US557254A - Automatic fire-lighter - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2. Sheets-Sheet 1.

DE F. R. GOURVOISIER. AUTOMATIC FIRE LIGHTER.

No. 557,254. Patented M55. 31, 1896.

Illlll 5 1 ANDREW EGRAKAMPIJOTOUTNQWASHINGIONDQ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DE FORREST R. OOURVOISIER, OF PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,254, dated March 31, 1896.

Application filed July 20, 1895. Serial No. 556,606. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DE FORREST R. COUR- VOISIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pine Bluff, in the county of Jefferson and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Lighting Clock Attachments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de-.

scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of automatic fire-lighters in which an alarm-clock is used in connection with an igniting device to be placed below or in close proximity to a stove-grate; and it has for its prime object to render such devices thoroughly practicable and safe, which is an important desideratum, to simplify the construction and general effi ciency, and guard against any accident which may possibly arise from the improper lighting of the matches.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved alarm-clock which at a predetermined time will sound an alarm and simultaneously actuate the fire-lighting mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the followingdescription and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation of my improved clock with my fire-lighting .device connected therewith, the latter being shown in section. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are detail views of portions of the mechanismof the clock. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the fire-lighting device, showing a match in position. Fig. 6 is an end eleva tion of the same. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical transverse section of the clock, and Fig. Sis a section in the plane indicated by the line a; a: of Fig. 7.

Referring by letters andfigures to said 5, to which the hour-hand 6 is attached, and the said gear-Wheel4, together with the sleeve 5 and hands 6 and 3, is rotated by the, spring 7 (which has the winding-arbor 8) through the medium of an ordinary time-traimwhich is only partially illustrated.

In addition to the gear-wheel 4, the sleeve 5- is provided with a pinion 9, and the said gear-wheel and pinion mesh with a pinion 10 and gear-wheel 11, respectively, on a shaft 12, whereby it will be seen that when the timetrain is in motion the shaft 12 will be rotated at aspeed corresponding to that of the sleeve 5. The shaft 12 is also provided with a fixed pinion 13, and to the left of the shaft 12 is a shaft 12, which is I provided with a loose spring-barrel 14, which contains and is designed to be rotated by the spring 15, as presen tly described. Said spring-barrel 14 is provided with gear-teeth, as shown, and the said gear-teeth are designed to mesh with a pinion 16 on shaft 17, which also carries a star-Wheel 18 for the engagement of the escapementfork of the bell-hammer 19, as better illustrated in Fig. 8. The bell-hammer19is designed to strike the bell 20, which is preferably located on the outside of the clock-casing, and said hammer is provided with a projection 21, the purpose of which will be presently explained.

F indicates a transverse shaft or arbor. This shaft or arbor carries the loosely-mounted gear-wheel 22, which meshes with pinion 13 on shaft 12, and is provided on the opposite sides of its hub with projections 23, the block 24, which is keyed or feathered on the shaft at one side of the wheel 22, and is provided in its inner side with a suitable recess 25, which preferably has its inner wallbeveled and is connected to or bears against a springarm 50, which normally engages and holds the projection 21 of the hammer 19, the block 26, which is fixed to turn with and slide on the shaft at the side of the wheel 22, opposite to the block 24, and is provided in its inner side with a recess 25, and the coiled spring 27. The said coiled spring bears at its. inner end against the forked end of a lever 28, which is interposed between said spring and the block 26, for a purpose presently described.

G indicates a tape, of steel or other suitable material, which extends through the opening in the clock-casing and is designed to be .connected with the igniting or fire-lighting device presently described, and E indicates the drum to which said tape is connected and upon which it is designed to be wound. This drum E is arranged within the clock-casing and is designed to be rotated by the coiled spring 30, which it contains, as shown, and it is provided on one side with a circular series of beveled teeth 31 for the engagement of the dog 32 of the spring-pressed lever 33, which is designed to normally hold the drum against movement and bears against the lever 28, as shown.

The shaft F is held against casual rotation by the split friction-sleeve of a disk 37, and it has its end squared and is provided with an indicator 38, which serves, in conjunction with a suitable dial 39, a purpose presently described.

In using my improved clock, it it is desired to sound the alarm and light the fire at, say, seven oclock, the shaft F is turned by a suitable key until the hand or indicator 38 points to the figure 7 on the dial 39. hen this is done, the blocks 24 26 will be turned so as to carry their recesses 25 away from the projections 23 of the wheel 22. Now it will be seen that when in the course of time the wheel 22 is moved by the time mechanism sufficiently far to bringits projections 23 opposite the recesses 25 in blocks 24 26 the spring 27 will force the said blocks 24 and 26 and the wheel 22 in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 7. The movement of the block 24 will carry the arm 50 out of engagement with the projection 21, so as to release the escapement and enable the spring 15 to ring the bell, while the movement of the block 26 will permit movement of the lever 28 and a consequent movement of the lever 33. This will release the drum E, and the spring of the same will rotate it so as to wind up the tape G.

The springs 7 and 15 may be wound up in the ordinary manner by keys applied to their arbors, while the spring 30 is wound up by drawing the tape G outwardly to connect it to the igniting device.

