Patent ID: 8109760

Claim:
A safety torch, comprising: a fuel chamber, a torch head, and an ignitor housing; the fuel chamber having a longitudinal axis, comprising a source of fuel, wherein the fuel chamber is external to the ignitor housing; the torch head comprising a combustion region receiving said fuel from said source of fuel, wherein said torch head having a lateral axis, at a non-zero axis to the longitudinal axis; an ignitor disposed in the ignitor housing to provide a discharge of energy in said combustion region, in the presence of said fuel, said ignitor further including an actuator having an actuator member partially received within said ignitor housing and movable along a longitudinal axis of said ignitor housing, said actuator adapted to control said discharge of energy according to movement along said longitudinal ignitor housing axis and including an end surface intersecting, and substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal ignitor housing axis proximal to an axial terminus of said ignitor housing most proximal to said combustion region and adapted to receive an actuating force directed substantially along said longitudinal ignitor housing axis away from said combustion region to result in said discharge of energy, a detent disposed in fixed, proximal and external association to said ignitor housing axial terminus, and an actuator stop rotatable about a stop axis perpendicular from said longitudinal ignitor housing axis, said actuator stop comprising a surface having a portion proximal to said end surface, and a first external tab member having a length and being external to said ignitor housing extending away from said stop axis to engage said detent and prevent movement along said longitudinal ignitor housing when so engaged, said end surface being spaced from said ignitor housing proximal end at least said tab member length, and being rotatable about said stop axis in a first direction away from said detent upon application of a force tangential to said actuator surface and at least partially along said longitudinal axis of said ignitor housing and being rotationally limited by a rotational limiting element engaging said actuator stop and said actuator member, permitting movement of said first external tab such that it extends outwardly from the ignitor housing, is spaced apart from said housing and completely disengage said tab, and movement of said actuator along said longitudinal axis of said ignitor housing, wherein said discharge of energy is provided.