US2708938A - Self-discharging cigar or cigarette support for ash trays - Google Patents

Description

May 24, 1955 2,708,938

V. FLOCC SELF-DISCHARGING CIGAR OR CIGARETTE SUPPORT FOR ASH TRAYS Filed May 17. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. jfzceff Tf/ww,

May 24, 1955 v. FLocco 2,708,938 SELF-DISCHARGING CIGAR 0R CIGARETTE SUPPORT FOR ASH TRAYs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1952 INVENTOIL 7ce77i7accq,

SELF-DISCHARGING CSAR R CEGARETTE SUFPRT FR ASH TRAYS Vincent Fiocco, Newark, N. E.

Appiication May 17, 1952, Serial No. 288,441

7 Claims. (Cl. 1351-240) This invention relates to improvements in means for supporting a burning cigar or cigarette at the side of an ash tray; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a thermostatically actuated support or rest which is responsive to the heat of a burning cigar or cigarette, whereby to automatically discharge the cigar or cigarette therefrom into the ash tray, thus avoiding falling of said cigar or cigarette outwardly of the ash tray, and avoiding the risk of injury to furniture surfaces, or covers thereon, upon which the ash tray stands.

The invention has for an object the provision of a cigar or cigarette support or rest adapted to be mounted upon the side of an ash tray adapted to tilt from a normal horizontal cigar or cigarette supporting position toward the ash tray interior, said support or rest being provided with releasable latch means for holding the same in a normal horizontal cigar or cigarette supporting position, and with thermostatic means which is responsive to heat from the burning end of a cigar or cigarette deposited upon the support or rest, operative to trip the latch means so as to release the support or rest for tilting movement, and thereby to discharge the burning cigar or cigarette into the interior of the ash tray.

The invention has for another object the provision of a self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest which can be detachably mounted upon the side of an ash tray desired to be served thereby.

The above and other objects of this invention will be understood from a reading of the following description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan View of an ash tray upon the side of which is mounted a selfdischarging cigar or cigarette support or rest according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the so mounted support or rest, the ash tray being shown in section with part thereof broken away.

Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the self-discharging support or rest, drawn on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a partial transverse vertical sectional view, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing the thermostatically controlled latch means released whereby to free the support or rest for tilting movement, to the cigar or cigarette discharging position shown by broken lines in this View.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing modified means for detachably mounting the support or rest upon a horizontal rim portion of an ash tray.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of a modified form and construction of self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest as mounted on the horizontal rim portion of an ash tray, part of said tray being broken away; Fig. 8 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the support or rest and ash tray of Fig. 7, drawn on an enlarged scale; Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken on line 9-9 in Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is a view similar to that of Fig. 8, but showing the support or rest released for tent O 'ice tilting movement, its cigar or cigarette discharging tilted position being shown by broken lines.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, there is shown therein one form of this invention, comprising a hollow frame member 11 formed by a top wall 12, side walls 13, and an outer end Wall 14. Said outer end wall 14 preferably terminates in a downwardly extending finger piece 15 for purposes hereinafter explained. The inner end of said frame member is open. Disposed to straddle said frame member 1l, adjacent to its outer end, is a supporting yoke member 16 formed by a horizontal bottom wall portion 17 which spans the underside of said frame member, and upwardly extending side portions 18 which embrace the side walls 13 of said frame member. The frame member 11 is pivotally supported between ears 19 with which the side portions 18 of the yoke member 16 are provided, and which are offset relative to the inner margin of the bottom wall portion 17 of said yoke member, whereby the frame member 11, when released, can tilt or swing down by gravitation of its over-balancing inner end portion and parts carried thereby. The pivotal connection between the yoke member 16 and frame member 11 comprises partially threaded pins 2t) which are suitably aixed to said ears 19 so as to extend through the respective side walls 13 of the frame member (see Fig. 4). Mounted upon the top wall 12 of the frame member 11, in longitudinally aligned relation thereto, is a transversely curved cigar or cigarette supporting plate 21.

