AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MAKING SPIRAL LIGHTERS OR SPILLS FROM WOOD OR OTHER SUBSTANCE, AND WHICH MACHINE WILL MAKE AND COLOUR THEM WHEN DESIRED AT ONE PROCESS OR OPERATION
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Ritchie, Engineer, of South Street, Finsbury
Market, London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
MAKING SPIRAL LIGHTERS OR SPILLS FROM WOOD OR OTHER SUBSTANCE, AND
WHICH MACHINE WILL MAKE AND COLOUR THEM WHEN DESIRED AT ONE PROCESS
OR OPERATION."
Sealed the 21st August 1868, and dated the 26th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Ritchie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
February 1863.
I, CHARLES RITCHIE, Engineer, of South Street, Finsbury Market, London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
MAKING SPIRAL LIGHTERS OR SPILLS FROM WOOD OR OTHER SUBSTANCE, AND WHICH
MACHINE WILL MAKE AND COLOUR THEM WHEN DESIRED AT ONE PROCESS OR OPERA-
TION," to be as follows:-
This machine consists of a wheel or disc made to revolve in a suitable frame-
work. The said wheel or disc is provided with suitable appliances for taking
hold of the wood or other material to be operated upon in any convenient
number of pieces. A steel cutter is attached to the framework so as to cut
off thin shavings from the revolving material, and roll them into a spiral form
called spills or lighters for smokers, household, or general use. When it is
desired to make spills of divers colours, the colour in a fluid state is to be
applied while the material is in motion by means of a small disc or roller,
whose periphery at one part dips into the colouring matter, and at another

page_text: part comes into contact with the revolving wood or material to be cut into
spills. A separate disc may be used for each separate colour required. In
order to count or apportion the spills into boxes the following plan may be
adopted. An endless strap or band is made to pass horizontally over two
drums or cylinders, which are keept in constant and uniform motion by the
machine, and the boxes being placed on this moving strap or platform, each
one will in its turn be brought for an equal space of time under that part of
the machine whence the spills drop, and will thus receive an equal number of
the said spills.
The foregoing is a general description of the nature of this Invention, the
details of which may be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Ritchie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
RITCHIE, of South Street, Finsbury Market, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Ritchie, Her special license that I, the said Charles
Ritchie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Ritchie, 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 "AN
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MAKING SPIRAL LIGHTERS OR SPILLS FROM WOOD OR OTHER
SUBSTANCE, AND WHICH MACHINE SHALL MAKE AND COLOUR THEM WHEN DESIRED
AT ONE PROCESS OR OPERATION," upon the condition (amongst others) tliat I,
the said Charles Ritchie, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Charles Ritchie, do hereby declare the

page_text: nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention consists of a flat wheel or disc mounted on an axle, and made
to revolve in a suitable framework by means of steam or other power. On one
side of the said wheel are fixed any convenient number of pairs of brackets, so
that each pair being parallel to each other, may receive and hold between
them a piece of thin wood or other substance to be operated on, and made into
spills. Radiating from the centre of the wheel are a number of screwed rods,
videlicit, one for each piece of wood. The use of the said screwed rods being
to force or feed the wood outwards towards the periphery of the wheel, and
into contact with a skewed cutter or plane, which is there fixed in an adjust-
able manner to the framework; and so that while the wheel is moved round
the said cutter will cut a spiral shaving from each piece of wood. On each of
the feeding screws is a small cone; and an adjustable stud or projection from
the framework comes into contact with the periphery of each cone as the wheel
is turned round; and by its friction on said cone moves the feeding screw
round a small space according to the desired amount of feed. Each feed
screw acts on the wood or other substance to be operated on, through the
medium of a flat rod of iron, which is doubled into somewhat the form of a
pair of sugar tongs, but having the ends brought nearly into contact, and
screwed internally to form a divided nut, in which the screwed rod acts. Tuis
nut is made to close on the rod by means of a small ring, removeable by hand
when it is required to replace the wood or other material on the machine.
When it is desired to make coloured or variegated spills, the colour is to be
applied to the material while it is in motion on the machine, by means, say, of
a small disc of any convenient material, and whose periphery at one part dips
into or comes into contact with the colouring matter, and at another part
comes into contact with each piece of wood as it revolves towards the cutter.
The wood will thus receive a stripe of any desired breadth, and this stripe will
form a spiral line around the spill when cut.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 an end view.
corresponding parts are marked by corresponding letters.
In these views
A is the large wheel, to which the wood or other substance to be operated
upon is to be attached; B, B, the framework, with suitable bushes or bearings
for the axle of the wheel: C. C. C. C. C. are a number of pairs of brackets.

page_text: are the feeding screws that act on the material to be cut by means of
the releaseable nuts F; G are the cones on the feeding screws; H is
the stud attached to the framework, which at every revolution of the
wheel comes into contact with the periphery of each cone, and by its friction
moves it forward and so turns the feeding screw; I is the skewed cutter which
cuts and rolls the spills into form; K is a small disc which revolves on an
axle, its frame L forming a trough (like that of a grindstone) to contain the
colouring matter, and which it applies to the material by its periphery coming
into contact therewith.
I may state that modifications in the details may be made without departing
from my Invention, as, for instance, centrifugal force may be made to act instead
of screws for feeding the cutter; also the colour may be applied by a stationary
point instead of a revolving disc. I wish it to be understood that what I claim
as my Invention is,-
Firstly, the application of a rotary motion to the material to be cut into
spills, the cutter being held stationary.
And, secondly, the application of colour to the material while on the machine
and being cut into spills.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Ritchie, have set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
W. BACON, Sol.,
34, Old Jewry,
London.
CHARLES RITCHIE. (L.S.)