US2126710A - Cigar lighter - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 19380 P. E. ASHTON 2,126,710

CIGAR LIGHTER Filed Oct. 8, 1954 2a a a? 5/ 1i 53 30 2a 1 24 L j if 29:, 2f l 21 NVENTOR Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 8,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to lighters for cigars and the like and has for its main object to provide a simple, inexpensive and yet reliable construction capable of being easily and conveniently handled, repaired and cleaned.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a preferred embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the device of Fig. 1 in the circuit closing position, with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 with the plug removed.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal view, partly in section, of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1 before the socket and plug have been secured to the instrument board.

The socket II is adapted to be secured to the dashboard or instrument board of an automobile in some suitable manner and one such way of securing the socket has been shown in Figs. 1 and 4,

It will be noted the socket is provided with stamped up lugs M which engage the plate I3, the plate being provided with bent portions l5 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 for cooperation with the rear face of the dashboard l0. These bent legs are shown in Fig. 5 as being spaced about apart and spaced about the same distance is the screw 15a in threaded engagement with the plate l3. On tightening the screw the plate I3 is held against the lugs [4 which in turn hold the socket in position by pressing the front flange I6 of the socket against the front face of the dashboard Ill. The socket is secured at its rear to the perforated member l2 through which passes the central conductor lead I1, the socket I l constituting the other terminal and being grounded. The electric conductor ll leads from the battery or other source of current to the terminal ll illustrated Within the insulating disc I8 and the flexible helical spring conductor I9 carries the current from the supply lead IT to the movable central contact 20. A coil spring 2| cooperates with the disc "3 and the slide or insulating disc 22 urging the contact 20 outwardly or toward the front of the socket. This contact is cup-like and has a flaring flange to receive the plug terminal.

Stamped-out lugs 23 integral with the socket are bent inwardly an amount sufficient to engage the insulating disc or wall 22 for holding the spring 2| under compression and the central contact 2|] in its normal position. There are generally three such lugs 23 spaced equidistantly circumferentially.

The plug which is adapted for reception within 1934, Serial No. 747,376

the socket comprises a body 24 of insulating material such as a phenolic condensation product or other suitable electrical and thermal insulating material. The heating or lighting element 25 which is brought to incandesence when placed in the circuit, is preferably of the spiral form, one end of the resistance strip being connected to a flange of the support terminal 26 which engages the central cup-shaped terminal 26 as illustrated.

Great difficulty has been experienced with this part of the device with respectto the connection between the heater strip and its support. Owing to the repeated expansion and contraction of the parts they are likely to become separated and burned out due to poor connection. I have solved this difiiculty after many experiments by the expedient of electrically welding the strip to a flange of the cup-like support 26 thus forming a perfect and permanent electrical connection.

The other end of the resistance element 25 is riveted or welded to the central stud 21 from whence the current then passes to the metal spider member 28 having engagement with the plug body by means of the screw threads 29. The support terminal 26 is insulated from but secured to the spider 28 by the same stud 21.

To assist in frictionally retaining the plug in the socket a pin or bolt 30 extends radially from the central bore or recess through the outer surface of the plug for engagement with the inner surface of the socket, the pin being pressed outwardly by means of the leaf spring 3|. This leaf spring is substantially semi-circular and sprung into the recess in the plug to hold it in place. The cupshaped members 26 and 28 may be perforated if desired so as to provide ventilation and also permit light to shine through. The outer end of the plug bore may be closed by a piece of colored glass or other translucent material 32 if desired. Friction fingers or any other recognized equivalent means for retaining a plug within a socket may be substituted for the pin 30.

From the drawing it will be seen that the metal member 28 does not extend radially outward far enough to engage the socket but terminates inwardly of the outer surface of the plug in order that it may be normally out of contact with the socket. The member 28 has a terminal flange 33 and the socket is provided with several inwardly bent integral lugs 34 which constitutes contact abutments for the flange 33 for limiting the inward movement of the plug and also constitute a means of connecting or grounding the member 28 to the socket when the plug is pushed in the full amount as shown in Fig. 2.

When the flange 33 engages the lugs 34 the circuit is closed.

