US2982882A - Electric igniter device - Google Patents

Description

May 2, 1961 M. RODELLI ELECTRIC IGNITER DEVICE Filed May 1, 1958 2 R .Al

INVENTOR. MICHAEL RODELLI ATTORNEY United States Patent cc 2,982,882 Patented May 2, 1961 ELECTRIC IGNITER DEVICE Michael Rodelli, 329 2nd St., Brooklyn, N.Y.

Filed May 1, 1958, Ser. No. 732,270

3 Claims. (Cl. 317-95 This invention relates to the art of electric igniters and particularly concerns a novel device for lighting gas jets, cigars and cigarettes and the like.

According to the invention there is provided an electric spark-producing device which utilizes a solenoid for generating the spark. A vibrating contact is provided at the point of spark generation. The contact coact with an associated pivotable contact. The latter contact is adjustably mounted and the vibrating contact is so shaped that sparking fields of different configuration are obtainable depending on the position of the adjustable contact.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an electric igniter which operates by generating sparks by means of a vibrating contact.

A further object is to provide an electric igniter having a vibrating contact so shaped that sparking fields of different configuration are generated thereby.

A still further object is to provide an electric igniter including an adjustable contact so that sparking fields of different configuration are generated thereby.

A still further object is to provide an electric igniter adapted for selectively igniting a gas jet or a cigarette.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a device embodying the invention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a'sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view on an enlarged scale of portions of the vibrating contact and adjustable contact employed in the device.

Fig. 6 is a plan sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a generally cylindrical casing 10 which 'is open at opposite ends. Through one end passes an electric cord 12. The cord terminates in a plug 14. Inside the casing the cord terminates in exposed wires and 16. The upper end of the casing is formed with an interio'r shoulder 18 on which is seated a cylindrical portion 20 of a core 22. This core is formed of insulation material such as plastic or the like. The core has 8. depending partially cylindrical stem 24 provided with recesses 26, 27, 28. Longitudinally disposed along stem 24 at the center of the curved side thereof i a metal strip 30. This strip terminates below the stem where it is attached to wire 15 by solder or the like. Strip 30 is provided with laterally extending arms 32 which are seated in recess 27 and which secure the strip to the stem.

A spring contact strip 34 having arms 35 seated in recesses 25 is disposed at the fiat side 37 of the stem. Wire l6 is secured to strip 34 by solder or the like. The strip 34 is bent to form a double loop as shown in Fig. 2 and terminates in a free tongue 38. The free end of the tongue is normally spaced from the stem. An insulated push button 39 is movably disposed in slot 49 in the casing and is secured to tongue 38. When this button is pressed inwardly, the tongue contacts a soft iron core member 42.

The lower end of the cylindrical core member 42 is exposed at the flat face 37 of the stem. The core member extends upwardly through a bore 44 formed in the upper spool portion 45 of the core 22. Core member 42 has a central rectangular bore 46 in which is movably mounted a soft iron contact A coil spring 47 in bore 46 beneath contact 48 biases the contact upwardly. Wound on spool portion 45 is a coil 50. One end 51 of the coil is disposed in a recess 52 in core portion 20 and is connected to the upper end of strip 30 in recess 26. The other end of the coil is connected to a ring 54 mounted in the top of spool 45. This ring makes continuous contact with contact 56. Contact 56 is a Hat metal strip bent in the form of an arched loop and having inwardly extending fingers 58 engaged in a recess 59 formed below head 60. Head 60 is formed as an extension at the upper end of spool 45.

Core member 42 extends upwardly through head 60 and contact 48 extends beyond core member 42. The contact 48 has a rectangular body. its upper pointed end 49 is normally pressed into Contact with the inner uppermost point of contact 56. A pair of arcuate wings 62 are formed on and extend outwardly from the body of contact 48. These wings have curved outer edges 64 and rather pointed free ends 63. When the contact 48 is in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the upper pointed ends 63 of wings 62 are out of contact with the inner sides of contact 56, since the w ngs extend in a plane perpendicular to the central plane of the contact 56. When the contact 56 is rotated angularly through 90 the pointed ends 63 of the wings contact the inner side of contact 56 at two points as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The upper end '49 of contact 48 is then spaced from the inner uppermost point of contact 56.

A pin 66 formed of insulation material is threaded in contact 56 near the base thereof. This pin extends outwardly through a slot 68 in head 79. Hood 70 is a generally cylindrical metal cap mounted in a recess 72 on the upper end of casing 10. This hood has alter nately slits 74 and round opening 74 spaced circumferenti ally at the upper narrower tapered end of the hood. Screw 75 serves to secure the hood to the casing. The casing may be made of some non-inflammable material other than metal. Contact 56 should be spaced from the hood in all positions thereof. By turning pin 66 as a handle the contact 56 can be set to a desired position with respect to contact 48.

Jhon contact 56 is turned from the position shown in Pig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 5 and vice versa, contact 48 remains stationary because of its disposition in rectangular bore 46. The curved outer edges 64 of wings 62 contact the inner sides of contact 56 while causing a slight downward or inward movement of Contact 48 into bore 46 against the tension in spring 47 so that the upper pointed end 49 of contact 43 is spaced from the contact 56 as shown in Fig. 5.

