Improvements in or connected with the Construction of Match Holders, and in the Mode of Packing Matches or such Match Holders.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1392-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Construction of Match
Holders, and in the Mode of Packing Matches or such Match
Holders.
A communication by AUG GERKEN, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the use of Swedish matches in large quantities in cafés,
etcetera, which presents some difficulties from the fact that the igniting substance
must be frequently renewed on the match holder which is a drawback from several
points of view.
In order to obviate this, the system forming the object of this invention consists
in constructing the match holder in two parts, that is to say, the foot and the
holder, and in arranging the holders in such a way that, when lifted off the foot,
they may be fitted one into another and be returned thus empty to the factory in
order to be again returned to the cafés, hotels, etcetera, refilled with matches and
recoated with fresh igniting material, so that the hotel or restaurant keeper has no
longer any need whatever to occupy himself with these duties which fall entirely on
the match manufacturers.
But there was another inconvenience in this system of packing match holders,
which consisted in the fact that the matches could not be sufficiently compressed in
a simple circular holder with a flat bottom, because the match heads, resting
one against the other, cannot be compressed without deterioration.
These drawbacks may casily be remedied by the patterns of holders such as shown
on the accompanying drawing.
Figures 1 and 2 show an arrangement in which the compression of the matches is
obtained by the conical shape of the bottom of the holder.
Figures 3 and 4 show an arrangement for compressing the matches by the conical
shape of the lateral walls of the holders; and
Figures 5 and 6 an arrangement in which the pressure is obtained by an
adjustable ring at the base of the holder.
By the use of the conical bottom, Figures 1 and 2, the heads of the matches, instead
of being placed one by the side of the other, are placed one above the other by
gradation according to the inclination of the cone, so that they may be strongly
compressed in the holder without the heads deteriorating and also a larger quantity
may be contained therein. The pressure does not prevent them being withdrawn,
because the centre is sunk and thus allows them to be taken hold of. Finally, when
the holder is almost empty and there are only a few matches remaining, they cannot
fall flat upon the bottom, they can only lean to the side and may be in this position
always easily withdrawn.
In packing, the conical bottom fits into the hollow of the matches, and, when
withdrawing the holder, even when reversed, the matches cannot fall out, as they
would if they were not compressed.
In order to form a table match holder, it is sufficient to place a holder on a
suitable foot.
In the modification Figures 3 and 4, the conical shape of the holder R is similar
to that made by two matches placed one against the other. Under these
conditions, by introducing the matches from below, the shafts project a little above
the upper opening and the heads remain entirely in the holders R, where they may

page_text: be thoroughly pressed one against the other without deterioration, because the space
is larger at the bottom than at the top.
On the other hand, it may be seen that, thus pressed and trimmed, it would be
impossible to take them out from the holder, at any rate, the first ones, if this state
of pressure should continue. But it is in order to obviate this drawback that the
hollow foot piece P, in the shape of a cone, is employed. When a holder is
removed full of matches from its roll or packing, it is placed on the foot and,
by pressing lightly with the thumb on the shanks of the matches, the latter descend
into the conical bottom, releasing themselves and becoming very easily moved, so
that they may be taken out with the greatest facility, as shown in Figure 3.
In order to fit the conical holders into the packing, differential joint pieces R' are
employed, one base of which corresponds to the large opening of the holder and the
other base to the small opening. A small intermediate joint piece is fitted between
every other two consecutive boxes, which thus forms a roll of a given number of
boxes, either for refilling or for re-sending, as shown in Figure 4.
The same principle is embodied in the modification shown in Figure 5; but in
this case the compressing of the matches is not effected on all sides, but by an
adjustable ring A applied to the cylindrical base of the holder R which is perforated
with three vertical slots by which the strips P, forming part with the ring A,
project and which are bent down laterally in such a way as to fill the slots when the
holder is placed on its foot.
When it holds the matches pressed as in Figure 6, the ring A is in its extreme
lower position, that is to say, in proximity to the heads of the matches which project
beyond it and where the diameter of the packet is the largest, about the heads.
The interior diameter of the ring being about equal to the diameter of the upper
opening of the holder, the matches are pressed by the lower ring only. If, under
these conditions, the holder be placed on the foot P, Figure 5, and be pressed down
thereon, the ring A rises with the circle of matches nearest to it and releases the
other matches which then rest on the conical bottom; in rising, the bent down
strips P fill up the slots of the cylindrical base of the holder.
These bent down parts are unnecessary if the bottom of the foot is encircled with
a groove into which the edge of the holder fits where the slots are cut out.
For
This arrangement allows of any suitable external form being given to the
holder R, especially a semispherical form, often preferred to the conical one.
packing, intermediate connected pieces R' with differential bases are requisite, the
same as in the conical arrangement herein before described.
Dated this 15th day of December 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Construction of Match
Holders, and in the Mode of Packing Matches or such Match
Holders.
A communication by AUG GERKEN, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex Civil 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 the use of Swedish matches in large quantities in cafés,
etcetera, which presents some difficulties from the fact that the igniting substance
must be frequently renewed on the match holder which is a drawback from several
points of view.

