US2393451A - Pyrophoric lighter - Google Patents

Description

Jam.A 22, 19446. l l.. As'rRFF 2,393,451.

PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Filed June 7, 1943 Inl/'infon- A A .Cu/isha# 'i Patented Jan. 22, 1946 UNITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Leo Astroi, Montreal, Quebec, Canada ApplicationJune 7, 1943, Serial No. 489,922

. z claims. (ci. s1-ml) This invention relates to pyrophoric lighters.

An object of the invention 1 is to provide a lighter of simple structure having improved operating elciency and readily actuatable means for promoting such eiliciency.

A'v specific object is to provide an improved wickholding structure adapted to permit easeof insertion of a wick thereinto, andV convenient adjustment of the wick during use.

Another object is to provide a novel pyrophoric element supporting means adapted to assist the emcient and convenient operation of the lighter.

A further object is to provide, a simple operating head for a lighter involving a minimum of moving parts whereby manufacturing costs are lowered and operating life is extended.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description to follow. with particular reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation,

Figure 2 is a side elevation',

Figure 3 is an end elevation,

Figure 4 is a, transverse sectional elevation, and

Figure 5 is a partial side elevation.

Referring to the drawing, the lighter illustrated includes a, main casing I, an operating head 2, a wick-holding structure 3, and a pyrophoric element supportingmeans 4.

' The operating head is mounted between two upwardly extending sidewall portions 5 of the casing.- A generally channel-shaped lever member 6 is pivoted at one end to the walls 5 by eral portion to remain stationary when the inner portion rotates in the opposite direction.

The serrated edge of the peripheral portion I 6 has engagement with the end of a bar I8 oi" pyrophoric material, the supporting means for which includes a tube I9 extending downwardly to the bottom ofthe casing. The lower portion of the tube I9 is interiorly threaded for engagement with an exteriorly threaded sleeve 20. A spring 2| in the tube has one end bearing on the lower end of the pyrophoric bar and the other end bearing on the upper end of the sleeve. The latter is keyed to a shaft 22 for rotation therewith but in a manner permitting reciprocation with respect thereto. For this purpose the shaft may be square in cross-section vand the sleeve may have a longitudinal bore to receive the shaft. The shaft has an enlarged head 23 at its upper end to provide a sleeve-engaging stop and a disclike knob 24 at the other end for'manipulation thereof. It will be observed that the shaft may be rotated to cause upward or downward movement of the sleeve and consequently to increase or decrease the tension of spring 2l. Bearing 25 pressure of the pyrophoric bar I8 on the spark means of pins I and its other end is provided with a manually engageable knob 8 normally held in an upper :position by a spring 9 mounted on the casing. A snuffer cap I0 is pivoted` by means of pins II to ears I2 on the member 5, such. ears being located substantially midway between the ends of the member. The snufler cap Ill has a channel-shaped extension I3 into which extends a. spark-producing wheel I4. 'I'he ylatter is mounted von a square shaft I5 which extends through the opposedwalls of the channel portion I3 oi' the snuer cap. The ends of the square shaft I5 are rounded and journalled i-n the side wall portions 5.

producing wheel may be therefore conveniently adjusted whenever necessary in order to obtain eii'icient sparking.- It will also be observed that the shaft 22 may at any time be withdrawn from the tube a distance equal to the distance between the upper end of sleeve 20 and the stop 23 on the end of the shaft. An indication of the amount of unused pyrophoric material in the lighter is thus conveniently afforded, since, assuming that the tension of the spring 2I is maintained substantially constant, the aforesaid distance will vary inversely with the length of the pyrophoric bar. The desired tension of the spring, i. e., that at which efllcient sparking takes place, may be maintained with little variation by adjustment of the sleeve 20.

