AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND IGNITING MATCHES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Nall, of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HOLDING
AND IGNITING MATCHES."
Sealed the 2nd October 1868, and dated the 7th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Nall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th April 1868.
I, WILLIAM NALL, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
HOLDING AND IGNITING MATCHES," to be as follows:-
The object of the said Invention is to afford a safe and ready means
for obtaining light without the inconvenience and danger arising from
the ordinary methods of keeping and lighting matches, and the said
Invention consists chiefly in the combination of a box or holder with
peculiar devices whereby matches contained in the said box or holder
are ejected and ignited automatically and singly as required.

page_text: The said Invention also consists in the employment of percussive
action instead of a rubbing or frictional action for igniting the said
matches. The said apparatus may be made of any convenient size or
shape and may be especially constructed to he carried in the pocket or
may be formed to stand upon a table or desk. The matches are held
in a rotating disc or cylinder and are thereby brought separately in
line with a guideway through which they are ejected by a spring slide.
This slide at the same instant releases a hammer which strikes the head
of the match as it is ejected through the case of the apparatus.
My Invention will be found of great convenience for smokers as the
apparatus may be made very small and of little weight. The discs or
cards may be filled with matches of the ordinary kind, with fusees
commonly used for lighting pipes and cigars, or with matches especially
manufactured for the apparatus.
In constructing my improved apparatus for the pocket the matches
are preferably held upon a disc or circular card which is fitted to revolve
upon a central stud or projection within the case of the apparatus. The
said disc is. formed on its periphery with notches or teeth. The matches
are arranged to lie in small radial recesses or channels on the face of
the disc with their heads towards the periphery of the same. These
discs are preferably made of card or thick paper and may be sold filled
with matches and ready to be inserted in the apparatus. A guideway
extends from the central projection on which the disc rotates to the
exterior of the box. A hammer or striker is arranged near the outer
end of the guideway and is secured to or connected with a spring
attached to any convenient part of the apparatus. A stud or finger is
fitted to slide in the guideway and is drawn therein towards the exterior
of the box by a spiral or other suitable spring. A disc or card full of
matches is inserted in the box which is then closed. The sliding stud
or finger when drawn back to the bottom or interior end of the guideway-
lies behind the matches as they are brought by the rotation of the disc
to the said guideway. The stud is attached to an arm or bar which
presses back the hammer and also by means of a stud or projection
which in the act of depressing the slide takes into the teeth on the disc.
and turns the same upon its axis the proper distance to bring each
match properly in line with the guideway. The sliding stud is held
when drawn back by a catch which is arranged in a convenient position
outside the box. When it is desired, to obtain a light the sliding stud

page_text: is released and drives the match through the guideway to the outside
of the box or case, the hammer at the same time being released and
striking the head of the match with the full force of the spring. The
match is thus ignited as it is forced out and may be held on the stud
or finger till consumed. The remains of the match may be entirely
expelled from the apparatus by hand or by means of an ejecting lever
connected with the sliding stud or otherwise; the slide may then be
drawn back and adjusted to deliver another match.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Nall in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NALL, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-.
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give.
and grant unto me, the said William Nall, Her special licence that
I, the said William Nall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Nall, my executors, administrators,
and assigus, 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HOLDING
AND IGNITING MATCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I; the.
said William Nall, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Pátent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Nall, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings forming a part of this Specification:-
The object of the said Invention is to afford a safe and ready means
for obtaining light without the inconvenience and danger arising from
the ordinary methods of keeping and lighting. matches, and the said
Invention consists chiefly in the combination of a box or holder with
peculiar devices whereby matches contained in the said box or holder are
ejected and ignited automatically and singly as required.
The said Invention also consists in the employment of percussive
action instead of a rubbing or frictional action for igniting the said
matches. The said apparatus may be made of any convenient size or
shape and may be especially constructed to be carried in the pocket or
may be formed to stand upon a table or desk. The matches are held
in a rotating disc or cylinder and are thereby brought separately in line
with a guideway through which they are ejected by a spring slide. This
slide at the same instant releases a hammer which strikes the head of
the match as it is ejected through the case of the apparatus.
My Invention will be found of great convenience for smokers as the
apparatus may be made very small and of little weight. The discs or
cards may be filled with matches of the ordinary kind, with fusces
commonly used for lighting pipes and cigars, or with matches especially
manufactured for the apparatus.
In order more fully to explain my said Invention I have illustrated
the same by the accompanying Drawing, which shews my improved
apparatus as constructed for the pocket.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 are exterior perspective views of my improved
apparatus; Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 1;
Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the interior of the said
apparatus; Figures 6 and 7 represent detached portions of the same;
Figure 8. illustrates modifications in the construction of the said
apparatus. Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
The case a is made of convenient size and of any suitable material.
The matches are preferably held upon a disc or circular card 6 which
is fitted to revolve upon a central stud or projection c within the case a
of the apparatus. The said disc which is shown detached in Figure 6

