US2301453A - Lighter - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT orFicE l LIGHTER Luise Reich, Vienna, Germany; vested inthe Alien Property Custodian Application May 16, 1939, Serial No. 273,972 I n Germany May 20, 1938 3 Claims.

sible owing to the residues from combustion and,

fibres of the end of the wick located therein. It has already been proposed to make the burner tube and the wick of the lighter so that they extend right through the fuel container the lower end of the wick projecting from the bottom of the container so that it can be gripped and, when the lighter is not to be used, the upper end of which has thus been made free. These arrangements are unsuitable for practical use, especially as pocket lighters, because the end of the wisk hanging out from the lower end of the lighter and always saturated with fuel, soils the pocket,

moreover in these lighters the saving in fuel, which is attained by the tight closure of the upper end of the burner tube, is neutralized and even converted into a greater loss by the unimpeded evaporation of the fuel from the wick end projecting from the bottom of the lighter.

`The object of the invention is, to produce an arrangement in which the burning end ofthe Wick is automatically pulled into the burner tube when the lighter is no longer required for use, so that the end of the burner tube is automatically freed from the parts of the wick and can be hermetically closed by the lid. This is attained according to the invention in that control means are provided which positively remove the upper end of the fuel suction element or Wick out of the region of the burner tube mouth when the lid is put on the lighter. To further ensure against the unintentional escapement of fuel through the wick tube the element for sucking up the fuel may, according to another important feature of the invention, be separable from the fuel container in such a manner that, when the flame is extinguished, the suction contact between the fuel suction element andthe fuel reserve is interrupted.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompany- Fig. 3 shows a detail of the lighter, namely the wick holder with the means f or lowering the holder,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a second form of construction with closed lid, lowered wick end and interrupted suction contact between wick and fuel reserve,

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same pocket lighter in burning condition with projecting wick end and re-established suction contact between the wick and fuel reserve,

Fig. 6 shows the wick holder with the control means and with the carrier for the suction member which bringsthe fuel from the container into the Wick,

Fig. 7 shows in longitudinal section and in closed condition, a lighter for methyl alcohol, in which the ignition is effected by a contact igni-v tion substance. such as palladium or the like fitted on the control means for the wick holder,

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the lighter in burning condition,

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section showing the wick holder with the control means and contact igniting and coloring means mounted thereon.

In Figs. 1 to 3 a container I, filled with cotton wool or other capillary substance and fuel, has at its upper end an extension forming a burner tube 2 whose mouth is designated by 3. In order, when the flame is extinguished, to entirely and perfectly 'free the closable burner tube mouth 3 from the burnt end I of the suction element constructed as a wick 5, control means are provided which enable a mutual alteration in position between the burnt end 4 of the wick and the mouth 3vof the burner tube 2 so that, when the flame is extinguished, the'burnt wick end 4 lies lower than the burner tube mouth 3 but at least in the level 6 determined by the mouth of the burner tube. .These control means consistof a control pin 8 arranged in the holder I for the wick 5 and of a catch I 0 arranged en the lid 9 of the lighter. 'The wick 5 is threaded in the holder 1 in'such amanner that it can enter the interior I2 of the container properthrough an aperture II of the holder and is then in suction contact with the reserve of fuel I3 stored in the cotton wool. An inwardly directed pointl is formed in the wall of the holder l'I to hold the wick in position in the holder. The wick holder 1 also has an abutment Il which only allows the -end I of the wick to be moved out as far as is necessary ,for forming a sootless flame. This abutment Il thus limits the mutual displacement between the end 4 of the wick 5 and the burner tube mouth 3. In the lower end I5 of the wick holder l a pressure spring I8 is arranged which bears at one end against a transverse partition I1 in the holder and at its other end against the bottom of the container I8. 5

ToA reduce the cross-sectional area of the wick end 4 when removing this end out of the region of the level 6 of the burner tube mouth 3 and to thus further reduce the evaporation of the liquid fuel, guiding means are provided for the wick lo end4 and formed for example by the upperpore-f tion 3' of the burner tube 2.

The operation is as follows: When the lighter is in closed condition the catch I0 on the lid 9 presses against the control pin 8 and holds the 15 wick holder 1, and consequently the wick 5, in the retracted position shown in Fig. 2, in which position the end 4 of the wick 5 is below the level t of the burner tube mouth so'that at this level 6 there is no wick, with the result -that the mouth 3:5() of the burner tube 2 and consequently the fuel container I is closed absolutely tightly by the elastic insertion I9 in the lid 9. The spring I6 is then under increased pressure. If the lighter is to be lighted, the lid 9 is removed, whereupon 25 the wick holder 'I ascends under the action of the pressure spring I6 and the end 4 of the wick 5 projects from the mouth 3 of the burner tube 2 so far as the. abutment I4 on the holder I will allow. The spark is then produced by the friction wheel 20 of the known ignition device 2| and ignites the fuel in the wick end in the usual manner. When it is desired to extinguish the flame the lid 9 is placed on the container, the wick holder I being again depressed by the catch I0 35 bearing against the control pin 8 arranged on the holder. The end 4' of the wick 5 is therefore positively moved out of the region of the burner tube moth 3 by closing the lighter by means of its lid 9. The end 4. of the wick 5 swelled by the 40 liquid fuel vis reduced to the cross-sectional area of the burner tube diameter by being pulled into the upper part 3 of the burner tube 2, the condition shown in Fig. 2 being once more attained.

