US3224233A - Pyrofhoric lighter a. kariri - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 21, 1965 A. KARlRl 3,224,233

PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Filed May 14, 1964 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VENTOR.

Dec. 21, 1965 A. KARIRI 3,224,233

PYRoPHoRIc LIGHTER Filed May 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. I

CLAW M GZMN 699.5% M

United States Patent 3,224,233 PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Aviv Kariri, 9 Ben Yehuda St., Haifa, Israel Filed May 14, 1964, Ser. No. 367,423 Claims. (Cl. 674.1)

This invention concerns pyrophoric lighters of the kind wherein a spark is created by the turning of a friction wheel along a flint mounted in juxtaposition, the spark being caught by a wick soaked with fuel or a gas nozzle mounted in the vicinity.

These lighters are generally in the shape of pocketor table-lighters, the spark producing arrangement being made into a unit with the wick or torch, i.e the wheel and flint being mounted on the housing containing the fuel for the wick or nozzle which protrudes from said housing.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a lighter wherein the wick or the gas nozzle with the corresponding fuel supply, after having been lit, can be separated from the spark-producing arrangement.

For the sake of convenience, the term wick as used hereinafter in the description and claims includes also a gas nozzle or any similar device. which is in communication with a fuel supply and when lit will burn as long as said fuel supply lasts.

The invention consists in a lighter of the kind aforesaid, wherein the spark-producing arrangement is fixedly mounted on a carriage, while the wick and its fuel housing are removably mounted thereon, the carriage being adapted to be pulled by the wick and its housing whereby the spark is produced and the wick is lit.

According to the invention the carriage is provided with a tension spring acting against the pulling action of. the wick and its housing.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a locking lever is provided on the carriage and is adapted to lock the carriage after its forward movement, and simultaneously to release the wick and housing for disconnec: tion from the carriage.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view partly in section of the lighter in locked position.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the same in released position.

7 FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section of a second embodiment of a lighter in locked position.

FIG. 4is a similar view of the same in released position.

The lighter according to the invention comprises a downwardly flanged base 1 in which two parallel rows of two spaced slots 2 are disposed. Slots 2 serve as guides for downwardly extending lugs 3 which are attached to the side flanges of an inverted channel shaped carriage 4 adapted for reciprocal movement on top of base 1, a spring 4 mounted with one end to a lug 1' fixed to base 1 and with the other to carriage 4, urging the carriage into the position of FIG. 1. A friction wheel, ratchet and pawl such as known per se with lighters, to impart unidirectional rotational movement to the friction wheel indicated generally at 5, is journalled between the flanges of carriage 4, a slot 6 being provided in the carriage for the wheel and ratchet to extend partially therethrough. The ratchet is adapted to be turned by a pawl 7 pivotal on the. one hand on the shaft of wheel and ratchet 5 and on the other on an arm 8 which is linked to a fixed mounting on the base 1. It can be seen that with each movement of the carriage from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that in FIG. 2 the pawl 7 is turned which turns wheel nnidirectionally and ratchet 5. A tube 9 housing flint stone 10 under spring pressure, as known per se, is mounted in carriage 4, in such a manner that the flint stone 3,224,233 Pa nt d e?! 2 10 is in juxtaposition to wheel 5. A hollow torch 11 from one end of which extends a wick 12 and the other end of which is closed by a screwcap 13 is filled with fuel and is removably supported in horizontal position betweenv a raised portion 4a of carriage 4 and guides 14 fixed to the carriage. A locking member 15 for the purpose of locking the movement of carriage 4 and the removal of torch 11 is in the form of an angular lever, having a substantially horizontally disposed leg 15a at whose free end a pushbutton 16 is disposed and merging with the leg 15a a substantially vertically disposed leg 15b, which is provided at its free end with a lug 17, adapted to engage, when the carriage 4 is in the unlocked position (FIG. 2) in a depression In of base 1. A lug 18 extending from leg 15a is adapted to engage, when the torch is in the locked position (FIG. 1) in a peripheral groove 11 of torch 1 1. The lever 15 is' pivoted at 19 at approximately the center of leg 15b to an extension (not shown) of carriage 4, a spring 20 being fixed between the carriage and the leg 15!) and urges the lever into the position where lug 17 engages depression 1a, The care riage is covered. by a cover (not shown) mounted to the base and enclosing the entire device, suitable openings being provided in the cover for the torch and the lever The lighter illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 works as follows: Starting from the position shown in FIG. 1, when it is desired to light torch 11, the torch 11 is pulled in the direction of arrow A, This pnlls the carriage 4' along, causing friction wheel and. ratchet 5 to turn against flint 10, whereby wick 12 is lit. Simultaneously, lug 17 reaches depression 1a and is urged into it by spring 20, while this movement of lever 15 causes lug 18 to be raised and thereby disengage groove 11a. Thus the burning torch 11 is free to be removed and to be used to light any desired flame or may be used by itself for illumination purposes. This position is shown in FIG. 2. When push button 16 is depressed, spring 4' returns carriage 4 from the position of FIG. 2 into that of FIG. 1. When the torch has been used and while it may still be burning, it is inserted between guides 14 and portion 4. The leg 15a of lever 15 moves slightly upwards to permit lug 18 to engage groove 11a. Wick 12 abuts against the flat surface of an extinguisher 21 mounted on carriage 4, whereby the flame of torch 11 is extinguished. It is, of course, possible to extinguish the flame before torch 11 is replaced, whereby extinguisher 21 can be eliminated.

