IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE LIGHTERS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE THERE, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE CUTTING OF ORDINARY FIRE WOOD." APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE CUTTING OF ORDINARY FIRE WOOD
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Noad, of Austin Friars, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE LIGHTERS, AND
IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREof, WHICH
APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE CUTTING OF ORDINARY FIRE WOOD."
APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE CUTTING OF ORDINARY FIRE WOOD.”

page_text: tied round loosely near one end thereof with a piece of string or other
suitable material, so that when the wood is cut or split the pieces shall
be held together at this end. The strips are then forced asunder at the
other end by means of wedges driven in between the said strips, thus
forming a rigid quadrant-shaped fire lighter ready for use, which will
retain its form until nearly consumed.
The second part of this Invention relates to an apparatus for cutting
and splitting the wood to be used for my improved construction of fire
lighter, or for the cutting of ordinary fire wood. The said apparatus
consists of a series of flat blades sharpened on one edge, so that when
the said blades are forced into the wood they shall cut and split it into
strips. The said blades are placed parallel with each other, and kept
asunder by means of pieces of india-rubber or other suitable elastic
material placed between them at each end, and the whole secured by
means of bolts or pins which pass through holes provided for that purpose
at each end of the blades, and through the clastic cushions aforesaid, so
as to allow the blades to "give" when a knot or curvature is mot with
in the wood.
By means of the above described apparatus blocks of wood may be
split into several picces of any desired size, which can be used for
constructing the above described fire lighter, or for cutting ordinary fire
wood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Noad in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NOAD, of Austin Friars, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in a
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Noad, Her
special licence that I, the said John Noad, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Noad,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 FIRE LIGHTERS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE THEREOF, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE CUTTING
OF ORDINARY FIRE Wood," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Noad, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 John Noad, 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 :-
This Invention relates to a novel and improved construction of fire
lighter or igniter, and consists in cutting or splitting a piece of wood
into strips, the said piece of wood having been previously tied round near
one end thereof with a piece of string or other suitable material, so that
when the wood is cut or split the pieces are held together at this end.
The strips are then forced asunder at the other end by means of wedges
driven in between the said strips, thus forming a rigid quadrant-shaped
fire lighter, which may be dipped in rosin or other inflammable substance
will then be ready for use. A fire lighter constructed as above will
retain its form until nearly consumed.
And in order to explain my said Invention more fully I now proceed
to describe the means by which it may be carried into practical effect,
reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawing accompanying
these Presents and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thercon respectively, as follows:-
:-

page_text: strips b, as shown by the lines c, c'. Wedges d, Figure 3, are then
driven between the strips b, so as to spread them out, as shown at
Figure 4. I thus construct a simple fire lighter, which may be dipped
in rosin or other inflammable substance.
The number of strips as well as size may vary according to circum-
stances.
Having now described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for " Improvements in Fire Lighters, and in Apparatus to be
employed in the Manufacture thereof, which Apparatus is also Appli-
cable for the Cutting of ordinary Fire Wood," I would remark in
conclusion that I hereby declare my Invention to consist in and I
claim, constructing fire lighters substantially as described and repre-
sented.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Noad, have hereunto set my