IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL FOR LIGHTING FIRES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Kemsley Day, of White Cottage,
Plaistow, in the County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL FOR LIGHTING FIRES"
Sealed the 21st January 1853, and dated the 19th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Kemsley
Day at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th November 1852.
I, RICHARD KEMSLEY DAY, of White Cottage, Plaistow, in the
County of Essex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL FOR LIGHTING FIRES"
to be as follows: -
My Invention consists in the manufacture of an improved kind of
firewood or fuel for lighting fires; it is composed of wood shavings
and a composition of pulverized cannel coal, oak or tanners' bark, or
any other kind of bark, reduced into small pieces, and gum Thus, or
colophony, and wood.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Kemsley Day in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD KEMSLEY DAY, of White Cottage, Plaistow, in the County
of Essex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard Kemsley Day,
Her special licence that I, the said Richard Kemsley Day, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Richard Kemsley Day, 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 make, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF
FUEL FOR LIGHTING FIRES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Richard Kemsley Day, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Richard Kemsley Day, 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 thereof (that is to
say):
My Invention consists in the manufacture of an improved kind of
fire wood or fuel for lighting fires; it is composed of wood shavings
and a composition of pulverized cannel coal, oak or tanners' bark, or

page_text: any other kind of bark, reduced into small pieces, and gum Thus,
or colophong, and wood. And in order that my Invention may be
more fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed
to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed, in the various Figures of
which the same letters indicate similar parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows a plan, and Figure 2, a section, of a mould suitably
formed for carrying out my Invention. Figures 3, and 4, show
similar views of the same mould having the materials combined
therein according to my Invention. Figure 5, shows a plan, and
Figure 6, a side view, of the materials so formed and combined into
a fire lighter after removal from the mould. Figures 7, 8, 9, 10,
show similar views of another form of mould, with the parts some-
what differently arranged to those shown in the foregoing Figures.
a, is a stick or sticks of wood having wood shavings wound thereon
in the form of a quill or bobbin, or it may be straw or other
ligneous or fibrous inflammable material. This wood and shaving, or
other material used, is then dipped in gum Thus, or rosin, or other
inflammable oil or substance, and placed in the mould; after which
the composition hereafter fully described is forced in, and the shape
of the fire lighter is complete, as shown by Figures 5, and 10.
The frame or mould may be of a square, oblong square, or any
other geometric form.
The composition I prefer to make as follows:-
part of small coal;
1 part of coal dust;
1 part of tanners' bark;
1 part of a mixture of ingredients comprising saw dust, cut
shavings, and charcoal, formed into a paste or mortar mixed with
gum Thus, tar, or any other inflammable mineral or vegetable oil.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no
claim to the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the peculiar

page_text: may be varied without departing from my Invention; but what I
claim is the combination of an inflammable composition with wood
and shaving in the formation of fire lighters as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Kemsley Day, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of 5
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty three.
Witness,
FREDK. HARRIS.
R. KEMSLEY DAY. (L.S.)