US2749917A - Cigarette dumping ash tray - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1956 w. H. MCINROY CIGARETTE DUMPING ASH TRAY Filed June 26, 1955 JNVENTOR. a W//SOU HMCfn/"Og BY CIGARETTE DUMPIN G ASH TRAY Wilson H. Mclnroy, Savannah, Ga.

Application June 26, 1953, Serial No. 364,379

2 Claims. (Cl. 131-240) This invention relates to ash trays, and more particularly to a safety cigarette support for use in an ash ltray.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved safety support for a cigarette for use on the edge of an ash tray, said support being simple in construction, being easy to install, and providing an automatic dumping action for moving a lighted cigarette into the ash tray when the cigarette burns to a relatively short length.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved safety attachment for use on the edge of an ash tray, said attachment providing automatic dumping of a lighted cigarette When the cigarette burns to a relatively short length, the attachment being inexpensive to manufacture, being durable in construction, and being relatively compact in size.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from4 the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary Vertical cross sectional view taken through the marginal portion of an ash tray provided with an improved cigarette dumping attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional View similar to Figure 1, showing the position of the dumping attachment after the cigarette has burned to a relatively short length and has been moved into the ash tray by the attachment.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the rim portion of the ash tray with the attachment of Figures l and 2 mounted thereon.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective View showing the components of the dumping attachment employed in Figures l to 4.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a conventional ash tray having a peripheral rim portion 12. Fixedly supported on the rim portion 12 is a hinge leaf 13, said leaf being formed at one end with the inwardly projecting, transversely aligned hinge loops 14. As shown in Figure 5, the hinge loops 14 are spaced apart and are carried at the ends of the respective parallel arms 1S. Designated at 16 is another hinge leaf which is formed with the spaced parallel arms 17 having the hinge loops 18 at their ends. A hinge pin 19 extends through the cooperating hinge loops 14 and 18 and connects the upper hinge leaf 16 to the iixed hinge leaf 13 for tilting movement of the leaf 16 relative to the leaf 13. The arms 17 are spaced apart by the rectangular notch 20 shown in Figure 5.

Designated at 2.1 is a generally U-shaped member of thermo-respondent bimetallic strip material, arranged so that its legs 24 and 3i) lie in a generally vertical plane with the bight 21 inwardly of and spaced from the inner edge of the tray rim portion 12. Positioned above and longitudinally of the upper one of the legs of the element 21 or leg 30 is a trough member 26, the trough member and the offset portion 22 of the upper leg 30 inwardly of nited States Patent O 2,749,917 Patented .lune 12, 1956 the free end of the latter leg being connected to the hinge leaf 16 for movement with the latter as by screws 23 extending through apertures 28 formed in the trough member 26 and through apertures provided in the portion 22, the screws being threadedly engaged in the upper hinge.

A downwardly curved end portion 25 of the lower leg 24 of the member 21 inwardly of the free end thereof passes over the hinge pin 19V and extends through the notch 2t) and is adapted to bear downwardly upon the fixed hinge leaf 13 outwardly of the hinge pin 19 for tilting movement of the trough member 26 about the hinge pin 19 when the legs 24 and 3i) move away from each other under the influence of heat from the burning of a cigarette 31 resting upon a portion of the bimetallic member disposed longitudinally of the lower portion of the trough member 26 at the innerA end portion thereof. The free end portion of the leg 24 constitutes a lever arm which extends horizontally from the portion thereof above the center of the hinge pin 19 to the free end 25 as seen in Fig. l. When the bimetallic member 21 is heated the legs will tend to separate, causing the end 25 to bear downwardly on the upper surface of the hinge leaf 13 at a position spaced outwardiy of the hinge pin 19. The reaction is such as to produce a turning moment about the center of the hinge pin because of the lever arm thereby causing the displacement of the trough 26, the upper hinge leaf 16, the bimetallic member 21 and the cigarette from the position shown in Fig. l to that of Fig. 2. This causes the cigarette to be dumped into the ash tray 11. In this manner, a lighted cigarette cannot accidentally fall out of the ash tray and cause a ire, whereby tire hazards are greatly reduced by the use of the attachment above described. ln the case of a long cigarette it tends to slide forward when dumped, with the burning end coming to rest on the bottom of the ash tray in a position similar to that of the cigarette shown in Fig. 2. In this position, the heat of the burning end will be dissipated by the bottom of the ash tray causing the cigarette to be extinguished. When the bimetallic member cools, it will return the trough to the position shown in Fig. l. Before the trough reaches the position of Fig. l, the extinguished end of the cigarette will be nudged toward a vertical unstable position from which it will topple into the tray.

While a specific embodiment of an improved automatic cigarette dumping device for an ash tray has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. ln an ash tray having a rim portion, a cigarette dumper including a hinge leaf tixedly supported upon said rim portion, an upper hinge leaf arranged in superimposed relation with respect to said ixed hinge leaf and connected to said iixed hinge leaf for tilting movement about a horizontal axis, a U-shaped member fabricated of thermo-responsive material having a bight portion and arranged so that its legs lie in a generally vertical plane with the bight inwardly of and spaced from the inner edge of said tray rim portion, a trough member positioned above and longitudinally of the upper one of the legs of said U-shaped member, said trough member and a portion of the upper one of the legs of said U-shaped member adjacent the free end thereof being connected to said upper hinge leaf for movement with the latter, a portion of the lower one of the legs of said U-shaped member inwardly of the free end thereof passing over said axis the free end of said lower leg being curved downwardly and adapted to bear downwardly upon said tixed hinge leaf outwardly of said axis to provide a lever arm for tilting movement of said trough member and the upper hinge leaf about said axis when the legs of the U-shaped member move away from each other under the influence of heat from the burning end of a cigarette upon said thermo-responsive member.

2. In an ash tray having a rim portion, a cigarette dumper including a hinge leaf fixedly supported upon said rim portion and having one end adjacent the inner edge of said rim portion, an upper hinge leaf arranged in superimposed relation with respect to said first-named hinge leaf, cooperating hinge loops on said one end of said fixed hinge leaf and the complemental end of said upper hinge leaf, ahinge pin extending through said cooperating loops and connecting said upper hinge leaf to said xed hinge leaf for tilting movement of said upper hinge leaf` with respect to said xed hinge leaf, a U-shaped member having a bight portion fabricated of thermo-responsive material and arranged so that its legs lie in a generally vertical plane with the bight inwardly of and spaced from the inner edge of said tray rim portion, a trough member positioned above and longitudinally of the upper lil one of the legs of said U-shaped member, said trough member and a portion of the upper one of the legs of said U-shaped member adjacent the free end thereof being connected to said upper hinge leaf for movement with the latter, the portion of the lower one of the legs of said U-shaped member inwardly of the free end thereof passing over said hinge pin having a downwardly curved free end adapted to bear downwardly upon said fixed hinge leaf outwardly of said hinge pin providing a lever arm for tilting movement of said trough member and the upper hinge leaf about said hinge pin when the legs of said U-shaped member move away from each other under the influence of heat from the burning end of a cigarette upon said thermo-responsive member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,034,710 Carlson Mar. 24, 1936 2,244,149 Grantham June 3, 1941 2,644,466 Jennings July 7, 1953 2,644,468 Kenes July 7, 1953

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