H indicates the igniting or fire-lighting device. This device is here shown as comprising a base-plate I, which may be of brass or other suitable metal, and for the sake of convenience in handling it while hot it is provided with a recess p, similar to that of a stove -lid to receive a lifter. Rising from this base are two uprights J, although it is possible that in some cases one might be used. On these uprights is journaled a wheel, which is preferably composed of two circular disks K, of tin or sheet metal, suitably secured together. These disks are roughened, corrugated, or otherwise adapted on their sides adjacent to their peripheries or at other suitable points to scratch or ignite a match. In some cases a single disk might be used, and it would then be necessary to roughen or cor- -be used instead of two.

rugate one side, as a single match may also This wheel, which is shown as quite narrow, is provided with a broad bearing for the tape G, which is preferably composed of steel, and when the wheel is made of tin or the like the bearing maybe formed by turning a flange laterally on each disk, as shown at q, and the wheel is also cut out in its periphery, as shown at 4', fora purpose which Will presently appear, and is provided in its periphery with a pin or stud s to receive an eye in one end of the tape.

Rising from the base I are two posts L, which are designed to receive and hold the matches, the catch for the wheel, and also a quantity of paper or other inflammable material. These posts, which rise to an altitude equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the wheel, are each provided at their upper ends with pins or points t to receive paper or the like, and at a suitable distance from their upper ends these posts are slotted, as shown at u, to receive matches, a match being indicated by the letter U in Fig. 5.

M indicates the catch. This catch may be composed of an angular piece of sheet metal or other suitable material, journaled at or near its angular portion on a pintle-rod N, and a coiled spring P surrounds the rod so as to keep the catch normally in an operative position. This catch is provided with a hole Q, which is disposed in a position to receive the pins in the wheel when the latter has been turned to ignite the matches.

In order to securely hold the matches in their seats, I provide springs R, which are here shown as composed of wire taking into the posts L at one end and having a loop S and their free ends carried obliquely, so as to intersect the path of the holes u and engage the matches so as to press the latter against the wheel and prevent said matches from being drawn out of their seats during operation. From the construction shown, however, it will be seen that should the matches be drawn from their seats by the force of the wheel they will be thrown into the ash-pit or below the grate.

In operation, the match or matches having been placed in the holes of the posts, and the igniting device placed in the proper position, with the clock-case placed at a suitable distance from the stove, the tape is drawn out of the clock-case and connected to stud s of wheel K. Paper or other inflammable ma terial having been placed on the points i, the device is ready for operation. When the drum E in the clock-case is released, as before described, it will forcibly draw in the tape, which will turn the wheel until the pin thereon engages the catch M, when the cutaway portion R of the wheel will be brought just below the match or matches and the paper or inflammable material above the same, so as to offer no obstruction to the burning. The frictional contact of the matches ITO on the wheel will of course cause them to light, which in turn will light the paper and the kindling in the stove-grate.

It will be seen that as thevlighting mec anism is readily detachable from the clock box or case the clock may be used as an ordinary clock and also as an alarm-clock.

lVhile I have described very specifically and in detail the various parts in the exact construction shown, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction and combination of parts which I have illustrated, as I am aware that many of them might be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is I 1. In an automatic fire-lighting apparatus, the combination of a clock comprising time mechanism, a shaft F, a wheel loosely mounted on said shaft and geared with the time mechanism and having a. projection 23, a block fixed to turn with and slide on the shaft F, and having a recess to receive the projection of the wheel, a spring, a lever interposed between said spring and the slidable block, a

spring-actuated drum, a lever for normally holding the drum against movement and engaging the first-named lever, a fire-igniting device, and a tape connected to the drum and adapted to be connected to the fire-igniting device, substantially as specified.

2. In an automatic alarm and fire-lighting apparatus, the combination of a clock comprising a casing, a bell, a hammer adapted to engage the bell, and having an escapementfork and also having a projection 21, a shaft carrying a star-wheel, engaging the escapement-fork, a spring for rotating said shaft, a

time mechanism, a shaft F, a wheel loosely mounted on said shaft and geared with the time mechanism and having projections 23, a block 24, fixed to turn with and slide on the shaft F, o and having a recess to receive one of the projections of the wheel, an arm engaging the projection 21, of escapement and adapted to be moved by the block 24, a block 26, fixed to turn with and slide on the shaft 1 and having a recess to receive one of the projections of the Wheel, a spring, a lever interposed between said spring and the slidable block 26, a spring-actuated drum, a lever for normally holding the drum against movement and engaging the first-named lever, a fire-igniting device, and a tape connected to the drum and adapted to be connected to the fire-lighting device,substantia1ly as specified.

3. The base-plate, having standards rising therefrom, the wheel having roughened or corrugated sides, and composed of sheet metal, with a cut-out portion in its periphery, and also having the lateral flanges and a pin,

and journaled on said standards,'the posts rising from the base-plate and having slots to receive matches, and also having pins or points on their upper ends to receive, paper or the like, the springs for pressing the matches against the wheel, and holding said matches in their seats, the spring-catch adapted to engage the pin on the wheel, and a suitable means for turning said wheel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' DE FORREST R. COURVOISIER. Witnesses e J B. MENARD, S. G. SEABROOK.

Images