improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Fire Lighters.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date or Application, 22nd Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 20th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Fire Lighters.
1, JOHN MAYNES of 19 Myddelton Square Clerkenwell in the county of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements on the machinery for the manufacture of.
fire-lighters described in the specification of Letters patent granted to me the
7th day of January 1885 and numbered 247. The improvements which I now
describe are those which experience of working the machinery has shewn to be
necessary and desirable to ensure its smooth and perfect working.
The lighter made is of the same kind as described in my aforesaid invention, having
several bars of wood, by preference five, joined together by tongues or strips of wood
at each end.
The block of wood from which each lighter is made is prepared by sawing to the
required size, and is fed from a hopper or otherwise onto a table in the rear, but in
the line of motion, of the saws which are to divide it as hereinafter described.
Two latches, connected so as to form two parallel links, are moved lengthwise..
parallel to the line of motion of the saws by means of levers & links actuated. from
a cam on the driving shaft. By the first motion of these levers, the hind most latch
engages with the end of the block and pushes it a certain distance forward. The
latches now return, and in their next forward motion the front latch engages with,
and pushes the block still further forward, the hindmost one engaging with a fresh
block from the hopper, and so on continuously for every feed. The block is made:
to pass along a channelled way and underneath a weighted plate, and during this.
motion it makes contact with a suitably placed and driven horizontal saw, which
cuis a groove the length of one side of the block along a line at one-half of its
depth. The travel of the block being finished, it is pressed against a side guage:
by a spring, and a holding down plate is pressed down upon its top. This plate
is fixed at one end of a bell crank lever, the other end of which receives motion
through a spring connection from a crank pin on the driving, shaft.. The side..
guage is formed of a
top and bottom piece, between which is a. tongue plate:
which is caused, by a suitable arrangement, of cam and levers, to project from the..
[Prine 1

page_text: side guage, and enter the groove cut in the wood block. The block, as thus
fixed, is directly over slots in the table top through which the saws are caused to
rise, and divide it into bars.
A gang of, by preference, five circular saws is mounted in bearings on brackets
below the table, which are caused by contact with a cam to rise, carrying the saws
through the table, and dividing the wood block in the direction of its length into
the required number of bars; producing five thick bars and two thin strips or
bars of half the width of the thick ones (the outside piece being separated into two
by means of the groove previously cut in the block). The bearings of the saw
spindle are fixed in slides on the brackets, and provided with adjustment screws or
levers, so as to take up the wear of the saws. At the same time the bowl in
contact with the cam may be adjusted angularly as required.
After being sawn, the two thin pieces, together with three alternate thick bars are
pushed forward from between the saws. The two thin pieces are pushed each into
a guide the spindle of which is mounted in a bearing at one end, and having teeth
on an extension of its spindle engaging in a toothed rack suitably placed; the guides
being provided with springs to hold the strips tightly. The three thick bars are
first pushed between guides on the table, and then into grooves on the surface of a
moveable carriage. During the latter part of this movement, the remaining two
alternate thick bars are also pushed between the guides on the table. As soon as
the three bars are in the grooves of the moveable carriage, it is moved a certain
distance in a direction at right angles to the plane of the saws, carrying with it the
three thick bars. This movement is effected through levers and connections from a
cam on the driving shaft. Concurrently with this motion, the rack above mentioned
is moved by means of levers and connections actuated by a cam, and turns the guides
carrying the thin strips, outwards round their axes, so that they are brought into a
position at right angles (being situated across the ends) to the three thick bars. One
or both of them are also raised to a higher elevation than they were in before, which
is effected by projections on their spindles running in contact with an inclined plane
while they are being turned. These actions completed, the two alternate thick bars
between the guides on the table are then drawn into a position on the moveable
carriage parallel to the other three thick bars; so that now there are five thick bars
alongside each other, with spaces between each, and with a thin strip or piece lying
across the ends of them.
