US2854321A

US2854321A - Composite chemical fire kindler

Info

Publication number: US2854321A
Application number: US613069A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stanton Stan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-10-01
Filing date: 1956-10-01
Publication date: 1958-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1975-09-30

Description

Sept. 30, 1958 s. STANTON 2,354,321

' COMPOSITE CHEMICAL FIRE KINDLER Filed Oct. 1, 195a 1N VENTOR nit-ed Patented Sept. 30, 1958 COMPOSITE CHEMICAL FIRE KINDLER Stan Stanton, Arlington, Va.

Application October 1, 1956, Serial No. 613,069

1 Claim. (Cl. 44-39) This invention relatesto a chemical fire kindler of the type which is embodied in small tablets or other suitably shaped readily ignitable units, and used to kindle charcoal fires in grills, campfires, hearthfires and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a fire kindler of the type described which is substantially smokeless, without smell, and devoid of fly ash, so that it is inoflensive even when used indoors.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved chemical fire kindler which is of nonbrittle texture so that units of the same may be packaged together in plurality without breakage loss incident to jarring during transportation or when carried on the person of the user. This makes it particularly desirable for campers, picnickers, scouts, and others to whom the carrying of fire kindlers would be as indispensable as matches, as an item of preparedness.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fire kindler of the type described consisting of a tablet or other unit of composite construction, having a core component of readily combustible material capable of generating a flame of intense heat which burns for a suflicient period of time to insure reasonable expectation of kindling the fire, and a mantle or coating surrounding said core, more readily ignitable than the core component, and which develops through combustion into a porous sintered shell about the core component, and which remains permanent and indistructible during the combustion of the core component, which forms a wind shield about the base of the flame, preventing its being blown out, and due to its porous nature, acting as a spreader for the flame, which issues through the pores.

Other objects of the invention willappear as the following description of a practical embodiment of the invention proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the following specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chemical fire kindler in tablet form, embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section through the tablet;

Figure 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing a partially consumed fire kindler, the mantle being broken away to reveal the core component.

In carrying out the invention I have selected hexamethylene tetramine as the base material for the core component, since it is readily ignitible, burns quietly and uniformly with a substantially smokeless, odorless flame of intense heat, leaving a small amount of ash 2 shipment, reaching the user in unsatisfactory condition from this cause, and they are also subject more or less, to disintegration when carried in the pocket, due to contiguous association with other hard objects.

I therefore mix with the hexamethylene tetramine ingredients that render the core component of the tablet less brittle, and I may incorporate substances that mechanically reinforce the tablet. There are many such additives available from which I have selected those which also have the desirable qualities of smokelessness, ready combustibility, and freedom from odor.

Specifically, I add about 5% by weight of microcrystalline wax and stearic acid, 1% of calcium stearate, and approximately 5% of a liquid polysulfide polymer as a binder. The above mentioned additives are carefully mixed with the hexamethylene tetramine into a homogeneous plastic mass, the wax, stearic acid and calcium stearate being used to reduce the brittleness of the hexamethylene tetramine and the liquid polysulfide polymer being employed as a binder to improve the homogeneousness of the mixture. About 4% cellulosic fibers are in corporated into the mixture to function as mechanical reinforcement for the tablet. The plastic mixture is pressed into tablets or other units of suitable size and dimension. These tablets are the core components of the complete chemical fire kindler, an example of which is indicated by the reference character 1 in Figure 1. As may readily be surmised, each of the additives to the hexamethylene tetramine, above mentioned, are examples of equivalents, which may be substituted therefor without exercise of invention.

Figures 2 and 3 show that the core component designated by the reference character 2 is surrounded by a mantle or coating 3. This coating consists of nitrocellulose varnish, and is more highly flammable than the material of the core component. By way of example, a varnish consisting of nitro-cellulose dissolved in acetone forms a satisfactory coating. It may be applied to the core component in many ways, for example, by dipping, brushing, spraying; or the core component may be immersed in the varnish. The latter need not cover the base of the core component. The nitro-cellulose coating has a degree of flexibility that somewhat dampens impactive shocks to the core component, such as would be encountered if the fire kindler were to drop onto the floor. The mantle thus gives added protection from breaking or chipping.

The outstanding value of the nitro-cellulose mantle stems from its change of state incident to its combustion. The fire kindler is ignited by touching a match to the mantle. The ensuing flame is communicated immediately by the coating to the core component, so that both components of the flre kindler start to burn substantially at the same time, but the faster burning mantle quickly forms a 1 porous sintered shell about the slower burning core. This shell is indestructible by the heat of the flame, so that it remains intact in shape and size for the period of combustion, the flame from the core component issuing distributively through the porous structure of the shell. This causes the flame to be broad at the base and flaring or vase-shaped for quite a distance above its base, rather than having the narrow pointed shape which characterizes the flame from an uncoated core component. Thus, the flame is able to encounter a wider expanse of overlying kindling wood or other fuel. The unit mass of the tablet is such as to produce a combustion period of from six to eight minutes, and is sufficient to kindle a fire under diflicult conditions of combustion.

The mass of the core component of the tablet progressively diminishes as combustion progresses. In some-instances it recedes from the inner surface of the shell,

forming a void between the shell and the core component. In other cases the solid products of combustion or. core portion form an attenuated web structure between the inner surface of the shell and the unconsumed portion of the core component, which structure is extremely porous. In either case, a gas chamber is formed be tween the shell and the unburned portion of the core component filled with the burning volatiles of the core component, the flame of which issues through the portion of the shell. The latter forms an effective wind shield for the fire kindler. The wind blowing against one side may momentarily force the flame on that side within the confines of the shell, but active ignition is conserved in the gas chamber and the flame is not extinguished.

While I have in the above disclosure described a practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the specific details of construction and composition of the fire kindler unit are by way of example and not to be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

Composite chemical fire kindler comprising a shaped unit mass including a core consisting essentially of hexamethylene tetramine, and a mantle consisting of a layer of nitro-cellulose resin for igniting said core, said mantle being characterized by its transformation through burning into a porous, rigid, sintered shell, remaining intact in shape and size, persistent against heat destruction for the burning period of said core, whereby a. void is formed between said core and shell constituting a flame chamber from which the flame from said core discharges distributively through the pores of said shell, the latter functioning as a spreader for said flame and a windshield for the flame within said flame chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,094,661 Macleay et al. Oct. 5, 1937 Berdick July 22 1952