The process of matchmaking in the United States differs radically from that common in England. The planks for the matches are sawed 2 in. thick, seasoned for two years, and then sawed into match blocks, of which those free from knots and with a straight grain are selected to be cured and fed into the match machine. At the head of the match machine, which is about 50 or 6o ft. long and 20 f t. high, is a frame which holds rows of hollow dies, which descend vertically and cut out splints from the match blocks. Some machines cut 5o splints at each revolution, and, with a speed of over 30o revolutions a minute, have produced 10,000,000 matches in a working day. Square stick matches are not popular in America and their manufacture is virtually discontinued. Of all wood matches made in the United States 971% are of round grooved splint type—both strike-any where safety and strike-on-box safety types. These splints are automatically forced out of the dies into the perforations of a cast-iron plate. This forms part of an endless chain on which the splints are passed through a chemical solution, containing mono ammonium phosphate, which impregnates the wood and prevents an afterglow when the match is burned. After drying to evaporate the water from this chemical bath, the machine carries the splints through a bath of paraffin wax, or similar material, so that they will catch fire readily when the match is lighted, the wax taking the place of the sulphur formerly used.
The machine then carries the splints through two dips to put the head on the match. The first dip gives the march the bulb, which is inert to ordinary friction and protects the tip of the match.
The second dip forms the eye of the match, which is much smaller than the bulb and ignites when the match is struck. The modern match head contains a large number of chemicals and other in gredients, such as phosphorus, chlorate, potash, zinc oxide, glue and forms of gums, ground glass, quartz, whiting, etc., which must be thoroughly compounded for several hours in large mills by means of special machines and under expert supervision. After being tipped the matches travel through blasts of air where they are dried. On their return to the head of the machine, punches drive the sticks out of the plates into a mechanism that packs the matches in cardboard boxes in two layers, with the heads in the opposite direction. Strips of cardboard are put over the matches and the covers sealed on the boxes—all by machinery. The book matches, which are supplied to smokers to be carried in the pocket, are safety matches, and are also made automatically by a machine which slits and dips the cardboard, puts the corn position on the cover, and binds and cuts apart the books.
see GUN.