The holding down plate being raised, the bars are pushed forward by the following
means: A sliding plate in the rear of the saws has projecting from it five bars,
which, when moved with the plate, press against the ends of the two thin strips, and
the three thick bars, and push them into the rotating guides and moveable carriage as
before described. A second sliding plate with two projections is made similarly to
push the other two thick bars into the guides on the table. While moving into this
position, the two bars push against and pass under two latches pivotted on a rod,
which drop down over the ends of the two bars when the latter are at the end of their
motion. A motion is then given to the rod carrying the latches, and they are made
to draw the two bars into position on the moveable carriage as above described. The
first sliding plate is moved by a lever centred on a spindle, which receives motion
through suitable connections from a cam. The second sliding plate is also moved by
a lever turning on a centre, which lever is moved by a projection on the lever moving
the first sliding plate, coming into contact with it. The first lever begins its motion
before it moves the second one, thus allowing for the difference in length of their
travels. The lever connected with the second sliding plate is extended to the other
side of its centre, and a link is jointed to the lever thus formed and connected with
the rod carrying the two latches, which are thus moved in the desired manner.
Two of the guides on the table into which the wood bars are first pushed before
being placed on the moveable carriage, are pivotted at one end, and have a link
joining their other ends, which is able to be moved when required by connections
from a cam. When the bars are pushed into these guides, the mouths of them are
thus able to be opened, affording free entrance.

page_text: Should the saws from any cause not cut through the wood block, they would in
rising tend to lift it off the table. In so doing the holding down plate on the block,
and the bell crank lever connected to it, would be lifted bodily against the pressure of
a spring suitably placed, carrying up also the top half of the side guage and the
tongue projecting piece. Besides the movement thus allowed in case of mishap, the
movement of the bell crank lever is caused to disengage a latch, and release a spring,
which would cause the belt to be struck, and so stop the machine. The upward
movement of the side guage is made to interpose a block to the forward movement of
the projecting bars of the sliding plates; and therefore to allow for a sudden stoppage
at this point, the connection between the lever, moving this sliding plate, and the
cam, is made flexible, so as to yield, by means of a spring and clutch.
When the wood bars and end strips are in position on the moveable carriage as
before described, they are under a framework called a "hand which is able to be
moved from end to end of the machine. This movement is effected by the turning of
a vertical shaft which carries at its top end a radial arm connected by a link to the
hand. Motion is given to the vertical shaft by means of a universal jointed link
actuated from a cam on the driving shaft. The strips and bars are lifted upwards
into this band. The rotating guides carrying the strips are lifted up by suitable
gear worked from a cam, and the strips in them are pushed into pronged knife
edged receivers on either side of the hand. As these are raised, they move in
contact with a fixed projection on either side, an inclined part of which guides the
ends of the wood strips, if necessary, into their proper position. When the rotating
guides are lowered again, these projections also will clear them out, in case the wood
strips may not have held in the knife edged holders. A double horizontal arm
entering into, and lying beneath the wood bars in recesses in the moveable carriage,
is connected below the table to the lifting gear, and concurrently with the strips, the
bars are raised into the hand, where they are immediately gripped laterally by the action
of spring fingers secured to an internal moveable frame in the hand. As these bars
are raised, the fixed projections above mentioned also guide the ends of them into
their proper position. A latch, fixed below the moveable carriage, is caused to hold
up the arm lifting the bars, for the required time, when the return movement of the
moveable carriage disengages it, and the bar lifter is allowed to drop down. The
hand slides upon square bars, and turning motion is given to one of these at the end
of the machine through the medium of a segmental rack and toothed wheel, moved in
either direction by contact with two cams. The square bar is connected to the finger
framework by means of a screw and nut, and when this is moved in one way, the
fingers are left free to hold the wood bars tightly, and in the other way, to move clear
of them.
The hand is now moved to the end of the machine, and in its passage the projecting
ends of the wood bars pass in contact with two horizontal saws, which cut grooves
in them. Arrived at the end of its travel, the hand is made to dwell, while the
pronged knife edged holders are turned down, so as to bring the strips in a line
with, and adjacent to the groove cut in the ends of the bars. An arm and link, on
the end of the other square bar on which the hand slides, is moved by a cam, and
the turning motion thus given to the square bar is communicated through spur
gearing to the two spindles carrying the aforesaid knife edged holders, which are thus
turned down as required.
When the strips are thus in position, hammers on either side of the hand are made
to strike them and drive them into the ends of the wood bars, thus binding them
together. The hammers are connected by links to a central spring bar, which is
forced down by contact with a cam, thus keeping the hammers in their outward
position, until being released, the spring causes the hammers to move quickly in and
strike the strips.
