US2652838A - Cigarette or cigar rest - Google Patents

Description

P 1953 E. F. WOLFE CIGARETTE OR CIGAR REST Filed Oct. 11, 1949 Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,652,838 CIGARETTE on CIGAR REST Ethel F. Wolfe, Chicago, Ill. Application October 11, 1949, Serial No. 120,710

6 .Claims. (Cl. 131-241) This invention relates to a cigarette or cigar rest more particularly for use in automobiles.

It is well known that automobiles, for example, are commonly equipped with drawers or other receptacles for the ashes and butts of cigarettes and cigars, and the present invention provides a simple, inexpensive, and markedly efficient attachment for such drawers or receptacles which may be readily applied by the car owner and which may be automatically concealed when the drawer or receptacle is closed, while not interfering with the opening of the drawer or receptacle when an occupant of the car desires to use it while smoking, the invention including spring means projecting the rest portion of the device into position for ready accessibility to receive a cigar or cigarette temporarily thereon when the person smoking wishes to lay it down.

In another aspect, the present device disposes the cigarette in position so as to guard against, danger of fire to the upholstery or the clothes of the occupants, and, moreover, in such position that if it be forgotten by the smoker the ashes will drop into the ash receptacle and the cigarette will be automatically extinguished.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings showing illustrative embodiments of the invention, and in which drawingsv Figure 1 shows the application of the invention to a sliding drawer in an automobile instrument panel; I

Figure 2 is a perspective view, somewhat enlarged, of the drawer shown in Fig. 1 with the present invention applied thereto;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drawer shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the invention applied, the latter being shown in elevation,

the full lines showing the drawer when retracted into the instrument panel and the broken lines indicating the position of the parts when the drawer is pulled out for smoking purposes;

Figure 4 shows a modification of the'invenQ tion in an application thereof to a drawer of thetilting rather than the sliding type; and

Figure 5 shows a further modification.

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction shown in thedrawings, the numeral Il may indicate a conventional instrument panel'of an automobile having among other things a'sliding drawer I2 adapted for the reception of ashes and butts of cigars or cigarettes. such panel construction, the panel II may have a rearward extension I3-which' supports the As is common in drawer l2 in its sliding movements and another extension I4 parallel with the extension I3 spaced thereabove to act as a closure for the drawer I2 when it is retracted into the instrument panel, the extensions I3 and I4 thus forming a runway for the drawer.

In accordance with the present invention, the device, one form of which is indicated by the numeral !5, is adapted to be readily secured by the user within such drawer or receptacle I2, in cantilever fashion, and normally extending upwardly and outwardly therein.

'As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the device I5 may be formed from springy strip sheet metal and stamped out, initially in the flat, to somewhat U-shape, providing two legs I 6 and aconnecting and in this instance integral bight portion l1. In the interior of the bight portion are formed, as here shown, a central slot I8 and two slots l9, one on each side of the center slot I B. The center slot I8 is indicated to be of a size to receive a cigar therein, and the two smaller slots l9 of 'a size each to receive a cigarette. The bight portion II, including the slotted elements 7 thereof just referred to, which serves as a rest member, is bent downwardly from the legs l6 by a curved portion 20 ofthe legs which is curved as shown to form a gradually rounded formation in the legs at places commonly abreast, to provide, jointly and with the leg surfaces 20a, a cam surface for purposes presently to be pointed out.

At their other ends or terminations, the legs I6 are each similarly bent to form a spring loop 2| and then bent back upon themselves to provide the lapping reverse bent portions 22 and 23 for each leg, with desirably a hinge-like bight portion 24 between the lapped portions to permit the portion 23 to act as a spring tongue lying closely parallel with the portion 22 and constituting the free end of each leg.

As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the device I5 may be inserted in the drawer I2 by causing the J lapped p0rtions'22- -23 of the leg IE to receive grippingly between them the overhanging wallv with the portions 22 snugly thereunder, and the legs, intermediately' as at 2m, abutting the drawer rear wall 26 to steady the device.

Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, when the drawer is retracted within theinstrument panel, that is,

lwhenthe drawer closed, the outer endsof 'thelegs'lt' act as cams whichflexthe legs downwardly to cause the device to disappear, so to speak, within the drawer, or in other words to be depressed below the upper panel extension i l, the cam-like surfaces 2E0. of the legs riding thereunder. At the same time, the rest member portion I? of the device is also depressed, and to a still greater extent, so as to be well within the confines of the drawer. Hence, if there is a cigarette or cigar on the rest member when the drawer-is; closed, theoigarette or cigar will be held within the drawer and thereby be disposed of. If such a cigarette should happen to be still lit when the drawer is closed, it will be extinguished by the cold metal of the rest member as and if it burns down thereto, thus guarding against danger of fire.

When now, as shown in Fig. 2, and in broken lines in Fig. 3, the occupant of the car desires to smoke, the drawer i2 may be drawn out. from the instrument panel by means of the knob 27, and, as this is done, the spring action of the legs i6 causes their outer ends to rise to their normal unflexed position shown in Fig. 2 and inbroken lines in Fig; 3, at which time the cam surface or hump 2 of the legs is elevated above the upper edge of the drawer which at the same time brings therest member portion l? of the device into a somewhat similarly elevated position so asto be conveniently disposed and readily accessible for the resting of a cigar thereon, say, in slot it of the rest member, or of one or more cigarettes in one or both of the slots IE). it will. be understood that the edges of slots IQ, for example, may be appropriately shaped to just snugly receive a cigarette, and that here again, if the cigarette should be left on the rest while still burning it will be automatically extinguished if: and as it burns down to the metal of. the device.

