MATCHES (Fa., Allutnettes ; GER., Ziindho/zelien).
The manufacture of matches for lighting purposes is principally divided into three great branches, comprising the ordinary wooden match or " lucifer "; " vesuvians," which are principally used in the open air by smokers; and " vestas," in which a thin wax taper is substituted for the wood.
Splints and Splint•cutting.—The timber for match-making comes chiefly from Sweden and Canada, and is usually very straight-grained pine or aspen ; it is sawn into 12-ft. lengths, 3 in. thick by 11 in. wide, and subdivided into blocks 5 in. long, representing two matches. If the timber is worked up in the neighbourhood of its growth, it can be cut into splints in the green state ; but if it has been dried, it must be afterwards steamed for about 20 minutes. It is then passed through the splint cutting machine, which cuts the whole into splints of the required size, only the last flake of the wood being wasted.
In the old method, the 5-in. blocks were cut by a vertical cutter into flakes having the exact thickness of a match ; a number of these were placed together, turned at right angles to the former cut, and divided into splints. From time to time, machines have been introduced to cut the splints at one operation. One of the earliest (1859) was that of F. Tillett, in which a set of reciprocating lances grooved the block to be cut into splints, whilst a knife arranged at right angles sliced off the grooved portions. An improved machine of this type is used in Canada, and has been introduced in England by Pace and Howard. It is shown in Figs. 960 965: a is the framing of the machine ; b, the driving-shaft, driven by a belt passing around pulleys on it. Fixed to b, are a crank b' and a crank-disc ; c is the slicing-knife, fixed to the slide d, which works up and down in vertical guides, and receives its motion from the crank b'. On a standard a, is jointed one end of a lever e, the opposite end being connected by a link to d. The centre of e is attached to one end of a link p, the other being operated by the crank b', thereby giving the required motions to the slicing-knife. The elide f moves to and fro in horizontal guides, and is fastened at one end of a connecting-rod carried by the crank-pin q. In this slide, is mounted a box g, in which the lancets g' are fixed. As the splints are cut, they pass through an opening in the slide d, and through a spout h. Fixed to it,
a pair of rollers h' work between guides 1' fixed to 1, which, at its other end, is hinged to the standard j. The upper side of the spout and trough are covered by an indiarubber band 1", fixed to the slide d and standard k, through an opening by which the splints pass out of the trough and over tho table. By these means, the splints, as they are cut, are kept in correct position, and are delivered on the table at the lower end of i. The block of wood A is placed upon the table, pressed towards the slicing-knife c by the block 1, and held in position between guides n n'.
The arrangement of the holder for the lancets, and the devices for keeping the wood in position whilst being cut, having been found somewhat inefficient, Pace has devised modifications of these details. Figs. 962 and 966 show elevation and plan of the tool-holder, and Figs. 963, 964, side elevation ancl, plan of the devices for steadying the match-wood. In Figs. 960, 961, a is a portion of the slide carrying the lancets b, mounted in a holder c', formed on a lever c, which turns upon an axis carried by the slide; this lever c is acted upon in one direction by a spring to carry the lancets out of action, whilst an incline e, mounted on an axis, acts reversely to carry the lancets into position for work ; e' is operated by a tail-piece, which strikes against the framing of the machine, and thereby causes the lancets to come into or out of position for work as required ; while A, Figs. 963, 964, is the block of wood to be cut into splints. This last is supported on the table g, and is pressed forward by the pushing-block h. The block is guided at its sides by the fixed guide i and adjustable guide j, and, at the top, by the holding-down lever k; but instead of acting upon the holding-down ]ever k, by means of a locking-latch mounted on an axis of motion at one side of the block of wood, as in Figs. 962, 965, a much longer locking-lever 1 is employed, mounted on an axis l', carried by the holding-down lever k, and each end of which comes under inclined catches m, fixed to the frame of the machine on each side of the block, and as far therefrom as practicable. By these means, A is held firmly, and the lancets are prevented from following the grain of the wood, and thus made to act with precision.