Abstract:
A fire lighter apparatus and method for using the apparatus are described herein. The fire lighter apparatus comprises a containment pot that stores a flammable liquid and a wand torch that removably inserts into the containment pot. The wand torch includes a shaft, a handle at one end of the shaft, and an igniting head located at an opposing end of the shaft. The igniting head is removably affixed to the shaft through a non-threaded fastener. This fastener includes a first and a second component, which generally positions the igniting head. The handle further comprises a bended loop, which faces upward when the wand torch is laying flat upon a horizontal surface. The method for using the fire lighter comprises submerging the wand torch in the flammable fluid within the containment pot and lighting the igniting head attached after removal from the flammable fluid within the containment pot.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The following generally relates to a fire lighter and more particularly to a fire lighter that includes a liquid containment pot, a wand torch, and a containment pot lid. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fire starters have been used dating back at least to the colonial days when wood fires were needed for providing warmth and for cooking. A typical fire starter included a cast iron or brass pot configured to hold a flammable liquid such as lamp oil and a stone that inserts into the pot and absorbs the liquid stored therein. The stone was generally pumice or soapstone and would remain submerged in the flammable liquid when not being used to start a fire. 
     To start a fire, the stone is removed from the pot and lit, and placed beneath the fuel grate of a fireplace. The lit stone would be left beneath the fuel grate until the wood or other fuel source in the fireplace ignited. The lit stone is then removed from the fireplace and placed back in the pot, once sufficiently cooled. Fire lighters of this type can still be found today. 
     Unfortunately, removing a submerged stone from the containment pot gives rise to the possibility of spilling the flammable liquid. Also, the removal of the stone from beneath the fuel grate of a fireplace may pose problems as the stone may be lit and/or at a high temperature. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects of the present application address the above-referenced matters and others. 
     According to one aspect a fire lighter is created, comprising a containment pot that stores a flammable liquid and a wand torch that removably inserts into the containment pot. The wand torch includes a shaft, a handle at one end of the shaft, and an igniting head located at an opposing end of the shaft. The igniting head is removably affixed to the shaft through a non-threaded fastener. The igniting head may be inserted into the flammable liquid to absorb the flammable fluid. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, the non-threaded fastener includes a first and a second non-threaded fastener. The non-threaded fastener and the second non-threaded fastener maintain a general position of the igniting head. The non-threaded fasteners may be, for example, push nuts. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, the handle comprises a bended loop. The bended loop allows the handle to rest with the bended loop facing upward when the wand torch is laying flat upon a horizontal surface. The bend may be between, for example, 50 and 75 degrees. 
     One aspect of the present invention includes method for using a fire lighter, which comprises submerging the wand torch in the flammable fluid within the containment pot and lighting the igniting head after removal from the flammable fluid. The wand torch may thereafter be placed beneath a grate containing flammable materials. The wand torch may be extinguished once the grate containing the flammable materials is ignited. Another aspect of the invention further comprises removing the igniting head from the wand torch and replacing the igniting head with a second igniting head, the non-threaded fastener allowing for removal of the igniting head. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a fire lighter. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates operation of the fire lighter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a fire lighter  100 . The fire lighter  100  includes a containment pot  102  configured to store a flammable liquid, a wand torch  104  that inserts into the containment pot  102 , and a containment pot lid  106 . 
     The illustrated containment pot  102  is generally hour-glass shaped, with an open top end  105  and a closed bottom end  108  with a generally planar surface  110 . The flammable liquid is inserted into the containment pot  102  through the open top end  105 . The generally planar surface  110  rests on a generally horizontal surface when the containment pot  102  is placed in an ordinary upright position on a floor or other surface. 
     The illustrated containment pot  102  includes a ledge  112  located inside the containment pot  102 , near the top open end  105 . In other embodiments, the ledge  112  can be otherwise located inside the containment pot  102  and/or on the outside of the containment pot  102 . In one instance, the containment pot  102  is formed with a composite material such as a slip cast ceramic material or other material, including a material that can be glazed. A suitable glaze includes, but is not limited to, a gloss glaze, which may inhibit absorption of the flammable liquid by the containment pot  102 . Such a glaze may coat the outside, the inside or both the outside and the inside of the containment pot  102 . 
