US2384844A

US2384844A - Gas tokch lighter

Info

Publication number: US2384844A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1945-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 1962-09-18

Description

sept. 18, Q v MALMQUls-r GAS TORCH LIGHTER Filed sept. 3, 1943 Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAS TORCH LIGHTER Oscar V. Malmquist, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application September 3, 1943, Serial No. 501,060

4 Claims.

My present invention relates to improved methods of and apparatus for lighting gas-burning torches such as are employed in the welding and brazing arts, and has among its important objectives the provision of improved means and methods whereby such torches may be more easily and quickly ignited than by previously employed methods and apparatus.

As is well known, gas-burning torches of the kind employed in the welding and brazing arts, for example, must be frequently lighted and relighted during the course of a days Work, and close observations indicate clearly that much actual production time is lost by workers in these elds through time consumed in the lighting `and relighting of their torches when previous apparatus and methods of ignition are employed. I find that one of the most commonly accepted devices for igniting such torches is in the'nature of hand-held and hand-operated sparkersof the type wherein a int is moved over sharp steel edges to produce sparks of hot metal in the presence of gas emitted from the torch. These so-called sparkers or sparking lighters have hitherto been held in one of the operators hands during the lighting operation, while the torch was held in the other hand; and, of course, this procedure requires the temporary release by the operator of any work piece which he may have been holding with one hand.

Specific objects of the invention are, therefore, the provision of improved method and apparatus whereby the Welder may quickly and easily produce ignition sparks in the presence of gas emitted from his torch and thereby ignite the torch gas, all by the use of the hand holding the torch. To this end, the invention provides a novel sparking type of lighter that is secured to a fixed support, such as a floor or work bench in a convenient location with respect to the operators work, and is designed and arranged to be manipulated by engagement of the torch itself; the invention also providing a novel method comprising the manipulation of such a lighter by direct engagement with the movable element of the lighter and movements imparted thereto through the medium of the torch.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention will be made clear in the following specification, claims, and appended drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

embodiment of a lighter made in accordance with the invention and further indicating, by dotted lines, the preferred method of operating the lighter;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l, but showingxthe torch in full lines; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3 and looking downwardly with respect to Fig. 3.

The preferred embodiment of the lighter illustrated comprises a ilat sheet metal base element 6 having an integrally formed upturned guard flange l, a roughened steel element 8 in the nature of a le toothed on its upper surface,A a int 9 for cooperation with the file 8, and a spring ilint holder II). The base element 6 is shown asbeing anchored to a xed base of support, such as a work bench II, through the medium of nails, screws, or the like I2. The guard 'flange 'I eX- tends completely aroundone segmental end of the base element 6 and is extended for a considerable distance along one side thereof. The flint 9 is directly mounted in a head I3 applied to the free end oi the flint carrying spring I 0. At its other end, spring ilint carrier I0 is bent downwardly at I4, transversely at I5, and upwardly at I6 to provide a U-shaped anchoring portion which transversely embraces one end portion of the base element 6; the base portion 6 and extended side of the guard flange 1 being inwardly pressed to provide channels Il and I8 for receiving anchoring portions i4 and I5 o'f the spring flint carrier. The file 8 is seated on and'extends across the upwardly pressed base Yportion forming channel I'I, and is provided with a notch I9 at one end to receive the in-pressed portion forming channel I8, and is notched at its other end to receive the upturnedA end I6 of the spring flintl holder I0.

Initially, the upturned end I6 of the spring I0 forms a right anglewith respect to the transversely extending portion I5 thereof, but after application of the filethe upturned end I6 is further bent inwardly to lock the file in position. The iile is thus placed under longitudinalsqueezing pressure which, due to the close fitting of its notched ends, prevents lateral tipping action thereof, as well as vertical displacement.

The flint 9 rests upon the toothed surface of Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred 65 the le 8 and the Spring int hOldel' which iS coiled intermediate its ends normally maintains the flint adjacent one extreme end of the file; and, in fact, normally maintains the head I3 against the upstanding portion I6, which latter serves as a stop to prevent the spring I from carrying the flint beyond that end of the file. Now, it will be clear that movement of the flint over the file, against the action of the spring I0, will produce sparks of hot metal capable of igniting gas from. the welders torch.

