claim: 1. in a gase.ous fuel lighter of the class described, a 45 metering valve @;omprising a deformable metal seat baving a fine orific@e formed therein, a valve stem threadably seated to -move axiAlIly toward and away from the mouth af said orifice, ajid a small steel ball fixed in the -o ead of -said 5!c@m tf) press against the seat at said mouth and forcibly flow the seat -metal 'in a direction inwardly of the Qrifice to deforrn and further constrict the same. 2. In a metering valke.for Butane gas lighters of pocket size, a valve seat of deformable metal of the type of brass, said se@at h ;aving,an.orifice initially formed therein by passage of a fire drill, about No. RO; a valve stem threadably seated opposite the,mouth of $aid orifice to thread axially toward,and away from the latter and said mouth; a veq :sn)all metal ball of about 1 millimeter 60 diameter secured in the Qnd of said stem to bear into said moath by,threadably turnipg said stem toward same and -,,pros i@aid b@all into Ihe mouth and forcibly flow adjoiniqg portion.s qf the metal of the seat in a direction generauy back into, and radially outward of, the orifice C)5 to impress a conforming seat for the ball therein, the gas flow b@,ing -Testr.@ctpd pr increased to desired extent by thre@@dabJy adjusting s-aid stem to advance or retrlact theball,relati-ve to said.seat andorifice tberein. 3. In a pocket lighter of th.e type employing liqtiified 70 gasi-oqs fuel, fuel7control mfans comprising a metering valv,e ha-v.iniz a seat of deformable m;@tal such as brass with a fine orifice iof abqut .0,13 inch diameter initially fqrmed --therein; a steol ball about I millimeter diameter fixed in :a @stem, said stem being thmadably seated 75 beneath said orifice -.for adjustment to thrust said ball

5 into, or withdraw it from, the entrance region of said orifice, said threaded seating of the stem affording sufficient mechanical advantage to force the ball into said seat to conform said entrance region of said orifice by crowding the seat metal at that region in a sense into, and radially outward of, the orifice to form a matrix seat for the ball affording an optimum tight fit with further conforinin-. and reseating action by said ball each time the same is turned into said matrix seat. 4. In a metering valve, a valve head of deformable metal such as brass and having a fine hole formed therethrou-h; a valve stem threadedly mounted for movement axially toward and away from said head and entrance to the hole therein; a ball, small in size, but substantiaffy larger in diameter than the hole, disposed between the adjacent end of the stem and said entrance; the entrance to said hole being deformed in shape coinplementary to the spherocity of the entering portion of the ball upon thrusting said ball forcibly into the -hole entrance by threadably turning said stem accordinglv to form a seat and deform the hole entrance as aforesaid; said seat having a fine scratch line formed therein to extend in a radial direction from said hole. 5. In a fuel meterin.- valve, a body of substantiaby solid material having a fuel passage including a fine orifice emergent therefrom; a screw member threadably mounted for axial movement toward and away from the mouth of said <)rifice; a relatively hard valve member fixed at the end of said threaded member and confronting said orifice mouth, said valve member having a curved contour the radius of curvature of which is substantially greater than the diameter of said orifice; said material of 2,804,763 the plug being relatively softer than that of said hard valve member and capable of being deformed by said valve member when the latter is forced against the orifice mouth of the plug by screw action of tbc@ tbreaded member, whereby the valve member seats into said body of solid material and into said orffice mouth. 6. In a cigarette lighter employing liquid, gasifying fuel under compression of the type of Butane, a -fuel metering valve including a throftle screw having a small, lo hard, ball-shaped end, a valve body opposite said end and having a fine bore opposite and aligned with said end and communicating with a supply of said fuel, the diameter of said bore being of the order of fineness at least of a No. 80 drill, and the material of said valve 15 body being a metallic solid which is relatively softer in the hardness scale than the material of said ballshaped end such that the latter, on being screwed--ap against said valve body can be pressed substantially into the latter by displacement of the material thereof adja20 cent the mouth of said fine bore conformably with the curvature of said ball-shaped end whereby said end is capable of repeatedly reforining its seat in said body and mouth by screwing-up the throttle screw as aforesaid. 25 References Cited in the Me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 54,130 H arrison -- ------------- F eb.28,1882 2, 695,508 G ruber -- -------------- N ov. 30, 1954 3 0 FOREIGN PATENTS 157,429 Austria ---------------- Nov. 25, 1939

