US728019A - Self-feeding match holder and igniter. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAY 12, 1903. 0. H. SCALES. SELF FEEDING MATCH HOLDER AND IGNITER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. 1902.

10 MODEL.

INVENTUR v I I flarinxficd mie' D WITNESSES:

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NlTED STATES Patented May 12, 1903.

ATENT FFICE.

CHARLES HENRY SCALES, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO 'WILLIAM HAMILTON STEELE, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

SELF-FEEDING MATCH HOLDER AND IGNITER.

SPECIFICATIONfor-ming part of Letters Patent No. 728, dated y 1903- Application filed September 23, 1902. Serial No. 124.519. (No model.)

in view is the provision of a simple and cheap construction adapted for the safe storage of matches in a manner to expose themfor ready access, so that they can be withdrawn individually for use, thus eifecting a'saving in the.

quantityof matches used, which is an item in places where matches are offered gratis.

A further object is to associate a striker with the magazine in a way to facilitate ignition of the match on the withdrawal thereof from the magazine, thus overcoming the necessity for striking matches against a wall' and insuring cleanliness. a

A further object is to provide means for receiving the burned matches, so as to save dropping them on the floor, and to also enable the holder to be used in connection with the matches of difierent lengths.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description and the novelty will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a match holder and igniter constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation taken in the plane of the dotted line2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the operation of withdrawing and igniting a match by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a vertical detail section showing another embodiment of the match-supporting shelf and the tray adapted to receive the burned matches.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by the accompanying drawings I provide a vertical tubes 9. any desired number, although I have shown back plate of the improved holder is adapted for attachment to a wall or otherisurface by any preferred means, and in the drawings the back plate is shown as having an upwardly.- extending portion 5, which is provided witha transverse aperture 7, adapted to receive a nail, screw, or other means for suspending the holder removably on'the wall.

The ofiset portion 6 of the back plate supports a series of match-magazines, which are represented by the drawings in the form of These tubes may consist of the holder equipped with six of these tubes.

'Said magazine-tubes may be secured in any suitable way to the ofiset portion 6 of the back plate, so that they will overhang a subjacent shelf 10, and said tubes are arranged parallel and at suitable distances from each other. The tube is provided at its upper end with a flared or enlarged mouth 11, which enables the easy introduction of the matches into the tube, and the tube is of small diameter in order that a series of matches, as A, may be stored or confined therein in'such a way that thematches will be stacked one upon the other, as clearly indicated by the left-hand tube in Fig. 1. The matches are placed in each magazine-tube head end up in order that the foot end of one match may rest upon the ignition head of the subjacent match, and the lowermost match of the series is adapted to extend below the lowest ignition end of each magazine-tube in a manner to rest upon the shelf 10. This shelf 10 of the holder is arranged in a horizontal position and ata suitable distance below the ignition lower end of the series of magazine-tubes, and said shelf may be attached rigidly to or made integral with the lower portion of the back plate 5, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. this shelf may be made in a separate piece from the back plate, and it is adapted to be If desired, however, .IOO

supported adj ustably on said back plate by means which permit the shelf to be raised or lowered with relation to the series of magazine-tubes. The adjustable connection of the horizontal shelf is illustrated more particularly by Fig. 4, by an inspection of which it will appear that the shelf is provided with an upstanding tang 12, which is secured in a loop or keeper 13, the latter being fastened to the rear side of the back plate. The tang of the shelf engages with the keeper sufficiently friction-tight to maintain the shelf 10 in the desired position, and this shelf may be raised or lowered with relation to the magazine-tubes in order to make the holder retain matches of different lengths.

14 designates a tray which has a back piece 15 fastened to the back plate 5, as shown by Fig. 2, or it maybe attached to the adjustable shelf 10. (Shown by Fig. 4.) This tray may be of any suitable construction, the same having an inclined lip 16 at its front edge, and said tray is disposed below the shelf, so as to occupy a position convenient for the reception of the burned or waste matches.

One of the important features of my invention consists in the provision of an igniting device at the foot or lower end of each magazine-tube 9, and in the preferred embodiment of this part of my invention the igniting device is made integral with the magazine-tube.

' The lower part of the magazine-tube is enlarged and flattened, so as to provide the parallel side walls 17 18, which are bent or curved inwardly toward each other at 19 on the front side of the magazine-tube, thereby providing an open slot or throat 20, which extends longitudinally of the enlarged foot portion of said tube that forms the igniting device. The side walls 17 18 are joined together at their lower ends by a web 21, as shown by Fig. 2; but between the upper and lower end portions of these side walls they are provided with the inwardly-extended flanges 22 23. These flanges are disposed parallel to each other and form between themselves a slot or opening 24, and on the inner edges of the parallel flanges are formed teeth or serrations 25, said teeth being disposed in rows, as shown by Fig. 2, the rows of teeth being spaced in parallel relation, as represented by Fig. 3.

