Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1888
Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
I, FREDERIC FOWKES, of Troutbeck Mills, Windermere, Bobbin Manufacturer,
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:
The improvements relate to the manufacture of fire-lighters, and have for object in
part the production of an effective lighter, and in part the utilization of a hitherto waste
or nearly waste product resulting from the manufacture of wooden reels or bobbins for
the carrying of yarn or thread.
The manufacture of such reels or bobbins is, for the most part, conducted in the
following manner-Discs of timber of the requisite thickness are prepared by sawing,
or otherwise cutting, from the pole or log, and then cylinders of the required diameter
are bored, sawn, or otherwise cut therefrom by suitable tools, leaving the disc of timber
with circular or other holes therein, from whence the cylinders to be afterwards turned
into reels or bobbins have been cut or taken.
In ordinary practice, to enable as many cylinders as possible to be obtained from
one disc or slab of timber, it often happens that the holes left therein break one into
another, and thus the disc gets divided into the intervening pieces, which are for the
most part a waste product of the manufacture.
To accomplish the chief object of my invention, namely the utilization of the per-
forated or broken discs thus accumulating from the manufacture of reels and bobbins
and to effect my improvements, I prefer to so cut the cylinders from the discs as
to leave the remaining timber for the most part joined in one piece, by cutting the
cylinders slightly further apart, leaving perfect or nearly perfect perforated discs, or
large portions of such. These perforated discs, or large portions thereof, I dip into
a resinous or other combustible substance, or coat with the same, manner well known
in the manufacture of firelighters; when they form suitable articles for the purpose,
the perforations therein acting as passages for the admission of air during combustion,
and dispensing with any building up process in the making of firelighters.

page_text: In like manner discs of timber may be perforated by any other means, or for any
other purpose or manufacture than the abovenamed, and prepared as fire-lighters of
the nature and in manner described.
Although it is customary to employ round or nearly round discs of wood in the
manufacture of reels and bobbins, other forms in cross section may be and are employed,
and are equally available for this my present invention.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1, shews an elevation, and Fig. 2, a plan of a
circular perforated disc, while Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, shew plans of some other forms;
but any variety of form in cross section of the timber may be employed, without
departing from the peculiar character of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The manufacture of firelighters from the waste timber employed in the present
manufacture of reels and bobbins, by so cutting the cylinders from the dises that the
intervening pieces are held all or mostly together, and afterwards dipping them in, or
coating them with combustible materials, of the nature and in manner substantially as
shewn and described.
2. The manufacture of firelighters from discs of wood, by boring or otherwise
cutting perforations therein, and afterwards dipping them in, or coating them with com-
bustible materials, of the nature and in manner substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 10th day of September 1888.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
Agent.