Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1887
Complete Left, 4th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 16th Dec., 1887
1, WILLIAM MCCARTHY of 148 Great Mersey Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Fire light manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved fire lighter or block of composition for
lighting household and other coal fires without the use of paper or wood, and the
combustion of which may also serve for disinfecting and destroying injurious
vapours or odours.
The materials are formed into suitable shaped blocks having corners which may be
readily ignited by a match when placed amongst the coals to be lighted.
A fire-lighter according to my invention is composed of granulated cork or a
mixture of cork and husks from grain such as wheat, rice, or the like and pine oil,
resin and tallow. The mixture of substances being moulded into blocks of suitable
form and size.
The proportions of the several ingredients employed may be varied according to the
quality of the fire lighter required.
A convenient manner of manufacturing fire lighters according to my invention is
as follows:-
Two pans or boilers are used that are heated in any suitable manner such as by
an ordinary fire and flues. Into one of these pans suitable quantities of pine oil,
resin, and tallow are placed and boiled until the whole of the mixture has become
liquid.
Into the second pan or boiler a suitable quantity of granulated cork, or cork and
the husks from grain or the like is placed and heated for a short time. The hot fluid
mixture in the first pan is then poured on to the cork or cork and grain husks and
the whole well mixed together in the pan.
After the particles of cork or cork and grain husks are saturated or coated with the
hot fluid mixture the product is taken out and put into suitable moulds and pressed
into the required shape. The blocks of composition thus prepared are allowed to
remain in the moulds until set, when they are removed and allowed to dry forming
a solid hard mass not liable to crumble away as is the case with other fire lighters.

page_text: Fire lighters or blocks according to my invention do not run or melt whilst
burning also they are not so sticky, or so easily broken in transit, have a neater
appearance and possess better disinfectant properties than those at present in use.
;
I am aware that other fire lighters have been manufactured answering the same
purpose but so far as I know they do not possess the properties of or give the same
amount of heat and flame as mine.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILLIAM MCCARTHY, of 148 Great Mersey Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Fire light manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved fire lighter or block of composition for
lighting household and other coal fires without the use of paper or wood, and the
combustion of which may also serve for disinfecting and destroying injurious vapours
or odours.
The materials are formed into suitable shaped blocks having corners which may be
readily ignited by a match when placed amongst the coals to be lighted.
A fire lighter according to my invention is composed of granulated cork, or a
mixture of cork and saw dust, or of cork and husks from grain such as wheat or rice,
and pine oil, resin and tallow.
The mixture of substances is afterwards moulded into blocks of suitable form
and size.
The proportions of the several ingredients employed may be varied according to
the quality of the fire lighter required.
A convenient manner of manufacturing fire lighters according to my invention is
as follows.
Two pans or boilers are used, heated in any suitable manner such as by an ordinary
fire and flues. Into one of these pans suitable quantities of resin, pine oil, and tallow,
are placed and boiled until the whole of the mixture has become liquid.
The hot
Into the second pan or boiler which I call a mixer a suitable quantity of granulated
cork, or cork and saw dust, or cork and the husks from grain is placed.
fluid mixture in the first pan is then poured onto the cork, or cork and grain husks or
saw dust, and the whole well mixed together in the pan which it is desirable to heat
previously to prevent the resin sticking.
After the particles of cork or cork and grain husks are saturated or coated with
the hot fluid mixture the product is taken out and put into suitable moulds and
pressed into the required shape. The blocks of composition thus prepared are allowed
to remain a few seconds in the moulds until set, when they are removed and allowed
to dry, forming a solid hard mass not liable to crumble away as is the case with other
fire lighters.
Fire lighters or blocks according to my invention do not run or melt whilst
burning nor are they sticky or easily broken in transit, furthermore, they have a neat
appearance and possess disinfectant properties of great value.
I am aware that fire lighters have been manufactured answering the same purpose
but so far as I know they do not possess the properties of or give the same amount
of heat and flame as mine.
In order that the method of carrying my invention into effect may be clearly
understood, I will describe the method of manufacture which I have found most
convenient.

page_text: Two small mixing pans or boilers and one large boiler are employed. In the
larger pan or boiler there are placed 15 cwts. of resin which is heated by the application
of a slow fire for about three hours until it becomes liquid. Then five gallons of pine
oil and about five pounds weight of tallow are added, the ingredients being still
subjected to a slow heat and constantly stirred together until they are thoroughly
mixed and in a thin liquid state.
Into one or each of the mixing pans which is or are also kept hot is placed a
charge of say about six pounds weight of granulated cork and say one pound of
husks from grain, such as wheat, rice, and the like or of saw dust. Then from the
large pan or boiler a sufficient quantity of the heated liquid mixture is taken and
poured over the granulated cork and grain husks, or saw dust, to thoroughly saturate
or coat the particles.
The whole combination is well mixed together by a rod or other suitable means
whilst in the mixer, which is kept hot to prevent the resin becoming too stiff to take.
the moulds.
A mixture of cork and saw dust makes a more compact mass and slower burning
fire lighter than cork and husks.
Granulated cork without grain husks or saw dust produces lighters giving off
great heat and burning somewhat rapidly; such fire lighters are of a superior class
and possess better disinfecting properties than those made from a mixture of cork
and grain husks saw dust, or wood turnings.
After the particles of the cork, or cork mixture have been thoroughly saturated or
coated with the hot fluid mixture, the product is taken out of the mixer pan or pans
and placed into suitably shaped moulds then pressed sufficiently to form a solid and
compact mass, they are then removed from the moulds and allowed to dry ready for
packing into convenient sized parcels.
The moulded fire lighters may be of various shapes to afford an easy and compact
mass when packed and may in some cases have corners left for ignition, or a hole or
holes may be formed in the body of the substance to allow the flame to pass through
and impingo on the coal to be lighted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that
I lay no general claim to the manufacture of fire lighter blocks of various shapes, as
there are a variety at present in use but what I claim is
--
1. A fire lighter composed of granulated cork coated or saturated with an
inflammable mixture or substance substantially as described.
al
2. A fire lighter composed of granulated cork and grain husks, or saw dust or
wood turnings compressed into blocks; the particles being held together by
highly inflammable cementry substance substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
3. A fire lighter composed of granulated cork and the husks of grain, or saw dust
or like substances in combination with a mixture of pine oil, resin, and tallow
substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1887.
WILLIAM MCCARTHY.