The reference character 22 indicates a U-shaped therinostatic element which is preferably of the bi-metallic type. The elbow portion 23 of the thermostatic element 22 is disposed in inwardly offset relation to the inner end of the supporting plate 2t. Extending outwardly from said elbow end 23 is the upper arm 24 of the thermostatic element. This upper arm 2d is aligned with the plane of the bottom of the supporting plate 21, and the inner end portion of the latter is provided with a notch 25 to straddle said upper arm 2li. Formed in connection with the upper arm 2a of the thermostatic element, inwardly of but adjacent to the inner end of the supporting plate 21, and preferably as integral parts thereof, are oppositely and laterally projecting upturned wings 26. Said upper arm 24 of the thermostatic element terminates in a downwardly offset anchoring end portion 2'7 which underlies the top wall 12 of the frame member 11, and preferably a layer of suitable heat insulation material 2.8 is interposed between said anchoring end portion 27 and the top wall l2 of the frame member, which functions to prevent the transfer of heat from the thermostatic element 22 to the supporting plate 2l, with resultant slowing of the expansion of said thermostatic element under heat applied thereto by the burning end of a cigar or cigarette in Contact therewith. The superimposed parts of the supporting piate 21, top wail 12 of frame member 11, anchoring end portion 27 of the thermostat'ic element 22, and insulation member 2S when included, are secured together by suitable fastening means,vsuch as rivets 29, whereby to unite the supporting plate 21, frame member 11 and thermostatic element 22. Also extending outwardly from the elbow end 23 is the lower arm 39 of the thermostatic element, which extends into the interior of the frame member 1i.

Suitably affixed to the bottom wall portion 17 of the yoke member f6, to upst'and therefrom within the outer end interior of the frame member li, is a stationary apertured keeper plate 31. Pivotally mounted on a pintle 32, which is aixed to and extends transversely between the side walls 13 of the frame member 1l, is an oscillatable latch member 33 having an offset chamfercd latch projection 34 adapted to normally engage in the aperture 31 of the keeper plate 31. The opposite portion of the latch member 33 is provided with a cross-pin 35 which is mounted thereon so as to be disposed in offset relation to the pivotal connection of the latch member with the pintle 32. Atiixed to the free end of the lower arm 3Q of the thermostatic element 22 is a slotted tumbler member 36 which embraces and engages said cross-pin 35 of the latch member. When the thermostatic element cools, its contraction swings its lower arm upwardly, thus raising the tumbler member 36 to thereby turn the latch member 33 about the pivoting pintle 32 in a counterclocl wise direction, whereby to position the latch projection 34 for engagement in the aperture 31 of the stationary keeper plate 31 so as to lock the frame member and supporting plate assembly in normal horizontal cigar or cigarette supporting position and against tilting movement, when said assembly is returned to such normal position (see Fig'. 3).

The self-discharging cigar and cigarette support or rest is preferably provided in a form adapted to be detachably mounted upon an ash tray. When furnished in such form, the same is provided with a suitable form of attachment clip to engage the rim of an ash tray so as to mount the same in operative assembled relation thereto. An illustrative attachment clip structure, which is adapted to engage a vertical rim portion 60 of an ash tray 61 is shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and comprises an inverted U-shaped clip member affixed by its closed end portion 37 to the underside of the bottom wall portion 17 of the yoke member 16, so that its resilient arms 3S depend from the latter for reception of the vertical rim portion 6i? of the ash tray 61 therebetween, thus supporting the self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest in operative assembled relation to said ash tray.

Another illustrative attachment clip structure, which is adapted to engage a horizontal rim ange 62 of an ash tray 63, is shown in Fig. 6, and comprises a horizontally disposed U-shaped clip member 39 suitably connected, preferably integrally, with the yoke member 16 to extend from the outer end of the base thereof, and having a doubled back resilient arm 40 to grip the underside of the horizontal rim ange 62 of the ash tray 63 when disposed between the same and said yoke member 16, whereby to support the self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest in operative assembled relation to said ash tray 63.

