US2059208A - Fire kindler - Google Patents

Description

' heretofore has been successful in producing fire' Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED TA -Es PATENT lorriesms KINDLEB .Franklin' V. Chaney, New York, N. Y asslgnor,

by mesne en to Pine Kindler Corporation, New York, N. ware Y., a. corporation of No Drawing. Application November 13, 1934,

Serial No. 152,831

10 Claims.

kindlers having a heat unit content which is sufiicientlr great so that'small quantities thereof will provide economical means for quickly starting hard coal fires. To increase the heat producing qualities of kindler materials, such as wood, attempts have beer. made heretofore to saturate the wood by the open tank process with various combustible horn-Li's, but such attempts have failed to increase materially the heatunit content of the wood because little, if any, saturationwas effected.

; This results from the fact that the constituent cells of the wood arefllled substantially with sap which remains even after the wood has been seasoned. Accordingly, since the cells of the wood are filled, they, are incapable of absorbing any substantial quantity of other materials, in consequence of which the heat unit content of the wood after such efiiorts to saturate it, remained approximately at the heat unit content of the natural wood with its sap content.

' viously have been emptied or substantially emp- The present invention provides fire kindlers which possess such high heat producing qualities that the burning of small quantities thereof will quickly start anthracite coal fires and other fires, including bituminous coal, coke, wood, etc. The kindlers of my invention are additionally readily ignited by contact with flame and are clean and convenient to handle.

The nature of the invention will be understood clearly from the following description.

Generically, my kindlers have a base material of fibro-cellular character, the cells of which pretied of the material with which they normally are filled during growth or development. This extracted base material is saturated or impreg- 'nated thoroughly with inflammable material or a mixture of inflammable materials of desirable burning and heat producing characteristics until the impregnating material substantially fills the emptied cells. Preferably, the impregnated base material also is coated with inflammable material havinga melting point above ordinary tem-'- peratures in order to maintain and increase the heat unit content of the kindlers by preventing any substantial evaporation of the impregnating material and to render the kindlers odorless and make them clean to handle.

The base material for the kindlers may be any desired form of fibre-cellular material of vegetable origin, from which the sap content has been removed entirely or for the major part from the constituent cells. Methods by which the sap content of such fibro-cellular materials may be extracted are well known and need not be described here since they form no part of my invention. Ordinarily, the extraction of the sap content of these materials, is efiected after the materials have been reduced by suitable lmown means to relatively finely divided form, such as small particles, or chips, or constituent fibers or groups of fibers. The extraction of the sap content from the cells of these materials leaves them in a condition in which they will readily absorb volumes or quantities of inflammable materials of high B.t'. 11. content much greater than the Volume of the extracted base material, so that upon combustion in small quantities, the

impregnated base material will produce heat. in

sumcient quantity and intensity to readily ignite anthracite coal fires for all purposes, as well as bituminous coal, coke, wood and other fires. I believe that I am the first to discover the great advantage which accrues from the use for hindler purposes, of vegetable fibrous material fromwhich the sap content has been extracted.

The preferred base material is extracted wood, which has been finely divided into small particles or chips or into separated or partly separated fibers of the wood. It will be understood however, that I do not limit myself to extracted wood, since other extracted fibre-cellular materials of vegetable origin are effective for this purpose. Among them may be mentioned, sugar cane, bagasse and corn'stalks. V

The inflammable material or materials utilized for impregnating the extracted vegetable fibrocellular materials may be of any suitable character. Hydrocarbon-containing materials, in-

' eluding crude petroleums, fuel oils, by-products in the production of waxes and oils of various kinds and many asphalt and coal tar products may be used. It be understood that these particular materials are enumerated merely as examples of suitable impregnating materials and that I do not wish to be limited thereto. In the selection of inflammable materials for impregnating the extracted base material, it is desirable to use some material of a quickly inflammable nature and some material of-a slow burning nature. The choice of the particular material or materials for impregnation will be governed by the quantity and intensity of heat it is desired to produce upon combustion of the kindler.

Various coating materials may be used for the impregnated base material, but I prefer that a 60 material or mixture of materials be used which has a melting point well above ordinary temperatures so that it may be applied in a liquid condition and upon cooling, will become and remain hard and solid at ordinary temperatures so that the kindlers will not be tacky or objectionable to handle. Rosin, lacquer and some qualities of varnish are suitable for this purpose. The coating material may be applied after the impregnated base material has been formed into kindler blocks or it may be mixed with the impregnating materials before they are brought into contact with the base material. -The preferred coating material is limed rosin which consists of a mixture of rosin having a melting point of about 125 degrees to 150 degrees F. and 3% to 5% of lime, by weight. The point at which this material softens or becomes tacky is normally between 1'75 degrees to 200 degrees F. I believe I am the first to discover the effectiveness of limed rosin and rosins having relatively hfgh melting points as coating material's for fire kindlers.

