US1959624A - Oil burner torch - Google Patents

Description

y 1934 P. A. HALLQUIST 1,959,624

OIL BURNER TORCH Filed June 20, 1953 /9/ jg Z j; Z ZZZ/02 Patented May 22, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an elongated torch insertable in an annular space between two concentric cylindrical walls of an oil burner to ignite oil at the bottom of the space. Said space has considerable depth, so that the torch must be correspondingly long, and is so narrow that the torch must be suitably thin.

A torch of this character includes an elongated holder and an oil absorbing wick engaged 0 with one end of the holder and adapted to be ignited.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a simple, durable, and eifective torch, adapted to be conveniently inserted in an oil burner space, limit the effective flame emitting surfaces of the wick to prevent excessively rapid combustion of oil contained therein, permit convenient adjustment of the wick to compensate: for the reduction thereof by combustion, and prevent objectionable contact between the exposed surfaces of the wick and the surfaces defining the oil burner space.

Of the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specificati0n,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the main portion of my improved torch without the wick, the jaws being normally sprung apart.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlargement of portions of Figure 1.

00 Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the torch prepared for use.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing a portion of the torch.

Figure 5 is an edge view of the portion shown by Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side view of a portion of a strip supposed to be of indeterminate length.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view showing a modification.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawing 12 12 designate opposed fiat jaws formed by the end portions of a flat resilient strip which is bent to form a neck 13, and elongated arms connected by the neck, the outer end portions of said arms constituting the jaws 12. Said jaws are normally sprung apart, as shown by Figure 1, by the resilience of the strip, and have parallel longitudinal edges and oppositely inclined transverse outer end edges 15 and 16 forming the outer ends of the jaws and crossing each other.

17 designates a fiat wick interposed between the jaws. Triangular side portions 17 of the wick project from the edges 15 and 16, and constitute flame-emitting portions exposed at opposite sides of the torch. The inner edge of one of said triangular portions is defined by the transverse edge 15, and the inner edge of the other triangular portion is defined by the transverse edge 16, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4.

l8 designates a clasp, or slide, made by bending a strip of thin sheet metal around the arms of the bent strip, said clasp having flat sides contacting with the flat sides of the strip. The clasp is movable to the retracted position shown by Figure l, and to the projected position shown by Figures 3, 4 and 5. When the clasp is retracted the jaws 12 spring apart, so that they are separated by a space considerably wider than the thickness of the wick.

The transverse edges 15 and 16 intersect the longitudinal edges of the jaws to form acute angled corners on the outer ends of the jaws. Said corners are bent inward to form prongs 19 engaging the outer end portion of the wick, and facilitating the location thereof in position to be clamped by the jaws. v

When the clasp 18 is projected as shown by Figures 3, 4 and 5, the jaws 12 are clamped against the wick, portions of the sides of the wick being exposed as above stated.

The wick may be adjusted endwise from time to time to compensate for the burning away of its outer end, the clasp 18 being retracted to permit the jaws to spring apart preparatory to said ad- J'ustment.

It will be seen that on each side of the torch is exposed a triangular side portion 17 of the wick. One edge of said triangular portion is the transverse outer end 1'7 of the wick. When the wick is adjusted as shown by Figures 3, 4 and 5 the edge 1'7 extends between the prongs 19. The prongs prevent the outward bending of the wick from either side of the torch. The exposed portion of the wick is therefore so confined that it cannot project sufficiently from either side of the torch to materially add to the thickness thereof.

In other words, the wick is confined so that it cannot be laterally displaced by contact with the sides of a burner space in which it is inserted, the wick having no loose projecting portion liable to be displaced by contact with a burner surface and form a projection on either side of the torch when the torch is entering said space.

The flat strip which includes the jaws and the sheet metal piece which forms the clasp 18 are so thin that when they are assembled the torch has a minimum thickness, which is such that the portion of the torch which includes the jaws and clasp may be freely inserted in an annular burner space of average width without liability of binding on the sides of said space, the jaws being spaced apart by only the thickness of the flat wick.

It will be seen that the area of the exposed portions 1'7 of the wick is so limited that excessively rapid combustion of oil contained in the wick is prevented.

The oppositely inclined transverse ends 15 and 16 may be formed without waste of metal by diagonally severing a strip of indeterminate length into sections, each of suitable length for one torch, the severing cutter being straight and simultaneously forming two oppositely inclined ends, by a cut designated by 20 in Figure 6.

In the modification shown by Figure '7 the jaws are provided with V-shaped transverse end. edges 21 intersecting the longitudinal edges of the strip,

to form acute angled corners which are abreast of each other and are bent to form prongs 21 functioning like the prongs 19 to prevent either sideof thewick from overhanging the outer side of either jaw suificiently to objectionably increase the thicknessof the torch and cause it to bind on the sides of the annular space in the burner. Said V-shaped edges expose triangular flame emitting portions of the wick.

It will now be seen that each of the described embodiments of the invention is a torch which comprises two flat resilient sheet metal wickgrasping jaws, means such as the neck 13 flexibly connecting the jaws, and a clasp movable on the jaws, said jaws being arranged to permit the interposition of a flat wick between them.

It will also be seen that the jaws have outer end edges which are inclined relative to their longitudinal edges and are arranged to expose limited flame-emitting side portions of the neck, and support both sides of the outer end of the wick to prevent either side from overhanging the outer side of either jaw, and objectionably increasing the thickness of the torch.

In the preferred embodiment shown by Figures 1, 2 and 3 the torch comprises a flat resilient sheet metal strip, including two arm portions whose outer extremities constitute opposed flat jaws 12, and a neck portion 13 connecting said arm portions, a clasp 18 movable on said arm portions and jaws, and a flat wick 1'7 interposed between the jaws 12, said jaws having outer end edges which may be either the straight edges 15 and 16, or the v-shaped edges 21, said edges being inclined relative to the longitudinal edges of the strip, the arrangement being such that the jaws expose flame-emitting portions of the wick, and support both sides of the outer end of the wick to prevent either side from overhanging the outer side of either jaw, and objectionably increasing the thickness of the torch.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, an oil burner torch comprising two flat resilient sheet metal wick grasping jaws, means flexibly connecting said jaws, a clasp movable on said jaws and a fiat wickiriserted between the jaws, said jaws having outer end edges which are inclined relative to their longitudinal edges, so that the jaws expose triangular flame-emitting side portions of the wick, and support both sides of the outer end of the wick to prevent either side from overhanging the outer side of either jaw, and objectionably'iricreasing the thickness of the torch.

2. As an article of manufacture, an oil burner torch comprising opposed jaws formed by the end portions of a flat resilient sheet metal strip, said strip having parallel longitudinal edges and 0ppositely" inclined transverse end edges extending from edge to edge of the strip and forming the outer ends of the jaws, and a flat wick inserted between the jaws and having triangular side portions projecting from said inclined transverse edges, and constituting flame-emitting wick portions exposed at opposite sides of the torch, and a tubular clasp having flat sides contacting with the flat sides of the jaws and movable thereon to press the jaws against the sides of the wick, the oppositely inclined transverse edges of the jaws crossing each other and intersecting the longitudinal edges of the strip to form acute angled corners on the outer ends of the jaws, said corners being bent to form wick-engaging prongs confining the wick against sidewise displacement in either. direction, the wick being longitudinally adjustable when the jaws are sprung apart, the flame-emitting surfaces of' the wick being prevented by the jaws from projecting from the sides of the torch.

PETER A. HALLQUIST.

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