IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES AND MATCH BOXES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Urion, of Nancy, in the Empire of France,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES AND MATCH BOXES."
Sealed the 3rd March 1857, and dated the 5th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Urion at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th November
1856.
I, LOUIS URION, of Nancy, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES AND MATCH BOXES," to be as
follows:
This Invention relates to machinery for the manufacture of matches, which
performs these several operations:-1st, it cuts and shapes the flat or square
matches; 2ndly, arranges the squared matches for the application of the
phosphorus or sulphur to them; 3rdly, it applies the phosphorus to the flat
matches; 4thly, it dries the matches; 5thly, it shapes and stamps the edges of
the common boxes to enclose them.
In the two Sheets of Drawings annexed, the same letters of reference
denote the same parts where they recur in the several Figures.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation; Fig. 2, longitudinal section; Fig. 3, a
plan; and Fig. 4, an end view of the machine; Fig. 5, elevation of printing
apparatus, for stamping or printing the boxes by means of a stamp or die.
Sheet 2 represents the detail. Fig. 1 is an elevation; Fig. 2, a front view;
and Fig. 3, a plan of mechanism, serving to arrange the square matches for the

page_text: application of phosphorus; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, elevation and plans of the parcel
of the square matches, arranged in position for the application of the phos-
phorus; Figs. 7, 8, and 9, detail of frame carrying the knife; Figs. 10, 11, & 12,
knife for cutting the match boxes; Figs. 13, 14, and 15, knife for cutting the
square matches; Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21, knife for the match plates
or flat matches; Figs. 22, 23, and 24, piece serving to detach from the knife
the sheets to make the boxes; Fig. 25, drill and sieve saw used in the manu-
facture of the round boxes; Figs. 26 and 27, fillet, pressing on the sheet or
piece from which the matches are cut.
Table of Reference.-1, foundation plate; 2 and 3, fast and loose pulleys,
mounted on the shaft 4; 5, rod from excentric 6, to drive the ratchet wheel 7,
which moves the toothed wheels 8 and 9. This motion causes the picce of
wood under operation to advance. 10, slotted crank, connected by rod 11 to
beam 12. The crank pin may be adjusted nearer or farther from the centre
of the shaft 4, by means of a screw nut. 14, rod, carrying the knife moved
by beam 12; 15 and 16, sliding frame, carrying the knife moving in dovetail
17, Sheet 2; 18, knife for the manufacture of the boxes; 19, knife for making
tho square matches; 20, knife for making the flat matches; it has two blades,
21 and 22. The matches pass between these two blades to produce them of
an equal thickness; the matches are divided by the parts 23, 24, 25, 26, 27,
and 28. The matches cut by this knife are phosphorated, as afterwards described,
when they fall on endless cloth rollers 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33. 34, knife for
cutting the flat matches; it has a piece 35, on which the blades are fixed that
divide the wood before the slicing knife acts to detach the pieces forming the
-matches.
Printing or Stamping Apparatus for Stamping the Boxes.-36, piece con-
nected to beam 12; this piece causes the rod 38 to move and work the
lever 89; 40, sliding support, receiving the stamping instrument; 41, matrix,
receiving the characters to be printed; this die advances and recedes by the
motion of lover 39 acting on two brackets 42. The sheets of wood are printed
before being cut up. 43, ink reservoir, in front of which is the surface 44, from
which the ink roller receives its supply; 45, cylinder, fixed on two springs 46,
in front of carrying frame or plate 47; this cylinder rubs against 44, to
receive ink to be applied to the characters on the dic. 48, anglo plate, placed
in front of knife 18, it serves to hasten the rise of plate 47 with the knife;
49, boxes, to the right and left of the carrying knife, they inclose a screw 50;
52, screw support, serving to raise or lower the forked rod on the wheel 7, for
the purpose of regulating it to take the necessary number of teeth. The
Drawing has the red ink showing 53, movement for applying the sulphur to