     In one non-limiting embodiment, one or more indentations are located on the planar surface  110 . In one instance, the indentations are positioned with respect to each other to form a recess that fits over a standard size brick. In another non-limiting embodiment, the planar surface  110  includes a gritted material. Such a material may mitigate or reduce slippage of the containment pot  102  on a surface such as a varnished, wood, a ceramic tile, or brick floor, fireplace hearth or mantle surface. In another embodiment, a diameter of the closed bottom end  108  is configured to fit into or over a decorative holder or fire place accessory stand. In yet another embodiment, the closed bottom end  108  may include stabilizing feet upon which the containment pot  102  may stand. 
     The wand torch  104  includes an igniting head  114 , a shaft  116  and a handle  118 . The igniting head  114  is releasable or removably affixed to a first end  120  of the shaft  116 . In the illustrated embodiment, the igniting head  114  and the shaft  116  are coupled via a non-threaded fastener which includes a first and second fastener  122  and  124 , which are respectively affixed to the igniting head  114  and the shaft  116 . The fasteners  122 ,  124  are non-threaded fasteners such as push-on or push nut fasteners. When coupled together, the first fastener  122  and the second fastener  124  maintain the general position of the igniting head  114 . 
     Such a two-fastener configuration allows for multiple igniting heads to be selectively and alternately affixed to the shaft  116 . This allows for easy replacement of a worn igniting head  114  or exchanging the igniting head  114  based on the types of fuel. In some previous fire lighters, the igniting heads were generally hand-threaded onto the handle. Threading such as the type used in previous devices has a tendency to deteriorate after repeated increases and decreases in temperature, and the deterioration generally does not allow for easy removal of the igniting head. 
     The illustrated igniting head  114  is generally cylindrically shaped and formed of an absorbent nonflammable material such as an unglazed ceramic refractory material like fire brick or soapstone or other material. As such, when the igniting head  114  is submerged inside the containment pot  102  in a flammable liquid for a period of time, the igniting head  114  absorbs the flammable liquid. Generally, ceramic refractory materials retain fluids upon and near the surface of their bodies and thus the flammable liquid will not soak entirely through the igniting head  114 . When lit, the flammable liquid burns off the igniting head  114 . 
     The shaft  116  is formed of a material that may be heated to a high temperature without substantially losing shape. An example of a suitable material is cold rolled steel or the like. The shaft  116  includes a bend that forms the handle  118 , which includes a loop  126  that allows the wand torch  104  to be grasped with a human hand, a pair of tongs, a hooked poker or otherwise. The handle  118  may include a thermally insulating material. 
     The handle  118  is twisted in such a manner that when the torch wand  104  is placed under a fuel grate (e.g. flat on the ground), the loop  126  will remain in or re-position to a first position. This allows the torch wand  104  to be “self-righting” so that it may be grasped by hand, tongs or poker. In one non-limiting instance, the bend in the shaft  116  is in a range from 50 to 75 degrees, such as for example, 60 or 65 degrees. 
     The lid  106  can be formed so as to be removable from the open top end  105  of the containment pot  102 . In one instance, the lid  106  sits on the ledge  112  when placed on the containment pot  102 . The illustrated lid  106  includes a handle  128  that protrudes outwardly from a top surface, which is opposite a surface facing the containment pot  102  when the lid  106  is installed on the containment pot  102 . 
     The handle  128  may be located at about a center of the lid  106 , for example, along a central axis or in another aesthetically pleasing location. The handle  128  includes a textured surface or grip that facilitates removal of the lid  106  from the containment pot  102 . The handle  128  may also include a thermally insulating material. 
     The illustrated lid  106  includes a recess or notch  130  through which the shaft  116  of the torch wand  104  extends when the torch wand is inserted in the containment pot  102  and the lid  106  is installed on the containment pot  102 . The notch  130  may be formed, for example, to allow the shaft  116  to rest against a side of the containment pot  102 . In addition, the containment pot  102  may include a recess within which an inserted torch wand  104  may rest whether or not the lid  106  is installed on the containment pot  102 . 
     An optional removable liner  132  can be removably installed in the containment pot. The removable liner  132  may cushion the igniting head  114  when the wand torch  104  is inserted into the liquid containment pot  102 . The removable liner  132  may protect a glazed inside surface of containment pot from damage, such as for example, scratches occurring from the igniting head. The liner  132  may include an open mesh material, for example, expanded metal or wire screening. The liner  132  may also be configured to rest upon the inside bottom surface of the liquid containment pot  102  or may be arranged to rest slightly above the bottom of the vessel. 
