US1662058A - Wick device for cigar and other lighters - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1928. 1,662,058

s. A. HARGRAFT WICK DEVICE FOR CIGAR AND OTHER LIGHTERS Filed Feb. 4. 1927 I N V EN TOR. 87m R7 A. A44 rem/1P7,

Patented Mar. 13, 1 928.

UNITED STATES STUART A. HARGRAFT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

wrcx nnvrcn son CIGAR AND ornna LIGHTEBS.

Application filed February 4, 1921. Seria11i'0.'185,861.

My present invention, in its broad aspect,

has reference to improvements in cigar,

lig ting devices which is designed to accom plish the following and other equally important ends; first, to eliminate the neces- 10 sity of threading or training a free-wick through a body of absorbent material or filler such as is ordinarily provided in a pocket lighter to retain the fuel when it is desired to replace, adjust or otherwise manipulate the wick; second, the wick may be disposed to extend to a point adjacent the bottom of a lighter without resorting to the use of tools, or without removing the filler; third, the wick is exposed to the fuel in the filler of alighter throughout substantially its entire length, and extends to a point adjacent the bottom of the lighter where greater accumulation of free fuel ordinarily exists; fourth, adjustment of my wick is facilitated and rendered more accurate since the wick itself does not come into contact with the resisting and uneven and binding surface of the filler; fifth, a greater length of wick is capable of being carried thereby reducing the number of necessary wick replacements, and; sixth, my wick is carried and operable in an improved wick container which freely admits the fuel, while shielding the wick, and which is quickly removable and otherwise advantageously formed and constructed to facilitate practical application of my lighting device to many different forms of conventional pocket lighters.

My wick container, per se, is formed of but two parts, a head and an elongated, perforated, hollowand cylindrical container open at both ends and connected at one end with the head. The head is dished out at the top to-trap sparks from a flint and prevent spilling of the fuel, and also to partially shield the wick which extends through the bottom of the dished depression from its position inthe container. A slot is also provided to receive a screwdriver to facilitate removal of my device, and this is sup plemented by the provision of hexagonal flanges lending to the attractive appearance of the head and providing a finger grip and wrench grip also for facilitating removal. The wick, per se, is double folded with both ends located adjacent the head, and the bend ordinarily at the bottom of the container when the wick is of full length; but one end is exposed through the head, and the wick is fed out from that end, the body of the wick being drawn up in the container one-half of the length of wick pulled out of the head. It will therefore be seen that the wick capacity of my device is double the wick capacity of the lighters usually found on the market.

Other and equally important objects and advantages will become apparent as the description of my device proceeds, but while I have in the present instance defined for the sake of illustration a certain specific form, it will be understood that I do not desire thereby to limitmyself except as may be indicated by the scope of the claim appended hereunto and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated an embodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a section through a conventional form of lighter and shows the details and application of my wick device thereto,

Figure 2 is a detail view of my wick device per se, 7

Figure 3 is a top end view of my wick device, and

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

In the drawings wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like or similar parts throughout the several views The numeral (1.) designates the hollow body of a conventional form of pocket cigar or cigarette lighter which is used as a receptacle for fuel; such fuel being taken up by the filler of absorbent material (2) which is usually of cotton or the like. .The top (3.) v

of the body (1) has mounted thereon the usual rotary flint shown in dotted lines at (4), and in the present instance is provided with a boss (5) through which extends a screwthreaded opening (6).

Extending through the opening (6) is my wick device generally designated by (7), and which has a hollow, cylindrical, elongated container or stem (8) extending from the top almost to the bottom of the body (1). The container or stem (8) is open at both ends and the top end thereof is fixed either by soldering if permanent attachment is desired, or by screwthreaded connections (not shown if temporary attachment is desired into-t e cylindrical base (9) of the head (10) The base (9) is screwt ireaded for retention in the opening (6) of the boss (5), and the exposed portion (11) of the head is is provided with spaced flanges (12) each having a hexagonal edge configuration to afford an artistic appearance and to provide a finger or wrench grip for detaching my device from the body (1). The bottom flange serves also as a stop for fixing the position of the head in the boss. The top of thehcad is formed with a cupped depression (1 3), and is slotted as at (14) to receive a screwdriver. The wick channel (15) is approximately the diameter of the wick to be used and extends through the head into the bottom of the cupped depression, and is gradually enlarged downwardly as at (17) to meet the inner wall of the container (8 in flush abutment as shown at (18). The

Y cupped depression serves several purposes;

to trap sparks from the flint (4) to prevent overflow of the, fuel, and to shield the wick, designated by (19). My wick (19) is of the cord variety,but it may be a flat wick, or any other type of wick, but in my present adaptation it is doubled at a point adjacent the medial point in its length, and one end (20) projects through the head to receive the light, while the other end (21) lies in the enlarged portion (17) of the channel (15). The bend (22) of the wick is located (when the wick is of normal length) at the bottom of the container (8). In feeding the wick,

the end (20) is drawn out of the head, and the body of the wick will be drawn up in the container about-onehalf of the distance represented by the length of wick drawn out. The wick is thus fed out of the head until it is entirely used up, and it is thus apparent that my device affords about twice the amount of wick usually provided in pocket lighters and the like.

The container is provided throughout its length with rows of alternating slots and holes, or all slots or all holes, desi ated at (23) to permit entrance of the fue into the container to be taken up by the wick.

While it is believed that the o eration and advantages of my device will e apparent from the foregoing, attention is especially directed to the fact that it is adaptable for use with many conventional types of lighters, and that its construction lends to economical manufacture.

\Vhile in the foregoing there has been illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred embodiments of my invention. it is nevertheless desired to em .hasize the fact that interpretation of the invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claim.

I claim A device of the character described comprising a wick, a hollow c lindrical container for the wick, a head or so portin the container and carried on one en thereo said head formed with an opening communicating with the interior of the container and the walls of the opening being flush with the interior wall of the container to provide a smooth riding surface for the wick, said opening being gradually restricted toward the month thereof to substantially the size of the wick, the body of the wick being doubled upon itself and enclosed within the container and head with one end projecting out of the o ening in the head, the remaining end of t e wick lying at all times within the restricted portion of the opening in the head, which restricted portion constitutes an obstruction preventing withdrawal of said end of the wick when the projected end of the wick is fed out of the container.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereunto.

STUART A. HARGRAFT.

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