US1967885A - Lighter - Google Patents

Description

July 24,1934.

J. HOLTZMAN LIGHTER Filed March 8, 1928 mm m m WM .210. H n m J B V la/ 7 TTORNEY Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STATES IPATENTQ- OFFICE LIGHTER John Holtzman, New York, N. ll. Application March s, 1928, Serial No. 260,019 14 Claims. (oi. ctr-1.1)

This invention relates to lighters of the type wherein a toothed wheel abrades a pyrophoric member and throws sparks on to a suitable wick for igniting the wick.

My invention is designed to provide a lighter in which the wheel can be operated only by means intended for positive and intentional manual operation, so that no spark can be producedand no light obtained unless the mechanism is deliberately manipulated and maintained deliberately in operative position under intentional pressure. Should the manually operated means be released, the light, if any has been produced, is automatically extinguished. It is further intended to prold duce a direct, simple, eflicient and durable means for operating the spark producing mechanism. The above and other objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follows, and from the drawing, in which, 1

Fig. l is a perspective view of the major part of my improved lighter.

Fig; 2- is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same, showing the closed positions of the parts.

In that practical embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated herein, the casing 10 is made {of suitable size and shape to fit easily into 1 the pocket of the user; and is designed to hold so inflammable liquid therein, such as benzine, alcohol or the like, or to hold absorbent. material 11 soaked with such liquid. The wick bushing 12 has a suitable opening therein for the passage of the wick 9, and is secured to the top 13 of the '85 casing in any suitable manner, such as, for instance, upsetting the lower end thereof.

A flint cylinder 15, of the usual type is supported in the'flint holding tube 16, which is preferablyarranged substantially centrally of the casing 10-and held in place by the top 13 of the casing and the bottom member 14. A compression spring 20, arranged in the tube 16 and bearing on the flint 15 serves to maintain said flint at all times in fisfd engagement with the sparking wheel 17. e lower end of the tube 16 'may be threaded to receive the shank of the screw plug 19, the lower end of the spring 20 resting against theend of said screw.

For providing a smooth, flat surface on the bottom 14 of the casing on which the lighter may rest without rocking, I prefer to provide a depression 22 in the'bottom 14, of suflicient diameter and depth to. receive the screw plug 19, so that said screw does not project beyond the hot- 56 tom after it has been screwed into place. The

slot 21 is preferably made across the head of the screw 19, so that said screw may readily be removed by suitable means, such as a coin or a screwdriver should it become necessary to replace the fiint. A similar depressed portion 24 is made in the bottom 14 for the reception of the screw 23, said depressed portion 24 being threaded about the opening therein. The screw 23 being slotted similarly to-the screw 19, it may be removed in the same manner when it is desired to replenish the casing with inflammable liquid, 9, suitable washer being interposed between the head of the screw 23 and the bottom of the depressed portion 24 for insuring a leak proof joint.

The device for operating the toothed spark producing wheel 17 will now be described. In this description, it will be remembered that said wheel can only be deliberately and positively operated, and that the mechanism is designed to automatically extinguish the light onthe wick 9, when released. The wheel 17 is preferably looseiy mounted on the shaft 26 and is given its rotative movement through the medium of the'swinging frame or link 27, which when swung in the proper direc-- 86 tion, rotates the wheel. The rotation of the wheel 17 is effected through the intermediary of the clutch spring disc 43 which is provided with iiiwardly bent projections 28 adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 29 cut in the sides of the wheel. 35 The shaft 26 passes through the depending sides 25 of the frame 18 which may be loosely mounted on said shaft, supported by the ears 30 of the bracket 31, which is secured to .the top 13 of the casing in any suitable manner. Pivotally mounted on the shaft 26 and loose thereon, is the cap or snufier frame 18, which carries the wick cap 32 and to'which is secured the disc 43. Said cap frame is operated 'by the link or frame 27, to which it is pivoted as by means of the, pin or rivets 3'7, and through the disc 43 and the teeth 29 operates the wheel. While I prefer to make the frame 27 with downwardly extending flanges- 45 and a closed top member, it will be understood the top member may be omitted, and links, 0017- responding to the flanges 45, may be used instead, as will be obvious.

