US3353376A

US3353376A - Valveless fuel lighter

Info

Publication number: US3353376A
Application number: US508874A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tackett Edd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-11-19
Filing date: 1965-11-19
Publication date: 1967-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-21

Description

Nov. 21, 1967 E. TACKETT VALVELESS FUEL LIGHTER Filed Nov. 19, 1965 &

INVENTOR Eda Eek e H B IA 62, J ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 21, 1967" 3,353,376 VALVELESS FUEL LIGHTER Edd Tackett, Box 177, White Sands Missile Range, N. Mex. 88002 Filed Nov. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 508,874 Claims. (Cl. 67-7.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A valveless fuel lighter for use in survival kits including a hinged flame guard and an interchangeable wick igniting mechanism having storage means for a spare flint. A hermetically sealed Wick tube extends into the fuel reservoir and is provided with a pair of ports adjacent the upper wall of the reservoir to permit usage of the entire amount of fuel therein, the lower end of the tube being filled by inverting the lighter.

This invention relates to a valveless fuel lighter and more particularly to an all-purpose lighter that carries a supply of fuel and which is valveless.

Heretofore, most lighters carrying a reserve supply of fuel had to be supplied with valves to feed fuel to its wick compartment. These valves were spring loaded and were apt to fail due to corrosion, rust, etc., causing the valves to stick or break. Further, long use of the lighter caused weak springs and leakage which caused the fuel to be evaporated more rapidly.

The present invention is designed to provide a lighter in which all valves are eliminated by placing the wick in its own compartment and supplying the fuel thereto by one or more metering holes in the compartment.

The lighter of the invention is further provided with foldable wind guards, a wick cap and a storage for extra striking flints.

- The lighter is especially desirable for use in the open with survival kits and replaces the usually supplied wooden matches which are vulnerable to dampness.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a lighter that employs no valves or other moving parts to supply the fuel to the wick compartment therein.

Another object is to provide a lighter that is hermetically sealed against moisture.

A further object is to provide a lighter having interchangeable parts.

A still further object is to provide a lighter for use in survival kits that is superior to the wooden matches presently used therewith.

A final objectis to provide a lighter that is reliable in operation and simple of construction.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lighter of the invention with the closure lid opened, the flame guards opened and the wick cap removed;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged central section view with parts in elevation;

FIG. 3 is a top view thereof, the closure lid being open;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged detail section view showing the wick compartment and the igniting mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a sectional detail of a modified form of the wick tube; and,

FIG. 6 is a modified form of the wick cap.

Referring in detail to the drawing in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, reference numeral 1 represents generally the lighter of the invention.

Lighter 1 includes a case which is indicated generally by 2.

Case 2 forms a reservoir R having a thickened upper wall 3 which is bored as at 4 and counterbored as at 4a. The bottom 5 is provided with an internally threaded bore 6 for receiving a filler cap 7.

A wick tube 8 (best viewed in FIG. 4) is received in bore 4 and contains a wick 9. Wick tube 8 is provided with an annular flange 10. A sealing washer 11 is provided between flange 10 and thickened top wall 3 as shown.

Means for securing wick tube 8 in bore 4 are provided and consists of a nut 12 which is screwed over a threaded upper portion 13 of wick tube 8 and draws flange 10 tightly against sealing washer 11 in counterbore 4a. A further seal 14 is received in a bore 15 in the upper side of nut 12 for a purpose to be described later.

The wick tube 8, flange 10 and sealing washer 11 may be assembled through threaded bore 6 which is in alignment with bore 4.

The lighter 1 is provided with an igniting mechanism which is generally indicated by 16 and consists of a supporting case 17 slidably fitted in a well 18 formed in upper Wall 3.

A flint tube 19 is held vertically in supporting case 17 by having its lower end threaded on a threaded plug 20 which is fixed on the floor 21 of case 17 as seen in FIG. 4.

The upper end of flint tube 19 may be supported by any expedient means, as for example, a collar 22 fixed on a ledge 23.