page_text: teeth.
the matches; & 54, endless cloths for drying. The matches fall upon the
cloths and are carried away by the rollers 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33. 55, cylinder
with spatulas, moved by shaft 56, which gears into three small projecting
The cylinder makes two-thirds of its revolution by means of the
shaft, the other third by a counterbalance. The spatulas put the sulphur and
phosphorus on the flat matches, after which the matches fall on the endless
cloths, which are put in motion by pullies 57. 58, 59, and 60, pullies for
transmitting motion. The mechanism 61, 62, and 63 serves to arrange and to
apply the sulphur and phosphorus, and to arrange the square matches after
they are cut; 64, dovetail, sliding in grooves 65, the width of which is
maintained by cross bars 66 and by plate 67; 69, blades, fixed by screws 68.
These blades receive between them each row of the matches. 70, moveable
cross piece, which keeps the matches in their position in the rabbets 71.
All this mechanism has a motion to and fro in front of the machine against
the knife of the machine, which causes it to recede; the front part 72 is
sloped; the return movement of the mechanism is produced by the weighted
lever 73. Before separating each row of matches to apply the phosphorus
two pieces of iron 73 and 74, independent of, though near each other, move up
and down by means of a rack moved by pinion 75. On the axis of this pinion
two cam wheels 76 and 77 are mounted, which raise and lower the two pieces
73 and 74; on each of these two pieces rest a row of matches. 78 and 79, two
springs, that on the right serves to cause the piece 73 to descend after escaping
from the cam 76, while the one on the left 78 serves to raise again the piece 74.
The matches, as they arrive at the extremity 69, enter into 81; when once
filled, as at 80, Figs. 4, 5, and 6, Sheet 2, they are fixed by buttons 82; the
extremities are then soaked in the phosphorus. 83, Figs. 26 and 27, frame
for the flat matches or plates; the block is lodged in this frame to be cut up;
a plate, Fig. 26, is added to push the block completely under the knife. 84,
drill saw or gouge, for cutting the round boxes. Fig. 7, Sheet 1, ink reservoir
for the stamping apparatus. A, cylindrical reservoir, furnished with cloth and
springs C, C, to express the ink; B, disc, pressed by the springs, which
constantly forces the ink out on the cloths.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Louis Urion in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, Louis
URION, of Nancy, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Louis Urion, Her special licence that I, the said Louis Urion, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Louis
Urion, 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 mako, 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 MACHINERY
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES AND MATCH BOXES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, tho said Louis Urion, my executors or adminis
trators, 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 Louis Urion, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the samo is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention relates to machinery for the manufacture of square or flat
matches, and to the shaping or cutting common boxes for enclosing such
matches. The manufacture, which is performed mechanically, consists, 1st, in
the cutting up of the wood; 2ndly, in the arrangement and disposition of the
cut matches in parcels suitable for sulphuration; 3rdly, in the mechanical
application of the phosphorus; 4thly, in the drying of the matches; 5thly, in
the shaping or cutting of wood suitable for making common boxes; and, 6thly,
in the stamping and marking or printing the match boxes. The apparatus or
machinery of my Invention is represented in the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, in which the same numerals represent the same parts in all the
Figures where they recur.

page_text: Fig. 1 is an elevation of the whole of the machine, showing also the means
of transmitting the movements; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, in a
plane parallel to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan of the same machine; Fig. 4 is
an end view of the machine; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the printing press or
apparatus which stamps the boxes; Fig. 6 is a front view of Fig. 5; Fig. 7
is the elevation of the mechanism which separates the cut matches, so as to
sulphur and phosphorate them in quantities; Fig. 8 is the front view of this
same machine; Fig. 9 is a plan of the same; Fig. 10 is the arrangement of
a parcel of matches ready to be sulphurated and phosphorated; Figs. 11 and 12'
are plans of Fig. 10; Figs. 13, 14, and 15, front, back, and edge view of a
knife for the manufacture of the match boxes; Figs. 19, 20, and 21, front
view, edge or side view, and back view of a knife for the manufacture of
square matches; Figs. 22, 23, and 24, front view, side view, and back view
of a knife and knife carrier or holder for the manufacture of flat matches;
Figs. 28, 29, and 30, elevation, plan and section of the part serving to remove
from the knife the thin wood or scale board which is to form the sides of
the boxes; Fig. 31, vertical section of the sieve saw or cutting bit, for the
manufacture of round boxes; Fig. 32, the plan of the iron frame in which
to place a block of flat matches; Figs. 33 and 34, plan and elevation of
a block of wood serving to push the piece of wood being cut, the use of
which is herein-after explained; Fig. 35, separate view of the ink box or
reservoir for the printing, represented at Figs. 5 and 6. Figs. 36, 37, and 38,
plan, elevation, and end view of the separate cutter of the flat matches. Figs.
39, 40, and 41, plan, elevation, and end view of the screw frame serving for
the manufacture of the flat matches in block.
1, foundation plate; 2 and 3, fast and loose pullies; these two pullies are.
mounted on the axis 4, to which they transmit a rotatory motion which they
receive from any suitable motive power. 5, rod of eccentric 6; this rod by
means of its to-and-fro motion actuates the ratchet wheel 7, and turns the
two spur wheels fixed on the shafts of the grooved cylinders 8 and 9, between
which the wood passes, and by which it is advanced for the manufacture of
square or flat matches, and for cutting scale board or sheets of wood for the
manufacture of the boxes. On one end of the shaft 4, about the middle of the
machine, is a crank 10; it has a radial slot or groove to receive the crank pin
connecting the crank with the rod 11, and by it with the beam 12; the said
crank pin, and with it the rod 11, may be caused to approach or recede from,
the centre of the shaft 4, by means of a nut and screw 13, traversing the crank
pin, thus increasing or reducing the throw of the crank. The beam 12 is
moved by this connecting rod 11, and gives motion at its front part to rod 14,

