US3533720A - Gas lighter - Google Patents

Description

M. QUERCIA l 3,533,720

GAS LIGHTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 oct. 13, 1970 Filed June 28 1968 lNveNroR fumata. @unc/A BY. mylar! f .$104, ATTORNEY l .P fri..

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Oct. 13, 1970 l M. QuERclA 35533720 n GAS LIGHTER v Filed June 2s 1968 Y Y s sheets-'sheet 2 INVENTOR HAMEL Galena/A ATTORNEY of13,197o MQU'ERCI', I 3,533,720

GAS LIGHTER Filed June 2e 196s J ,shatsv-snemv fla-b5.

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United States Patent O Inf. cl. rizsq 2/16 U.S. Cl. 431-277 20 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A ring of leather, with its grain side directed towards the top and its flesh side towards the bottom, which is pierced at its centre Without removal of material, and through which a cone of an adjusting screw is threaded whereby the ring rests on an annular surface at the base of this cone, can be clamped, by adjustment of this screw, against a corresponding opposed annular surface provided with a hole coaxial with the cone. By its compression, the ring limits the ow of the gas which, coming from the reservoir, passes through this ring before being able to escape towards the burner.

The present invention relates to a gas lighter with a reservoir, removable or not, for a liquefied combustible gas under pressure and an adjustable flow-restraining device, in which the gas, on its path between the interior of the reservoir and a burner, is led to pass between two clamping elements, between which is inserted a flowrestraining wad, and which can be clamped more or less tightly, on both sides against this wad by setting an adjusting screw.

According to an important characteristic of this invention, the gas flow-restraining wad is made of leather, preferably natural, 'which presents two layers of different porosities, one of coarser porosity, situated, in the case of natural leather, on the inner side, also called flesh side and the other, of liner porosity, situated on the outer side, also called grain side, the combustible gas, between the reservoir and the burner, being led to pass successively through these two layers, preferably first the layer of coarser porosity oriented towards the upstream, and then the layer of finer porosity, oriented towards the downstream, with respect to the direction of ow of the gas.

According to another important characteristic of the invention, the restraining wad is constituted by a ring of flexible material, preferably porous, pierced without removal of material and threaded on a cone forming the central part of the annular clamping surface of one of these elements and projecting towards a gas passage orifice, provided in the corresponding opposed clamping surface of the other element, the ensemble being inserted in the gas outlet channel of the reservoir by the peripheral side of the one of the faces of the ring and by the central orifice on its other face.

According to still another important characteristic of the invention, relating to the adjusting screw adapted to be set by the rotation of a rotary member axially retained in the lighter, this member is coupled in rotation with this screw by means adapted to act in the manner of a screw driver to cause, by the simple rotation of this member in one direction or in the other, the screwing or the unscrewing of this adjusting screw, the rotary member advantageously comprising an adjustable axial abutment, adapted to project 'by a greater or lesser amount with respect to the end of this member turned towards the above mentioned regulating screw and which, consequently, permits the adjustment of the extreme position adapted to be reached by the adjusting screw in the completely unscrewed position which corresponds to the maximum gas flow.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specic description of several embodiments of the invention, given merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l shows, partially in elevation, partially in axial section, a part of a gas lighter established according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows, in axial section, a part of a lighter established according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows, in axial section, a part of a lighter established according to still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 shows, in perspective, a member forming part of the lighter of FIG. 3.

Certain gas lighters present upstream of a lighter 1,

a gas flow-limiter, with which the user can himself adjust the height of the llame to his personal convenience.

This how-limiter generally comprises an adjusting wad 2, clamped between two opposed surfaces 3 and 4, of adjustable separation, the wad and the surfaces being inserted in such a manner, in the gas outlet channel, between a reservoir 5 of liquefied gas under pressure, removable or not, of the lighter, and a burner 1, that by moving one of these surfaces towards or away from the other, a decrease or an increase respectively is obtained of the flow of the gas issuing from the burner 1.

