Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 9th Sept., 1887.
1, BERNHARD JOHANN BECKMANN, of Hoffscanale, Papenburg, Hanover in the
Empire of Germany, Proprietor of turf pit or ground, 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 the use of peat and peat waste in the manufacture of fire
lighters or kindlers.
Peat litter, forins a very suitable material for the manufacture of fire kindlers which
can be used in lieu of wood and the substances serving for the ignition of the wood,
such as paper, wood shavings or the like. The use of peat and peat litter has the great
advantage that fire kindlers formed thereof are much cheaper than wood or the
materials heretofore used and that the burning is so powerful that even coals which
ignite slowly can be caused to burn immediately without the application of other
means.
In the production of the improved fire kindlers, light white peat or heavy peat can
be used. If the pieces should be too large they can be reduced by means of suitable
apparatus. The size of the pieces must depend on how large packets the material is
to be packed into.
The peat is impregnated with raw petroleum tar or other readily inflammable and
cheap substance. This impregnation can be performed in suitable vessels or in the
open air, use can also be made of special mixing machines or of other apparatus which
may be considered suitable.
The impregnated mass is then moulded and placed in packets. The moulding can,
where it is desired, be effected by means of pressure. To avoid any waste of material
the pressure upon the mass must be exerted only to such an extent that the material
with which the peat is impregnated will not be forced out again by such pressure.
The moulding of the peat by pressure can however, if desired, be dispensed with, and
the material can be put in the packets and only slightly compressed.
The material after being moulded or otherwise formed into suitable cakes, is put into
bags or packets of paper or other suitable material; the so-called parchment paper has
proved suitable, because this does not allow the moisture of the impregnated peat to
escape. Any other suitable material can however be used for wrapping, the impreg-
nation of the wrapper by the fatty substance is of no importance.

page_text: The size of the packets depends entirely upon the requirements in practical use;
the packets may be of such a size that their contents are only sufficient to kindle one
fire as ordinarily used in households; or the size of the packets may be such that, one
would be sufficient to kindle a large fire such for instance as that of a steam boiler
furnace. The packets can, moreover, be made of such shape and size that their
contents will suffice for several single fires; although in general the size will depend
upon the purpose for which these new fire kindlers are intended. What has been
stated with regard to the size is equally valid for the shape of the packet; here also
the requirements of practice will decide.
The packets are preferably of such form that their transport is as cheap as possible.
For the purpose of using this new fire kindler it is only necessary in case the
wrapper is composed of material which is slowly inflammable to remove the latter
wholly or partially. In other cases it is only necessary to set the whole or part of the
contents of a packet burning by the application of a match or its equivalent and after
the mass is spread upon the grate, to put on it the fuel proper, such as coal coke or
the like.
The effect of the new peat fire-kindlers is so powerful that without any further media
even slowly inflammable coals can be caused to ignite.
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 :-
The employment of peat and peat litter for the manufacture of fire lighters or
kindlers in such a manner that the peat, after reduction if necessary is impregnated
with petroleum, tar or other readily inflammable substance and then packed either
loosely or compressed into wrappers of paper, parchment or other suitable material.
Dated this 9th day of June 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.