US2002492A - Cigarette lighter - Google Patents

Description

May 28, 1935. B. DESS CIGARETTE LIGHTER Original Filed Oct. 19, 1932 j@ i *V o L 4 j 26' gg 2 19 13 ff Z Z7 BY i l, l

INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEYS Patented. May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES CIGARETTE LIGHTER Ben Chicago, Ill.

Application october 19, 1932, semi No. cassis Renewed March 2v, 192.5

4 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to certain novel improvements in cigarette lighters, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction which will be highly efiicient in use and 5 economical in manufacture.

'I'his invention relates to a cigarette lighter for automotive vehicles. Cigarette lighters of the general type to which this devicepertains comprise, broadly, a suction line, having a control valve therein, and an igniting element. In the use of these devices the valve controlling the suction line is customarily manipulated with one hand by the vehicle driver to register one end of the cigarette with the suction line and to abut the other end of the cigarette against the igniting element.

As heretofore made these devices have necessitated that the driver again manipulate either the suction line control valve or a switch to open circuit to the igniting element, and in some cases to manipulate both the valve and the switch, after the cigarette has been ignited. This construction of the prior art devices has necessitated a considerable manipulation of the same and hasv required that the driver of the vehicle have at least one hand oi from the steering wheel for a considerable length of time in order to set the device in operation and once to shut it oif. It is obvious, of course, that it is not desirable for the driver to remove one hand from the steering wheel any oftener than is necessary, as doing so increases the likelihood of accident.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a new cigarette lighter which will eliminate the above-recited disadvantage of the prior art devices, and which will automatically cut oif the suction line and open circuit to the heating element or igniter after the cigarette has been ignited, so that it is only necessary for the vehicle driver to keep one hand removed from the steering wheel of the vehicle long enough to set the device in operation and to remove the ignited cigarette therefrom.

Another object resides in the provision of a novel latching mechanism including a temperature responsive element which holds the suction line valve open and the heating element circuit closed until after the igniter or heating element attains a predetermined temperature and the cigarette is ignited, whereupon the temperature responsive element of the latching mechanism automatically opens circuit to the heating element while at the same time releasing the suction line valve which then cuts off the suction line.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combina- (Cl. 21S-32) tion and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which: 5

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the new lighter, showing a part of the cigarette magazine casing broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view on line 3 3 10 of Fig. 2, showing a part of the magazine casing broken away;

Fig. 4 is a view on line 4 4 in Fig. 1, partly in section and partly in bottom plan; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational detail 15 view. v

In the drawing III generally indicates a cigarette magazine casing which has an open top over which is arranged a closure member II. While this magazine casing may be made of any 20 suitable material such, for example, as aluminum,

I prefer to make it of an electrically non-conductive material such as, for example bake1ite". Attached to the rear wall I2 of the magazine casing III is a bracket I3 which carries a. clamp- 25 ing screw Il, and by means of this bracket and screw the device may be mounted on a suitable support such as the dash I5 of an automotive vehicle. Preferably a vertical row of sight openings I6 isprovided in the front wall I1 of the 3o casing I0 so that the vehicle driver may determine when the supply of cigarettes I8 in the casing is running low and needs replacement. The container has an open bottom so that the cigarettes feed one at a time by gravity down onto 35 the cradle arms I9 which are attached to the rear wall I2 of the casing and project under the open bottom thereof.

There is formed on one side wall of the casing I0 a hollow boss in the form of a ring 20, and 40 opening into this boss 20 isthe tubular end 2l of a suction line (not shown in full) but adapted to be connected to the intake manifold of the vehicle motor in a conventional manner. A movable valve element 22 is slidably mounted in the 45 boss 20 (Fig. 4) and this valve has a passage 23 formed therein. This passage 23 is shown out of registration with the end 2l of the suction line, in Fig. I, and the device is, of course, in this position of the parts, ineffective to ignite the ciga- 50 rette I8 that is held in the cradle arms I9. But assuming that the vehicle driver desires to light the cigarette I8 held in the cradle arms I9; he then presses the valve element 22 inwardly, or to' the left (Fig. 1), which moves this valve element 55 There is attached to the valve element 22 a' latch arm 24 that extends across the back wall I2 of the casing, near the bottom thereof; this latch arm 24 being slidably mounted in brackets 25 that project from the rear wall I2 of the, casing. Formed in this latch arm 24 is a detent 26, and when the valve element is slid to the left (Fig. 1) this latch arm 24, being attached to the A valve element 22, is also slid to the left (Fig. l),

or to the right (Fig. 3), against the action of a spring arranged thereon; and the detent 26 Y is thus engaged with anangled or hooked end portion 21 of a temperature responsive element 28 which is electrically connected to the heating element 29 that is insulatingly mounted on the left hand sidewall of the casing I0, as seen from the front (Fig. 1). Thus the detent 26 is engaged with the hooked or angled end portion 21 of the temperature responsive element 28 and the arm 24 is latched in its position of Fig. 4, thereby holding the inner end of the passage 23 in the valve element 22 against one end of the cigarette held by the cradle arms I9; holding the passage -23 in registration with the the end 2| of the suction line to keep the suction line open;

