If a single date can be given for the invention of the cigarette
lighter, that date would probably be October 16th, 1926, when a patent
application was filed for the "Banjo" lighter, the ancestor of modern
cigarette lighters. Although there had been earlier cigarette-lighting
devices, this was the first fully automatic "single action" lighter,
operated by moving the thumb along a screw.
Here is an excerpt from a page which gives an interesting history of
the Ronson company and Louis V. Aronson, who is credited with having
invented the first mechanical cigarette lighter (note that this is
from a site in the Netherlands; spelling and grammar errors are
present in the original):
In 1910 Louis V. Aronson granted his first lighter patent. This spark
producing apparatus, is an ignition system without any fuel
specification, the name on the patent is Pist-o-Liter. This sparking
apparatus is based on the metal alloy "Ferro-Cerium" invented by the
Austrian "Dr. Carl Auer von Weisbach" two years before. The name
Ferro-Cerium was named Auermetal referring to the inventor Dr. Carl
Auer von Weisbach. Now or days the Auermetal is better known as
"Flints" that still is used in the lighters. For Aronson and Harris
this was the start of their both passion to invent / create a proper
'flame lighter'.
In 1913 they succeed to make their first pocket lighter, named the
"Wonderlite". This lighter was a so called 'Striker': by scratching a
metal rod, with a wick soaked in fuel on the top, over a strip of
above mentioned Ferro-cerium a spark is created, that ignites the
fuel-soaked wick. This form of ignition remains in production till
1941. In the years after, Aronson was confident enough to make a
tabletop lighter of the striker.
In the '20's a small part of Art Metal Works makes cigarette lighters.
In that time they make other products like speaking telephones and
toys like speaking dolls and a sparking machinegun named 'Repeater'.
The Ronson name is use for the first time on these products.
Meanwhile in Europe the developments go very fast, lighters ware made
that work on the combination of flints and petrol. However they are
very elaborate and it always took at least three motions to make them
work. During a holiday in England, Aronson visits "Alfred Dunhill" and
becomes inspired by what he sees. Aronson combines all different ideas
and improves them and was driven to invent a one-motion-lighter.
On October 16th 1926, Aronson applies for his patent on the
revolutionary one-motion-lighter "The Banjo". Two years later the
patent was given for worlds first one motion lighter. Almost
immediately the Banjo get produces on a big scale. Shop-owners queued
up outside the factory to purchase the Banjo's for $ 5, = so there was
no need for a sales force. Many variations are made on the Banjo
pocket lighter. Most various ware the Banjo fitments, because they
could be fitted in various shapes and designs for table lighters.
Aronson's dream came true, the lighters ware very popular and decides
to discontinue all other products then the lighters and the
development of lighters.
Alfons 't Hart Trading Company: Ronson History
https://www.ronson.nl/pages_en/ronsonhistory_en/historytekst_engelstalig_lite.html
More about the history of the Ronson Corporation, and photographs of
several early models of mechanical cigarette lighters, may be found on
a page dedicated to vintage Ronson lighters. Here's an excerpt:
Shortly after World War I, several Companies including Ronson vied for
the burgeoning market of Smoking Accessories, including Lighters. It
was Ronson that developed and patented the style named "Automatic
Lighter", a one-motion lighter (meaning "Press it's lit, release it's
out") This was a pivotal point for the Ronson company and Lighter
producer's in America. The Ronson Patent offered specific protection
for Ronson in the U.S., covering Automatic Lighters. No other American
company could produce an automatic lighter until 1952 when the Ronson
exclusive Patent rights expired. As a lighter collector, it can be
seen that several companies tried to copy Ronson's idea and several
companies really did copy Ronson's lighter. Most notably is the Evans
Lighter Company of Attelboro, Mass. Evans had developed a fine
reputation as a producer of Lady's handbags and accessories. Lighters
must have seemed a natural for this company and they produced a line
of Lighters called Lift-arms in the mid 1920's that were popular and
very stylish, but the one motion phenomenon had begun and smokers
wanted the latest and greatest products. When Evans produced a line of
lighters that violated Ronson's exclusive patent rights; Ronson was
forced to pursue their legal rights.
Transporter: Vintage Ronson Lighters
http://members.tripod.com/~Transporter/
Here you will find another history of the cigarette lighter, with
several illustrations (including a picture of the landmark Ronson
"Banjo," the first modern style thumb-lever lighter.)
Pipe Smokers: The First Light
http://www.pipe-smokers.co.uk/yesteryear/the_first_light2.asp
My Google search strategy:
"cigarette lighter" + "history"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22cigarette+lighter%22+history
I hope this information is useful. If any part of my answer is
unclear, or if any of the links do not function, please do not
hesitate to ask for clarification.
Best regards,
pinkfreud |
