US2591189A - Lighter - Google Patents

Description

April 1, 1952 N. NORDENSTAM 2,591,189

LIGHTER Filed Aug. 18, 1949 n. I] Li INVENTCR.

O ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 1, 1952 NITED :S TATES PAT ENT OFFICE LIGHTER 'NorrisNordensta-m, Riverside, Calif.

Application August 18, 1949, Serial No. 111,010

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to an improved lighter construction of a type in which a cap, in

opening, causes a friction wheel to generate a spark .forqigniting the lighter, and is a continuation in part of my prior patent application filed January 3, 1949, Serial No. 68,902, new abandoned.

,An object of the present-invention is to provide an improved lighter construction including a novel actuating member to facilitate operation of the-friction wheel.

Another object-oi the present invention is to provide an improved lighter zconstruction characterized by its simplicity and relatively small :numberof parts which maybemade and assembled with relatively unskilled personnel using present day mass production methods.

iAnother object of the present invention is to providean improved depresser or treadle bar-connected in' a novel manner to toggle linkage for moving afriction wheel.

-Another object of the present invention :is to provide an improved lighter construction inwhich there is a-novel,cooperationbetween a treadle 'bar A and -a friction wheel, the springbeing connected between such two elements either to normally maintain the lighter cap in a protective position over the lighter wick or in a stableretracted position awayfrom such lighter wick.

Another object of the present invention is to provide ,auimproved lighter construction of the character described in which a spring is associated with the lighter cap and an actuating treadle :bar ,in such amanner that the ,cap in its retractedposition causesthespring to assume an v overcenter position ,toholdrthecap in a retracted position.

Thefeatures of the present invention which are believed' to be novel areset forth with particularity inthe appended claims. This invention itself,

both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a cigarette 2 Figure 4 isa-top planviewiofthe lighter shown in Figure 1 with portions thereof fragmented to show internal structure, and i Figure 5 is :a view similar to the viewof Figure 1 2"and shows a modified arrangement in which a ,conventionalmanner, lighter-fluidin contact with the .wick l l, :which is lit when the friction Wheel [2 is rotated to frictionally engage the spring pressed flintrod ,l lto generate;sparksv The wi-ck construction, as well as the ,meansuwhereby the flint I4 is spring pressed, follows conventional construction. a

The present invention relates :to the improved means whereby the friction wheel i2 is rotated, including the specificccnstructional and mounting features of the depresser or treadle bar i8, and

associated spring 20. The friction wheel 12 is rotatable about the axisiof shaft tBmountedfor rotation on opposite sides :of .the casing 10. The

friction wheel i2 carries a ratchet :wheel 23 ;for cooperation with the pawl member 21 mounted on the cap 22. which is affixed on opposite side walls of easing H), is the cap member 22 which, in its position shown in Figure 1, prevents evaporation of the lighter fluid from the wick H.

The depresser bar I8 is linked to the cap 22 by means of the coiled torque spring 20 which, besides serving as a link, produces a ,desirable mutual bias between such cap 22 and ltreadle .bar ill to achieve important features of the present invention. This bar l-B is adaptedrto pivot about the axis of pin 26, which is affixed to opposite side walls of the casing H]. The torque spring 20 has its free ends bent inwardly and laterally through apertured portions 22A in thecap, while an intermediate portion 21A of :the coiled spring 2c is extended to abut the abutment 29 fastened,

as for example, by welding to the underside of the hollow treadle bar l8, whereby the cap 22 tends to be rotated counterclockwise in Figure 1, and on the other hand, the treadle bar l8 tends to be rotated clockwise about its pivot pin 26. Such counterclockwise rotation of the cap 22 in Figure 1 is, of course, limited by its engagement with the upper end of the wick holder. Such engagement of the cap 22 with the upper end of the wick holder 30 results, of course, in limiting the otherwise clockwise rotation of the treadle Also mounted on theshaft IB,

bar I8. However, when and asthe treadle bar I8 is depressed a slight amount to ignite the lighter, the spring 20 then acts in a direction to produce further downward pivoted movement of the treadle bar I8 about the pivot pin 26. Such downward movement of the treadle bar l8 and upward movement of the cap 22 continues until the parts assume the position shown in Figure 3, wherein they are in a position of stable equilibrium with the cap 22 in a raised position. The cap 22 is maintained in such position shown in Figure 3, since it is observed that the spring 2!! assumes in overcentered position with respect to the rotational axis of the cap 22. Figure 3 the spring 20 no longer tends to pivot the cap 22 in a counterclockwise direction about In other words, in'

its pivot pin l9, but in a clockwise direction into.

abutting engagement with the treadle bar I8. In Figure 3 the spring 20 tends to continue to pivot the treadle bar 18 in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot pin 26, but its motion is limited, due to the engagement of the cap 22 with the treadle bar l8.

In order to maintain the spring 20 to produce theabove mentioned desirable action, the legs of the spring 20 pass inwardly respectively through the oppositely disposed apertures in the cap 22,

and also through a pair of oppositely slotted portions 32 in the opposite side walls of the hollowed treadle bar 18.

Figure 5 shows a modified arrangement in which the torque spring 20 serves again as a link between the cap 22 and treadle bar l8, but the ent invention have been shown and described, it

will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the truespiritand scope of this invention.

- I claim: 7

1. A pocket lighter involving: a lighter casing, a friction wheel rotatably mounted on said casing in operative relationship to produce sparks when the friction Wheel is rotated, a cap member, acne-Way clutch connecting said cap member to said friction wheel, said cap member being pivotally mounted on said casing, a depresser bar mounted on said casingwith one of its ends adjacent said cap and the other one of its ends In other words, when the lighter is remote from said cap, said depresser bar being pivotally mounted on said casing at said other end, and a link member comprising a torque spring abutting both said cap member and said depresser bar, said torque spring having both of its free ends attached to said cap member with an intermediate portion of said torque spring engaging said depresser bar.

2. A pocket lighter comprising: a casing, a depresser bar pivotally mounted at one of its-ends to said casing, a cap member rotatably mounted on said casing about a first axis adjacent to the other end of said bar, a torque spring having both of its free ends connected to said cap with an intermediae portion of said torque spring engaging said other end of said bar to produce motion of said cap when said bar is depressed, to thereby move said cap from a closed position to an open position, said torque spring having a position with respect to the pivotal axes of said depresser bar and cap member and so biased as to ur gesaid cap member toward its closed position and said depresser bar to its raised position,

3. A pocket li'ghter'involving: a li ghtercasing, a friction wheel rotatably mounted on said casing in operative relationship 'to produce sparks when the friction wheel is rotated, a cap member, a one-way clutch connecting said cap-mem' ber to said friction wheel, said cap member being pivotally mounted on said casing, a depresser bar mounted on said casing with one of its ends adjacent said cap and the other one of its ends remote from said cap, said depresser bar being f REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTs,

Number Name I Date 2,030,831 Lagerholm Feb. 11, 1936 2,210,322 Korner Aug'. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 Number Country Date 7 139,492 Austria Nov. 26, 1934 305,233 Great'Britain Aug. 2 9, 1929 382,440 Great Britain Oct. 27, 1932 599,271 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1948 647,638 France July 31. 1928

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