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Firelighters...
I, PAUL RAOUL DE FAUCHEUX D'HUMY, of 136, Prince's Road, Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Civil and Naval Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to produce a firelighter suitable for domestic
purposes.
In carrying my invention into effect, the plan I prefer is to take resin, shavings
of any kind of wood, or sawdust, to which I add a small proportion of refined
saltpetre and of nitrate of soda, I melt over a sharp fire these different compounds.
In the course of melting I add a certain quantity of creosote and naphtha. The
shavings or sawdust are submitted to a bath of caustic soda, dried and afterwards
plunged in pure mineral oil or petroleum for a short time, then dried again and
pressed in a mass. The mass is reduced to powder which is spread in shallow
metal trays, and the powder is covered again with a thin layer of resin dust, and
the tray constantly agitated over the fire until regular granulation sets in, which
prevents particles sticking together. A fine dust charcoal, mixed with lime, is
thrown on the granulated compound which remains absolutely separated. I then
put this granulated compound in moulds and press it in regular cubes of the
required size which spread over the grate and mixed with coal will burn with a
powerful flame.
Dated this 14th day of March 1806
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Firelighters.
I, PAUL RAOUL DE FAUCHEUX D'HUMY of 136, Prince's Road, Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Civil and Naval Engineer, 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 has for its object to produce a firelighter suitable for domestic
purposes. I take powdered resin and fine shavings or preferably sawdust of any
kind of wood in the proportion of 25 lbs. of resin to 200 lbs. of sawdust. To this I
prefer to add a little highly oxidised salt, such as saltpetre, nitrate of soda or other
nitrate or chlorate, say 18 oz. These are well mixed together and heated over a
fire with continuous stirring until they form a homogeneous mass. This is then
broken up and ground into the powder hereafter described called resin powder.
1 also take fine shavings or sawdust 200 lbs. and treat them in a five gallon bath of
caustic soda of 10 lbs. of water to 2 lbs. of soda. When the reaction between the

page_text: two appears to be complete, the material is dried and is afterwards plunged into
petroleum or other mineral oil for a short time until the oil has well permeated it.
It is again dried, pressed into a mass and the mass reduced to a powder. This is
spread in shallow trays and the powder covered with a thin layer of the resinous
material already mentioned, the tray being constantly agitated over the fire, until
regular granulation sets in. This prevents the particles sticking together. A fine
dust of charcoal mixed with lime is thrown on and mixed with the granulated
compound. The granulated compound is now put into moulds and pressed hard
into regular cubes or shapes. These are spread over the grate and mixed with
coal dust and will burn with a powerful flame. In actual practice in manufacturing
this material I use about 200 lbs. of the mercerised shavings and petroleum secondly
described, and 7 lbs. of an equal mixture of charcoal and lime, and 30 lbs. of the
resin powder, but it is obvious that the quantities of the ingredients can be very
considerably varied without material disadvantage, and that if a smaller amount
of the resinous material be used greater pressure will be required to produce
substantially the same result, the resinous material being a binding combustible,
and the mercerized sawdust and petroleum being the base and cheapest part of the
material. The fine dust of charcoal and lime is used to enable the material to
easily disintegrate when burning.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The improved manufacture of firelighters taken as a whole, substantially as
herein described and set forth.
2. The use in firelighters of sawdust shavings or other cellulose material acted
upon by caustic soda and treated with petroleum whereby the petroleum is solidified
in its pores, substantially as described.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.