US2285360A - Ash tray - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1942. K w. A. RosEN'BE'RGER 2285.330

ASHTRAY Filed April 23,- y1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jne 2, 1942. .w. A. RosENBr-:RGER 2,235,350

ASHTRAY Filed April 23. 1946 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rwembo/o WIW/am A. Rosepbezjyer' PatenteiclJune 2, 1942 UNIT-ED, STATES PATENT OFFICE i 2,285,360 i I. i y

ASH TRAY William A. Rosenberger, Hagerstown, Md. Applicatipn `April 23, 1949, serial 331247' l riclaims. (c1. isi- 240) The present invention relatestov ash trays for receiving cigar and `cigarette ashes and V-temporarily supporting cigars and cigarettes while smoking.- More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel ash tray structure for It is a' further object of this invention to pro- `vide an ash tray with a support capable of supporting a cigar o r cigarette within the confines of an ash tray yet out of contact with the ashes.

safely supporting a lighted cigar or cigarette to.

prevent damage resulting from accidental dislodgement ofv the cigar or cigarette and to sup- Dort them in such a manner that their unlighted ends will remain sanitary and clean.

The ash trays now on the market are provided with curved depressions or formations of other suitable character `for receiving and supporting burning cigars or cigarettes. These supportsv engage the cigar or cigarette intermediate its ends and are usually .placed on the peripheralV rim of the ash receiverp As a consequence, a cigar or cigarette balanced on the support overhangs the support at both ends and,` if permitted toy continue` burning, the overhanging time cause the cigar or cigarette to fall upon the table top or cover upon which the ash receiver `is placed and burn the table, or table cover, and in some instances start serious lires. If, on the other hand, the cigar or cigarette is placed with its burning end in the ash tray and the unlighted end against the peripheral wall, the cigar or cigarette may roll into the ash receiving bowl and be covered with ashes or the portion engaging the smokers lips may contact an area on the peripheral wall where cold or other germs have collected from `the cigars or cigarettes of other smokers. Y e

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a safetyash tray adapted to eliminate the sources of disease and damageprevalent in present commercial ash re ceptacles.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an ash receiver with a` supporting device which will prevent a cigar or cigarette from falling onto the' supporting table or table cover when it is forgotten andallowed'to continue burning.

Itis a further object of this invention to pro-l vide an ash tray with a support adapted to temporarily supporta cigar or cigarette while it is being smoked and positively prevent 'its dislodgement from the ash tray if inadvertently left burning.

It is another object of this invention to provide an ash tray designed to assure retention of a burning cigarette until itV has been completely consumed. Y

Y weight of the unlighted end will in the course of Another object of the present invention is to provide an ash tray for'supp'ortng a cigar or cigarette in such a manner that the lip engaging portions are maintained out of contact wit contaminated surfaces.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ash tray of simple construction capable of preventing damage caused by f orgotten cigarettes.

Other objects will appear fromthe appended along lines 2-2 of Figure 1 andillustrating the manner of placing the cigarette in the support. Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional View looking into the end of the support of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4vis airagmental sectional view, illustrating a modified form of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmental plan view of the modcation shown in Figure 4. 1 e

Figure 6 isa fragmental sectional View of a ash tray like that of Figures i and 5 but made in two parts. v

Figure 7 is a plan view of a further modified form of the present invention.

, Figure is "asectional View taken on lines 8-8 of Figure 7.

#Figure 9 is a plan view'illustrating a sheetl metal ash tray embodying theA form of Figures 'l and 8. f

Figure 10 is an end view of the sheet metal ash tray shown in Figure 9.

' Figure 11 is a sectional 'viewtaken on lines Il-llo'iFigurell.V .L

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a fragment of the cigarette supporting member of Figures 9,

' 10 and 11.

- Figure 13 isa fragmental sectionalview show` ing a different manner of attaching'l the member jof Figure 12`to the ashreceptacl ofFigures 9 wherein like reference characters are` utilized throughout the several gures of the drawings to designate the same part, numeral l5 designates generally an ash tray embodying the present invention,

Ash tray I5 preferably consists of a pressed cr die cast metal ash receiving bowl or receptacle I6 having an upstanding peripheral wall I1. Wall I1 at one or more points along the upper edge is provided with metal shelves or cigarette supports I8. In this form of the invention, support I9 is of generally circulate form in crosssection and is illustrated as a separate member secured in any suitable manner, such as spot welding, in a notch |9.formed in the upper edge of wall I1. Support I8 at its outermost end is closed by wall 2| and is provided with an overhanging rim- 22. The side walls of support I8 are notched at 23 toenable a cigarette to be grasped so as to place it in position on the supvunlighted end in contact with protuberance 33,

the cigarette is in eect suspended between saddle 28a and protuberance 33.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be noted that protuberance 33 contacts the tobacco at the end of the cigarette and that the portion of the end engaging the smokers lips does not Contact any surface which may contain ashes or germs. As a consequence, the present modication provides a sanitary ash tray of extreme hygienic appeal. Furthermore, this hygienic feature is equally applicable to the support of cigars by suitable al- Y terations of the dimensions of the saddle and the port'and remove it as desired. The free ends H `of the side walls are bent outwardly at 24 to provide a flared mouth to guide the cigarette into the support I8 and eliminate any sharp edges which might tear the cigarette.