page_text: is formed on its periphery with notches or teeth 6. The matches are-
arranged to lie in small radial recesses or channels d on the face of the
disc 6. with their heads towards the periphery of the same. The
channels d are preferably formed in separate pieces, as shown in
Figure 7, which pieces are secured upon the face of the disc in any
convenient manner. The discs are preferably made of card or thick
paper and may be sold filled with matches and ready to be inserted in
the apparatus. If desired however discs of metal or other material
may be used instead of the cards, such discs being refilled with matches
when they have been emptied. A guideway e extends from the central
stud or projection c on which the disc b rotates to the exterior of the
case or box a. The hammer or striker f is arranged near the outer end
of the guideway e and is secured to the end of a spring 9 which is
attached by soldering or otherwise to the lower part of the guideway
or to any other convenient part of the apparatus. I prefer that this
hammer should be wedge shaped and have a sharp edge with which
to strike the matches, but if desired the same may be formed with
one or more points or with a flat surface, though this latter form is not
in all cases so desirable as the others. A stud or finger h attached to
the slide is fitted to move freely in the guideway e and. is drawn'
therein towards the exterior of the box by the spring i, which is attached
to the finger h² on the slide h¹ and to the other finger j at the end of
the longitudinal groove j¹. The said spring i is preferably a spiral
spring compressed or flattened to allow the box or case to be made as
narrow as possible, so that the apparatus will occupy but little space
and lie conveniently in the pocket. The inclined projection k on the
slide h¹ is preferably so formed and arranged that when the said slide
is drawn down or inward it passes freely over the side of the hammer
spring g, but when the said slide moves in the opposite direction the
inclined surface of the projection k acting on the stud g¹ forces back
the spring g gradually till the projection k passes beyond the said stud
and leaves the hammer f free. The said hammer then strikes the match
with the full force of the spring g.
If desired the hammer spring might
be dispensed with and the hammer connected with a lever arranged
to be struck and operated by the slide h¹. The projecting. piece h*
serves as the means for drawing back the slide h¹. A disc or card full
of matches is inserted in the box a, which is then closed. The sliding.
stud or finger h when the slide h¹ is drawn back to the bottom or.
interior end of the guideway e lies behind the matches as they are

page_text: brought by the rotation of the disc b to the said guideway. The slide /*
is also provided with a stud or projection 1, which when the slide is
depressed acts on the spring catch m and causes its hook m² to take
into the teeth 6' on the disc b and turn the same upon its axis the
proper distance to bring each match properly in line with the guideway.
If desired this spring catch may be dispensed with and the stud / made
to act directly upon the teeth b'. The slide h¹ is held when drawn
back by the catch n which is attached to the spring or flexible plate o
which is arranged in a convenient position outside the box. When
it is desired to obtain a light the slide h¹ having been previously by
means of the projecting piece h* drawn into the position shown in
Figures 1 and 3, is released and drives one of the matches held by the
disc b through the guideway e to the outside of the box or case a, the
hammer at the same time being released and striking the head of the
match with the full force of the spring g. The match is thus ignited
as it is forced out of the case a, and may be held on the stud or finger
till consumed. The slide h' may then be drawn back and adjusted to
deliver another match, the remains of the burnt match being at the same
time ejected by the piece o' on the end of the flexible plate o or by any
other convenient means.
In Figure 8 I have shown my apparatus without the spring for
operating the slide ', the said slide being moved in either direction
by means of the projecting piece p, and I prefer this arrangement of
parts where the said apparatus is to contain fusees such as are used by
smokers.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice,
I claim,―
First. The rotating disc 6 formed of card, metal, or other material, and
constructed with the channels d or other means for holding the matches
singly or separately and arranged and operating in combination with
devices for effecting its rotation on its axis, and for ejecting and igniting
the matches, substantially as set forth.
Second. The slide h¹ with the ejecting stud h fitted to work in the
guideway e and operating in combination with the rotating disc b, the
hammer f, or other striking device, the catch n or other suitable stop,
and with the devices for rotating the disc b, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.

page_text: Third. Constructing the disc b with teeth, notches, or other projections,
and arranging the same in combination with the catch m, or other device
connected with the slide h', in such a manner that the matches on the
disc are brought successively into the proper position to be ejected
from the case a.
Fourth. Igniting the matches as they are ejected from the case a
by the percussive action of the hammer for other suitable striking
device.
Fifth. Operating the hammer f by means of the spring g and studs or
projections k and g¹, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The piece o' for ejecting the remains of the burnt matches from
the apparatus operating in combination with the slide h' and hammer f,
substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The disc b, slide h', the hammer or striker f, the spring 9,
catch m, piece o', and catch or stop n constructed and operating together
in combination with the case a or other suitable holder, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Nall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM NALL. (L.S.)