US3071141A - Combination cigarette grasper, support, and lighter - Google Patents

Description

1 MCILWAIN 3,071,141 COMBINATION CIGARETTE GRASPER, SUPPORT, AND LIGHTER Jan. 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1961 1 M lLWAlN 3,071,141 COMBINATION CIGARETTE GRASPER, SUPPORT, AND LIGHTER Jan. 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 Wm 2 L 0 j 5 7 Z l M Z m a m m w w w @rtt Patented Jan. 1, 196

$971,141 CUB/KBFLR ATEQN CKGARETEE SUEPQRT, Ai lD LII'GHTER Ivy Malia sin, 133i Galiatin St. NW Washington, Dail- Fiied Mar. 5, 19 51, Ser. No. 95,772 8 Claims. (Cl. 131-259) This invention relates generally to the class of smokers accessories and is directed particularly to a new and novel device designed to facilitate the handling of a cigarette or like article.

This application is a continuation'in-part of my pending application Serial No. 721,032, filed March 12, 1958, and now abandoned Many persons who smoke cigarettes work under conditions where the hands are either wet a good deal of the time or may be dirtied with paints, grease or oils, as a result of which it is diflicult for them to remove a cigarette from a package and place it in the mouth without wetting the cigarette or otherwise damaging it so that it is difhcult or unpleasant to smoke. For example, persons working around automobiles frequently have oil and grease on their hands and if such persons desire to smoke, they must stop to clean their hands so that grease will not get on the cigarette as it is removed from the package and thus make the smoking of the cigarette difiicult.

In addition to the foregoing, in working under conditions such as those above referred to, when it is desired to lay aside the cigarette momentarily, there may not be any clean place on which to lay the cigarette or, if a great deal of oil or grease is around, it may be dangerous to lay the cigarette down on the edge of a bench or other structure in the customary manner.

In view of the foregoing, it is a particular object of the present invention to provide a device by means of which a cigarette may be readily grasped and withdrawn from a package and placed in the month without the necessity of touching the cigarette with the hands.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel device by means of which the cigarette may be grasped for removal from the mouth and laid aside on a support, and which will keep the cigarette out of contact with the supporting surface or structure, thereby avoiding the possibility not only of damaging the cigarette through contact with oils, greases or the like, but also avoiding the possibility of the cigarette burning down and scorching the surface of the supporting body.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and novel combination cigarette grasping device, support and lighter wherein the device for grasping and supporting the cigarette is attached in a novel manner to the lighter whereby the lighter and the grasping device can be arranged one with relation to the other so that the lighter may function as a supporting foot for the grasping device and maintain the latter in an upright position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cigarette grasping device and a cigarette lighter wherein the device and lighter are hingedly coupled together so that they may be arranged relative to one another either in a common plane to facilitate the easy handling of the cigarette grasper or use of the lighter, or the two members may be placed in right angularly related planes where the lighter may be used as a supporting base for the cigarette grasper or in one embodiment of the invention the two members may be disposed in side by side parallel relation for convenience in carrying the combination device in the pocket.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in edge elevation of the combination cigarette grasper, support and lighter of the present invention showing the lighter and the grasper in end-to-end relation and illustrating in broken outlines a cigarette held in the grasping device and also illustrating in broken lines the lighter swung to a right angular position to function as a supporting base.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the plane of line 22 of FIG. 1, through the cigarette grasping device and extended into a portion of the lighter with the fingers and spring in elevation, illustrating the interior mechanism in both full lines and in dotted lines, the dotted line position of the parts illustrating the inwardly pivoted positions of the levers and the outwardly pivoted separated positions of the grasping fingers for taking hold of a cigarette at an end thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation of the cigarette grasper and the lighter to which it is hingedly attached, with the lighter in right angular relation to the grasper.

FIG. 4 is a partial section taken substantially on the line 4-d of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the grasping fingers.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the hinge connection between the lighter and the grasping device.

FIG. 7 is a view looking at the top or outer end wall of the casing as it would appear with the finger members removed.

FIG. 8 illustrates in edge elevation a second embodiment of the combination cigarette grasper, support and lighter showing in broken lines the lighter extended laterally in supporting position.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on he line 9-9 of FIG. 8 through the casing only and showing the elements within the casing in elevation with the grippers in closed position.

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 9 but showing the levers pressed inwardly to open or separate the grippers.

FIG. 11 is a view in side elevation of the grasper and lighter, the lighter being in angular relation to the grasper to present the outer end of the lighter to View.

FIG. 12 is a partial sectional view taken substantially on the line 12-42 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a view in perspective of one of the grasping finger members of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 7 illustrate a first embodiment of the invention wherein the numeral 18 generally designates that portion of the device hereinbefore refer-red to as the cigarette grasper and holder or support while the numeral 12 generally designates a lighter of a conventional design.