In operation of the device, contact 56 is preferably in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to ignite a gas jet. llug 14 will be inserted in a suitable source of power. The device will be held in the hand of the user who will insert the hood 70 into the vicinity of the device emitting gas to be ignited. Upon pressing button 39, the solenoid consisting of coil 50 and core member 42 will be energized. Core member 42 will become magnetized due to the application of electric current to the coil. It will be noted that the point where contact end 49 touches contact 56 is in the electrical circuit. As the core member 42 becomes magnetized, contact 48 will be drawn down away from contact 56 against tension in spring 47 while the electric circuit will be broken. The high inductance of the coil causes a spark to be generated at the broken point of contact. When the circuit is broken, spring 47 returns the contact 48 to its normal position touching contact 56, to restore the magnetizing circuit. The succes'sion of sparks thus generated will ignite the gas which enters the hood through slits 74 and the round openings 74*.

When it is desired to ignite a cigarette, cigar or the like with the device, a different shaped sparking field is desired. It is now' desirable that sparking be generated at more than one point and the device be adapted to receive the end of the article to be ignited. When contact 56 is turned by means of handle 66, the wings 42 face broadside to the round openings 74 A cylindrical article such as a cigarette can be inserted in a round opening 74 as far as the wings 62. Upon pressing button 39, sparking will occur at two points 63 at the ends of wings 62. Only 'a slight vibration of the contact wings 62 is necessary to generate the double sparking which will ignite the cigarette. When the contact 56 is rotated to produce only a single spark from the pointed end 49 the spark will have a greater intensity than the double sparks produced at points 63, but the sparks at points 63 occupy a greater sparking field area which is desirable when igniting a cylindrical article such as a cigarette.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: 1

1. An electrical igniter comprising a hollow tubular casing, a hood mountedover one end of the casing, said hood having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures therein, a core mounted within the casing, a solenoid carried by said core, a vibratory contact mounted for reciprocation in the solenoid and having a contact point, spring means urging said vibratory contact outwardly from the solenoid, a U-shaped contact pivotally carried by said core, a handle secured to the 'U-shaped contact and extending through the hood for pivoting the .U-shaped contact on said core, said U-shaped contact being mounted over the vibratory contact, a switch, said solenoid being in circuit with said switch and the contacts, and means for applying electric power to said circuit whereby sparks are produced between the contacts, said vibratory contact being formed with laterally extending wings having pointed ends, said vibratory contact having a pointed free end normally in contact with the U-shaped contact in one position of the U-shaped contact to produce a spark of ,high intensity in a narrow field, the pointed ends of the wings being normally in contact with the U-shaped contact with the pointed free end of the vibratory contact spaced from the U-shaped contact in another position of the U-shaped contact on the support to produce a plurality of sparks in a wide sparking field, certain of said apertures being round for admitting a cylindrical article to be ignited by the sparks generated at the ends of the wings in said other position of the U- shaped contact.

2. An electrical igniter comprising a hollow tubular casing, a hood mounted over one end of the casing, said hood having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures therein, a core mounted within the casing, a solenoid carried by said core, a vibratory contact mounted for reciprocation in the solenoid and having a contact point, spring means urging said vibratory contact outwardly from the solenoid, a second contact pivotally carried by said core, a handle secured to the second contact and extending through the hood for pivoting the second contact on said core, the second contact being mounted over the vibratory contact, a switch, said solenoid being in circuit with said switch and the contacts, and means for applying electric power to said circuit whereby sparks are produced between the contacts, said vibratory contact being formed with wings having pointed ends, said vibratory contact having a pointed free end normally in contact with the second contact in one position of the second contact to produce sparks of high .intensity in a narrow field, the pointed ends of the wings being normally in contact with the second contact with the pointed free end of the vibratory contact spaced from the second contact in another position of the second contact on the support to produce sparks in a wide field.

3. An electrical igniter comprising a hollow tubular casing, a hood mounting over one end of the casing, said hood having a plurality of circumferentially spaced aper tures therein, a core mounted within the casing, a solenoid carried by said core, a vibratory contact mounted for reciprocation in the solenoid and having a contact point, spring means urging said vibratory contact outwardly from the solenoid, a second contact pivotally carried by said core, a handle secured to the second contact and extending through the hood for pivoting the second contact on said core, the second contact being mounted over the vibratory contact, a switch, said solenoid being in circuit with said switch and the contacts, and means for applying electric power to said circuit whereby sparks are produced between the contacts, said vibratory contact being formed with wings having pointed ends, said vibratory contact having a pointed free end normally in contact with the second contact in one position of the second contact to produce sparks of high intensity in a narrow field, the pointed ends of the wings being normally in contact with the second contact with the pointed free end of the vibratory contact spaced from the second contact in another position of the second contact on the support to produce sparks in a wide field, certain of said apertures being round for admitting a cylindrical article to be ignited by the sparks generated at the ends of the wings when said second contact is in said other position, said'second contact blocln'n entry of said article through said apertureswhen'in said one position.

, References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,725,718 Sheets 'et a1 Dec. 6, 1955 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 896,439 France Feb. 21, 1945 Great Britain Aug. 30, 1948-

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