When thus bound together, the spring fingers in the hand are screwed off that the
lighter may drop out. The turning of the screw for this purpose also causes a tooth
to engage with, and depress a fork pivotted on a spindle, which assists the lighter
in dropping out.

page_text: :
The “lighter” drops onto two light frames mounted so as to move up and down on
pivots in a box which is kept supplied with hot liquid resin, the frames being moved
by cams so as to properly dip the lighter, after which it is raised to the top of the box,
and is taken away to be packed. The resin is boiled in a pan, from which it is raised
into the hot resin box by a pump worked from a crank pin on the driving shaft. An
overflow into the boiling pan is arranged so that the hot resin in the box shall be kept
at a constant level. The pump clacks are connected so that they may be lifted from
their seating when the machinery is stopped, in order to empty the resin pipes.
While these last operations have been going on, the first actions have been
recommenced, and a fresh block is being cut into bars; the hand also being moved
back to its first position.
The cycle of operations is continuous, and one lighter is completed for each revolution
of the cam shaft.
Dated this Twenty-second day of Nasch 1887

page_text: I, JOHN MAYNES of 19 Myddelton Square Clerkenwell in the county of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 improvements on the machinery for the manufacture
of Fire Lighters described 111 the Specification of an invention for which
Letters Patent have been granted to me dated the 7th day of January 1885 and
numbered 247. The improvements which I now describe are those which experience
with the machinery has shewn to be necessary and desirable in order to ensure
smooth and satisfactory working.
The fire-lighter to be made is of the same kind as that described in my aforesaid
specification, having several bars of wood, by preference five, joined together by
tongues or strips of wood at each end.
In order that the improvements, which are the subject of my present invention,
may be readily understood, I have illustrated them in the accompanying drawings in
which Figs. 1. 2. 3. are the clevation, plan, and end view respectively, of the general
arrangement of the machine.
Fig. 4, is an end view of the side gauge and tongue piece against which the wood
block is pressed while being sawn.
Fig. 5, is a plan view of the guide for receiving the strips or tongues.
Fig. 6, is a part transverse section of the machine shewing the details of the
mechanism for turning and lifting the strip guides, for lifting the wood bars, and for
guiding the same.
Fig. 7, is a similar transverse section shewing the details of the hammers.
Figs. 8. 9 are the elevation and end view respectively of the hand or carriage.
Figs. 4. 5. 8. 9 are drawn to a larger scale than has been used for the other
figures.
The block of wood from which each lighter is to be made is prepared, by sawing,
of the required size, and is fed from a hopper, or otherwise as convenient, onto a part
of the table marked A being placed in the front and in the line of motion of the
saws, which are to divide it as hereafter described. From this position it is moved
by the latches B B' between the channel sides CC, and finally placed under the
holding down plate D. In Figs. 1. 2 this mechanism B B' is shewn in its forward
position. The latches B B are pivotted on blocks sliding in the groove C₁; they are
connected together by the link B² which receives movement through the levers and
connections B3 B3 from the cam B. When the latches B, B' are in their rear position,
the hindmost one, B¹, engages with the wood block placed at A, and in its forward
movement carries the block along with it. The latches then return, the hindmost
one B' again engages with a fresh block at A, while the front latch B engages with
the before partially moved wood block, and carries it, by the next movement, a further
distance forward until it is secured under the holding down plate D. In the return
motion the link connection B² moves the latches outwards on their centres through a
small are controlled by a stop pin in a slot, so that they may pass clear by the sides of
the fresh blocks. During the passage of the wood block just described through the
channel sides CC and underneath a weighted plate (*, it makes contact with, a

page_text: suitably placed and driven horizontal saw C³ which cuts a groove the length of one
side of the block along a line at one half of its depth. The travel of the block being
finished, it is pressed against a side gauge E by a spring E¹, and a holding down
plate D is pressed down upon its top. This plate D is fixed at one end of a bell crank
lever I pivotted at D2, the other end of which is connected by the link D³ with a
crank D on the cam shaft. This link D³ includes a spring connection in the box D³,
which yields so that the crank may finish its travel after the plate D shall have been
pressed down upon the block. The side gauge E, shewn drawn to an enlarged scale
in Fig. 4, is formed of top and bottom pieces E², E³ between which is a tongue
plate E, which is caused, at the required times, by means of the cam E', and lever E
connected to the saw bracket presently mentioned, to project from the side gauge and
enter the groove cut in the side of the wood block. The block, as thus fixed, is
directly over slots in the table top, through which the saws are caused to rise and
divide it into bars.