VWhile the form of invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 is described as a metal ash tray with a separately attached support, it is to be understood that any suitable material such as glass, porcelain, plastics, etc., may be used and that supports I8 may be integrally formed on wall I1.

In use, a `cigarette is placed on support I8 in position A and pushed in the direction of the it so that it cannot accidentally be dislodged from the ash tray and fall upon the table, table cover, floor or rug and damage them or start a destructive re.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 wherein the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts. A molded ash tray I5a made from glass, porcelain, synthetic plastic or the like is illustrated. In this modification, the cigarette is supported by a saddle or support 28a carried by a pair of spaced ribs or Webs 29 formed on the upstanding wall I1. The ribs and saddle are preferably of such length that the distance C is slightly in excess of one-half the length of a cigarette solas to prevent tilting of a new cigarette into the ash tray. YSupport 28a is provided with an upwardly facing groove 3| designed to receive a portion of the body of the cigarette and prevent it from rolling off the support. Groove 3|, as clearly y shown in Figure 4, is spaced a slight distance above the upper surface of ribs 29 so that the cigarette rests. on'support 28a with its lighted end overhanging Vthe ash receiver and the unlighted end overhanging the space or slot 32 between ribs 29. In order to prevent the overhanging weight of the unlighted end of a partially" Y burned cigarette from rdislodging the cigarette,

protuberance.

In the event that a lighted cigarette is left upon support 23a, it will burn until the lighted end burns past end 34 of saddle 28a. When this occurs, the cigarette will drop through slot 32 into the ash receiving'bowl and burn itself out where no damage can be done.

If desired, the ash tray of Figures 4 and 5 may be made in two parts as shown in Figure 6. In lieu of spaced ribs 29, the Wall I1 of this ash tray |51) is provided with an inwardly extending annular rim 35. The inner periphery of rim 35, on its underside, is provided with an annular flange 36 designed to receive a ring-shaped element 31 carrying saddles 28h. To this end, element 31 is provided with an annular flange 38 which cooperates with flange 36 to removably support element 31 within the connes of wall I1. At suitable points around rim 31, short inwardly extending ribs or webs 39 are provided for supporting saddles 28h.

As clearly shown in Figure 6, the groove 3|, knob 33, rim 31 and ribs 39 bear the same relation one to the other, as pointed out in connection with Figures 4 and 5. The cigarette, therefore, is supported in a sanitary manner. The

, principal advantage of this form of the invention lies in the ability to remove element 31 and the integral saddles 28h so that the bowl I8 may be readily cleaned, particularly at points beneath ribs 39 yand saddles 28h. In lieu of slots 32, the

5 upper surfaces of rim 35, element 31 and ribs 39 may be curved or slightly inclined so that the burning stub of a cigarette will fall into bowl I6 c when the cigarette burns beyond end 34 of saddle 28h,

A further modication of this invention is shown in Figures 7 and 8. In this form of the invention, ash tray I5c comprises an ash receiving bowl or receptacle 4| formed of a molded plastic material or die cast metal. Bowl 4I is provided with an upstanding peripheral Wall 42 having wide notches 43 designed to support a cigar as shown in Figure '1. The upper edge of wall 42 is of insuincient width to support a cigar or cigarette so that they must be inclined into the ash tray in the event that a smoker inadvertently or through perversity fails to utilize the sanitary supports provided by this invention. This feature definitely preserves the iire or burn prevention features of this invention, even though a user fails to avail himself of the sanitary supports provided. In this connection, it should be understoodthat a cigar will not continue to burn after it is laid aside but will promptly go out so that when it is placed in the ash tray as shown in Figure 7 there is no danger of it burning down and falling from the ash tray.

The bottom 44 of bowl 4I is provided with one or more hollow upwardly extending tapered posts, or saddles 45, the upper surface of which 1s provided with a groove 46 for receiving a cigarette. In alignment'with groove 46, and extending outwardly from each end thereof, is an outwardly tapering' shelf or wing 41. The upper surfaces of shelves 41 are in the plane of the bottom of groove 46 andcooperate therewith to support a cigarette. i

Wall 42 at suitable points adjacent vits upper end and in alignment with the longitudinal center line of a cigarette reposing in groove 46 is provided with conical knobs 33. Knobs 33, as shown in Figures 7 and "8, are provided opposite each end of groove 46 and the distance between knobs 33 and the adjacent end of groove 46 slightlyexf ,ceeds the distance between similar points `of the ash trays of Figures 4 to 6. This difference in spacing is due to the location of posts 45 at vthe center of bowl 4l and makes it necessary to utilize shelves 41 so as to prevent burning cigarettes from falling into the ash tray until they are too short for further smoking.

Vcigar or cigarette The centered relation of posts 45 and the opt positely disposed knobs 33 make it possible to use the cigarette holder from either side while obtaining the desired sanitary and supporting features of this invention.