page_text: In order to obviate this, the system forming the object of this invention consists
in constructing the match holder in two parts, that is to say, the foot and the holder
proper, and in arranging the holders in such a way that, when lifted off the foot,
they may be fitted one into another and be returned thus empty to the factory in
order to be again returned to the cafés, hotels, etc tera, re-filled with matches and
re-coated with fresh igniting material, so that the hotel or restaurant keeper has no
longer any need whatever to trouble about these duties which fall entirely on the
match manufacturers.
But there was another inconvenience in this system of packing match holders,
which consisted in the fact that the matches could not be sufficiently compressed in
a simple circular holder with a flat bottom, because the match heads, resting
one against the other, cannot be compressed without deterioration.
These drawbacks may easily be remedied by the patterns of holders such as
shown on the drawing, accompanying the Provisional Specification.
Referring to this drawing,-
Figures 1 and 2 show an arrangement in which the compression of the matches is
obtained by the conical shape of the bottom of the holder.
Figures 3 and 4 show an arrangement for compressing the matches by the conical
shape of the lateral walls of the holders; and
Figures 5 and 6 an arrangement in which the pressure is obtained by an
adjustable ring at the base of the holder.
By the use of the conical bottom, Figures 1 and 2, the heads of the matches,
instead of being placed one by the side of the other, are placed one above the other
by gradation according to the inclination of the cone, so that they may be strongly
compressed in the holder without the heads deteriorating and also a larger quantity
may be contained therein. The pressure does not prevent them being withdrawn,
because the centre is sunk and thus allows them to be taken hold of. Finally, when
the holder is almost empty and there are only a few matches remaining, they cannot
fall flat upon the bottom, they can only lean to the side and may be in this position
always easily withdrawn.
In packing, the conical bottom fits into the hollow of the matches, and, when
withdrawing the holder, even when reversed, the matches cannot fall out, as they
would if they were not compressed.
In order to form a table match holder, it is sufficient to place a holder on a
suitable foot.
In the modification Figures 3 and 4, the conical shape of the holder R is similar
to that made by two matches placed one against the other. Under these
conditions, by introducing the matches from below, the shafts project a little above
the upper opening and the heads remain entirely in the holders R, where they may
be thoroughly pressed one against the other without deterioration, because the space
is larger at the bottom than at the top.
On the other hand, it may be seen that, thus pressed and trimmed, it would be
impossible to take them out from the holder, at any rate, the first ones, if this state
of pressure should continue. But it is in order to obviate this drawback that the
hollow foot piece P, in the shape of a cone, is employed. When a holder is
removed full of matches from its roll or packing, it is placed on the foot and,
by pressing lightly with the thumb on the shanks of the matches, the latter descend
into the conical bottom, releasing themselves and becoming very easily moved, so
that they may be taken out with the greatest facility, as shown in Figure 3.
In order to fit the conical holders into the packing, differential joint pieces R' are
employed, one base of which corresponds to the large opening of the holder and the
other base to the small opening. A small intermediate joint piece is fitted between
every other two consecutive boxes, which thus forms roll of a given number of
boxes, either for refilling or for re-sending, as shown in Figure 4.
The same principle is embodied in the modification shown in Figure 5 ; but in
this case the compressing of the matches is not effected on all sides, but by an
adjustable ring A applied to the cylindrical base of the holder R which is perforated

page_text: with three vertical slots by which the strips P, forming part with the ring A,
project and which are bent down laterally in such a way as to fill the slots when the
holder is placed on its foot.
When it holds the matches pressed as in Figure 6, the ring A is in its extreme
lower position, that is to say, in proximity to the heads of the matches which project
beyond it and where the diameter of the packet is the largest, about the heads.
The interior diameter of the ring being about equal to the diameter of the upper
opening of the holder, the matches are pressed by the lower ring only. If, under
these conditions, the holder be placed on the foot P, Figure 5, and be pressed down
thereon, the ring A rises with the circle of matches nearest to it and releases the
other matches which then rest on the conical bottom; in rising, the bent down
strips P fill up the slots of the cylindrical base of the holder.
These bent down parts are unnecessary if the bottom of the foot is encircled with
a groove into which the edge of the holder fits where the slots are cut out.
This arrangement allows of any suitable external form being given to the
holder R, especially a semispherical form, often preferred to the conical one. For
packing, intermediate connected pieces R¹ with differential bases are requisite, the
same as in the conical arrangement hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
The improvements in or connected with the construction of match holders and in
the mode of packing matches or such match holders substantially as herein before
described and shown, and consisting more specifically of three patterns of holders,
namely, the conical bottom one, Figures 1 and 2, the one with conical sides,
Figures 3 and 4, and the one with an adjustable ring, Figures 5 and 6, which are
combined with joint pieces having differential bases for packing in the case of the
pattern shown in Figures 3 and 5, and conically recessed feet for releasing the
matches sufficiently to allow of their being grasped.
Dated this 7th day of September 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.