No details of the lighter construction are illustrated as any suitable type of lighter may be employed in combination with the grasper with the exception that the lighter must be of flat form such as is commonly carried in the pocket and which comprises the lower or body portion 14 and the cap or cover portion 16 which is hinged across one narrow side to the bottom portion 4 as: indicated at 18. The numerals 2t and 22 designate, respectively,

the wide side faces of the body portion 14- of the lighter while the numerals 23 and 24 designate the narrower sides or edge faces, the hinge portion 18 between the body and cap being here shown as extending across the narrower side 24.

The cigarette grasper lltl embodies an elongate flat hollow shell or housing body which is generally designated 26 and is of the same width across the wider side faces 28 and fail as the side faces 20 and 22 of the lighter and it is also of the same width across the narrower edge faces 31 and 32 as the narrower side or edge faces 2-3 and 24 of the lighter. In length, the casing 26 may be somewhat greater than the length of the lighter as illustrated.

The grasper device 163 has the flat transverse bottom wall 33 which is of the same dimensions as the adjacent bottom wall for the lighter body and the two bodies lit and 12, or the grasper 10 and lighter 12, are joined together by a piano type hinge 36 which extends across the width or wide side of each of the two bodies along an edge thereof. As here illustrated the hinge extends along the edge formed by the intersection of the walls 28 and 33, of the grasper 26 and along the edge formed by the intersection of the walls 2t} and 34, of the lighter 12. This piano type hinge has the conventional interengaging or interdigitating hinge knuckles 38 through which extends the hinge pintle 39. This pintle in the present case is modified from the conventional construction of piano hinge structure in that it has a head 40 at one end and the opposite end projects beyond the terminal hinge knuckle 38 and is screw threaded as indicated at 41 to receive a knurled thumb nut 42. By tightening the nut 42 on the pintle, the lighter and cigarette grasper can be secured against relative turning movement, for the purpose hereinafter set forth. By means of this hinging it will be seen that the lighter may be folded fiat against the side Wall 23 of the grasper casing.

Each of the narrow side or edge walls 31 and 32 of the casing 26 has an elongate opening 43 therein in the form of a slot, and the upper outer end of the casing 26 has a fiat transverse wall 44 in which are formed the two spaced rectangular openings 45 (see FIG. 7), which openings 45 are separated by the central transverse portion 46 of the end wall.

Positioned in the casing 26 and extending longitudinally through the major portion of the length thereof are the two long fiat levers 47. These levers 47 are supported for pivotal movement in a common plane each in one of the openings or slots 43. Each lever is mounted for such pivotal movement on a transverse pivot pin 48 which passes through the lower end of the lever and is secured in the side walls or side panels 28 and 3d, of the casing. The levers 47 have their inner longitudinal edges 49 in spaced relation and the levers are of substantial width whereby when they are in parallel relation, as shown in FIG. 2, an outer longitudinal portion of each will project through the adjacent slot 43 and extend a slight distance beyond the side edge wall in which the slot is formed. This projecting portion is designated Sll for each of the levers.

The outer top corner portion of each lever is rounded as indicated at 51, and this rounded edge will contact the adjacent top edge of the slot 43 and prevent the upper end of the lever from being forced outwardly beyond the position in which it is shown in FIG. 2.

Projecting from the upper outer end of the casing 26 are two opposed coacting cigarette grasping finger members each of which is generally designated 52. Each of these finger members 52 comprises an outer end curved jaw 53 which is joined by means of a body portion 3 to a pair of spaced longitudinally slotted ears 55. The slots of these ears are designated 56 and at the upper end of each slot a pivot pin aperture 5? is formed transversely through the body 54. The jaw 53 of each finger has a substantially semi-circular inner face 53:; and when the two fingers 52 are in operative position, the body portions Al 54 thereof are disposed in the end wall openings of the casing with the concave or semi-circular relation, as shown in FIG. 2.

The fingers 52 are each so positioned that the aperture 57 of the body portion will lie below the upper outer end wall 44 as shown in FIG. 4, and each finger has extended through the aperture 57 thereof a pivot pin 58 which spans the space between the walls 255 and 30 of the easing and is secured at its ends in such walls so that the fingers may rock relative to one another.

The normal closed position of the grasping fingers is that in which the slotted ears extend inwardly substantially in parallel relation as shown in full lines in FIG. 2, and the pair of cars 55 of each member 52 receives between them the upper inner corner portion of a lever 47, as shown in FIG. 4, and each of the levers carries a transverse pin member 59 which extends into the slots 56 of the adjacent pair of ears 55.

