IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGAR " LIGHTERS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGAR
"
LIGHTERS." A communication from abroad by Charles Henry Vibbard, of
Aurora, in the County of Cayuga, and John Duncan Brooks, of Albany,
in the County of Albany, both in the State of New York, United States of
America.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th September 1881.
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGAR LIGHTERS." [A communication from abroad
by Charles Henry Vibbard, of Aurora, in the County of Cayuga, and John Duncan
Brooks, of Albany, in the County of Albany, both in the State of New York,
United States of America.]
This Invention consists in a cigar lighter constructed with a case provided with
a hinged cover and a spring catch for holding the same closed, a tube provided with
a spiral spring and a tubular cap for holding a candle, a slotted and curved partition
having a correspondingly curved spring attached to it for holding a fuse, a four armed
wheel pivoted to the case for raising the fuse, a curved arm attached to the cover
for operating the four armed wheel, a curved arm attached to the cover for igniting
the fuse, and a curved spring for raising the cover quickly, whereby a fuse will be
ignited and a candle lighted by the act of opening the cover, and the fuse raised
ready to be again ignited by the closing of the cover.
The cover is hinged to the upper rear corner of the case, and is held in place
when closed by the spring catch, which engages with a shoulder or projection on
the inner side of the forward end of the cover. Upon the forward side of the spring
catch is a projection, which extends through a hole in the forward edge of the case
for convenience in pressing back the catch to open the case. In the forward part
of the case is secured the small tube or holder to receive the taper or small candle,
which is held up by a spiral spring, the candle being kept from being forced out of

page_text: the holder by the spring by a tube or cap, which is placed upon the upper part of
the holder and secured thereto by a bayonet catch. The tubular cap has an inwardly
projecting flange around its upper edge, against which the outer part of the upper
end of the candle rests. To the case, a little in the rear of the taper or candle
holder, is secured a partition, the lower part of which is vertical, the upper part
being curved to the rearward in the arc of a circle, having its centre in the axis of
the hinge. The middle part of the partition is cut away or slotted for the passage
of the fuse, which is rolled up into a coil and placed in the lower rear part of the
case. The upper end of the fuse passes through the slot in the partition, and is
held against its convex side by a spring, the lower end of which is secured to the
vertical lower part of the partition, while its upper part is curved to correspond
with the curvature of said partition. To the case, a little in the rear of the slot in
the partition, is pivoted the four armed wheel, the arms of which are made of such
a length as to reach through the slot in the partition far enough to press back the
spring and raise the fuse between the spring and the partition.
To the rear part of the cover is rigidly attached an arm, which is curved down-
ward into such a position that its free end, when the cover is closed, will strike an
arm of the wheel, and turn the said wheel through a quarter of a revolution, and
thus push the fuse upward. To the forward part of the top of the cover is attached
an arm which is curved to correspond with the curvature of the upper part of the
partition, and has the lower edge of its concave side roughened, so that when the
cover is raised the contact of the end of the arm with the upper end of the fuse
will ignite the fuse, the flame of which lights the candle, the fuse being prevented
from burning any longer than to light the candle by the pressure of the upper end
of the spring against the partition. The arın is made of such a length that its
lower end, when the cover is closed, will overlap the outer end of the spring, so
that the said arm will be pushed back by and with the said spring to allow the
fuse to be raised without coming in contact with the arm. To the lower part of
the rear edge of the case is attached the lower end of a spring, which is curved
forward, upward, and rearward, so that its free upper end will rest in a recess in
the rear part of the curved arm which acts on the armed wheel, and will throw the
cover open quickly as soon as released from the catch and thus ignite the fuse. In
the rear part of the bottom of the case is a small door through which the coiled fuse
-can-be-inserted.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th March
1882.
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGAR LIGHTERS." A communication from abroad
by Charles Henry Vibbard, of Aurora, in the County of Cayuga, and John Duncan
Brooks, of Albany, in the County of Albany, both in the State of New York,
United States of America.
