US3478753A - Cigar and cigarette snubber - Google Patents

Description

NOV- 18, 1969 n. R. sHlPLEY ETAL 3,478,753

CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SNUBBER Filed Jan. 30. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

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CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SNUBBER Filed Jan. 30. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n l Darrell R. Ship/ey I: i! l Waido ERassas Y, INVENTUM United States Patent Olice 3,478,753 Patented Nov. 18, 1969 3,478,753 CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SNUBBER Darrell R. Shipley, P.O. Box 2037, and Waldo E. Rassas, 1056 Manning Heights, both of Clarksville, Tenn.

Filed Jan. 3o, 196s, ser. No. 701,664 Int. cl. Az4f 13/18, 19/14 U.S. Cl. 131-235 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A receptacle whose bottom is in part defined by a magazine having a rotary metering member communicating with a stored supply of cigar and cigarette snufling granular material and operative to successively register fresh quantities of cigar and cigarette snutling'granules with the lower end of the receptacle and with an upwardly open granular material container assembly into which the lit end of a cigarette may be inserted for extinguishing, the container having a pivotable bottomI wall for dumping spent granular material when desired,into a second larger ashtray and butt receiving receptacle operatively associated therewith within which cigar and cigarette ashes as well as extinguished cigar and cigarette butts may be placed.

The cigar and cigarette snubber of the present invention has been designed to provide a means whereby cigar andr cigarette butts may be readily extinguished and placed in a convenient receptacle for butts. The snubber is designed to use various types of cigar and cigarette butt snufling granular materials which may be similar to sand and which may have materials added thereto capable of discharging pleasing aromas when a lighted cigarette or cigar butt is brought into contact therewith. Such aroma forming materials may be of any desired type although it is advantageous for these materials to be of the type operative to give off an aroma which will. conceal the aroma of cigarette orcigar smoke. In this manner, as a smoker extinguishes his cigar or cigarette in an area in which the cigar or cigarette has been smoked, the aroma forming additive to the cigar and cigarette snuiiing granular material will give olf an aroma operative to conceal the aroma of cigar and cigarette smoke.

The main object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which may be utilized to quickly and conveniently extinguish cigar and cigarettel butts.

`I'Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a recleptacle in which cigar and cigarette butts to be extinguished may be placed and having a rotary magazine operatively associated with the lower end portion thereof for successively moving fresh quantities of cigar and cigarette snuiiing granular material into registry with the lower en d of the receptacle.

n Still another object of this invention is to provide the cigar and cigarette snubber with a second and larger receptacle portion in which cigarette ashes and extinguished cigar'and cigarette butts may be placed after being extinguished.

' 'A further-object of this invention is to provide an automotive type pull-out and push-in dashboard ashtray construction including means defining a small upwardly opening receptacle within the ashtray spaced above the bottom of the latter for receiving quantities of cigar and cigarette snufling granular materials and a stationarily supported receptacle for cigar and cigarette snufling granular materials within the dashboard of the associated motor vehicle with means being provided for selectively discharging vmeasured quantities of vcigar and cigarette snufng granular materials into the small recepticle portion of the ashtray.

Yet another object of this invention is to provlde a cigar and cigarette snuffing ashtray in accordance with the immediately preceding object and including means whereby the cigar and cigarette snuliing granular materials disposed within the small receptacle portion of the ashtray may be selectively dumped into the ashtray.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary perspective view of the dashboard portion of a motor vehicle with which an ashtray constructed in accordance with the present invention is operatively associated;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarge-d vertical sectional View taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmenatry vertical sectional view of the rotary metering member and surrounding structure, taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4 4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a table model form of ashtray constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 6 6 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7 7 of FIGURE 6.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of vehicle dashboard having a push-in and pull-out ashtray generally referred to by the reference numeral 12 operatively associated therewith. The dashboard 10 includes a rear wall 14 having an opening 16 formed therein and the ashtray 12 is extendable and retractable relative to the rear wall 14 in a manner which can best be seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

Any suitable means, such as conventional ashtray mounting means (not shown) may be utilized to slidingly support the ashtray 12 for movement between the fully retracted position illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 2 of the drawings and an extended position with at least the rear half of the ashtray 12 projecting rearwardly of the rear wall 14.

