US3728070A

US3728070A - Flint injection apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3728070A
Application number: US00204087A
Authority: US
Inventors: V Rowlett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-12-02
Filing date: 1971-12-02
Publication date: 1973-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1990-04-17

Abstract

A flint injection apparatus is provided for use with a lighter which utilizes a flint and a flint wheel for ignition. A spring biased plunger is carried in a casing. A trigger having an external portion and a portion slidably carried in an adjacent trigger casing is operatively associated with the plunger. A plurality of flints carried in an adjacent casing will pass, one at a time, through an opening into the plunger casing when the trigger is despressed and the lighter is properly oriented, permitting flints to be easily and rapidly changed.

Description

United States Patent 1 Rowlett FLINT INJECTION APPARATUS Primary Examiner-Carroll B. Dority, Jr. 761 t.Vil.Rlt .R. 1 nven or a o ow e R Deputy Attorney-Verne A. Trask et al.

[22] Filed: Dec. 2 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 204,087 A flint injection apparatus is provided for use with a lighter which utilizes a flint and a flint wheel for igni- 52 vs. C] ..431/124, 431/276 A l b'ased Plunge calmed a A trigger having an external portion and a portlon [51] Int. Cl ..F23q 2/38 [58] Field is r h 431/276 124 slidably carried in an ad acent trigger casing 18 opera- 0 ea c tively associated with the plunger. A plurality of flints carried in an adjacent casing will pass, one at a time, [56] References Cited through an opening into the plunger casing when the FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS trigger is despressed and the lighter is properly oriented, permitting flints to be easily and rapidly 958,618 9/1949 France ..43l/l24 changed, 278,683 2/1952 Switzerland ..43l/276 244,910 5/ 1947 Switzerland ..43 1/124 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures I I8 j a i g 3? 3 a 4 Apr. 17, 1973 FLINT INJECTION APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a flint injection apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for easily and rapidly injecting a flint into operative position in a lighter which utilizes a flint and flint wheel for ignition.

Lighters which utilize a flint and flint wheel to produce an ignition spark are well known. Such lighters, which are frequently referred to as cigarette lighters, normally have a fluid-impregnated wick extending from the body of the lighter. Closely adjacent to the wick is a flint wheel which contacts a flint. The flint may be held in operative association with the flint wheel by a spring which extends through the body of the lighter. When the abrasive flint wheel is caused to rotate, contact between the wheel and the flint causes a spark which ignites the wick. The flint is eventually worn away, thus decreasing in size, by continued use. Commonly, the spring holding the flint may be removed, as by removing a threaded cap on the bottom of the lighter, and a new flint may then be inserted and the spring replaced. This procedure is somewhat time consuming and often less simple than it would appear.

Various proposals have been suggested for lighters which will carry additional or spare flints therein or in an attached magazine. Examples of lighters having flint storage means may be found in U. S. Pat. Nos. 2,454,501; 2,536,855; 2,729,959; 2,737,796 and 2,825,216.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides an improved flint injection apparatus which is capable of storing a plurality of flints within a casing in the lighter and which permits flints to be quickly and easily changed by merely pressing a trigger and properly orienting the lighter.

Pressing the external portion of the trigger causes an associated plunger to be depressed or lowered in its casing. By lowering the plunger to the full extent permitted, an opening between the flint magazine or casing and the plunger casing is freed of obstruction. By moving the lighter into a position so that longitudinal axis of the flint casing is essentially vertically above that of the plunger casing, a flint will fall through the opening into the plunger casing above the plunger. When the trigger is released, biasing means in the plunger casing urges the plunger and the flint upwardly to maintain the flint in operative association with the flint wheel.

The lower end of the plunger casing and the flint casing are closed by a cap which is threadedly engaged in the plunger casing. A removed segment or recess provided in the cap may be aligned with the flint casing by loosening the cap, thereby providing access to insert or load the flint casing without removing the cap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lighter embodying this invention with a portion broken away;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the injection apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates the lighter shown in FIG. 1, but in a generally horizontal spatial orientation; and FIG. 5 is an end view of the closure cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, a lighter 10 has a flint wheel 12 which is in operative association with a flint 14. Abrasion between the flint wheel 12, when rotated, and flint 14 causes a spark which will ignite a fluid-impregnated wick. Portions of the lighter are shown broken away to illustrate the position and operation of the flint injection apparatus of this invention.

