US2340773A - Electric igniting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. I, 1944. J. J.-SHIVELY ELECTRIC manna Armnmus Griginal Filed May 27. 1939 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Feb. 1, 1944.

J. J. SHI VELY ELECTRIC IGNITING APPARATUS Original Filed May 27, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m mi INVENTOR do/m d. Shively Mv-w ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 1, 1944 ELECTRIC IGNITING APPARATUS John J. Shively, New York, N. Y.

Original application May 27, 1939, Serial No. 276,067. Divided and this application May 23, 1941, Serial No. 394,741

3 Claims.

This invention pertains to improvements in electric igniting apparatus, the present application being a divisional application of co-pending application Serial No. 276,067 filed May 27, 1939.

An object of the invention is to provide means for lighting a cigarette or the like with positive air blast instead of with suction.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature including an electric heating unit and means to force a draft of air through or across the heating unit into or against the end of the object to be ignited.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature including a dash pot adapted to prolong the action for proper lighting while at the same time furnishing the air current.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which is simple and reliable in action and which may be cheaply manufactured.

Other objects and advantages will become evident during the course of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a preferred form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the same with the cover plate removed and the operating rod and guide in section;

Figure 3 is a fragmental detail view of the indexing mechanism;

Figure 4 is a fragmental detail section showing a cigarette in lighting position;

Figure 5 is a bottom view on the line 5, Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a front elevation.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral indicates a rear head to which is secured a cylinder I. A front head I2 is in turn secured to the cylinder II. The front head |2 has a central guide l3 in which is slidably mounted a piston rod l4. The front portion of the piston rod I4 is of reduced diameter, joining the main portion at an angular shoulder IS. A pull knob I1 is provided on the front end of the reduced rod portion 5::

A piston l8, having a sealing cup IQ of leather or other suitable yielding material slidable in :the cylinder is secured to the rear end of the rod M by means of an insulating nut 20. A conical compression spring 2|, disposed between the front head l2 and the piston I8, normally holds the latter to the right as shown in Figure 1.

A binding post 22, insulatedly secured in the middle of the rear member H], has an interior contact head 23 normallyreceived in a counterbore 24 in the insulating nut 20. A spring switch arm 25, secured in an insulating block 26, as a forked free end 2| underlying the contact head 23 but normally held clear thereof by th end edges of the insulating piston nut 20.

A cage or magazine 28, Figures 1 and 2; is mounted on the outside of the cylinder so as to be readily rotatable thereon. The magazine comprises a series of circumferentially spaced pockets 29 each adapted to receive a cigarette 30. In the present embodiment the number of pockets is twenty-one, allowing for the storage of twenty cigarettes with an additional pocket for the lighting and discharging position as hereinafter described. It will be understood, however, that the device may be constructed with a greater or smaller number of pockets, depending on the size and desired application of the device.

An outer shell 3|, adapted to retain th cigarettes 30 in the pockets 29, is held in place in a rear clamp member 32 and an extension 33 of the rear head H). A front cover ring 34 is snapped or otherwise detachably secured to the shell 3|. The shell 3| has a longitudinal discharge opening 35 located in the bottom thereof and.over liyng an inclined receiving basket 36 adapted. to catch and retain a discharged cigarette.

The magazine or cage 28 has at its forward end a series of inwardly directed radial lugs. 31, one for each pocket 29, and hereinafter referred to as ratchet lugs. A cylindrical extension 38 of the front head i2 lies within the circle of the lugs 31 and has a deep notch 39 in its lower portion. The notch 39 may have its bottom inclined inwardly in the clockwise direction, Figure 2, and terminates in an abutment 40. A dished plate 4| engages the cylindrical extension 38 and has its lower portion cut away as shown in Figure 2. The central portion of the plate 4| encircles the top of a stepped collar 42, the plate and collar being secured on the outer end of the guide l3 by means of a nut 43, Figure 1, this nut as well as the cover plate 34 being removed in Figure 2 to show the relation of the operating parts most clearly.

A lever 44, hereinafter referred to as the control lever, is rotatably mounted on the collar 42, being retained between the latters inner flange and the plate 4|. A tension spring 45, Figure 2, hooked to the inner side of the dished plate 4| and to the control lever 44, urges the latter counterclockwise. The lever 44 has an inwardly turned foot 46, Figures 4 and 5, normally held to one side of the main longitudinal opening 35 in the shell 3|, as shown in Figure 5, so as to allow any cigarette occupying the bottom pocket 29 to drop out as hereinafter ex plained.

