GB2204057A

GB2204057A - Firelighters and solid fuel

Info

Publication number: GB2204057A
Application number: GB08805576A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Dennis Barford; Alan Charles Pond; Michael John Hardy
Original assignee: FIBA COMPACTA Ltd
Current assignee: FIBA COMPACTA Ltd
Priority date: 1987-03-09
Filing date: 1988-03-09
Publication date: 1988-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-09
Also published as: GB2204057B; GB8805576D0; GB8705420D0

Abstract

A firelighter/solid fuel assembly comprises a plurality of blocks of readily ignitable material (suitably of curvilinear cross-section) arranged within and enclosed by a package of combustible material. Another solid fuel, which is not readily ignitable may also be present within the package.

Description

FIRELIGHTERS AND SOLID FUEL This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to firelighters and/or solid fuels.

Firelighters and similarly readily ignitable fuels are well-known. The majority of such materials comprise an odoriferous petroleum derivative (e.g. kerosene or slack waxes) as an important ingredient and hence are smelly and inconvenient to use. It is an object of the present invent Ion to provide an improved firelighter/solid fuel system which can be instantly ignited. is convenient to handle and clean to use.

Basically. the invention provides a firelighter/solid fuel assembly comprising a plurality of shaped blocks of readily ignitable material arranged within and enclosed by a package of combustible material.

By the term "readily ignitable" as used herein we mean that the material of a block, or the block itself, can be ignited by the application. over a short period of time. of the flame from a match or a piece of burning paper.

The blocks of ignitable material forming the assembly of the invention should be so arranged in the package so that adjacent faces or sides of the blocks are not wholly in contact with each other, that is so that there are air gaps or potential air gaps between the blocks. This may be conveniently achieved by making the blocks of curvilinear, especially circular or eliptical, cross-section, and particularly of generally cylindrical form. Thus the blocks may take the form of discs or cylinders. Inthe former case. the blocks are suitably arranged in the package with their axes generally vertical and parallel and, in the latter case, with their axes generally horizontal.

The shaped blocks are suitably arranged in and held by the inflammable packaging in a generally horizontal array (suitably having a thickness of 5 to 12 inches, preferably 3 to 7 inches) of such overall dimensions that the whole assembly may be placed in a domestic fire-grate and occupy a substantial part of the area thereof.

A wide variety of packaging arrangements may be used for the examples of the invention. Thus, for example, the blocks may be arranged in a tray of combustible packaging material and the whole surrounded by a further packaging, for example of paper or of plastics material, the latter preferably being shrink filmbeing wrapped around the tray containing the blocks. In another form of assembly in accordance with the invention the blocks are contained within a flexible packaging e.g. of paper, preferably of multi wall construction as in a multi wall sack. In this later case, a stiffening/shaping member.

e.g. of card, may be inserted, with the blocks1 in the flexible package.

As will be appreciated, the packaging material itself should be readily ignitable and examples of suitable packaging materials include paper, board and plastics materials (in which latter case plastics materials with do not give rise to unwanted noxious or irritant combustion products should be used).

The blocks of ignitable material suitably have overall dimensions, e.g. length, width, diameter thickness, of the order of 0.5 to 5 inches and. as noted above, are suitably arranged in the package so that the whole assembly suitably has an overall thickness of from 5 to 7 inches.

The material of the blocks1 must, as noted above, be readily ignitable. Thus, the blocks may be formed of kerosene gelled vith a thermosetting (phenolic) resin as in many conventional firelighters.

However, it is often preferred to use combustible materials comprising a combustible filler, such as comminuted wood, straw, peat or other fibrous organic material, suitably together with a flammable petroleum derivative such as kerosene or a semi-solid or solid wax. In order to hold the blocks together a binder may be employed (in which case certain inflammable materials, such as waxes, may also serve as binders) or in the case of wood or straw products simple compression may suffice to hold the block together; if desired after chemical treatment of the wood.

In order to provide for simple lighting of the assembly of the invention, the outer package may be provided with one or more fuses which may simply take the form of paper or board fuses (which may be chemically treated to improve their burning and/or ignition characteristics). Alternatively, more complex arrangements such as self-igniting friction fuses may be employed.

The fuel assemblies of the invention may serve both as fireliyEIlers or as fuels in their own right. In the latter case it is generally preferred that the blocks comprise a higher proportion of solid combustible filler than in the former case.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the fuel assembly also comprises, in addition to the blocks of readily ignitable material, a solid fuel which is ignitable by the action of the blocks of ignitable material (these latter serving, in this case.

effectively as firelighters). Such addition solid fuel may. for example, be a solid mineral fuel such as coal and/or coke, or may be a vetegable fuel such as wood or a fuel formed of compressed vegetable fibres optionally together with a binder (may be a fuel in its own right but which compressed blocks are not, in themselves, readily ignitable). In this embodiment of the invention there is provided, in effect, a ready made fire which is simply laid in a grate by placing the whole batched assembly in the grate.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A firelighter/solid fuel assembly comprising a plurality of shaped blocks of readily ignitable material arranged within and enclosed by a package of combustible material.

2. A fuel assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the blocks of readily ignitable material are curvilinear in cross-section.

3. A fuel assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 also comprising pieces of a solid fuel which is not readily ignitable.

4. A fuel assembly a claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described.