According to an important characteristic of the invention, the wad 2 is made of leather presenting two layers of different porosities, one 2a, denser, of finer porosity, located in the case of natural leather on the outer side, also called grain side, and the other 2b, of coarser porosity, on the inner side, also called liesh side; the gas contained in the reservoir 5 must pass successively through these layers before being able to leave this reservoir by the burner 1.

The =wad 2 is preferably made of natural leather, in particular of goats leather, but it can, of course, also be made of synthetic leather provided that this leather presents the two layers mentioned above of different porosities.

The wad 2 is advantageously inserted in such a manner in the gas outlet channel that the gas can only leave the reservoir -5 by passing through iirst the layer of coarser porosity 2b, oriented towards the upstream, and then, the layer of finer porosity 2a, oriented towards the downstream with respect to the direction of flow of the gas.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the reservoir 5 contains a tube 6 which passes through it in a fluid-tight manner, this tube opening on two opposite walls 5a, 5b ofthe reservoir.

At the interior, the tube 6 presents an intermediate annular shoulder 6a. On one side of this shoulder 6a, the part 6b of the tube 6 contains a coaxial gas outlet control valve 7 which a return spring 8 applies in a fluid-tight manner against the edge of the central hole 9 of this shoulder and whose tubular control rod 10, serving as a gas outlet conduit, can form in a manner known in itself, by its free end, the burner 1.

In the part 6c of the tube 6 situated on the other side of the shoulder 6a which, on this side forms one of the clamping elements of the wad 2, is screwed the other clamping element 11 whose head 11a, forming a setting member, projects out of the end of the tube 6 and projects beyond the face 5b of the reservoir.

An annular sealing joint 12, inserted between the screw 11 and the tube 6, ensures the sealing downstream of an opening 13 provided radially through the wall of the tube 6 and opening in this tube under the wad 2.

In this arrangement, when the valve 7 is lifted, by a mechanism known in itself, the gas contained under pressure in the reservoir can pass through the opening 13 in the tube 6, under the wad 2, pass through this wad, then issue through the central hole 9 in the part 6b of the tube, to penetrate through a radial hole 14 in the tubular rod 10 and issue at the end of this rod through the burner 1.

By screwing more or less tightly the clamping element 11 in the tube 6, the wad 2 is compressed 'more or less tightly, and consequently, the flow of the gas leaving the reservoir through this wad or between the sides of this wad and its clamping surfaces is decreased or increased.

It will be noted that the wad 2, made of leather, according to one feature of the present invention, presents, by its two different porosities, not only advantageous properties in themselves for restraining the flow, but also the advantage of not becoming shabby when it is urged in opposite directions by the two clamping surfaces 3 and 4 turning one with respect to the other during the clamping of the wad.

Whether it is made of leather, or of any other flexible and/ or elastomeric material, whether it is porous or not, the wad 2 is advantageously established in the form of a ring pierced at its centre without removal of material and threaded on a cone 15, forming the central part of the annular clamping surface 4 of the screw 11 and projecting towards the hole 9, provided in the centre of the corresponding clamping surface 3 of the tube 6.

Thus, an increase of the clamping of the ring 2 by screwing the element 11 in the tube 6, produces in the thickness of the ring 2 a compression which, more quickly than elsewhere, increases near the cone 15, and particularly in the neighbourhood of the inlet of the hole 9, that is to say in an annular zone of the ring through which the gas, coming from the reservoir 5, must necessarily pass before being able to arrive at the valve 7 In this manner, a determined reduction of the gas flow can be obtained with a minimum stress, since instead of being uniformly distributed in the entire thickness of the ring 2, the compression of this ring is essentially limited to the region where it is effective for limiting the flow of gas.

This adjustment of the gas flow by an accentuated compression of the ring at its centre is particularly effective with porous rings, notably made of leather.

Nevertheless, this Same type of adjustment is conceivable with rings of other materials, for example with a ring in a flexible, even fluid-tight, material, in which case the gas, instead of passing through the material of the ring, would have to pass along the clamping surface 4 and go up along the surface of the cone 15 to the hole 9 between the ring and these surfaces.

The ring 2 is advantageously fitted in a housing whose bottom is formed by the surface 3 with the central hole 9, whereas the clamping surface 4, adapted to penetrate into this housing there to compress the ring 2 extends to the neighbourhood of the periphery of this housing while allowing an annular slot to remain, along this periphery, for the passage of the gas through the ring 2.

