US2545019A - Ash tray - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1951 e. s. BUNCH, JR 2,545,019

ASH TRAY Filed July 5, 1947 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 115-2 61: Spin-[927v ,Je.

BY I mv leaa G. S. BUNCH, JR

March 13, 1951 ASH TRAY 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 5, 1947 64 41 fiPf/vcfe fia/vc/g /e.

INVENTOR.

m v W ,arroeusrs.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 1 Claims. 1 "Thisiinvention relates to; improvements in ash trays.

The primary objeetof theiinvention is tojpro- Tdiice an I ash ft'ray "which Willj accommodate J the disposal Of cigar and cigarette butts in a clean, v,

sanitary and 'practical I'r'nannr in which the burning butt fis extinguished ,and is then 'discharged-to a concealed container iso'that the butt 'willnot continue 'to csmoke'an'd will not be visibleaft'e'rithe device has been i operated.

"A"further objectisto providea device 'of'this character which is ada'pted .to extinguish a cigar 'orjci'garette and then'depositthe sa'mein a concealed receptacle and whichis so constructed that the presenceof' ashes or tobacco remnants upon exposed andvisible "surfaces'ofithe device is "substantially "avoidedf I 'A" further object is fto provide a "deviceiiof this character which'is simplefin construction and operation, which can be manufactured inexpensivlwand which canfibe. asse'nibledfiand disassembled easily and rapidly land'inf a manner to facilitate exposureofall workingfparts thereof for purposeso'f cleaning andwashing"the same.

A further objetis'toprovide a'de'vice'of this character which may "be used for "the purpose of extinguishing :a-ntl discharging a "cigar or t cigarette butt without 1 danger of burning the fingers of the user.

Other objects will be .apparent fromthe.following specification.

In the'drawing: V

Fig. :1 is a top 'plan "View of the 'l'device.

Fi'ge2isa'VieW or the device m sidelirettioh. 3 is a vertical sectional Tview' of T'the fdevice takeh0n'1ine33 0f Fig. 1. n

Fig. is a fragmentary i'verti'cal sectional s View similar to Fig. 3, illustrating 'the "device 'in cigarette extinguishing lp'ositio'n.

Fig.5 is afra'gmentaryesectional"view of the device taken onlline'5i5 of Fig. '4.

Fig. 6 is a bottom ,perspective view of .the movable member of 1 the 'device as viewed when rotated 180 degrees with relation to Fig. :7. Fig. 7 .-is a 'top perspective View of the body of vthe device.

.IReferri'ng to ithe drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral Ill-designates the body of the device whichis preferably cast. or molded from metal, glass, .plas'tic or other suitable .m'aterial The body [0 is preferablyof the construction shown in: Fig. '7, and 'has a generally bowl-like iform de'fined'by the concave-convex wall l2. .Aeskirt portion vl4 is formed integrally with the .-bowl portion 12 and dep'endsfr'om the convenside thereof concentrically therewith, as best illu's: trated in Fig. 3. A hollow cylindrical sprojection .I B .is formed integrally with the -body lll at thevcentr thereof and projects upwardly rramf the concave face thereof 1:0: a 'leverprrerably below {the level or "the outer edge "of 'j the Wall I'Zf'GffthebOdyIU. "Wiiihin thecylindridal member i6 is .':concentri'cally iar'ranged *afblip shaped part l'8 having an annulafiflanjge 20 at its 7 upper end 'aridfd'efining a socket :22 orient-at .th'e icente'r of'the convex face ofthe wall P2 :of 'the'body I'll.

"The Tbody has "a i plurality of equally spaced enlargements or Verticalradiallypositioned ribs '24 formed integrally therewith, "Said enlargemerits 24 being preferably four in number, as best shown in .Fig, "Each bfthese enlargements has a recess 2t"formedhn'itsiippersur- *fac'e, -*Which recess" inclines geriera-llydownwardly andinwardly from the edge-"o f=the -body and terminates "and communicates ;'at its inner end with a "substantially vertical bore "or "passage 'ZB extending throughthe enlargement and o en at -the *--bottom surface "of the ibowl like *wall I 2' of the'bod-y'at af point 2 8 spati'edi inwardly of theregistering' p'artf I 5 0f thefipend-ingskirt M, which may be projected outwardly as 1 best shown' in Figs. 3 --and-4. 'One -'-or more projections-30 --eXtend upwardly from the-recessed=Mrtion 26 of each enlargement 2 4 andeachhas a ourvecl-upper-iace to adaptit m -support a burning icigar or cigar ette in the -positiciniillu'strated in dotteddines at 32 in *Fig, 3, *Iwith its burning en'd bearing against the wall 34 -dfining the inner limit of the recess 26 vand an extension of the wall -of massage -18 50 rthat =asheendfthereof isirdireotly above ethe passage '28. i-LTheY-Jinn'er, wall 34"may 'have axproje'ctio'n 3's soipositionedtthat thesinne'r end "offthefcigar or cigarette 632 :und'erl-i'es zthei'sam'e to 'b'eih'eld thereby r-against ;.-overhalancing{ V-If rdesired, etlie -body," adjacent to "one or -:morecof :the enlargement's 24,'may carry a radially-outwardly:anduipwardlyyprojectingarm Rs-supporting aaconcavoconvex :plate 39 at its outer and which his alined with :the projections :30 which support the cigarette, :for the; purpose 10f supportin a -the outer'end of thecigarette.