The ashtray 12 itself is generally conventional in design in that it includes front and rear walls 18 and 20 as well as opposite sidewalls 22 and 24 interconnected by means of a bottom wall 26. The rear wall 20 is preferably constructed so as to form a continuation of the rear wall 14 when the ashtray 12 is in its fully retracted position illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

The ashtray 12 does, however, include a small recep tacle defining assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 28. The assembly 28 includes la front wall 36 generally paralleling the front wall 20' Vand projecting inwardly from the sidewall 22 and a sidewall 32 generally paralleling the the sidewall 22 and projecting forwardly from the rear wall 20. The end edges of the Walls 30 and 32 remote from the walls 22 and 20 are suitably interconnected in any convenient manner so as to define a receptace 34 in the rear left hand corner of the ashtray 12. The lower marginal edge portions of the Walls 30 and 32 which coact with the walls 22 and 20 to form the receptacle 34 terminate a spaced distance above the bottom wall 26 of the ashtray 12 and a bottom wall panel 36 is hingedly supported from the sidewall 22 as at 78 and the free end edge portion of the bottom wall panel 36 has one set of corresponding ends of a pair of expansion springs 40 secured thereto with the other set of corresponding ends of the expansion springs 40` being secured to the sidewall 32. Thus, the expansion springs 40 serve to yieldingly urge the free end edge portion of the bottom wall panel 36 upwardly into position with the bottom wall panel 36 substantially closing the bottom of the receptacle 34.

The rear wall of the ashtray 12 has a pivot shaft 42 journaled therethrough and the rear end of the pivot shaft 42 has a knob 44 mounted thereon for rotation therewith While the forward end of the pivot shaft 42 has a cam-type lever arm y46 mounted thereon for rotation therewith. The free end of the lever arm 46 is contoured so as to ride along the bottom wall panel 36 toward the sidewall 22 as the knob 44 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction from the position thereof illustrated in FIGURE l of the drawings. This sliding movement of the free end of the lever arm 46 along the bottom wall panel 36 will cause the free end of the bottom wall panel 36 to swing downwardly opening the bottom of the receptacle 34 into the lower portion of the interior of the ashtray 12 disposed exteriorly of the receptacle 34. Thus, materials contained within the receptacle 34 may be readily dumped therefrom merely by rotating the knob 44 approximately 30 in a counterclockwise direction from the position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the Idrawings. Of course, after the knob 44 has been rotated and it is released, the expansion springs 40 will pull the free edge portion of the bottom wall panel 36 upwardly toward the closed position and will thus cause the lever arm 46 to swing back to the position thereof illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 1 of the drawings.

An upstanding tubular reservoir referred to in general by the reference numeral 50 is provided and mounted on the forward face of the rear wall 14 above the position of the receptacle 34 when the ashtray is in its retracted position. The tubular reservoir 50 is defined by a pair of opposite sidewalls 52 interconnected at their forward edge potrions by means of a front wall 54 and secured to the forward face of the rear wall 14 at their rear edges in any convenient manner. Thus, a portion of the rear wall 14 defines the rear wall portion of the upstanding tubular reservoir '50. However, it will be noted that the reservoir 50 could be provided with its own rear wall, if desired, and that the receptacle defining assembly 28 could be provided with its own rear wall and left side wall.

The reservoir 50 has a downwardly inclined baffle wall 56 mounted thereon and a throat 58 is formed between the lower end of the baffle wall 56 and the wall 52.

A rotary metering member referred to in general by the reference numeral 60 is provided and includes a pair of opposite end generally circular end walls 62 and 64 mounted on a shaft -66 journaled through the rear wall 14 and the front wall 54. In addition, the rotary member `60 includes four longitudinally extending and generally radially projecting plates 68 extending between the end Iwalls 62 and 64 dividing the rotary member 60 into four equal volume and generally radially outwardly opening pockets 70. The front wall 54 includes a spring detent vassembly 71 `and the end wall 64 includes four detent recesses 73 with which the spring detent 71 is cooperable to releasably retain the rotary member 60 in position with the pockets 70 in registry with and opening upwardly into the throat 58. Accordingly, it may be seen that each of the pockets 70 may dene a bottom for the upper end of the tubular reservoir 50 disposed 'above a horizontal plane containing the shaft 66 and that the rotary member `60 may be utilized to successively discharge measured quantities of cigar and cigarette extinguishing granular material 72 into the receptacle 34 from the upper end of the tubular reservoir 50.