A gang of, by preference five, circular saws is mounted on a shaft placed in
bearings F, F secured to brackets F1 F1 below the table, which brackets are secured
at one end to a shaft F, round the centre of which they are free to turn. The
other end F³ of one bracket makes contact with a cam F4, Fig. 2 and this causes the
brackets to rise, carrying the saws through the table, and dividing the wood block in
the direction of its length into five thick bars, and two thin strips or bars each of
half the depth of the thick ones (the outside piece being separated into two by
means of the groove previously cut in the block.) The bearings F F of the saw
shaft are fixed in slides on the brackets F1, F', and provided with adjustment links
and levers F F so as to take up the wear of the saws. At the same time the
bowl in contact with the cam is mounted on a bell crank lever F on the end of the
bracket F, which may be adjusted angularly as required. (For convenience of
description the sawn bars are numbered from 1 to 5).
The sawing being completed, the two thin pieces, together with three alternate
thick bars 1. 3. 5, are pushed forward from between the saws. The two thin pieces
are pushed each into a guide G G (shewn drawn to an enlarged scale in Fig. 5)
which at that moment are situated one above the other and parallel to the saws.
Each guide G G has a spindle G₁, G¹, at one end, (see also Fig. 6) mounted in
suitable bearings, each spindle having a toothed wheel G³, G³, formed upon an
extension of it engaging in a toothed rack G. As shewn in Fig. 5 the rotating
guides are provided with springs G³, to hold the strip tightly. The thick bars 1. 3. 5
are first pushed between guides H, H on the table, and then into grooves H³, H³
formed on the surface of a moveable carriage H. During the latter part of this
motion the holding down plate D is raised, (its under surface being, by preference, so
cut away as to press on the wood block only on those portions which are to form the
top of the bars 2 4), and the two remaining alternate thick bars 2. 4. are also pushed
between the guides H H on the table. As soon as the three bars 1. 3. 5 are in the
grooves H³ ³ of the carriage H', the latter is moved a certain distance in a direction
at right angles to the plane of the saws, carrying with it the three thick bars 1. 3. 5.
This movement is effected through the medium of a bell crank lever I, one end of
which is linked to the under surface of the carriage H4, the other end being jointed 4
to a bar I sliding in bearings in a bracket 12. One end of the bar I' carries a bowl
in contact with a cam 13 from which the necessary motion is derived.
Concurrently with the last motion, the rack G, Fig. 6, is moved laterally by the
link J and lever J which carries a bowl J2 in contact with the cam J³. The rack
consequently turns the toothed wheels G³, G³, and with them the guides G G in 5
which the thin strips have been placed, turning them outwards round their axes
through 90° from the position parallel to the saws as above mentioned into that
shewn in Fig. 2, so that they are brought into a position at right angles (being
situated across the ends) to the three thick bars 1. 3. 5. As these guides G, G, on
receiving the strips, are at different heights, the lower one is raised in the course of 5
this movement to the height, of its companion, which is effected by causing a pro-
jection J on its spindle to run in contact with an incliued plane J. These actions

page_text: completed, the two thick bars 2. 4 between the guides H H on the table are then
drawn, by the latches L, L, secured to the lever L³, into a position on the carriage H*
parallel to the other three thick bars 1. 3. 5; so that there will be five thick bars
alongside each other with spaces between each, and with thin strips or tongues lying
across the ends of them. The wood bars, on being pushed and drawn into the
carriage H, are prevented from moving too far by meeting a stop plate or bar H³,
fixed on the table top. After the hars have been thus placed, the carriage H* is
moved a further distance onward, and is finally brought to a stop in the position
shewn in Fig. 2.
pro-
The wood bars are pushed forward by the following means:-A sliding plate K
in the front of the saws has projecting from it five bars, which, when the sawing is
completed, press against the ends of the two thin strips and the three thick bars 1. 3. 5
and push them into the rotating guides G G and moveable carriage H* respectively,
in the order as before described. A second sliding plate K, with two projections, is
made similarly to push the other two thick bars 2. 4. into the guides H. H on the table.
