US2743729A

US2743729A - Ash tray attachment

Info

Publication number: US2743729A
Application number: US386765A
Authority: US
Inventors: Butler Beatrice
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-10-19
Filing date: 1953-10-19
Publication date: 1956-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1973-05-01

Description

W L Wfifi a. mumm ASH TRAY ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 19, 1955 INVENTOR. BEAT/Wes BUTLER ATTORNEYS United States Patent ASH TRAY ATTACHMENT Beatrice Butler, San Francisco, (lalif.

Application October 19, 1953, Serial No. 336,765

1 Claim. (Cl. 131 235) This invention relates to an ash tray attachment.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an attachment for an ash tray, or a saucer, for holding burning cigarettes and for extinguishing burning butts.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for an ash tray which permits to discharge the butts placed thereinto onto the ash tray.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the claim hereto annexed.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is understood that the invention is not limited to such form.

This invention is illustrated in an accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the attachment, partly in section, secured to an ash tray also shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, dotted lines showing the butt holder in a butt discharging position, some parts being shown broken off for better disclosure of the mechanism of the attachment, the ash tray being omitted; and

Fig. 3 is a side view of the attachment with the butt holder in a discharging position.

In detail, my attachment consists of a vertical shaft 1 at the lower end of which is secured a vacuum suction cup 2 by which said attachment is removably secured to a tray 3. The suction cup 2 is covered by a metal cover 4 secured to said shaft 1 on the top of said cup 2 by a nut 6. The cover 4 protects rubber cup 2 from direct contact with burning butts. The lower edge of the cover 4 is very close to the ash tray 3 and therefore even a slight movement of the shaft 1 from its normal vertical position brings said edge and the ash tray in contact, thus preventing further swinging of the shaft 1.

The shaft 1 carries a collar some distance above the nut 6. Said collar 10 supports a strip 11 preferably made of metal, which is secured to the shaft 1 by soldering or otherwise.

The strip 11 extends at right angles to said shaft 1 on both sides thereof a certain distance and each end 12 of said strip terminates with a cigarette holder 14, which consists of a pair of upper fingers 15 bent above a central finger 16. A cigarette 17 may be placed between said

fingers

15 and 16 and will be held there as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 in dotted lines.

A butt holder 20 is normally supported on the strip 11 and is preferably made of transparent plastic material representing an elongated rectangular parallelopiped having a central hole 21 through which the shaft 1 freely passes. A plurality of cigarette butt compartments 22 are arranged in said holder 20. Each of said compartments 22 represents a cylindrical passage through said block parallel to the hole 21, and each of said passages is of a diameter slightly larger than that of a cigarette. The compartments 22 may have their ingress orifices "ice countersunk, as shown at 24 for the purpose of making the insertion of a cigarette butt into said compartment easier. Due to the fact that the butt holder 20 rests on the strip 11, all the compartments 22 are closed thereby at the bottom. A cigarette butt 25 inserted in a cornpartment 22 rests on the strip 11 and stays there until the butt holder is swung about the shaft. away from the strip 11, whereupon the cigarette butts 25 being deprived of the support of the strip 11, fall out of said compartments onto the ash tray 3.

A simple mechanism 27 is provided for the purpose of returning the butt holder 20 to its normal position over the strip 1.1 shown in Fig. 1. This mechanism consists of an angular plate 30 arranged on the strip 11 about the shaft 1. The angular plate 30 is secured to the strip 11 and is made somewhat narrower than said strip. The butt holder 21} has a corresponding angular indentation 31 on the bottom side thereof, which indentation extends across the middle of said holder. The angular plate 30 fits into said indentation and prevents accidental rotation of said butt holder 20 in relation to said strip 11. in order to discharge the cigarette butts 25 from said butt holder onto the ash tray 3, the butt holder is swung around the shaft 1 against the resistance of the angular plate 3t? fitted in the indentation 311. When the butt holder 20 is swung out of its normal position as shown in Fig. 1, it rises up and the sides of the angular indentation 31 ride on the corners of the angular plate 3t if the butt holder 20 is stopped at right angles to the strip 11, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper corners of the angular plate 30 abut the sides of the angular indentation 31 on the central vertical plane passing through the center of the shaft 1 and thus the holder 2d becomes balanced on said angular plate 30. But a slight motion of said butt holder 26 either way from the position shown in Fig. 3, will upset said balance: the sides of the angular indentation will slide on the corners of the plate 30, and the butt holder 26 will return to its normal position by gravity. Hence, the butt holder 20 will return to its normal position automatically after each discharge of the cigarette butts; except when said butt holder 20 is brought into the position shown in Fig. 3.

The top of the shaft 1 is covered by a nut 35 which is a certain distance above said butt holder for the purpose of allowing the latter to travel upward while the same is swung about the shaft 1.

I claim:

An ash tray attachment comprising a shaft, means for removably securing said shaft to an ashtray, a horizontal strip secured to said shaft, a butt holder swingable about said shaft above said strip and normally resting on the same, said holder having compartments therein extending therethrough for admitting cigarette butts thereinto; and an angular plate arranged on the strip about the shaft, said butt holder having an angular indentation extending across the same, said angular plate entering said indentation and holding said butt holder aligned with said strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 276,336 Baumeister Apr. 24, 1883 846,662 Godward Mar. 12, 1907 1,147,102 Knabe July 20, 1915 2,156,738 Ryan M May 2, 1939 2,280,543 Saunders Apr. 21, 194-2 FOREIGN PATENTS 9, 348 Austria 1909 179,477 Great Britain May 11, 1922 468,541 Great Britain July 7, 1937