     The liner  132  may be generally rectangular with two opposing ends each folded back upon themselves. This folding forms two support members  134  and  136  between which an unfolded portion of the rectangle will span, providing a surface upon which the wand torch  104  may rest while residing within the liquid containment pot  102 . The spanning portion of the liner may be semi-flexible so as to add to the protection of the inside of the containment vessel. In addition, the removable liner  132  may be shaped to fit into grooves or other indentations placed within the container bottom and/or, so as to increase the stability of the containment pot when the lid is placed onto the pot and to increase the stability of the torch wand when it is also located within the containment vessel. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a method of using the fire lighter  100 . At  200 , the containment pot  102  is filled with a flammable liquid. The flammable liquid may be, for example, kerosene or another lighter fluid. A certain level of flammable liquid is not necessary, but fluid should be at a level which submerges the removable liner and the igniting head. The level of fluid in the container should also not exceed a certain level otherwise the flammable liquid may overflow the vessel when the wand is submerged. 
     At  202  the wand torch  104  is placed within the containment pot  102  to soak in the flammable liquid. The soaking time for the igniting head  114  is dependent upon the type of material from which the igniting head  114  is composed. Each non-flammable head may have a different rate at which the flammable liquid is absorbed into its porous surface. The level of flammable liquid within the containment pot may also affect the length of time for which an igniting head  114  must be submerged, for example, if only half of the igniting head  114  is submerged absorption to the entire head will take a longer period than if the entire igniting head  114  is submerged. For some embodiments, an extended period of time may be required for the wand torch  104  to work properly because of the combination of fluid type, fluid available and igniting head material, where as with other embodiments only a short period of submersion in the flammable liquid is necessary. 
     The wand torch  104  must next be extracted from the containment vessel  102  at  204 . Once the wand torch  104  has been given time so as to not drip flammable liquid outside of the containment vessel, the igniting head  114  may be lit at  206 . Once lit, the wand torch  104  is placed in a fire place or wood stove beneath a grate containing fire starting materials at  208 . The wand torch  104  may be placed beneath the grate using a utensil, for example, a pair of tongs or a gripping hook. The wand torch  104  may also be placed beneath the grate at  208  by hand since the wand material is not heated and may be cool to the touch of human skin. 
     After a period of time beneath the fire starting materials, the wand torch  104  may be removed at  210  and the fire on the igniting head  114  may be extinguished. For some embodiments of the fire lighter  100 , once the flammable liquid bums off the igniting head  114  the flame will diminish and go out alone. The period for which the wand torch  104  must remain beneath a fuel grate is dependent upon the type of materials used for starting the fire. For example, certain types of wood burn at different temperatures and certain types of kindling ignite more quickly than others. In some uses, a fire grate containing pine and newspaper would ignite much more quickly than a fuel grate containing maple and dried leaves and grasses. 
     At  210  the wand torch  104  is easily extracted from beneath the fire grate. The handle  118  located at the end of the wand torch  104  always remains facing upward if lying upon a flat surface. The wand torch  104 , therefore, is always “self-righting,” for example, always able to be grasped by a pair of tongs or hooked poker. In addition, for the embodiments where the handle  118  is covered in an insulated material, the face-up look makes the wand easy to grasp by a human hand, whether or not the user is wearing an insulated glove. 
     After extracting from the lit fire and the flame on the igniting head  114  has been sufficiently extinguished, the igniting head  114  should be allowed to cool at  210 . This cooling period ensures that if the igniting head  114  comes in contact with a flammable liquid or other flammable object that a fire will not unintentionally begin. Once a reasonable cooling period has occurred, the wand torch may be returned to the containment vessel  102  at  212 , to again soak in a flammable liquid. The method ends at  214 . 
     Embodiments of the fire lighter  100  may represent updated and improved variations of conventional fire lighters. This includes providing a more contemporary appearance that is stylistically more versatile than the appearance design of the vintage products. This is made possible at least in part by the use of materials and processes not contemplated when manufacturing some conventional fire starters. 
     The slip cast ceramic parts will likely offer cost advantages over the traditional cast iron and brass components, and new assembly techniques may also offer improvements and cost savings. For example, the use of sheet metal push-on/push nuts to attach the igniting head to the wand torch not only eliminates the need to add threads to the handle, but it replaces more expensive threaded fasteners which might be rendered useless should cross threading occur during assembly or disassembly. 
     The foregoing description of various aspects of the fire lighter has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the fire lighter to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the fire lighter as defined by the accompanying claims.