US2647383A - Pyrophoric lighter for handicapped persons - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 4, 1953 l. FLORMAN PYROPHORIC LIGHTER FOR HANDICAPPED PERSONS Filed Jan. 29, 1953 Patented Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES. PAT NT/creme rmornomc LIGHTERFOR HANDICAPPED reasons v I Irving Florman, New 'York, N. Y. Application January 29, 1953, Serial N 0. 333,996

Claims. ('01. 67-171) to provide means ensuring easy operation of the lighter by handicapped persons and without endangering or burning the hands of such persons even if the same form stumps.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide means conducive to a simple actuating mechanism devoid of any springs for operate ing the flint wheel while the cover and base housing of the lighter are moved relatively to each other substantially with little effort and force.

. These and other objects will become apparent from the following detailed description, reference being. had to the accompanying drawing in which, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a lighter shown in closed position, partly in section, made in accordance with the invention; I

Fig. ,2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 with the cover of the lighter in. open position and in half-open position as indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of thelighter of Fig. 1 partly in section taken along lines. 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows schematically the operation of the lighter by means of the stumps of the hands of a handicapped person.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, thereis shown inFig. 1 a lighter I0 of the portable and pyrophoric type. The lighter conslsts of "a base housing II anda cover I2 swin able with respect to the base housing II about pivot I3. The movement of cover I2 with respect to base housing I I is controlled by a known spring lever attachment I4, I5, whereby the lighter is kept in open or closed condition, selectively. [On top of the base housing II there are arranged U-shaped wind protector I6 having perforations I1 and a wick holder I8 surrounded by a gasket I9 and containing the wick 20, as it is well known in the art. Within the cover I2 there is arranged a snuflie sleeve 2I which co-acts with the rubber gasket I9 in order to prevent loss of fuel when the lighter is not in use. Further affixed on the side wall face I2a of cover I2, there is a fixed pivot 22 adapted to hingedly carry a slotted lever 23' for a purpose later to be described.

Lever 23 is sufliciently spaced from side wall I2a so that when the cover I2 is closed on base housing II this lever will'be received within the con fines of U-shaped wind protector I6. Pivot pin 22 will then be located between the end of U- shaped wind protector I6 and a ratchet and flint wheel mechanism 25 hereinafter to be described.

On top of base housing I I, which contains wick 23 and flint 24 supported by a spring 26 and the fuel tank 27, there is disposed a yoke-shaped holder 30 about to be described in greater detail.

Holder 30 consists of abase plate fixed to the top surface of base housing II and two lugs 28 and 2 9 between which there are mounted on trun-'- nions 3| and 33, pawl element and flint wheel 32 having the lateral ratchet teeth 38 which are engageable with a tooth 34 of said pawl element. Between pawl element 35 and lever 23 there is arranged'on trunnion 38 awasher 36 to afford pivotal connection of lever 23 relative to pawl element 35.

-Pawl element 35 has an outwardly extending eccentric lug 31 which is connected with lever 23, as more clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Pawl element 35 has furthera stop 35a which, in its extreme position of ,rotation, as seen in full lines in Fig. 2, abuts against a rest 39 fixed to the top surface of base housing II.

The operation of this lighter will now be readily understood. The person having stumps or hands with completely missing fingers holds the base housing I I in stump A, while the cover I2 is held in stump B, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

- When the two lighter parts II and I2 are then moved away from each other by means of the stumps about'hinge I3, itwill-be observed that the lighter structure with the ratchet and flint Wheel mechanism 25 on the one hand, and the pivoted lever 23 with its oiTset slotted portion 23a engaged by pin 22 on the other hand, permits at first a short lost motion so that base housing II may be readily wedged away from cover I I, thus .providing for the handicapped person a leverage for further and easy movement of the cover I2 relative to base housing II. During this movement, as is well understood, curved lever end 40 Will ride along a preshaped contour of the head 29a of lug 29 to thereby orient and guide said lever 23 about trunnion 38.

When the cover I2 has reached a position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, fixed pivot pin 22 has reached almost the slotted offset portion 23a of lever 23. When cover I2 is then further moved relative to base II, pivot pin 22 enters the slot of the offset portion 23a of lever portion 23a whereby a snapping or kicking action is achieved during which the opposite end 40 of lever 23 and lug 3! of pawl element 35 are so moved with respect to each other that pawl element 35 imparts a sudden rotation to the flint wheel for sparking purposes whereby the flint wheel 32 will coact with flint 24 to bring about sparking in upward direction toward wick 20 as may be easily realizedlfi-om Fig. 2'.

