MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SULPHURIZING AND PHOSPHORIZING FRICTION MATCHES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JOSHUA ALFRED ELLIOTT of 51 Fountain Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Solicitor do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SULPHURIZING AND PHOSPHORIZING FRICTION MATCHES,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of said invention is to facilitate the sulphorization and phosphorization
of match-splints in the manufacture of friction matches, the splints being severally
taken from a hopper into which they are promiscuously placed, dried, sulphurized,
phosporized, cooled and cut in two by a rotary knife, the whole operation being
consecutively performed in a continuous manner.
The said invention consists of a machine or apparatus driven by motive power,
comprising a hopper into which the splints are promiscuously placed; an endless
apron consisting of two Belts running parallel together in guides for a portion of
their length, to receive the splints interveningly; a furnace to dry the ends of the
splints, between the belts; a pan heated by steam pipes to melt the sulphur into
which the ends of the splints are dipped by the apron being caused to cant; a pan
to contain the phosphorizing compound having bevel edged wheels on spindles to
transfer the compound to the ends of the splints and adjust the ends of the splints
into line; a cold blast to harden the ends of the phosphorized matches, and a rotary
cutter to cut the same to make two matches of equal length which fall from the
apparatus ready to bo boxed for market.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of said apparatus..
Figure 2 is a top view of three apparatuses.
Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section on line x x fig 1.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section of the endless apron or Belts running one.
above the other in guides or ways, and clamps with screws to regulate the belts to
the required distanco apart for a portion of their longth; and Figure 5 is a sectional
elevation of the phosphorizing pan on line = fig. 2, showing the-transferring
wheels.
A, is a hopper into which the match splints are promiscuously placed and said
hopper has a sliding side 2, which is reciprocated by a tripping wheel 3 and
spring 4 to agitate the splints, whereby they will be shaken compactly together,

page_text: 5 is a longitudinally grooved feed roller at the outlet of the hopper; and 6, a
roller to keep the splints to be taken up by the feed roller from falling through the
throat more than one at a time.
B, is a block of furnaces for drying the ends of the splints before being
sulphurized, and also for primarily heating the contents of the sulphur pan C,
which are subsequently kept in a state of liquefaction by steam pipes 30 passing
through the pan and connecting with a steam boiler, whereby the requisite high
temperature, can be obtained without burning tlie sulphur and discolorization by
direct heat from the furnace, and avoiding injury to the apron by heat, a slow fire
being sufficient to dry the ends of the splints.
7 are roofs standing upon the furnaces, and project so as to cover the ends of the
splints, to keep down the heat drying the splints before it escapes at the eaves.
These roofs are placed at a distance apart to allow the splint-carrying apron
hereafter referred to, to run interveningly, whereby the said apron when empty
and idle, can be raised to be unaffected by heat.
8 is a shaft over the phosphorizing pans D, and is provided with bevel gear
wheels 8¹ meshing with like wheels 91 on inclined spindles 9, carrying beveleil
wheels 10, which rotate against the ends of the splints, and move endwise those
that may be uneven or out of place, and thereby bring the ends uniformly in line,
whereby the splints will be cut by a rotary knife F, at the end of the apparatus,
to make two matches of equal length, said wheels 10, also transfer the phos-
phorizing compound D, to the ends of the splints.
11, 12 are endless belts running horizontally parallel and closely together, one
above the other for that portion of their length over the furnaces, pans, and
between the cold blast pipes E, said belts carrying interveningly the splints 13
discharged from the grooved feed roller 5 at the outlet of the hopper and when near
the rotary cutter F, separate, belt 11, passing over pullies 14, 15, 16 above one end
of the apparatus and returns over pulley 17 above the opposite end, and thence
downwardly around a pulley 18, near the outlet of the hopper.
Belt 12 passes over pullies 19, 20, 21 below the end of the apparatus, and
returns over pulley 22 below the hopper, and thence over a pulley portion of feed
roller 5, rotating it, and receiving the splints falling from the said roller, which
splints are then carried by said belt 12, between the belts interveningly, to the
drying chambers under the roof, pans, blast pipe, and discharged into a chute 23, to
be cut by the rotary knife which runs in a peripheral kerf in a roller 24, at the foot
of the chute.
The belts, for that portion of their length carrying the splints, run in
guides 25, 26, in clamp frames 27, placed at suitable distances apart between
the hopper and the cutter, the lower guides bearing on the bottom of the clamp
frames and the upper guide suspended from the top of the clamp frames by a set
screw 28, whereby the upper guide may be adjusted to widen and close the space
intervening the belts to suit the splints, so that they will be held by compression
of the belts.
The clamp frames above the sulphur pan, are placed inclinedly so as to cant the
belts nearly perpendicularly edgewise, whereby both ends of the splints will be
dipped alternately into the melted sulphur.
The belts 11, 12, are preferably made either of asbestus, or of cotton, and faced
with felt, but other suitable material giving a frictional surface may be used.
29, are cold air ducts in the furnace block to prevent heat striking directly
against the lower belt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a machine or apparatus for sulphurizing and phosphorizing match-splints,
the combination of the endless belts 11, 12, to hold the splints interveningly;
hopper A, provided with rollers 5, 6, to feed the splints to the belts, furnace block B,
having roofs 7, under which to dry the ends of the splints; pan c, provided with

page_text: steam pipes 30, to hold and liquefy the sulphur; clamps 27, and guides 26, to
carry and cant belts 11, 12, to depress the ends of the splints into the sulphur;
pan D, to contain the phosphor; wheels 10, to transfer the phosphor to the ends of
the splints; blast pipe E, to cool the phosphorized ends, and a rotary cutter F, to
cut the splints transversely at the middle, the whole operating continuously as
set forth.
2. In a match dipping machine, the combination of endless belts; or aprons 11, 12
arranged to travel horizontally one above the other flatwise in close proximity for
a portion of their length in guides 2, 5, 26, to hold interveningly the splints fed
thereto from a hopper, for dipping them in the manner set forth.
3. In combination with the furnace block B, the roofs 7, to cover the ends of the
splints, and having an opening to permit the belts 11, 12 to be raised out of
influence of heat from the furnaces as set forth.
4. The combination with the phosphorizing pan D of shaft 8, bevol gear
wheels 8, 91, and inclined spindles 9, provided with bevel edgo wheels 10, to
adjust the splints uniformly end wise simultaneously with transferring the
phosphoring compound to the ends of the splints, whereby the splints may be
subsequently cut by a rotary knife to make two matches of equal lengths, as
set forth.
5. In feed hoppers for match dipping machines or apparatus substantially as
described, the moveable side 2, operated, reciprocally by the revolving trip 3, and
spring 4, to shake the splints compactly together, as set forth.
6. In a match dipping machine or apparatus substantially as herein set forth, and
in combination with the belts 11, 12, the clamp frames 27, set screws 28 and
guides 25, 26, to regulate carry and cant the belts as set forth.
7. In combination with the furnace block B, the sulphur pans C, having internal
pipes 30 to connect with a steam boiler for maintaining the contents of the pan at
a bigh temperature, without discolorization as set forth.
L