Near the other end of the frame 27, a suitable pin, or rivet 33, serves to pivotally secure the frame to the arms 35 depending from the finger piece 36, whereby movement of the piece 36 causes the tube 40, which is held in'place by the top 13 of the casing and contains the spring 42 acting against the plunger and urging said plunger into its inoperative position illustrated in Fig. 4.

It will be seen that only so long as the plunger 39 and the finger piece secured thereto is depressed against the action of the spring 42 can the wick 9 remain lighted, and that as soonas the finger piece is released, the spring returns the parts to the initial positions thereof and replaces the wick. cap over the wick thereby extinguishing the flame.

When it is desired to ignite the wick, 9, the member 36 and the parts carried thereby are depressed, against the action of the spring 42. The rivets 33 thereby carry down the attached end of the frame 2'7, the other pivoted end of which moves in an are about the shaft as a pivot, constrained thereto by the cap frame 18 and the pivot connection 37. The cap frame is thereby swung about the shaft 26, exposing the wick 9 to the igniting action of the sparks produced by the sparking wheel 17. Simultaneously, the projection 28, made by slitting the clutch disc 43 loosely mounted on shaft 26 and bending the resulting free flange inwardly, engages the ratchet tooth 29 of the sparking wheel 17 and carries said wheel around with the frame, thereby abrading the flint and throwing sparks on to the Wick 9. So long as the finger pieces are maintained. in their depressed positions by the finger of the user, the wick remains ignited, but as soon as the member 36 is released, the spring 42 returns the parts to the normal positions thereof and extinguishes the wick, the projection 28 sliding over the ratchet teeth 29 without rotating the wheel 17.

It will be seen that I have provided simple and efiicient manually operated and positively acting mechanism operatively connected to the sparking wheel and to the wick cap for rotating the same only by the intention of the 'user, which mechanism automatically returns the parts to their inoperative positions; that the parts are few and of simple design capable of economical manufacture and assembly in large quantities and that my improved lighter presents a finished and pleasing appearance.

' While I have shown and described an efficient and practical embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be understood, as limiting myself thereto, as it will be obvious that various changes therein will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, but I intend to claim this invention as broadly as may be permitted by the terms of the claims herein, and the state of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A lighter having an abrading wheel, means including a shaft for supporting said wheel, a wick-capping frame mounted on said shaft and mechanically connected with said wheel, a link frame covering said wheel and pivoted at one end to said wick-capping frame, and a manually operable member pivoted to the other end of said link frame.

2. In a lighter, an abrading wheel, a wick-capping member, a finger piece, and means for operating said member and said .wheel in response to movement of said finger-piece, said means including a member interposed between said capping member and said finger-piece and normally covering said wheel.

3. In a lighter, a frame, a fuel container secured to said frame and having a. wick therein, an abrading wheel revolubly mounted in said frame,

a wick-snufling cap revolubly mounted in said frame, a spring-pressed manually operable member, and means including a link normally covering said wheel and connecting said member and said cap for rotating said wheel and said cap in response to movement of said member whereby movement of said member ignites said wick.

4. In a lighter, a casing having a flat top, a wick cap above the top, a swingable member carrying said cap, a pivot for said member above and in vertical spaced relation to the top, and arranged intermediate of the edges of the casing, sparkproducing means operated by said member on the movement thereof in one direction, a manually depressible finger piece above the top of the easing and in longitudinal spaced relation to the member, and a link bridgingthe space between the member and the finger piece, said link being pivoted to said member and being normally arranged on one side of and above the spark-producing means and beyond the inner end of said member. I

5. In a lighter, a container, an abrading wheel, a wick capping member pivotally mounted at a point above the container, a link of a separate piece of material pivoted at one end to said member for operating said member and extending longitudinally beyond and in the same direction as said member, and means extending above the container for pivotally supporting the other end of the link including a-pivot pin carried by said means and entering the link.

