US2931367A - Cigarette snuffer - Google Patents

Description

April 1960 R. w. GLENNY 2,931,367"

CIGARETTE SNUFFER Filed Dec. 7, 1956 FIG-4 INVENTOR.

RAYMOND W. GLENNY United States Patent CIGARETTE SNUFFER Raymond W. Glenny, Republic, Wash. Application December 7, 1956, Serial No. 626,999 1 Claim. (Cl. 131-256) My present invention relates to the broad class of smokers articles and more particularly to a cigarette snufling device.

Of the fires'caused by carelessness of men, the greater percentage is said to be caused by careless smokers. Many of these fires are started by smokers who flip their burning cigarettes or cigar stubs from motor vehicles into dry weeds or other vegetation and combustibles along public roads and highways. There has been much educational effort as well as legislation to induce the public to stop flipping burning cigar and cigarette stubs from vehicles and to employ an ashtray.

However, in actual practice, smokers do not like to deposit a burning cigarette or cigar in an ashtray since the odor created by its continued burning is very undesirable. Therefore due to the laxity of the public in general, when the ashtray becomes partially filled and it is diflicult to completely extinguish a cigar or cigarette butt, it is still the practice for smokers to drop the cigarette at the wheels of the moving vehicle. The vehicle in which the smoker is riding or one following quite often, due to the wind currents created by the movement of the vehicle, causes the lighted butt to be blown or rolled into the dry vegetation at the edge of the road or highway and the same danger exists.

It is obvious then, that the way to overcome this undesirable result is to provide a quick and eflicient means for completely extinguishing a cigar or cigarette butt whereupon it may be placed in the ashtray or thrown from the vehicle without danger.

The present invention seeks to provide this desirable means for completely extinguishing a burning cigar or cigarette and yet provide an extinguisher which will not become inoperative by reason of its having become full.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will also be seen and understood during the course of the following specification which relates to the accompanying drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts.

One physical embodiment of the invention concept I have devised is disclosed in the drawing wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved cigarette snuifer;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken diametrically through the cigarette snufler substantially on the plane indicated by line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view partially in side elevation and partially in cross section showing a modified support means;

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing a further modification of the support means and Figure 5 is a fragmentary view partially in cross section detailing the support means of Figure 4.

Having reference now more particularly to the drawing, I have shown a somewhat cup-shaped receptacle which has a cylindrical side wall 11, closed by a bottom wall 12. Embedded in the bottom wall 12 is a permanent magnet 13 which may be employed to anchor the cigarette snufier to a horizontal ferrous metal surface holstery pin 20. It will therefore be seen that the receptacle may be supported by the suction cup 18 on any flat impervious surface, such as the painted vertical wall of the dashboard, the windshield, or a window glass or may be secured by the bolt and cooperating nut 19 to the dashboard 21 or may even be secured to the door lining or other upholstery portion of the vehicle by pin 20.

The receptacle 11 is manufactured from a resilient material such as one of the flexible plastics which are common today, or of rubber or similar material. The receptacle is adapted to receive a fluid fire extinguishing medium, for example, water 22. Of course, other types of fluid materials which are capable of extinguishing a cigar or cigarette butt by either the exclusion of oxygen or reduction of heat below the ignition point will work effectively.

The open top of the receptacle '10 is closed by means of a top wall closure 23 which has a frusto-conical depression 24 at its center. 'Its peripheral edge is provided with a depending flange 25 which has an inwardly disposed lip 26 cooperably associated with the flange 14 of the receptacle 10 and together with the inwardly spaced annular flange 27 hermetically seals the top 23 to the receptacle 10. It is thus easily seen that as the resilient wall '11 of the receptacle 10 is squeezed, a pressure is created within the receptacle 10 and the fluid 22 may thus be manually pressurized.

At its center, the top wall 23 is provided with a depending cylindrical wall 28 which is open at its top and is closed at its bottom by a closing wall 29. In actual practice, the wall 28 is provided with a relatively thick side wall which defines a central aperture 30 of suflicient size to receive a cigarette C. Obviously the size of the aperture 30 may vary in difierent ones of the devices manufactured in accordance with the circumferential size of the cigarette or cigar to be extinguished by the snufier.

I desire it to be understood that throughout this specification and the claim appended hereto, that it is not my intention to limit the scope of my invention by the use of the term cigarette, but I use the term generically to include all smoking tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars. Obviously even matches may be extingiished thereby. At its lower end the well side walls 31 are inwardly enlarged to provide a downwardly presented annular shoulder 32. The closure wall 29 is the bottom wall of a plug 33 which has an inwardly extending annular cylindrical flange 34 fitting snugly into the enlarged lower end 35 of the well and bears against the shoulder 32. At one side the flange 34 is relieved as at 36 (Figure 2) and a vertical aperture 37 extends downwardly through the flange and communicates the relieved portion 36 with an enlarged lower end socket 38 into which the upper end of the conduit 39 is frictionally engaged. The conduit 39 has its lower end immersed in the fluid 22. It will thus be seen that as the side walls 11 are squeezed, the pressurized fluid 22 will flow upwardly through the conduit 39, the aperture 37, through the relieved portion 36 and into the well 30. So long as the pressure is continuously applied, the fluid will flow upwardly completely filling the well and even spreading into the frusto-conical depression 24. When the side "i1 are t'heir natural resiliency will cause willcause fluid to lower its level and flow' in {the pending "from said top and spaced from said depending opposite'xlir'ection through Ithe relieved p'ortion 36,1the

aperture 37 'and theconduit 3-9, back1in'to the receptacle until such 'time as t he fluidinthe well reaches the lowermo st level of the relieved portion 36. This fluid 22a will then remain in the bottom' portion of the well. when :a cigar or cigarette C is inserted with the lighted end downwardly into the well, the' fluidin the well-will extinguish the burning end and the butt 0r stub may then discarded. The structuredisclosed herein has beenadevised in viewof the fact that'vehicles may not be usedzfor long periods of time and the fluid in the well tends to evaporate. lHowever, the fluid hermetically sealedfinthe container 11 the evaporation of which is possihle only through the aperture 37 and conduit 39,- is

so infinitesimalfthat evaporation .loss is of no consequence. Having "thus described mypinvention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following: iA cigarette extinguisher comprising a resilient "selfsupporting collapsible impervious receptacle having :an open "top and nreaus for fixing said receptacle at a desired location; an outwardly disposed peripheral flange on's'aid receptacle :at its open top; a closure for said open top having a central frusto conica1 depression; a dependperipheral flange and receiving said outwardly disposed peripheral flange tightly therebetween; an inwardly disposed lip at the lower edge of said depending flange releasably hooked under said outwardly disposed peripheral flange whereby said top is hermetically and releasably secured in closing. frrelation to said receptacle; said closure having an upwardly-open depending well having a lower end portion spaced from the lower end of said receptacle and disposed 'therein; and a conduit entirely within said receptacleand communicating at its upperend with said well at a'point intermediate its vertical dimension and at its lower end adjacent to the bottom of said receptacle wherebycollapsing pressure applied to said receptacle is elfective to pressurize fluid in therreceptacle and discharge it into said well through said conduit. 7 r V 4 lleferences Cited in thefile of patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS 773, 892 Prokopovitsh "c Now 1,1904- 1,828,068 'Pringle Oct. I20, 1933 1,855,983 Morlok -Apr.1 26, 1932 1,966,774 Uitto ;July 17, 1934 12,248,873 Hummellfll. July 8, 1941 2,649,096 Fuller Aug. :18, 195.3-

2,681,656 Starkenberg June #22, 4954

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