AN IM- PROVED APPARATUS FOR CONTAINING, IGNITING, AND HOLDING WAX TAPER AND OTHER MATCHES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Moreton Jones, of Finchley Common, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanician, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR CONTAINING, IGNITING, AND HOLDING WAX TAPER
AND OTHER MATCHES."
Sealed the 10th May 1861, and dated the 17th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Moreton Jones
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th November 1860.
I, THOMAS MORETON JONES, of Finchley Common, in the County of
Middlesex, Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CONTAINING, IGNITING, AND HOLDING WAX
TAPER AND OTHER MATCHES," to be as follows:-
My improved apparatus is applicable for the purposes of containing, igniting,
and holding wax taper and other matches. The matches are contained in a
cylinder placed in a vertical position on a central axis or spindle on which it
revolves. The said cylinder which is formed of wood is perforated round its
side in direction of its length with a number of small holes, each of a size
to contain a single match. The top part of the said cylinder is turned down less
in diameter than the body of the same, so as to stand up within the holes round
its side, and serve the purpose of holding a band of sand paper for producing
the friction necessary for igniting the matches. The body of the said cylinder is
tightly fitted in a tube, the lower end of which is cut out after the manner of a
scape wheel with the same number of teeth as there are holes in the said cylinder
to receive matches. The said cylinder as above described containing the matches

page_text: is placed within a vertical tube on a central axis or spindle passing up the centre
of the same, on which the said cylinder revolves. The top of the said tube is
fitted with a moveable cover through which the central spindle passes, and
also with a holder operated upon by a spring for griping the matches when
ignited, and holding the same in an upright position to burn. The bottom of
the said: tube rests upon an upright spiral spring placed inside an outer and
larger tube in which the before-mentioned tube is free to slide up and down,
and the bottom of the said outer tube is formed into a suitable base on which
the apparatus stands. In the interior of the said outer tube near its side
is fitted a vertical rod for the purpose of driving the matches into the said
holder when the apparatus is brought into use. The tube in which the said
cylinder revolves is fitted on the outside at its lower end with a spring, and
also with a bent lever; the end of the spring works with an up-and-down motion
in a slot in the said tube, and gears into the teeth round the bottom of the said
cylinder; one end of the bent lever drops below the said tube, and the other
end rests upon the said spring; by these means the spring is depressed and
liberated from the said teeth every time the lower end of the said lever
is raised, the result of which is that when the apparatus is brought into
action the said spring is liberated from one tooth, and takes hold of the next
following, thus causing the said cylinder to revolve the distance necessary
to bring the matches one by one to the position required for use.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-By suddenly pressing on the
cover of the apparatus one tube descends within the other, and a match is
driven up ignited and held in position on the top of the cover, at the same
time the said spring, gearing in the teeth of the said cylinder, has been freed
from the tooth in which it held, and having taken hold of the next one causes
the said cylinder on rising to its normal position (which it does instantly on
the pressure being removed) to revolve a sufficient distance to place a match
in position for ignition on the apparatus being again depressed, and so on,
until the cylinder has performed a complete revolution, when it has to be taken
out of the said tube, and be refilled with matches.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Moreton Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS S
MORETON JONES, of Finchley Common, in the County of Middlesex, Mecha-
nician, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeen day of November, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,.
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto me, the said.
Thomas Moreton Jones, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Moreton
Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Moreton Jones, 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 "AN IM-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR CONTAINING, IGNITING, AND HOLDING WAX TAPER AND
OTHER MATCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Moreton Jones, my executors or administrators, by an instrument.
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Moreton Jones, do her "
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
following statement:-
My said Invention consists of an improved apparatus applicable to the
purposes of containing, igniting, and holding wax taper and other matches.
The matches are contained in a cylinder placed in a vertical position on
a central axis or spindle on which it revolves. The said cylinder which is
formed of wood, and is perforated round its side in direction of its length
with a number of small vertical chambers, each being of a size to contain
a single match. The top part of the said cylinder is less in diameter than the
body of the same, so as to stand up within the holes round the side, and serves
the purpose of holding a band of sand or emery paper or roughened material
for producing the friction necessary for igniting the matches. The said top
part of the cylinder can be made moveable, so as to be detached for the purpose
of replacing the sand paper or other material when the same is worn out.
The body of the said cylinder is tightly fitted in a tube, the lower end of which
is cut out after the manner of a scape wheel with the same number of teeth
as there are holes in the cylinder to receive matches. The said cylinder as
above described containing the matches is placed within a vertical tube on a

