US463384A - Electric cigar-lighting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. W. POSTER. ELECTRIC GIGAR LIGHTING APPARATUS.

No. 463,384. Patented Nov. 17,1891.

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W. W. FOSTER. ELECTRIC GIGAB. LIGHTING MPM-MIIs.v 110.463,384. Patented Nov. 17,1891.

IUNITED y STATES jATENT FFI-CE.

ELECTRIC CIGAR-LIGHTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,384, dated November 17, 1891.

Application filed August 14, 1891. Serial No. 402,639. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. FOSTER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Cigar- Lighting Apparatus, of which the following is a speciiication.

. This invention has for its object to provideL means for utilizing a continuous spark, such las is produced by the action of an inductioncoil for igniting alcohol or other inflammable material, and particularly to produce a cigarlighting apparatus comprising means for producing a continuous spark, and a movable torch which is alternately immersed in alcohol or otheriniiammable fluid and moved into position to be acted on by the spark when the latter is formed, the sparkigniting the alcohol.

The invention consists in the improve- Vments which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, Figure l represents a top plan view of a cigar-lighting apparatus embodying my invention, the electrical connections being shown in diagram.l Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the apparatus shown In the drawings, a represents a supporting frame or base, to which is suitably aliixed a tank b, adapted to contain alcohol or other suitable inaminable liquid.

c c represent two electrodes, each afixed at one end of the base a, the free ends or terminals of said electrodes being in such proximity to each other that a continuous sparksuch as is produced by the action of an induction or Ruhmkorff coil-will pass freely from one of said terminals to the other.

- d represents a shaft mounted in suitable bearings in the base a and adapted to be rocked or oscillated by means of a crank or handle d.

c yrepresents another shaft, journaled in bearings on the base a and arranged parallel Fig. 5 represents perspective viewsl with the shaft d. To the shaft e is affixed an arm f', the outer end of which carries atorch f, vwhichis adapted to be immersed in the liquid in the tank b by a movement of the shaft e in one direction. Said torch may be of any suitable construction, and is preferably composed of a block 5, of hard rubberor other insulating material, provided, with intersecting slots 6.6, and strips ot asbestus wound about the arms or divisions into which the block 5 is converted by said slots 6, the block being attached Y to the arm f. The object of this construction is to present a considerable quantity of absorbent refractory material to the spark that is formed between the electrodes c c', as hereinafter described, without making the torch of a material or materials which will conduct electricity. In this case the asbestus constitutes the absorbent refractory material and the insulating-block 5 constitutes a non-conducting support or holder for said absorbent material. Vhen the shaft e is held in its normal position by the action of a springe', attached at one end to the shaft e and at theother end to Vthe base u., the torch f stands in such proximity to the terminals of the electrodes c c that the alcohol carried by the torch will be ignited when a spark is formed between said electrodes, the shaft being adapted to move from its normal position far enough to permit the torch to enter the tank l), as indicated in'Fig. 3.

Means are provided for moving the shaft c to insert the torch in the tank and for releasing said shaft to permit the spring cto throw the torch to its normal position. Means. are also provided for closing a primary electric circuit before the release of the torch and for breaking said circuit after the torch has sprung back to its normal position, the circuit being connected with a secondary or induced circuit, including an induction-coil and the electrodes c c', the arrangement being such that upon the closing of the primary circuit the induced current in the secondary circuit is caused by the well-known action of the induction-coil to form a continuous spark between the terminals of the electrodes c c of sufficient duration to ignite the torch, the latter being at this time in close proximity to the spark, so that the alcohol contained in the torch will be vaporizcd and ignited by the heat of the spark.