A flint 24 is housed in flint tube 19 and is biased up wardly by a spring 25 to bear against a striker Wheel 26 journaled in the side walls 27 of case 16 by an axle 28 (FIG. 2). i

A second tube 29 is threaded over a second threaded plug 30 and contains extra flints 24a. Plug 30 is also fixed on floor 21.

A wick cap 31 is provided and is internally threaded for threadable engagement over portion 13 of wick tube 8. Cap 31 may be replaced by second tube 29 if lost. Wick cap 31 is provided with a flared portion 31a at its lower edge to form a seal when screwed down against seal 14.

Means are provided to guard the flame when produced by the lighter 1 and they comprise a pair of flame guards 32 which are pivoted on upright shafts 33 fixed on the top side of wall 3.

Flame guards 32 are provided with semicircular open ings 34 for venting of the flame when they are closed.

A lid 35 hinged to case by hinge 36 is provided to close the lighter when not in use, and a catch 37 on the upper side of case 2 provides a means of holding the lid in closed position with relation therewith.

Means may be provided for preventing the loss of wick cap 31 when it is removed from Wick tube 8 and consists of a chain 38 attached at one of its ends to cap 31 and at its other end to one of the upright shafts 33.

Instead of allowing cap 31 to hang loosely when disconnected, the axle 28 may be extended and threaded and cap 31 screwed onto it (see FIG. 3).

Reservoir R is filled with a fuel through filler cap bore 6. Small metered holes 39 bored through wick tube 8 and located near the lower edge of wall 3 permit entrance of the fuel into the wick tube to saturate the wick. It is obvious that the last drop of fuel may be used by inverting the lighter so that the fuel may enter the holes 39.

A modified wick tube is illustrated in FIG. 5. In this figure, the wick tube 8a is shortened to reach only to the edge of wall 3 and a port 40 is bored centrally through flange and sealing. washer 11 to provide communication between wick tube 8a and the fuel in reservoir R.

A modified cap 31a is shown in FIG. 6 in which the wick tube 8b has no cap. Instead, the tube 8b is provided with an annular notch 41 scored about the upper portion thereof. By merely breaking off the upper portion 31b, the wick 9 may be exposed.

The operation of the lighter is simple. The operator merely flips open lid 35 and opens flame guards 32. Then the wick cap 31 is unscrewed and the striker wheel 26 rotated. Sparks from the contact of the wheel 26 against flint 24 will ignite wick 9. The flame guards 32 act the same as cupping the hands to protect the flame against a breeze and aifords less danger of burning the hands.

Should the igniting mechanism 16 become damaged, it may be pulled out of well 18 and a new one inserted.

Seals

11 and 14 may be of neoprene or like substance to prevent damage by moisture. Flange 10 may be brazed to tube 8 or by any suitable method.

It is apparent from the foregoing, that a lighter has been designed that is useful with survival kits, etc., and is moisture proof and capable of using substantially all of the fuel contained in its reservoir. The fuel cannot evaporate as long as the wick cap is attached since the reservoir is otherwise hermetically sealed.

The walls of flame guards 32 may be cut out to provide space for the striker wheel 26 as shown, so that the lighter can be ignited without opening the flame guards. In this manner, the lighter could serve as a hand warmer.

In case the flint 24 should become wet, such as by dropping the lighter into water, a spare flint 24a can be removed from second tube 29 and substituted therefor.

While only preferred forms of the invention have been shown and described, other forms of the invention are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel lighter comprising, in combination, a case including a fuel reservoir, an upper wall having a bore, a counterbore in the inner end of said bore, a well in the upper portion of said wall and a filling port in its lower wall; a wick tube in said bore, said wick tube having an outer portion extending above said upper wall and an inner portion having a closed end and extending into said reservoir, a wick in said tube; means associated with said wick tube for mounting and sealing said wick tube in said bore and counterbore, there being at least one port in said inner portion of said wick tube and being located at a level therein bordering the inner edge of said upper wall and communicating with said reservoir to permit fuel from said reservoir to enter said wick tube and saturate the wick and whereby when the fuel level in said reservoir is lower than said port, said wick may be repeatedly saturated by the inversion of said lighter until substantially the entire amount of fuel in said reservoir is exhausted; means for igniting the wick, slidable in and frictionally held in said well; a folding flame guard mounted on the top side of said case; a closure lid hinged to the top side of said case for enclosing exposed parts of said lighter, a closure plug for threadable engagement in said filling port and a closure cap for threadable engagement with the outer end of said wick tube.