While moving into this position the two bars 2 4. push against and pass under the
two latches L, LA pivotted on the lever L³, which latches drop down over the end of
the two bars when the latter are at the end of the motion. given them by the
jections on the sliding plate K. A movement is then given to the lever L³, and
the latches L, LA are made to draw the two bars 2.4 into position on the carriage H',
as before described. The sliding plate K is connected by a link to a lever K² secured
at one end to the spindle K³, which is suitably mounted in bearings formed in the
frame of the machine. A link K, receiving motion from the cam K³, is connected to
a crank Ke formed on one end of the spindle K³; and thus at proper intervals as
determined a to-and-fro motion is communicated to the lever K2, which thereupon
moves the sliding plate K and the bars projecting from it in the manner as required.
At a certain point in the movement of the lever K² a stud L' projecting from it catches
upon the lever L, and pushes it forward. The lever L is connected by a link to the
sliding plate K, which is thus moved forward as required. The lever L is extended
to the other side of its centre, and a point in it there is connected by a link L² to,
and moves the lever 13 carrying the latches L L at its upper end as before
mentioned. Springs are suitably placed so as to prevent the latches L', L* from
being jerked away from contact with the wood bars. Of the guides H H on the
table, into which the wood bars are first pushed before being placed in the moveable
carriage H, the two which stand in the line between the wood bars 1. 2 and 3. 4.
respectively, are pivotted at their ends farthest away from the saws, and have a
link H, joining their other ends, which is connected with a cam formed on the side
of the spur wheel A' to which the cam shaft is secured. This cam moves the front
ends of the above mentioned two guides laterally, and thus opens the mouths of the
spaces between them, affording free entrance for the wood bars 1. 3.
Should the saws from any cause not cut through the wood block, they would in
rising tend to lift it off the table. In so doing, I arrange, in case of mishap, that the
holding down plate D and the bell crank lever D¹ connected to it shall be lifted
bodily, against the pressure of a spring De suitably placed, being pivotted for the
moment on, and turning round the fixed centre D. The same rising movement of
the wood block would also carry up with it the tongue projecting piece E' and the
top half of the side gange E2, (which is hinged for the purpose at E') against the
pressure of the spring E³. This upward movement of the side gauge E would
interpose a block. to the forward motion of the projecting bars of the sliding plate K;
and to allow for å sudden stoppage at this point, the connection between the lever K²
moving this sliding plate and the cam K³ is made flexible by means of the spring K
and clutch K, so as to yield when necessary. Besides the safety movements thus
allowed, the above mentioned movement of the bell crank lever D' causes a stud N
fixed in it to engage with a crank N' formed on one end of the spindle N. A
lever N³, with a tooth formed in it which makes contact with a stud connected to the
striking lever N4, is secured to the other end of the spindle N, and when the crank N¹
is. moved, the spindle N2 is turned round its axis and the tooth on the lever N³

page_text: disengages from the stud on the belt striking lever N, which is immediately pulled
over by the spring No, and through the medium of the shaft No, the belt is struck of
the driving pulley.
After the wood bars and end strips have been brought into the positions above
described they are caused to be raised into a framework O, called a hand' which is
brought into a suitable position above them. This hand is able to be moved from end
to end of the machine sliding on square bars P PL In the drawings Figs. 2. 3. it is
shewn situated at the end farthest away from the saws.
Its movement is effected
by a link O connected to a radial arm 02 secured to a vertical shaft 03 which is
caused to turn as required. Turning motion through the required arc is given to the
vertical shaft 03 by means of a universal jointed link O, which connects a crank O
on its lower end to a lever 0° carrying a bowl 07, in contact with a cam 08. When
the hand is at its other end position over the moveable carriage H the wood bars and
strips are lifted up into it. The projections J, Je on the spindles G¹ G₁ of the rotating
guides GG, Fig. G, are then in contact with the inclined plane J, which is secured
to a vertical bar Q connected at its upper end by the lever Q' and bowl Q3 to the
cam Q. At the required moment the bar Q is lifted by the movement of this cam,
and lifts up the guides G G and the strips in them. In being lifted the wood strips
are pushed into pronged knife-edged holders R R Fig. 9 (left hand side of drawing)
mounted on either side of the hand O. As the strips are raised, they pass in contact
with and push aside projecting pieces Q, Q, Fig. 6, pivotted on either side, which
fall back at once when the strips are raised above them; but when the rotating guides
are lowered again these projecting pieces Q Q will clear them out in case the end
strips may not have been held in the holders RR. A double horizontal arm Q,
entering into and lying in recesses in the moveable carriage H* beneath the wood
bars, is connected below the table to the vertical bar Q; and when the latter is raised
as before described, the wood bars are also raised into the hand by this arm Qinto
the position shewn by the shaded portion in Fig. 9, where they are immediately
gripped laterally by the action of spring fingers P2, P2, secured to an internal
moveable frame P3 in the hand O. As these bars are raised a part of the projecting
pieces Q, Q, guides the ends of them into their proper position. The finger frame P3
has a nut P secured to it, which is moved to-and-fro as required to grip or release
the spring fingers P² P² on or off the wood bars by a screw P³, turning inside the
nut. This screw P slides with the hand O on the square bar P which is turned at
one end through the medium of a segmental rack P and toothed wheel P, moved
in either direction by a lever in contact with two cams P8, P8.