In operation the plug is normally maintained in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 with the ungrounded side of the line normally in contact through the parts and 26, the circuit being open on the grounded side of the heater. The friction of the button or pin 30 against the socket or a friction finger against the plug assists in maintaining the plug in the normal position illustrated by Fig, 1.

When the plug is pushed inwardly the central contact 20 together with the insulating discs .22 and 22a on which it is mounted, is moved inwardly against the action of the spring 2| until the flange 33 engages the contacting surface 34 to close the circuit and limit the compression put on the spring 2| as shown in *Fig. 2.

The resistance element is electrically connected and being heated when the parts are in the position shown by Fig. 2. The time required for the coil 25 to be heated sufficiently to light the cigar is not great and ordinarily the user can approximate the period of time necessary with little efifort. The heating coil may be sufliciently luminous to transmit a noticeable amount of light through the bore of the plug. When the heater has reached its desired state the plug is removed and used for lighting a cigarette, cigar or pipe.

It will be understood that in order to keep the heater electrically connected it is necessary to apply pressure to maintain the plug pressed inwardly far enough for the circuit to be closed. If pressure is released the spring 2| opens the circuit between the contacts 33 and 34.

In the embodiment shown by Fig. 4 the flexible connection l9 has been eliminated and a switch placed in the socket, the central rivet 35 which holds the center contact 20 to the insulating discs 22 and 22a constituting one element of the switch, while the cooperating switch member 36 is a spring blade of the shape illustrated, the same being held in contact with the terminal of the conductor On pushing the plug inwardly this socketswitch closes by the engagement of the elements 35 and 36, in advance of the closing of the ground connection between the contacts 33 and '34 so that both sides of the line are disconnected 'from the plug and its heater when in normal unpressed position. In both embodiments a peripheral groove 31 is arranged on the outer end portion of the plug to provide an appropriate finger grip for the plug.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned its simplicity of construction, its ruggedness and ease with which parts may be replaced and cleaned. In the event the heater element burns out it is only necessary to unscrew the supporting member 28 from the insulating block and insert a new unit assembly in place of the old.

The rim portions of the members 26 and 28 are supported by only narrow spokes which allow light and heat to pass through the bore of the plug. The insulating material illustrated as being clamped between the parts 26 and 28 may be mica or even more transparent or translucent insulating material and may be cut out leaving narrow spokes toregister with the spokes of members 26 and 28.

Both of the plug terminals 26 and 33 may be kept clean almost automatically since a rotation of the plug when in the position shown by Fig. 2 causes the cooperating stationary contacts 20 and 34 to rub against the plug contacts and assist in keeping them free of any burned portions.

The circuit is opened and closed between the ground contacts 33 and 34 in both Figs. 1 and 4. In the embodiment shown in Fig. l the plug is normally in position in which the heater element is entirely disconnected from both sides of the line, or in other words, is in a two pole open circuit position.

7 As shown in the drawing the socket II is provided with several perforations around the spring 2| whereby this spring is kept cooled by convection currents, should it become heated. The spring 2| is also shielded by the insulating discs 22 and 22a from heat transfer from the element 25 by both conduction and radiation and it will also be understood that the spring 2| is not in the electrical circuit.

The ,plug being substantially entirely of insulatin: material is kept cool so that there is no danger of a users fingers becoming burned in taking hold of the plug at the peripheral groove 31.

The spring 3| for the retaining pin 3|) is shaped so as not to impede transmission of any light through the plug bore. While the plug and socket are shaped to allow the plug to be inserted in any angular position, it will nevertheless be understood that the socket may or may not be provided with one or more indented portions adapted to receive the end of the pin 30 for more securely holding the plug in its normal open circuit position. The opening and closing of the circuit by butt contacts 33 and 34 does away with the necessity of having any substantial portion of the plug longitudinally of metal.

