Flame Thrower (Patent No: 627930)

Inventor: Sorensen, Henry

Location: Ralston

Comments: N/A

Description: THH EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. In a flamethrower of the type wherein a rod of flame fuel is projectable from a nozzle at the front of a barrel to which flame fuel is applied under pressure and wherein the projection of such rod of flame fuel is controlled by a pintle having a conical tip situated within the barrel and arranged for movement into and out of seating engagement with a conical seat in the nozzle, there being provided ignited petrol ignition means for igniting the rod of flame fuel and control means for actuating the pintle and the ignition means in timed sequence, in combination: a unitary pintle comprising; a forward portion having a conical tip thereon adapted for cooperation with the conical seat in the nozzle, and having mounted thereon a plurality of uniformly spaced art radial vanes arranged to bear against the inner wall of the barrel to keep the pintle axially aligned therewith; a rearward portion in axial alignment with said forward portion and united therewith, said rearward portion being more slender than said forward portion and projecting rearwardly of the barrel; and a pintle piston, having a head and a body portion, the latter portion being larger in diameter than said rearward portion of the pintle and being secured to the end of said rearward portion; a generally elbow-shaped gun body having a passage therethrough for supply of flame fuel to the barrel and formed with a rearwardly extending portion having a boring extending therethrough in axial alignment with the gun barrel and of a diameter adapted to provide a freely sliding fit with the body portion of the pintle piston; a cylinder block having a gas cylinder formed therein and secured to said rearwardly extending portion of the gun body with the gas cylinder in axial alignment with the boring therein, the gas cylinder being of suitable diameter to provide a sliding fit around the head of the pintle piston; and means, including a gas port formed in the cylinder block for supplying gas under pressure to the gas cylinder rearwardly of the head of the pintle piston and exhausting gas under pressure therefrom; the length of the pintle piston being such that when the conical tip of the forward portion of the pintle is seated in said conical seat, the head of the pintle piston is in the forward end of the gas cylinder.
2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said boring is recessed to accommodate an oil sealing ring, and an oil sealing ring is seated therein which wipes the surface of the body portion of the pintle piston to seal the flame fuel in the barrel against escape to the rear.
3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein a gas sealing washer is provided en the head of the pintle piston to prevent passage of gas between the surface of the gas cylinder and the pintle piston head, and vent means are provided at the front end of the gas cylinder communicating the interior thereof to the atmosphere.
4. The combination defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which at least one recoil washer is provided within, the rearward end of the gas cylinder.
5. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the means for supplying gas under pressure to the gas cylinder rearwardly of the head of the pintle piston and exhausting gas under pressure therefrom comprises; a control block secured to a side of the cylinder block and having a boring therein extending from the forward end thereof part, way through the control block in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the gas cylinder, said boring having an enlargement at the forward end thereof, said control block having a gas port arranged to lie in register with the gas port in the cylinder block leading to the rearward end of said boring and a gas supply port adapted for connection to a supply of gas under pressure leading into a central portion of said boring; a valve body having a hollow centre and axially slidable within said boring, the valve body being formed with a disc shaped valve head at the forward end thereof, centrally positioned port means affording communication between the periphery of the valve body and the hollow centre thereof and radial vents affording communication between the hollow centre of the valve body and the forward end of the annular space formed between the walls of said enlargement of the boring and the periphery of the valve body; a plug secured in the forward end of said boring and having a central passage therein vented substantially radially to the atmosphere, an axially disposed bushing of smaller diameter than said central passage at the forward end thereof, and at its rearward end an annular valve seat for said disc shaped valve head; a valve stem axially slidable in said bushing, united to the valve head and extending through the bushing forwardly thereof; spring means urging the valve body forward to a position in which the valve head is seated on said annular valve seat, said centrally positioned port means on the valve body being so positioned as to register with said gas supply port when the valve head is so seated; and means for displacing the valve stem to the rear against the pressure of said spring means simultaneously to cut off the gas supply port and unseat the valve head from the annular valve seat to establish communication between the hollow centre of the valve body and the atmosphere.
6. The combination defined in claim 5 in which said control block is formed with a second boring passing completely therethrough from front to rear and said means for displacing said valve stem to the rear comprises a trigger rod slidable within the second boring, an arm secured to the front and of the trigger rod, end a contact member mounted on the end of said arm and in axial alignment with the valve stem and arranged on withdrawal of the trigger rod to the rear to contact the valve stem end carry it to the rear.
7. The combination defined in claim 6 in which the trigger rod is coupled to actuating means for the ignition means.
8. The combination defined in claim 7 comprising a longitudinally slidable spindle mounted parallel to the trigger rod; means connecting the spindle to the trigger rod whereby the trigger rod and spindle may be moved rearwardly as a unit; a micro-switch connected in a high tension circuit forming a part of said actuated petrol ignition means and mounted in operative association with the spindle, the spindle baring a means arranged to 1engag, an actuating member of the micro-switch upon movement of the spindle to the rear.
9. The combination defined. in claim 8 in which said spindle has a longitudinal boring and the combination further comprises a petrol valve for controlling supply of petrol to said ignition means mounted in alignment with the spindle forwardly thereof in a fixed pert of the flamethrower, the petrol valve compromising a petrel inlet port and a petrol outlet port, the outlet port leading forwardly of the petrol valve end comprising a rearwardly facing annular valve seat; a valve head arranged for cooperation with said valve seat; a valve stem united to the valvehead and passing through said boring in the spindle to project to the rear thereof; means carried by the rearwardly projecting end of the valve stem for contacting the end of the spindle whereby the valve stem and valve head will be carried rearwardly with the spindle; said means on the end of the valve stem being axially spaced apart from the end of the spindle, and being axially adjustable whereby the time of opening of the petrol valve relative to the time of actuation of the micro-switch as the spindle is moved rearwardly may be adjusted, and spring means urging the valve stem forwardly with respect to the spindle.
10. The combination defined in claim 9 in which said control block is formed with a depending portion and the petrol valve is positioned therein.
11 In a flamethrower of the type wherein a rod of flame fuel is projectable from a nozzle at the front of a barrel to which flame fuel is supplied under pressure and wherein the projection of such rod of flame fuel is controlled by a pintle having a conical tip situated within the barrel and arranged for movement into and out of seating engagement with a conical seat in the nozzle, there being provided electrically ignited petrol ignition means for igniting the rod of flame fuel and control means for actuating the pintle and ignition means in timed sequence, in combination; ignition means comprising a body portion secured beneath the barrel of the flamethrower: at the forward end thereof, and having a boring formed therein substantially parallel to the barrel; means for supplying petrol under pressure to the rear end of said boring; secured within said boring a plug formed with a plurality of outwardly directed atomizer passages therethrough; jet means secured in the forward end of said boring and comprising a centrally located forwardly directed main jet nozzle consisting essentially of a tube extending forwardly of the body portion and having a flow channel passing up the centre thereof and having a radially disposed inlet port opening into the interior of said boring; and said jet means having two secondary jet passages of very email diameter disposed parallel to the main jet nozzle in proximity thereto; electrical ignition means including two electrodes disposed to provide a spark gap on either side of the main jet nozzle intermediate the ends thereof; and means for supplying high tension electricity to said electrical ignition means.
12. The combination defined in claim 11 including a pressure valve mounted in said boring rearwardly of said plug, the pressure valve being arranged to allow passage of petrol to the jet means only when the pressure thereof exceeds a predetermined value.