7 T 218047763 tilted States Patelit Office 2,804,763 METERING VALVE FOR POCKET LIGHTERS 5 Obed M. Russell, Glp-nview, and Charles T. Breitenstein, Chicago, IUI., assignors to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, 111. Application August 16, 1954, Serial No. 450,087 10 6 Claims. (Cl. 67-7.1) This invention has as its principal object the provision 15 of a metering valve for cigarette lighters of the type using compressed gaseous fuel, Butane gas, for example. Great difficu-ty has been encountered in providing a satisfactory orifice for such gases in the relatively small scale to which pocket lighters must be designed, and some 20 manufacturers have adopted a fixed orifice and been obli-ed to resort to special production expediencies even to procure a moderatelv trouble-free and effective orifice which will not clog too freqiiently or permit erratic changes in flame size when the gas charge begins to fall off or 25 atmospheric conditions change, for example. One of the peculiarities of the liquified gas commonly used for these so-called gas lighters is its unfailing tendency to escape throu,-h the minutest of openings, on the one hand, and the troublesome capability of minute quan- 30 tities of moisture to block passage of the gas through otherwise satisfactory orifices and thereby cause annoyin.- and erratic failures in operation even for the fixed orifice. The present disclosures afford an adjustable valve, 35 cahed a metering valve, which is commercially feasible and gives very satisfactory and remarkably consistent results and allows the user to regulate the size of flame desired as well as in accordance with existing atmospheric - conditions and pressures in the reservoir, and which 40 further permits manipulations to easily correct possible failures resulting from moisture clogs, for which no otherwise -uaranteed preventive has yet been devised. A further object is the provision of control means for pocket lighters and the like using liquified gaseous fuel 45 such as Butane, the control means including a stopper or plug interposed between the fuel 'supply and the burner or the metering valve, and having a filamentary filter arranged to provide a by-pass path around the plug whereby to impede the passage of moisture to the 50 valve and burner system. A further object is a forming -method and provision of impronement in constrletion for metering valves by formin.- a fine orifice in a soft metal head and deforming the entrance to the orifice by threadedly forcing a fine 55 steel ball somewhat larger than the hole into the entrance thereby to form a seat of spheroidal shape while at the same time crowding the soft metal at the entrance inwardly of the hole to close the latter down still more, and optionally making a shallow, radial scratch in the 60 seat whereby extra sensitive control of the gas flow by the ball is desired. Other aspects of novelty and utility characterizing the invention relate to details of the construction and operation of the embodiment described hereinafter in view of 65 the annexed drawing in which: Fig. I is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a lighter of the class described showing in section the new metering valve and orifice structiire; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail of the metering valve 70 head, partly in elevation and partly in section, drawn to a greatly enlarged illustrative scale; atented Sept. 3, 1957 2 Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional detail to enlarged scale through the valve stem and housing assembly as seen in the direction of lines 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan detail of a modification showing to greatly enlarged scale the spherically-deformed entrance to the metering orifice with scribed grooving; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail of the valve seat illustrating the manner in which the modification of Fig. 4 is made. The novel valve means is illustrated in conjunction with a gas lighter of the type generally indicated at 10 in Fig. 1 and including the usual flint sparking -mechanism (not shown) which operates automatically upon depressmg a main sparking lever 11 of the combination snuffer