US3134885A - Electrical device for lighting cigars and cigarettes - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NnhEnWnAmaw LW% l lizuir/nzmw Ill 52 55% 3 m "#4 I m I m .rflllllfll w m- Luigi Pramoggiore MR4 #Zac/(S ATTORNEY May 26, 1964 L. PRAMAGGIORE ELECTRICAL DEVICE FOR LIGHTING CIGARS AND CIGARETTES Filed Dec. 29, 1961 May 2 1964 L. PRAMAGGIORE 3,134,835

ELECTRICAL DEVICE FOR LIGHTING CIGARS AND CIGARETTES Filed Dec. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 23 k 2 V @Z B [2 2 22 I /4 f 6 5 7 p 3 4 l 33 Fig. 5

INVENTOR Luigi Prclrnaggiore BY 167/24 Zoe/(S ATTORNEY 3,134,885 ELECTRICAL DEVICE FOR LIGHTING CIGARS AND CIGARE'ITES Luigi Pramaggiore, Corso Battaglione Aosta 14, Aosta, Italy Filed Dec. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 163,191 Claims priority, application Italy Aug. 23, 1961 3 Claims. (Cl. 219-264) This invention concerns an electrical device for lighting cigars or cigarettes.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved device of the kind before referred to. Thus according to the present invention an electrical device for lighting cigars and cigarettes, having an audible signal and being particularly adapted for use in motor vehicles, is characterized in that ignition of the cigar or cigarette is effected by pressing a knob situated on the outside of the dashboard of the motor vehicle and within easy reach of the hand, whilst the electric current to supply the resistance is conveyed by a plug situated coaxially and at the opposite end of the device, where the audible signal of bell is fitted, the striker of which is supported in cantilever fashion by a spring forced into the nucleus of insulating material in which the moving contacts are anchored.

When the knob is pressed inwards it pushes certain push-pins, fixed to its return springs, so that the ends of these, overcoming the resistance of a spring press the nucleus holding the moving contacts against the fixed contacts, thus closing the electrical circuit. When the electrical resistance has reached the temperature to light the cigar or cigarette, the fixed contacts, situated level with the moving ones round the base supporting the resistance, expand, thus releasing the moving contacts anchored to the nucleus of insulating material, so that the latter, under the influence of the spring previously compressed, returns then to their previous position.

The invention will now be described further, by Way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 represents the device on a large scale in section along its longitudinal axis, showing it in its operating position, i.e. with the electrical resistance switched on;

FIG. 2 shows the same device in partial section along its longitudinal axis as shown by the lines II-II in FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a cross section along the lines III-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross section along the lines IVIV in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 represents a similar view of the device as in FIG. 1, showing it in its non-operating position.

Referring now to the drawings, the device consists of the usual cylindrical metal casing 1, the front end of which is supported by the dashboard of the motor vehicle (not shown) and with the rear end provided with a bell 2. A coiled heating resistance 3 is axially mounted inside the cylinder of the casing 1 and is lodged in a housing 4 from which it is insulated as at 5. A small metal cap 6 having a central hole, is disposed behind and coaxially with the housing 4 and is provided with three spring metal tongues 7, the said tongues being adapted to be operated by moving contacts and being arranged at angles of 120 deg. to each other and housed in corresponding radial recesses 8 cut in the base 9 of insulating material and in contact with hexagonal metallic piece 34 in operating position of FIG. 1. The insulating material is held in its correct position against the cup 6 and the housing 4 by a distance piece or sleeve 10 which extends to the end of the casing 1 and bears against the endplate 17, the said endplate 17 being provided with United States Patent 0 3,134,885. Patented May 26, 1964 three keys which mate with corresponding recesses at the rear end of the casing 1 and which fit over special flats 13 on the surface of the moving nucleus 14, from which the moving contacts 15 are suspended, with the object of securing this nucleus in its correct position. The nucleus 14, made of insulating material and provided with a central bore, is mounted on the distance piece or sleeve 10, and a spring 16, wound round the latter, is provided for maintaining the nucleus--and thus the moving contacts 15in contact with the fixed ones 7 during the ignition period.

The endplate 17 fixed to casing 1 by three spring flats 12 spaced at 120 degrees to each other has a radial recess 11 through which passes a helical spring 18 one end of which is forced into a cavity in the nucleus 14, and the other into another cavity in the striker 19 of the bell 2, so that the striker is supported by the nucleus in cantilever fashion. I

The housing 4 has a central hole through which passes a threaded bolt 20, the said bolt 20 being screwed into the threaded bore of a bush 21 inserted into the centre of the base 9. On to the other end of the bolt 20 is screwed one end of a rod 22, the said rod 22 serving to lock together, by means of a bulbous part 23 thereof, the whole assembly comprising the endplate 17, the sleeve or distance piece 10, the base 9 and the cup 6, against the housing 4. The bulbous part 23 is tapered beyond the hell 2 and terminates in a threaded portion on to which is screwed the coaxial plug 24 to which the electricity supply is connected.

