US2477398A - Lighter - Google Patents

Description

July 26, 1949.

A. sHATKlN LIHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1945 1N VEN TOR. figa/V 5477,6//1/ July 26, 1949.`

Filed April 18, 1945 A. SHATKIN LIGHTER M ff 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3f l S 23 f 33 30 ,al

INVENTOR.

i frise/Vey the lighter is not in use, the plate 23' will contact flame cup guide element 3|, and said element will act valve-like to close the series of apertures 33 at the bottom of the wall of the flame cup 23, and the relative position of these elements will be so maintained due to the action of the spring 32.

The open top of the flame cup is spanned by a metal mesh or gauze member 34. An absorbent element may be housed within the flame cup 23, as at 35, and extends from above the holes 33, to a little below the gauze member 24. Said flame cup at its upper extremity, carries a flange 33 extending from its body, from which flange extend in opposite directions the cam follower arms 36. These arms are respectively in sliding contact with the downwardly sloping edge of the cam members 31, which are fixed on the inner walls of the outer casing l5. VIt is to be noted that the cross section of the shutter member 2t, need be H-shaped in the embodiment illustrated, in order to clear said cam members 31 (see Fig. 6). Also note that the diameter of the flange 38, exceeds that of the tube 29.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. L2, the tube 29, is vertically slidably mounted with respect to the inner casing I9, and carries a pump means at its lower end, indicated generally by the numeral 33. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the numeral 43 designates a piston having a central hole therethrough communicative with the-bore 29 of the tube 29,1which piston is carried at the bottom end of said tube. Said piston is within a cylinder element 4|, slidably mounted on said tube 3S. A collar 42, fixed about said tube serves as a seat-for the compression spring 43 which acts against the cylinder member 4|. The upper end of an elongated compression spring 44 is secured to the underside of the piston member 49. This spring lextends directly below the piston member and serves torraise the piston member above the oor of the inner casing It.

In the lighter of Fig. 2, which shows same in condition when not in use, the inner casing l, is positioned in contact with 'outer casing end i5". The llame hole and the apertures 22 are closed by the shutter 2li.V The flame cup 23 is in its uppermost position with respect to the tube 39, so maintained by the spring 32, whereby plate 23' is up against flame cup guide 3l, and holes 33 are closed. Due to action of spring 4:3, tube 29 is in its raised position with respect to the inner casing I6, and the bottom open end of the cylinder 4|, is a little off the bottom of the fuel container, which here is the inner casing i6. Due to spring 43, piston 40 is near the top of the cylinder member 4|. This condition is set forth in Fig. 4. v

In operation, the lighter is taken in hand. With the thumb, the user pushes the inner casing IB towards end l vagainst action of the springs |1 which are thus compressed. During such relative movement of the casing members I3 and |75, gear 26 will be rotated by its engagement with rack 21. Of course, the friction wheel will cause sparking to occur by its rubbing contact with the pyrophoric element 24. Simultaneously the action of cams 31, will cause the flame cup 23 to be pushed downward into the counterbore 30, making the interior of said flame cup communicative with the said counterbore through the apertures 33. Upon further downward movetank i6. The springs 43 and 44 will be stressed, and the piston 49 will move downward while the cylinder is at rest, whereby fuel (not shown) which is pocketed within the cylinder member 4l, will rise up into tube 29, and thence into the counterbore 30. Then, after the impact of the fuel is deadened materially against the bottom 23 of the llame cup 23, such fuel will enter the flame cup through the series of holes 33, seep through and about the loosely arranged absorbent mass 35, and become ignited by the spark from element 24.

The flame of the burning fuel will be only above the gauze member 34, part within the outer casing l5, and part out through the ame hole 2l. This hole 2| at the remote end of the manipulation of thev casing I6, will be in alignment with the flame cup 23. Part of the flame issuing from the flame cup 23, being within the outer casing f l5, and ventilation holes 22 being at name position, a wind guard is thus provided for protection of the flame; VThe relative position of the various components of the device when operated are substantially shown in Fig. 5.

When, the user has no further use for the f llame, the thumb hold on the inner casing I6 ment caused by the action of said cams 731 when is released, whereupon the various components of the device will automatically assume rest position due to the action of the springs included in the device, the flame will become extinguished due to exclusion of air, and any unburntfuel which was raised, will be sucked back down into the tank, except what may remain absorbed in mass 35, if the latter is included. The actual amount of fuel automatically raised at each operation of the device need be very small, a few drops at most. The dimension of' the pump elements should be so designed that only such small quantity be raised. If desired, it is evident that the lighter may be provided with an ordinary wick in place of theY absorbent mass 35 and the gauze member 3e, in which instance the wick would nil the mouth andY extend slightly upward from the fuel cup 23. Such structure is easily understood without any further illustration.