The parallel rows of teeth form a double ignition-surface, against which the matchhead is adapted to be drawn, and these rows of teeth lie practically on the opposite sides of the match-head, so that the head can be ignited with certainty when the match is turned to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the head is drawn under sufficient pressure across the rows of teeth. These rows of ignition-teeth are set or disposed back slightly from the inner face or plane of the magazine-tube, and these teeth do not lie in the path of the matches when they are placed in the magazine-tube, thus allowing the matches to drop easily and freely through the tube and permitting the lower end of the match to engage with the shelf 10 without hindrance from the ignition device.

The open space or slot 24: between the in wardly-extending flanges which have the teeth or serrations allows the ready escape of any of the combustible mixture which may fly off the match-head when the latter is ignited, and this space 24 thus serves as a clearance-space to prevent the clogging of the igniter. The side walls 17 18 of the ignition device serve as guides and supports to the match in order to hold the latter in position at the lowest part of the tube, and these walls are spaced and fashioned to permit the match-head when lighted to be easily withdrawn from the igniting device and the magazine-tube.

In using my improved match-holder the matches are introduced in the magazinetubes so as to produce a series of rows of matches, and the lowermost match of each row is contained in the foot portion of the tube and rests upon the shelf 10, thus exposing a part of each lower match in a manner to facilitate access thereto. When it is desired to withdraw the match, the lower exposed part of the stem thereof is grasped by the fingers and the match is pulled outwardly, the head of said match being contained in the slotted tube or ignition device so that it may be drawn against the rows of teeth in order to light the match simultaneously with its withdrawal. The removal of one match from the magazine-tube allows the superposed matches remaining therein to drop by gravity, and the lowermost match of the dropping series rests upon the shelf 10, thereby automatically feeding the matches in the position for reaching one of them easily.

I do not desire to strictly confine myself to the special and detail construction of the holder herein shown and described. The magazine-tubes and the igniters may, if desired, be made in separate pieces and readilyassemblcd and united together in any approved way; but I also contemplate the manufacture of the article by stamping all the parts in a single piece of metal, which can be folded or manipulated to produce the complete article, or the article may be cast or molded in one piece or in separate pieces, as desired.

The shelf 10 may be inclined upwardly to prevent matches from falling outward. Any suitable fastener may be used to hold the tang 12 adjustably on the back plate or the shelf 10. I may use one magazine-tube instead of a series. The entire device may be used as an advertising medium, and it can be ornamented as desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A match-holder having a series of vertical magazine-tubes, each tube being of a diameter slightly in excess of matches to be stacked lengthwise and vertically l therein, and each tube having a discharge-opening at the lower end thereof and also provided with a slot which communicates with said opening, and a shelf directly below the open ends of said tubes, whereby matches maybe placed endwise in the tubes and the lowermost match in each'tube may rest directly on the shelf.

2. A match-holder having a back plate, a

series of vertical magazine-tubes on said plate and each having an exit-opening at the lower end thereof and also provided with a slot which communicates with said opening, each tube being of a diameter slightly in excess of the matches to be stacked endwise and vertically therein, and a shelf arranged directly below the open ends of the tubes, said shelf lying below the tubes at a distance less than the length of a match or matches stacked endwise in said tube or tubes.

3. A match-holder having a vertical magazine-tube provided with an exit-opening at the lower end and with a slot in the exposed side of said tube, the diameter of the tube ex-' ceedin g that of matches adapted to be stacked endwise and vertically therein, and a matchsupport disposed below the open lower end of said tube at a distance less than the length of matches to be contained therein, whereby thelowermost match may rest on the shelf and the upper part of the match may lie in the slotted part of the tube.

4. A match-holder comprising a plate, a shelf on the plate, and a series of vertical magazine-tubes on said plate and having open lower ends lying directly over the shelf and at a distance therefrom less than the length of individual matches adapted to lie stacked endwise and vertically within the tubes, each tube being of a diameter less than matches to be stacked therein and each tube havinga longitudinal slot in its exposed side.

5. A match-holder, having a series of individual magazine-tubes, and a shelf disposed below said tubes and adjusted vertically with relation thereto.

6. A match-holder, comprising a suitable back plate, a series of vertical individual tubes supported thereon, a horizontalshelf below said tubes and in vertical ali nement' therewith, and means for adjusting said shelf vertically with relationto said tubes.

7. A match-igniter provided .withan exitslot in one side thereof, and flanges extending inwardly from that side of the igniter which is opposite to said exit-slot, said flanges being relatively spaced to form between themselves a clearance-slot for the ignitible match substance, and saidfianges being provided on their inner edges with roughened surfaces which face toward and lie in the transverse plane of said exit-slot.

8. In amatch-holder, an ignition device consisting of side portions forminga slot or throat at the front side, and flanges disposed between said side portions and having teeth or serrations. r

9. In a match-holder, an ignition device oonsisting of side portions provided with inwardly-extending flanges, said flanges being provided on their inner edges with rows of teeth, and the flanges and teeth being laterally spaced to form an intermediate clearancespace.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES HENRY SCALES.

Witnesses:

GEORGE REGINALD GRACY, LOTTIE WIMAN.

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