US2101336A

US2101336A - Cigar-lighter

Info

Publication number: US2101336A
Application number: US331163A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur A Johnson
Original assignee: Casco Products Corp
Current assignee: Casco Products Corp
Priority date: 1929-01-09
Filing date: 1929-01-09
Publication date: 1937-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1954-12-07

Description

Dec. 7, 1937. A. JOHNSON 2,101,336

CIGAR LIGHTER Original Filed Jan. 9, 1929 WQQ Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGAR-LIGHTER Application January 9,

1929, Serial No. 331,163

Renewed May 5, 1937 Claims.

This invention relates to cigar-lighters, and more particularly to the type of cigar-lighter in which the igniting unit is supported on a holder to be brought to incandescence while so supported 5 and to be completely removable for use.

Heretofore, it has been proposed thatthe heating element of the igniting unit be so mounted therein as to be invisible and inaccessible while supported on the holding device.

An object of this invention is to provide a cigarlighter which has the advantages of the concealed device above referred to but which has the added advantage that while the heating element is normally invisible, it may be viewed when brought to incandescence while supported on the holding device, whereby the user may ascertain whether or not the heating element is being brought to incandescence, and if so, to what degree of,incandescence it has been brought.

This ,object is attainedby the present invention in the form herein illustrated as exemplary thereof, by providing the supporting means for the heating coil so that the coil may be viewed from either the obverse or reverse sides of the supporting means and by providing a window in the body of the igniting unit which normally does not permit enough light from the exterior of the device to enter the body wherein the heat ing coil is located to make the latter visible, but which does pass sufficient light from the interior when the heating coil is incandescent to permit the incandescing coil to be seen.

Thus with the device of the present invention, the operator need not remove the igniting unit from the holding device to determine whether or not it is sufiiciently hot for his purpose, but may observe this through the window and remove the igniting unit when it is ready for use.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing, which shows one form of the present invention, that at present preferred- Figure 1 is a sectional view of the supporting structure, the holding device and the igniting unit of a cigar-lighter made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the obverse side of the heating coil and its supporting member.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the igniting unit, showing the way it appears when the heating element has been brought to incandescence,

55 The device of the present invention illustrated is particularly adapted for use on a motor vehicle and comprises a holding device and a removable igniting unit. The former, in the form shown herein, comprises a post M which has a flange l 5 and a screw-threaded rod H which, after being passed through a hole provided in the instrument board 6 to receive it, is adapted to receive a washer I 8 and a nut l9 by the tightening of which the flange I5 is drawn firmly against the instrument board it to securely fasten the holding device thereto. The holding device also comprises a cap 26 adapted to telescopically slide upon a flange 2| on the post M and is held thereon against removal by the end of the cap being spun or peened over to engage the edge of the flange 2|. Interposed between the end of the cap 20 and the forward end of the flange 2|, is a coil spring 22 which holds the cap 20 normally in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the peened over end of the cap in engagement with the flange 2i.

The holding device has two contacts adapted to be engaged by cooperating contacts on the removable igniting unit. One of these contacts is constituted by the cap 20, while the other is a contact 23 centrally located on the end of the cap 20 and insulated therefrom. Normally, the contact 23 is dead, 1. e. does not carry current, for it is out of engagement with a live contact 24 carried by an insulating sleeve 25 forced into a hole in the end of the post I 4 and electrically connected to a feed wire 26 leading to a source of When the igniting unit is supported on the cap 20 and the latter, through the medium of the igniting unit, is slid by hand toward the instrument board, a contact 21 connected with the contact 23 is moved into engagement with the live contact 24, thus causing current to flow to the removable igniting unit. Upon release of the pressure on the cap 23, the spring 22 returns the cap to normal position, opening the circuit leading to the igniting unit by causing a gap to occur between the live contact 24 and the contact 21 of the normally dead contact 23 on the holding device.

