GB2260766A

GB2260766A - Firelighter package and firelighter

Info

Publication number: GB2260766A
Application number: GB9222004A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Seamus Geoghegan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-10-25
Filing date: 1992-10-20
Publication date: 1993-04-28
Also published as: GB9222004D0

Abstract

A firelighter package 4 comprises kindling materials 3 and a plurality of lighting strips 2 which have been treated to enhance their flammable nature. The kindling materials 2 may be sticks of natural wood or chipboard and may also be treated to enhance their flammable nature or burning time. The lighting strips 2 may comprise wood fibre board or a fibre board of paper and wood fibre or sawdust soaked in kerosine. Alternatively, the lighting strips may comprise strips of absorbent material dipped in wax or wrapped in a gauze web and dipped in wax. In another embodiment a firelighting strip (Figure 3) may comprise a lighting portion (5) of absorbent flammable material adhered to a kindling material portion (6). The package is wrapped in a transparent plastics film. <IMAGE>

Description

A FIRELIGHTER PACKAGE The present invention relates to a firelighter, more particularly to a firelighting package for use with conventional combustible fuels.

A firelighter package according to the present invention comprises in combination kindling materials and a plurality of lighting strips which have been treated to enhance their flammable nature.

Preferably the lighting strips comprise strips of an absorbent flammable material such as a wood fibre board or a fibre board comprised of cycled paper and/or wood fibre or saw dust soaked in a flammable liquid such as kerosene or the like. Alternatively, the lighting strips may comprise strips of an absorbent material dipped in wax or wrapped in a gauze web and dipped in wax. The kindling materials are preferably sticks of chipboard or natural wood which may optionally be treated as to enhance their flammable nature or burning time. Sawn chipboard sticks are preferred because of the nature of the chipboard composition i.e. chips of wood fibre held together by a resin which is intrinsically flammable. This provides a slow burning, non-sparking kindling material, which is inexpensive.

The firelighter package of the present invention and a method for using it shall be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the firelighter package; Figure 2 is a preferred arrangement of the firelighting stick components, and Figure 3 is an alternative embodiment of the firelighting stick components.

As shown in Figure 1, a firelighter package 4 according to the present invention comprises 14 lighting strips 2 and eighty four additional sticks 3 which when used in the preferred manner provides a supply for about seven days. The lighting strips 2 are preferably about 200 mm in length about 15 mm in depth and about 6 mm wide; and the additional sticks 3 about 200 mm by 15 mm by 12 mm although size is not crucial as long as the arrangement can be easily assembled in the grate. The package is wrapped in leak-proof transparent plastics film material, such as CELLOPHANE (Trade Mark), with instructions for use on a printed paper sheet insert.

The firelighting materials of the present invention are shown arranged on a conventional fire grate 1 in Figure 2. A plurality of lighting strips 2 are placed directly on the grate 1 forming base for the arrangement. A plurality of additional kindling material or sticks 3, not being lighting strips, are arranged in alternatively substantially perpendicular layers on top of the base formed by the lighting strips 2. Additional combustible fuel (not shown) such as coal, peat briquettes or logs is then placed on top of the firelighter arrangement. The fire is initiated by lighting the lighting strips.

Preferably the base formed by the lighting strips 2 comprises two lighting strips 2 and preferably three layers of four additional sticks 3 are aligned on top of this base to form a lattice or "criss-cross" effect. This arrangement provides for ventilation.

The spacing between the sticks in the arrangement shown in Figure 2 should typically be about 15 to 45 mm.

In an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 3, a firelighting stick component comprises a lighting portion 5 of an absorbent flammable material as hereinbefore described contacted to a kindling material portion 6 by an adhesive (not shown) or other means.

Firelighting sticks of this kind may be manufactured as follows: A sheet of absorbent flammable material such as a wood fibre board or a fibre board comprised of recycled paper and/or wood fibre or saw dust is fixed to a sheet of chipboard or natural wood, which makes up the kindling material, by an adhesive or some other means. The resultant composite sheet is then sawn or cut into individual firelighting sticks. The absorbent flammable material may be treated to enhance its flammable nature either before or after it is fixed to the sheet of kindling material.

Alternatively, chipboard scraps and cutoffs or other waste wood, paper or the like may be ground and blended with wax and pressed to form a recycled composite material which may be presented in the firelighter package in sticks as a slow-burning kindling material, or as a lighter material in combination with essentially untreated sticks of wood or the like.

Claims

1. A firelighter package comprising in combination kindling materials and a plurality of lighting strips which have been treated to enhance their flammable nature.

2. A firelighter package according to claim 1 wherein the lighting strips comprise sticks of a soft absorbent wood material soaked in a flammable liquid, dipped in wax or covered with a wax coated gauze web.

3. A firelighter package according to claim 2 wherein the soft absorbent wood material comprises wood particle board on softboard, and wherein the flammable liquid comprises kerosene and wherein the kindling materials comprise sticks of chipboard.

4. A firelighting stick comprising a lighting portion of an absorbent flammable material, treated to enhance its flammable nature, contacted to a kindling material by means of an adhesive.

5. A firelighter arrangement, firelighter package or firelighting stick as shown in and described with reference to the accompanying drawings.