Patent Abstract:
A combination wick cutter and lighter includes a tube connected to a handle with an opening in the end of the tube into which a wick may be received vertically along a tube longitudinal axis. When the wick is in the opening, the user moves an actuator to cut the wick and further moves the actuator to ignite the wick. Because the tube is advanced vertically, a candle wick in a candle holder with high sides relative to the position of the wick may be trimmed and lit.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to candle lighting and cutting or trimming. More particularly, the invention relates to a single device for cutting and for lighting the candle. Even more specifically, the invention to such a single device that can be used to reach and service candle wicks in a candle with candle container sides high above the candle and its wick. 
   2. Prior Art 
   Decorative candles are available in a large number of candle containers. It is known to have candle wick cutters. It is also known to have candle wick lighters. It is not common to have a candle wick cutter and a candle wick lighter in the same device. Though the art includes combination candle wick cutter and candle wick lighters, they require that the device be oblique to the candle. That is, the device must be oblique to the candle for the wick to be able to enter an opening where the wick can be cut. This limits use of the device to candles with their wicks close to the open top of the candle container where they can be reached by a device oblique to the candle. 
   When the candle burns down below the candle container sides, the candle wick is difficult to reach and the oblique devices are not applicable. 
   Therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a combination wick cutting and lighting device that are effective for candles below a candle relatively small container opening at its top, even in its limit to an opening only slightly larger than the transverse dimensions of the device and as deep as a tube extending from a device handle. 
   SUMMARY 
   This object is achieved by the combination wick cutter and lighter of the present invention comprising a tube connected to a handle with an opening in the end of a tube into which a wick may be received. In practice the combination wick cutter and lighter is advanced toward an upstanding wick vertically, that is, with the longitudinal axis of the tube aligned in parallel with the wick. When the wick is in the opening, the user moves the actuator to cut the wick and further moves the actuator to ignite the wick. Because the tube is advanced vertically, a candle wick in a candle holder with high sides relative to the position of the wick may be trimmed and lit. The open top of the candle holder may be only slightly larger than the diameter of the tube. 
   The trimming and lighting of the candle wick by action of an actuator at the handle which causes a blade to rotate across a cutter at the opening cutting the wick in a scissor affect as the actuator moves from a rest position to a second position. Fuel is released when the actuator is further moved from the second position to a third position. When the actuator reaches the third position, the actuator causes an igniter to ignite the fuel. Fuel release is stopped when the actuator returns to its second position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a cut-away perspective view of the combination wick cutter and lighter of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the gear and disk. 
       FIG. 3  is an end view of the gear and disk and first and second levers extending from the disk rod that is coaxial with the disk. 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the second lever in a first position corresponding to the first position of the first lever, with second and third positions in phantom dotted lines corresponding to second and third positions of the first lever, the second lever shown in contact with an igniter switch on one lever end and a fuel valve on the other lever end. 
       FIG. 5  is an end view of the tube showing the cutter, the blade and the tube opening all at the tube end. 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-section view taken along the lines  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of one of the teeth arranged on a circular arc on the face of the disk, angled as shown to interface with the gear, thus shaped so the teeth on the disk rotating on an axis perpendicular to that of the gear engages smoothly with the gear teeth, the high portion of the tooth first and then gradually the remainder of the tooth engaging the gear as the disk rotates and releasing from the gear similarly with the high portion releasing last. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   This combination wick cutter and lighter  10  comprises a handle  12  that functions as the body of the wick cutter and lighter. A tube  14 , with a longitudinal axis  16  and an opening  18  in a tube end  20 , extends from the handle  12 . A cutter  22  fixed in the tube  14  at the tube end  20  extends across the tube  14  transversely leaving the opening  18  in the tube end  20 . With the tube  14  positioned with the axis  16  of the tube  14  parallel to an upstanding wick  24 . Thus the wick  24  may be received into the opening  18  in the tube end  20  as the tube  14  is moved toward the wick  24  parallel to the tube axis  16 . 
