Patented

ar. 10, 19125.

HUGO H. B. SGHAPIRO, 0F WADSWORTILI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO MATCH COM

PANY, OF WADSWO'RTH. OHIO. A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MATCH COMPOSITION.
No Drawing.

Application ?led January 14, 1924. Serial Ho. 686,205.

rubber latex as a vehicle for the mixing of

>
Be it known that l. HUoo H. l); Solrxrmo, the ingredients of the match composition,

To all whom. it may concern:

, a citizen of the United States. residing at

55

such mixture, after the evaporation of the

\Vadsworth, in the county of Medina and aqueous content of the latex, being bound
5

State of Ohio, have invented a certain new together by the rubber of the evaporated

latex, which, due to its inherent non-hygro

tions, of which the; following is a full, clear, scopic properties, provides a. substantially
damp or waterproof match, as I will pro
and exact description.
The object of this invention is to provide ceed now to explain and ?nally claim.

and useful Improvement in Match (knnposi

a. composition which is practically non-i

hygroscopic for use in making match heads.
As is .well known, the ordinary binding
material used in this class of match head
compositions is animal glue, and this is a
is hygroscopic substance so responsive toat
mospheric moisture that match heads soften
ll)

and deteriorate under exposure tlureto, thus _

preventing the ignition of the heads and

frequently causing them to fall off or be

60

In the use of rubber, as last above de

scribed, as the binding ingredient in match

head compositions, in accordance. with the
present invention, its characteristic prop

65

erties of impermeability to water or mois

ture, its high adhesion and cohesion values,

and its ability to combine with sulphur, are
retained.

'

As hereinbefore indicated, my method con

templates the use of the natural latex from

29 come detached from the sticks in attempts which the rubber of commerce is obtained,

to strike them or light the matches.

In order to render match heads water
proof various substitutes for or additions
to the common glue binder have been pro
25 posed and used with more or less success.

I am aware that it has been proposed to

use rubber as a-substitute tor the glue binder
hereinabove mentioned, but, so far as I
know, in all cases where rubber has been so

and which is a colloidal solution of rubber

in an aqueous liquid. This material is here

inreterred to as rubber latex. Upon evap
oration of the water or the drying out of

the water, the. rubber particles which are

now suspended in an aqueous liquid in an
extremely ?nely divided, or so called col
loidal state, must coalesce. The colloidal
solution or emulsion of rubber in the aque

80

ous liquid, herein called, rubber latex, will

dinary commercial rubber dissolved in some pass from the system of rubber in aqueous 85

.used the rubber employed has been the or

organic solvent. The use. of such a. solvent liquid to the system of aqueous liquid in
in preparing rubber as a binder for match rubber and eventually upon complete evap~
35

head compositions entails not only an extra

element of expense, because of its subsequent
loss, but is dangerous because of its own
in?ammable nature and the liability of ex
plosion due to the nature of its vapor when

mixed with air during evaporation.

oration of the acqueous liquid or complete

desiccation, to a continuous mass of rubber.

'lh at is to say, that the originally discontinu

ous phase, rubber in the continuous phase,
aqueous liquid, will now become continu
ous.

inasmuch as, during the manufacture of lesced.

90

The rubber particles will have coa

This will now act as a jelly andv

matches, it is wellnigh impossible to avoid should have strong binding properties.

95

A match head made with a composition

small ?res incident to accidental friction on
match heads, it will be seen that it would be containing rubber in such a ?nely divided
dangerous to have the atmosphere ofthe state as in rubber latex, should upon elimina
tion of the water from the composition, be
match room contain inflammable vapors.

I have discovered that it is possible to ob nearly perfectly moisture-proof, since rub 100
tain all of the desirable results incident to ber will greatl resist moisture.
Another met 0d of bringing about the de
the substitution of rubber for glue binder
without resorting to the use of the ordinary sired coalescence of the rubber particles of
organic solvents, by employing rubber latex the latex in a match head composition, con

and mixing with it the other ingredients sists in passing such a match head through
requisite to the production of a suitable a reagent, or exposing it to the vapor of a
reagent, which has the property of coagulate
match material.
The present invention, therefore, employs ing rubber- in a latex. Acetic acid is a suit

105

I.

able reagent for this purpose, but,of course

the invention is not limited to the use
particular reagent.

tions, or other solventqhave

used in

any the manufacture of match head composi

-

In preparing a composition for match

heads of the described properties, all the in
gredients which enter into the composition,
including the rubber latex, are to be mixed

tions. The rosin particles

the composi- '

tion, however, are practicallyjlsolid .when.

the composition 'is applied to the match
splints, and after the evaporation of the
aqueous constituent, they do 'not fully coa
in any usual or approved manner, and then lesce: In the case of rubber, however, its
ground, after which the composition is particles are semi-liquid or plastic, and when
ready for application to the splints or sticks the liquid disappears, these particles do coa
in the usual manner.
'
'
'
lesce and form a continuous:~ vjelly which
In stating the followingformulm-it is to serves as an'e?icient non-hypic binder.

be understood that the rubber content is 7

What Iclaim is.:'

based on actual rubber resent in any rubber

latex, natural or artl?cial, that-is used,

rubber latex.

namely :i'

* 2. A match
v _
_ head
_

l r

>

i
__

Parts.

.Rubber ___________________ .n. 20'

'
'

>

"

composition, containing

x.

'

Ground

latex and a vulcanizing ingredient.

glass _______ __- ______ __ 4O

Chlorate of potash-.4_____ __-__ 50

'It is also to be understood'that the inven

'

iiptproved ignitible ingredients, and rubber

Rosin ______________________ __'_ 10

10

60~

3. A match
havin ig
nitible ingredients compoundedwith ru bcr

' Sulphur ?our _____ ___________ __

20

1. A match headcomposition, including

_4.. A match head composition,"having' ig

n1 tible ingredients, compounded with rubber 70
latex and a. vulcanizing ingredient, the vul

tion in certain of its hereinafter claimed as canization takingplaee upon exposure to a

pects is not limited to the use of the natural suitable atmosphere.
p i
'

emulsion commonly referred to 'as rubber

5. A match composition, having ignitiblc
latex, but includes arti?cially prepared ingredients compounded with rubber latex
emulsions of rubber in aqueous liquids. and a-vulcanizing' ingredient, the vulcaniza

75

Emulsions of rubber in aqueous liquids are tion taking place upon exposure to a suit

well known articles of commerce, and they

contain rubber in a very ?nely divided

state.

'

'

.In some cases it may be advisable or de

sirable to add to the composition such mate

rials, as, for example, hexamethylene-tetra

able reagent.

-'

a.

'

'

6. A match composition, having ignitible

ingredients compounded with rubber latex
and a vulcanizing ingredient, the vulcaniza

80

tion taking place at the normal temperature

of the air.

mine, or other accelerators, as will tend to

7. A matchv composition, comprising ig-
gradually vulcanize the rubber at atmos-' nitible ingredients including sulphur com

85

pheric temperature, there being su?icient pounded with rubber latex, said composition

sulphur present to react with such materials adapted to be vulcanized upon exposure toa
for this'purpose. ()r the match heads may .suitable atmosphere.
be passed through any suitable solution, for In-testimony whereofI have hereunto set
example, of an ammonium polysulphide, my hand this 12th day of Jany., A. D. 1924.
which will serve to effect the vulcanization

45

of the rubber.

Prior to my invention emulsions of hy

drocarbon, such as rosin in aqueous solu

HUGO H. B.- SCHAPIRO.

Witnesses:

D; E. SwAn'rz,
-

A. D. Gnarm.