US2748778A

US2748778A - Cigar and cigarette snuffer for ash trays

Info

Publication number: US2748778A
Application number: US379370A
Authority: US
Inventors: Benjamin E Olson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-09-10
Filing date: 1953-09-10
Publication date: 1956-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 1973-06-05

Description

June 5, 1956 B. E. OLSON 2,743,778

CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SNUFFER FOR ASH TRAYS Filed Sept. 10, 1953 I'NVENTOR. 5647/4070? 5 0/60/7 CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SNUFFER FOR ASH TRAYS Benjamin E. Olson, Independence, Mo. Application September 10, 1953, Serial Nor3,79,37Q

1 Claim. (Cl. 131-235) This invention has. todo, with safety devices particularly usable with automobiles but universally adapted for a multitude of applications and relating specifically to a snufferfor. cigarettes and cigars.

It is, the primary object of the present invention to provide a snuffer capable of receiving rolls; of smoking tobacco of virtually any size in so. far as diameter.- is. conearned and. operable to. quickly and. efiiciently extinguish the fire at one end. of the roll almost immediately after the same. isinserted into, the. snufler.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cigar and cigarette receiving snutfer in the nature of a tubular body of generally frusto-conical configuration whereby theroll of tobacco maybe wedged thereinto so as to cause the fire thereof to be extinguished by virtue of absence of sufficient air to support combustion and because of the heat conductivity of the material from which the snuffer is made.

Other objects include the way in which the entire body is imperforate except for the receiving opening at the uppermost end thereof and the relatively small opening at its bottom so that the heat conductible material from which the body is made, will assist in extinguishing; the way in which the body is automatically kept clear of ashes because of the discharge opening at the bottom of the body; the manner of adapting the snulfer for attachment to ash trays so that the latter collect the ashes emanating from the body; the way in which an outwardly flared lip is provided at the uppermost end of the body to facilitate insertion of the tobacco roll thereinto; the way in which the body is made of a pair of frusto-conical portions; and the manner of providing a laterally extending perforated bracket at the rim of the body connected thereto by reinforcing ribs, thereby adapting the snutfer for use with an ash tray.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a cigar and cigarette snuifer showing the same operably mounted on an automobile ash tray, and embodying one form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of said ash tray broken away to show the snuffer of Fig. 1, the latter being in section.

Fig. 3 is a partial bottom view looking in the direction of the arrows of line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the said ash tray showing the snuffer of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, mounted by means of a bracket.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of said bracket; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through a different type of ash tray illustrating the modified form of snuffer made pursuant to the present invention.

In Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, there is shown a hollow, tubular body broadly designated by the numeral 10, having the upper and lowermost ends thereof open and being otherwise imperforate.

Body 10 includes an uppermost, substantially frusto- United States PatentO 2,748,778 Patented June 5, 1956 conical portion 12 and a lowermost, substantially frustoconical portion 14 integral with the body portion 12. Body 10 has an innermost surface that is transversely circular and the diameter of the body 10 progressively decreases as the lowermost open end thereof is approached.

Body 10 is cast, molded or otherwise formed from a, suitable heat-conducting material, and the uppermost open end thereof is defined by an outturned or outwardly flared, continuous circular lip 16. The body 10 has a laterally extending plate 18 which is integral with the lip 16 whereby to adapt the snuifer for mounting on an ash tray such as that shown in the drawing and broadly designated by the numeral 29. The plate 18 is further connected with the body portion 12, by means of a pair of radial webs 22 below theplate 18 and integral there: with, as well as with the body portion 12.

Plate 18 is perforated for receiving a bolt 24 having a nut 26 thereon.

Ash trays for automobiles are usually provided with a resilient locking finger 28 which may be depressed inwardly to permit removal of the tray 20 entirely from its socket. Plate 18 is, therefore, adapted to overlie the finger 28 and the bolt 24 which extends through the finger 28, rigidly mounts the snuifer on the ash tray 20. It is seen in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing that the lowermost end of the snuffer overlies the bottom of the tray iiiv and therefore, the latter collects all ashes emanating from the snufier andv passing through thelowermost open end thereof. By virtue of such open end, the snuffer may remain clear of ashes.

