Pilot igniter torch with cutoff preheat valves
AssigneeVictor Equipment Company
InventorsCarl W. Mims, Roger D. Zwicker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cutting torch allows the preheat oxygen and fuel valves to remain in a preset position while the torch is off. The cutting torch has preheat oxygen and fuel cutoff valves mounted in line with the adjusting valves. The cutoff valves are both operated linearly, each having an axially moving plunger. An actuator simultaneously moves the cutoff valves between opened and closed positions. The actuator has a locking device to lock them in the opened and closed positions. A pilot flame igniter utilizes a piezoelectric crystal and a pilot fuel valve positioned side by side with parallel axes. An igniter actuator in a single stroke opens the pilot fuel valve and causes an electrical spark to ignite the pilot flame.
Claims17
In a cutting torch having a body having a preheat oxygen passage, a preheat fuel passage, and a cutting oxygen passage, the passages being connected by a plurality of conduits to a head having a tip, adjustable preheat oxygen valve means mounted to the body for delivering preheat oxygen through the preheat oxygen passage and one of the conduits to the head, adjustable preheat fuel valve means for delivering a gaseous fuel through the preheat fuel passage and one of the conduits to the head for mixing with the oxygen to create a preheat flame, and cutting oxygen valve means including a lever for supplying additional oxygen through the cutting oxygen passage and one of the conduits to the head for mixing with the preheat flame for cutting, an improved means for extinguishing the flame while retaining preset adjustment of the oxygen valve means and fuel valve means, comprising in combination:
- a preheat oxygen cutoff valve means mounted in the preheat oxygen passage and a preheat fuel cutoff valve means mounted in the preheat fuel passage for linear movement between open and closed positions to open and block flow through the preheat oxygen passage and preheat fuel passage, respectively;
- and
- actuator means for simultaneously moving the preheat oxygen cutoff valve means and the preheat fuel cutoff valve means between the open and closed positions and for retaining the preheat oxygen cutoff valve means and the preheat fuel cutoff valve means in the open and closed positions independently of any movement of the lever for the cutting oxygen valve means.
In a torch having a body having an oxygen passage and a fuel passage connected a tip, adjustable oxygen valve means mounted to the body for delivering oxygen through the oxygen passage to the tip, adjustable fuel valve means for delivering a gaseous fuel through the fuel passage to the tip for mixing with the oxygen to create a flame, an improved means for extinguishing the flame while retaining preset adjustment of the oxygen valve means and fuel valve means, comprising in combination:
- an oxygen cutoff valve means mounted in the oxygen passage and a fuel cutoff valve means mounted in the fuel passage for linear movement between open and closed positions to open and block flow through the oxygen passage and fuel passage, respectively, each of the cutoff valve means having a plunger with an axis, the plungers being mounted side-by-side and with their axes parallel with each other, each of the plungers being movable along its axis for opening and closing one of the cutoff valve means;
- and
- actuator means having a linear movable actuator member which has an external knob adapted to be manually gripped for slidably moving the actuator member along a line perpendicular to the axes of the plungers for simultaneously moving the plungers of the cutoff valve means between the open and closed positions, and for retaining each of the cutoff valve means in the open and closed positions without the need for manual pressure to be continuously applied.
In a torch having a body having an oxygen passage and a fuel passage, the passages being connected to a tip, adjustable oxygen valve means mounted to the body for delivering oxygen through the oxygen passage to the tip, adjustable fuel valve means for delivery a gaseous fuel through the fuel passage to the tip for mixing with the oxygen to create a flame, an improved means for extinguishing the flame while retaining preset adjustment of the oxygen valve means and fuel valve means, comprising in combination:
- an oxygen cutoff valve means mounted in the oxygen passage and a fuel cutoff valve means mounted in the fuel passage for linear movement between open and closed positions to open and block flow through the oxygen passage and fuel passage, respectively, each of the cutoff valve means having a plunger with an axis, the plungers being mounted side-by-side and with their axes parallel with each other, each of the plungers being movable along its axis for opening and closing one of the cutoff valve means;
- an actuator housing mounted to the body, the actuator housing having an exterior, a locking end with a locking shoulder on the exterior, the actuator housing having a bore which has an axis that is perpendicular to the axes of the plungers, the plungers having engaging ends which protrude into the bore;
- an actuator member carried in the bore for sliding movement along the axis of the bore, the actuator member having a pair of axially spaced apart recess surfaces and a pair of axially spaced apart cam surfaces, the recess surfaces being engageable with the engaging ends of the plungers while the cutoff valve means and the actuator member are in one of the positions, and the cam surfaces being engageable with the plungers while the cutoff valve means and the actuator member are in the other of the positions;
- the actuator member having a locking end which protrudes from the locking end of the housing and is spaced farther from the housing when the actuator member is in the closed position than when the actuator member is in the open position;
- spring means in engagement with the actuator member for urging the actuator member to the closed position;
- and
- a manually grippable locking knob mounted to the locking end of the actuator member, the locking knob having a tang protruding therefrom which is engagable with the locking shoulder of the housing when the actuator member is in the open position by rotating the locking knob from a released position to a locking position to selectively prevent the actuator member from being moved by the spring means to the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.