page_text: connected with the knife carrier; 15, frame supported and sliding in upright
guides, and carrying the knife frame 16, and put in motion in slides 17 by
rod 14. The knife frame is intended to receive four knives, operating one after
the other, when required. The first knife 18 being fixed to the knife frame or
carrier, serves to cut the wood into thin pieces, adapted for the manufacture of
square matches. The second bevel knife 19, formed with rigid cutting grooves,
serves to cut the square matches. The third knife 20 is intended for the
manufacture of flat matches; it has two cutting edges, the lower one 21, and
the upper one 22, so as to give a uniform thickness to the matches, to form
which, the wood is further vertically divided by the cutting teeth 23, 24, 25,
26, 27, and 28. The lower blade, which is fixed near the other, serves also to
raise the matches which it has cut high enough to allow the knife to imme-
diately act again; the matches fall on endless cloths mounted on the cylinders
29, 30, 31, 32, and 33. The fourth knife 34 is also for the manufacture of the
flat matches; it is mounted on a frame, and is provided with a piece 35, on
which are fixed the blades which divide the wood in advance of the knife.
Printing. 36, bracket piece, with lugs fixed by two small bolts 37 on each
side of the beam 12; at about the middle of its length the said piece puts in
motion the horizontal rod 38, which gives motion to the lever 39 of printing
press, which works at will. 40, support, with slides carrying the impressing
part of the printing press. +1, impressing surface, having horizontal motion; it is
furnished with type at its anterior part, and it is put in motion by the lover or
beam 39, which pushes it backwards and forwards (the lower end being fitted
between two brackets 42) as fast as the sheets are printed before being cut.
43, printing ink reservoir or supply box, before which is a cylindrical pad or
inking roller. 45, another cylindrical pad, carried by two springs 46, in front
of the bearing frame, by means of a plate 47; this latter cylinder, in its motion
up and down, passes in contact with the cylinder 44, placed before the ink
reservoir, and thereby takes up a portion of ink over its whole surface, in order
to ink the types, which it does in descending before the face of the type form
or impresser 41. 48, bent plate, it is placed in front of the knife 18, which
cuts the sheets for the boxes; it serves to prevent the said sheets from rising
with the knife, and at the same time for bringing thon under the machine.
49, boxes on the right and on the left of the knife carrier, each containing a
screw 50, for the purpose of loworing or raising the bearings carrying the
toothed cylinders 8 and 9, which press the wood between them and bring it
under the knife, the same movement raising or lowering the toothed gearing,
the ratchet wheel 7 of which is prevented moving backwards by means of
pall 51. 52, screw support for raising or lowering the rod 5 on the ratchet