This annular slot is advantageously obtained by a chamfer 16 at the periphery of the frontal clamping surface 4 of the screw 11, the opening 13 being provided through the part 6c of the tube 6 so that it opens opposite to this chamfer 16.

Thus, the gas under pressure coming from the reservoir 5, can, by passing through the opening 13, reach the periphery of the lower surface of the ring 2, which obliges it, in order to reach the opening 9, when the Valve 7 is raised, to pass through the porous ring 2 from one side to the other.

The reservoir 5 can, of course, be completely filled with 4 material adapted to absorb the liqueed gas under pressure that it contains.

In the case in which the reservoir 5 is traversed from one end to the other by a tube 17, parallel to the tube 6, which tube 17 can in particular serve for receiving the ignition flint and its spring, it is advantageous to make the opening 13 open into the reservoir 5, between these two tubes, so that its cross section is divided, by the plane common to the axes of the tubes 6 and 17, into two parts at least approximately equal, whose edges are separated as little as possible from that plane, and to insert between these two tubes a tampon B of material adapted to absorb the liquid gas which is thus applied against the opening 13 with a maximum pressure, localized along the generatrices determining the minimum distance between the two tubes.

The rest of the reservoir can then be left empty of any stuiling, thus increasing the capacity for receiving a greater quantity of liquefied gas under pressure.

In the adjusting screw 11 is advantageously provided a filling valve 18, mounted in a blind axial channel 19 of the screw 11, which communicates with the interior of the reservoir 5 through a radial channel 20 opening in the part 6c of the tube 6, upstream of the joint 12, preferably opposite the opening 13, so that this opening can be traversed not yonly by the gas under pressure leaving the reservoir, when the gas outlet valve 7 is raised, but also by the gas coming from a recharging nipple connected to the head 11a, provided with a hole at 21, of the screw 11, on passing through the filling valve 18.

In a lighter established according to a variant represented in FIG. 2, the constituent parts which correspond by their structure or by their function to those of the lighter represented in FIG. l, are designated by the same reference numerals, but increased by 100.

According to this embodiment, the adjusting screw 111 for adjusting the height of the llame, which does not con tain either valve or channel for filling the reservoir and whose end remote from the cone is still at the interior of the tube 106, is set by the rotation of a separate rotary member 23 which covers the tube 106 on the exterior face 10519 of the lighter and which is axially retained in this tube by lugs 24, radially flexible and hooked into a groove 25 provided in the interior periphery of the tube 106.

By this hooking, the member 23 is axially immobilized with respect to the tube 106 but can turn at will in the two directions with respect to this tube.

The member 23 is coupled in rotation with the screw 111 by means adapted to act in the manner of a screw driver which permit, by the simple rotation of this member in one direction or in the other, the screwing or unscrewing of the screw 111 in the tube 106.

In the case represented, these coupling means comprise on the rotary member 23 an axial tongue 26 and, in the screw 111, a diametrical slot 22 in which the tongue 26 slides, thus penetrating into this slot by a greater of lesser amount during the common rotation of the member 23 and of the screw 111 which, in the course of this rotation, is screwed or unscrewed in the tube 106.

The tongue 26 and the corresponding slot 22, for the rotary coupling of the member 23 and the screw 111, can be replaced by other pairs of projections and hollows, provided that these corresponding projections and hollows form cylinders in the direction of the common axis of the screw 111 and of the tube 106, without however being of revolution about this common axis. Their cross section can in particular be polygonal.

The inlet of the tube 106 is preferably flared outwardly in the form of a cone 27 which facilitates putting the member 23 in place, due to the fact that, when then lugs 24 are pushed axially in the cone 27, they bend towards the axis and, then, right themselves again elastically, when their end projecting towards the periphery has been able to penetrate into the groove 25, to hook there with the member 23.

In any case, when the user ofthe lighter unscrews completely the adjusting screw 111 by the rotation of the member 23, hel obtains a flame of maximum length.