A preferred method of producing fire kindlers of preferred composition which embody my invention, is as follows: Pine wood chips from which the sap content has been extracted and varying in length from about one-half inch to about one inch and preferably about one-eighth inch in breadth or thickness, are first thoroughly, dried until the water content does not exceed five to eight percent. These dried chips are introduced into a suitable mixing tank provided with means, such as steam coils, for heating, and equipped with suitable agitating apparatus. If desired, the chips may be dried in the mixing tank. To the chips in the mixing tank there is added uncracked fuel oil of high B. t. u. content, preferably about 18,000 to 19,000 B. t. u.s per pound, to about 10% of the weight of the dry chips. This mixture is agitated for a period of about one hour or until the dry chips have absorbed the fuel oil. Thereafter, asphalt of the grade known as N. J. 110", or its equivalent such as coal tar, is added to the impregnated chipsin the mixing tank, in a quantity approximating 70% of the chips by weight. This mixture is agitated for a period of from one to two hours, or for such time as may be required for the asphalt to be absorbed or taken up by the chips. This N. J. 110 asphalt is relatively slow burning; it burns with little or no residue; has a heat value of about 20,000 B. t. u.s per pound and in addition to increasing greatly the heat content of the chips, also provides a binder therefor. Next, there is added melted limed rosin to about 20% of the weight of the chips, this rosin preferably having a lime content of 3% to 5% of the rosin by weight, to increase its melting or "tacky" point to within the range between 1'75 degrees and 200 degrees F. This limed rosin has a heat value of about 15,0003. t. u.s per pound. The impregnated chips and limed rosin are agitated for a short period of time, about one-quarter to one-half an hour, until the chips are coated. Thus the chips absorb at least by weight of hydrocarbon-containing inflammable material.

The mixing and agitation of the extracted chips with the asphalt, fuel oil and limed rosin ispreferably carried .out at a temperature of about 200 degrees F. With this method the chips will absorb practically all of the liquid'mixture and thereby will become impregnated thoroughly with the inflammable material. Thereafter the impregnated and coated chips. are formed into kindler blocks of any desired dimensions by any suitable means, such as moulding, pressing or the like. Upon cooling, the kindlers will retain their shape and will have a hard exterior which will not be unpleasant to handle.

If desired, the dry extracted chips may be impregnated in the mixing tank as above described but without the rosin content of the mixture, then formed into kindlers and thereafter suitably coated with melted limed rosin, preferably maintained at a temperature of about 350 degrees F.

If desired, the dry chips may be impregnated in the manner aforesaid, or in any other convenient manner, with fuel oil, asphalt and ordinary rosin and after the mixture is formed into kindler blocks and cooled to about 100 degrees F., the blocks may be coated with limed or high melting point rosin. In this case only a very thin rosin coating is necessary and if applied by immersing the kindler blocks in a bath of the rosin,.the bath should be maintained preferably at a temperature of about 350 degrees F. to insure a suitably thin coating.

If a fire kindler having quicker ignitability and faster burning characteristics is desired, about 10% by weight of crude naphthalene may be added to the extracted chips in the mixing tank. I have found, however, that naphthalene is not required for ordinary fire lighting purposes.

A method of producing a kindler embodying my invention and having a base material of fibrated vegetable flbro-cellular material from which the sap content has been extracted, or of such material reduced to fibers or groups of fibers, is as follows: Extracted pine wood chips which have been sufiicientiy finely divided are thereafter reduced by suitable means to their constituent fibers or groups of fibers. These separated fibers or fiber groups are then formed into boards of suitable thickness and are thereafter cut into blocks of desired length and breadth for fire kindler purposes. Desirable dimensions for this purpose are approximately 6 long, 3" wide and thick. An impregnating mixture of about 60% fuel oil of high B. t. u. content and 30% of the aforementioned "N. J. asphalt, or its equivalent such as coal tar to which there is added preferably 10% crude naphthalene, is placed in a suitable receptacle which may be heated and maintained at a temperature of about 200 degrees F. The blocks of base material are introduced into this mixture by suitable means and allowed to remain for a short time, about five to ten seconds, during which they will asborb to 200% of their own weight of the mixture. Thereafter, the blocks are removed and permitted to cool to a temperature of about 100 degrees F..or less. The cooled blocks are then passed as rapidly as possible mechanically through a bath of melted limed rosin maintained at a temperature of about 350 degrees F. Immersion of the blocks in the limed rosin for from one to three seconds will be sufficient to adequately coat the blocks. Thereafter the blocks are removed and the rosin coating immediately hardens which provides the kindlers with a clean, hard coating.

It will be perceived that fire kindlers embodying my invention will possess enormous heat producing qualities, which are sufiicient to start anthracite coal fires and other fires more quick- 1y than can be done with charcoal or kindling wood and at a cost which is less' than that for charcoal, on a heat unit content basis.

