IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office
A communication
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1880.
from abroad by La Société des Allumettes, Caussemille Jeune et Cio., et Roche
et Cie., of Paris, France.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
MATCHES, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR." [A communication from abroad by
La Société des Allumettes, Caussemille Jeune et Cia., et Roche et Cie., of Paris,
France.]
Attempts have heretofore been made to manufacture lucifer-matches to be sold
in such a form that each match will be separate from all the others, while all
remain attached to, that is to say, not entirely severed from a portion of the wood
from which the matches were cut, and for this purpose a small block of wood has
been split in such a manner that the separate pieces to forin the matches will spread
out in the shape of a fan around the lower part of the block which remains uncut.
But this method of manufacture has never been adopted, excepting for split matches,
These fun-shaped
and, generally, only for matches to which sulphur is applied.
packets or bundles are invariably inconvenient for packing and storing.
This Invention is designed to provide matches in blocks of prismatic form, tho
sparate matches being made by cutting a block of wood with a saw or saws, in
such a manner that each match remains attached at one end to a part of the block
remaining uncut, there being a clear space between all the matches so that any one
of the same may be readily broken off for use; the necessary chemical treatinent
may be performed with facility, as the blocks are cut without requiring the
employment of a press.
Upon the foot or solid uncut portion of tho block I place sand paper or some
other material with a roughened surface suitable for ordinary matches to be rubbed
upon to produce ignition; or, if the matches are supplied with amorphous phosphorus,
a suitable composition will be placed upon the said foot of the block of wood.
These prismatic blocks do not require to be put in boxes, and they are very
convenient for use, also for packing and storing.
The said blocks of matches may be made as large as may in any case be desirable,
or they may consist of strips comprising only one or two rows of matches; I prefer
to manufacturo a number of them at one operation mechanically, and will now
proceed to describe a machine suitable for the purpose of such manufacture, which
machine forms part of this Invention.

page_text: Upon a shaft I provide suitable driving pulloys, and the said shaft is also furnished
with a number of parallel circular saws, whose periphery is of the same width as
that of the spaces desired to exist between the matches, and the said saws gradually
diminish in thickness from the periphery to the centre thereof, so that the saw-
dust may readily escape during the operation of sawing the blocks, thus preventing
the saw-teeth from becoming blocked up or choked. The said shaft is supported in
bearings provided in two uprights connected at their upper end by a cross-piece;
attached to the said uprights there are guides for a sliding carriago which carries
the blocks of wood to be cut, these blocks being held thereto by moans of screws.
The said guides are supported in front and at the rear of the saw-shaft by uprights
similar to those in which the said shaft bears. At one end of the aforesaid carriage
there is a handle, by means of which the operator pushes the sliding carriage forward
against the saws, which then cut all the blocks in one direction in such a manner
as to leave one portion uncut, as abovo explained. After this operation the blocks
are again cut in a similar manner, but in a direction transversely to the first cuts,
and the separate pieces to form the matches are thus made; all these separate
piecos remaining attached to and parts of the uncut foot or piece of cach
block.
When the blocks have been cut as above described the pieces to form the
matches are furnished with sulphur and phosphorus in the ordinary manner, one
block, or preferably, a number theroof, boing treated at a time, but without
employing a press.
The material upon which the matches are to be rubbed for igniting the same
may be placed on one only of the sides of the foot or solid uncut portion of the
block, or on all sides, or at the bottom thereof. I may employ for this purpose the
glass or emery or other paper, or other material ordinarily used, or composition
paper for what aro known as safety matches..
It is obvious that some of the details of construction of the said machine may be
varied without departing from the principle of my Invention.