In the embodiment of the lighter illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, parts which are the same as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 have been referenced with the same numerals and do not require separate description. Thus, carriage 4 is movable on base 1 against the action of spring 4 and is guided in this movement by lugs 3 extending through slots 2. The friction wheel and ratchet 5, journalled between the flanges of carriage 4 extends partially through slot 6 in the carriage. A longitudinal slot 22 is provided in 'base 1 in vertical alignment with ratchet 5 for the serrated edge of a rack 23 to extend therethrough from below, the rack being journalled at one end on a pin 24 fixed between the flanges of the base 1 and on the other end being held by a spring 25 attached to lug 1' whereby the friction wheel is unidirectionally turned as the torch member 11 is moved outwardly. During the lift return movement of carriage 4, the mating teeth of the ratchet 10 and the rack 23 slip and thereby the friction wheel remains stationary. A locking arm 26 is articulated with one end to a post 27 projecting upwardly from the carriage 4, the arm being provided at its free end with an integral transverse head 26a projecting from either side of the arm. The head 26a is adapted to engage a collar 11b on the torch 11 in the locked position of the lighter (FIG. 3), and in the unlocked position of the same (FIG. 4),

3 the head is engaged by an abutment 28 fixed to an upright post 29 mounted on base 1. A leaf-spring 30 fixed to arm 26 with one end and with the other end abutting guides 14 urges the arm 26 and head 26a into the unlocked position, i.e. towards abutment 28.

The lighter illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 works as follows: Starting from the locked position, shown in FIG. 3, in which head 26a engages collar 11b of torch 11 and thus prevents the latter from being removed, i.e. it is locked, the torch is pulled in the direction of the arrow A. Carriage 4 is thereby pulled along and during this movement the ratchet is turned by rack 23, so that friction wheel 5 turns against flint causing a spark to light wick 12. Simultaneously, the head 26a of arm 26 slides along abutment 28 until it reaches the end of said abutment, whereby, owing to the force of spring 30, arm 26 is raised. This releases head 26a from engagement with collar 11b, so that the torch 11 which is now lit, can be withdrawn from carriage 4 (FIG. 4). When the torch 11 is reinserted into carriage 4 and head 26a is released from abutment 28, spring 4' is free again to return carriage 4 into its starting position, i.e. that in which head 26a engages collar 11b.

The lighter may be used wherever desired. Base 1 may, for example, be mounted on a wall near the stove in a kitchen, or on a workbench in a welding shop. Instead of liquid fuel, such as benzine, being contained in the torch, a valve-controlled gas container can be inserted in the torch housing, the valve being opened automatically whenever the torch is pulled with the carriage in the direction of arrow A.

