IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer & Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES."-A com-
munication from abroad by Messrs. Francis Lavallée and Francis Gustave
Lavallée, junior, Merchants, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, in the
Empire of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
December 1861.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer & Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for splitting wood for
matches of all kinds, and either round, or square, or of other form, and consists
principally in the application of two movable cylinders, having circular grooves
and of a reciprocating knife for cutting up the wood on its leaving the

page_text: cutting cylinders. The cutting cylinders may consist of a series of circular
knives arranged and mounted separately on the axes. The axes of the
cylinders are disposed horizontally as being preferable for transmitting motion
thereto.
The Invention is represented in the annexed Drawing, in which Fig. 1
represents an elevation of the apparatus, showing the side of the driving gear;
Fig. 3 a vertical section parallel to the axes Fig. 1, while Fig. 2 is a plan of
the same. The machine is of very simple construction, and consists of two
grooved cylinders G, G, of tempered steel, cemented iron, or other resisting
metal, driven by any suitable power, & represented in the Drawing as by a
crank handle M and connecting rod L, connected to a crank N, which in
revolving imparts a continuous reciprocating motion to rod L, said rod is
jointed at its extremity to supporting rods U, U, mounted on axis A, supporting
rod L. In the fork of this rod is a catch contained within the head of said
rod, gearing with ratchet wheel R mounted on axis A, and receiving movement
from crank N & rod L, which transmits an intermittent and circular motion
thereto, which is communicated to the cylinder by means of toothed gearing
P, P. The distinctive feature of this Invention will be seen by reference
to Fig. 3, where are seen the cylinders or rollers G, G; grooved throughout
their length, in a transverse circular direction, having grooves of a square,
round, or other form equidistant from each other, the dimensions of which
may be varied as required. The cylinders G, are superposed, and the
grooves are so arranged in relation to each other as to form the splints
either round or square as may be required. The wood is introduced between
the cylinders by means of a table H, corresponding to the section formed by
the two cylinders; on motion being imparted to the machine, the cylinders
turn, causing the wood to enter between them, in this manner the grooves of
said cylinders impress in each side of the strip of wood small, round, or square
marks, according to the form of the grooves. The small splints which are
produced at each revolution, may leave the cylinders either separated or con-
nected together like the teeth of a comb, from which there results considerable
advantage as regards their immersion in inflammable matters.
A knife C placed in front of cylinder G, receives a reciprocating motion
from axis A, and a curvilinear & differential motion from eccentrics E. The
eccentrics in rotating impart a continuous reciprocating motion to levers L,
which being jointed to frame x, x, transmit it to knife C fixed thereto. A
lever O³ of a T-form, jointed at z, in connection with two rods of frame x, x,
serves to balance the frame carrying knife C, and causes it to perform a

page_text: reciprocating motion in the opposite direction by means of a weight P' and
lever 03, at each revolution of eccentrics E; a box. D serves for receiving the
splints when they have been cut to the desired length by the knife. The appa-
ratus is represented as being supported by a frame B, of cast iron or wood, on
foundation Y, Y; o, o, stays of frame. In this manner the plates of wood are
introduced between the cylinders, which receive a regular intermittent motion
from the ratchet wheel or in other manner on leaving the cylinders; the splints
formed by the grooves are cut to the required size by means of a knife in
connection with the apparatus,. or it may be independent of it, after which they
fall into a box or receptacle placed under the machine, and are afterwards sub-
mitted to the ordinary processes of manufacture. The apparatus may be driven
by hand, or by steam, or other power.. In all cases the cylinders are furnished
with transverse grooves of a.round, square, or other form, of the dimensions
required for the splints..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence, that I, the said William Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Clark, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES," a' communication from Messrs. Francis
Lavallée and Francis Gustave Levallée, junior, Merchants, of 29, Boulevart
St. Martin, Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument.