An indexing rod 41 has a middle portion forming a ball 48 movably socketed and retained in the guide portion I3 of the front head 12. The guide portion I3 is cut away as illustrated at 49 to allow the rod 41 rocking motion either in an inward direction as illustrated in dot and dash lines, Figure 1, or in a rotary direction as shown in Figure 3. A diagonal tension spring 50 normally holds the rear portion of the rod 41 against the reduced portion l5 of the piston rod l4 and in engagement with the shoulder [5-, the rod 41 in this position lying clear of the lugs 31.

When the knob I1 is pulled outward the shoulder l6 first rocks the rear portion 5i of the rod 41 straight outward, causing the front end thereof to move inward behind 9. lug 31 until the rod encounters the inclined inner surface of the notch 39 which restrains the inward motion. Continued outward movement of the piston rod '14 thereafter causes the inclined shoulder E6 to shift the rear portion 5| of the indexing rod 41 diametrically as shown in Figure 3, the end of rod 41 engaging the lug 31 and rotating the magazine case 28. By this means, at each outward pull of the knob- IT, the cage 28 is positively indexed through a rotative distance equal to the spacing between adjacent pockets 29, the pockets thus being successively brought into registry with the bottom discharge opening 35. An inwardly turned lug 44 on the lever 44 engages the rod 41 so that as the rod is swung, the lever 44 is also swung to bring the foot 45 below the lowest magazine slot 29 as shown in Figure 3. At each return of the piston rod 14 to normal position, as shown in Figure 1, the spring 50 also returns the indexing rod 41 to normal position ready for the next indexing action, the lever 44 being also returned by its spring 45.

A leaf spring pawl 52 is secured to the inner side of the dished plate 4i and is adapted to suecessively spring inward behind the lugs 31 to prevent possible return motion of the cage 28. The

pressure of this spring pawl also serves normally to prevent rattling of the cage due to vibration, for example in automobile use.

A hollow cylindrical member 53 of electrical insulating and heat resisting material such as porcelain or the like, is disposed in the forward end of the rear member B, and contains an electrical heating unit of any suitable form such as a conical spiral of resistance ribbon 54. A ring 55, also of insulating material, ispressed against the rear end of the member 53 by a threaded plug '56, thus clamping the member 53 in place. The ring 55 also clamps the two ends of the heater unit ribbon 54 respectively against the outer end of the switch arm 25 and the interior of extension 33. By this arrangement it will be seen that the heater 54 is electrically connected at one end to the insulated switch arm and is grounded at the other end to the body of the device.

The inner end of the retaining plug 55 contains a central chamber 51 in communication through a hole 58 with the large air chamber 5!! inside the rear cylinder head H1. The interior of the ring 55 comprises a restricted orifice or nozzle 60 adapted to project air from the chamber 51 through the heating unit 54 as illustrated in Figure 4.

The rear head 18 has therein a number of large inlet air holes Bl controlled by a light resilient faced inlet valve 62 normally held shut by a light spring spider 63.

The head ID may be formed with a semicircular abutment 64 having threaded holes 65 for attaching the device to any desired support, either directly or by means of suitable brackets or clamps.

Taking as typical the use of the device in an automobile, the device is attached to a suitable portion of the car in such maner that the rear head member In is grounded, and the binding post 22 is connected by a wire to the cars electrical system. As the nut 20 normally holds the switch arm 25 out of contact with the head 23 of post.22, no circuit normally exists through the heating unit 54.

The operation is as follows: The detachable cap 34 is removed and cigarettes 30 inserted in all pockets 29 except the lowest or lighting and discharge pocket 29*, after which the cap 34 is. replaced.

When the operator requires a lighted cigarette he pulls out the knob I1, preferably to its fullest extent, compressing the spring 2!. This operation performs three functions as follows: The indexing rod 41 is actuated to rotate the cage 28 as previously described, bringing a cigarette 3| into line with the heating unit 54, in which position the cigarette is supported at its front and rear ends respectively by the foot of lever 44 and the small rear end portion of the shell 3|, as shown in Figure 4. Secondly, the initial withdrawal of theinsulated piston nut 25) allows the switch arm 25 to spring into contact with the head 23 of the binding post 22, causing current to flow through the heating unit 54 and bring the latter to incandescence. Thirdly, the outward movement of the piston It draws a charge of air inward past the valve 62 into the cylinder ll.

