Fuel control means for burners

Abstract

A fuel control means is provided for supplying vaporized fuel to burners such as gasoline lanterns and camp stoves. The control means includes fuel and pressurized air conduits which extend from the fuel tank of the burner toward the burning means and which provide inlet and outlet orifices. Inlet orifice restricting means and outlet orifice restricting or cleaning means are movably mounted within the conduit, and a valve member is movably mounted within the conduit to open and close the fuel passage therethrough. A single control member is operatively connected to each of the orifice restricting means and to the valve member, and the single control member is movable between a first position in which the outlet restricting means is positioned in the outlet orifice to clean the same, a second position in which the valve member is maintained open and the inlet restricting means is positioned in the inlet orifice to permit air mixed with fuel to flow from the tank through the conduit, and a third position in which the valve member is maintained open and the inlet restricting means is positioned out of the fuel inlet to prevent air from flowing into the conduit with the fuel.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows: .[.1. In a fuel burning apparatus having a fuel tank, fuel burning means, and means for pressurizing fuel within the fuel tank, an improved fuel control means for supplying fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel burning means comprising fuel conduit means extending from the fuel tank toward the fuel burning means, the fuel conduit means having a first end provided with a fuel inlet opening positioned within the fuel tank and a second end provided with a fuel outlet orifice for supplying fuel to the fuel burning means, inlet restricting means movable within the fuel conduit means for restricting the fuel inlet orifice of the casing means, outlet cleaning means mounted within the fuel conduit means for movement into and out of the fuel outlet orifice of the fuel conduit means, valve means within the fuel conduit means movable between a closed position in which fuel flow through the fuel conduit means is prevented and an open position in which fuel flow through the fuel conduit means is permitted, a single control member movably mounted on the apparatus, and means operably connecting the control member with the valve means, the inlet restricting means, and the outlet cleaning means, the control member being movable between a first position in which the connecting means between the control member and the outlet cleaning means maintains the outlet cleaning means in the fuel outlet orifice, a second position in which the connecting means between the control member and the valve means and the inlet retricting means maintain the valve means in the open position and maintain the inlet restricting means in the fuel inlet orifice, and a third position in which the connecting means between the control member and the valve means and the inlet restricting means maintain the valve means in the open position and maintain the inlet restricting means out of the fuel inlet orifice..]..[.2. The structure of claim 1 in which the control member is movable to a fourth position in which the connecting means between the control member and the valve means and the outlet cleaning means maintain the valve means in the closed position and the outlet restricting means out of the fuel outlet orifice, the first position being between the fourth position and the second position..]..[.3. The structure of claim 1 in which the control member includes a shaft rotatably mounted on the apparatus and cam means on the shaft rotatable therewith, the connecting means between the control member and the inlet restricting means including cam follower means engageable with the cam means as the shaft rotates..]..[.4. The structure of claim 3 including spring means resiliently biasing the inlet restricting means toward the cam means..]..[.5. The structure of claim 3 in which the connecting means between the control member and the valve means also includes said cam follower means, and spring means resiliently biasing the valve means toward the cam means into the closed position, movement of the cam follower means by the cam means causing movement of the valve means from the closed position toward the open position..]..[.6. The structure of claim 3 in while the connecting means between the control member and the outlet cleaning means includes second cam follower means engageable with the cam means as the shaft rotates..]..[.7. The structure of claim 6 in which the second cam follower means is engaged with the cam means only when the control member is in the first position..]..[.8. The structure of claim 1 in which inlet restricting means includes a rod extending toward the fuel inlet orifice and terminating in a restricting end portion providing the inlet restricting means, a reduced portion of the rod above the restricting end portion having a thickness less than the thickness of the restricting end portion, the restricting and portion being sized relative to the fuel inlet orifice to permit pressurized fuel within the chamber to flow through the fuel conduit means faster than the pressurized fuel in the tank can flow through the inlet orifice when the restricting end portion is positioned therein, the reduced portion of the rod being sized relative to the fuel inlet orifice to permit fuel to flow through the inlet orifice when the reduced portion is positioned therein at substantially the same rate as fuel flows through the fuel conduit means, the restricting end portion of the rod being positioned in the fuel inlet orifice when the control means is in the second position and the reduced portion of the rod being positioned in the fuel inlet orifice when the control means is in the third position..]..[.9. The structure of claim 8 in which the control member includes a shaft rotatably mounted on the apparatus and cam means on the shaft rotatable therewith, the connecting means between the control member and the inlet restricting means including cam follower means engageable with the cam means as the shaft rotates, the rod being movable downwardly by the cam means so that the restricting end portion thereof moves out of the fuel inlet orifice and the reduced portion thereof moves into the fuel inlet orifice as the control member 
     