With the ensemble represented in PIG. 2, the stroke of maximum unscrewing of the screw 111 in the tube 106 is difficult to determine with precision, so that it can happen that the maximum length of the ame is too great and that a desastrous blow-pipe effect is then produced.

To remedy this disadvantage and to permit the manufacturer to proceed easily, in the factory, with a precise adjustment of the maximum length of the flame, adapted to be obtained by the user when he sets the rotary member 23, it is advantageous to provide on this rotary member 23, according to still another important characteristic of the invention, an adjustable axial abutment adapted to project to a greater or lesser degree with respect to the end of the rotary member 23 turned towards the adjusting screw 111.

In this manner, by acting on this adjustable axial abutment, the manufacturer will have the possibility of adjusting the extreme position adapted to be reached by the adjusting screw 111 when the user unscrews this adjusting screw completely, in Iwhich extreme position the end of the adjusting screw 111 oriented towards the rotary member 23 abuts against this axial abutment.

An advantageous embodiment of such an adjustable abutment is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in which various parts of the lighter fullling analogous functions to those shown in FIG. 2 have been designated by the same reference numerals increased by one hundred, the rotary member 123 being here axially retained in the tube 206 by an expansible split ring 28 and the adjusting screw 211 acting by its end on a push-piece 29 of a device (not shown) for restraining the flow of gas.

According to this latter embodiment, the adjustable axial abutment, carried by the setting member 123, comprises, in an axial hub 123a of this member, a tapping 123b, and, screwed in this tapping, a screw 30 of sufficient length to project to a greater or lesser extent above the upper end of the hub 123a of the member 123, the rotary coupling tongue 126 having the form of an upside down U, in order to straddle the end of the screw 30, this screw nevertheless projecting out at both ends from this tongue, so that itsy projecting parts can effectively play the role of axial abutments for the adjusting screw 211. After the adjustment of the abutment screw 30, which is carried out, as already indicated, by the manufacturer or by a specialized workshop in the case of a readjustment, it is advantageous to seal the bore 123b, on the outer side, by a sealing and blocking wad 31, for example of plastic material, this wad preventing the user from having access to the screw 30.

The rotary member 23` or 123, by its part accessible from the exterior, can be very fiat or even embedded in the bottom of the lighter, in which case it is appropriate either to make it project slightly at its periphery out from each side of this bottom, or to provide it, in its face directed towards the exterior, with a diametrical groove 32 (FIG. 3) in which the user can insert a coin thus using it as a screw driver.

' Although the present invention has been described with particular reference to specific embodiments, various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

What I claim is:

1. A gas lighter including a reservoir for combustible gas, a burner, a gas channel leading from said reservoir to said burner and an adjustable gas flow restraining device disposed in said gas channel for restraining the iiow of gas from said reservoir to said burner, in which said gas flow restraining device comprises two clamping elements between which the gas is led to pass on its path from said reservoir to said burner and between which is inserted a flow restraining wad, one of said clamping elements being operatively associated with an adjusting screw whereby said two clamping elements are adapted to clamp said wad on opposite sides thereof with an adjustable degree of pressure determined by the setting of said adjusting screw,

wherein said wad is made of leather having two layers of different porosities, namely a layer of coarser porosity and a layer of finer porosity, said gas on its path between said reservoir and said burner being led to pass successively through said two layers of said wad.

2. A lighter according to claim 1,

wherein said wad is made of natural leather, said layer of coarser porosity being situated on the inner side, also called flesh side, of the leather, and said layer of liner porosity being situated on the outer side, also called grain side, of the leather.

3. A lighter according to claim 1,

wherein in said gas channel leading from said reservoir to said burner, said leather wad is disposed with its coarser porosity oriented towards the upstream and its finer porosity directed towards the downstream with respect to the flow of said gas.

4. A lighter according to claim 1,

wherein one of said clamping elements comprises a clamping surface at the centre of which is provided an orifice for the passage of gas; the other of said clamping elements comprises a corresponding opposed clamping surface, annular in form, at the centre of which is disposed a cone, constituting the central part of said annular clamping surface, said said cone projecting towards said orifice in said one clamping element; and said ow restraining wad is constituted by a ring of exible material, pierced without removal of material, and having said cone threaded through said ring.