The operative end ofV a conventional welders torch is indicated as an entirety by 2l), by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and by full lines in Fig. ll; and this torch may be assumed to be connected to a conventional source of gas supply not shown, and

which Will be emitted from the free end ofY thev tip of the torch. NOWy by reference particularly to Figs. 1, 3, and 4, it will be seen' that the spring flint holder is bent adjacent the head I3v toprovide a notch 2| for receiving the free end Portion ofthe tip of the welding torch 20.

' The improved method of lighting the torch comprises' engaging the free end of the torch tiD with the notched portion 2I of the flint holder, whichportion 2l is closely .adjacent the flint 9 and file .8; and then by movement of the torch tip, moving the flint 9 over the le 8 against the action of the spring I0, while gas is being emitted from the end of the torch. Actuation of the lighter in this manner requires the use of only the operators hand already engaged in holding the torch; and, of course, the operation may be repeated as many times as is necessary to ignite the torch. Due to the location of the notch 2l and consequent location of the gas-emitting end of the torch immediately adjacent the iiint 9 and `ille 8, 4gas from the torch will be concentrated about the area from which sparks are emitted, and ignition willA take place very rapidly. Even in locations where there is considerable draft which would tend to carry the gas away from the sparking area, the guard flange I will offer sufficient protection to insure rapid ignition by concentrating or pocketing the gas in the critical area.

' Fromthe drawing and above description thereof, it will be seen that that part of the spring flint carrier I Il lying above and in parallel relation to the base element 6 comprises connected opposite legs Illa and Illb, and integrally formed coupling coil portion Illc, vertical leg-action portions I!! and" I6, and a transverse'horizontal portion or leg I5. It will be further seen that the notched ends of the lile element 8 receive the vertical portions or legs I4 and I6 of the spring ilint holder, and

'are tightly clamped therebetween. While in the i preferred embodiment of the invention the flange :'I is vprovided for the purpose of pocketing or concentrating gases in the critical area, Yit will he clear that this flange could be omitted without defeating the `novel manner of anchoring the spring flint holder between the legs I4 and l5 of liberal sense to include any element which will function as a flint to produce sparks when brought into frictional engagement with another element, and the term ille is likewise used in a broad and liberal sense to include any device which will cooperate with a hint-acting element to produce such sparks as are required for gas ignition.

What I claim is:

1. A lighter of the kind described comprising a substantially flat base element adapted to be secured to a suitable base of support, a lighter ille extending transversely across said base, a flint carrying spring comprising connected opposite legs overlying the base, a flint carried by the end of one leg of said spring flint carrier and overlying the ille, the other leg of the said spring flint carrier being formed to provide downwardly, transversely, and upwardly extending portions, the said transversely extending portion extending under said base element directly beneath the lile, and said downwardly and upwardly extending portions vengaging opposite edges of the base p0rtion and exerting squeezing pressure on the opposite ends of the file', whereby to anchor the spring flint holder and ille to the base.

2. The structure defined in 'claim l, in which the opposite ends of the file are notched to receive the saiddownwardly and upwardly extending portions of the spring flint holder, and in further combination with a gas-coniining guard llange upstanding from the edge of the base and extendingy between one notched end of the file r and the downwardly extending portion of the spring flint holder, said iiange being formed with an in-pressed channel receiving the downwardly extended portion of the spring flint holder and which in-pressed channel is directly received in the adjacent notched end of the file.

3. `A lighter of the kind described comprising a substantially ilatelongated base element adapted to be secured to a suitable base of support, a lighter iile extending transversely across and anchored to said base adjacent one end of Jrhe elongated base element, a flint carrying spring overlying said base element and comprising connected opposite legs, a ilint carried by 'one end of one leg of said spring flint carrier and disposed over the said le, the other leg of the spring flint carrier being anchored t0 said base elementv and a gas-coniining guard flange upstanding from the margin of the base element and extending around the end portion thereof adjacent the lighter le.

4. A lighter ofy the type described comprising a substantially flat base adapted to be secured to a suitable relatively stationary support, an abrasive surface extending transversely across and anchored to said base adjacent one end thereof, a swinging carrier for a spark emitting element said ,carrier being anchored to the base and having a free end overhanging the abrasive surface, a spark emitting element carried by said free end portion of the swinging carrier for rubbing movement on the abrasive, said swinging carrier being provided adjacent its free end with a torch tip receiving and guiding recess and gas confining `flange means on the lighter assembly for restraining gas emitted by the torch tip, to the region of the spark emittingr element.

OSCAR V. MALMQUIST.