hood and lever means to throw flint sparks toward the buriier jet 12 in the well-known -manner, while at the same time rocking the snuffer cap section 13 into elevated or open condition to expose the burner jet and raise the shut-off stem 12A against the normalizing tension of its spring 14. These operations, or some analogous variation thereof, are usual in li@- hters of this type and further details in that connection are deemed unnecessary to an understandin.a of the present improvements, it being ftirther noted, however, that the lifting of the shut-off valve stem 12A is automatically achieved as aforesaid by the actioii of a lif ter lever 15, Nvhich is rocked upwardly by the sparking lever to raise the combination jet and cutoff valve stem means 12, 12A when the lever 11 is pressed downwardly. As a result of the liftin- of the valve stem 12A, as aforesaid, a shutoff valve i'n the form of a resilient plug 16 attached to the lower end of the stem 12A, is lifted from the orifice in the pltig or wall 17 formed at the closed upper end of a cylindrical housing sleeve 18, and the gas is allowed to escape for ignition by the flint sparks as aforesaid. The orifice plug and sleeve member 17-18 is part of the novel metering valve, and fits up into the bore of a threaded insert 19, which bore is redticed to provide a chamber in which the shlit-off valve stem and its plug 16 and closing spring 14 are disposed. The upper end of the insert is turred io provide a nipple 20 in which the stem 12A is slidably seated for sliding valve action as aforesaid. The lower part of the hgusing sleeve 18 is closed by a rubber cork plug 21, and a stack of filter discs F fills MOST Of the space between this plug and the top of the sleeve in Nhich the metering orifice 17A is situated, there being a perforated riietat guid@- Nvasher 22 at the top of said stack to serve as a locater for centering the head of metering valve stem 23 which passes tipwardly through the cork 21 and stack of filter discs from the threaded bore of a bottom casting 24 in which the threaded part 23A of said stem is seated. At its lower end 23B the @metering valve stem is headed and slotted to receive a small coin such as a one-cent piece or dime to act as a screw driver, and a tight-fitting sealing washer 25 of resilient material further guards the threading. The metering valve head and seat are of such small dimensiors that they must be shown to greatly exaggerated scale, as in Fig, 2, wher@-in @he iqliely narrow metering orifice 17a is seen to be deforrqed and nearly closed at its lower end 17X, which terminates in a further spherical concavity 17Y restilting from deformation imparted to the memb.-r 17 by the spherical valve head 26, the latter being a very small steel ball gripped in the swaged or spun upper end 23 of the stem. The metering valve is formed by drilling the smallest possible hole through the head wall 17 of the sleeve 18 to initiary form the escape passage for orifice 17A, a, No,

2,804,763 3 80 drill being found to be about the smallest feasible for production purposes. After this fine hole is drflled, the valve stein 23 is turned up to th-ust its ball head 26 in-to;the body of the underside lof the orifice wall 17 and against the lower mouth of the orifice passage to deform the latter and fIGNv the metal inwardly to substantially close the entrance end of the orifice. This closure leaves no opening discernible under magnification of considerable power and is sufficient to prevent detectable escape of air under pressure of 75 lbs. or so by water-bubble test when the ball is withdrawn; nevertheless, Butane gas under the usual tank pressures (about 80 lbs.) will freely pass into and through the orifice when the valve head or ball is backed off a very sli.-ht arnount. In conjunction with a hole &!Hed as above 'to provide the @oxifice 17A, the diameter of the valve ball should be I millimeter -and the material of the valve seat or plug wall at 17 should be deformable, for instance br,,tss. It is possible for moisture to plug at least @t-he constricted or deformed entrance to the @orifice 17A; but the stack of filterin.