After having received the wood bars and strips, the hand O is moved to the other
end of the machine, and in its passage the projecting ends of the wood bars pass in
contact with two horizontal saws S S mounted on either side, which cut grooves in
them. These grooves are shewn in the side view of the wood bars in Figs. 7 and 9.
Underneath the saws two plate guides Q, Q, are fixed to the top of the table, shewn
in Fig. 9, which, if necessary, can keep the wood bars in their proper position in the
hand O, both in the vertical and end wise directions. Arrived at the end of its travel
the hand is made to dwell, while the knife-edged holders RR are turned down
through 90° so as to bring the strips in a line with and adjacent to the grooves just
before cut in the ends of the bars. This position of the holders R R is shewn on
the right hand side of Fig. 9. An arm R' on the end of the square bar P¹ is connected
by a link R with a lever R³ which is moved from the cam R, and the turning motion
which can be thus given to the square bar P' is communicated through the spur
gearing R R to the two spindles R R carrying the knife-edged holders R R which
are thus turned down as required.
When the strips are thus in position hammers U U Fig. 7 placed on either side are
made to strike them and drive them into the ends of the wood bars thus binding them
together. The hammers U U are connected by levers and links U₁, U₁ to a central
spring bar U2 which is forced down by contact with a cam U³; and thus the hammers
are kept in an outward position, until a depression in the cam releases the spring,
and the hammers then move quickly in, and strike the strips. When thus bound

page_text: together the spring fingers P2 P2 are screwed off the bars of the lighter by a reverse
movement of the mechanism before described and lettered from P to P, so that it
may drop out of the hand,
The square bar P turns a collar X, Figs. 8. 9, on which
a tooth is formed, which engages with a lever X fixed to a spindle X³. Another
lever X is secured to this spindle X³, and carries at its end a fork X' which is
depressed at the proper moment and assists the lighter in dropping out.
Where the return or releasing motions of the parts are not effected through the
medium of the cams, suitable springs and counter weights are used where they may
be necessary.
The "lighter" drops onto two light frames mounted so as to move up and down on
pivots in a box X' which is kept supplied with hot liquid resin, the frames being
moved by connections from cams so as to properly dip the lighter, after which it is
raised to the top of the box, and, on the next return of the hand O, is pushed down
the slide X, and is then taken away to be packed. The resin is melted in a pan Z
from which it is raised into the dipping box X, by a pump Z, the plunger spindle Z
of which is worked by a lever Z secured to the end of the square bar P which
lever is raised intermittently so as to reciprocate the plunger Z2 by a cam Z* fixed
on the end of the square bar P¹. An overflow from the dipping box X' is regulated
by the cock Z so that the hot resin in the box shall be kept at a constant level, the
excess resin being returned down the pipe Z into the melting pan Z. The pumps
clacks are connected so that they may be lifted from their seating when the machinery
is stopped in order to empty the dipping box and resin pipes.
To actuate the machinery, motion is conveyed in any suitable and usual manner to
the pulley A keyed to the countershaft A mounted in bearings in the frame of the
machine. On an end of this countershaft a spur wheel A2 is fixed, which gears with
and drives another spur wheel A' mounted on the end of the cam shaft. For driving
the saws independent motion is conveyed to a pulley A' on the saw shaft.
