Improvements in Non-poisonous Matches.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1893—Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
Improvements in Non-poisonous Matches.
I, VIKTOR SIMONET, of 22 Franzenbrucken Strasse, Vienna II in the Empire
of Austria, Merchant, 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 matches in which the ends to be ignited by rubbing
them over a specially prepared or over any rough surface, do not contain poisonous
substances such as ordinary phosphorus, so that neither the workman at the factory
nor the persons using the matches are exposed to exhalations injurious to health.
This invention has for its object, firstly :-to obviate the breaking off the heads
of those matches which (like ordinary Swedish or safety matches) are ignited by
the friction of chlorate of potash against a surface prepared with amorphous
phosphorus, and secondly :-to impart to ordinary Swedish or safety matches, as
well as to non-poisonous matches which can be ignited by friction or any rough
surface, a desirable degree of easy inflammability which at present they do not
possess.
According to the first part of my invention the inflammable ends of the wood
splints of the matches are impregnated with an aqueous solution of the inflammable
composition generally used, such as salts, hydrates of carbon &c., but the body
giving ingredients now used to form heads to the said matches are dispensed with
by my said invention.
According to the second part of my said invention, there is added to the non-
poisonous composition at present in use, (consisting of some salt easily parting with
its oxygen) a substance supporting combustion and a body-giving material, namely
a small quantity of powdered zinc, which in consequence of its strong affinity to
oxygen is capable of becoming ignited at the comparatively low temperature
occasioned by a slight friction, this affinity being further increased by my invention
by previously triturating the said powdered zinc with some amorphous phosphorus
by any suitable means.
In order to carry into practice the first part of my invention the inflammable
ends of the wood splints are dipped into an aqueous solution of a mixture of
chlorate of potash or chlorate of soda with some substance easy to ignite, such as,
for instance, a carbo-hydrate (such as starch) together with some salt to retard the
combustion such as byposulphite of soda, the combustion of which compound
(which takes place upon friction with amorphous phosphorus) will ignite the
wood splint.
As soon as the inflammable ends of the wood splints have become impregnated
with this solution, they are allowed to dry, after which the matches can be ignited
by friction upon a surface coated with amorphous phosphorus.
Gum arabic is preferably used to maintain the combustion produced by the
detonation of the alkaline chlorate and hyposulphite of soda is also used preferably
as a salt for retarding too rapid combustion so that the wood may become properly
ignited.
I make use of the following formula without however, intending to bind myself
to the exact proportions named which may be varied as required without departing
from the spirit of my invention, namely-
11
1

page_text: The second part of my invention relates particularly to those non-poisonous
matches similar to ordinary Swedish or safety matches, and also to those non-
poisonous matches which can be ignited by friction on any rough surface.
The source of oxygen in these matches is ordinarily chlorate of potash and
chromate of potash to which is added sulphate of baryta (known as permanent
white) as an insoluble body-giving material, and gum is also added to act as a
cement and also as a fuel to maintain the combustion so that the wood may become
properly ignited.
In this my invention I obtain a desirable degree of easy inflammability by adding
to the composition a certain quantity of powdered zinc previously triturated with
amorphous, (and consequently non-poisonous) phosphorus.
By such addition of powdered zinc triturated with a small quantity of amorphous
phosphorus, the required degree of easy inflammability may also be given to all
other non-poisonous paste for matches which hitherto they have not possessed,
consequently the said addition of powdered zinc and amorphous phosphorus forms
a characteristic feature of this second part of my invention.
The following formula is one which I use preferably for the second part of this
my invention without, however intending to bind myself to the exact proportions
named, which may be varied according to different circumstances and require-
ments :-
The second part of my invention relates particularly to those non-poisonous
matches similar to ordinary Swedish or safety matches, and also to those non-
poisonous matches which can be ignited by friction on any rough surface.
The source of oxygen in these matches is ordinarily chlorate of potash and
chromate of potash to which is added sulphate of baryta (known as permanent
white) as an insoluble body-giving material, and gum is also added to act as a
cement and also as a fuel to maintain the combustion so that the wood may become
properly ignited.
In this my invention I obtain a desirable degree of easy inflammability by adding
to the composition a certain quantity of powdered zinc previously triturated with
amorphous, (and consequently non-poisonous) phosphorus.
By such addition of powdered zinc triturated with a small quantity of amorphous
phosphorus, the required degree of easy inflammability may also be given to all
other non-poisonous paste for matches which hitherto they have not possessed,
consequently the said addition of powdered zinc and amorphous phosphorus forms
a characteristic feature of this second part of my invention.
The following formula is one which I use preferably for the second part of this
my invention without, however intending to bind myself to the exact proportions
named, which may be varied according to different circumstances and require-
ments :-
Chlorate of potash -
Chromate of potash
Sulphate of baryta (permanent white)
Sulphide of antimony (Kermes mineral)
Gum arabic
-
24 parts by weight
3
"
"
-
9
"
"
-
3
"
"
5
"
"
9
Powdered zinc triturated with amorphous
phosphorus
دو
"
As is generally known the inflammability of the ordinary Swedish or safety
matches is often increased to the desirable degree by the addition of a certain
quantity of white or ordinary poisonous phosphorus, but such addition renders
matches so prepared unhealthy to the workmen employed in the manufacture as
well as to the users of such matches, whereas by my invention, such objectionable
addition of white phosphorus is not requisite, but the addition of a very small
quantity of powdered zinc previously triturated with amorphous phosphorus has a
similar effect.
I prepare therefore my paste for the preparation of Swedish or safety matches
formulas herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In non-poisonous matches, the ignition of which is occasioned by the friction
of chlorate of potash or chlorate of soda and amorphous phosphorus,-inflammable 5
ends of the wood splints prepared by the impregnation of the inflammable ends of
the wood splints with an aqueous solution of chlorate of potash or chlorate of
soda, hyposulphite of soda and gum, in such a manner that the said inflammable
ends have no heads liable to snap or break off, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In non-poisonous matches the ignition whereof is occasioned by the friction
of chlorate of potash or chlorate of soda against a surface prepared with amorphous
phosphorus, the addition to the inflammable paste of a small quantity of powdered
zinc triturated with amorphous phosphorus for the purpose of increasing the
inflammability, substantially as described.
3. In non-poisonous matches the ignition whereof is occasioned by friction on
any rough surface, the addition of a certain quantity of powdered zinc triturated
with amorphous phosphorus to the inflammable paste of which the heads are formed
for the purpose of increasing the inflammability substantially as described.
4. A non-poisonous inflammable paste for the heads of matches the ignition
whereof is occasioned by friction on any rough surface, the said paste consisting
of chlorate of potash, chromate of potash, sulphate of baryta, sulphide of antimony,
gum and powdered zinc triturated with amorphous phosphorus in the proportions
and in the manner substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of September 1893.
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.