The front part of the casing 1 is provided with a partition 25 with a threaded central hole, into which is screwed the tube 26, coaxially wtih the resistance 3, to hold the cigarette. The partition 25 is so positioned as to form a cylindrical cavity 27 in which is housed a helical spring 28 having coils of diminishing diameter and bearing both on the partition 25 and a ring 29 situated level with the front edge of the casing 1 on a knob 30, the knob 30 being fitted round the aforementioned tube 26 andcontinually pressed forward against the bead 31 at the front end of the tube 26 by the action of the spring 28.

Three push-pins 32 are fitted into the largest coil of the spring 28, the said push-pins 32 being arranged at angles of deg. to each other. The pins 32 pass through a similar number of tubes 33 fixed to the parti tion 25 and extend beyond the base 9, passing through radial recesses cut for the purpose in the said base 9, in intermediate positions between the recesses 8.

When the cigarette is inserted into the tube 26 and pressed against the resistance 3, the knob 30 being pushed at the same time in the direction of the arrow, the ring 29 will press the spring 28 and compress it, thus forcing the push-pins 32 against the nucleus 14, to which the moving contacts 15 are secured, into the position against metallic piece 34 shown in FIG. 1, that is, the ignition position, thus closing the electrical circuit. Knob 30 returns to its original position through the action of spring 28 but contacts 15 held between V-shaped contacts 7 and metallic piece 34 maintain a closed circuit. When the electrical resistance has reached the pre-arranged ignition temperature for lighting the cigarette, the fixed contacts 7 expand and their ends get further apart, releasing the tongues 15 so that the remaining section of the moving part of the device returns to its original position as shown in FIG. 5 under the pressure of the spring 16. Also during its movement, the nucleus 14 sets in motion the striker 19, the vibration of which rings the bell 2.

What I claim is:

1. An electrical device comprising a hollow body, an electrical heating element mounted Within said body, an

insulating nucleus mounted for reciprocal movement in said body, a knob mounted at one end of said body for reciprocal movement in relation to said body, a first spring mounted to oppose the inward motion of said knob, a second spring mounted to oppose the movement of said insulating nucleus in the same direction, fixed contact means secured to said body in electrical connection with said heating element, movable contact means slidably carried by said insulating nucleus and movable to abut against said fixed contactmeans, push-pins fixed to said first spring and positioned to abut against said insulating nucleus upon the inward motion of said knob, and a resilient metallic catch member mounted in the body in heat transfer relationship with said heating element and positioned to engage with and retain said movable contact means when said means is moved into contacting means, said catch member being expandable by the heat transferred from said element so as to release said spring loaded movable contact means after a predetermined rise in temperature of said heating element.

2. An electrical device for lighting cigars or cigare'ttes, having an audible signal and being particularly adapted for use in motor vehicles, comprising a hollow body, an electrical heating element mounted within said body, fi'xed contact means secured to said body in electrical connection with said heating element, spring loaded movable contact means movable to abut against said fixed contact means, a spring loaded knob for inward reciprocal movement in said body and movement of said movable contact means in the same direction for operation of said heating element, a plug situated coaxially and at the opposite end of said body from said knob and electrically connected to said heating element through said movable and fixed contact means, a bell positioned .in said body at the same end of said body as the location of said plug, and a spring mounted and a cantilever supported striker mounted on said movable contact means for reciprocal movement in said body.

3. The electrical device in accordance with claim 2 further including push-pins operatively mounted in relation to said spring loaded knob, said push-pins pushing said movable contact means into abutting position with said fixed contact means thereby closing the electrical circuit between said plug and said heating element, said fixed contact means expanding from heat of said heating element and releasing said spring loaded movable contacts for reciprocal movement to their original nonoperating position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,918,559 Pram aggiore Dec. 22, 1959

Claims (1)

1. 2. AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE FOR LIGHTING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES, HAVING AN AUDIBLE SIGNAL AND BEING PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN MOTOR VEHICLES, COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY, AN ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BODY, FIXED CONTACT MEANS SECURED TO SAID BODY IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WITH SAID HEATING ELEMENT, SPRING LOADED MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS MOVABLE TO ABUT AGAINST SAID FIXED CONTACT MEANS, A SPRING LOADED KNOB FOR INWARD RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT IN SAID BODY AND MOVEMENT OF SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS IN THE SAME DIRECTION FOR OPERATION OF SAID HEATING ELEMENT, A PLUG SITUATED COAXIALLY AND AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID BODY FROM SAID KNOB AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID HEATING ELEMENT THROUGH SAID MOVABLE AND FIXED CONTACT MEANS, A BELL POSITIONED IN SAID BODY AT THE SAME END OF SAID BODY AS THE LOCATION OF SAID PLUG, AND A SPRING MOUNTED AND A CANTILEVER SUPPORTED STRIKER MOUNTED ON SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT IN SAID BODY.

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