US645456A - Pocket-lighter. - Google Patents

Description

No. 645,456. Patented Mar. l3, moo.-

- 0. M. CAMPBELL.

POCKET LIGHTER.

(Application filed Dec. '7, 1899.x

lqzmesaea,

www-

NITED STATES PATENT FFIQ.

.POCKET-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,456, dated March 13, 1900.

Application filed December 7,1899. Serial No- 739,561. (No model.)

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket-Lighters and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the i11vention,such as will enable others skilled in the-art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a para of this specification.

"With the increasing use of matches it becomes very desirable that some means be provided whereby they can be conveniently carried in the pocket and lighted when needed. The usual wooden match takes up so much room that a case containing very many of 'them cannot be carried conveniently, and the use of a strip of material 'provided with small tablets of fulminate requires the use of a wick or other auxiliary burner, owing to the small amount of material that can possibly be stored in the tablets. To avoid these objec tions, resorthas been had to a match of globular or other self-contained form ,man y of which can be easily stored in a receptacle so small that it can be conveniently carried in the pocket; but in the use of matches of this character, which may vary from a perfect globe or sphere to a greater or less extent and which I shall call pellet-shaped, there are at least three conditions which must be complied with to renderthe article a success. The match, when ignited, must be completely isolated from its companions, it must be rig idly held exteriorly of the receptacle, and it must contain within itself enough material to furnish alight to answer the purpose for which it is needed. Y r

The object of my invention is to produce a receptacle for such self-contained pellet or other shaped matches as will be of convenient size and shape for'use and which can be easily replenishedand'which will hold each match practically in the open air separate from its fellows while burning and from which holder the ashes can be easily removed 't'ter the match has been consumed. A

In carrying out my invention I have found that the same can be embodied in several forms of receptacles, all of which, however, have the same general characteristics as enumerated above.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in each of the views in which they occur, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of one form of my improved pocket-lighter, Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the discharge end of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said end. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of another form of my invention, and Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,16, 17, 18, and 19 are detail views of other forms of the end of the conduit and the holder.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the receptacle, which may be of any desired shape or form. Extending from some portion of the receptacle is a conduit or conductor 2, at the outer end of which is located a holder 3. The holder is preferably formed of prongs or fingers a, which approach each other at the tips sufficiently to engage with and prevent the escape of the match 5 after it has been placed therein, yet far enough apart to permit of a free circulation of air upon all sides of the match to insure its perfect combustion afterit has been ignited and which will'permit of the ashes being blown or shaken off after the match has been consumed. If desired, the arms or prongs may be made slightly elastic, so as to hold the match with a yielding grip, and they may be provided with a sharpened point at the end to enter the surface of the match and hold it firmly against accidental displacement when it is being rubbed against a roughened surface.

Located directly to the rear of the prongs is a shield 6, which may be formed by a sliding gate, between which and the tips of the prongs the match is securely held while being used. The shield may be made of two oppositely-located gates 7, which pass through slots 8 in the sides of the conduit and meet substantially midway thereof, thus preventing the flame from the burning match being communicated to the remaining matches in the conduit. To further guard against the passage of the flame, the meeting edges of the two gates may be beveled, as shown at 9, so as to overlap each other and make a tortuous passage between them through which it would beimpossible for the flames to pass. The gates or slides are normally held out of the conduit by springs 10, so as to not obstruct the passage of a match from the receptacle to the holder. hen itis desired to close the conduit, pressure is applied to the springs by the fingers of the operator and held inward until the lighted match has been consumed. When the gate is closed behinda match, it will bear upon its surface and slightly press it into the holder, thereby rendering it more difficult for the match to rotate while it is being drawn over a roughened surface to ignite it.

Instead of separate springs being provided for the gates the gate may be formed integrally with the spring, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, by bending the end of the spring at an angle thereto, and instead of there being two gates or slides one may be used to move entirely across the conduit, as shown at 11, or to rotate within the conduit, as shown at 12.

The gate 11 is seated within a channel or slot 13 in the side of the conduit and is provided with a handle 14, by means of which it is swung back and forth on its pivot 15. A spring 16 is seated Within the slot to return the gate to its normal position outside of the channel'through the conduit when it is released from the finger of the operator.

The rotary form of gate may be solid and provided with a transverse passage or opening 17, or it may be in the form ofa segment of a cylinder 18, either form of which is seated in a recess 19 in the wall of the conduitin position to permit the passage of a match to the holder when open or in its normal position, but closing the passage when partially rotated. One means of rotating the gate is a wing 20, secured to a projection 21 at one end of the gate, and a spring 22, which returns the wing to its normal position against a stop or pin 23 after it has been released from the finger of the operator. Where the segmental gate is used, it is preferably secured at its ends to disks 24, which fit within the recess 19 and one of which may be provided with the projection 21. Another means for rotating the gate is a spiral 25, one end of which may be movably connected with the wall of the conduit and with the gate, as shown in Fig. 13, orbe rigidly secured at one end to the conduit and movable in the end of the gate, as shown in Fig. 14. In either instance a cap 26 is provided which will remain stationary under the pressure of the thumb or finger of the operator while-the spiral or gate rotates, and a spring 27 is also provided for returning the parts to their normal position. there the spiral is movable, its inner end is made flat or straight, as at 29, which fits loosely in a socket 230 in the end of the gate, while the outer or spiral portion passes through a corresponding slot 31. A plate 32 covers the end of the recess through which the gate is match at a time.

