Improvements in and relating to Pocket Lamps and other Igniting Devices.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Pocket Lamps and other Igniting
Devices.
I, ELIAS BERNARD KOOPMAN, residing at Number 325, Broadway, in the City,
County and State of New York, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to that class of lamps which are to be carried in a person's
pocket for lighting cigars and for other purposes. Such lamps have been made with
a reservoir for burning fluid, supplied with a wick, and provided with automatic
means for lighting the wick. The lighting devices have comprised, among other
things, a strip of fulminates which is fed into position as one fulminate after another
exploded or ignited, and a scratching or pricking device has been used to explode
or ignite such fulminate.
The present invention consists in certain details of construction, and also in certain
combinations and arrangements of parts to form a pocket or other lamp or lighting
device, as I will now proceed to particularly set forth and finally claim.
In the accompanying drawing, in the several figures of which like parts are
similarly designated
Figure 1, is a perspective view with the parts in open position.
Figure 2, is a sectional elevation taken in the plane of line a―a, Figure 3.
Figure 3, is a plan view with the cover thrown back.
Figure 4, is a perspective view of the igniter.
Without thereby limiting my invention to the exact details of form and structure,
I will describe the principle of my invention with reference to the accompanying
illustration.
is a substantially rectangular case, having a fixed side, b, to which case is hinged
the cover, c. The other side, d, of the case is hinged at, d, to the case, and is provided
with the reservoir, e, for the burning fluid or agent, this reservoir being supplied
through an opening, f, with the usual absorbent material and wick, g. The opening,,
is provided with a sling cover, h, preferably dovetailed in the reservoir. The wick is
led out through a wick-tube, i, where it is ignited. A. draught shield, j, is erected
alongside the wick-tube. The hinged side is fastened to the case by any suitable
fastener, and in the illustration I have shown a spring-finger, &, provided with a
cavity,, to engage a projection, k³, on the case. The side, d, is hinged and thereby
adapted to be swung away from the case in order to facilitate access to the lamp for
filling, cleaning and application of the igniters. The side, d, with its reservoir and
wick, I herein designate a light-producing apparatus, and also, the lamp proper.
The lighters, 1, are composed of discs of paper, cloth or card-board upon which are
disposed in a circle a number of pellets, drops or bits of fulminate or explosive
composition, 1'. These igniters are provided with openings, 121, for application to a
carrier, m; and I prefer to provide the carrier with pins, m², m², of different shape and
to make the holes, 12, 13, in the igniter of corresponding shape, so as to insure the
proper placing of the igniter upon its carrier to bring a bit of fulminate in right
position when ignited to throw its flame upon the wick. The carrier is shown as a
ratchet-toothed wheel, mounted upon a stud, m³, so as to revolve upon the case, a.
The bits of fulminate, 1', will be spaced correspondingly with the teeth, so as to
present a fresh one as the carrier is advanced tooth by tooth.
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The bits of fulminate are ignited by a scratcher wire, n, coiled about a post, n³,
on the side, d, so as to give it resilience in scraping or scratching the fulminating
material to explode it or cause it to ignite.
One, but not the only means I contemplate of rotating the carrier, is a pawl, o,

page_text: formed on or attached to the spring, o', which spring is united to the case. This spring
has a push-piece, p; it is also provided with a projecting piece, g, engaging the
ratchet to dog it, and thus prevent its retrogression, and also prevent its slipping
when freed from the pawl, o. The spring, o', is continued around the case and
projects, at, o, above the case to act upon the lid or cover, c, to open it, and on
account of its function I designate this projection, o², the cover-opener.
The lid or cover, c, is adapted to engage the spring o¹, and be held closed by it
until the spring is moved inwardly by pressure applied to the push-piece, p. The
same movement that releases and throws open the cover, also rotates the carrier,
explodes a fulminate, and lights the lamp.
Obviously, the igniters may be renewed indefinitely.
Instead of revolving the carrier by the spring-pawl, as just described, I may
arrange the pawl lower down upon the spring instead of at its upper end, to engage a
ratchet-wheel placed upon the stud, m³, upon or at the back of the carrier instead of
teeth on the rim of the carrier, all as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2. One
advantage of this alternate construction is a quicker movement of the carrier.
In either construction, the carrier is automatically revolved and the lamp may be
lighted simultaneously with the opening of the cover, c.
The invention is applicable to other lighting devices than those designed to be
carried upon the person.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
First In a lighting device, a light-producing apparatus, combined with an auto-
matically revoluble carrier and a removable disc provided with drops or bits of
explosive material and applied to said carrier, and a scratcher against which the
explosive material is forced and by which it is ignited as the carrier is revolved,
substantially as described.
Second In a lighting device, a light-producing apparatus, combined with a rotary
carrier provided with teeth, a disc of ignitable pellets applied thereto, a spring-pawl
to engage said teeth on the carrier and rotate it tooth by tooth to ignite successive
pellets, and a scratcher, substantially as described.
Third: In a lighting device, a light-producing apparatus, a case containing it, and
a spring arranged in and fastened to said case, and having one end formed as a pawl
and provided with a button to move it, combined with a rotary fulminate carrier
arranged in said case and constructed with ratchet-teeth adapted to be engaged by
said pawl, a disc of ignitable pollets applied to said carrier, and a scratcher, substan-
tially as described.
Fourth In a lighting device, a light-producing apparatus, a case containing it, and
a spring arranged in and fastened to said case, and having one end formed as a pawl
and provided with a button to move it, combined with a rotary fulminate carrier
arranged in said case and constructed with ratchet-teeth adapted to be engaged by
said pawl, a disc of ignitable pellets applied to said carrier, a projection from the
spring to dog said carrier by engagement with its teeth, and a scratcher, substantially
as described.
Fifth In a lighting device, the lamp proper, a case containing it, a cover
hinged to said case, a rotary fulminate carrier provided with ratchet-teeth, a disc of
ignitable pellets applied to said carrier, and a scratcher, combined with a spring
having one end formed as a pawl to engage the ratchet-teeth of the carrier. to rotate
it, and also constructed with a detent for the carrier, and also having its other end in
engagement with the cover to throw it open as the pawl is actuated to rotate the
carrier, substantially as described.
Sixth A lighting device, composed of a case, a hinged side containing the lamp
proper, and a scratcher thereon, a rotary toothed fulminate carrier, a fulminate disc
applied to said carrier, a cover for the case, and a spring comprising a pawl and a
detent for the carrier, and a cover opener, substantially as described.

page_text: Seventh: In a lighting device, a light-producing apparatus, combined with a carrier
adapted to receive a removable disc of ignitable pellets and provided with a ratchet, a
pawl to engage the said ratchet to move it and the carrier tooth by tooth, a detent for
the ratchet, and a scratcher against which the ignitable pellets are forced and by
which they are ignited as the carrier is revolved, substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of October 1880
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.