page_text: in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 William Clark, do hereby declare
the 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for the manufacture of
splints for matches, either round, square, or of other form, and of any suitable
length; and consists, 1st. in obtaining the splints separate one from the other
instead of in the form of a comb as heretofore, which I effect by the appli-
cation of a comb or divider placed near the cutting cylinders, which separates
and conducts said splints under a reciprocating knife, which cuts them the
desired length. 2ndly, in placing the matches or splints in rows in a frame
or press in order to apply the sulphur and phosphorus with rapidity; this
frame is placed vertically behind the reciprocating knife, and has a descending
motion imparted to it herein-after described, by which it packs the splints for
forming the matches in superposed rows or layers. 3rdly, in the apparatus
for transmitting movement to the various parts of the machine, which is re-
presented in the annexed Drawing, where Fig. 1 shows a vertical elevation of
the machine; Fig. 2, a plan, partly in section, on line 1, 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3,
shows parts of the machine not visible in Fig. 1, while Figs. 4 and 5, show front
and side elevations of the frame or press for receiving the matches in rows
one above the other. The same letters and figures of reference indicate the
same parts seen in different positions in the several Figures.
a, framing of the machine, connected together by cross ties; b, b, uprights
fixed to frame a, connected together by tie rods c, c; d, driving shaft, turning
in bearings in frame a; e, crank keyed on the end of shaft d; f, connecting
rod receiving a reciprocating motion from crank e, and imparting an oscillating
motion to a lever g, carrying a pawl h; i, ratchet wheel actuated by pawl h;
j, lower shaft of cutting cylinders k; l, m, toothed wheels (Fig. 3) rotating the
cylinders k, k, the upper one turns at a less speed than the other, the motion
being derived from the ratchet wheel i; o, excentrics, keyed on shaft d; p, con-
necting rods in connection with excentrics o; q, elbowed levers receiving
motion from rods p, for raising and lowering knife r; s, levers receiving motion

page_text: from lever g, it is furnished with a pawl t, gearing in a ratchet wheel u, keyed.
on one end of a shaft v; x, toothed wheel keyed on the other end of shaft v,
communicating motion to a wheel y, by means of endless chains z, motion is
thence communicated to gearing 1, 2, for imparting a regular reciprocating
motion to two endless chains 3, 3, connected together by cross rods 4, 4, which
carry the frame for pressing the splints. This frame is composed of thin
metal plates superposed one above the other and sliding in uprights 5, the ends
of the splints are placed between these plates immediately before being cut
up by the reciprocating knife, after which the frame is lowered to a certain
extent in order to place another row of matches in position, and so on until
the frame is filled, after which it is replaced by another. The frame may also
be arranged horizontally, a comb 6 guides & separates the splints until they
are brought under the knife r in such manner that they arrive in the frame
separate one from the other, as represented in Figs. 4 & 5.
When the frame is full the splints are compressed and held in position
between the metal plates by means of two thumbscrews, it will be readily
understood that in this manner the whole of the splints in the press may
have sulphur or phosphorus applied to them at one time, by simply immersing
their ends in a bath of such materials. By suitable motion imparted to two
small pinions, the plates 7 are each made to fall successively on the rows of
splints after being cut up as follows:-8, excentric keyed on the driving shaft d,
transmitting, by means of gearing 9, an alternating rotary motion to shaft
10; 11, conical gearing driving the two shafts 12, each of their teeth takes up
successively a plate 7 from the frame, which then falls on the splints as the
frame is descending. The whole being arranged as described and represented,
and the parts having the desired relation the one to the other, the thin match
board to be cut up on passing between cylinders k, is cut into splints which
are divided by passing through the comb, they continue their horizontal course
until they reach one of the plates 7, the knife r is then brought down on
them and the pinions 13 turning allows another plate to drop on to the splints
in readiness to receive another row, and so on as before described.
The grooves of the cutting cylinders k, may be of a form for manufacturing
matches of a round, parallelopiped, or other section, each collar on the cutting
cylinders is separated from the adjoining ones by a sharp cutting edge.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is:-
First, the improved machine above described and represented in the
Drawing annexed for the manufacture of separate splints of any desired form.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the apparatus for delivering the splints into the press, as
herein-before described.
Thirdly, I claim the arrangement and combination of the parts forming the
improved machinery, herein-before described and represented as and for the
purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)