In place of the pump structure 39, it' isV suggested to use a rubber cup element 45, as in Fig. 7. Such cupisl secured to the bottom end of the tube 29, and is communicative with the bore of said tube. The'operation thereof is obvious. A spring 4S, having the same function as spring 44, is included.

In the modified form of lighter as in Fig. 8, it is to be noted, that the pyrophoricelement 24 is in direct frictionalcontact with a steel element having a rough surface 41. This element is secured to theceiling of the outer casing l5. The fuel tankis .a'rubber sac 29, provided with a vent valve indicated diagrammatically at 48. A bell-crank is pivotally mounted to the inner casing at 49, whereby its arm 59 may compressV sac 2B, when the arm 5| [of said bell crank 52, is shifted by action of a cam 53! mounted on the wall of the outer casing l5. Said cam is'so designed that the sae 28Vwil1 be compressed a definite amount to effect lifting of fuel' up through tube 54, which is akintube 29, but is fixed with respect to the inner casing I6. The` operation of this embodiment is obvious in view of explanations already herein set forth. i Y

The manner of mounting the pyrophoric elements 24 and 24 maylbe asis well known, by

use of a tube fixedlyextending through the inner casing, and housing a spring 55 to createpres sure contact of the pyrophoric element extending Y within the cylinder up through the tube and into the fiame cup, y

5. A lighter as defined in claim l, including a valve means interposed between the tube and the iiame cup, adapted to remain in closed condition while the lighter is in rest condition and adapted to automatically open to make the tube and flame cup communicative upon movement of the manipulatable member from rest position.

- 6. In a lighter of the character described, the combination of a tank adapted to house a liquid fuel, a pyropnoric element, means to cause sparks to issue from the pyrophoric element, a relatively small name cup positioned in the region of said sparksja tube extending from the bottom region of the tank and communicative with said flame cup, a pump means to transport a supply of fuel from the tank up through said tube and into the flame cup, means to automatically operate the pump means at each operation of the spark causing means, whereby fuel transported into the fiame cup is ignited by said sparks, and a. means moveably mounted on said tank, adapted upon manipulation thereoffrom rest position, to actuate the spari: causing means; said tube being inoveably mounted with respect to the tank, and the pumping means comprises a piston carried on the bottom' of said tube having a bore communim cative with the interior of said tube and tank, an open-mouthed cylinder slidablywcarried by the tube, having the piston positioned therein, spring meansV to maintain `the mouth of the cylinder spaced from the wall of the tank and to mainaway from said mouth, and to maintain the tube in a raised position, while the lighter is in rest- Y condition;

theV pump operating means being adapted vto lower said tube upon movement of the inanipulatable member from rest position, whereby the mouth of thecylinder contacts the wail of the tank, and the piston is slid towards the mouth of the cylinder thus forcing fuel cached wit the cylinder up through the tube and into the fiame cup. Y

7. A lighter as defined in claim 6, including a valve means interposed between the tube and flame cup, adapted to remain in closed condition while the lighter is in rest condition, and adapt-r ed to automatically open to make the tube and flame cup communicative upon movement of the manipulatable member from rest position.. v

v8. A lighter as defined in claim 2, wherein the tube is movably mounted with respect to the in- Y said resilient cup being communicative with the y ner casing, and whereinthe pumping means comprises'an open-mouthed cup of resilient material carried at the bottom ofsaid tube; the interior of tube, and spring means to maintain the mouth of said resilient cup spaced from the Wall of the inner casing and to maintain the tube in raised position while' the lighter is in rest condition, and

including a' cam carried on the interior of the outer casing, an arm extending from the flame vcup in sliding contact with said cam, whereby upon initialmovement of the inner casing within the outer casing, the name cup will be pushed into the counterbore and the tube will be moved downwards into the inner casing, and whereby the mouth of the k,resilient cup will contact the Wall of the inner casing and itsrvolumetric capacity is diminished, thus forcing fuelY cached Within the resilient cup up through the tube and into the fiame cup.

`9. A lighter as defined in claim 2, including a tank of resilient material for housing the fuel, an air inlet valve mounted in the wallat the top of said tank, and wherein is included a movn ably mounted tank-squeezing member, adapted upon movement thereof to squeeze the, tank whereby fuel is transported up throughy the tube and into the fiame cup; said squeezing member having an element extending into the outer cas ing and a cam mounted on the outer casing; said element of the squeezing member being in sliding contact with said cam, adapted upon movement of the inner casing within the outer casing, to shift the squeezing member against ythe tank a predetermined range,

10. A lighter as defined in claim l, including a valve means interposed between the tube and the flame cup,v adapted to remain in closed conh dition while the lighter is in rest condition, and

Vadapted to automatically open to make the tube and flame cup communicative upon movement of the manipulatable member from rest position.

' AARON SHATKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Aronson Mar.. 7, 1933

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