US3058178A - Incense burner - Google Patents

Description

L. CAMPAGN A IN CENSE BURNER Oct. 16, 1962 Filed Jan. 7, 1959 INVENTOR. Lours CQm esA/q.

BY M WW M v-% QTTOEi/EYS- United States Patent Gfifice 3,058,178 Patented Oct. 16, 1962 3,058,178 INCENSE BURNER Louis Campagua, 6342 Waldron St., Pittsburgh 17, Pa. Filed Jan. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 785,481 1 Claim. ((31. 21-116) This invention relates to portable incense burners particularly adapted for use in religious ceremonies.

In Catholic churches, for example, incense is burned in portable receptacles, carried by a server or altar boy; during certain ceremonies. The usual practice in such use has been to place burning charcoal in a portable receptacle provided with holes in the wall to permit air to pass to the charcoal to keep it burning and to permit escape of incense fumes. Incense is placed over the burning coal to produce the fumes. These burners are periodically swung back and forth on a carrying chain, by the server or altar boy, during a mass or other ceremony. The incense is usually held in a removable metal cup seated on the burning coals.

Such burners become very hot on the outer surface, making it inconvenient to handle them for refilling, etc., and it is diflicult to secure and regulate the heat to produce the desired amount of fumes, and no more. Sometimes the charcoal will burn too fast, thus unduly heating the incense, and sometimes the charcoal may cease to burn or be consumed, requiring that the unit be refilled with burning charcoal at an inconvenient time. After using, both the burned incense and the ash fromthe charcoal have to be removed. There is some incon- 2 venience in cleaning the ashes from the usual forms of burners.

" By the present invention the use of charcoal is eliminated. The incense is heated to the smoldering point by means of a heating unit energized by an ordinary electrical current such as that generally available in modern buildings. Its use as here described does not entail danger of fire, or other hazards, and avoids some of the difficulties now experienced in the usual type of burner. The heat from my unit may be regulated to secure and maintain the desired rate of heating of the incense. The heating unit is insulated to prevent any substantial heat- Gfthe outside of the burner.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a portable incense burner not employing burning charcoal, or fire of any kind, thereby avoiding coal ash; that will be comparatively cool on its exterior; and that may be easily cleaned. It may be made with attractive exterior appearance, of any desired size and shape, of sheet metal or castings. It is capable of quickly providing the proper degree of heat to produce incense fumes, and may be adjusted to maintain the desired heating of the incense throughout a substantial period of time, while preventing overheating.

Another object is to make it possible to pour incense directly into the burner, without removing the top of the burner, or the incense retaining cup. Other conveniences and advantages will appear from the following specification.

Referring to the drawings, a central vertical section is shown of one form of the entire incense burner.

A carrying hand ring 1 is attached to a top-removing chain 2 and a plurality of chains 3. Chain 2 is attached to a ring 4 at the top of the hood 5 of the burner. Chains 3 pass through openings in the hood 5 and are attached at their lower ends to body member 6 of the burner. The hood 5 and body member 6 may be spun of sheet metal, or cast. Preferably they are spun from sheet metal. The hood has a plurality of perforations 7 to permit escape of the fumes caused by the heated incense. The hood 5 has a terminal bead 8 adapted to be seated loosely on the main body member 6, which has a retaining raised flange or bead 9, adapted to retain the terminal beaded lip 8 of the hood 5. By this means the hood can be readily seated on or lifted from the body member by the 5 chain 2.

An electrical heating unit consists of a circular block 10 having cast or otherwise enclosed in it a resistance wire 11. Such units are well known and commercially available in convenient sizes.

The heating unit block 10 may be of suitable ceramic material, but preferably is of cast aluminum. Positioned inside the block 10 is a coiled high resistance wire 11 such as normally used for heating elements of stoves, kitchen utensils, and the like. The resistance heating wire before being cast in the metal block 10 is, of course, surrounded by suitable insulating coating to prevent shortcircuiting. When cast or otherwise positioned in a ceramic block that coating is not necessary.