Figures 9 to 13 illustrate the application of the double ended saddle feature of Figures '7 and 8 to a sheet metal ash tray. In these figures, ash tray l5d is illustrated as rectangular in shape and is formed of relatively thin sheet metal by suit- Member 52 comprises a single sheet metal shown in Figure 13 and a slightly longer member 52.@ prende@ with a downwardly extending flange 54g ris, substituted for Vmember 52. Flange 54a is designed to ,lap the outer face of walls 49 and lit snugly enough to prevent accidental disassem- :bly y0f the two mais vB Trom consideration iof Figures lrthrough 13 of the drawings, it will be seenthat the various' forms ofthe invention-require some slight degree' ofv cane on the part of the smoker in order to obtain the desired sanitary benefits. However, it

shouldalso be noted that the fire or damage preventing features of this invention are obtained irrespectiveof the personal carelessness of the smokerl 'Ioreinove this possible failure to `gain the full benefits of this invention, thesaddles 28a, 2312,45 or` 45a may be drasticallyinclined with respect to a horizontal plane to cause a the desired rosjiiioa Such a structure is shown in Figure 14 of the drawings wherein an ,ash tray 15e like that of a Figures 7 and 8 is illustrated. In this construction, post or `saddle 45h is higher at its left end than at the right end and a shelf 41a is provided at the lowermost end to prevent the cigarette fromdropping into the `bowl it has been substantially burned out. Furthermore, knobs 33a similar to knobs 33 are formed nearer to the bottom of wall 42 and are inclined so that their principal axis coincides with the center line of a cigarette reposing in groove 4Gb. While the inclined saddle does not permit the use of the saddle from either side, oppositely inclined saddles` may be formed adjacent-saddle 45h to obtain this result. i

stampingv providing spaced cigarette saddles a and grooves 46a. Member 52 is `also provided with shelves 41a provided by the edges of upstanding walls 53 formed by suitably creasing and folding the sheet `metal blank along the vertical centerline of grooves 46a during the stamping operation. Member 52 at its opposite ends is provided with an upstanding flange 54. The length of member 52 between flanges 54 is In using this form of the invention, the cigar- .ette is placed in groove 46h with the unlighted end facing downwardly. If the unlighted end 'is not placed in contact with knob 33a, the cigarette, due to its own weight, will slide along groove 45?) until the end contacts knob 33.

In the preceding description, the applicability of this invention to cigarettes has been emphasuch that a tight fit results when it is placed within bowl 4Ia with'flanges 54 in engagement with the inner surface of walls 49. To further secure member 52 in place, tabs 5I Vare spun around the edge of fiange 54 into tight engagement with the inner faces of flanges 54.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, it will be seen that shelves 41a and the ends of cigarettes resting in grooves 46a overlie longitudinally extending spaces 55 formed between the side walls of bowl 4Ia and the edges 'of member 52. It will also be clear that notches 48 are in alignment with these spaces. Due to this construction, the cigarette may readily be grasped by the smoker in placing it on or removing it from grooves 45a.. Furthermore, member 52-is located at a predetermined level so that the center line of cigarettes reposing in grooves 46a will coincide with the major axisof knobs 33 to secure the sanitary advantages of this invention.

If` desired, member 52 may be designed for ready removal for purposes of cleaning ash tray 45d. To accomplish thisend, end walls 49 of bowl 41a are formed without tabs 5| as clearly sized since it is well known that a cigarette will continue burning until consumed while a cigar will go. out. The danger of damage from a forgotten cigarette is, accordingly, greater. This invention, however, by appropriate changes in proportions of the parts-is equally capable of use with cigars and the specification and claims wherever the word cigarette is used isintended to include cigars l A The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A safety ash tray comprising an ash receiving bowl, a supporting member carried by said bowl and engaging a portion of a cigarette intermediate its ends, said supporting member comprising at least one saddle disposed within the connnes of said vbowl in spaced relationrto f the bottom of said bowl and having a substan` tially U-shaped groove for receiving said cigarette and means comprising a protuberance formed tp automatically gravitate into on the inside of said bowl and disposed substantially coaxially with said member and in substantial alignment with the longitudinal center line of a cigarette lying in said groove kforV contactying the unlighted end of said cigarette and cooperating With said member to removablysupport said cigarette with said end out of contact with the ashes in said bowl and tending to prevent its accidental dislodgment.

2. A safety ash tray comprisinga bowl shaped ash receiver, means for supporting a cigarette inin both of said means are within the coniines of said bowl whereby the possibility of the cigar- 20 ette being dislodged from its support and damaging the surface supporting said ash tray or starting a lre is eliminated.

4. An 'ash tray comprising an ash receiving bowl, rnea'ns inclined at a substantial angle to a horizontal plane for engaging said cigarette intermediate its ends to retain said cigarette in an inclined position with its unlighted end lowermost and permit said cigarette to slide downwardly along said means and means disposed in alignment with said rst mentioned means for engaging the unlighted end and arresting its sliding motion, both of said means being within I

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