US2775006A - Vaporizing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 25, 1956 c, KRANc 2,775,006

VAPORIZING APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1953 52751727 2" ffrim:

United States Patent VAPORIZING APPARATUS Casimir Kranc, Oshkosh, Wis., assignor to Victrylite Candle Company, Oshkosh, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 5, 1953, Serial No. 340,431

1 Claim. (Cl. 21-117) This invention relates to vaporizing apparatus on the order of that disclosed in the copending application of Frank D, Turner, Serial No. 275,653, filed March 8, 1952, now abandoned, wherein a candle provides the source of heat and eflects vaporization of medicaments, perfumes, insecticides, and similar volatile materials for the treatment of air.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide improved vaporizing apparatus of the type comprising a vaporizing unit of a size to fit within the upper portion of an open-topped bowl or jar having a candle in its lower portion to supply the heat necessary for vaporization of material in the vaporizing unit.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of vaporizing apparatus of the character described wherein the vaporizing unit is annular to provide an upright central flue in vertical alignment with the candle wick to conduct hot gases from the candle flame upwardly out of the apparatus, and wherein the vaporizing unit is held spaced from the surrounding walls of the jar so that such upward flow of hot gases through the flue induces a downward flow of air into the jar through the space around the exterior of the vaporizing unit, to supply combustion air to the flame of the candle.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a vaporizing unit of the character described which may be very readily fabricated either as an extremely inexpensive disposable container or as a refillable container.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of an evaporating vessel for use with a candle of the character described, which vessel, by reason of the shape of its walls, will very efliciently utilize the heat from the flame of the candle to effect evaporation of its contents, but will nevertheless not interfere with the flow of combustion air into the bowl containing the candle.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein-disclosed invention may be made as comewithin the scope of the claim. a

The accompanying drawing illustrates two complete examples of the physical embodiments of the invention constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof. and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of one embodiment of the evaporating apparatus of this invention showing the vaporizing unit lifted slightly out of its normal position within the upper portion of the bowl containing the candle, portions of the apparatus being broken away and shown in section;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus showing the vaporizing unit of Figure l in place in the upper portion of the bowl and illustrating the 2,775,006 Patented Dec. 25, 1956 ICC 2. manner in which combustion air is supplied to the candle flame; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 2, but showing a modified embodiment of the evaporating unit of this invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, it will be seen that the vaporizing apparatus of this invention comprises a bowl 4 containing a candle 5 in its lower portion, and a vaporizing unit 6 mounted within the upper portion of the bowl to be heated by the flame of the candle. The candle has an upright wick 9 extending through its center.

It is to be understood that the shape of the jar 4 is not material and that an evaporating unit 6 embodying the principles of this invention is adapted for use with such candles when the same are contained in jars or bowls of virtually any of the common types now on the market. In the present instance the jar is shown provided with a more or less spherically shaped side wall 7, but it may also have the shape, e. g., of a water tumbler. In any event the jar has an open top or mouth 10 and preferably, although not necessarily, is made of glass or plastic which, in practice, is usually colored to enhance the attractiveness of the candle, since the candle may be used for ornamental or utilitarian purposes without the evaporating unit 6.

The evaporating or vaporizing unit of this invention comprises, in general, an annular, relatively deep, troughlike vessel or container 12. The container 12 is shown provided with an upwardly converging frusto-conical radially inner wall 13 and a substantially cylindrical radially outer wall 14 concentric with the inner wall. The conical shape of the inner wall 13, however, is merely illustrative, as it may be made perfectly cylindrical and concentric with the outer wall 14 without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Preferably the inner and outer walls 13 and 14 of the container are integral with the annular bottom wall 15, from which they extend upwardly. The container is of course fashioned of heat conductive material, preferably light metal. The radially inner wall of the container has a diameter such that it may embrace the flame of a candle and define a vertical flue along which the hot gases from the candle flame escape upwardly to the atmosphere. Moreover, when this inner wall is of frustoconical shape, the vessel may derive somewhat more of the heating efiect from the candle flame than would be the case if it were cylindrical. In either event, however, the container is very efliciently heated by the candle, since its inner wall is adapted to embrace the candle flame and provide a vertical flue through which the hot combustion gases must pass toreach the atmosphere. It should be noted, however, that when the inner wall 13 of the container is of frusto-conical shape, there is little or no tendency for the candle flame to smoke even though the wick might be slightly eccentric with respect to the flue provided by this inner wall.

The diameter of the outer wall 14 is less than that of the mouth of the bowl and the wall thereof surrounding the vessel, so as to enable the container to fit within the upper portion of the bowl with the outer wall 14 of the vessel spaced radially a distance from the surrounding wall 7 of the bowl.

