US1710615A

US1710615A - Electrical igniter for censer fuel blocks

Info

Publication number: US1710615A
Application number: US247430A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert A Gallery
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1928-01-17
Filing date: 1928-01-17
Publication date: 1929-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 1946-04-23

Description

Ap 3, 1929. R. A. GALLERY 1,710,615

ELECTRICAL IGNITER FOR CENSER FUEL BLOCKS Filed Jan. 17, 1928 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

RGBEE'E A. GALLERY",

ELECTRIDAL IGNITER FOR J IJEL BLOCKS.

Application filed January 1'2, 1928.

5 bonaceous fuel blocks of that kind used in censers in church cereinonials to form a combustion bed for the burning of incense.

Blocks of this character are madeof charcoal or other carbon compositions and commonly furnished in small squares of more or less uniform dimensions to lit within the con bustion chamber of the censer, The general practice is to ignite them by exposing them to the flame of a candle. This is a diffi ult and tedious process, as well as an uuclcanly on e, as the block does not readily ignite, and as during the operation candle grease and carbon particles fall upon and soil the floor of the sacristy. For the purpose of facilitating ignition, the blocks are usually formed with beveled margins extending to thin edges to adapt them to take fire more readily from the candle flame, but the operation is nevertheless so tedious that the altar boy or other person conducting it commonly endeavors to shorten the process by blowing upon the smoldering edge of the block. Flying sparks are thus produced which are a source of lire danger.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an electrical igniter on which a carbon block ofthe character described may be laid or otherwise support-ed while one or more surfaces thereof are exposed to the heat of a resistance coil, whereby the block may be ignited in a ready, cleanly, more reliable and time and labor saving manner, and without fire hazard.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be furnished at a comparatively low cost and which is so constructed as to ignite in comparatively smallspace of time one or more edges of a whole block, or one or more frag ments of a divided block when it is not desired or considered necessary to prepare a complete block for use.

In the accompanying drawing,

, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an igniter ot' the character described constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sect thereof and of a carbon block sup, or thereon for ignition.

Figure 3 is a top lan view of the igniter,

Figure is a view of a carbon block of the hind referred to, such as is customarily used censers.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail section through a portion of the igniter and the block 7 on an enlarged scale.

In the practical embodiment of my invention herein disclosed, I provide an igniter comprising abody portion 1, a plug portion 2 and a shank portion 3 connecting said body and plug portions. The

portions

1, 2 and 3 are preferably of unitary construction and made of porcelain, lava or other electric insulating material. The portion 1 is of square or other suitable rectangular form, the portion 2 of circular form and the portion 3 of frusto-conical or frustopyramidal form. A threaded conducting collar or ferrule l surrounds and is fixed to the plug portion 2 to adapt said portion to be screwed into an ordiary lighting socket.

The body port-ion l is provided with a burner face surrounded by marginal walls 5 as to form shallow burner chamber to re ceive the fuel block 6. The block 6, as shown in Figures 2 and l, is in the form of a square flat cake, having its sides provided with sloping surfaces 7 so as to produce marginal edge portions 8 to facilitate ignition of the plug. The burner chamber is of somewhat less depth than the thickness of the block and of slightly greater dimensions, so that when'a block 6 is placed in position therein the marginal edge portions 8 of the block will be slightly spaced from the walls 5.

The burner face of the block is made up of a plurality of spaced supporting ribs 9 arranged in parallel relation to each other and to two of the walls 5, said ribs being spaced from each other and from said walls 5 by intervening grooves or recesses 10. The ribs and grooves 10 are of less length than the distance bctv the other two walls 5 of the block min ate inwardly thereof, rening grooves or recesses "ht a 1 es to and. conununithe nrst-na1ned grooves 10. A uce wire 121's secured at its

ends conductors

13 and 14 to the of the series to the other end groove of the series, and the return portions connecting the adj accnt parallel stretches of the coil are disposed alternately or in staggered relation to each other within the channels 11 and beyond the ends of the ribs 9 about which they pass and in spaced relation thereto. The terminal conductor 13 of the coil is-electrically connected by a conducting strip 16 to the collar or ferrule. while the other terminal conductor of the coil is connected by a conductor strip 17 with a center contact 18, thereby forming the usual conducting connections for electrically connecting the device to a source of current supply when fitted in a lighting socket.

