IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Germain Canouil, of Paris, (France), Matches Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
MATCHES."
Sealed the 30th April 1858, and dated the 6th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Germain Canouil at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
November 1857.
I, GERMAIN CANOUIL, of Paris, (France), Matches Manufacturer, do hereby
5.declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
.FACTURE OF MATCHES," to be as follows:-
These Improvements relate to the manufacture of matches of every descrip-
tion, whether they are made of wood splints, wax, tape, slips of paper, or any
other suitable material. They consist in 1ly, the manufacture of matches
tipped with an igniting composition not containing any phosphorus, and which
will ignite by rubbing against a hard surface previously, covered with a paste
also not containing any phosphorus. 2ly, the manufacture of matches tipped
with an igniting, composition containing no phosphorus, and which will ignite
by rubbing against any hard surface not previously prepared for that p purpose.

page_text: The igniting composition for the first sort of matches which I call safety
matches, is composed of chlorate of potash, nitrate of lead, bichorate of potash
and sulphur, made up to a paste by the addition of a sufficient quantity of
water and any suitable agglutinant, such for instance, as gum or dextrine.
The paste to be laid over the surface against which the matches are to be
rubbed in order to ignite them is composed of chlorate of potash, and minium
or red lead, to which is added pulverized glass, emery, or any other body
capable of imparting sufficient roughness to the rubbing surface, and the
entire is made up to a paste by the addition of water and any suitable agglu-
tinant, such for instance as animal glue. The igniting composition for tipping
the 2nd sort of matches which I call Canouil matches, is composed of sub-
sulpho-ferrocyanide of lead, and chlorate of potash, to which may be added
bichromate of potash, and the entire made up to a paste by the addition of a
sufficient quantity of water and any suitable agglutinant, or the same may be
composed of chlorate of potash and bioxyde of lead, and a sufficient quantity
of sulphur, or any suitable sulphuret, such for instance as the sulphuret of iron,
the entire is made up to a paste by the addition of water and an agglutinant.
It is to be understood that the materials must be employed in the pul-
verized or finely devided state, and are to be thoroughly mixed together in
order to obtain homogeneous paste.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Germain Canouil in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GERMAIN
CANOUIL, of Paris, France, Matches Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Germain Canouil, Her special licence that I, the said Germain Canouil,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Germain Canouil, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,

page_text: the said Germain Canouil, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my 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 Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Germain Canouil, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of lucifers,
vestas, and all other descriptions of friction matches, and consists in providing
the ends thereof with igniting compounds containing neither phosphorus or
any other poisonous matters. My compounds are of two distinct species, viz
1ly, those igniting by rubbing the end of the match, provided with the igniting
compound, over any smooth surface of suitable hardness to offer the required
resistance, such for instance, as polished or roughened glass, china, earthen-
ware, paper, cardboard, &c., the smoothness of which substances prevented
the compositions hitherto employed for tipping matches of igniting by being
rubbed over these said surfaces. 2ly, a compound that requires to be rubbed
over a surface suitably covered for this purpose with a special coating, or
provided with a suitable quantity of the same igniting composition as that
with which the match itself is tipped, but neither this latter composition nor.
that serving for coating the friction surface, nor the first-mentioned com-
pounds contain either ordinary or amorph phosphorus, or any other poisonous
substance. The igniting compounds of the first class, viz. those taking fire by
being rubbed over any suitable smooth hard surface, such for instance as
window panes, looking glasses, varnished or other wood, paper, cardboard, and
other similar materials, have the following composition:-

page_text: ***
* 2 BATTE
Sub-sulfo-cyanide of lead
Chlorate of potash
Bichromate of potash
2ND. COMPOUND., B.
parts in weight:
10 dodo
dondo.
2do do
Gum, dextrine, or glue
The materials are mixed and made up into a paste in the manner as has
been described for the compound A1
Chlorate of potash
Bichromate of potash
3RD. COMPOUND C.
***Pulverized glass, "sand"pumice stone, or
other similar hard inert materials:
Gum, dextrine, or glue -
::
8 parts in weight.
do do.
f
3 do.
do.
2do.
do.
srig
'The materials are treated and made up into a paste in the manner as has
been described for the compound A
5
18
Each of these three compounds may be employed as a paste for tipping
therewith the ends of lucifer or other matches in the manner as is well known>
by match manufacturers. The igniting compounds of the second class, viz.
for matches which for being ignited require to be rubbed either over a surface:
coated with a special igniting compound, or over a surface already provided:20
with the required quantity of the same igniting compound as that with which
the matches themselves are tipped, is as follows
*8703
4TH. COMPOUND D.
Chlorate of potash
Nitrate of lead -
Bichromate of potash
Pulverized glass, sand, pumicestone, or
other similar hard inert material
=
d.
1 part in weight.
dodo. 25
2. do!
doan
4 do.
do.
6 do. do. :
30
Gum, dextrine, or glue =
The materials are reduced to an almost impalpable powder, and the gum,
dextrine, or glue dissolved in a suitable quantity of water are mixed therewith,
so as to form the entire into a paste of the degree of viscosity required for
tipping matches therewith. The matches tipped with this compound D will
ignite by being rubbed over a surface provided with a suitable quantity of
the said compound itself, but I prefer coating this surface with the following 35

page_text: 5TH COMPOUND E.
-
Clinkers reduced to a very fine powder
Fine emery powder, sand, pulverized-
glass, pumicestone, or other similar
hard inert materials
Chlorate of potash
Minium
1 part in weight.
1 do.
do.
-
6 do:
do.
1 do.
do.
The materials are reduced to an almost impalpable powder and mixed
with the glue, which latter has been dissolved previously in a sufficient
quantity of water, in order to form the entire into a sort of liquid paste with
which the friction surface is to be coated.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I declare that what I claim consists of manu-
facturing lucifers, vestas, or any other description of matches, by providing the
ends thereof with either one of the first described igniting compounds A, B, C,
or with the fourth compound D, in which latter case the friction surface, over
which the matches are to be rubbed in order to ignite, requires to be coated
with the fifth compound E, or to be provided with a sufficient quantity of the
said fourth composition D.
In witness whereof, I, the said Germain Canouil, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-eight
Witness,
J. SOUTH.
GN. CANOUIL. (L.S.)