The wick-supporting structure 3 includes a tube 25 through which the wick 26 extends. The tube 25 with the wick is removably mounted in the casing, the upper portion of one side of the casing being open as indicated at 21 for easy access to the structure. The lower portion of the tube 25 is adapted to fit into a second tube 28 mounted in the casing.' A shoulder portion 29 on the tube 25 engages the casing, as shown, to position the structure in the casing. A screw 30 mounted in the shoulder 294 and having a head 3l for more rigid positioning of the structure. Means, conveniently associated with the screw 30, may be provided to apply pressure on the wick at this point to adjust or prevent conduction of liqrid fuel by the wick. Such means comprises a clamping member 32 swlvelly mounted on the end of the screw. Rotation of the screw will increase or decrease the pressure of the member 32 on the Wick. Thus, the amount of fuel conducted to the end of the wick may be adjusted for most eiiicient operation of the lighter. Moreover, `when the lighter is not in use, evaporation of fuel may be substantially prevented by adjustment of the clamping means to cut off substantially the flow of liquid fuel through the wick. The head 3l is conveniently formed as a serrated disc, the face-of which may be provided with graduated markings 3|' to indicate the degree of pressure which may be applied as desired to the wick. Acover member 31 has a front wall 4I and a pair of side walls 42 hinged to the casing at 38. The cover member has downwardly extending lugs 39 adapted to overlie and engage portions of the head 3I to resist unintentional rotation of the head. A pointer 40 may be provided on the cover member to cooperate with the markings 3|'.

Means for conveniently adjusting the position of the wick in the tube is provided and comprises a housing 33 formed by an enlargement of the tube, a wick-engaging pricker wheel 34 in the housing xed to a shaft 35 journalled in the walls of the housing, and a pair of wheels 36 outside the housing fixed to the ends of the shaft. The wheels 36 have serrated edges to permit ease of manual rotation thereof. It will be observed that the wheels 36 are of relatively large diameter and project well beyond the adjacent casing walls. Thus, they are conveniently accessible for manual rotation. Such rotation moves the Wick upwardly or downwardly in the tube to4 adjust the amount of wick projecting from the end of theA tube for lighting purposes, as desired. r Y

The walls of cover member 31 constitute a casing for the wick adjusting mechanism, which casing may be readily swung upwardly to permit access to such mechanism, as shown in Figure 1. l

Fuel may be supplied to the casingthrough the opening 43. The casing may contain the usual with the wick. l l

Referrmg to Figure 5,11-, wm be observed that in operation o! the lighter, downward movement of the member 8 about its pivot 'l will move the inner end of extension I3 downwardly to elevate the snuffer cap out of contact with the end of the wick. Such movement of the cap will cause rotation of the inner portion I1 of the spark producing wheel I4, the ratchet mechanism previously referred vto being such that, during such rotative movement, the peripheral portion I6 rotates therewith to engage frictionally the pyrophoric bar I8 and cause sparks to ignite the wick. On release of the member 8, spring 9 causes upward movement of the same and downward movement of the snufl'er cap into engagement with the end of the wick. The resulting opposite rotative movement of the portion I1 of the Wheel I4 does not cause rotative movement of the peripheral portion I3, as previously described.

It will be apparent that various changes in the lighter described and in the structural details of the several parts thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as deflned in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a pyrophoric lighter a substantially rectangular casing, a fuel compartment and an auxiliary chamber within the casing, a wall separating the fuel compartment from said chamber and having a horizontally disposed shoulder defining the lower end of the chamlber, a socket in said shoulder, a removable wick-carrying unit freely mounted in said socket, said casing having a cut away portion in one corner to provide'a recess exposing said chamber and the wick-carrying unit therein and a channel shaped door memfber pivoted at the top of the casing for closing and opening said recess.

2. A lighter as defined in claim 1 wherein said wick-carrying unit comprises a wick supporting tube and means for adjusting the position of a wick in the tube comprising a wick engaging pricker wheel, a housing therefor adjacent the upper end of the tube, a shaft journalled in the housing and carrying said wheel and manually rotatable means fixed to the shaft and located externally of the housing for actuating said pricker wheel.

- LEO ASTROFF.

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