Positioned in any suitable place in contact with the heating unit is an adjustable make-and-break thermostat 12 having a key 13 by which the thermostat may be set to break the circuit through the heating wire when the heating block 10 has reached the desired temperature, and to close the circuit when the heat falls below a predetermined point, i.e., temperature necessary to cause the incense to produce fumes.

A standard electrical socket terminal 14 is fastened to the wall of casing 6 and is adapted to receive a standard push-in plug 15 having lead wires 16 extending to a constant source of electrical power of standard voltage, such as used for electrical lighting.

The details of the thermostat are not here described since such devices are available on the market in different sizes and arrangements, and their construction, operation, and functioning is well known.

As shown in the drawing, the heating block 10 is seated on an asbestos or similar insulating disc 17 suitable for minimizing the escape of heat from the underside of the heating unit.

The main casing 6 has an outwardly flared downwardly extending skirt portion 21 with an open base having a terminal ornamental head 22. Inside this skirt is an insulating sleeve 23 which may be attached to the inside of the skirt 21. The upper edge of sleeve 23 helps sup port the insulating disc 17 on which the heating unit 10 rests.

Seated on the disc 17 and surrounding the heating unit is an insulating cylindrical sleeve 25.

The base unit 6 has its upper terminal edge turned in to form a horizontal flange 26 upon which rests a second cylindrical insulating sleeve 27.

A metal cup 28 has an outwardly extending edge flange 29 adapted to seat on the flange 26, inside insulating sleeve 27.

Fastened to the inner wall of the hood member 5, is a funnel member 30 having its terminal open spout 31 leading into the cup 28.

Chains 3 lead from the carrying ring 1 through holes in the hood 5 and are attached at their lower end to the base member 6 by fixed rings 33, as shown at the left middle of the drawing. Chain 2 is attached to the carrying ring 1 and also to the hood 5 by ring 4.

The wall of hood 5 is indented and perforated at three places equally spaced about the hood, to form feed openings 40, leading into the funnel 30. The lower portion of these indentations is cut away so that incense can be poured into the funnel 30 and hence into the cup 28 which is seated on the heating block 10.

The insulating members 23, 17, 25 and 27 may be made of any suitable heat insulating material, for example, asbestos composition of fibre glass fabric. They are of a thickness to prevent any material amount of heat from passing from the heating unit to the outside of the casings, or to the support on which the incense burner may be placed when heated but not being carried.

By the construction shown all parts may be assembled or disassembled easily. The burner may be light in weight, easily handled, and easily cleaned. The exterior may be of ornamented form and decoration. The overall shape is not critical. The outside will not become uncomfortably hot to the touch, regardless of continued use. Incense may be added through the openings 40 without removing the hood. A metal foil lining may be used inside the cup to facilitate cleaning and removal of ashes.

In operation, the cup 28 is seated on the heating unit, the desired amount of incense is put in it, and the plug 15 is inserted in socket 14. This heats the block 10 to the point where the incense is caused to smolder and give off fumes. The burner is then ready for use. The plug 15 may then be disconnected. If the incense is ignited before the burner is to be used, the thermostat will break the circuit to prevent overheating. the block 10 is sufiicient to cause continuous smoldering of the incense for a substantial'period, sufficient for all normal continuous use. When the burner is not being used, it may be reconnected to the heating current and The residual heat of so be kept ready for intermittent use at a later period. I

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described whatI now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

A portable incense burner adapted to be carried in religious ceremonies comprising an overall casing having a removable hood portion and a base portion, an electrical heating unit positioned inside the base portion, a removable metal incense-retaining cup seated on the heating unit, the hood having perforations for escape of fumes, a funnel mounted inside the hood, the funnel having a spout adapted to feed incense into the cup, the hood having openings through which incense may be poured into the cup through the funnel, and means for connecting and disconnecting the heating unit to a source of electrical current.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 721,133 Ahne Feb. 24, 1903 1,446,310 Lehman Feb. 20, 1923M" 1,801,538 Briscoe Apr. 21, 1931 1,824,055 Newton Sept. 22, 1931

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