It will be evident that wide variations are possible in the composition of fire kindlers embodying' my invention without transcending the invention. Any desired fibro-cellular material of vegetable origin from which the content of the cellular structure of the material has been extracted to the extent desired, may be employed. The greaterthe degree of extraction of the sap content, the greater will be the degree of absorption of, or impregnation with, inflammable material and the greater will be the heat producing potentialities of the kindler. The size of the particles, chips, fibers or fiber groups may be varied as desired within limits. Preferably, these should be such that when the kindler is formed,

a sufiicient number of interstices remain between the particles, chips or fibres to impart a; porous character to the kindler so that when ignited, air will reach the interior portions and these will be burned at the same time the exterior portions of the kindler are burned. Complete burning thus will be effected with the production of great heat.

Tests conducted at the Anthracite Institute Laboratory of Primos, Pa., which is the official testing station of practically all of the coal interests of the United States, were made on fire kindlers embodying my invention ascompared with charcoal, which product is regarded as being more efflcient than ordinary kindling wood;

and these tests conclusively demonstrated the superiority of my firekindlers as compared with charcoal in the lighting of anthracite coal fires. These tests were made under identical condi-. tions. The cost to the consumer of kindling ma- 7 terialused in the tests was the same in all'three instances. As measured by cost, an equal amount of my extracted wood chip kindler and my extracted wood fibre kindler and ordinary charcoal was used, together with the same quantities of the same anthracite coal for each fire built and all other conditions were exactly the same with the single exception that the full charge of coal was placed on top of my kindlers before the same were lighted whereas in the case of the charcoal kindled fire, no coal was placed on top of the charcoal until the same had been burningfor a' period of seven to eight minutes, after which time the coal was added. v

Complete ignition of the coal was obtained with both the chip kindler and than half the time required for complete ignition of the .coal by the charcoal kindled fire. Accordingly, it will be clear that kindlers embodying my inventionare more efiicient and economical to use and produce a faster fire than either chaicoal or kindling wood and with less labor involved. To effect greatereconomy in the manufacture of fire-kindlers embodying my invention, waste extracted wood chips may be utilized, large quantities of'which-are made available as a result of sap extraction processes carried out to obtain turpentine and pitch.

- of a hydrocarbon-containing inflammable material. selected from the group consisting of crude petroleum, fuel oil, asphalt and coal tan the fibre kindler. in less.

tures.

2. A fire kindler consisting essentially of relatively finely divided, uncharred particles of vegetable fibro-cellular material free from sap, containing by absorption at least 100% by weight of .a hydrocarbon-containing inflammable material selected from the group consisting of crude petroleum, fuel oil, asphalt and coal tar, and coated with an inflammable material which. is nontacky at ordinary temperatures.

3. A fire kindler consisting essentially of relatively finely divided, uncharred particles of vegetable fibro-cellular material free from sap, containing by absorption at least 100% by weight of a mixture of fuel oil, asphalt and naphthalene, the naphthalene being a minor proportion of the mixture.

4. A fire kindler consisting essentially of relatively finely divided, uncharred particles of vegetable fibro-cellular material free from sap, containing by absorption at least 100% by weight of fuel oil, asphalt and rosin, the rosin being a minor proportion of the mixture.

5. A fire kindler consisting essentially of relatively finely divided, uncharred particles of vegetable fibro-cellular material free from sap, containing by absorption at least 100% by weight of a mixture of fuel oil, asphalt and naphthalene, the naphthalene being a. minor proportion of the mixture, and coated with an inflammable material which -is non-tacky at ordinary temperatures.

6. A fire kindler consisting essentially of relatively finely divided, uncharred particles of veg- ,etable fibro-cellular material free from sap, containing by absorption at least 100% by weight of fuel oil, asphalt and rosin, the rosin being a minor proportion of the mixture, and coated with an inflammable material which is non-tacky at ordinary temperatures.

.7. A fire kindler consisting essentially of relatively finely divided, uncharred particles of wood,

all of the sap content of which has been removed prior to the use of such material for fire kindlers, containing by absorption at least 100% byweight of a mixture of fuel oil, asphalt and naphthalene,

the naphthalene being a minor proportion of the containing by absorption at least 100% by weight of a mixture of fuel oil, asphalt and rosin, the

rosin being a minor proportion of the mixture.

9. A fire kindler consisting essentially of relatively finely divided, uncharred particles of wood, all of the sap content-of which has been removed prior to the use of such material for fire kindlers, containing by absorption at least 100% by weight of a mixture of fuel oil, asphalt and naphthalene, the naphthalene being a minor proportion of the mixture, and coated with an inflammable material which is non-tacky 'at ordinary temperatures.

"10. A fire kindler consisting essentially of relatively finely divided, uncharred particles of wood, all of the sap content of which has been removed prior to the use of such material for fire kindlers, containing by absorption at least 100% by weight of a mixture of fuel oil, asphalt and rosin. the rosin being a minor proportion of the mixture, and coated with an inflammable material which 'is V. CHANEY.