   A blade rod  26  within the tube  14  is parallel to the tube axis  16  and extends from a gear  28  on a blade rod first end  30  to a blade  32  on a blade rod second end  34  at the tube end  20 . The blade  32  extends radially from the blade rod second end  34  across the tube end  20 . When the blade rod  26  is rotated the blade  32  moves across the opening  18  in a scissor action with the cutter  22  thereby cutting the wick  24  in the tube opening  18 . 
   A disk  36  in the handle  12  rotates on a disk axis  38  that is orthogonal to a rod axis  40 . A plurality of disk teeth  42  is arranged on a disk face  44  to mesh with teeth  46  of gear  28  as the disk  36  rotates, thus causing the blade rod  26  to rotate as the disk  36  rotates. A disk rod  50  is secured to the disk  36  with its disk rod axis  52  coaxial with a disk axis  54 . The disk rod  50  extends out of the handle  12  to a first lever  60  that extends radially from a disk rod end  62  out of the handle  12  as an actuator of the combination cutter and lighter  10  such that as the first lever  60  is moved the disk  36  rotates which thereby causes the blade rod  26  to rotate and the blade  32  to move across the cutter  22  in a scissor action. The first lever  60  moves away from its rest position  64  under spring bias and returns to its rest position  64  when released by action of a spring  66 . 
   A second lever  70  also extends radially from the disk rod  50  but within the handle  12 . A second lever first end  72  releasably engages a reservoir valve  74  controlling release of fuel from a fuel reservoir  76  such that as the second lever  72  rotates with the disk rod  40  the fuel reservoir valve  74  opens causing fuel to pass through a fuel line  78  that extends from the fuel reservoir  76  to the tube end  20 . As the first lever  60  moves from a rest position  80  to a second position  82  the blade  32  moves across the tube end  20 , cutting the wick  24 . If a user only wishes to trim the wick  24 , the first lever  60  is released to return to its rest position  80 . 
   If the user wishes to also ignite the wick  24  after just trimming it, the first lever  60  is further moved under spring bias to a third position  84 . As the first lever  60  moves past its second position  82  toward its third position  84 , the reservoir valve  74  engaged with the second lever first end  72  opens. A second lever second end  86  engages an igniter switch  88  when the first lever  60  is at its third position  84  which activates an electric igniter  90  disposed to ignite fuel at the tube end  20 . Thus, as the first lever  60  moves past its second position  82  to its third position  84 , the second lever first end  72  opens the reservoir valve  74  and causes fuel to be released at the tube end  20  as the second lever second  86  actuates the electric igniter  90  thereby igniting the released fuel, which provides a flame that lights the wick  24  at the tube end  20 . Fuel continues to flow through the fuel line  78  until the first lever  60  moves back to its second position  82  and then to the lever rest position  80 . Simultaneously, as the first lever  60  moves away from its third position  84  the disk rod  50  rotates, withdrawing the blade  32  across the tube end  20  thereby restoring the opening  18  at the tube end  20 . 
   It should be appreciated that though an actuator has been described for convenience of description simply as a first lever, any other mechanism, such as a trigger effecting a similar movement would achieve the same result. Similarly, two levers or triggers may be employed to give equivalent effect, one for comparable movement of the first lever between its rest position and its first position, the other for comparable movement of the first lever between its second and third positions. These and all other equivalent embodiments are deemed included in the described embodiment. 
   It should be further appreciated that for a wick cutter and lighter with a tube having a tube length extending from the handle, the combination wick cutter and lighter can cut and light a candle wick as deep in a candle container as the tube length with a container opening at its top only large enough to allow the tube to enter the container opening. For all purposes herein, the width of the cutter is deemed insignificant and subtracted in the description. 
   The cutting mechanism is described in terms of a scissoring action between two blades, one of them being fixed and described as a cutter only for ease of reference. It should be further appreciated that any of many cutting actions could be employed and that for all purposes herein including the following claims, this description is exemplary of those many cutting actions, all of which are deemed included in this description provided.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5