page_text: wheel 7, so as to make it take a greater or less number of teeth, as required
for advancing the wood more or less between the two toothed cylinders above-
described.
.
The red ink lines indicate:-53, movement for effecting the sulphuring
of the matches, the elevation of which is presented in front of the slide plates;
54 endless cloths, traversing over the rollers 29, 30, 31; 32, and 83, serve as
trays to carry the matches until perfectly dried; 55, cylinder with spatulas,
it is put in motion by the ascending and descending of the rod 56, which gears
in three small projecting teeth; this cylinder performs two-thirds of its revolu-
tion by the motion of the rod 56, the other one-third of its revolution is per-
formed by means of a counterbalance weight.
The spatulas just herein-before mentioned serve to apply the chemical
composition to one of the upper faces of the flat matches before their elevation,
and before their descent to the lower endless cloths; these cloths are put in
motion by means of a pulley 57, mounted on axis 4, and the transmitting
and turning pullies 58, 59, and 60, and endless bands or straps conducted
along the sides of the machine.
The square matches must be sulphurated and phosphorated each separately,
although in quantities, in order to prevent their adhering or sticking together.
This result is obtained by the mechanism 61, 62, and 68, the description of
which is as follows:-64, tongues, sliding in the grooves or slots 65 of the
plate 67, which is placed between them. On this plate are mounted and
fixed the blades 69, by means of a heel piece placed underneath, and fixed by
screws and nuts 68. The blades 69 receive each row of matches which pass
between them; the matches are moved and maintained in position by a move-
able cross bar 70, which engages in the rebates of the two parts 71. The
whole mechanism has a to-and-fro motion towards and from the knife of the
machine, which pushes it backwards; the anterior part 72 is inclined, the return
towards the knife, in order to receive the matches, is performed by means of a
lever 73, mounted on an axis, and carried by bearings under the foundation
plate. In order to separate every row of matches to phosphorate them, two
iron pieces 73 and 74, independent of each other, although contiguous, move
up and down by means of a gearing rod mounted in front of the frame of the
knife carrier. This rod engages with a small ratchet wheel 75, mounted on
an axis; at the other end of the axis are two ratchet wheels 76 and 77,
raising or lowering the two parts above described, which elevate or lower each
row of matches the required distance. As they advance the two springs 78
and 79 serve, that on the right 79, to instantaneously lower one of the two
parts after its escape from the tooth of the ratchet wheel, and that on the left

page_text: 78, to raise the other part by the same means as the preceding. When the
matches have reached the oxtremity of the blades 69, they enter other blades
of wood 81, shewn in the Drawings 80 and 80 bis, when these latter blades,
which have a length of about eighteen inches, are filled, they are secured at
each end by bolts 82, and thus enables the whole to be withdrawn in a mass
for the purpose of sulphurating and phosphorating the matches. 83, iron
frame, in which is placed a block intended to make flat matches. The wood,
properly hold, is cut up until on a level with the frame, and by this means
matches in bundle are obtained which are neithor to bo sulphurated or phos-
phorated. 84, augur bit or sieve saw for making round boxes; the cover is
made by the same means, but the bit is shorter. 85, wooden block, placed
behind each block of matches, engaged in iron frame 89; this block is destined
to push the wood which is cut till entirely used up, and to prevent any loss.
Fig. 85 represents a longitudinal section of an ink box or reservoir. A, cylin-
der pierced with holes; B, B, pressing discs closing the ends of the cylinder ;
C, C, two spiral springs; D, D,.ends provided with pivots d, d, and screwed
into the cylinder; E, E, covering of wool and buckskin surrounding the.
cylinder.
The printing ink is placed inside the cylinder, and the whole being mounted
as shewn by the Figure, it will be easily understood that if the springs are
compressed, they constantly press .against the discs B, and force the ink con-
tinually to be imbibed. by the tissue or cloths surrounding it, and forming the
ink surface.
The Bat matches. for the use of smokers must before being sent to the trado
be sufficiently separated from the block, so that they may be taken one after
the other without any difficulty; this separation is effected. by a partial cutting
of the base of each match. This cutting is made by means of the apparatus
represented at Figs. 36, 37, and 38, in plan, elevation, and end-view. E; trian-
gular bevel blades, having an edgo somewhat narrower than the width of a
match, and having between them a distance corresponding to the width which
it is wished to have between the matches adhering to the block, these blades
are fixed upon a plate secured to the frame; F, iron frame provided with.
slides; G, bearer or carriage on which is placed the block bundle of cut
matches; the, whole.is mounted as shewn in the threo Figures, the bundle.is.
pressed by the carriage against the knives which partially cut the base of
every match. This accessory machine is fixed on the framework.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same may be performed, I declare that what I claim as my Invention is, tho.
machinery or apparatus herein-before described, serving to completo the manu-

page_text: facture of the matches, and which effects mechanically,-1st, the cutting up
of the wood; 2ndly, the arrangement or disposition of the cut matches, to
render the bundles or parcels of matches of a suitable form to be sulphurated;
Brdly, the mechanical phosphorization of flat matches; 4thly, the drying of
the matches; 5thly, the cutting of the wood fit for making common boxes;
and 6thly, the printing or stamping of the said boxes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Urion, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven.
LOUIS URION. (L.s.)