2. A fuel lighter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means associated with said wick tube for mounting and sealing said wick tube in said bore and said counterbore comprises a flange fixed to said tube, a sealing washer disposed between said flange and the under side of said counterbore, a nut having a bore in its upper side threadably engaging the outer portion of said wick tube whereby said nut may be screwed to pull said flange against the upper side of said counterbore to secure and seal said tube in said bore in said upper wall and a sealing washer in said bore in said nut whereby a closure cap for closing the outer end of said tube may be tightened against said sealing washer in said nut.

3. A fuel lighter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wick tube is closed at that part extending above said upper wall, there being an annular groove in its outer peripheral surface and spaced from its closed end whereby that portion of said tube above said groove may be broken off to expose a wick when in said tube.

4. A fuel lighter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for igniting a wick comprises a supporting case for insertion into said well, said supporting case having a pair of side walls and a floor, a first threaded plug fixed on said floor, a first tube threadably mounted on said plug, a spring biased flint slidable in said first tube, a striker wheel journaled in said side Walls and contacting said flint, a second threaded plug fixed to said floor and a second tube threadably mounted on said second plug whereby a reserve supply of flints may be stored therein.

5. A fuel lighter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said folding flame guard comprises a pair of space upright shafts fixed in the topside of said thickened wall, and a pair of flame guards pivotally mounted, one each on a said shaft, there being a semicircular opening in the upper side of each said flame guard whereby when said flame guards are closed a flame on the wick of said lighter may be vented, said flame guards adapted to be swung out to expose the flame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,943,505 1/ 1934 Aronson 677.1 1,986,098 1/1935 Beck 67-7.1 2,454,501 11/1948 Camm 677.1 2,617,286 11/1952 Prusack 67--7.1 2,680,962 6/1954 Lipic 67-7.1 2,763,129 9/ 1956 Kohn et a1. 677.1

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner,

Claims

1. A FUEL LIGHTER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CASE INCLUDING A FUEL RESERVOIR, AN UPPER WALL HAVING A BORE, A COUNTERBORE IN THE INNER END OF SAID BORE, A WELL IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID WALL AND A FILLING PORT IN ITS LOWER WALL; A WICK TUBE IN SAID BORE, SAID WICK TUBE HAVING AN OUTER PORTION EXTENDING ABOVE SAID UPPER WALL AND AN INNER PORTION HAVING A CLOSED END AND EXTENDING INTO SAID RESERVOIR, A WICK IN SAID TUBE; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID WICK TUBE FOR MOUNTING AND SEALING SAID WICK TUBE IN SAID BORE AND COUNTERBORE, THERE BEING AT LEAST ONE PORT IN SAID INNER PORTION OF SAID WICK TUBE AND BEING LOCATED AT A LEVEL THEREIN BORDERING THE INNER EDGE OF SAID UPPER WALL AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID RESERVOIR TO PERMIT FUEL FROM SAID RESERVOIR TO ENTER SAID WICK TUBE AND SATURATE THE WICK AND WHEREBY WHEN THE FUEL LEVEL IN SAID RESERVOIR IS LOWER THAN SAID PORT, SAID WICK MAY BE REPEATEDLY SATURATED BY THE INVERSION OF SAID LIGHTER UNTIL SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN SAID RESERVOIR IS EXHAUSTED; MEANS FOR IGNITING THE WICK, SLIDABLE IN SAID FRICTIONALLY HELD IN SAID WELL; A FOLDING FLAME GUARD MOUNTED ON THE TOP SIDE OF SAID CASE; A CLOSURE LID HINGED TO THE TOP SIDE OF SAID CASE FOR ENCLOSING EXPOSED PARTS OF SAID LIGHTER, A CLOSURE PLUG FOR THREADABLE ENGAGEMENT IN SAID FILLING PORT AND A CLOSURE CAP FOR THREADABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER END OF SAID WICK TUBE.