IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF A PORTABLE POCKET MATCH SAFE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Bryant Childs, of 481, New Oxford Street, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF A PORTABLE POCKET MATCH SAFE."-A communication from abroad
by Albert M. Smith, of New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 25th October 1860, and dated the 19th June 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Bryant Childs
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th June 1860.
I, AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS, of 481, New Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF A PORTABLE POCKET MATCH SAFE," a com-
munication from Albert M. Smith, of New York, in the United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of a safe for carrying
matches in the pocket, so that the matches will fall down of their own weight
one at a time to the bottom of the safe, and in a position so that they
can be extracted singly and brought in contact with a rough surface
to ignite them without removing the cover of the safe. I make a box of
any suitable material with space enough in thickness on the inside for one
row of matches, so that when placed in it horizontally, one above the other,
they will fall down by their own weight, one at a time, to the bottom of
the box. In each end of the two parts of the box are pieces or projections"
which nearly meet when the two parts of the box are put together;'

page_text: forming an inside division for the matches to rest on, and their ends to bear
against, so that they will slide down and out smoothly without coming in
contact with the arrangements necessary to be placed in the extreme ends and
bottom. At one end of the box I make an opening or hole large enough to
admit of a match being pushed through it. This hole I cover with a valve,
or its equivalent, which is held in its place by a spring, and contiguous to this
I place a rough surface to ignite the matches on as they are drawn out; I
make a catch or slide for pushing the end of the match out of the safe, one
part of which projects so as to come up, back of the end of the match opposite
the opening in the box; the other part projects down so that it will come out-
side the box. The slide or catch is made between the projections so that it
will slide in the cavity in the bottom of the box, and in the cavity I place a
spring made of metal rubber, or other suitable material, but generally in spiral
form, to throw back the catch and hold it in its proper place. To remove a
match from the safe, the catch is pushed forward, and one is forced through the
opening in the opposite end, when the operation extracts and ignites it almost
simultaneously, and the valve, or its equivalent, closes the aperture through
which the match was forced.
The details of the said Invention may of course be varied without departing
from the nature of the said Invention, and I claim the right to do so
accordingly.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Augustus Bryant Childs in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTUS
BRYANT CHILDS, of 481, New Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Augustus Bryant Childs, Her special licence that I, the said.
Augustus Bryant Childs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, 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,

page_text: 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 A PORT-
ABLE POCKET MATCH SAFE," a communication from abroad by Albert
M. Smith, of New York, in the United States of America,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, my
executors or administrators, 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 Augustus Bryant Childs, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, and by reference to the Sheet of Drawings which
accompany this my Specification, and which form part thereof, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention so communicated as aforesaid consists of new and useful
improvements on a portable pocket match safe, as shown in the annexed
Drawings, making a part of this Specification, of which Figs. 1 and 2 are
descriptive transverse sections; Figs. 3 and 4, perspective views; and Figs. 5
and 6, sectional views.
The nature of my Invention consists in so constructing a safe for carrying
matches in the pocket, that the matches will fall by their own weight, one at
a time, to the bottom of the safe, so that one at a time can be extracted from
it, and at the same time while being extracted can be brought against or in
contact with a rough surface so as to ignite it.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my Invention, I will
proceed to describe its construction and operation.
I make a box with space enough in thickness on the inside for one row of
matches, so that when placed in it horizontally one above the other, they will
fall by their own weight, one at a time, to the bottom of the box. In each
end of the two parts of the box are pieces or projections as at a, a, a, a, Figs.
1 and 2, which nearly meet when the two parts of the box are put together,
forming an inside division for the matches to rest on, and their ends to bear
against, so that they will slide down and out smoothly without coming in
contact with the arrangements necessary to place in the extreme ends and
bottom. I make a rough surface to ignite the matches on, and place it on

page_text: either side of the hole; the match is to pass, out at the bottom or top or in any
way equivalent, so that it shall be in close proximity to it, as at b, b, b, Figs. 1, 3,
and 4, so that the match in being drawn out can, be brought against or in
contact with it, as matches usually are, to ignite them. I make a catch or slide
for pushing the end of the match out of the safe as at Fig. 5, so that one part
of it projects as at c, so as to come up back of the end of the match as at c,
Fig. 1, the other part of it down as at d, Fig. 5, and so that it will come upon
the outside of the box as at d, d, d, Figs. 1, 3, and 4; it is made between the
projections as at e, Fig. 5, so that it will slide in the cavity in the bottom of the
box as at ff, Figs. 1 and 2; in this cavity I place a spring, made of metal
rubber, or its equivalent, but generally spiral, as shown at g, Fig. 1, to throw
back the catch, and keep it there in its place. I make a cover as at H, Fig. 4,
which is hung at the end as at s, s, Figs. 3 and 4, so that, it can be closed
down upon the safe. The safe is filled with matches by putting them in at
the top as at f, Fig. 4, they dropping down and laying one above the other as at
k, Fig. 1; a hole is made as at s¹, s¹, Figs. 3 and 4, where the matches can be
taken out when wanted. without opening the safe, and so that they will not
come out while in the pocket. This is done by turning in the edges, or com-
pressing the sides of the safe at this point as at s¹, s¹, Figs. 1 and 2, making
the hole smaller than the match and the sides of the safe, so that they will
spring apart by pressing the ends of the matches against their edges from the
inside, making or opening the hole large enough for the match to pass out, but
if the sides are made, as in some varieties will be necessary, of stiff heavy
material, the hole should be large enough to allow the match to pass out, and
closed sufficient to keep it in by placing over it a valve made as at Fig. 6,
with a hole through or with ears as at n, n, as shall be necessary for it to
work on in the holes in the sides of the box as at n, n, Figs. 1 and 2; a part
of it projects up as at o, Fig. 6, to close over the hole in the box, as at o, Fig. 1;
a part projects down as at P, Fig. 6, to fit in the cavity, and for the spring to
bear against as at P, Fig. 1, which keeps the upper part o closed over the hole,
and allows it to be turned down sufficient to let the match pass out by pushing
the match against it from the inside. When a match is wanted, the operator
by placing the finger on the catch or slide as at a, Fig. 3, and shoveing it
forward pushes a match partly out of the safe as at k¹, then by taking hold of
and pulling it out so that the ignitering end is even with the rough surface as
at b, turning it a little and drawing it over this surface ignites it.
.
Having now described the nature of. my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I
claim as my said Invention is,

page_text: First, the so constructing a portable or pocket match safe for holding
matches in, to be carried in the pocket, that the matches will fall down by
their own weight into a position contiguous to the hole or place they are to
pass out, whereby one at a time can be extracted without opening the safe.
Second, I claim the arrangement, in combination, for pushing the end of
the match out of the safe sufficient to take hold of.
Third, I claim so constructing and arranging a rough surface in such close
proximity to the hole or place in the safe the match is to pass out, that after
the match has been pushed partly out by taking hold of it with the fingers and
drawing it completely out, it can at the same time be brought against the
rough surface in the ordinary manner matches usually are, to ignite them.
Fourth, I claim the construction and arrangement for keeping the matches
from coming out of the safe while being carried in the pocket.
Fifth, I claim the combination and arrangement of the several mechanical
parts in the construction of a portable pocket match safe, substantially as
herein described, with the right to vary the details thereof, without departing
from the nature of the said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
A. B. CHILDS. (L.S.)