In Fig. 1 I show a diagram of the electrical connections, in which the primary circuit includes a battery 7, a wire S, extending from one pole of the battery through a bindingpost 9 to a contact-spring 10, attached to the base d, another wire 12, extending through the primary of a Ruhnikorff orinduction coil 13 and binding-post 14. to a movable contactspring 15, which is attached to the base d, and is adapted to make contactwith and be separated from the contact-spring 10, said spring 15 being normally separated from the spring 10, sorthat the primary circuit is normally broken. The secondary circuit includes a wire I6, extending from one end of t-he secondary of the coil 13 through a binding-post 17 to the electrode c, and another wire 18, extending from the other end of the secondary of the coil 13 through a binding-post- 19 to the electrode c.

The best means known to me for forcing the torch into the alcohol and then releasing it, and for closing and breaking the primary circuit, comprise the shaft d, the arm d2 on said shaft, an arm e2 on the shaft e, adapted to cooperatewith the arm (Z2, as presently described, when said arm-d2 is moved forward from its normal position, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) a spring d3, adapted to return the shaft CZ and arm d2 to their-normal position, and a cam d'1, of

insulating material, afliXed to the shaft d and located over the contact-springl5, said ealn being formed to depress the spring l5 and close the primary circuit when the shaft d is moved from its normal position, said cam releasing the spring 15 and breaking the primary circuit when the shaft d returns to its normal position. The arm d2 is provided at its swinging end with a finger d5, the forward end of which is arranged to strike the outer end of the arm e2 on the shaft e when the arm d2 is moved forward. The contact of the finger d5 with the arm c2 causes the shaft e to swing over `and insert the torch in the tank b, as shown in4 Fig. 3.

The operation is as follows: Then it is desired to ignite the torch, the operator grasps the handle of the crank d. and turns the same so as to make the arm d2 move in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. When the finger (Z5 of the arm d2 reaches the arm e2 of the torch-carrying shaft e, said shaft is rotated in the same direction and the torch is thrown forward and downward int-o the tank. rPhe movement of the shaft d, involved in throwing the torch into the tank, causes the insulating-cam d* to depress the contactspring 15 and close the primary circuit, thereby inducing a current in the secondary circuit by the action of the coil 13, in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art. The finger d5 is formed so that when the arm d2 is in the position shown in Fig. 3 the inner or under side of said finger, which is formed on the are of a circle, is substantially concentric with the shaft e, so that when the point of the finger di is carried outside of the radius of the arm e2 by a continuation of the forward movement of the arm d2 the arm e2 will remain in the position shown in Fig. 3 until the heel or rear end of the nger d5 passes below the point of said arm, and when this occurs the arm e2 is released and returned to its normal position by the spring e,while the circuit is closed and the spark is passing from one electrode to the other. The object of this construction is to release the torch and permit it to pass into suitable proximity to the electrodes before the primary circuit is broken by the backward movement of the shaft CZ, thus insuring the ignition of the alcohol by the spark. The operator then releases the crank d', whereupon the spring d3 returns the shaft tl, arm d2, and cam clito their non mal position, the primary circuit being broken by the movement of the cam d", so that the spark ceases to pass between the electrodes. I have found that the continuous spark, such as is formed by the action of a Ruhm kort'f or induction coil, is particularly adapted to igniting alcohol or other like inflammable matter, because of the intensity of the heat produced by said spark, so that a cigar-lighting apparatus provided with means for producing a continuous spark,as above described, is much more reliable than apparatuses for the same purpose in which a spark is caused by the separation of two electrodes. I do not limit myself, however, to the use of a Ruhmkorif or induction coil, as a continuous spark may be produced by the use of an alternating current generated in any suitable manner.

To prevent evaporation of the alcohol in the tank I provide the opening through which said torch enters the tank with a sliding door b', which is engaged with an arm e4 on the shaft e, said arm beingarranged so that when the shaft e is moved to insert the torch in the tank the door b will be displaced so as to uncover the opening for the admission of the torch, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower end of the sliding door is provided with an offset b2, having three sides, the outer end of the arm eAL playing between the sides of said offset, as indicated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, so that. when the shaft c is rotated in one direction to throw the torch in to the tank the door is opened, and

when the shaft e is rotated in the opposite ldirection to elevate the torch the door is closed.

