Year: 1885

page_text: I RICHARD BELL of 24 Saint John's Hill Grove, New Wandsworth in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improvement in the manufacture of wax matches,
and particularly to the wax vesta-fusees or cigar lighters for which I made applica-
tion for Letters Patent dated 12th February 1885 N° 1965, and my Invention has
for its object to prevent the head or any part of the match or fusee from falling off
after being ignited in consequence of the combustion of the stem of the wax match
or vesta-fusee.
My Invention consists in combining with the wax taper of which wax matches
or vestas are usually made, one or more strands of wire which is drawn, together
with the jute, flax, hemp, or cotton of which the taper is made, through the die or
draw plate after passing through the bath of paraffin, stearine, or other material
in the ordinary manner of making wax taper. The wire thus forms a sort of
metallic core for the taper extending throughout the whole of its length, and the
wired taper is afterwards cut into lengths of the proper size for tipping with the
inflammable or other composition constituting the head of the match or vesta-fusee.
The wire core thus extends from end to end through the stem of the match or
vesta-fusee and being non-combustible, supports the head when the remainder of
the stem has been consumed,

page_text: I RICHARD BELL of 24 Saint John's Hill Grove New Wandsworth in the County
of Surrey Gentleman 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 :-
"
My Invention relates to an improvement in the manufacture of wax matches
ог vestas "
and particularly of combined wax matches and fusees denominated
"vesta-fusces" or "fusee vestas" for lighting cigars and pipes, for which I obtained
Letters Patent dated 12th February 1885 N° 1965; and my Invention has for its
object to prevent the head or any part of the match or "vesta-fusee" from falling
off in consequence of the combustion of the stem of the match or "vesta-fusee.”
My Invention consists in combining with the stem of the wax vesta or "vesta-
fusee one or more metallic wires embedded therein and extending throughout
the 'length of the said stem.
"
In carrying out the Invention, I introduce into the "taper" of which such wax
natches or vestas are usually made one or more strands of wire by drawing the
same together with the strands of jute, flax, hemp, or cotton, composing the fibrous
wick of the taper, through the dieror draw plate in the ordinary way after the said
fibrous strands have passed through the bath of paraffin stearine, or other material
in the ordinary manner of making wax "taper." The wire may either be simply
faid amongst the fibrous strands, or the whole may be slightly twisted together, or
the fibrous strands may be braided or plaited upon the wire strand or strands so as
to give them a central position in the taper. The wire may either pass through the
bath along with the fibrous strands, or it may be introduced amongst the fibrous
strands after they emerge from the bath and before they pass through the draw
plate the wire or wires in this case passing through a guide situated immediately
in front of and concentric with the die of the draw plate so as to have the wire or
wires as nearly as possible situated centrally within the wax taper. The wire thus
forms a sort of metallic core for the taper extending throughout the whole of its
length and "the wired taper is afterwards cut into lengths of the proper size for
tipping with the inflammable or other composition constituting the head of the
match or vesta-fusee. The wire core thus extends from end to end through the
stem of the match or vesta-fusee .and being non combustible supports the head
when the remainder of the stem has been consumed.
The accompanying drawing represents on a considerably magnified scale an
external view and a longitudinal section of a " vesta-fusee" with the wire embedded
therein. a is the stem made of wax "taper "
as above described, b is the fusee
head composed of an inflammable composition and tipped with a compound c
capable of being caused to deflagrate by friction, and d is the metal wire strand
extending throughout the length of the stem a.

page_text: The inflammable composition I prefer to use for the fusee head consists of the
following ingredients in about the proportions mentioned vizt
Chlorate of Potash
Flour
Gum Arabic
Amorphous Phosphorus
4 parts.
81 do.
1 part.
t do.
These ingredients are made into a paste with water to which may be added any
suitable coloring-matter such as ultramarine, venetian-red &c. The composition
of the friction tip c'may be the same as that of an ordinary fusee.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention; and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is;-
The combination with an ordinary wax vesta match, and with a wax vesta
match having a fusee head as specified, of one or more metal wires by embedding
the same in the "taper" of which such vestas or vesta-fusees are made, substantially
in the manner described,