While the last described operations have been going on, the first actions have been
recommenced and a fresh block is being cut into bars, and distributed. The cycle of
operations is continuous, and one lighter is completed for each revolution of the cam
shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The mechanism for feeding the wood block into its place ready for being sawn,
consisting of the double latches B, B' mounted, connected, and actuated, substantially
as illustrated and described.
2. The arrangement of the channel sides CC between which the block is caused to
pass, with the weighted plate C², and the holding down plate D, together with the
mechanism by which the latter is moved and caused to press down upon the wood
block, substantially as illustrated and described.
3. The safety arrangement by which the plate D and its connections may be lifted
up round the fixed centre D', and in combination with this the connected mechanism,
lettered in detail from N to No, by which the driving belt may be struck and the
machinery stopped, substantially as illustrated and described.
4. The manner of cutting a groove in the side of the wood block,, during the time
that it is being fed into its place substantially as described.
5. The construction of the side gauge E of two hinged pieces so that they may
rise or yield in case of mishap; together with the tongue projecting piece, in the
manner and for the purpose substantially as described.
6. The method of raising the saw brackets, carrying the saws, by the connection
of the end of one of them with a cam, together with the adjustment levers and bearings
attached to them substantially as illustrated and described.
7. The means by which the sliding plates K. K' are pushed forward, together with
the levers and latches L³, L, all constructed, connected, and actuated in the manner
and for the purposes as herein substantially illustrated and described.

page_text: 8. The application of springs to the guides G G as shewn in Fig. 5; and the means
by which they are rotated, that is, by the toothed wheels and rack G³ G connected
to and actuated by the cam J³, substantially as herein illustrated and described.
9. The flexible safety construction between the lever K2, and cam K, for the
purpose and in the manner as substantially illustrated and described.
10. The method of moving two of the guides H H laterally by connections from a
cam, so as to open the mouths of the spaces adjoining them substantially as described
11. The means of moving the carriage H, by the levers and connections which are
lettered from I to 12, from the cam 13, substantially as illustrated and described.
12. The manner of placing the guides G, G at the same height by the projection J
making contact with the inclined plane J; the manner of lifting the wood bars and
strips into the hand through the medium of the projections J, J, on the spindles G¹, G¹,
the vertical bar Q, the horizontal arm Q, the connections of the same with the cam Q³
all constructed, mounted, and connected in the manner and for the purposes as
substantially illustrated and described.
13. The projecting pieces Q Q for guiding the wood bars into position in the
hand, and for clearing out the rotating guides GG substantially as described; also
the construction and use of the guides QQ as described.
14. The method of moving the hand O by means of the radial arm 02, and
universal jointed link O', from the cam 08; and of sliding the hand along the square
bars P. P used for conveying motion to its internal mechanism, substantially as
illustrated and described.
15. The manner of moving the internal frame P³, carrying the spring fingers in
the hand, by means of the nut P4, and screw P³ moved by the square bar P, which
receives turning motion from the segmental rack and wheel P6, P7, connected to the
cams P³, substantially as illustrated and described.
16. The manner of imparting motion to the knife-edged holders R, R. through
spur gearing turned from a wheel sliding on the square bar P¹, the end of which is
connected by the levers and links R, R², R³, to, and moved from the cam R³,
substantially as illustrated and described."
17. The method of causing the hammers to strike on the wood strips or tongues
substantially as described, and illustrated particularly in Fig. 7.
18. The manner of assisting the lighter to drop out of the hand by means of the
tooth on the collar X moving the lever X2 connected with the fork X', substantially
as illustrated and described.
19. The means by which hot resin is supplied to the dipping box X³, using the
pump, and other details connected therewith actuated from the square bars P, P¹
through the lever and cam Z3Z; also the manner of regulating the level of the hot
resin, and of returning the excess liquid to the melting pan; all substantially as
illustrated and described.
20. The combination of the pieces of mechanism comprised in the foregoing claims
with each other, and with certain parts indicated in the accompanying drawings and
more particularly described in the specification of my aforementioned patent No. 247.
A.D. 1885, that is to say, with the sliding projections K, K', the carriage H*. the
guides G, G the band O with the spring fingers P2, P and knife edged holders RR
connected to it the saws S, S the hammers U U and the resin dipping box X'; all
connected together by the necessary framework and in the manner as hercin
substantially illustrated and described for the purpose of making Firelighters.
Dated this Twentieth day of December 1887.