The shaft 66 is journaled through the rear wall 14 and has an operating knob 74 mounted thereon and the rear wall 14 is provided with an opening 76 in horizontal registry with the upper end of the tubular reservoir 50 with which a pivoted closure door 78 supported from the rear wall 14 is operatively associated. The door 78 may be swung from the closed position thereof illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 2 of the drawings to the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings in order that additional quantities of the material 72 may be poured into the upper end of the tubular reservoir S0. t

In operation, the upper portion of the tubular reservoir 50 is filled with material 72 and thereafter the shaft 66 may be caused to rotate by the knob 74 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4 of the drawings so as to meter a measured quantity of the material 72 down into the receptacle 34. Then, when a person is smoking a cigar or cigarette within the vehicle in which the dashboard 10 is disposed, the smoker may pull the ashtray 12 rearwardly to its extended position illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 2 of the drawings and utilize the rear left hand portion of the ashtray 12 for receiving ashes from his cigar or cigarette. Then, when the smoker wishes to extinguish either his cigar or cigarette, it is forced downwardly into the material 72 disposed wthin the receptacle 34 whereby the cigar or cigarette will be snuffed out. As hereinbefore set forth, the material 72 may include materials which give off odors or aromas, when heated, operable to conceal smoking odors.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URES 5-7 of the drawings there may be seen a modified ashtray constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 112. The ashtray 112 is in the form of an upwardly opening receptacle and is thereby adapted to function as a table ashtray. The sidewalls 114 and 116 of the ashtray 112 include extensions 114' and 116' between which front and rear walls 118 and 120` extend in order to define an upstanding tubular receptacle referred to in general by the reference numeral 122 similar to the receptacle or reservoir 50.

A throat 124 similar to the throat 58 is defined at the lower end of the reservoir 122 and a rotary member 126 corresponding to the rotary member 60 is journaled between the sidewalls 114 and 116 with the sidewall 116 including a spring detent assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 128 corresponding to the spring detent assembly 71 and cooperable with the detent recesses 130 of the rotary member 126 corresponding to the detent recesses 73 to yieldingly retain the rotary member 126 in adjusted rotated position.

The extensions 114' and 116 include forward projections 114 and 116" between which an inclined forward wall 131 extends in order to define a small volume upwardly opening recess 132 with which the individual pockets of the rotary member 126 are registrable.

From FIGURE 6 of the drawings it may be seen that the partitions or panels 134 of the rotary member 126 form continuations of the lower end of the front wall 118 extending between the latter and the shaft 136 of the rotary member 126 and a bottom wall for the small ycapacity receptacle extending between the lower end of the front wall 131 and the shaft 136.

Thus, it may be seen that the upper end of the reservoir 122 may be filled with material 138 similar to material 72 and that successive pockets of the rotary member 126 defined between adjacent partitions or panels 134 thereof may be caused to be moved into registry with the receptacle 132 so that one panel or partition 134 of the adjacent partitions 134 defining the associated pockets may define an upstanding rear wall for the receptacle 132 extending from the lower end of the front wall 118 to the shaft 136 while the other partition'134 may form a bottom wall for the receptacle 132 extending from the lower end of the front wall 131 to the shaft 136.

A liner generally referred to by the reference numeral 140 is provided for the ashtray 112 andincludes opposite sidewalls 142 and 144 interconnected by means of a bottom wall 146. The liner 140 is received within the ashtray 112 and the rear marginal edge portion of the bottom wall 146` thereof terminates in an upwardly directed rear wall portion 148 which in turn terminates upwardly in a partial cylindrical wall portion 150 closely embracing the corresponding quadrant of the rotarymember 126 and extending upwardly to the lower end of the rear wall 120. Further, the upper end of the receptacle or reservoir 122 is closed by means of a top wall 152 hingedly supported from the extensions 114 and 116' as at 154. The top wall 152 is swingable from the closed position thereof illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings to an open position with the rear marginal edge portion thereof swung upwardly to open the upper end of the reservoir 122. The free swinging edge portion ofthe top wall 152 is provided with a lifting knob 155 and the rotary member 126 includes an actuating knob 156 disposed outwardly of the sidewall 114.

