AN IMPROVED SAFETY MATCH Box
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Starr at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th January
1867.
I, HENRY STARR, of No. 145, Cheapside, in the City of London, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SAFETY
MATCH Box," a communication, to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to the construction of a box for holding matches,
which consists of an inner and outer case, the former (which is provided
with conical ends) being fitted to slide in and out of the latter and caused by
the aid of a rod or pin projecting through its lower end to eject the matches
singly through an aperture formed in its lid or cover. The inner case is kept
up or in its normal position by means of a spring, and is pressed down by the
hand when a match is to be taken from the box. The inner or sliding case,
Price 81

page_text: which may be formed of brass, copper, earthenware. paper. or other material,
is by preference constructed of a round sectional form. The bottom of the
said case is made taper or conical. and a hole or perforation is formed through
the apex of this conical portion. The top of the box is provided with a lid or
cover, which is similarly formed and perforated. The said cover is made to
fit the end of the box in such a manner as to be readily removable therefrom
when required. and its edge may be milled or roughened to facilitate its
removal. The said box is fitted to slide freely endwise in a socket or outer
case, which is formed of metal, earthenware. or other suitable material, and
is by preference supported upon a foot or stand. its exterior being covered.
with sand or emery or otherwise roughened to form a surface for igniting the
matches. A spiral or other suitable spring is placed in the socket under the
sliding case, and a rod or pin is secured in the said socket of such a diameter
as to pass freely through the aperture in the bottom of the sliding case; this
pin is of such a length and is so arranged that when the latter is in its normal
or highest position (in which position it is kept by the spring) the upper end
of the said pin is a little below the edge of the aperture in the conical end of
the sliding case. The end or top of this pin is slightly cupped or recessed to
hold and guide the match more securely. As the upper end of the said rod
or pin is lower than the apex of the conical bottom of the sliding case one of
the matches contained in the latter will always drop into the cup or recess
formed on the said end of the rod. When the sliding case is pushed down.
the rod, being stationary, will hold the said match, and by the aid of the
conical lid or cover will eject the match through the aperture in the same.
Smance or
UT
by the said Henry Starr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th July
1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
STARR, of No. 145. Cheapside, in the City of London. Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Starr, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Starr,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I. the said
Henry Starr, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 of "AN IMPROVED
SAFETY MATCH Box," upon the condition (amongst others) that I. the said Henry
Starr, 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 Seat Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Starr, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
forming a part of this Specification:-
The said Invention relates to the construction of a box for holding matches
in a safe and convenient manner, and consists chiefly in the combination of an
inner and outer case. The former, which is provided with conical ends, slides
within the latter, and by the aid of a rod or pin extending through its lower or
inner end ejects the matches singly through an aperture formed-in a lid or
cover on its outer end. The inner case is kept up or in its normal position
by means of a spring, and is pressed down by the hand when a match is to be
taken from the box. The inner or sliding case, which contains the matches.
may be formed of brass, copper, earthenware, paper, or other suitable material.
and is by preference constructed in a cylindrical form. The bottom of the
said case is made taper or conical, and a hole or perforation is formed through
the apex of this conical portion. The top of the inner or sliding case is formed
to receive the lid or cover, which is also made taper or conical and has a
central perforation like the lower end of the said case. The said cover is
fitted to the end of the case in such a manner as to be readily removeable
therefrom when the box is to be filled, its edge being preferably milled or
roughened to facilitate its adjustment. The outer case or socket in which the
inner case slides may be formed of metal, earthenware, or other suitable
material, and is by preference. supported in an upright position upon a foot or
stand. The exterior of the said socket may be covered with sand or emery,
or may be otherwise roughened to form a surface for igniting the matches.

page_text: Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my improved match box showing
the same filled with matches; Figure 2 is a similar section showing the inner
case pressed down to eject one of the matches: Figure 3 is a horizontal
section of the said box on the line, x, Figure 2. Like letters indicate the
same parts in each of the Figures.
A is the inner sliding case or cylinder, which is constructed with the conical
or taper end A¹ and provided with the similarly formed cap or cover A². The
said case is fitted to slide freely through the open end of the outer case or
socket B, whose inner end is formed as shewn or to correspond with the conical
end of the inner casc A. The latter is provided with the projections C or
with other suitable means for preventing its being thrown out of the socket. B
when forced upward by the spring D. Sufficient space must be left in the
socket B below the end of the sliding case A to allow the latter to be pressed
down far enough to properly eject the matches. The rod E. which is firmly
fixed in the socket. B in a line with the centre of the sliding case A. is fitted to
the aperture a formed in the conical end of the case A in such a manner as to
allow the latter to slide freely over the said rod; this rod is of such a length
and is so arranged that when the case A is in its normal or highest position
the upper end of the said rod is a little below the mouth of the aperture a in
the end of the case A. as shown in Figure 1. The upper end of the rod E is
formed with a cup or recess b to receive the end of the matches. As the
upper end of the said rod lies below the aperture a in the apex of the conical
bottom of the case A one of the matches contained in the latter will drop into
the cup or recess b. The matches being placed in the inner case A, and the
lid or cover A being properly adjusted on the said case, the box is ready for
use and will hold the matches securely, protecting them from being injured by
moisture, and preventing all danger of their being thrown out of the box and
becoming accidentally ignited. When it is desired to take a match from the
box the sliding case A is pressed down into the socket B, as shown in Figure 2.
One of the matches in the said case is caught by the rod E, and being guided
by the conical or taper cover A is expelled through the aperture c in the said
cover. The match can be then taken from the box, while the sliding case
being released is again forced by the spring D into the position shown in
Figure 1, and is ready to deliver another match.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice, I claim the sliding case A with perforated

page_text: conical end A and cover As, outer case or socket B, spring D, and rod E,
combined and operating for the purpose and substantially in the manner set
forth.
In witness whereof. I, the said Henry Starr, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HENRY STARR. (L.S.).