Method of making a book of matches

The method of making a book of matches, which comprises the steps of:

• (a) providing a relatively flat matchbook core of undulated form which defines a series of recesses each of which is open at one end, closed at its opposite end, completely open along one face of the core and partially open along the opposite face of the core adjacent said closed end so as to provide a troughlike portion adjacent said open one end;
• (b) providing a series of headed matches;
• (c) inserting the series of matches head first into the open ends of said recesses until the heads thereof lie adjacent said closed ends of the recesses and the free ends of the matches protrude from said open ends of the recesses:
• (d) providing a first sheet portion having regions of striking material located thereon to register opposite the troughlike portions exposed on one face of the core and a second sheet portion having regions of striking material located thereon to register opposite the trough-like portions exposed on the other face of the core;
• and
• securing said sheet portions respectively over the opposite faces of said core to close off said recesses except at said open ends and with the striking material regions thereof registered with said trough-like portions to allow a match to be withdrawn from its recess while being ignited in the process.

The method for continuously making matchbooks, which comprises the steps of:

• (a) advancing a thin web of wood having an indefinite length;
• (b) forming teeth along at least one side edge of the web;
• (c) forming match heads on said teeth;
• (d) splitting the web transversely between the match heads to form a sheet of separate match sticks each having a match head on at least one end;
• (e) clamping the sheet of match sticks to retain the integrity of such sheet of sticks;
• (f) relatively inserting successive series of the match sticks, lengthwise and head end first, into a corresponding series of relatively flat matchbook cores which are of lesser widths than the length of said match sticks;
• and
• (g) preparing matches of each series for automatic ignition in response to longitudinal withdrawal therefrom from said cores by affixing at least one sheet carrying striking material to one of the opposite faces of said cores.