. and at the same time holding the other end of the cigarette in contact with-the heating element 29, circuit through which is closed, by the-engagement of detent 26 and angled end 2i of the temperature responsive element 28, as follows: From the battery 30, through a conductor 3l to a terminal post 32 which. is mounted on a conductive strip 33 that is attached to the casing I0; and to the heating element 29; through the strip 33 and heating element 29; through the temperature responsive member 28 and arm 24 to the ground which completes the circuit;,the casing I0 and battery 3 9 being grounded as at 34 through the body of the vehicle.

YThe temperature responsive element 28 of the latching mechanism is preferably of the bimetallic type and after the heating element has been active a predetermined length of time sufficient to ignite the cigarette, the hooked or angled end portion 21 of #the temperature responsive element 28 expands away from the detent 26 in the arm 24, thereby releasing the. arm 24, which is then returned by the tensioned spring 35 to the right (Fig. 4).

'I his movement of the arm 24 also moves the valve element 22, and the passage 23 in the latter is thus moved out of registration with the tubular end'2 I 'of the suction line, which is thus cut oi; while at the same time the disengagement of the hooked end portion 21 of the temperature responsive element from the detent 26 of arm 24 opens the circuit to the igniter or heating element 29. 'Ihe suction line is thus automatically cut off and the circuit to the heating element opened after the cigarette in the cradle arms I9 has been ignited, so that in the use of the device it is merely necessary for the vehicle driver to manipulate the valve element 22 and its arm 24 (to the left, Fig. 1) to open the suction line and turn on the igniter, wait until the cigarette is ignited, and then remove the ignited cigarette vfrom the cradle arms I9. l It is thus unnecessary for the vehicle driver in the use of the device to manipulate the parts back into position to close the suction line-and open circuit to the igniter,

as has been necessary in the prior art devices,

and, therefore, the danger incidental to having one hand removed from the steering wheel of the vehicle is minimized by the use of the new device.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into e'ect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desireto avail myself of such variations and modications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I` claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A cigarette igniting device comprising the combination of a suction line and a control valve therein including a movable element, a circuit including an igniting element, and a latching vmechanism for holding the suction line open and the circuit closed a suiicient length of time to eiect the igniting of a cigarette, said latching mechanism including a member attached to the movable valve element and including a temperature-responsive element arranged in the circuit in close proximity to the igniting element and having a portion releasably latchable to said member by movement of the latter and said movable valve element toward the igniting element.

2. A cigarette igniting device comprising the combination of a cigarette support anda magazine from which the cigarettes may be fed one a't a time onto the support, an electric circuit lincluding an igniting element arranged at one end of the support, a suction line having a control valve therein arranged at the other end of the support the valve including an element movable toward and from the igniting element and hava passage formed therein for registration at one end with the suction line and at the other end with one end of a cigarette disposed on the support, and a latching mechanism for holding the control Valve open and the circuit closed a suicient length of time to eiiect the igniting of a cigarette, said latching mechanism including a member attached to the movable valve element and including a temperature-responsive element arranged in the circuit in close proximity to the igniting element and having a portion releasably latchable to said memberv by movement of the latter and said valve element toward the igniting element. 4

3. A cigarette igniting device comprising the combination of a cigarette support and a magazine from which the cigarettes may be fed one at a time onto the support, an electric circuit including an igniting element arranged at one end of the support, a suction line having a control valve therein arranged at the otherI end of the. support and the valve including an element movable toward and from the igniting element and having a passage formed therein for registration at one end with the suction line and at the other end with one end of a cigarette disposed on the support, a latching mechanism for holding the control valve open and the circuit closed element arranged in the circuit in close proximity to the igniting element and having a portion releasably latchable to said member by movement of the latter and said valve element toward the igniting element, and a spring urging said member out of latching engagement with the temperature responsive element and urging the movable valve element in a direction away from the igniting element and into position to close the suction line.

4. A cigarette igniting device comprising the combination of a suction line and a control valve therein including a movable element, a circuit including an igniting element, and a latching mechanism for holding the suction line open 3 and the circuit closed a suicient length of time to effect the igniting of a cigarette, said latchlng mechanism including a member attached to the movable valve element and including a temperature-responsive element arranged in the circuit in close proximity to the igniting element and having a portion releasably latchable to said member by movement of the latter and said movable valve element toward the igniting element, and a. spring urging said member out of latching engagement with said temperature-responsive element and urging said valve element into position to close said suction line.

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