US2124130A

US2124130A - Smoking implement

Info

Publication number: US2124130A
Application number: US135046A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert G Van Deventer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-04-05
Filing date: 1937-04-05
Publication date: 1938-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 1955-07-19

Description

July '19, 1938. A. G. VAN DEVENTER SMOKING IMPLEMENT Filed April 5, 1937 -SMOKE HAL Q HALF a 4 e, .1 a 2 r 3 m m 4% m g T 0 K g a 4 m Z fim fl m 4 Patented July 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application, Serial Number 80,912, filed May 20, 1936.

This invention relates to smoking implements and has to do more especially with cigar and cigarette holders and smoking pipes.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a cigar or cigarette holder or pipe, as the case may be, having means for receiving and holding a supply of menthol crystals or other aromatic substance, the vapor of which is to be mixed, in variable proportions, with tobacco smoke, which is susceptible of being easily adjusted, by and at the will of the user, to vary the proportions of the mixture of smoke and aromatic vapor.

A further object is to provide a device of the aforementioned character which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to keep clean.

The herein-described cigarette holders are, in a sense, designed to function as substitutes for mentholated cigarettes, and to enable cigarette smokers who prefer, occasionally or regularly, to smoke mentholated cigarettes, to choose any unmentholated brands they may wish and mentholate the smoke to any desired degree, or not at all.

In the accompanying drawing I have disclosed two alternative embodiments of my invention, as applied to cigarette holders; and, in addition, I have shown a pipe constructed in accordance therewith.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, somewhat enlarged, of a cigar or cigarette holder;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the holder .difierently adjusted;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views taken along the line I4 of Fig. 2 and the line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view, somewhat en larged, of an alternative design of cigar or cigarette holder;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 8, but in which the section through the stem portion of the holder is taken along a different plane so as to illustrate the menthol chamber;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line Il!-I of Fig. 8;

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views taken along the line II-II of Fig. 8 and line I2-I2 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 14 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a smoking pipe equipped with a stem and bit in accordance with the present invention.

The cigarette holder depicted in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, comprises but two parts-a cylindrical stem I and a bit 2. These may, advantageously, be made of a non-combustible moulded plastic, such as bakelite. Parts I and 2 are secured together frictionally and are easily separablethe bit 2 having a cylindrical protuberance 3 which projects into and is a snug running fit in 15 a correspondingly cylindrical recess 4 in the stem. The last-mentioned recess is of considerable depth and is designed to function as a receptacle for an aromatic vapor-producing substance-general1y menthol crystals or cotton saturated with menthol. In Figs. 2 and 3 the recess 4 is shown loaded with menthol crystals. An aperture 5 serves as a vent for recess 2, permitting air to be drawn through the receptacle, together with menthol vapor, whenever the holder is adjusted to produce an admixture of tobacco smoke and menthol vapor.

In the front end-portion of stem I there is formed a recess 6 of a size and shape suitable to receive the end of a cigarette, or a cigar, if the holder be made for use with cigars. A passageway -'I of small diameter extends from the rear of recess 6, makes a right angle turn at 8 and terminates in a port 9 in the side wall of recess I. Passageway I functions as a conduit for '35 smoke.

The bit 2 has a bore II! of small diameter which makes a right angle turn at II and opens at one side of protuberance 3 into a slot I2, which is most adequately shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

The stem and bit are relatively rotatable and the arrangement is such that the bore It? can be brought into communication, alternately and at will, (1) with the smoke conduit I, only; (2) with the smoke conduit I and the menthol-filled chamber 4, jointly; and (3) with the mentholfilled chamber only-any desired ratio of menthol vapor to tobacco smoke being obtainable by turning the bit a proportionate amount.

A passageway I3, formed in the stem I, provides communication between the menthol-filled chamber and the bore IEI by way of slot I2.

The construction is analogous to that of a three-way rotary valve wherein the rear end of stem I constitutes the valve body and the protuberance 3 the valve plug-the valve body having two ports in quadrature and the plug having one port wide enough to overlap both body ports and capable of being put into registration with either or both body ports at will.

In the cross-sectional view, Fig. 4, the bit and stem are shown in that position of relative adjustment wherein the port opening of the bit-bore I0 is in registration solely with passageway I. With that adjustment the smoker will receive only smoke. The adjustment depicted in Fig. 5 places the bit-bore in communication solely with the menthol chamber, the smoker receiving menthol vapor only. Fig. 6 depicts the adjustment wherein the bit-bore port slot I2 is in registration with the ports of both passageways l and I3, the smoker receiving a mixture of approximately equal parts of menthol vapor and tobacco smoke. By rotating the bit one way or the other from the position shown in Fig. 6, the ratio of menthol vapor to smoke can be varied to suit the taste of the smoker, as will be apparent.

The cigarette holder of Figs. 7 to 13, inclusive is the same in principle and mode of operation as that of Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive; but it diiTers therefrom structurally and is an improvement over the first-described holder in that it is more simple to manufacture and easier to clean.

