March 3, 1936.

G, GIMERA ET AL

2,032,695

POCKET LIGHTER

Filed May 1'7, 1954

INVENTORS

Err-Easels
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2,032,695

Patented Mar. 3, 1936

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,032,695
POCKET LIGHTER
George Gimera and George G. Blaisdell, Brad
'

ford, Pa., assignors to Zippo Manufacturing

Company, Bradford, Pa., a partnership con

sisting of- George G. Blaisdell, W. G. Blaisdell,
Frank W. Calkins, George Gimera, and George
B. Morris

Application May 17, 1934, Serial No. 726,022

lClaim. (crew-7.1)
curved sides are likewise provided with integral
This invention relates to pocket lighters of the extensions
or lugs l and 8 disposed in pairs at
hinged/cover type.
the front and rear, respectively, of the wind
Pofzket lighters having covers hinged on their

upper endsmust have means for holding them

closed it they are to be satisfactory, and it is
also desirable that they have means for prevent
ing the covers from closing prematurely and ex
tinguishing the ?ame after they are opened. In
lighters known heretofore these means take the
ll) form of exposed latches and interior springs and
levers which take up space in the lighters and
reduce their storage capacity for in?ammable

lighter ?uid. Furthermore, the exposed latches

are apt to catch in and wear the clothing, to be

accidentally actuated in the pocket, and to ac

cumulate dirt. Such lighters are complex and

frequently get out of order, while they must be

constructed in a cheap manner in order to be
salable at a low price.
It is among the objects of this invention to
:0

provide a pocket lighter having a minimum of

projections from its closed case, and in which
movement of the cover from either its fully open
or its fully closed position is restrained by sim
ple means concealed when the lighter is closed.
Further objects are to provide such a lighter

having large storage capacity for lighter fuel,

which is easy to ?ll, is strong and durable, and is
simple in design and construction with a mini
mum of moving parts.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is

illustrated in the accompanying drawing, of which

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are, respectively, perspective, side

and top views with the cover open; Fig. 4 is a

central vertical section through the lighter with

its cover closed; and Fig. 5 is a side view with the
cover closed.

Referring to the drawing, a casing is provided

consisting of two telescopically disposed hollow

40

members, the inner member I being substantially

coextensive with the outer member 2 and having
a very snug sliding fit therewith.

The outer

member is closed at its lower end. A top plate 3

closes the upper end of inner member I, which
is preferably formed from a section of seamless
tubing. This forms in the casing a reservoir for

in?ammable lighter fuel, such as gasoline, which

is carried by a stui?ng of saturated cotton waste.
The upper edges of the side walls of the inner

member are provided with upright integral exten

sions, the central portion 4 of each having its
sides curved inward over the top plate toward
the opposite extension to form a generally ellipti
cal wind screen in which a plurality of draft

openings 6 are punched (Figs. 1 and 3), These

screen, the lugs of each pair being disposed in

spaced parallel relation longitudinally of top ,
plate 3.

In the front pair of lugs I there is journalled

a toothed wheel 9 which engages the upper end
of an elongate ?int H slidably disposed in an

opening through top plate 3. The ?int is con- 10

stantly held in frictional engagement with the
toothed wheel by a coil spring l2 (Fig. 4) com
pressed between the bottom of the ?int and a
set screw l3 threaded in the lower end of a tube

l4 depending from top plate 3. The toothed 15

wheel is adapted to throw sparks, when rotated
by the thumb, from the ?int to a wick l6 sur
rounded by the wind screen and projecting into
the fuel reservoir through a hole in top plate 3.
In order to protect the projections at the top 20
of the casing, as well as the clothing, the casing is
provided with a cover l8 which is connected at
its rear wall to the rear wall of outer telescop- '

ing member 2 by means of a small hinge l9. As

will be observed in Fig. 5 of the drawing, there 25
are no projections from the lighter other than
this hinge when the cover is closed. However,
as it is desirable that the cover remain closed ex

cept when the operator opens it, means is pro

vided for accomplishing this object without ex 30
posing anything which might catch in and wear
the pocket or he accidentally actuated.
Accordingly, a lever 21 is plvotally mounted
at one end between the rear pair of lugs 8 so
that it can be swung from an upright position, 35
as shown in Fig. 4, to a substantially horizontal
position, as shown in Fig. 2, and vice versa.
The lever resists movement from both its up

