What is the purpose of the bead of metal over the fuel orifice in torch lighters?

[Eli]

Always kinda been curious. Is it some sort've catalyst or something?

When I first light the torch lighter, the flame is .. not right. Not really like a normal lighter's flame, but not torch-like.

After a second the metal will get warm and the 2nd time I light it, it will be in "torch mode" with the wire glowing.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Pic

 

[potato28]

The filiment to keep burning the fuel.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: potato28
The filiment to keep burning the fuel.

hmm....

I guess?.... So by design a torch lighter isn't self sustaining like a normal lighter?

 

[Insane3D]

/beavis

You said...orifice...heh heh heh heh.

 

[TheChort]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: potato28
The filiment to keep burning the fuel.

hmm....

I guess?.... So by design a torch lighter isn't self sustaining like a normal lighter?

I imagine it would stay on if the torch was fairly stable. But i bet if it wasn't for the filament, then the torch would turn off if it ever got jerked around.
Just an educated guess

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: TheChort

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: potato28
The filiment to keep burning the fuel.

hmm....

I guess?.... So by design a torch lighter isn't self sustaining like a normal lighter?

I imagine it would stay on if the torch was fairly stable. But i bet if it wasn't for the filament, then the torch would turn off if it ever got jerked around.
Just an educated guess

Hmm, yeah, that could be.. as most torch lighters are advertised as being windproof or wind resistant, although I've not come across one that I couldn't blow out. :laugh:

I'm sure it's because of the cheap nature of all the ones I've used.

 

[myusername]

I had always thought it was a platinum catalyst, but that wouldn't explain why they need piezo-electric ignition. It might be that it somehow stabilizes the flame, but when I knocked out the screen from my $5 lighter purchased at a car wash, it still seemed to function normally. The Colibri I received as a gift seemed to have been designed without a screen at all.

 

[mercanucaribe]

I had a cheap gas station lighter with a little copper ball. I think its only purpose was to make the flame green.

 

[Rubycon]

piezoelectric funeral over rat salad made my iron man paranoid seeing a fairy wearing boots. :laugh:

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
I had a cheap gas station lighter with a little copper ball. I think its only purpose was to make the flame green.

Yeah, I had one of those too.. was kinda cool.

I have a pic somewhere...

Bad pic

So is the only purpose to make the flame orange? That's what this one does. When I light it and the filament doesen't glow, it's just a blue flame, but it's still a little different... not very stable, goes out easily.

 

[OrganizedChaos]

i can pop my out of my my lighter and it still works. color dosen't look any differnt but its 5years old. it does however seem to be a little more wind resistant with the little coil of wire in there.

 

[Zach]

Nice pants.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Zach
Nice pants.

Thanks.... I think.

/covers ass

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
I had a cheap gas station lighter with a little copper ball. I think its only purpose was to make the flame green.

That's what I was gonna say. Different metals as the ball will make the flame glow a different color.