The operation in use of the above described two embodiments of the self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest, shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, is as follows:

When the frame member and supporting plate assembly is locked in its normal horizontal position, a burning cigarette or cigar can be laid thereon for support there-by, with its burning end inwardly directed in overhanging relation to the exposed part of the thermostatic element 22.

In the position shown in Fig. 3, the supporting plate 21 and the frame member 11 are held stationary by the pins 20 and the pintle 32 and its mounting means. The pins 20 pivotally mount the supporting plate 21 and the frame member 11 in such manner that most of the weight is distributed to the right of the pins 20, and is adapted to produce a clockwise turning movement about said pins 20. This movement is counteracted by t'he keeper plate 31 which is apertured so as to be able to receive and retain the latch projection 34 which is integral with the latch member 33, the latter, in turn, being pivotally mounted on the pintle 32. The pintle 32 is mounted on the frame member 11. The latch member 33 has another pin 3S which is engaged in the slot in the tumbler member 36, and said tumbler member 36 is fixed to the lower arm 30 of the thermostatic element 22, which is attached to the supporting plate and frame member. Upward pressure on the pin holds the latch projection 34 in the aperture 31 in the keeper plate 3l. The keeper plate 31,

being immovably mounted on the supporting yoke member 16, normally holds the latch member 33 and the pin 35 stationary, and therefore the supporting plate 21 and frame member 11 in a horizontal position.

As the burning end of the cigarette or cigar recedes and contacts the thermostatic element 22 (especially in the vicinity of the wings 26 thereof which provide a substantial surface arca through which heat from the burning cigarette or cigar end is quickly transferred to said thermostatic element), the heat transferred from the burning cigarette or cigar end to the thermostatic element induces the latter to expand in such manner as to cause the free lower arm 30 thereof to flex downwardly. The down swinging movement of said lower arm 3) depresses the tumbler member 36, thereby turning the latch member 33 about its pintle 32 in a clockwise direction so as to withdrawn the latch projection 34 out of the aperture of the keeper plate 31, and thus freeing the frame member and supporting plate assembly for tilting movement. Since the inner end portion of the pivoted frame member and supporting plate assembly over balances its outer end portion, when said assembly is released from latch member restraint, the same will immediately tilt so as to downsWing its inner end portion, thereby discharging the burning cigarette or cigar into the ash tray interior (see Fig. 5). Removal of the burning cigarette from the supporting plate 21 and from contact with the thermostatic element 22, allows the latter to quickly cool and contract so as to cause the latch member 33 to resume its normal position. Under these circumstances, by pressing downwardly upon the finger piece 15, the frame member and supporting plate assembly can be swung back to its normal initial horizontal position, during which movement the chamfered latch projection 34 will yieldingly pass over the free end of the keeper plate 31 so as to snap into the aperture 31 of the latter, thus again locking the frame member and supporting plate assembly in normaly initial position for reception and support of a cigar or cigarette, and for repetition of the hereinabove described self-discharging operation.