5. A gas lighter including a reservoir for combustible gas, a burner, a gas channer leading from said reservoir to said burner and an adjustable gas fiow restraining device disposed in said gas channel for restraining the flow of gas from said reservoir to said burner, in which said gas flow restraining device comprises two clamping elements between which the gas is led to pass on its path from said reservoir to said burner and between which is inserted a iiow restraining wad, one of said clamping elements being operatively associated with an adjusting screw whereby said two clamping elements are adapted to clamp said wad on opposite sides thereof with an adjustable degree of pressure determined by the setting of said adjusting screw,

wherein one of said clamping elements comprises a clamping surface at the centre of which is provided an orifice forthe passage of gas; the other of said clamping elements comprises a corresponding opposed clamping surface, annular in form, at the centre of which is disposed a cone, constituting the central part of saidannular clamping surface, said cone projecting towards said orifice in said one clamping element; and said flow restraining wad is constituted by a ring of flexible material, pierced without. removal of material, and having said cone threaded through said ring.

6. A lighter according to claim 5,'wherein said wad is constituted by a porous material having two layers of different porosities, namely alayer of fine porosity and a layer of coarse porosity, said wad being disposed such that the gasV on its path between the reservoir and the burner passes successively first through the layer of coarse porosity and then through the layer of fine porosity.

7. A lighter according to claim 6,

wherein the clamping surface with the central orifice forms the bottom of a housing in which said wad is fitted, whereas the other clamping surface is adapted to penetrate into said housing, there to compress said wad, and extends to the neighbourhood of the periphery of said housing, while leaving an annular slot along said periphery for the passage of gas through said wad.

8. A lighter according to claim 4,

wherein said reservoir is traversed from one end to the other by two parallel tubes each fixed to opposite end walls of said reservoir, one of said tubes being adapted to receive an ignition ilint and a spring for said ignition flint, and the other of said tubes being adapted to receive said gas ow restraining device,

and wherein, on the one hand, the latter of said tubes is provided with a gas outlet opening which opens in the reservoir between said two tubes and whose cross-section is divided, by the plane common to the axes of said two tubes, into two at least substantially equal parts, whose edges are separated as little as possible from said plane, and on the other hand, a tampon of material adapted to absorb the liqueed gas is inserted between said two tubes opposite to said gas outlet opening.

9. A gas lighter including a reservoir for combustible gas, a burner, a gas channel leading from said reservoir to said burner and an adjustable gas ilow restraining device disposed in said gas channel for restraining the ow of gas from said reservoir to said burner, in which said gas flow restraining device comprises two clamping elements between which the gas is led to pass on its path from said reservoir to said burner and between which is inserted a tiow restraining wad, one of said clamping elements being operatively associated with an adjusting screw whereby said two clamping elements are adapted to clamp said wad on opposite sides thereof with an adf justable degree of pressure determined by the setting of said adjusting screw,

wherein said reservoir is traversed from one end to the other by two parallel tubes each iixed to opposite end walls of said reservoir, one of said tubes being adapted to receive an ignition flint and a spring for said ignition int, andthe other of said tubes being adapted to receive said gas ow restraining device,

and wherein, one the other end, the latter of said tubes is provided with a gas outlet opening which opens in the reservoir between said two tubes and whose crosssection is divided, by the plane common to the axes of said two tubes, into two at least substantially equal parts, whose edges are separated as little as possible from said plane, and on the other end, a tampon of material adapted to absorb the liquefied gas is inserted between said two tubes opposite to said gas outlet opening.

10. A lighter according to claim 4,

wherein said reservoir is traversed in a uid-tight manner by a tube which opens at the exterior through two opposite walls of said reservoir, said tube being provided, at its interior, with an interior annular shoulder, and one one side of said shoulder, was a gas outlet control valve, and on the other side of said shoulder, with said adjusting screw, said adjusting screw being adapted to adjust the llow of the gas capable of passing from said reervoir through a part of said tube to said valve, and said adjusting screw having a head which projects out from one end of said tube to serve as a flow adjusting member,

and wherein a filling valve is mounted coaxially in said adjusting screw, said lling valve communicating with the interior of the reservoir through a blind axial channel provided in said adjusting screw and through two radial channels provided in correspondence in said adjusting screw and in said tube respectively, downstream of an annular joint ensuring a seal between said adjusting screw and said tube.