A plunger casing 18 has an open upper end 20 and a threaded, open lower end 22. (See FIG. 2). The lower end 22 is closed by a cap 24 threadedly received therein. A biasing means, such as spring 26, is carried in casing 18 between cap 24 and a plunger 28. Spring 26 biases plunger 28 toward the upper end 20 of plunger casing 18. Plunger 28 has an upper surface 30. In the operative position, spring 26 urges plunger 28 upwardly in casing 18 to hold a flint 14 between the upper surface 30 of the plunger and the flint wheel 12.

A trigger casing 34 and a flint casing 36 are provided adjacent and parallel to plunger casing 18. Trigger casing 34 has a bottom 35. Flint casing 36 is of sufficient length to slidably carry a plurality of flints therein, and is open at its bottom or lower end 37. A first slot 40 in plunger casing 18 adajacent its upper endv provides an opening between the plunger casing and trigger casing 34. A second slot 42 in plunger casing 18 adjacent its upper end provides an opening between the plunger casing and flint casing 36.

A trigger means 44 slidably carried in trigger casing 34 and has a portion 46 extending externally thereof. Trigger means 44 has a finger portion 48 which projects through slot 40 and into engagement with an opening 50 provided in plunger 28. Thus the application of pressure to the external portion 46 of trigger means 44 causes plunger 28 to be lowered or depressed within plunger casing 22 against the opposition of spring 26. The sizes of trigger means 44, trigger casing 34, slot 40 and plunger 28, and the strength of spring 26 are such that plunger 28 may be lowered to the extent that its upper surface 30 is just slightly below the lower end of slot 42. Slot 42 is dimensioned so as to permit a flint 14 to pass therethrough.

As previously noted, a cap 24 closes the lower end of plunger casing 22. Cap 24 is of such size that when fully threaded into casing 22, a portion of cap 24 will also close the lower end 37 of flint casing 36. Cap 24 has a slot 52 which will receive a coin or a screwdriver to permit tightening or loosening of the cap. Cap 24 also has a removed segment or recess 54 which is as large as the lower open end 37 of flint casing 36. Thus by loosening cap 24 slightly, the recess 54 may be aligned with the open lower end of flint casing 36, thereby permitting flints to be inserted therein without the necessity of removing the cap.

When a change of flints is desired, the lighter may be tilted generally in the position illustrated in FIG. 1. By applying pressure to the external portion 46 of the trigger means, plunger 28 is depressed within plunger casing 22. Any unused portion of the flint then in operative position will then be free of the pressure which held it against the flint wheel 12 and will be readily expelled. In this position, the flints 14 in flint chamber 36 slide toward the upper end thereof and one of the flints stop adjacent to slot 42. When the lighter is moved to a generally horizontal position as illustrated in FIG. 4, depression of the trigger will clear the opening between plunger casing 22 and flint casing 36 and permit a flint 14 to fall through slot 42 and into the plunger casing 22. In this position, the longitudinal axis of the flint casing will be essentially vertically above the longitudinal axis of the plunger casing.

When the trigger is released, spring 26 will push plunger 28 upwardly in plunger casing 22. The new flint which passed through slot 42 is carried along on the upper surface 30 and comes to rest in an operative position against flint wheel 12. As the flint 14 decreases in size through use, spring 26 continues to cause it to be urged upwardly to maintain the flint and flint wheel in operative association.

I claim:

1. In a lighter wherein a flint and flint wheel are used for ignition, a flint injection apparatus comprising a plunger casing, a plunger carried in said plunger casing, biasing means carried in said plunger casing and biasing said plunger toward the upper end of said casing, a trigger casing adjacent to said plunger casing, a flint casing adjacent to said plunger casing and adapted to carry a plurality of flints therein, a first slot in said plunger casing adjacent its upper end and providing an opening between said plunger casing and said trigger casing, a second slot in said plunger casing adjacent its upper end and providing an opening between said plunger casing and said flint casing, trigger means slidably carried in said trigger casing and having a portion extending externally thereof and a portion projecting through said first slot and operatively engaging said plunger, said second slot being adapted to permit a flint to pass therethrough when said plunger is depressed and a flint in said flint casing is in a position to drop through said second slot.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said biasing means urges said plunger upwardly in said plunger casing to hold a flint in operative position between the upper surface of said plunger and the flint wheel.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said trigger means has a finger portion projecting through said first slot which engages an opening provided in said plunger.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said plunger casing, trigger casing, and flint casing are parallel to one another.

5. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said trigger means, said first slot, and said biasing means coact to permit said plunger to be depressed to such a depth in said plunger casing so that at any one time only a single flint may be passed through said second slot and held between said plunger and the flint wheel.

6. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said plunger casing and said flint casing are closed at their lower ends by a cap threadedly engaging said plunger casing.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6 wherein said cap has a recess therein which will be aligned with the lower end of said flint casing when said cap is partially loosened.