Instead of the flexible connection I9, some type of expansible connection containing an internal spring such as has been used in the lamp socket and other arts may be used to connect the portions now joined by the conductor I9. The conductor I9 need not be of spring material as long as the spring 2| is present. When the spring 2| is made of slightly smaller diameter so as not to be in danger of contacting with the grounded socket, then the spring 2| may be secured to the terminals in the insulating discs l8 and 22 and carry the current instead of the conductor l9 so that only one spring maybe used for carrying the current and for pressing the disc 22 into engagement with the abutments 23.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 4, however, requires that the spring 2| shall not carry current inasmuch as the switch parts 35 and 36 interrupt the circuit. These switch parts 35 and 36 close before the circuit is closed through the connections 33 and 34 on pushing in the plug and conversely the switch parts 35 and 36 open after the circuit has been broken through the contacts 33 and 34. The switch part 36 being yieldably mounted constitutes a wiping contact as it cooperates with the switch part 35 in opening and closing.

The eyelet or ferrule 38 for retaining the lens or glass 32 in position may be made in one piece, or in two pieces as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Other conventional and Well known means for retaining a socket in position on an instrument board or dashboard, may be used in place of the plate l3, such as U-shaped brackets as are used for holding clocks, speedometers, etc.

The handle portion 31 of the plug may be of metal threaded or otherwise secured to the insulating portion of the plug, or the insulation between such a metal handle and the metal member 28 may be thin like a washer, inasmuch as the insulation should electrically insulate the contact 33 from the socket and also thermally insulate the handle portion from the heater end of the plug.

The colored glass 32 is often more ornamental than useful for a variety of reasons! among which may be mentioned the fact that the operator generally holds the plug between his middle finger and forefinger, both of which fingers engage the groove 31, with his thumb placed over the glass 32 during the time he holds the plug both in and out of the socket.

Both the springs l9 and 2| might be eliminated by having the center contact 2|] mounted directly on the insulating disc 18 with its forwardly extending cup-like sides split to be resilient and arranged much longer yet with the desired taper where they engage the terminal 26. In this last event center contact 2!] would still be in engagement with the terminal 26 both normally and when the circuit is closed, the resiliency of the long split sides of the central contact 2!), then taking care of the necessary yield as the terminal 25 is moved inwardly along the sloping outer portions of the terminal 2c.

Heretofore in the art of electric cigar lighters the outer end of the spiral resistance wire has been secured to the surrounding flange of the holder or cup-like member by riveting, or by clamping the end of the wire between spun portions of the rim or flange, this rim being made in more than one part. Due to the heat generated solder is not practicable. The rivet type of connection has been found by years of experience to be unsatisfactory because the resist ance wire is weakened by the perforation necessary for the rivet and may break off adjacent said perforation due to vibrations of the automobile or other object in which it is mounted.

Experience has also shown that vibrations and expansion tend to loosen either the rivet or the spun clamping portions holding the outer end of the resistance wire with the result that heat is generated in this wire and the resistance increased, which condition is objectionable because it provides heating where it is not desirable or useful and also because such increase in resistance cuts down current flow through the resistance coil and therefore cuts down the effective heating of such coil.

After long experimentation it has been found possible to molecularly or integrally unite the outer end of the resistance wire to the surrounding flange of the cup member by welding a small portion of the resistance wire and cup rim.

So far as I am aware I have been the first to eliminate the disadvantages of jar which caused increased resistance in the connection between the wire and rim, during the more than quarter of a century that cigar lighters have been carried in automobiles.

I claim:

1. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising in combination a metal socket, a central contact insulated from the socket, a spring tending to move said contact forwardly, said socket having an inward projection to limit forward movement of said contact, a plug, a resistance element carried by the plug and adapted to be brought to incandescence, contacts on the plug one of which is adapted to normally engage the central contact of the socket, the other plug contact being adapted to engage an inward projection on the socket only when the plug is pressed inward against the action of said spring, said projection on the socket engaged by said other plug contact limiting the inward movement of the plug and the compression of said spring.

2. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising in combination a metal socket, a plug for cooperation with said socket, a central contact insulatedfrom the socket, a spring tending to move said'contact forwardly, said socket having an inward projection to limit forward movement of said contact, a resistance element carried by the plug and adapted to be brought to incandescence, contacts on the plug one of which is adapted to normally engage the central contact of the socket, the other plug contact being adapted to engage an inward projection on the socket only when the plug is pressed inward against the action of said spring, said inward projection on the socket engaged by the other plug contact limiting the inward movement of the plug and the compression of said spring and a switch enclosed by said spring and between said central socket contact and a connecting lead to the socket.

3. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising in combination a metal socket, a central contact insulated from the socket, a spring tending to move said contact forwardly, said socket having a projection to limit forward movement of said contact, a plug, a resistance element carried by the plug and adapted to be brought to incandescence, contacts on the plug one of which is adapted to normally engage the central contact of the socket, the other plug contact being adapted to engage a bent in projection on the socket only when the plug is pressed inward against the action. of said spring, said bent in projection on the socket engaged by the other plug contact limiting the inward movement of the plug and the compression of said spring, a button laterally extending through the plug for engagement with the socket wall in any position thereof, an armate spring pressing said button outwardly, said plug having a longitudinal passage, the major portion of the walls of said passage being of insulating material.

4. A lighter mounting socket comprising a central contact, a spring between the base of the socket and said contact, a flexible connection permanently joining the central contact with an incoming conductor, and a disc of insulating material between said spring and central contact, inwardly bent tongues on said socket engaging said insulating disc to limit outward movement of the central contact.

5. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising in combination a socket, a removable plug slidable within said socket, a heater carried on the rear or inner end portion of said plug, an electrically conductive rim around said heater, a contact insulated from said socket and adapted for engagement with the heater rim, a transverse insulating disc contiguous and slidable along the inner surface of said socket intermediate its ends and on which said socket contact is mounted, a spring in back of and cooperating with said disc and socket and tending to move the disc forwardly, means on the socket periphery for limiting forward or outward movement of said disc and its contact, a switch part carried on the inner or rear face of said sliding disc, a cooperative relatively stationary switch part carried by the base portion of said socket, at least one of said switch parts being yieldable, and means in addition to said switch for limiting inward movement of said plug after the yieldable switch part and its oooperative switch part have been engaged, an insulated conducting lead connected to the switch part carried by the base portion of the socket, a conductor ring carried by the rear end portion of the plug but in front of and insulated from said heater rim, said ring being electrically connected to the socket at least while said switch Parts are in closed circuit relation and said heater is being electrically heated, said socket and slidable insulating disc being effective to shield the socket in rear of said disc against the transmission of heat from the plug heater by either conduction, radiation or convection.

6. A lighter comprising a socket, a removable plug slidable in the socket and carrying an igniter on its inner end, a socket contact engaging said igniter, a disc slidable along the inside of the socket and carrying said socket contact, a spring cooperating with said disc and the base of said socket for urging the disc outwardly, a switch in back of said disc, at least one of the switch parts being yieldable, means in addition to said switch for limiting outward movement of said disc and for limiting inward movement of said plug after closure of the switch in rear of said disc, said disc including insulating material extending substantially entirely across the socket to shield the socket in rear of said disc from the transmission of heat of the igniter, said socket being provided with openings in rear of said disc to facilitate the passage of cooling currents of air therethrough.

7. A lighter comprising a socket, a removable plug slidable in the socket and carrying an igniter on its inner end, a socket contact engaging said igniter, a disc slidable along the inside of the socket and carrying said socket contact, a spring cooperating with said disc and the base of said socket for urging the disc outwardly, a switch in back of said disc at least one of whose parts is yieldable, means in addition to said switch for limiting outward movement of said disc and for limiting inward movement of said plug after closure of the switch in rear of said wall, and another switch in front of said disc one of whose parts is a ring on the rear of the plug and the other of whose parts is a stamped in portion of the socket, said last mentioned switch being closed only after the first mentioned switch in rear of said disc has been closed.

8. A cigar lighter comprising a socket, a removable plug carrying an igniter on the inner end thereof, a contact with a rim around said igniter, a socket contact for yieldable engagement with said rim, a transverse disc slidable along the inner wall of said socket and carrying said socket contact, a spring cooperating with said disc and socket for urging the disc outwardly, a stop for limiting inward movement of said plug, and a ground connection between said plug and socket in front of said igniter and adapted to be cleaned on rotation of said plug, said ground connection constituting said stop for limiting inward movement of said plug.

PHILIP E. ASHTON.

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