Referring now to Figs. 7 to l0 inclusive, the same show a modified construction of the self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest which embodies the essential principles of this invention. This embodiment of the invention comprises a hollow frame member 41 formed by a top wall 42, side walls 43, and an outer end wall 44. The inner end of said frame member is open, and the top wall thereof is cut back to provide an upwardly open space between the inner end portions of the side walls 43 of said frame member. Overlying the top wall 42 of the frame member 41, in longitudinally aligned relation thereto, is a transversely curved cigar or cigarette supporting plate 45. Provided in connection with the inner end portion of said supporting plate, to depend from the bottom thereof, are a pair of laterally spaced perforate hinging ears 46, which extend downwardly through the aforesaid open space into the interior of the frame member 41, respectively contiguous to the respective side walls 43 adjacent the inner open end of said frame member. Supported by and between said side walls 43, so as to extend transversely through the perforate hinging ears 46 of the supporting plate 45, whereby to hinge said supporting plate for tilting movement, is a pivot bolt 47 which is mounted across the frame member 41, and so attached thereto as to be held against rotation. The supporting plate is biased for up-tilting movement about the pivot bolt 47 by a torsion spring 48; one end of said spring being anchored to the bolt 47, and its other end being engaged with a thrust transmission stud 49 which is affixed to and which projects laterally from an adjacent hinging ear 46 of the supporting plate. Attached to the supporting plate 45, to depend from the bottom thereof adjacent to its outer end, is a notched catch piece 50. This catch piece 50 extends downwardly through an opening 51 in the top wall 42 of the frame member 41, when the supporting plate occupies a normal initial horizontally disposed position overlying the frame member.

The reference character 22. indicates the thermostatic element of the aforesaid modified construction of the self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest, and substantially corresponds in form and arrangement to that of the tirst described embodiment of this invention, as is indicated by correspondingly applied reference characters, the same being aiiixed by the anchoring end portion 27 of its upper arm 24, together with interposed heat insulation material 28, to the underside of the top wall 42 of frame member 41 by rivets 29, or other suitable fastening means. The lower arm 343 carries the tumbler member 36 which controls the pivoted latch member 33, the latch projection 34 of which engages the notched catch piece Si) of the supporting plate 45, whereby to lock the latter in normal horizontal disposition for cigar or cigarette support (see Fig. 8). The frame member 4l can be detachably mount'ed in connection there with by means of a spring clip arm 52 extending from the outer end wall 44 of the frame member fil and inwardly beneath the latter. This form of attachment clip is adapted to hold the self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest in attached relation to a horizontal rim flange 62 of an ash tray 63.

The operation in use of the last described embodiment of the self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest is as follows:

When the supporting plate 45 is locked in normal horizontal position, to support a burning cigarette e. g., as the burning end of the cigarette recedes and contacts the thermostatic element 22, the heat transferred to said thermostatic eleme-nt expands the latter in such manner as to cause the tumbler member 36 to turn the latch member 33 so as to disengage the catch piece 50, and thus release the supporting plate 45. When the supporting plate is thus released, the same will be quickly up-tilted by the action of the torsion spring 48, thereby overturning and flinging the burning cigarette from the supporting plate 45 into the interior of the ash tray (see Fig. l0). After such discharge of the burning cigarette, the thermostatic element 22 will quickly cool and thereby return the latch member 33 to its original position, whereupon, by pressing down the outer end of the supporting plate 45, the same can be returned to normal initial horizontal position, whereby to reengage its catch-piece 50 with the latch member 33, thus again locking the supporting plate ready for reception and support of a cigar or cigare-tte, and for repetition of the described self-discharging operation. This last described embodiment of the self-discharging cigar or cigarette support or rest is well adapted for use in connection with both deep and shallow ash trays.

I am aware that various changes could be made in the devices and parts of the above described structures and that other embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the following claims. lt is therefore intended that the embodiments of the invention hereinabove described and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. A self-discharging cigar or cigarette rest for an ash tray comprising a stationary member adapted to be mounted on the ash tray, a cigar or cigarette support pivotally connected with said stationary member so as to be tiltable about its pivotal connection therewith from a cigar or cigarette supporting position to a position for discharging the supported cigar or cigarette therefrom into the ash tray, releasable latch means for normally holding said support in cigar or cigarette supporting position, said latch means comprising an oscillatable latch member pivotally mounted in connection with the stationary member and means adapted to releasably engage the stationary member to normally hold said cigar and cigarette support in said supporting position, a thermostatic element axed to said support with a portion thereof extending beyond the latter for exposure to heat from a burning cigar or cigarette deposited on said support, said thermostatic element having a movable arm adapted to flex in response to applied heat, and said movable arm and said latch member having cooperative interengaged means operative to transmit liexing movement of the movable arm to the latch member, so as to turn the later about its pivot to a releasing position, and thus free the support for cigar or cigarette discharge tilting movement.