This Invention consists in a cigar lighter constructed with a case provided with
a hinged cover and a spring catch for holding the same closed, a tube provided with
a spiral spring and a tubular cap for holding a candle, a slotted and curved partition
having a correspondingly curved spring attached to it for holding a fuse, a four armed
wheel pivotted to the case for raising the fuse, a curved arm attached to the cover
for operating the four armed wheel, a curved arm attached to the cover for igniting
the fuse, and a curved spring for raising the cover quickly, whereby a fuse will be
ignited and a candle lighted by the act of opening the cover, and the fuse raised
ready to be again ignited by the closing of the cover, as will be hereinafter fully
described.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improve-
ment showing the position of the various parts when the lighter is closed; Figure 2
is the same section as Figure 1, but showing the position of the parts when the
lighter is partly opened; Figure 3 is a plan view of the lighter opened.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the accompanying Drawings A represents the case, to the upper rear corner
of which is hinged the cover B. The cover B is held in place when closed by the
spring catch C, which engages with a shoulder or projection D formed upon or
attached to the inner side of the forward end of the cover B. Upon the forward
side of the spring catch C is formed, or to it is attached, a projection E, which
extends through a hole in the forward edge of the case A for convenience in
pressing back the catch C to open the case. In the forward part of the case A is
secured a small tube or holder F to receive the taper or small candle G, which is
held up within the tube F by a spiral spring H. The candle G is kept from being
forced out of the tube F by the spring by a cap I placed upon the upper part of
the tube F, and secured to it by a bayonet catch, as shown in Figure 2.
The cap I
has an inwardly projecting flange around its upper edge, against which the outer
part of the upper end of the candle rests, as shown in Figure 1. To the case A, a
little in the rear of the tube F, is secured a partition J, the lower part of which is
vertical, and its upper part is curved to the rearward in the arc of a circle, having
its centre in the axis of the hinge. The middle part of the partition J is cut away
or slotted for the passage of the fuse K, which is rolled up into a coil and placed in
the lower rear part of the case A. The upper end of the fuse K passes through the
slot in the partition J, and is held against the convex side of the said partition J
by a spring L, the lower end of which is secured to its vertical lower part, while
the upper part of the spring is curved to correspond with the curvature of the said
partition. To the case A, a little in the rear of the slot in the partition J, is pivotted
a four armed wheel M, the arms of which are made of such a length as to reach
through the slot in the partition J far enough to press back the spring L and raise
the fuse K between the said spring and the said partition.
To the rear part of the cover B is rigidly attached an arm N, which is curved
downward into such a position that its free end, when the cover B is closed, will

page_text: strike an arm of the wheel M, and turn the said wheel through a quarter of a
revolution, and thus push the fuse K upward. To the forward part of the top of
the cover B is attached an arm O, which is curved to correspond with the curvature
of the upper part of the partition J, and has the lower edge of its concave side
roughened, so that when the cover B is raised the contact of the end of the arm O
with the upper end of the fuse K will ignite the fuse, the flame of which lights the
candle G, and which is prevented from burning any longer than to light the candle
by the pressure of the upper end of the spring L against the partition J. The
arm O is made of such a length that its lower end, when the cover B is closed, will
overlap the outer end of the spring L, so that the said arm will be pushed back by
and with the said spring L to allow the fuse K to be raised without coming in
contact with the said arm O. To the lower part of the rear edge of the case A
is attached the lower end of the spring P, which is curved forward, upward,
and rearward, so that its free upper end will rest in a recess in the rear part of the
arm N, and will throw the cover B open quickly as soon as released from the
catch C, and thus ignite the fuse. In the rear part of the bottom of the case A is
formed a small door Q, through which the coiled fuse K can be inserted.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. A cigar lighter constructed, substantially as herein shown and described, of
a case provided with a hinged cover B and a spring catch C, a tube F provided
with a spiral spring H and a tubular cap I, a slotted and curved partition having a
correspondingly curved spring L attached to it, a four armed wheel M, a curved
arm N attached to the rear end of the cover, a curved arm O attached to the forward
part of the cover, and a curved spring P, whereby a fuse will be ignited and a
candle lighted by opening the cover of the case, as set forth.
2nd. In a cigar lighter the combination with the case A and cover B of the
slotted and curved partition J, the curved spring L, and the curved arm O, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described, whereby a fuse will be ignited to light a
candle by opening the cover of the case, as set forth.
3rd. In a cigar lighter the combination with the case A, the cover B, the slotted
and curved partition J, and the curved spring L, of the four armed wheel M and
the curved arm N, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the fuse
will be raised into position for being ignited by closing the cover of the case, as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
La thous