GB732985A - Improvements relating to compressed gas fuelled cigarette lighters - Google Patents

Abstract

732,985. Smokers' lighters. NEWMAN, S. H. Sept. 1, 1953 [Sept. 1, 1952 ; March 20, 1953; July 29, 1953], Nos. 21973/52, 7805/53 and 21095/53. Class 75 (3). In a cigarette lighter utilizing liquefied gas fuel, the mouth of the gas passage from the liquid fuel storage container to the burner jet is covered by a thin absorbent diaphragm of greater area than the said mouth and fed with liquefied fuel by contact with a wick dipping into the container so that when a stop valve in the passage is open, evaporated gas from the diaphragm travels along the passage to the burner. Compression of the diaphragm may be varied by means outside the lighter to regulate the evaporation of gas from the diaphragm and thus the height of the flame. To this end the stop valve comprises a hollow plunger incorporating the gas burner and is movable axially between its open and closed positions and rotates about this axis of linear movement to vary the compression on the diaphragm. As shown, a combined stop valve and burner 16 is mounted in a cylindrical well 30 let into the top wall 11 of the fuel container 10 and comprises a close fitting hollow metal plug 31 resting on a flange 32 with resilient seal washer 33 therebetween. A cylindrical skirt 35 on the plug projects through the bottom of the well into the container, the bore of the plug being interrupted by a transverse wall just above the skirt and provided with a very fine escape vent 37. Flow of gas through this vent is restricted by a disc 38 of absorbent paper in contact with a wick 39 leading from the container 10 into the skirt 35 and pressed into contact with the disc by a forced-in plug 40 having spaces at opposite sides for the passage of the wick over the end of the plug. The stop valve comprises a hollow circular plunger 41 with the burner jet 22 at its upper end communicating through the bore 42 with radial notches at its lower end which is contacted by a brass distance-piece 48 overlying a resilient disc 47, which when pressed home by the plunger under action of a spring 45 seals the vent 37. Depression of the fingerpiece 17 to ignite the lighter in the usual manner acts on an arm 50 of a lever engaging a neck 51 under the burner head 22 to raise the plunger against the spring 45, the lever having a kink 52 to act as a fulcrum on the top wall of the container. In the modified construction shown in Fig. 4, an absorbent disc 38 overlies the heads of wicks 39 fixed in a number of holes spaced around the outer edge in the bottom of the plug 31. Compression of the disc 38 is obtained by the bottom of a cup 70 forced downward by a threaded collar 71 screwed into the wall of the plug 31. The stop valve sealing member 47 is raised by gas pressure through the vent 37 on operation of the lever 50 pivoting on the fulcrum ring 78 to raise the plunger on depression of the finger-piece. The lower end of the plunger of reduced diameter extends through the threaded collar 71 into cup 70 to press the metal discs 48 and resilient disc 47 to close the vent 37 and is provided with driving pins 74 engaging in deep slots 75 formed in the upper surface of the collar 71 to permit the plunger to move axially.up and down and, on rotation as by means of a key co-operating with the burner jet 22 having a groove 77, to cause rotation of the collar to vary the pressure of the cup 70 on the disc 47. In a further modification, to rotate the collar 71, the bore therein is given a polygonal cross-section and a plug of corresponding section having a loose fit in the bore of the collar is force fitted into the enlarged portion of the circular bore of the plunger, the gas passing between the flat sides of the plug and the circular sides of the plunger bore on its way to the burner jet. The plunger when in closed position engages a stop arranged so as to limit the plunger pressure on the resilient disc 47. Specification 733,083 is referred to.