right and horizontal position because its pivot

ed end is provided with a laterally projecting 40
toe portion 22 which must depress a spring-bi
ased plunger 23, slidably disposed in an opening
through top plate 3, as the lever moves from one

of said positions to the other. The spring 24,

which biases the plunger against the pivoted end 45
of the lever radially of its pivot axis, is com
pressed between the bottom of the plunger and
the lower end of a closed tube 26 secured in the
inner telescoping member I. When the lever is

substantially upright the pressure of the plunger 50

against the under side of toe 22 biases the lever
toward the wind screen (Fig. 4).
When the cover is closed it is held in that po

sition by the upright lever bearing against the

rear side of a cross member 21 secured in the 65

2,032,695

cover transversely thereof adjacent its rear wall

(Fig. 4). As the cover is swung open by the

thumb, cross member 21 swings the lever back
ward and downward, toe 22 depressing the plung
er against the resistance of spring 24 as the toe
slides over the plunger. Continued movement
of the lever causes the end of the toe to slip of!

the plunger, whereupon the latter quickly rises

and snaps the lever togtsrhorizontal position, as
10 shown in Fig. 2, the outer end of the lever snap
ping against the rear wall of the cover which
is thereby thrown wide open.
Self-closing or premature closing of the cover

is prevented by this rear wall striking the end of

the lever whose upward and forward movement
the plunger and toe 22 cooperate in restraining.
However, the cover is easily closed by the opera
tor by applying su?icient pressure to it to cause
the toe to overcome the resistance of spring 24
20 when the lever is swung upward by the rear
wall' of the cover.

Once again, as the end of the

toe slips off the plunger the latter is forced up

ward against the under side of the toe and snaps
the lever against cross member 21 which causes
the cover to swing shut (Fig. 4).
Besides being a lighter which has a cover op

member, and not separate parts soldered in place

and apt to break off. This integral structure
also simpli?es the manufacture of the lighter and
decreases its cost. Finally, this lighter is pro
vided with a minimum of moving parts, thereby
obviating the possibility of its getting out of
order.

According to the provisions of the patent

statutes, we have explained the principle and
operation of our invention, and have illustrated
and described what we now consider to represent

its best embodiment.

However, we desire to have

it understood that, within the scope of the ap

pended claim, the invention may be practiced

otherwise than as speci?cally illustrated and
described.

We claim:
A pocket lighter comprising a hollow member
having a closed bottom and an open top, a sec

ond hollow member telescoped therein, and hav-

ing an open bottom, a plate permanently clos

ing the top of the inner member whereby ares

ervoir for in?ammable fuel is formed, the side
walls of the inner member projecting above said
plate and being formed to provide a wind screen 1-15

and front and rear pairs of lugs, a cover disposed

over the tops of said telescoping members and
parts projecting beyond the closed case except hinged at its rear wall to the outer of said mem
a hinge, it has a larger storage. capacity for
bers, a cross member secured in the cover trans
lighter fuel than lighters now known having the versely
thereof adjacent said rear wall, a .lever 30
same over-all area that this one has. Unob
pivotally mounted at one end between said rear
structed access to the fuel reservoir is readily pair of lugs with its opposite end projecting up
gained by merely grasping the wind screen and between said rear wall and cross member and
pulling the two telescoping.- members apart. engaging the latter, a spring biased plunger slid
erated in the above-described manner with no

There are no screw plugs to remove or become

lost, nor small openings through which to at

tempt to introduce the lighter fuel. The snug
sliding fit of the telescoping members insures a
40

leaf-proof reservoir.
The projections on top of the inner member I
are strong and well constructed, because the
wind screen and the wheel-supporting and lever
supporting lugs are all integral with the inner

ably disposed in said top plate for biasing the

lever against the cross member, whereby move
ment of the cover from its closed position is re
strained, and a flint-engaging toothed wheel piv

otally mounted between said front pair of lugs,

the lighter being free of external latch-manipu 40
lating means.

GEORGE GIMERA.
GEORGE G. BLAISDELL.