The igniting unit shown includes a heating element, in the form of a spiral coil of high resistance wire 28 supported on a disk 29 of mica, or other suitable material, which in turn is carried by a perforated metal disk 30. The outer end of the heating element coil is secured to the metal disk 30 at 3| while the inner end is pinched in a transverse slot in the end of the metal pin 32 which extends. through the mica disk '29 and the metal disk 30 and receives a nut after the insertion of insulated material 33 between the pin and the plate 36.

This heating element 28 is mounted in a body member 34 which comprises two parts 34a and 342), said parts being provided with cooperatin screw-threads 35 by means of which they are held together. The part 34a of the body has a central bore 36 extending through it from end to end, while in the part 3417 there is provided a chamber 31 and an end wall 38. This central bore 36 and chamber 3'! forms a cavity which is open at one end 39 of the body and closed at the other end by the wall 38. The heating coil 28 is located within this cavity and is held in place adjacent the inner end of the bore 36 in the part 34a by the clamping action resulting from the tightening of the screw-threads 35 when the parts 34a and 341) are assembled in a manner more fully'explained below. The central bore 33 in the part 34a. is so shaped as to permit the insertion of the end of a cigaror cigarette which may thus be brought into direct contact with the 'coilrof wire 28 of the heating element, for the latter'is placed in the cavity so as to face the end 39' of the body. The part 341) also constitutes a shield to prevent draughts of air from quickly cooling ofi the heating element and also acts as an ash guard to catch any ashes that may fall off a' cigar or cigarette in the act of reigniting the same. 7

In order to conceal the heating element from view, it is mounted on the holding device so that the end 39 of the body lies adjacent to the ,instrument board l6 while the end wall '38 of the body faces persons sitting in the car.

The mounting of the removable igniting unit to obtain these results is, according to the invention disclosed in an application of Joseph H. Cohen, Serial No. 304,746, filed September 8th, 1928, now Patent No. 1,710,348, dated April 23, 1929 accomplished by shaping the bore 36 in the body so that the post I4 and cap 20 may enter the same and engage bearing surfaces provided on the wall of the. cavity. These bearing surfaces may be constituted by the internal wall of the part 34a itself, if desired. Preferably, and in order that the removable igniting unit may be frictionally held on the cap 20' of the holding device against accidental removal, the cavity 33 is made slightly oversize and there is interposed between the cap 20 and the internal wall of the part 34a a slit sleeve 40 of springy material and so biased as to tend to move away from the internal wall of the part 34w. This sleeve 48 is provided with a flange 4! adapted to engage the disk 30 of the heating element,

The heating element, in addition to the disk,

30, is provided with a spider 42 having a central portion inserted between the insulation 33 and the disk 30 and making electrical cont-act with.

the latter. The arms of the spider are of such length that when the heating element is placed in the chamber or cavity 36, the arms engage a circumferential shoulder 43 on the part 34b.

5 Hence, when the part 34a is screwed in place, the

removable igniting unit is placed on the cap 20 of the holding device, oppositesides of the sleeve 40 7 yield and engage the surface of. the cap 20 with suiiicient pressure to hold the igniting unit there- The removable igniting unit has two contacts adapted to continuouslyengage two contacts on the holding device when the igniting unit is slid home on the cap as far as it will go without moving the cap. One of these contacts is constituted by the slit sleeve 40 which engages the cap 23 on the post i4 and the other is the pin 32 which holds the center of the heating coil and which engages the contact 23 on the cap 20. Thus it will be seen that in addition to serving as the bearing surface for the removable igniting unit, the slit sleeve 4!] also constitutes one of the contacts of the removable igniting unit.

In order to provide for guiding the end of the cigar or cigarette to the heating element, the

end 39 of the part 34a has a bevelled suriace' and the end of the sleeve 40 is belled out slightly so as to be coextensive with said bevelled surface. To prevent a cigar or cigarette from catching on the end of the sleeve, the body part 34a. is provided with a shoulder or under-cut behind which lies the end of the sleeve.