2. A self-discharging cigar or cigarette rest for ash trays comprising a stationary member adapted to be mounted on an ash tray, a hollow frame member pivotally connected with said stationary member, a superposed cigar or cigarette supporting plate assembly carried by said frame member, the frame member and supporting plate assembly being tiltable about the pivotal connection of the frame member with the stationary member from a cigar or cigarette supporting position to a position to discharge the cigar or cigarette therefrom into the ash tray, a U-shaped thermostatic element having its upper arm affixed to the frame member, said thermostatic element having an elbow projecting beyond the inner end of the frame member and supporting plate assembly subject to the inuence of heat from a burning cigar or cigarette deposited on the supporting plate, the lower arm of said thermostatic element extending into the interior of said frame member and being adapted to flex in response to temperature changes, an apertired keeper plate attached to said stationary member and extending to the interior of the frame member, a latch member pivotally supported within the frame member and engageable with said apertured keeper plate, whereby to hold said frame member and supporting plate assembly in cigar or cigarette supporting position, and a tumbler member carried by the movable arm of the thermostatic element and cooperative with said latch member adapted to release the same from said apertured keeper plate upon flexing of the movable arm of the thermostatic element in response to heat, whereby to free said frame member and supporting plate assembly for cigar or cigarette discharge tilting movement.

3. A self-discharging cigar or cigarette rest for ash trays according to claim 2, wherein the upper arm of the thermostatic element is provided with oppositely and laterally projecting upturned wings outwardly adjacent to the inner end of the supporting plate.

4. A self-discharging cigar or cigarette rest for ash trays according to claim 2, including heat insulating means interposed between the frame member and the upper arm of the thermostatic element which is aixed thereto.

5. A self-discharging cigar or cigarette rest for ash trays comprising a stationary member adapted to be mounted on an ash tray, a supporting plate superposed upon said stationary member, means pivotally connecting the supporting plate to the frame member to tilt from a cigar or cigarette supporting position to a position discharging the cigar or cigarette therefrom into the ash tray, spring means adapted to impart tilting movement to said supporting plate, a catch piece dependent from the supporting plate adapted to enter the stationary member when the supporting plate is superposed in normal position upon the latter, a U-shaped thermostatic element having an upper arm affixed to the stationary member, said thermostatic element having an inner elbow end projecting beyond the inner end of the supporting plate subject to the influence of heat from a burning cigar or cigarette deposited on said supporting plate, said thermostatic element having a lower arm extending into the interior of said stationary member and being adapted to flex in response to temperature changes, a latch member pivotally supported within the stationary member and engageable with the supporting plate catch piece, whereby to lock the supporting plate against the tension of said spring means, and a tumbler member carried by the lower arm of the thermostatic element and cooperative with said latch member to release the same from the supporting plate catch piece upon flexing of said lower arm of the thermostatic element in response to heat, whereby to free the supporting plate for cigar or cigarette discharge tilt ing movement.

6. A self-discharging cigar or cigarette rest for ash trays according to claim 5, wherein the upper arm of the thermostatc element is provided with oppositely and laterally projecting upturned wings outwardly adjacent to the inner end of the supporting plate.

7. A self-discharging cigar or cigarette rest for ash trays according to claim 5, including heat insulating means interposed between the stationary rnernber and thc upper arm of the thermostatic element which is aflixed thereto.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,032,536 Horwitt et al Mar. 3, 1936 2,034,710 Carlson Mar. 24, 1936 2,210,207 Grantham Aug. 6, 1940 2,244,149 Grantham June 3, 1941 2,272,084 Clapp Feb. 3, 1942 2,644,466 `Tennings July 7, 1953 2,644,468 Kenes July 7, 1953

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