When the knob 11 is released the spring 2| expands to force the piston 13 inward. The air trapped ahead of the piston can find egress only through-the hole 58 and nozzle orifice 60, and is consequently forced outward through the latter, thence through the heater 54 and against the end of the cigarette 30 The air passing through the incandescent heater 54 is heated thereby to a high temperature, and the blast of hot air driven against and into the end of the cigarette and aided by direct radiation from the heater 54, lights the end of the cigarette. The smallness of the orifice delays the return of the piston to normal position, thus allowing the lighting action to continue for ample time to assure proper ignition of the cigarette.

As the piston rod I4 approaches normal position to release the indexing rod 41 as previously described, the spring 45 swings the control lever 44 to the side position shown in Figure 2. The

- foot 46 is thereby moved from under the front end of the lighted cigarette 30 allowing the latter to topple down into the basket 36where it comes to rest as shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 1. In this position, it is readily picked up by the smoker. At the conclusion of the inward piston stroke the nut 20 forces the switch arm 25 out of contact with the binding post head 23, thus breaking the circuit through the hcating unit 54.

Breather holes 66 are provided in the front head I 2 to prevent any compression or vacuum in the front part of the cylinder l l. Due to the constriction of the orifice 65, its resistance to the passage of air is so much greater than that of the inlet valve 62 on the suction stroke that any inward flow through the hole 58 is so small as to be negligible. It is obvious, of course, that a check valve of any common type may be provided therein, but in the preferred form shown, this is unnecessary for the reason stated above.

From the foregoing description of the structure and operation, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention presents many advantages over prior devices, some of which are as follows:

The dash-pot action performs the double function of sustaining the lighting action and at the same time furnishing a positive air blast to insure thorough lighting. The use of this positive blast, instead of suction as used in some prior devices, eliminates the necessity for accurate registration of the cigarette With a suction opening and aiso avoids any outside connection to a source of suction such as an automobile inlet manifold, the only connection necessary for the present invention other than the grounded mounting being the wire to the binding post 22. The device thus being substantially self-contained allows great ease and latitude in location in a vehicle. The lack of suction tubes into which smoke is drawn eliminates such common troubles as plugging up of tubes with gum deposits, leaking or breaking of tubes, or failure of the source of suction for example when the engine is stopped. The cigarette normally does not come into contact with the heating unit during lighting, the lighting being accomplished by combined radiation and hot air blast, as previously set forth. Obviously, therefore, the heating unit is kept free from any troubles due to adhering ashes or partially burned tobacco, which troubles are Well known characteristics of the contact type of unit. It will be noted that the closing of the electric circuit at the beginning of the outward piston stroke allows the heating unit some time to be heated before the start of the air blast. Finally, each cigarette occupies its individual pocket 29 in the magazine cage 28 and is individually controlled at all times, so that interference and clogging of cigarette feed cannot occur even in case of imperfect cigarettes.

The removable cap 34 may be formed with windows 6'! overlying an inner transparent strip 68 cemented or otherwise secured on the inside of the cap. These windows permit the number of cigarettes in the magazine to be observed. An open hole 69, Figures 1 and 6, is provided in the cap 34 in line with the heating unit 54. This hole 69, together with a slot 10 in the lever 44, allow for the escape of air and smoke which may be driven through the cigarette 30 by the air blast.

While the invention has been described in preferred form, it is not limited to the exact structures illustrated as various changes and modications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, a dash-pot, means to operate said dash-pot whereby a charge of air may be trapped therein, a heating element, means controllable by said operating means to energize said heating element, means to position a cigarette with the end thereof adjacent said heating element, said element and said adjacent end being in direct communication with the exterior atmosphere, and means to discharge all said trapped air in a direct blast through said element and against the end of said cigarette.

2. In a cigarette lighting device, in combination, a heating element, means to position a cigarette with the end thereof adjacent but spaced from said heating element, said element and said adjacent end being in free. communication with the outer atmosphere and means to direct a concentrated blast of air through said element and against said end of said cigarette.

3. In a cigarette lighting device, in combination, an open heating element adapted to radiate heat, means to position a cigarette adjacent but spaced from said element with the end of said cigarette exposed to said radiant heat whereby an igniting effect may be produced in said end, and pneumatic means including a blast nozzle directly behind said element to determine the duration of said igniting effect while increasing the intensity of the same.

JOHN J. SHIVELY.

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