        moves from the second to the third positions..]. 10.  .[.The structure of claim 1 in which.]. .Iadd.In a fuel burning apparatus having a fuel tank, fuel burning means, and means for pressurizing fuel within the fuel tank, an improved fuel control means for supplying fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel burning means comprising fuel conduit means extending from the fuel tank toward the fuel burning means, the fuel conduit means having a first end provided with a fuel inlet opening positioned within the fuel tank and a second end provided with a fuel outlet orifice for supplying fuel to the fuel burning means, inlet restricting means movable within the fuel conduit means for restricting the fuel inlet orifice of the conduit means, outlet cleaning means mounted within the fuel conduit means for movement into and out of the fuel outlet orifice of the fuel conduit means, valve means within the fuel conduit means movable between a closed position in which fuel flow through the fuel conduit means is prevented and an open position in which fuel flow through the fuel conduit means is permitted, a single control member movably mounted on the apparatus, and means operably connecting the control member with the valve means, the inlet restricting means, and the outlet cleaning means, the control member being movable between a first position in which the connecting means between the control member and the outlet cleaning means maintains the outlet cleaning means in the fuel outlet orifice, a second position in which the connecting means between the control member and the valve means and the inlet restricting means maintain the valve means in the open position and maintain the inlet restricting means in the fuel inlet orifice, and a third position in which the connecting means between the control member and the valve means and the inlet restricting means maintain the valve means in the open position and maintain the inlet restricting means out of the fuel inlet orifice, .Iaddend.the control member .[.includes.]. .Iadd.including .Iaddend.a shaft mounted on the apparatus for rotation between off and run positions and a cam projection extending from the shaft eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft, the connecting means between the control member and the valve means including a cam follower engageable by the cam projection after limited rotation of the shaft from the off position, movement of the cam follower by the cam projection causing movement of the valve means from the closed to the open position, spring means resiliently biasing the valve means toward the closed position, the connecting means between the control member and the inlet restricting means including said cam follower and the valve means, the inlet restricting means being connected to the 
     
     
        valve means for movement therewith. 11. The structure of claim 10 in which the connecting means between the control member and the outlet cleaning means includes a second cam follower engageable by the cam projection, the outlet cleaning means being positioned out of the fuel outlet orifice when the shaft is in the off position, the cam projection being engageable with the second cam follower before the first cam follower when the shaft is rotated from the off position, movement of the second cam follower by the cam projection causing movement of the outlet cleaning means into the fuel 
     