page_text: central axis or spindle passing up the centre of the same on which the said
cylinder revolves. The top of the said tube is fitted with a moveable cover
through which the central spindle passes, and also with a holder operated upon
by a spring for gripping the matches when ignited and holding same in an
upright position to burn. The bottom of the said tube rests upon an upright
spiral spring placed inside an outer and larger tube, in which the before-
mentioned tube is free to slide up and down, and the bottom of the said outer
tube is formed into a suitable base on which the apparatus stands. In the
interior of the said outer tube near its side is fitted a vertical rod, for the
purpose of driving the matches into the said holder when the apparatus is
brought into use. The tube in which the said cylinder revolves is fitted on
the outside at its lower end with a spring, and also with a bent lever; the end
of the spring works with an up-and-down motion in a slot in the said tube,
and gears into the teeth round the bottom of the said cylinder; one end of
the bent lever drops below the said tube, and the other rests upon the said
spring; by these means the spring is depressed and liberated from the said
teeth every time the lower end of the said lever is raised, the result of which
is, that when the apparatus is brought into action, the said spring is liberated
from one tooth and takes hold of the next following, thus causing the said
cylinder to revolve the distance necessary to bring the matches one by one to
the position required for use.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-By suddenly pressing on the
cover of the apparatus one tube descends within the other, and a match is
driven up ignited, and held in position on the top of the cover, at the same
time the said spring, gearing in the teeth of the said cylinder, has been
freed from the tooth in which it held, and having taken hold of the next
one causes the said cylinder on rising to its normal position (which it does
instantly on the pressure being removed) to revolve a sufficient distance to
place a match in position for igniting on the apparatus being again depressed,
and so on until the cylinder has performed a complete revolution, when it
has to be taken out of the said tube and refilled with matches. The said
revolving cylinder for containing the matches I have described as being
constructed of wood and metal, but in some cases it may be desirable and less
costly to cast or mould the same in one piece of any suitable material.
In order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I will now proceed
to describe the same in connection with the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, in which the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts
throughout all the Figures.

page_text: Figure 1 is an external elevation of the apparatus complete; and Figure 2
is a vertical section through the centre of the same; Figure 3 is an external
elevation of the revolving cylinder for containing the matches; and Figure 4
is a plan view of the top part of the same; Figure 5 is an external elevation
of the vertical tube in which the revolving cylinder is placed; and Figure 6 is
a sectional plan view of the same taken on the dotted line A, B; Figure 7 is
a side view of the moveable cover of the apparatus; and Figure 8 is a top
plan view of the same.
Letter (a) is the revolving cylinder; (b) is the axis on which it revolves;
(c) are the chambers for the matches; (d) is the rough surface for igniting the
matches; (e) is a tube cut round its lower edge, after the manner of a scape
wheel, with the same number of teeth as there are chambers for matches;
(f) is the tube in which the revolving cylinder is placed; (g) is the cover of
the apparatus; (h) is the holder for the matches; (j) is a spring acting on
the same, so as to press the match as it passes upwards against the friction
surface, and also to grip the match while it burns; (k) is the spiral spring for
supporting the tube (f); (l) is the outer tube, into which the tube (f)
descends on being depressed; (m) is a rod for driving up the matches; (n) is
the spring on the tube (f), which gears into teeth of the revolving cylinder,
and causes the same to turn on the axis (6); (o) is the bent lever taking hold of
the spring (n), so that when the tube (f) is depressed on to the bottom of the
apparatus the lever (o) by coming in contact with the bottom of the said
tube (1), releases the said spring from the tooth in which it held, and by it's
own elasticity takes hold of the next one, and on the revolving cylinder
resuming its normal position and becoming. released, from the rod (m), causes
the said cylinder to revolve the distance necessary to bring the next match
under the holder (h); (p) is a guide for the rod (m); and (9) is a cross piece
fitted in the tube (f), serving as a guide on the axis (b); (r) is an external
flange on the tube (f); and (s) are matches in position in their chambers.
Figure 9 is a top plan, and Figure 10 a side view, of a cover differently
arranged from the one previously described. Letter (*) is the cover, and (u*)
is the spring for pressing the matches agains the friction surface, and also for
gripping the same. Figure 11 is an external elevation of the vertical tube in
which the revolving cylinder is placed, shewing a modification of the arrange-
ment (previously described) for supporting the said tube, and which I prefer
using for large sized apparatus. In this view the outer tube is omited.

page_text: Figure 12 is a plan view of Figure 11. Letter (t) is the vertical tube; (u) is
a tubular axis on which the tube containing the matches revolves; (v) is a
spring within the same (shown by dotted lines), one end of which is secured
at the top of said tubular axis, and the other to the cross-head (w), which
passes through a slot (x) in the said axis, and suspends the tube (t) in the
position shown at Figure 11. Letter (y) is a rod for driving up the matches;
(z) is a spring acting on the revolving cylinder; and (a') is a bent lever, all
of which parts are caused to act in the manner previously described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said.
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect,
I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine myself to the precise
details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as
variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the main features
of the said Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the use of a revolving cylinder for containing the matches, as herein-
before described.
Second, the general construction, arrangements, and combination of the
several parts of the apparatus, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Moreton Jones, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
THOMAS MORETON JONES. (L.S.)
Witness,
W. H. BATEMAN,
71, Fleet Street, London.