The grooves 10 are substantially U-shaped in cross-section and of a depth slightly exceeding the diameter of the coil, so that the stretches of the coil will lie in spaced relation to the side walls of the groove and slightly below the faces of the ribs 9, so as to lie below and out of contact with the bottom face of the fuel block 6 resting on the ribs. By this arrangement the coil is protected from liability of injury by contact with the block and an air space is provided in each channel between the coil stretch therein and the block to provide for the circulation of air and to facilitate and promote combustion. This spacing also permits free passage of air through the grooves 10 between the grooves 11, from which all the grooves 10 are supplied with air, so that a uniform distribution of air is effected to promote and support combustion of the block exposed to and overlying all portions of the coil. The shape of the grooves 10 and the spaced relationship of the coiled portions to the side walls thereof also facilitates and renders easier the removal, by brushing or blowing, from the grooves and coiled portions of any dust particles from the plug or ashes of combastion dropping therefrom into the grooves and upon the coil.

The block supporting Surface comprising the ribs 9 is of such relatively smaller superficial area than the base or widest portion of the block that when the block is properly placed in position thereon for ignition two of the thinned edges 8 of the block will overlie the end grooves 10 of said series of grooves and the terminal coiled portions arranged therein, while the other two thinned edges 8 of the block, arranged at right angles to those first-named, will project beyond the ends of the ribs 9 and overhang the channels and the return portions 15 of the coil disposed therein. lVhen so disposed the thinned edges 8 of the block will also lie out of contact with the walls 5, so as to not completely close the end grooves of the series 10 or the grooves 11 to outside atmosphere. with the result that the thickened edge portions 8 of the block will be subjected to the heat of the underlying coiled port-ions under ventilating conditions which ensures the rapid ignition of these portions of the block.

Formed in the sides of the body 1 containing the grooves 11 are series of air conducting channels 19, the channels of each series being equal in number to the number of block supporting ribs 9. These channels open at their inlet ends through the base of the body 1 and sides of the shank 3 and at their delivery ends into the channels 1.1 in line with the ends of the ribs 9. As shown, the arrangement of the delivery ends of the channels is such that every other channel in each groove 11 opens into the space bounded by a return portion of the coil and lies between the same and the adjacent end of the contiguous rib.

When the igniter is in operation with the block it is disposed in position to be ignited, the heat of the coiled portions in the

channels

10 and 11 producing an induced draft causing by suction the drawing of air through the channels 19 into the grooves 11, from which the air flows through the grooves 10 and beneath the block, so that proper ventilation is afforded beneath all those portions of the block subjected to the heating action of the coil to promote ignition and combustion and thereby reduce to a material extent the time interval required to start the ignition of the block and its combustion to an extent to place it in condition to be removed and dis osed within a censer for use as an igniter an fuel bed for the incense to be burned.

In the use of the device, it is to be understood that, with the construct-ion disclosed, the igniter is arranged, when connected up with an electric circuit, so that its combustion chamber and block supporting face lie in a horizontal plane, the block 6 being correspondingly disposed and resting with its wider face upon the ribs 9 during the igniting action, and as illustrated in Figure 2. It is to be understood, however, that by the provision of suitable means to prevent the block from shifting, or by slightly altering the construction of the igniter to adapt it to hold the block from shifting thereon, the igniter may be arranged for use with its combustion chamber and supporting face arranged at any desired angle between the horizontal and vertical or in upri ht or inverted position.

By means of my invention an electrical igniter is provided by means of which carbonaceous fuel blocks may be ignited in a ready, quick and convenient manner and with an avoidance of the objections incident to present methods, as hereinbefore described. This igniter is of simple construction and therefore may be furnished at a comparatively small cost, and, as a result of the defined construction and arrangement of the grooves and coil, may be easily and conveniently cleaned and kept in prime working condition.

lVhile the device has been described as employed for heating full-sized blocks it is, of course, to be understood that it may be used for heating any sized fragment of a broken block when it is not desired or required to ignite a full-sized block for use in the censor.

While, also, I have disclosed a certain e2;- emplification off the invention, it is to be understood that changes in the form, proportions and structural features may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrilicing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, 1 claim 1-- 1. An igniter for rectangular censer fuel blocks comprising a body of rectangular form and having a heating surface provided with flanges along its margins, a series of ribs parallel with each other and with two of said flanges and spaced from each other and from said two flanges to provide grooves, the ends of the ribs terminating inwardly of the other tWo flanges of the block and providing transverse grooves respectively intersecting the ends of the first-named grooves, a resistance coil extending sinuously through the firstnamed grooves with the return portions connecting its adjacent stretches lying in the transverse grooves, draft channels communicating with the transverse grooves, and means for connecting the coil with a heating current.

A device for igniting rectangular censor fuel blocks having thinned marginal edges comprising a member having a grooved supporting surface for the block and a marginal channel surrounding said grooved surlace, over which channel the thinned edges of the block extend when the block is supported in position, said member being provided in at least two of the sides of said channel with ventilation openings, and a resistance coil extending through said channel and arranged so that portions of the coil surround some of the ventilation openings and are arranged in alternation with the remaining ventilation openings.

In testlmony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBEPT A. GALLERY.