I prefer to inclose the described mechanism by a cover s, which may be of sheet metal or other suitable material, formed to tit upon the base ct, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, said cover having an aperture at s directly over the torch when the latter is in itsnormal position.

I do not limit my invention to apparatuses for lighting cigars, as the principle herein described may be applied to the ignition of fuel or combustible material for various other purposes.

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I claim- 1. The combination of two fixed electrodes, means for producing a continuous spark between said electrodes, and a movable torch or fuel carrier adapted to occupy such positionforth.

2. The combination of two electrodes, means for producing a continuous spark between said electrodes, a fuel-reservoir, and a swinging torch adapted to oscillate between said .reservoir and electrodes, said torch being in the reservoir when at one extreme of its movement and in operative proximity to the electrodes when at the other extreme o f its movements, asset forth.

3. The combination of two electrodes, a fuel-reservoir, a swinging torch adapted to oscillate between said reservoir and electrodes, means for oscillating said torch to throw it alternately into the reservoir and between the electrodes, an electric circuit including said electrodes, means for forming a continuous spark, and a circuit breaking and closing device arranged to be operated by the mechanism that moves the torch, the circuit being closedwhen the torch is moved away from the electrodes and broken after the return of the torch to the electrodes, as set forth.

4. The combination of two electrodes, a fuel-reservoir, a swinging torch adapted to oscillate between said reservoir and electrodes, means for oscillating said torch to throw it alternately into the reservoir and between the electrodes, a primary electric circuit including the primary of an inductioncoil, and a circuit closing vand breaking device, the latter being operated to close the primary circuit when the torch is moved away from the electrodes and to break said circuit after the torch has returned to the electrodes, and a secondary circuit including the said electrodes and the secondary of the induction-coil, whereby a continuous spark is produced between the electrodes when the primary circuit is closed, as set forth.

5. The combination of two electrodes, a fuel-reservoir, a swinging torch adapted to oscillate between said reservoir and electrodes, a rock-shaft supporting said torch and provided with a spring which normally holds the torch between the-electrodes, another rock-shaft having an arm, a crank or handle, a circuit breaking and closing cam, and a spring which normally holds the shaft and cam in the circuit-breaking position of the latter, said arm being formed to engage an arm on the torch-carrying shaft and rst move and then release the torch, a primary electric circuit including a movable contactspring and a contact-piece co-operating therewith in closing the said circuit, said spring being normally in position to break the circuit and arranged to be moved by said cam to close the circuit, the primary of an induction-coil included in said circuit, and a secondary circuit including the two electrodes and the secondary of the induction-coil, all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of two electrodes, a fuel-reservoir, a swinging torch adapted to oscillate between said reservoir and electrodes, a rock-shaft e, supporting said torch and provided with a spring which normally holds the torch between the electrodes and with an arm e2, and another rock-shaft d, having a crank or handle, a spring impelling said rock-shaft in one direction, and an arm cl2, formed to engage the said arm e2 when the rock-shaft d is turned against the pressure of its spring, said arm cl2 being constructed to first depress and then releasethe arm e2, as set forth.

7. The combination of two electrodes, a fuel-reservoir,I a swinging torch adapted to osci-llate between said reservoir and electrodes, a rock-shaft c, supporting said torch and provided with a spring which normally holds the torch between the electrodes and with an arm e2, another rock-shaft cl, having a crank or handle, a spring impelling said rock-shaft in one direction, andan arm (Z2, formed to engage the said arm e2 when the rock-shaft CZ is turned against the pressure of its spring, said arm d2 being constructed to first depress and then release the arm, a slide or door formed to cover the opening through which'the torch enters the tank, and an arm e4, affixed to the shaft e and engaged with said slide, said arm and slide being arranged so that the arm holds the slide in its closed position when the torch is between the electrodes and in its opened position when the torch is in position to enter the reservoir, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 10th day of August; A. D. 1891.

-WILLIAM w. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

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