Improvements in Holders for Lucifer Match Boxes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 10th Mar.,
1900
Improvements in Holders for Lucifer Match Boxes.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM PATON, Manager, and THE DIAMOND MATCH Co., LIMITED,
both of Linacre Road, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a holder for match boxes which can be hung
on a wall and enable a match to be taken out of the box whenever required.
In one arrangement it comprises a bracket or holder consisting of a thin strip
of metal of a width not exceeding the width of the match box, and having a hole
at the upper end to enable it to be hooked on to a nail in the wall, and at the
lower end with a lip or shelf. The metal bracket has a semi-circle or three sides
of a figure cut in it a little way above the lip or shelf, and the tongue thus formed
bent back on the opposite side of the bracket to that at which the lip projects.
If now the metallic strip be slipped between the box and the sliding cover, the
bottom of the latter will abut against the tongue and hold it stationary, while
the box slides out of the cover and is not stopped in its descent until it arrives
at the lip or shelf. The matches therefore that are contained in the box are
partly exposed and can be easily removed, though they will not accidentally fall
out of the box.
In a slightly modified arrangement the bracket is all made out of one piece
of metal as before, but the tongue is dispensed with, and the bottom of the
metal sheet is so bent as to form a shelf or trough for the bottom of the box to
rest in, while at the bottom the metal strip made rather wider than the width
of the box so as to form a stop for the sliding cover to prevent it going completely
to the bottom. Thus if the metallic strip be slipped between the box and the
sliding cover, the latter will abut against the wider part of the sheet near the
bottom while the box itself will slide out of the cover until it is stopped by the
shelf or trough, and thus expose the matches in the box, so that they can be
taken out one by one. There may be an opening in the shelf at bottom to facili-
tate the matches being removed by the finger.
Dated this 20th day of Anril 1899

page_text: 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 has for its object a holder for match boxes, which can be hung
on the wall, and enable a match to be taken out of the box when required.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawing which shows a view of the holder with
a match box applied thereto.
Referring to this figure, A is the bracket or holder, consisting of a thin strip
of metal of a width not exceeding the width of the match box, having a hole B
at the upper end to enable it to be hooked on to a nail in the wall, and at the
lower end with a shelf C. The metal bracket A has a semi-circle D or three sides
of a figure cut in it a little way above the lip or shelf C, and the tongue thus
formed bent back on the rear side of the bracket. If now the metallic strip A is
slipped between the box F and the sliding cover E, the bottom of the latter will
abut or engage in the tongue D which will hold it stationary while the box F
slides out of the cover, and is not stopped in its descent until it arrives at the
bottom of the shelf or trough C. The matches therefore that are contained in
the box are partly exposed, and if placed transversely therein will be delivered a
few at a time into the trough, from which they can be easily removed by
the fingers. In cases where the matches are placed longitudinally in the box, the
shelf or trough C may even be dispensed with, and a small lip provided at the
bottom of the metallic strip to form a stop for the sliding box. This arrangement
will expose the ends of the matches and enable them to be pulled out of the
box one by one.
Referring again to the arrangement shown in the drawing, the tongue 1 may
if desired be dispensed with, and at the bottom, the metal strip A is made rather
wider than the width of the box, so as to form stops G for the sliding cover E
to prevent it going completely to the bottom. The action will be the same as
before, namely, that if the metallic strip be slipped longitudinally between the
box and the sliding cover, the latter will abut against the wider part of the
strips at G, while the box itself will slide out of the cover until it is stopped
by the bottom of the trough C, and thus expose the matches in the box, so that
they can be taken out by hand. There is preferably an opening H in the shelf
at bottom to facilitate the matches being removed by the fingers. I are recep-
tacles which may be provided if desired for holding the burnt matches. These
receptacles are attached to the sides of the trough C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. As an improved article of manufacture, a holder for match boxes, comprising
a strip of metal having at the top end means for enabling it to be fastened on a
wall, at the bottom end a shelf or trough forming a stop for the sliding box, and
at a short distance above the bottom an abutment or abutments forming stops for
the sliding cover of the box, whereby if the metallic strip be slipped longitudi-
nally between the box and the sliding cover, and the end of the latter stopped
against the abutment while the box itself is slid out of the cover a short way,
the matches contained therein will be delivered a few at a time into the trough,
from which they can be easily removed by the fingers as required, substantially
as described.
2. In a holder for match boxes of the kind described in Claim 1, forming the
metallic strip at bottom end with a lip instead of a trough or shelf, whereby if
(when the metallic strip has been slipped longitudinally between the box and the
sliding cover), the end of the cover be stopped against the abutment which is a
short way above the bottom end, while the box itself is slid out of the cover a
short way and stopped against the lip, the matches will (if placed longitudinally

page_text: in the box) be exposed at the ends, but will not fall out though they can be
removed by the fingers as required, substantially as set forth.
3. The holder for match boxes constructed and arranged substantially as herein-
before described with reference to and shown in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 18th day of January 1900
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham & London.