11. A gas lighter including a reservoir for combustible gas, a burner, a `gas channel leading from said reservoir to said burner and an adjustable gas flow restraining device disposed in said gas channel for restraining the ow of gas from said reservoir to said burner, in which said gas flow restraining device comprises two clamping elements between which the gas is lead to pass on its path from said reservoir to said burner and between which is inserted a ow restraining wad, one of said clamping elements being operatively associated with an adjusting screw whereby said two clamping elements are adapted to clamp said wad on opposite sides thereof with an adjustable degree of pressure determined bythe setting of said adjusting screw,,

wherein said reservoir is traversed in a fluid-tight manner by a tube which opens at the exterior through two opposite walls of said reservoir, said tube being provided, at its interior, with an interior annular shoulder, and on one side of said shoulder, with a gas outlet control valve, and on the other side of said shoulder, with said adjusting screw, said adjusting screw being adapted to adjust the flow of the gas capable of passing from said reservoir through a part of said tube to said valve, and said adjusting screw having a head which projects out from one end of said tube to serve as a ow adjusting member, and wherein a lling valve is mounted coaxially in said adjusting screw, said iilling valve communicating with the interior of the reservoir through a blind axial channel provided in said adjusting screw and through two radial channels provided in correspondence in said adjusting screw and in said tube respectively, downstream of an annular joint ensuring a seal between said adjusting screw and said tube. 12. A lighter according to claim 10, wherein said radial lling channel, provided in said tube traversing said reservoir, communicates with said ow restraining device which the gas must pass through before being able to escape from said reservoir. y13. A lighter according to claim 4, wherein said adjusting screw and a rotary settlng member, which is axially retained in said lighter, are coupled together in rotation by means adapted to act in the manner of a screw driver to cause, by the simple rotation of said member, the setting of said adjusting screw. 14. A gas lighter including a reservoir for combustible gas, a burner, 1a gas channel leading from said reservoir to said burner and an adjustable gas ow restraining device disposed in said gas channel for restraining the flow of gas from said reservoir to said burner, in which said gas ow restraining device comprises two clamping elements between which the gas is led to pass on its path from said reservoir to said burner and between which is inserted a flow restraining wad, one of said clamping elements being operatively associated with an adjusting screw whereby said two clamping elements are adapted to clamp said wad on opposite sides thereof with an adjustable degree of pressure determined by the setting of said adjusting screw,

wherein said adjusting screw and a rotary setting member, which is axially retained in said lighter, are coupled together in rotation by means adapted to act in the manner of a screw driver to cause, by the simple rotation of said member, the setting of said adjusting screw. 15. A lighter according to claim 13, wherein said flow restraining adjusting screw is screwed in a tube which traverses in a fluid-tight manner said gas reservoir, said tube having an orifice by which it opens towards the exterior, on the side of said reservoir remote from said burner, which orifice is obturated by said rotary setting member, which member is mounted free in rotation and retained axially in said tube. 16. A lighter according to claim 15, wherein said side of said reservoir remote from said burner is the bottom of said reservoir. 17. A lighter according to claim 16, wherein said rotary setting member carries an adjustable axial abutment adapted to project by an adjustable amount out of the end of said member facing said adjusting screw of said gas ow restraining device, said axial abutment, by the adjustment of the amount of its projection, adjusting the extreme position that said adjusting screw can reach when it is completely unscrewed, in which extreme position the gas flow is maximum.

18. A lighter according to claim 17,

wherein said rotary setting member comprises a disc provided with a hub bearing said axial abutment.

19. A lighter according to claim 1-8,

wherein said hub bears a tongue in the form of an upside down U, adapted to play the role of screw driver with respect to said adjusting screw.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1965 `Genoud 431-277 7/ 1968 Wieden et al 431--344 9/ 1968 Koizumi 431-344 EDWARD G. FAVORS, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R.

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