The holder of Figs. '7 to 13 comprises a stem l4 and a bit l5 corresponding, respectively, to the stem I and bit 2 of the previously described holder. As shown in Fig. 7, the exterior surface of the stem has three indicia marks, beside which are engraved, respectively, the words Smoke, Half & Half and Menthol. On the bit is engraved an arrow in contraposition to the aforementioned marks on the stem and adapted to be rought into registration therewith selectively. By turning the bit relatively to the stem, so as to bring the arrow into registration with the mark labeled Smoke, the holder is adjusted for an unmentholated smoke. Rotating the bit so as to bring the arrow into registration with the mark labeled Half & Half adjusts the holder for an equal or approximately equal mixture of smoke and menthol vapor. Rotating the bit so as to bring the arrow into registration with the mark labeled Menthol adjusts the holder so that the user receives menthol vapor only.

The front end of stem M has a recess l6 corresponding to recess 6 of the previously described holder, and a smoke passageway ll of small di ameter extending from the bottom of recess l 6 to the bottom of a cylindrical recess I8, into which is fitted the cylindrical protuberance l9 constituting an integral part of bit l5. The end surface of protuberance l9 bears against the bottom surface of recess l3; and a groove 20 formed in and extending diametrically across the end of protuberance l9 intersects bore 2i and serves as a conduit for menthol vapor from chamber 22, formed in the stem, and for smoke from passageway I? to bore 2|. A small aperture 23 functions as a vent for chamber 22, enabling a stream of air to be sucked through the chamber.

The cross-sectional views, Figs. 11, 12 and 13, illustrate very clearly the relative positions of passageway l1, groove 2! bore 2| and chamber 22; and these latter views show at a glance what happens when the bit is turned relatively to the stem. In Fig. 11 the groove 29 is in registration with passageway l'l, exclusively, being completely out of communication with passageway H. In Fig. 13, groove 20 is shown in registration with both passageway I l and chamber 22, while in Fig. 12 it is shown in registration with only chamber 22, being completely out of communication with passageway I1. Manifestly, the adjustment of Fig. 11 is for smoke only; the adjustment of Fig. 12 for menthol only; and the adjustment of Fig. 13 for a mixture of smoke and menthol vapor. An increase in the overlap between groove 20 and the port opening of passageway I1 is accompanied by a decrease in the overlap between groove 20 and the open end of chamber 22, and vice versa. Obviously, the apportionment of smoke and menthol vapor varies with the relative sizes of the apertures through which the smoke and vapor must pass to gain entry to groove 20 and bore 2|.

The stem and bit of the pipe illustrated in Fig. 14 is of the same design and construction as the cigarette holder of Figs. '7 to 13, inclusive, and, therefore, requires no further description.

Since the passageway I1 and bore 2| of the holder of Figs. 7 to 13 extend straight through, that device, obviously, is easier to clean than the holder of Figs. 1 to 6; and it is considerably more economical to manufacture because of that feature.

What is claimed is:

1. A smoking implement comprising a stem having a recess at one end, said stem having a smoke conduit extending lengthwise thereof, said conduit terminating in said recess at a point laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of said stem, a chamber in said stem for the reception of a vapor-producing substance, said chamber being in communication with said recess, and a bit having a protuberance at one end projecting into said recess and forming a closure therefore, said bit having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, and a passageway operative to connect said bore with said conduit and said chamber, jointly and severally.

2. A smoking implement comprising a stem and a bit, said stem and bit being relatively rotatable and forming, conjointly, a three-way rotary valve, said stem having a conduit terminating in one port of said valve, said stem having a chamber for the reception of vapor-producing substance, said chamber being in communication With a second port of said valve, said bit having a bore terminating in a third port of said valve, said third port being adapted to be moved into registration with said first and second ports individually and jointly at the will of the user.

3. The combination of a stem having a recess at one end, and a bit having a protuberance extending into said recess and functioning as a closure for said recess, said protuberance being rotatable in said recess, a smoke conduit extending longitudinally through said stem and terminating at one side of said recess at a port adjacent the side of said protuberance, said bit having a bore extending longitudinally thereof and a lateral passageway extending from said bore to a port on the side of said protuberance, said lastmentioned port being so situated as to be capable of being brought into registration with said firstmentioned port, upon said bit being rotated relatively to said stem, said recess forming a chamber for the reception of vapor-producing substance, said stem having a groove formed in the side of said recess, said groove extending along the side of said protuberance and being adapted to function as a conduit for vapor from said chamber to said bore, the arrangement being such that, by rotating said bit relatively to said stem, said second-mentioned port can be moved into registration with either or both said first-mentioned port and said groove.

4. The combination in a smoking implement, of a stem having an axis of rotation, said stem being adapted for connection to a source of tobacco smoke, a circular recess in one end of said stem, said recess having an axis coincident with that of said stem, said stern having a passageway extending lengthwise therethrough and terminating at the bottom of said recess at a port laterally oifset from said axis of rotation, said stem having a chamber for the reception of vapor-producing substance, said chamber opening into the bottom of said recess at a point laterally offset from said axis of rotation and angularly displaced from said. port, and a bit having a protuberance of circular cross-section extending into said recess and abutting the bottom of said recess, said protuberance constituting a closure for said recess, said bit having an axis of rotation coincident with that of said stem and a bore extending lengthwise therethrough, said protuberance having a groove extending across the end thereof which abuts the bottom of said recess, said groove intersecting said bore and adapted to function as a channel for both smoke and vapor.

ALBERT G. VAN DEVENTER.