The container or vessel 12 is adapted to hold a quantity of volatile material such as perfume, medicament, or insecticide, and when the container is set in place within the neck of the candle jar, its contents are heated by the candle flame and are evaporated, to be diffused into the atmosphere. In one form of the invention, that employing a. disposable vaporizing unit, the container has an annular cover 16. permanently closing its .top, and vapor is expelled from the unit through one or more restricted orifices 17 in this closure or top wall, the orifices being sufficiently small to cause. a substantial vapor pressure to be generated in the container so that the vapor will be blown out of the container with. some force, promoting its difiusion in the air to be treated.

The evaporating unit is supported within the upper portion or neck of the bowl by means of a plurality of circumferentially spaced. arms 18 thereon extending radially outwardly from its exterior at the top of the container, and having a ring 19 joined to their outer ends. The ring has a diameter to rest on the ledge or rim 20 at the mouth of the candle jar to suspend the container with its bottom wall a substantial distance beneath the open top of the jar but above the ,top of the mass of wax in the jar. The supporting ring and the radial arms, of course, may be collectively considered as a flange around the top of the vessel having apertures 21 defined by the spaced arms 18. The supporting ring is substantially L-shaped in cross-section, to provide an outwardly facing circumferential shoulder 22 which cooperates with the rim of the jar to hold the vessel centered within the upper portion of the bowl, with the flue defined by its inner wall 13 in vertical alignment with the candle wick and with its outer wall 14 spaced from the surrounding wall of the bowl. As indicated by the arrows in Figure 2, the flame of the candle will induce a downdraft of combustion supporting air through the apertures 21 between the radial supporting arms 18 and the space between the outer wall of the container and the surrounding wall of the jar, such air then passing radially inwardly between the surface of the body of wax 7 and the bottom wall 15 of the container, to the flame.

The evaporating vessel of this invention may be inexpensively constructed in any of several forms. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a disposable container embodying the principles of this invention and which is intended to have its contents sealed into it at the factory, the container being thrown away after its contents have been completely vaporized. In this embodiment of the invention the top closure of the container is integral with the supporting flange comprising the radial arms 18 and supporting ring 19. The radially inner and outer walls have their upper marginal edge portions turned radially inwardly and radially outwardly, respectively, as at 23 and 24, respectively, to provide narrow flanges, and, after the trough-like annular body of the vessel is filled with vaporizable material, both the peripheral portion 26 of the top closure, between the radial supporting arms 18, and the edge portion of its central aperture are clinched over these flanges to afford a liquid-tight seal for the vessel. The cover is preferably provided with small weakened dimples which the user may pierce with a sharp tool to form the necessary apertures through which the vaporized contents may escape.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3 the container or vaporizing unit likewise comprises an annular, substantially deep, trough-like body portion having integral inner, outer, and bottom walls, 13, 14, and

15, respectively, but the top wall or closure 16 has a readily releasable connection with the body of the container, such as the well-known screw-on connection 28 comparable to a bayonet joint, to permit the user to remove the closure and refill the container. Suitable annular gaskets 29 and 30, on the upper edges of the upright inner and outer walls respectively, prevent leakage of the contents during shipment and/ or handling of the container prior to. its installation in the candle bowl. In this case the supporting flange on the unit is formed separately from the top closure, and may comprise an annular stamping 31 secured to the body of the vessel in any desired manner, near its top.

From the foregoing description, taken together with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent that this invention provides an improved but inexpensive vaporizing apparatus in which the heat of a candle flame is most etficiently utilized to heat and vaporize the material in the vaporizing unit, by reason of the fact that the unit provides a central vertical flue in line with the candle flame so that the. flame will induce a downdraft of air into the bowl for travel through the passage defined by the space between thev unit and the surrounding wall of the bowl, over the exterior of the unit and remote from those surfaces thereof exposed to the heat of the candle flame, such air supporting combustion at the candle wick.

What I claim as my invention is:

A vaporizing vessel of the type which is adapted to be placed withinv the mouth of a jar containing a candle, to be heated by the flame of the candle to effect vaporization of insecticide, perfume, medicament or the like in said vessel, comprising: an annular trough-like container adapted to contain vaporizable material, the inner wall of said container defining an upright flue through which hot gases from the flame of the candle may travel upwardly, and the bottom Wall of the container being annular; a substantially flat annular cover on said container having apertures therein through which vaporized material from the vessel may be expelled to the atmosphere; a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial supporting arms integral with the cover and extending radially outwardly therefrom, said arms having portions at their outer ends engageable with an upwardly facing ledge on. a jar containing a candle to support the cover in the mouth of the jar; and downwardly and radially inwardly curled portions on. the periphery of the cover, between said arms, engaged under radially outwardly projecting bead portions on the top of the outer wall of the container to secure the cover to the container and support the container in the mouth of the jar with its outer wall spaced from the wall of the jar to enable a down draft of combustion air to flow to the flame of the candle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 535,849 McDonald Mar. 19, 1895 579,374 Allen Mar. 23, 1897 FOREIGN PATENTS 79,252 Germany Ian. 26, 1895 9,589 Norway June 10, 1901

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