IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFacture of Fire LIGHTERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, GEORG GRUBER, at Maroggia, state of Ticino, in the Republic of Switzerland,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFacture of Fire LIGHTERS," and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to the manufacture of composition for lighting fires and
which is intended to replace more expensive compounds such as heretofore
employed for that purpose.
The object of the said invention is to facilitate the lighting or kindling of fires
whether in ordinary domestic fire-places or in hearths or furnaces used in industrial
establishments and to effect a considerable economy of time and money. To this
end according to the present invention composition is used that consists chiefly of
the following substances, viz.
1. Maize Cobs (Mais kolben von denen die körner entfernt find).
2. Almond shells.
3. Refuse olive pulp (the residue of olives from which the oil has been
expressed).
4. Chestnut shells.
5. Resin and petroleum.
6. Saw-dust.
7. Pulverized carbon.
For the preparation of the said composition, the above named ingredients are
treated in the following manner. The almond and chestnut shells are first roasted,
in order to facilitate their disintegration and subsequently are subjected, together
with maize cobs (Mais kolben von denen die körner entfernt find,) and refuse
olive pulp to the action of a disintegrating machine which pulverizes or reduces
them to minute pieces. The mixed substances are subsequently transferred together
with sawdust to a boiler containing a mixture of resin and petroleum heated to a
temperature of 70° Réaumur.

page_text: The above mentioned substances to form the said composition may be mixed in
the following proportions by weight, that is to say.—About
30 parts of resin and petroleum.
20 parts of maize cobs.
10 parts of almond shells.
5 parts of chestnut shells.
25 parts of sawdust.
5 parts of refuse olive pulp.
5 parts of pulverized carbon.
This mass is thoroughly well mixed so as to form a paste which is obtained at
a temperature of 60° Réaumur and is conveyed to a press by suitable transporting
means.
This press serves to give the required shape to the paste, converting it either
into rolls or tablets which may be cut by hand or by machinery to any suitable
length.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The use, for lighting fires, of a composition consisting chiefly of the following
ingredients viz; maize cobs, almond and chestnut shells, refuse olive pulp, sawdust
coal or charcoal (or a mixture of both); resin and petroleum.
2. A composition for lighting fires composed of the above mentioned ingredients
mixed in the following proportions by weight that is to say, Resin and petroleum
together about 30 parts; Sawdust about 25 parts; maize cobs about 20 parts;
Almond shells about 10 parts; Chestnut shells about 5 parts; Refuse olive pulp
about 5 parts and pulverized carbon about 5 parts.
3. The manufacture of a composition for lighting fires by roasting almond and
chestnut shells, disintegrating the same together with maize cobs and refuse olive
pulp and mixing the resulting mass together with sawdust with a liquor com-
posed of resin and petroleum heated to a temperature of or about 70° Réaumur
substantially as described.
E