Patent GB-664981-A (GB)
Title: An improved portable lighter
IPC: F23Q2/16
Filed: 1949-08-23
Abstract: 664,981. Pocket igniters. PETERSON, R. E., and REPETER PRODUCTS, Inc. Aug. 23, 1949, No. 21930/49. Class 75(iii) A portable lighter utilizing a low boiling point fuel comprises a fuel container connected through a valve to a carburetting device leading to a mixing chamber and a burner chamber, the latter being provided with fuel igniting means, and a manually operable fingerpiece mounted in the lighter casing for opening the valve and actuating the igniting means. A container 86, Fig. 3, for compressed liquefied gas is connected through a hollow needle 78, pierced through a resilient closure plug 84, to a chamber 68 containing a fuel alter and connected to a resilient tube 62 passing through a valve 60, so that when the latter is opened fuel passes through pipes 58, 36 to a hollow ring 188 surrounding the burner mouth and thence through a pipe 34 to a nozzle 26 projecting into a venturi air inlet 112 leading to a burner 16 containing a hollow plug 116 providing a central fuelair outlet 118 and a plurality of circumferential outlets 120. At the same time fuel supplied through the pipe 38 to a cylinder 42 actuates a piston 44 to move a striker member 52 along a cerium element 54 so that sparks pass through an opening 100 to ignite the fuel-air mixture rising through the burner 16. The valve 60 comprises a resilient section 64, Fig. 7, of the tubing 62 held between a pair of clamping members 124, 126 connected by a yoke straddling a pin 310. The free end of the member 126 is held in a notch 134 in a tripper bar pivoted to a plunger 152 and pressed downwardly by a spring 150. When the valve actuating push-button 156 is pressed inwardly against the action of a spring 158 the tripper bar 136 moves the resilient member 126 to open the valve to release a predetermined quantity of gas into the tubing 38, the valve being closed as soon as the tripper bar 136 reaches the end of its inward movement, when it is raised by a cam 146 to release the resilient member 126. An alternative operating mechanism for the valve and the spark igniting means is actuated by a fingerpiece 246, Fig. 9. When the latter is pressed inwardly against the action of a spring 254 a lever 256, engaging under the hooked end 218 of a pivoted lever 216, moves the latter counterclockwise to actuate a rod 214 to open a gas valve 200 by moving a ball or roller retractor 210 away from the resilient tubing 64. A tripping wheel 220 having a pin 224 engaging a groove 258 in the lever 256, is rotated by the latter to move a pivoted lever 228 clockwise against the action of a spring 232, until the groove 258 overrides the pin 224. The lever 228 is then pulled back by the spring 232 so that a striker element 242 carried by a spring bar 244 is moved along a cerium element 54 to produce igniting sparks. A lid 262 slidably mounted beneath the top of the housing 2 is provided with an opening 264 which is brought into alignment with the burner 16 when the fingerpiece 246 is pressed inwardly to ignite the burner. For this purpose the lever 256 is coupled to a rod 278 pivotally connected to a lever 272, one end of which is pivoted to the burner supporting bracket and the other end to one end of the lid 262. A pivotally mounted manually actuated lid 282, Fig. 14, may also be provided. In the alternative construction shown in Fig. 10 the igniting means comprises a sparking electrode 288 extending through the burner 16 for co-operation with electrodes 290 at the burner mouth. The electrode 288 is connected to one output terminal of an induction coil 294, one side of which is connected by a lead 296 to a condenser 298 earthed by a lead 300 which is also connected with a switch terminal 304 of a combined gas valve and switch 302, the other switch terminal 308 being connected by a lead 306 to the condenser 298. The terminals 304, 308 are resiliently mounted so that when the valve and switch operating button 328, Fig. 11, is pressed they slide over one another and then break contact so that the ignition coil is energized to generate igniting sparks. The gas valve comprises a ball valve 362 loosely mounted on a rod 360 passing through a resilient fulcrum member 356 and connected to a stem 350 joined to a housing 342 containing a ball 346 which, when the lighter is upright, lies in a socket 344 in the end of the stem 338 of the push button 328 and when the latter is pressed transmits pressure to move the ball valve. 362 from its seat, and to slide the terminal 304 over the terminal 308. In a further alternative construction the induction coil is omitted and the electric sparking device is replaced by an electrically heated platinum or palladium catalytic element.