The upper oninner, surface-rot the? bowl-shaped Wall is preferably slightl .-ridged radially ::;at spaced positions at 413 between :the adjacent enlargements 24 for the purpose -:of guiding :sja

cigar or cigarette=.butt-cleposited *thereonin a radial direction upon aandwise inward xSlidiIlg thereof, -so that said :butt 4-3 amayr-slide tOfiarposition as ,best illustrated in eliig. 3 wi-th -its ignited end innermost Land the butt :extending substantially radially of the body. 1

A movable member 42, preferably of 1 the-construction illustrated lift-Fig.6, is mountedncentrally in the =ash tray body:- [0, being provided szwithv a central cylindrical bore- M .opensatits lowerr -end to snugly and slidably receive ..the;;cylinder 46 therein. A handle inember :46 projectsrabove the body member 42 and has secured thereto, as by a threaded connection therewith, a stem or plunger 48 which projects centrally downwardly through the body member 42 and terminates in an enlarged head 50 which is slidably received in the socket 22. A coil spring 52 bears at its lower end against the concavo-convex wall [2 of the body It! and is confined at its upper end in a cupshaped member 54 which is anchored to the stem or plunger 48, as by a pin 56. The cup-shaped member 54 has a sliding telescopic fit in the cylinder member [6. The opposite ends of the coil spring 52 are preferably fixedly anchored to the body wall 12 and to the cup-shaped member 54, respectively. The major portion of the bottom surface 58 of the movable member 42 is preferably of concave-convex form substantially conforming to the curvature of the central part of the upper face of the bowl l2 of the body. The

spring 52 normally urges the shiftable member 42 upwardly to an upper limit position determined by the engagement of the head 50 of the plunger 48 with the flange 20 of the body member. A plurality of vanes 60, preferably of a number equal to the number of enlargements 24, depend from the body member 42 and are of such a size and proportion that in the normal springpressed relation of the parts as illustrated in Fig. 3, such vanes so will have a slight clearance with the upper surface of the bowl 12 of the ash tray. The vanes 60 extend in a generally radial direction normally aligned with the center of the adjacent enlargements 24, and slots 62 are formed in the bowl 12 in register with said vanes 60 to accommodate and receive said vanes 60 when the body member 42 is depressed against the action of the spring 52 for the purpose of bringing the bottom surface 58 of the member 42 into adjacent crushingrelation with the upper face of the bowl I2.

As shown in Fig. 3 when the body member 42 is depressed against the action of the spring 52, any cigar or cigarette butts 43 which are deposited in the device for disposal, in the position as shown in said figure, will be pressed between the bottom surface 58 of the member 42 and the upper face of the bowl [2. This crushes the burnin embers of the butt for the purpose of, extinguishing the same. Thereupon the body member 42 may be released and returned to its Fig.3 position so that the vanes 6!! clear the bowl l2. The handle 46 may then be manipulated to rotatethe body member 42 in a direction which will increase the tension of the spring 52 and cause an adjacent vane 56 to engage the crushed butt 43 and propel the same in advance thereof to the next adjacent passage 62 in the bowl l2 for discharge thereof through said passage 62'. The device may then be released, whereupon the body member 42 will be reversely rotated by the tensioned spring 52 for return to its starting position;

A cup-shaped member having a base 64 and a marginal flange B is removably connected with the bottom structure of the device, as by means of a screw thread 68. This structure serves in combination with the skirt l4 to define a closed chamber into which the crushed cigar orcigarette butts 43 may be discharged as above described and also into which the ashes from cigarettes 32 supported at 30 may be discharged through the passages 28.

It may be desirable to provide means for limiting the extent to which the body member 10 may be carried by the body member 42 to project radially therefrom intermediate its height. A vertical groove 12 may be formed in the inwardly radially projecting enlargement 24 adjacent to said pin, being of a length to permit insertion of the parts into their proper assembly relations and of a depth sufficient to accommodate lowering of the body member 42 to the full extent-of its downward movement for cigarette crushing action, as illustrated in Fig. 4. This groove 12 has a horizontal groove 14 communicating therewith at a level to receive the projecting end of the pin 10 when the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 3. The groove 74 is preferably of a length to accommodate a quarter turn of the movable member 42 in the construction illustrated. .Thus rotation of the body member 42 is limited to that rotation which is required to insure that the vanes 60, considered collectively, will sweep the entire inner or central portion of the upper face of the bowl l2, each vane 60 being shifted from register with one opening 62 to a position registering with the next adjacent opening 62 at which it discharges the crushed butts 43 propelled thereby. This action provides stops or limits for the rotative movement, assuring the operator that he has turned the member 42 sufliciently to clear the bowl [2 of any crushed cigarette butts before he -releases the handle for spring return of the member 42 to its normal position. Likewise the pin and slot arrangement prevents the downward movement of the body member 42 in the event the vanes 60 do not register with the openings 62 in the bowl I2.