It is to'benoted; that the coordination of movement of the eccentric 37 of pawl element 35, of the movement of the slotted lever 23 with it'sofiset slotted portion 23a and, of. the, compound. movements of pivot 38a which links lever 23? to: eccentric 3i and of pivot 22 which performs a dual pivoting action due to its longitudi'iial move ment along slotted lever 23 (monemen-t-.-irom one end of the slot to the other end thereof and in opposed relation to the movement of the lever) and due to an oscillating motion relative theretopis so; chosen: that. the cover" describes. only a ratherclimit'ed; outward path: from the end? of its lost motion: (approximat'elyindicated by," dotted line. positiomto the: fully. open! position: of. the (lover;. at which: the: pawl element 35 comes to a stop? at: 35%; Gonsequently, when: pivot: pin 22 engagemthe endoi slotted'lever part 26:: pawl element 35 abuts with i'tszprojection 351:- against stop 3&5 and effective: spark-ingoperationonly takes; place during: the? aforesaid" limited final 'mitwarda path. or movement: of: cover it, which readily affords; operation: of" the lighter by handicapped: persons: as? well. as by' other:- per"- S0115.-

It? is to be:- understood? that. thee hollow: top coveir and; the. base"; housing? hereiir referred: to are dimensioned: and shapede that: they may be held" orwedged? for movement; by: the stumps of the" hands of? a'- person. in" orde'n'to'. more easily operate the lighter.

Although one specific. embodiment. of. the invention. has? been described and shown-V in the drawing; itsl'iouldibe noted that? the. invention-array be'realized in modifiediformxand adapredone of the arrangements herein: disclosed may be' made; as'-:ma-y readily occun to persons skilled in the arti withouti constituting: a. departure from the splrit-and scope:f" the inventiom as defined in the objects an'c'fiin' t'he' appended olaimsa Having thus: described. the invention, what is claimed asnewt and: desired to. be secured by Letters Patent, is: J

11- In: a pyroplior-ic po'cketz lighten: having a covenswiaga'bie upon. manually exerting. pressure thereon away; from: a basmhousingr which carries. a rotatable flint. wheelt; a:- pawl element operativelprotatable with said? flint? wheel and provided with an: eccentric portion, lever: means having? a slotted: portion and pivotally con=- n'eoted: with said eccentric portion. of said: pawl elementpa: stop fo'r saidpawl element; and con"- nectedr to the".- latter; and: a. pivot. pin on said cover; saidtpivot pinibeing-mova'blezin said slotted polrtiornands providing a: lost: motion: between said; cover: andsaid pawl element upon. an: mi

tial swinging movement of said cover relative to said housing, said pivot pin being engageable with said slotted portion while pressure is continued for a final swinging movement of said cover in open position thereof defined by said stop of said pawl element, to thereby impart to said flint wheel intensified rotational speed for sparking purposes.

In er -lighten according; to claim 1,, wherein said lever means and" said" eccentric pawl portion are connected by a pivot element, said pivot element being substantially aligned with the venticaiplane passing through the axis of said fiint wheel, when said stop of said pawl element defines said final cover swinging movement in said" position.

3 ..Inaw lighter according to claim 1, wherein said cover is provided with a snuiier sleeve, said ease housing being provided with a wind screen for a wick, said snufier sleeve being embraced by said: wind. screen! in closed? position of said cover, onr said; base: housingz.

4. In a lighter according to: claim 3; wherein said: lever means; said-1 pivot element and said pivo t: pin: ail-repositioned: intermediate? said snuffer :ieeve: and: said: fiin'tr wheel in; said closed pesi 5. A manually; operated. pyroplio'rie: pocket lighten preferably: for: use by handicapped persons:: comprising: a: base: housing; a hollow top cover tli'eiefbran'dl hingedly oonnected to said base housing,v a-v support fiiced om said housing, a flint wheel rotatably rriounted on said support, as awrelement. on said support and operative- 1y eenneetebie witlr said flint" sheer and pea: tione'd' adiaoent the latter 'forrotation there with; lever means l'laving'one end pivotall'y and eocentrica-lly oo'nne'cte'd to said pawn element and provided witli a slotted portion, a pivot pin on said cover engaging said slotted portion; said pivot' pin being first movable along said slotted portion" of saidlever means" to provide a lost motion between said cover and said pawl element" and upon manually" exerting further pressure on said coverfin moving same away from said base housing: said pawl" element rotates said flint wheel while said" pivot pin is engaged in said slotted portionof T saiddev'er means thereby enabling increased rotationof the=flintwheel for-sparkihg'pnrposes; and s'top-nie'ansfor limiting the movement: of" said cover away from said base housing. I t

References Gitd in the die of-' this patent UNITED STATES? PATENTSf

Images