Since the flexible legs it, when unflexed, will assume the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when the drawer is open, the legs bear against the bights 2 4', thus minimizingvibratory motion of the; device. Similarly, when the" drawer is closed, the legs are braced against vibration.

Figure 4, shows a modification 23 of the ole vice made entirely of spring wire and adapted to a receptacle or drawer which tilts forwardly from the instrument panel on a hinge adjacent its lower forward corner. as is well known in the art and which need not be here shown. Here the device has the rest member portion 29 and the lapping gripping portions 3t, 31 at the rear end of each leg with a hinge-like bight 32 therebetween, and the end portion 35.) serving as a spring tongue. In this case, the lapped spring portions Bil-4H are arranged vertically to be slid over the vertical rear wall 33 of the tilting receptacle 34.. Here. also, the intermediate portion of each of the spring legs of the member curve upwardly and outwardly to provide a cam 35: which causes the outer ends of the legs and the rest portion 29 to be depressed within the drawer as when the latter is closed, and either with or without a cigarette in one of the rest slots 36.

Turning to another modification, as shown in Fig. 5, the device 3'! corresponding to the device. may be. made extensible to adaptv itself to drawers. ofv different lengths. For this purpose, the rest member portion 38, may bev formed separately, having leg extensions 38. which telescope into the legs to that are integral with spring grip portions ii at, the rear ends of the legs 30. Such telescoping may be effected by providing 4 the legs 40 with lugs 42 bent from the legs All to underlie the leg portions 39, so that the latter may slide between the legs 58 and lugs 32 while being held thereby.

For purposes of extensibility, the leg sections 39 may be slid forwardly of the legs is, to lengthen the device, and, to shorten the overall of the device, they can be similarly slid rearwardly, while a unitary structure is provided in either case; Here, in theunfiexed position of the device the point 43 where the legs 39 turn down to form the rest member 38 would be the highest point of the device and above the level of-thedr-awer in the open position of the drawer. Similarly to the other forms, when the drawer is retracted, the legs 39 or Mi as the case may be wouldride. under and in sliding engagement with the panel corner W. to act as a cam and the de vice, depressed as the drawer is slid rearwardly into the anel opening, the legs being flexed downwardly with respect to. the gripping members M for thatpurpose.

As seen, in each instance, the carnsurface providing for depression of the device when, the drawer is pushed in, is desirably well toward the free end of the deviceso as to enhance the leverage and offer a minimum of resistance to the depression ofv the device and closing of the drawer.

In each case also the rest member portion is sunspended below cam surfaces provided by the legs so that as the drawer is moved to a close position, the cigarettewill not be displaced from the rest but will remain held thereby within the.

.' drawer.

car ownerwhile serving, when applied, as a safe,

convenient. and efiicient cigarette or, cigar rest.

The invention is not intended to be limited to details of. construction shown for purposes of exemplification, andvarious adaptations and media fications, such as for: purposes of manufacture.

or convenience, may occur to those skilled inthe art having the: benefit of the present disclosure.

Such changes may be; made as. fall within the scope of the: appended claims without departing from the invention;

The invention having been. described, what is here claimed is:

1. A cigar or cigarette rest device comprising, a pair of parallel relatively widely laterally spaced elongated spring arms, said arms having rear ends and forwardly and upwardly inclined portions and portionsgradually bowed downwardly at their forward ends, said forwardly and upwardly inclined. portions being relatively straight to the rear of said downwardly bowed portionsfor a distance greater than the said downwardly bowed portions, a dependent rest element at the lower ends of said. downwardly bowed portions, said rest element extending between the arms, an upstanding formation on said element terminating at its upper end below the forward ends of said upwardly inclined portions, and means at the rear. endsofthe arms for securing the arms adjacent the rear. end of a drawer structure and within the drawer, the arms being adapted to extend above the drawer at their forward ends when the drawer is open.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the rest element is integral with the arms.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the rest element is adapted. to be adjustably positioned longitudinally of the device.

The structure of claim 1 wherein the rest element is integral with a pair of arm sections which slide on the arms to lengthen or shorten the device.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein the device is formed of wire.

6. In a cigar or cigarette rest, in combination with a drawer and a panel providing a runway for opening and closing the drawer and a closure for the drawer when closed, means for mounting said rest upon a rear portion of said drawer, a relatively straight spring leg element normally extending forwardly and upwardly for a relatively great distance from said mounting means in cantilever fashion within and projecting above the drawer, and a rest member located at the free end of the spring member, said rest member being offset below the highest point of the spring member whereby when the drawer is closed the spring member acts as a cam in cooperation with ETHEL F. WOLFE.

5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Re. 21,118 D. 148,099 635,067 2,052,120 2,068,513 2,097,480 2,159,062 15 2,278,401 2,424,695

Number 20 117,792

Name Date Visser June 13, 1939' Tanchuck Dec. 9, 1947 White Oct. 17, 1899- Vaughan Aug. 25, 1936 Reimer Jan, 19, 1937 Visser Nov. 2, 1937' Visser May 23, 1939 Micari Mar. 31, 1942 Jork July 29, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Dec. 1, 1926

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