- discs F, and other novel means to be described, very effectively reduce -the hkelihood of faflures due to this cause, and the adjustability @of the new valve -makes it a simple matter to correct this trouble if it should occur. A further moisture safeguard is depicted in Figs. I and 3 in the form of a novel filamentary filter rneans consisting of an elongated, continuous filamentary filter-ing dact 30, an efficient form lof which is found to be a loop of ordinary cotton wrapping string,. the bight 31 of which passes over the top of the rubber cork-21 and around the valve stem 23 with @the two oppdsite trailing ends 31A of ;the string dangling beyond the meeting margins of the cork and @the housing sleeve 18 (as in Fig. 1). The -as chamber Df the lighter is packed rat-her tightly with absorbent cotton C, and the ends of the strin,@ terminate within this packin- and the gas works into ;these arts p -of the string and thence by-passes the rubber cork. T'his filamentary filter-in.- duct is the principal filter for eliminating the major amounts of moisture from ;the metering valve and orifice, the filter discs F further guarding against moisture which might appear by condensa-tion about the valve stem due to @the cooling effects which can accompany initial expansion of gas before ;the jet warins up. Balls have been used in valves heretofore, and a method is disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,674,032 employing a ball and driving sorew to collapse the sidewall of a preformed hole to permanently constrict the same laterally and make what is known in the art as a fixed Drifice, meaning one which can neither be enlar,ged nor diminished and which therefore affords no possibility of re.-ulation of the size of the flame by the iiser of -the lighter. The present disclos@ires are the first, so far as known, -to teach the for-mation of a controllable fine orifice and valving means therefor by employinthe valve head initially to flow -the metal at the mouth of the orifice in a direction axially back into the bore to form a closely conforming matrix seat for the ball and achieve a microscopic passa,-e of the @type essential to successful control of a gas siich -as Butane in small-scale applications, for example pocket li,-hters. The described metering valve has been found to perform with satisfactory consistency over long periods by careful tests under the conditions commonly encoiintered in the individual use of pocket lighters by people nDt otherwise familiar with the peculiarities of butane gas and the come common causes of trouble in lighters using t,his @type of fuel. However, an even more satisfactory valve is afforded inaccordance with the modified structure shown to greatly magnified scale in Fig. 4, @vherein the mouth,(>f the ori@ flee passage 17A, formed as heretofore descrdbed, is count4 ersunk (as at 39) preferably with a 1 mm. countersink at 90' and a fine scratch or groove 40 (Fig. 4) is scn or fo@med by inserting (,Fig. 5) a specialtool 41 having a knifeed,-e 42 and pressing same home, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5. The "grdove" 40 is in fact more closely analogous to a shallow scratch, but it affords a greater and less critical range of adjustment, and very nearly eliminates all troubles from Tnoisture. 10 Tests have established that, by employing the scribed metering valve seat, satisfactory and consistent operation can be had even though all filters are Temoved. A theory evolved in this @coniaection postulates that where the scribed seat is not used moisture reaching the 1 5 ball head forins a fine fflm at t@his point which persists and blocks aU gas passage around the ball; whereas, in the presence- of the scribed groove, a pressure differential exists 'm -the re,,,ion of -the lesser resistance at the groove and the gas forces past the moisture film in this region. 20 It is to be understood that this theory is not intended to be limitin- or conclusive and is merely sug.aested as a posgibil-ity acco-unting for the marked difference in behavior of the metering valves wit-h and without the scribed groove. 25 The scribe@d seat, in production models of the -Ii.-hter, is preferably safeguarde d nevertheless by the presence of -the filamentary and disc filters 31 and F for the reason that no fool-proof and feasible means has been contrived 30 at the smafl working scale invo-1ved for preventing the users @of these l@@hters from screwing up the valves so tightly t-hat the scribed groove is obliterated, and the seat Tendered the equivalent of ithe @first-mentioned form of Fig. 2. Whenthis occurs, the valve continules -to operate 35 satisfactorily for metering purposes, but in the absence of Mters would be more subject to moisture clo---ging. Moreover, the extremely fine adjustment of flame height characteristic @of the scribed seat reverts to the more critical adjustment of the non-scribed type, meaning that -the user may be Dbliged to make the screw-adjustment with 40 -reater doliberation. M,,ore than one scribed 2roove 40 may be made in the seat, but a single groove has been found preferable. We