US1183178A - Smoker's appliance. - Google Patents

Description

F. F.. ENTER. SMDKERS' APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13 I915.

Patented May 16, 1916.

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 f1 Mn 1 1 J 1 1 1.1 1 11 1. .1111 11 1 11 w 1 11 1 FRED F. ENTER, OF CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO.

SMOKERS APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May to, 1916.

Application filed March 13, 1915. Serial No. 14,272.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED F. ENTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cuyahoga Falls, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Smokers Appliances, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in smokers appliances, and relates particularly to improvements in boxes for holding tobacco.

Every user of smoking tobacco knows that with the ordinary or every-day box of the type now in vogue, the tobacco is tightly packed in. the box when the same is purchased, and in order to get any tobacco out it is necessary to open the lid and loosen the tobacco with ones fingers. This is not only inconvenient, particularly when the supply is nearly exhausted, owing to the fact that it is hard for the finger to reach down into the bottom portion of the box, but is really attended with danger, as the edge of the body portion of the box may be rough or have some out or jagged part that is liable to cut or otherwise injure the smokers fingers and thereby produce a cut or scratch which is not only uncomfortable but liable to lead to serious results.

With a knowledge of these conditions, my invention has for its primary object a simple and efficient construction of tobacco box, whereby it will be unnecessary to insert the fingers into the box for the purpose of loosening the tobacco, means being provided whereby the tobacco may be agitated or loosened whenever it is desired to pour out a portion thereof to fill the pipe or make the cigarette. And the invention also aims to generally improve devices of this class so as to render them more useful and commercially desirable.

With these and other objects in view, as

will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter more fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure l is a top plan view of the box shown in Fig. 2. Fig, 2 is a longitudinal section of my improved tobacco box, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 38 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and desig nated in all of the views of the accompanying drawing by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the body portion of a tobacco box of the type usually employed at the present time, designed to fit into the pocket of the smoker, and 2 designates the lid. In the present embodiment of the invention, the lid 2 is illustrated as a slip lid and is not hinged, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this regard. The lid 2 is formed with a movable section 8 which, when moved to an opened position, will permit the contents of the box to readily flow out. In the preferred form of the invention now being described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, this section 3 is shown as hinged, although here also it is to be understood that it is within the purview of my invention to make the section otherwise. To facilitate the opening of the section 3, it is formed on one side with a thumbnail catch or lip 4, as clearly shown in the drawing.

Mounted within the box and extending longitudinally thereof is a shaft or spindle 5, the same being square or otherwise noncircular in cross section. This shaft is journaled at its lower end in a step bearing 6 or the like within the bottom of the box, and it is formed near its upper end with a round bearing 7 journaled in the lid 2. Above the lid 2 the shaft 5 is formed on its upper extremity with a preferably knurled or milled nut or finger piece 8 whereby the shaft may be easily manipulated and turned back and forth on its longitudinal axis. An agitator 9 is mounted upon the shaft 5, and for that purpose is formed at its middle with an opening substantially conforming to the cross-sectional contour of the shaft, it being understood that the agitator is mounted for a free longitudinal movement on the shaft and is designed to rest upon the top of the contents of the box. The agitator 9 is, in the present instance, in the form of a bar provided on its lower edge or surface with any desired number and shape of teeth 10.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, the operation of my improved tobacco box will be apparent. In the practical use of the device, when it is desired to pour out a portion of the contents of the box, it is only necessary to grasp the knurled nut 8 and work it back and forth a few times to loosen the tobacco in contact with the teeth of the agitator 9, to then open the lid by swinging the hinged section 8 thereof outwardly, and to pour out as much as is needed. It is, of

' course, understood that the agitator slides loosely on the square shaft 5 so that it will always lie on top of the tobacco and keep on following down as tobacco is used up.

While the accompanying drawing illustrates what I believe to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but that various changes may be made in the construction, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

WVhat is claimed, is:

1. A box of the character described comprising a body portion and a lid, a shaft journaled in the bottom of the body portion and in the lid, the shaft being square in cross section and provided at its upper end with a finger piece above the lid, and an agitator consisting of an elongated bar formed with a square opening by which it is loosely mounted on the shaft Within the box whereby upon a partial rotary movement of the shaft the ends of the agitator will be'moved laterally between the walls of the body and teeth formed on the lower face of the agitator as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A device of the class described including a box, a square shaft mounted for a partial rotary movement therein, an elongated bar upon the shaft whereby upon a partial rotary movement of said shaft the bar will be moved laterally between the side walls of the box and teeth formed on the FRED F. ENTER.

pur-

Witnesses:

J. N. FAILoR, GEO. W. MERZ.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C.

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