IMPROVED FAGOTS FOR LIGHTING FIRES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John
Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVED FAGOTS FOR
LIGHTING FIRES."-A communication from abroad by Charles Victor
Brevet of 39 Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 9th December 1864, and dated the 13th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th June 1864.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
FAGOTS FOR LIGHTING FIRES," (a communication to me from abroad by Charles
Victor Brevet, of 39, Faubourg Saint Martin, Paris, France, to be as
follows:-
The main idea of these diaphanous fagots is to have in their various
arrangements a central fire-place with current of air which much facilitates
their combustion with flame, and consequently permits them to light promptly
[Price 8d.]

page_text: the fires in which they are placed. These diaphanous fagots are composed of
six small pieces of white wood (poplar or other) fastened together by thin
pins or nails. In the space left in the centre of these fagots is placed the
principal feeder of the fire, tow, oakum, sea wrack, straw, dried weeds, hemp,
cork-cuttings, or analogous materials previously steeped in liquid tar, stearine,
resin, or other materials of like nature may be used. It is only when the
fagots are nailed that the inflammable product is introduced into their centre,
and a lucifer match suffices to light these fagots, which then burn with flame,
by reason of the current of air produced by the gaps existing between the
several pieces. The most important property of these fagots is that they will
cheaply set light to coal, coke, and even peat in the space of a few minutes.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing forming part of this Provisional
Specification, shews various arrangements of fagots.
Figures 1 and 2 represent a fagot (drawn full size) composed of four
rectangular pieces, united by two tie pieces A; the tarred tow or inflammable
material is at B. This tow thus placed in the centre, once lit, cannot
become extinguished, because of the current of air formed around it, by the
vacant space, which is carefully left; Figures 3 and 4 represent (also full
size) three wooden sticks joined, so as to form but one, by a pin in the centre
A, upon which they may pivot to form an X, as at Figure 5, from which thus
opened hangs a small string acting as wick to light the three pieces of
wood entirely coated with resin. Figure 6 also represents three pieces of
wood, united like the preceding, into one by a pin, which is not however
in their centre, but at one of their ends; it is also provided with a thread B,
acting as wick, and the wood is also coated with resin; Figure 7 represents
an X, the centre B of which is tow or oakum entwining the three pieces of
wood, the whole being coated with resin; Figure 8 represents a rectangle
formed of four sticks united to a single tie-piece placed in the centre A, and
enveloped with tow B, the whole tied by two pins. For lighting coke,
instead of making the frames of wood, they are moulded from a paste com-
posed of resin, sawdust, coke, or coal dust, the whole mixed with tow or
oakum, to give it greater consistence, and finally resin or tar. In the centre
of the frame a cage or hollow diaphanous billet or fagot is placed, the ball of
tow or oakum steeped in resin.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wel-
lington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign,did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Gedge, 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 "IMPROVED FAGOTS FOR LIGHTING FIRES," (a communication to
me from abroad by Charles Victor Brevet, of 39, Faubourg St. Martin,
Paris, France,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Gedge, 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The main idea of these diaphanous fagots is to have in their various
arrangement a central fire-place with current of air, which much facilitates
their combustion with flame, and consequently permits them to light promptly.
the fires in which they are placed. These diaphanous fagots are composed of
six small pieces of white wood (poplar or other) fastened together by their pins
or nails, that is to say, this is the method of fastening, which practice has led

page_text: the Inventor to adopt almost exclusively, but nevertheless in certain cases
the fagots may be joined with glue or by tying them with iron wire or
packthread. In the space left in the centre of these fagots is placed the
principal food for flame, tow, oakum, sea wrack, straw, dried weeds, hemp,
cork-cuttings, or analogous materials, previously steeped in very clear liquid
tar, the best tar for this purpose is liquid gas tar; stearine, resin, and other
materials of like nature may be used. It is only when the fagots are nailed
that the inflammable matter is introduced into their centre, and a lucifer
match suffices to set light to these fagots, which then burn with flame, by
reason of the currents of air produced by the gaps existing between the
several pieces. The most important property of these fagots is that they will
economically set light to coal, coke, and even peat in the space of a few
minutes.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing forming part of this Specification-
shews various arrangements of these improved fagots. Figures 1 and 2
represent a fagot (drawn full size) composed of four rectangular pieces, united
by two tie-pieces A; the tarred tow or inflammable material is at B. This
two thus placed in the centre, when once lit, cannot become extinguished,
because of the current of air formed around it by the vacant space which is
carefully left.
Figures 3 and 4 represent (also full size) three sticks or laths of wood
joined so as to form but one by a pin in the centre A, upon which they may
pivot to form an X or tripod, as at Figure 5,from which thus opened, bangs a
small string acting as wick to light the three pieces of wood, entirely coated
with resin. Figure 6 also represents three pieces of wood united, like the
preceding, into one by a pin, which instead of being in their centre, is fixed
at one of their extremities; it is also provided with a thread B,acting aswick,
and the wood is also coated with resin. The string might be replaced by a
small bundle of tow or oakum. Figure 7 represents (as the Figure 5)
an X, the centre B of which is tow or oakum entwining in the three
pieces of wood, the whole being coated with resin. Figure 8 represents a
rectangle formed of four sticks united to a single tie or cross piece placed
in the centre A, and enveloped with tow B, the whole fastened together by
two pieces. For lighting coke,I adopt a special arrangement, based however,
on the same principle. Instead of making the cases, frames, or tripods of
wood, they are moulded from a paste composed of resin, sawdust, as much white
wood as possible, charcoal dust, coke dust, or coal dust, the whole mixed with
tow, or oakum to give it greater consistence, and finally resin, or in its absence

page_text: tar of some sort. In the centre of the frame cage or hollow diaphanous
billet or fagot thus formed is placed the ball of tow or oakum steeped in
resiu. Claim is made to the exclusive use of the combinations and arrange-
ments of these diaphanous fagots as well as to the principle which governs their
construction.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)