This ash tray provides a simple construction which can be manipulated easily for the purpose of disposing of a cigar or cigarette in a manner which will prevent objectionable continued combustion or smoking of the cigar or cigarette after it has been discharged into the lower compartment of the device. All of the surfaces of the devic which are engaged by the ashes of a cigar or cigarette are substantially invisible and the device remains clean of ashes and tobacco particles at exposed surfaces. This condition is true, not only with respect to cigars and cigarettes which are positioned in the bowl for disposal into the bottom chamber of the device, but also holds true with respect to cigars and cigarettes which are deposited upon the supports 30 between smoking intervals, since any ashes which may be discharged by a cigarette 32 are discharged through the passage 28. The device may be easily disassembled for the purpose of removing ashes and cigarette butts from the receiving chamber at the bottom thereof by manipulating the screw-threaded connection 68 between the base 64 and the remainder of the body. Likewise, the device may be readily disassembled for access to all parts thereof by simply disconnecting the handle 46 from the stem 48 at its screw-threaded connection with said stem. This permits the movable member 42 to be removed from the body l2, assuming that the pin 10 registers with the vertical groove 12.

dially thereof and substantially aligned with the enlargements 24 of the body member ID in the normal position of the parts. Downwardly and outwardly tapering faces 18 are provided in the top of the body member 42 at the parts thereof facing and registering with the ridged outer portion v4|] of the body member ID. Thus, if any cigarette is deposited carelessly in the device in a position to engage the upper surface of the body member 42, the inclined surface 18 of said member 42 will permit the cigarette to move by gravity awayfrom said body member and onto the bowl l2 downwhich it can slide to a position beneath the body member 42.

The device is intended for use with both cigars and cigarettes, and in any case in which either is referred to herein, it will be understood that such reference is illustrative only and not limiting.

While the construction of the device as described and illustrated herein is preferred, it will be understood that changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An ash tray comprising a body having a dished portion and a receptacle below said dished portion, said dished portion having an opening communicating with said receptacle, a shiftable member, means mounting said shiftable member on said dished portion for vertical movement, and spring means normally urging said shiftable member to an elevated position spaced above said dished portion, said shiftable member having a convex bottom surface substantially conforming to the shape of said dished portion and adapted to crush against said dished portion a cigarette stub positioned therebelow.

2. An ash tray of the construction defined in claim 1, wherein said dished portionand said shiftable member have cooperating telescoping parts guiding movement of said member relative to said dished portion.

3. An ash tray of the construction defined in claim 1, wherein said dished portion and shiftable member have interfitting and interengaging parts for guiding movement of said member and including a stop for limiting spring pressed movement of said member.

4. An ash tray comprising a body having a dished portion and a receptacle therebelow, said dished portion having an opening communicating with said receptacle, a central tubular portion and an inverted apertured cup-shaped projection within said tubular portion, a shiftable member having a convex bottom surface interrupted by a cup-shaped member having a slid-- able guiding fit in said tubular portion, a coil spring fitting in said tubular portion and cupshaped member to urge said shiftable member to elevated position relative to said dished portion,

, and a headed member carried by said shiftable determined rotative position, said upper body in claim 8, wherein said dished portion has a portion having a plurality of discharge openings therein communicating with said chambered lower portion, and a projection depending from said member in register with one of said discharge openings, the bottom edge of said projection clearing said dished portion in the elevated normal position of said member.

6. An ash tray of the construction defined in claim 5, wherein said discharge openings are equi-angularly related and equally spaced in said dished portion, and a depending projection normally registers with each opening.

7. An ash tray of the construction defined in claim 5, wherein said discharge openings are equi-angularly related and equally spaced in said dished portion, and 9, depending projection normally registers with each opening, and means for limiting rotation of said shiftable member to an angular extent corresponding to the angular spacing of said projections.

8. An ash tray comprising a body having a dished upper portion and a chambered lower portion, said upper portion having an inwardly radially projecting enlargement at its outer portion, said enlargement having a recessed upper face adapted to support and position a burning cigarette, said enlargement having a substantially vertical passage communicating with said chambered lower portion and with the inner end of the recessed upper face of said enlargement, a shiftable member mounted on said dished portion inwardly of said enlargement for vertical and rotative movement, said dished portion having a discharge passage communicating with said chambered lower portion and positioned below said member, and means for normally urging said member to a predetermined position spaced above the dished portion registering with said member.

9. ;An ash traypf the construction defined in said projection clearing the adjacent surface of said dished portion.

10. An ash tray of the construction defined bottom edges of said-depending projections normally clearing the dished portion of said body.

GLAVE. SPENCER. BUNCH, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Roos Jan. 15, 1929 Neahr Apr. 28, 1931 Burton Nov. 3, 1931 Locke -r- June 13, 1933 Jacob Apr. 30, 1935 Black Dec. 15, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Oct. 24, 1925 Germany Mar. 31, 1926 Number Number

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