     
        outlet orifice. 12. The structure of claim 11 in which the cam projection moves out of engagement with the second cam follower before it engages the first cam follower as the shaft is rotated whereby the outlet cleaning means is withdrawn from the fuel outlet orifice before the valve means is moved to the open position. .Iadd.13. In a fuel burning apparatus having a fuel tank, fuel burning means, and means for pressurizing fuel within the fuel tank, an improved fuel control means for supplying fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel burning means comprising fuel conduit means extending from the fuel tank toward the fuel burning means, the fuel conduit means having a first end provided with a fuel inlet opening positioned within the fuel tank and a second end provided with a fuel outlet orifice for supplying fuel to the fuel burning means, valve means within the fuel conduit means movable between a closed position in which fuel flow through the fuel conduit means is prevented and an open position in which the fuel flow through the fuel conduit means is permitted, inlet restricting means movable within the fuel conduit means with the valve means for restricting the fuel inlet orifice of the conduit means, outlet cleaning means mounted within the fuel conduit means for movement into and out of the fuel outlet orifice of the fuel conduit means, a single control member movably mounted on the apparatus, and means operably connecting the control member with the valve means and the outlet cleaning means for moving the valve means and the inlet restricting means and the outlet cleaning means in response to movement of the control member, the control member being movable between: a. a first or off position in which the connecting means maintains the outlet cleaning means out of the fuel outlet orifice and maintains the valve means in the closed position,   b. a second or cleaning position in which the connecting means maintains the outlet cleaning means in the fuel outlet orifice and maintains the valve means in the closed position,   c. a third or light position in which the connecting means maintains the outlet cleaning means out of the fuel outlet orifice and maintains the valve means in the open position and the inlet restricting means in the fuel inlet orifice, and   d. a fouth or run position in which the connecting means maintains the outlet cleaning means out of the fuel outlet orifice and maintains the valve means in the open position and the inlet restricting means out of the fuel inlet orifice whereby the fuel outlet orifice is cleaned by the outlet cleaning means twice during each cycle in which the control member is turned from the off position to the run position and back to the off position and whereby fuel within the fuel conduit means between the valve means and the fuel outlet orifice can escape through the fuel outlet orifice when the control member is returned to the off position.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.14.  The structure of claim 13 in which the control member includes a shaft rotatably mounted on the apparatus and cam means on the shaft rotatable therewith, the connecting means including a first cam follower connected to the outlet cleaning means and engageable with the cam means as the shaft rotates and a second cam follower between the cam means and the valve means and engageable with the cam means as the shaft rotates for moving the valve means. .Iaddend..Iadd.15. The structure of claim 13 including detent means on the apparatus engageable with the control member as it moves for providing tactile indication when the control member moves into the off, light, and run positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. In a fuel burning apparatus having a fuel tank, fuel burning means, and means for pressurizing fuel within the fuel tank, an improved fuel control means for supplying fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel burning means comprising fuel conduit means extending from the fuel tank toward the fuel burning means, the fuel conduit means having a first end provided with a fuel inlet opening positioned within the fuel tank and a second end provided with a fuel outlet orifice for supplying fuel to the fuel burning means, inlet restricting means movable within the fuel conduit means for restricting the fuel inlet orifice of the fuel conduit means, valve means within the fuel conduit means movable between a closed position in which fuel flow through the fuel conduit means is prevented and an open position in which fuel flow through the fuel conduit means is permitted, outlet cleaning means movable within the fuel conduit means with the valve means for movement into and out of the fuel outlet orifice of the fuel conduit means, a single control member movably mounted on the apparatus, and means operably connecting the control member with the valve means and the inlet restricting means for moving the valve means and the outlet cleaning means and the inlet restricting means in response to movement of the control member, the control member being movable between: a. a first or off position in which the connecting means maintains the valve means in the closed position and the outlet cleaning means in the fuel outlet orifice,   b. a second or light position in which the connecting means maintains the valve means in the open position and the outlet cleaning means out of the fuel outlet orifice and maintains the inlet restricting means in the fuel inlet orifice,   c. a third or high position in which the connecting means maintains the valve means in the open position and the outlet cleaning means out of the fuel outlet orifice and maintains the inlet restricting means out of the fuel inlet orifice, and   d. a fourth or low position in which the connecting means maintains the valve means in the open position and the outlet cleaning means in the fuel outlet orifice and maintains the inlet restricting means out of the fuel inlet orifice whereby the flow of fuel through the outlet orifice is   
     
     
        throttled by the outlet cleaning means. .Iaddend..Iadd.17.  The structure of claim 16 in which the fuel burning apparatus is a camp stove and the outlet cleaning means extends at right angles to the inlet restricting means. .Iaddend.