The double frustoconical configuration of the body 10 is of importance because the snuifer thereby accommodates rolls of smoking tobacco of various diameters including cigarettes and virtually all cigars. In placing the snuffer in use, the roll of tobacco to be extinguished is inserted through the uppermost open end of the body 10 until it comes into wedging relationship with the inner surfaces thereof.

The opening at the lowermost end of the body 10 is suificiently small to prevent passage of the cigars or cigarettes therethrough and such restriction permits the wedging action aforementioned, as well as limits the amount of air available to the hot ashes to support combustion. This factor, together with the high heat conductivity of the material from which the body 10 is made, causes rapid extinguishing of the fire while the roll of tobacco is self-supported by the wedging action alforded through the particular configuration herein found to be of high importance. It is impossible for hot ashes to be displaced from the body 10 even under conditions of wind currents of high velocity, and even if ashes do fall from the body It) before being completely extinguished, the same are immediately collected by the ash tray 20.

It can now be appreciated that the use of the snuffer hereof is not limited to ash trays for automobiles and the perforated plate 18, together with suitable fastening means such as bolt 24 and nut 26, may be used to mount the snuifer on other types of ash trays with the lowermost open end of the snuffer so aligned that all ashes emanating from the snuifer will be collected by the underlying tray.

To this end, in lieu of fastening plate 18 directly to the finger 28, it may be mounted on the side of the ash tray 20 or upon other types of ash collecting receptacles through the medium of a bracket 32 such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing. Bracket 32 is bifurcated presenting a pair of spaced furcations 34, one of which in turn receives a set screw 36 permitting clamping of the bracket 32 to the ash tray 20. An opening 38 in the bracket 32 accommodates the bolt 24' as shown in Fig.

3 4 and the plate 18 may thereby be joined directly with the bracket 32.

In lieu of fastening the snuffer to the ash tray, it may be merely supported thereby as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. A body broadly designated by the numeral 110, is identical with body 10 in that it has a pair of

sections

112 and 114 and a rim or outwardly flared portion 116. Plate 18 however, is eliminated in favor of a plurality of equally spaced, radial feet 118. The feet 118 integral with the body 110 exteriorly thereof, extend downwardly and outwardly from the body portion 152, whereby the same may be adapted to rest upon the bottom wall of an open top ash tray 120 Where ashes emanating from the lowermost open end of the body 110 will be collected.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A snutfer adapted to extinguish rolls of smoking tobacco of various diameters, said snuffer comprising an elongated tubular body having an outwardly flared, continuous circular lip arcuate in longitudinal cross section presenting an open uppermost end for receiving the roll of tobacco to be extinguished, and an open lowermost end adapted to pass ashes therethrough, the innermost surface of said body being transversely circular and the inside diameter of the body progressively decreasing from said uppermost end toward said lowermost end, whereby the open lowermost end is restricted to reduce to a minimum the amount of air available for combustion to thereby induce rapid extinguishment, and whereby the body supports the roll against passage therethrough, said body being otherwise imperforate to confine the ashes while hot and later to gravitate through the said open lowermost end, and being of non-ignitable, heat conductible material to further assure rapid extinguishing, said body including an uppermost frusto-conical portion for receiving large rolls wedged thereinto and a lowermost frusto-conical portion integral with the uppermost portion for receiving smaller rolls wedged thereinto, the lowermost end of said tube being of smaller diameter than the lowermost end of said first conical portion; a perforated laterally extending integral fiange on said lip having a perforated mounting plate extending horizontally therefrom in one direction; a plurality of reinforcing webs underlying the plate and joining the same integrally with the outermost face of said uppermost portion of the body; and means cooperable with the perforated portion of the plate for securing the plate to an open top ash tray with the lowermost end of the body overlying the bottom of the ash tray whereby the latter adapted to collect said ashes emanating from the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 156,464 Robbins Dec. 13, 1949 1,532,363 Berger Apr. 7, 1925 1,772,176 Benjamin Aug. 5, 1930 1,912,682 Belt June 6, 1933 2,097,480 Visser Nov. 2, 1937 2,294,174 Gillisse et al. Aug. 25, 1942 2,325,721 Visser Aug. 3, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 363,804 France May 14, 1906 420,554 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1934