A NEW OR IMPROVED FAGOT OR FIRE-LIGHTER
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Humphreys, of Deptford, in the County of
Kent, Firewood Merchant, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
FAGOT OR FIRE-LIGHTER."
Sealed the 23rd July 1867, and dated the 27th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Humphreys at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th February 1867.
I, THOMAS HUMPHREYS, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Firewood
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
OR IMPROVED FAGOT OR FIRE-LIGHTER," to be as follows:-
Various attempts have been made to construct fire-lighters commonly known
as <<
patent firewood" but these attempts have been hitherto to a very great
extent unsuccessful, more especially because as soon as the cord which holds
them together becomes burnt the parts composing the lighter fall to pieces.
Now, according to my Invention the parts do not fall when the cord is
burnt and consequently the wood burns freely by reason of the draught of air
which passes up and between the parts of which it is composed until it is.
wholly or as nearly so as may be consumed.

page_text: My Invention consists in forming a cross piece by partially slotting each
piece of wood and inserting one in the other; I unite the ends of each cross
piece by a single segmental key piece, and I support the segmental pieces by
radial pieces, and keep the whole in position by a cord. When the fagot is
lighted, the central cross pieces act as
radial arms so that the parts do not
construction.
a support to the segmental pieces and
fall to pieces as in fagots of ordinary
By these improvements I reduce the number of pieces composing the fagot,
but at the same time increase the size of the fagot, in fact it is twice the size
of those heretofore constructed. I render it perfectly unnecessary to bevil
the edges of the radial arms, and dipping the edges into a resinous composition
is rendered entirely unnecessary for by fitting the parts together in the manner
before described the edges or points of the wood are exposed to the free
attack of the fire. I insert a piece of bass between the pieces to show the
end which I prefer to be placed in the grate or fire-place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Humphreys in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HUMPHREYS, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Firewood Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Humphreys, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Humphreys, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Humphreys, 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 "A NEW
OR IMPROVED FAGOT OR FIRE-LIGHTER," upon the condition (amongst others) that
1, the said Thomas Humphreys, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain. the nature of the said Invention, aud in

page_text: what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to bei
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 Thomas Humphreys; do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
Various attempts have been made to construct fire-lighters, commonly known:
as "patent fire-wood," but these attempts have been hitherto to a very great
extent unsuccessful, more especially because as soon as the cord which holds
them together becomes burnt, the parts composing the lighter fall to pieces.
Now according to my Invention the parts do not fall when the cord is burnt,
and consequently the wood burns freely by reason of the draught of air which
passes up and between the parts of which it is composed until it is wholly or
as nearly so as may be consumed.
My Invention consists in forming a cross piece by partially slotting each
piece of wood, and inserting one in the other, I unite the ends of each cross
piece by a single segmental key piece, and I support the segmental pieces by
radial pieces, and keep the whole in position by a cord.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings show two pieces of wood
forming the cross piece as described, and when one slot is inserted in the other
they appear as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
Figure 5 is a view in plan, and Figure 6 in side elevation, of the fagot or
fire-lighter complete.
a, a, are the cross pieces; b, b, b, b, are the segmental key pieces; c, c, c, c,
are the radial arms, and d is the cord. When the fagot is lighted the central
cross pieces a, a, act as a support to the segmental pieces b, b, b, b, and
radial arms c, c, c, c, so that the parts do not fall to pieces as in fagots of the
ordinary construction.
By these improvements I reduce the number of pieces composing the fagot,
but at the same time increase the size of the fagot, in fact it is twice the size
of those heretofore constructed. I render it perfectly unnecessary to bevil the
edges of the radial arms, and dipping the edges into a resinous material is
rendered entirely unnecessary, for by fitting the parts together in the manner
before described the edges or points of the wood are exposed to the free
attack of the fire. I insert a piece of basse between the pieces to show the
end which I prefer to be placed in the grate or fire-place.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the new or

page_text: improved fagot or fire-lighter herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Humphreys, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
THOMAS HUMPHREYS. (L.S.)