In Figs. 4 to 6 the fuel container is again desig- 45 nated by I and the burner tube by 2, this tube being inserted in the upper part of the container I. 'I'he burner tube mouth is designated by 3. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig.

4, the burner tube mouth 3 is closed by the lid 9 50 of the lighter, the lid 9 having an insertion I9 of elastic packing material for obtaining a particularly tight closure. 'I is the wick holder which carries the pin 8 cooperating with control pin II). The wick holder I has apertures II through which portions of the wick 5 are exposed and can be brought into suction contact with the fuel. The wick holder 1 has a cup-shaped support 30 destined to hold a suction element 3| for conducting the fuel from thefuel container I to the wick 5. 'I'he wick holder 1 with the support 38 and the suction element 3| are movable in a housing 32 so that the above mentioned lowering of the wick end 4 is rendered possible but at the same time an interruption of the suction contact between the fuel reserve I3 and the suction element 3| can take place. However,by the interruption of the-suction contact between the fuel reserve I3 and the suction element 3| the suction Vcontact between the fuel reserve I3 and 70 the wick is also indirectly interrupted when the lighter -is in closed condition (Fig. 4).

The gap 33 between the suction element 3| and the contact surface 34 of the capillary substance storing the fuel is so dimensioned that this gap color.

contact surface 34 is interrupted., If it isggef.

siren fo Aiight thegligiitea ihespring iid 9 pieducing the ignition" spark ini known manner' isy swung upwards by spring force with the result that the holder 1, the contact element 3| and the wick end 4 are moved upwards under the influence of the spring I6. At the same time, however, tlie contact element 3| comes into contact with the surface 34 ,with the result that a sufficient quantity 0Lf11 1 ls,;llcked into the wickl- 'I'he"wik"f5 and the suction element 3| are so dimensioned that a quantity of fuel suiilcient for the ignition is always stored in these parts and is amply suilicent for normal use of the lighter, for example for lighting a cigar or cigarette. In closing the lighter the suction element 3| or wick 5 is separated from'the capillary substance I3 saturated with fuel, so that further absorption Iand over saturation of the wick 5 are effectively prevented. Thus, the fuel expanding under the iniluence of the heat of the body can no longer reach'the Wick and consequently cannot pass out from the lighter through the end 4l of wick 5, with the result that the escapement of fuel by evaporation is still further reduced. The form of construction illustrated in Figs. 7 to 9 has the same characteristics as that illustrated in Figs. l to 3 as regards the lowering of the wick 5 and the removal of the wick end from the burner tube mouth 3 to be closed. Only'the lid is constructed as a spring lid. However, as methyl alcohol is used as fuel in the example illustrated in Figs. 7 to 9 and as this fuel ignites on a contact medium vsuch as palladium, platinum black and the like, the control strap 4I) arranged on the holder l for the wick 5 is constructed as carrier for the contact ignition media 4| and as carrier of substances 42 for giving the ame a predetermined This form of construction operates in a similar manner to that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 but the ignition of the fuel is effected catalytically.

I claim:

1,. A pocket lighter for liquid fuel with a liquid accumulating means and a wick tube enclosed by a burner tube forming the neck of the fuel container,v comprising in combination with the burner tube, a wick tube, a spring in saidburner tube under said wick tube permitting of ui wick tube being lowered in the burner tube under the upper end of said burner tube, a pin on said wick tube and an abutmentV on the lid of the pocket lighter,

said abutment arranged so that when the pocket lighteris closed the wick is pushed into said burner tube on its whole length and the lid of th pocket lighter tightly closes the mouth of the burner tube, and an abutment on said wick tube in the fuel container for limiting at the removing of the lid the upward movement of said wick tube so that a certain-piece of said wick tube projects from the mouth of said burner tube.

2. A pocket lighter for liquid fuel, comprising in combination a fuel container, an accumulating means for liquid fuel in said container, a movable wick tube, a wick, a. control means winch at the closing of A the pocket lighter positively presses downwards the wick tube to remove the burning end of the wick from the range of the mouth removable cover for said wick, a body of absorbent material permanently in contact with said wick securing the absorption of fuel from said body into said wick and arranged so that between it and a surface of the accumulating means a touching contact can be produced for enabling the transition of fuel, and control means by which this contact is established when the cover is removed from the wick and is interrupted when vthe cover is applied to the wick and'consequently the flame extinguished.

LUISE REICH.

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