I claim:

1. A pyrophoric lighter which comprises a base member, a carriage member slidable mounted on said base member between a first and a second position, a friction wheel rotatably mounted on said carriage, a spark producing stone, means mounting said stone on said carriage in contact with said friction wheel, a tension spring connected between said carriage and said base to bias said carriage towards said first position, means coacting between said friction wheel and said base member to turn said friction wheel when said carriage is moved from said first position to said second position while said spring is tensioned, a removable separate torch member having a flammable end, means slidably mounting said torch member on said carriage member, means latchable locking said torch member to said carriage member with its flammable end near said spark producing stone and means releasing said latchable locking means when said carriage member reaches said second position as said torch member is pulled against the action of said tension spring.

2. A pyrophoric lighter according to claim 1 wherein said torch member has a peripheral groove and said latchable torch member locking means includes a locking member pivotably secured to said carriage member, one end of said pivoting member being slidable along the said base member, the other end of said pivoting member having a latching portion which is engageable with said peripheral groove in said torch member to latchably lock the flammable end of said torch near said friction wheel, a second spring between said locking member and said carriage member for urging the slidable end of said pivoting member along said base member, a cavity in said base member along the path of said slidable end of said pivoting locking member whereby said latching portion of said pivoting member is lifted out of said peripheral groove in said torch member by said second spring when said slidable end of said pivoting locking member drops into said cavity in the base member.

3. A pyrophoric lighter according to claim 1 wherein said torch member has a protrusion thereon and said torch member latchable locking means includes a locking member pivotably secured to said carriage member and having an outstanding portion to latchably lock said flammable end of the torch member near said friction wheel, a post member fixed to said base member having a slide portion thereon, a second spring connected between said locking member and said carriage member and means pivotably securing said locking member to said carriage member so that said outstanding portion slides along the slide portion of said post member under the influence of said second spring until said carriage reaches said second position whereupon the outstanding portion of said pivoting locking member is moved by said second spring to release said protrusion to permit withdrawal of the torch member.

4. A pyrophoric lighter according to claim 2 wherein said locking member has an extension whereby finger pressure upon said extension lifts said slidable end of said locking member out of the cavity in said base member so that said carriage can return to said first fixed position under the influence of said tension spring.

5. A pyrophoric lighter according to claim 3 wherein the said outstanding portion of said pivoting locking member is finger resettable in sliding contact with said slide portion of said post member when the flammable end of said torch member is positioned near said friction wheel so that said carriage can return to said first fixed position under the influence of said tension spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 992,766 5/ 1911 Gergacsevices 664.l 2,265,761 12/1941 Ludonici 674.1 2,979,930 4/1961 Ichikawa 677.1

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, IR., Primary Examiner.

LLOYD L. KING, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A PYROPHORIC LIGHTER WHICH COMPRISES A BASE MEMBER, A CARRIAGE MEMBER SLIDAGLE MOUNTED ON SAID BASE MEMBER BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND POSITION, A FRICTION WHEE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE, A SPARK PRODUCING STONE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID STONE ON SAID CARRIAGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID FRICTION WHEEL, A TENSION SPRING CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID CARRIAGE AND SAID BASE TO BIAS SAID CARRIAGE TOWARDS SAID FIRST POSITION, MEANS COACTING BETWEEN SAID FRICTION WHEEL AND SAID BASE MEMBER TO TURN SAID FRICTION WHEEL WHEN SAID CARRIAGE IS MOVED FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO SAID SECOND POSITION WHILE SAID SPRING IS TENSIONED, A REMOVABLE SEPARATE TORCH MEMBER HAVING A FLAMMABLE END, MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTING SAID TORCH MEMBER ON SAID CARRIAGE MEMBER, MEANS LATCHABLE LOCKING SAID TOURCH MEMBER TO SAID CARRIAGE MEMBER WITH ITS FLAMMABLE END NEAR SAID SPARK PRODUCING STONE AND MEANS RELEASING SAID LATCHABLE LOCKING MEANS WHEN SAID CARRIAGE MEMBER REACHES SAID SECOND POSITION AS SAID TORCH MEMBER IS PULLED AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID TENSION SPRING.

Images