6. In a lighter, a casing having afiat top and bottom, a pair of projections extending above said top, spark producing means between the projections, a capping member pivotally mounted between said projections and extending from a point adjacent one edge of the casing to a point adjacent the center of the casing, a spring-pressed finger piece in longitudinal spaced relation to said capping member mounted on said top and adjacent the other edge of the casing, and having a. fiat top and a pair of depending sides, a link member extending between the adjacent spaced ends of said capping member and said finger piece and pivotally connecting said cappingmember and the sides of said finger piece, said link normally arranged to cover the wheel and being actuated by said finger piece when the same is pressed downwardly.

'7. In a lighter, a casing of substantially rectangular outline having a fiat top, a pair of spaced projections upstanding from said top, a shaft carried by said projections, an abrading wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, a block of pyrophoric material yiedingly supported against said wheel, ,a wick projecting from said top at one side of the wheel, a wick cap, a swingable member carrying said wick cap and mounted between said projections, a spring-pressed finger piece mountedon said top independently of said'wheel shaft on the other side of the wheel, and a link extending longitudinally past the end of the cappingmember and pivotally connecting both the capping member and'the finger piece and covering said wheel, whereby when said finger piece is pressed downwardly, saidcapping member moves upwardly to uncap the wick.

8. In a lighter, means for producing a spark, a 4

pivoted member, and means for operating said spark-producing means and said pivoted member including a finger piece spaced. from said member, and a connecting member bridging said space between and pivoted to said finger piece and to said pivoted member.

9. In a lighter, a. wick, a. wick capping member necting element having an uppermost surfacenormally arranged between and cooperating with the uppermost surfaces of the capping member and of the finger piece to provide a flat top surface on the lighter.

10. In a lighter, the combination of a casing, a pair of spaced parallel supporting members fixed relatively to said casing, an abrading wheel revolubly mounted between said members, a block of pyrophoric material yieldingly supported against said wheel, a wick having its end exposable near the top of the casing and adjacent said wheel, a wick capping member revolubly mounted between said members, a normally horizontal link member exposed near the top of and outside of the casing and forming part of the top of the lighter, and on one side of and longitudinally aligned with the capping member and connected to said capping member at one end andernbracing said member at both sides thereof, said link member having a top and a pair of side walls and being pivotally supported at its other end, and spring means mounted in the casing and for urging said link member at all times toward its normal horizontal position, thereby pressing the capping member downwardly to cover the wick, said link member when actuated against the action of said spring means and out of its horizontal position arranged to swing said capping member upwardly.

11. In a lighter, a wick, an oscillatory wickcapping frame, spark-producing means, and means for simultaneously operating said sparkproducing means and said frame for igniting said wick, said operating means including a springpressed manually operable finger piece spaced from the frame, and a link pivoted at its respective ends to and bridging the space between said finger piece and said frame, said link, finger piece and frame forming the top of said lighter.

12. A lighter having an abrading wheel, a wickcapping frame, a manually operable member, and means responsive to said member for operating said wheel and said frame, said means including a link frame covering said wheel and pivoted at one end to said wick-capping frame and at the other end to said member.

13. A lighter comprising a fuel container having a top and mechanism located above the top and within the outline of the top thereof, said mechanism including spark-producing means, a wick located on one side of said spark-producing means, a snufier member cooperating with said wick, and means for actuating said snufier member and said spark-producing means whereby said wick is ignited and snuffed, said means including an upwardly spring-pressed finger piece responsive to vertical downward manual pressure and movable vertically with respect to said top and having a pivot located at the side of said sparkproducing means opposite to said wick, and means swingable on the pivot for connecting the finger 109 piece to the snuffer member.

14. In a lighter, a casing having a flat top, a pair of projections extending above said top, spark-producing means including a wheel between the projections, a capping member pivotally mounted between said projections on the same axis as the wheel and extending from a point adjacent one edge of the casing to a point adjacent the center of the casing, a finger piece on one side of the wheel mounted on said top and 110 adjacent the other edge of the casing, and having a fiat top surface thereon and a pair of depending sides, a spring urging the finger-piece upwardly, said finger-piece having a pivot located on said one side of the wheel, and a part swingable on the pivot and connecting the finger-piece to the capping member to hold said capping member in capping position under the influence of said spring, said part having a fiat top surface thereon arranged in substantially the same plane as the fiat top surface of the finger piece when the capping member is operative.

JOHN HoL'rzMAN.

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