In using the device, the operator may grasp it by hand obtaining purchase in the circumferential groove of the body 34, or he may push directly on the wall 38 with his fingers. If the former method is employed, however, the position of the igniting unitneed not be changed in the users hand, for it may be slid off the cap 20 and then the hand may be turned to bring it against a cigar orcigarette held in the mouth ready to be ignited.

In the device shown in the prior application 7 To accomplish this, the present invention pro- 7 vides in the end wall 38 of the body 34, a window 44 which is preferably, although not essentially, made of glass. This window is of such size or of such thickness or of such color that insufiicient light passes through it from the exterior of the body to illuminate the interior and permit it to be seen.

To further accomplish the object of this invention, the heating'element is so arranged and formed that the heating coil 28 may be viewed from either the observe side (shown in Fig." 2) or the reverse side (shown in Fig, 3) of the heating element. To do this, the insulating disk 29 is preferably'made of transparent mica, and the disk 36 is provided with one or more sight-openings 45; and, likewise, the arms of the spider 42 are cut-away at 43, or initially so formed, as to avoid materially. obstructing the passage of light emanating from the heating coil through the sight-opening 45.

As stated above, normally the interior of the body is invisible, for sufiicient light does not enter the body through the window 44. When, however,-the heating coil 28 is brought to incandescence, sufiicient light is produced thereby to permit the outlines of the convolutions of the coil to be seen through the window 44, as indicated in Fig- 4. In this way, the progress of the coil in becoming incandescent maybe watched. Moreover, the degree of incandescence to which the heating coil has beenbrought may be determined by observing the appearance of the coil through the window.

Of course, if desired, the front portion of the wall 38 in the part 34b may be itself made of transparent material such as a phenol-condensation product. However, when a separate glass is employed, as is shown, it is preferable that it be provided with a bezel 41 which holds it in place.

The window may be plain, or it may be in the form of a lens capable of magnifying the appearance of the incandescent heating coil, so that it may be seen for a greater distance and from a more oblique angle.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters-Patent, is:--

1. A cigar-lighter heating element comprising a coil of high resistance wire adapted to be brought to incandescence when connected to a suitable source of current, and a metal disk on which said coil is supported, and a spider attached to said disk, said spider and disk having a sightopening therein so that the degree of incandescence of the coil may be ascertained whether the disk is viewed from the obverse side on which the coil is supported or from the reverse side.

2. A cigar lighter comprising a coil of high resistance wire adapted to be brought to incandescence when connected to a suitable source of current; a metal disk on which said coil is supported; and a spider-like member attached to said disk, said spider-like member and disk having the sight opening therein so that the degree of incandescence of the coil may be ascertained whether the disk is viewed from the obverse side on which the coil is supported or from the reverse side.

3. A cigar lighter comprising a coil of high resistance wire adapted to be brought to incandescence when connected to a suitable source of current; a disk on which said coil is supported and a spider attached to said disk, said spider and disk having sight openings therein so that the degree of incandescence of the coil may be ascertained whether the disk is viewed from the obverse side on which the coil is supported or from the reverse side.

4. A cigar lighter comprising a coil of high resistance wire adapted to be brought to incandescence when connected to a suitable source of current; a spider-like member attached to said coil to support the same, said spider-like member having a sight opening therein so that the degree of incandescence of the coil may be ascertained whether the disk is viewed from the obverse side on which the coil is supported or from the reverse side.

5. A cigar lighter comprising a coil of high resistance wire adapted to be brought to incandescence when connected to a suitable source of current; a spider-like member attached to said coil to support the same, said spider-like member having a sight opening therein so that the degree or" incandescence of the coil may be ascertained whether the disk is viewed from the obverse side on which the coil is supported or from the reverse side; and a lens mounted thereon to receive the light passing through the sight openings.

ARTHUR A. JOHNSON.