US2841274A - Matchbook - Google Patents

Description

July 1, 1958 E. J. WEATHERS MATCHBOOK Filed Dec.

FIG.

4 INVENTOR ELBERT JOSEPH WEATHER'S United States Patent Ofifice 2,84LZ'Z4 Patented July 1, 1958 MATCHBOOK Elbert Joseph Weathers, l'vianhattan Beach, Calif.

Applicatien December 3, 1956, Serial No. 625,863

1 Claim. (Cl. 206=29) This invention relates to bookmatches and more par ticularly to a bookmatch assembly in which the matches of the stack are arranged in a radial array.

Bookmatches of the prior art are generally arranged in a linear stack of matches each match vertically aligned parallel with the match next to it. One or more of such stacks are assembled in a folder or book.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bookmatch assembly in which the matchsticks are arranged so as to form a radially slotted disc with the match heads on the periphery of the disc, each match being removable radially by tearing from the center of the disc.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a book of matches with the matchstick in the form of a circle having its center centrally located in the matchbook.

It is another object of this invention to provide a folding book of matches with matches arranged as in the spokes of a wheel.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the specification which follows when taken together with the drawing and in view of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partially cut away View of a matchbook with a radial array of matches according to my invention, as seen from the back;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the matchbook shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the matchbook cover and matchstick array, respectively; and

Fig. 4 is another embodiment of the matchbook assembly of Fig. 1 shown from the front with its cover open.

For the purpose of providing a novelty suitable for more effectively advertising objects of a disc like or circular nature it may sometimes be desirable to arrange matchsticks in a match-book so that the sticks project radially from the center of a disc shape with the striking heads of the matchsticks forming a peripheral termination of each radial matchstick.

Such an arrangement is shown in an embodiment of this invention illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 there may be seen the external appearance of a matchbook according to my invention when the book is closed, as viewed from the back and side, respectively. In Fig. 1 there is shown the matchbook cover 11, further detailed below, and partially cut away, as at 12, to show the radial matchstick assembly 3 including among others matchsticks 13, 14 and 15. Two sticks from the radial assembly 3 have been torn away as shown at 16. Each of the radial matchsticks of assembly 3 has a match head 17. The front flap or cover 31 is seen through the cutaway portion 12 of the back flap 30. In Fig. 2 the front flap 31 of the matchbook cover can be seen to be tucked under flap 33. The striking surface 32 may be on the front or rear surface. It is believed that the placement of striking surface 32 as shown in Fig. 1 is a novel position. The entire assembly of the matchbook is held together by two staples 9 inserted through flap 33. Flap 33 in many prior art matchbooks contains the striking surface.

Particularly in Fig. 2, the appearance of the matchbook in accordance with my invention can be seen to differ markedly from prior art and conventional matchbooks when viewed from the side of the book.

In Fig. 3, to which reference is now made, all parts of the assembly have been separated out in an exploded view. In (a) of Fig. 3 the radial matchstick assembly 3, with mounting clamp 37, is shown. In (b) of Fig. 3 the cover 11 is shown.

The radial matchstick assembly 3 includes a number of matchsticks such as 13, 14 and 15 arranged radially about a hub 20 and forming something less than a full circle of matches, each with its peripheral matchhead 17. The matchsticks as 13, 14 and 15 are formed by cutting a disc radially at uniform angles starting from a point some short distance out from the center and continuing the cut right out to the edge. Matchheads such as 17 are formed by die cutting each radial sector at the periphery of the circle formed in part by the matchstick assembly 3. The matchstick array such as 3 may have a complete circle of matches in the array. The heads then may be radially dipped into a safety match firing material to form the matchheads.

Another part of the matchbook assembly shown in the exploded Fig. 3a is the mounting clamp 37 having uniform front and back portions 35 and 36 folded on fold 34 so that portions 35 and .36 are in alignment with one another and so that front disc portion 18 and rear disc portion 19 of the front and back portions 36 and 35 respectively my be in alignment with the central hub 20 of radial matchstick assembly 3. In the embodiment shown in the figures the circular areas 18 and 19 of the clamp 37 are assembled to hub 20 of radial matchstick assembly 3 and center holes 21, 22, and 23 are in alignment. Clamp 37 and matchstick assembly 3 are held together with the rivet 8'. in Fig. l, a staple 8 is shown as an alternative assembly device.

In the assembly 'of the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, clamp 37 is used to hold matchstick assembly 3 together in the matchbook because as may be seen in (b) of Fig. 3 the particular book cover assembly 11 as shown has central circular foramina 7 front and back. This is to simulate a phonograph record jacket in the matchbook cover to show how, as one example of an advertising medium, the matchbook as shown in Fig. 1 may be used for a record manufacturer or distributor. Through the forarnina 7 the number of matches remaining in the book be observed even when the cover is closed. But other uses of the radial matchstick matchbook of this inven' tion are possible where the cover 11 does not have the foraminate arrangement. In such an instance radial matchstick assembly 3 and the front portion 36 of clamp 37 may constitute a single flat surface, the structure of which is obvious from the drawings. In this instance staple 8 as shown in Fig. 1 is used to firmly attach the above described radial matchstick structure to the back 36 of cover ll.

In Fig. 4 a matchbook assembly according to this invention is shown with the front cover flap 31 open. Note also that as shown in Fig. 4 there is no circular opening such as 7.

There has been described above a novel matchbook assembly wherein the matches are stacked in a radial array. While only a single radial matchstick assembly such as 3 is shown in the illustrated embodiment, it will be clear that a pair or several such radial matchstick arrays a 3 may be stacked on a common center, riveted together or stapled together and each array 3 staggered with respect to its adjacent array 3 to prevent heads 17 of one array from touching heads 17 of its adjacent array.

Wha t is claimedas newis: 7 .7 l J a V: t In a folded rnatc hb ookt assemlglya ;rad ial -matchstick "array comprising j a central hub with: niatchgieksi ii;-

teg rally arranged withand about said hub in nagram radial" array, said'rnatchsticks having their headset the periphery of the circle formed by said arraytand aglamP- 'ing member having a'lateral fold to form front ancl back clamping portions, said clamping portions being generally circular and equivalent in size to said central hub, each,

' respectivelyyof said front and back clamping portions'heing joined with said lateral fold by a trapezoidalse'ction;

the longer dimension of said section being nearest said fold and the shorter section thereof being nearest said clamping portion. 7

References Cited in' the file of this patent V UNITED STATESPATENTS D. 137,983 Macdonald May 30, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 525,778 Gerrnany Ma 28,1931

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