The operation of the ashtray 112 is similar to the ashtray 12 in that a supply of material 138 may be moved into the lower end of the receptacle 132. Thereafter, cigarette and cigar butts may be snuffed out in the material 138 within the receptacle 132 and placed within the liner 140. When the material 138 within the receptacle 132 needs to be replenished, it is merely necessary to rotate the knob 156 90 in a counterclockwisedirection as viewed in` FIGURE 5 of the drawings in .order to discharge the used material 138 down into the liner 140 and to move a fresh quantity of material 138 into the lower end of the receptacle 132.

The ashtray 12 may be readily used by the driver of a motor vehicle and the ashtray 112 may be used by a person seated nearby to quickly snui out a cigar or cigarette without requiring those persons to watch how the cigar or cigarette are being put out. The snufiing operation will be complete and almost instantaneous. Further, if the granular materials used include the aforementioned materials capable of giving off a smoke smell masking odor when heated, substantially all traces of smoke odor may be eliminated as a result of the cigar or cigarette being snuffed out.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes Will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with an upwardly opening ashtray, an upwardly opening extinguishing receptacle supported above the bottom of said ashtray and from which granular material may be conveyed by gravity downwardly into the ashtray, refillable storage reservoir means for receiving granular material and from which granular material may be conveyed by gravity downwardly into said receptacle, and dispensing means operatively associated with the lower portion of said reservoir operable to selectively dispense quantities of granular materials from said reservoir into said receptacle, said receptacle including bottom wall means closing the bottom of said receptacle and shiftable between open and closed positions for dumping and preventing dumping of granular material from said receptacle into said ashtray.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said dispensing means comprises a rotary member including generally radially outwardly opening granular material receiving pocket means successively registrable with the lower end portion of said reservoir and said receptacle.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said pocket means includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced and generally radially outwardly opening pockets each successively registrable with the lower end portion of said reservoir and said receptacle.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said dispensing means comprises a rotary member including generally radially outwardly opening granular material receiving pocket means successively registrable with the lower end portion of said reservoir and said receptacle, said rotary member including pocket Wall defining portions also defining wall portions of said receptacle when said pocket means is registered with said receptacle.

5. The combination of claim 1 including a panel portion having an opening formed therein, said ashtray being supported from said panel portion for extension and retraction through said opening, said ashtray underlying said dispensing means in both extended and retracted positions thereof, said reservoir being supported from one side of said panel portion, said reservoir underlying said dispensing means only when said ashtray is in a retracted position and being disposed on the other side of said panel portion when said ashtray is in an extended position.

`6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said dispensing means comprises a rotary member including generally radially outwardly opening granular material receiving pocket means successively registrable with the lower end portion of said reservoir and said receptacle, said rotary member including a center shaft portion upon which axially spaced concentric circular end walls are mounted, a plurality of generally axially extending and radially projecting partitions mounted on said shaft portion and extending between said end walls and between which individual pockets defining said pocket means are formed, the partitions defining each pocket defining bottom and sidewall portions of the lower end of said reservoir closing the latter when said pocket is registered with said reservoir.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the partitions defining each pocket also define bottom and sidewall portions of said receptacle when said pocket is registered with said receptacle.

8. The combination of claim 1 including actuator means operable from the exterior of said ashtray to open and close said bottom wall.

9. The combination of claim 1 including a panel portion having an opening formed therein, said ashtray being supported from said panel portion for extension and retraction through said opening, said ashtray underlying said dispensing means in both extended and retracted positions thereof, said reservoir being supported from one side of said panel portion, said reservoir underlying said dispensing means only when said ashtray is in a retracted position and being disposed on the other side of said panel portion when said ashtray is in an extended position, said panel portion including a second opening therein spaced above the first-mentioned opening and providing access to the upper end of said reservoir through said panel portion.

10. The combination of claim 9 including a hinged closure door for said second opening yieldingly urged toward the closed position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,912,598 6/1933 Snadden 131--237 (Other references on following page) UNITED 7 8 STATES PATENTS 3,171,385 3/ 1965 Decker et al '119-56 XR Rosenbaum 131 235 3,173,400 3/1965 Heltschu V 119x-56 Gaskin 131--235 JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner Manion 131-237 Fernandez 131-235 5 U15-@LXR- Singley et a1 119-56 43-431 11956S 222-368

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