introduced, and a screw 33 holds it in position. Where the spiral is stationary, the gate is preferably solid, with a slot 34 in one end, in addition to the transverse channel or opening 17, into which the spiral is projected when the gate is forced inward by pressure upon its outer end. As the longitudinal movement of the gate will cause the-location of the passage 17 to vary relatively to the passage through the conduit, it is necessary tochange the axes of the two portions of the passage-way to correspond, as shown in Fig. 14. Still another form of mechanism for rotating the gate is shown in Figs. 15 and 16, in one of which the gate is provided with a spiral groove 35, into which a pin 36 projects, while in the other one the groove is in the conduit and the pin is in the gate.

Instead of forming the gate and holder separate they may be formed integrally, as shown in Figs. 17, 18, and 19, in which they are shown as a rotary cap 37, which is held on the end of the conduit by means of a bead 3S and groove 39. The cap is provided with an opening 40, which registers with the end of the passage in the conduit when in its normal position, but which maybe moved to one side of it when the cap is rotated, owing to the fact that the opening and the passage are located eccentrically to the axis of the conduit. The cap is rotated by means of a wing 41 and is returned to its normal position by means of aspring 42. Secured to or forming a part of the cap around the opening is a holder 43, which may be solid-Walled or open, as desired, and which is of such a depth that when a match h'as'partially entered by gravity through the conduit the rotation of the gate will force the match against the end of the conduit, and thereby force it out into the holder,where it-remains until it has been consumed.

My invention may also be embodied in the form of receptacle shown in Fig. 4, in which the gate 44 is located within the conduit 45 and movable longitudinally therein by means of a handle 46, which projects through a slot 47 in the side of the receptacle. Instead of the handle 46 the end of the gate may be prolonged or provided with a handle .48, as shown in dotted lines, which projectsthrough the end of the receptacle or through the cap or stopper 49, by means of which the receptacle is replenished or emptied, as desired. A spring 50 returns the gate or plunger 44 to its normal position after use. The matches en-' ter the conduit, which is located almost enti rely within the receptacle, through an opening 51, near the front of the receptacle, in position to be pushed into the holder beyond the wall of the receptacle by the forward movement of thegate or plunger. A spring 52 prevents the entrance of more than one A spiral guide 53 is preferably provided to guidethe matches into the conduit, and a guard 54 is preferably provided, within whichthe handle 46'is located.

In the other forms of receptacle the mouth or entrance to the conduit is preferably flared or made hopper-shaped to cause the pellets to enter one after the other.

In using my pocket-lighter the receptacle is filled with the pellet-shaped matches through the opening for that purpose. The receptacle is then held so that a match will pass into the conduit in front of the gate, which is then closed by pressure from the finger of the operator. As soon as this has been done the match, which is caused to project beyond the holder a slight distance, is drawn against a suitable surface, which will cause it to be ignited. The gate is still held in its closed position and the flame from the burning match is applied where it is needed. As soon as the match has been consumed or its further use is not needed it can be blown or shaken out of the holder. The gate is then opened and another match takes its place ready for use.

By constructing the holderexteriorlyof the receptacle the match is consumed in the open airthat is, the air has free access to it. It is also held rigidly when being ignited, which will prevent its being thrown out of the holder, and by cutting off communication between it and the remaining matches all danger of setting fire to the entire contents of the receptacle is avoided.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A pocket-lighter comprising a receptacle provided with an exterior, normally-unobstructed conduit, the outer end of which is provided with means for holding a pellet shaped match before and during ignition and with means for closing said conduit to separate the forward match from its fellows.

2. A pocket-lighter comprising a receptacle provided with an exterior conduit in continuous communication therewith, the outer end of which is provided with means for rigidly holdinga pellet-shaped match before and during ignition, and means for separating the forward match from its fellows.

3. A pocket-lighter comprisinga receptacle provided with a conduit, the outer end of which is provided with a holder for a pelletshaped match, and a gate within the conduit for separating said match from its fellows before and during ignition.

4:. A pocket-lighter comprising a receptacle provided with a conduit, the outer end of which is provided with a holder for a pelletshaped match before ignition, and a gate for engaging with said match and forcing it into the holder and separating it from its fellows. 5. A pocket-lighter comprising a receptacle which is perforated and provided with a holder externally thereof, said holder being in communication with the interior of the receptacle through said opening, a cut-off closing the entrance to the holder, and means exteriorly of the receptacle for operating the cut-0E.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES M. CAMPBELL. Witnesses:

W. S. BOYD, G. W. BALLooH.

Images