When the levers are in their normal parallel relation with the fingers in closed position, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the lever pins 59 will be disposed in the upper or outer ends of the slots 56 and it will thus be seen that when the levers are pressed inwardly, to rock on the pivot pins 48, the lever pins will force the fingers to swing on their pivots 53 and will slide in the slots 56 toward the inner or lower ends of the latter. This action will elfect the separation of the fingers or the opening of the cigarette grasping means to the positions shown in dotted outlines in FIG. 2.

Each of the finger members 52 carries upon the outer side of the body portion 54 the short projecting tail piece 540: which functions to close the outer part of the opening 45 when the grasping fingers are in normal closed position. Thus it will be seen that by extending the top wall across between the body portions 54- of the fingers as indicated at 46 and by providing the tail pieces 54a which close the outer portions of the openings 45 when the fingers are in closed position, no openings are left which detract from the appearance of the grasping device.

In order to maintain the levers in their normal parallel relation as shown, or to return them to this relationship after being pressed for the opening of the fingers, a spring means of suitable character as illustrated in FIG. 2, is interposed between the spaced opposed edges 49 of the levers. This spring means which is generally designated 60, is formed from suitable flat spring metal and comprise a pair of end joined, relatively long spaced arms 61 which terminate in the laterally extending bifurcated portions 62 in which the opposing edges 49 of the levers are received. In order to maintain the spring in the position shown, the edges 49 of the levers may be suitably notched for interengagement with that adjacent portion of the arm 61 lying between the furcations.

It will be understood, of course, that any other suitable type of spring means may be employed for urging the levers 47 outwardly to their normal positions after they have been swung inwardly.

As an exampleof another type of spring means which may be employed, reference is had to the second embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 13. In this second embodiment it will be obvious from the illustration and from the succeeding description thereof that the different type of spring shown may readily be employed between the levers 46 and 47 for urging the upper ends of the levers apart or outwardly in the same manner as the spring 60.

In the illustrated second embodiment of the invention the numeral generally designates the grasper unit which has pivotally attached to the bottom end thereof the lighter unit which is generally designated 76.

The lighter unit '76 may be of any standard type as described in connection with the unit 12 and accordingly no detailed description of the unit 76 will be given other than to designate the body portion 77 and the cap portion 78 which is pivotally attached as at 79 to the body portion. Additionally, the body portion 77 has the bottom end wall 80 which in the present form of the invention carries two hinge ears or lugs 81 by means of which the lighter is pivotally connected with the grasper unit 75 in the manner hereinafter described.

The pivotally coupled grasper unit '75 and lighter 76 are preferably of the same width and thickness.

The grasper unit 75 comprises the casing 32 which may be formed in any suitable manner of metal or any other material having the desired characteristics of rigidity and wearability to make it suitable for use. If the casing is made of metal it may be drawn in the desired shape from a single piece of material or if the casing is made of material suitable for mounting it may be formed in a mold.

The casing 82 embodies the two Wide side walls 83 and 84, the narrow edge walls 35 and 8d and the bottom wall 87. The casing as shown is relatively long as compared to its width and the edge walls have substantial portions thereof cut away midway between the top and bottom ends and the cut away portions are also extended slightly into the side walls forming the long laterally directed openings 88.

l The outer or top end of the casing 82 is open as shown in FIGS. 9 and and the top ends of the side walls 85 and 86 terminate a slight distance short of the open top of the casing. The open top of the casing is designated 89 and the top edges of the side edge walls are designated 90.

Extending transversely of the casing between the wide side walls 83 and 84 are the two spaced parallel pivot pins 91 and 92. These pins are disposed approximately inthe plane of the top edges 9th of the side walls 85 and 36 and each pin has mounted thereon for rocking movement a grasping finger which is generally designated 93 and which is shown in perspective in FIG. 13.

Each grasping finger comprises a body portion 94 which has a thickness approximating the depth of the casing between the wide walls 83 and 84 and a width from the back face 95 to the front face 96 approximating half the width of the casing between the walls 85 and 86. The body 9 3 of each finger member has a pivot pin opening 97 formed therethrough to receive a pin It or 92 and as will be seen particularly upon reference to FIG. 9, when two of the grasping fingers are mounted upon the pivot pins and are in normal closed relation the inner or front faces 96 will lie in opposed contacting relation in a plane passing midway between the narrow side edge walls 85 and 86, while the outer or back faces 95 of the bodies 9 3 will be positioned against or in close proximity to the inner faces of the adjacent walls $5 and 36.

Each grasping finger member includes an upwardly projecting jaw 93 which through the major portion of its extent is curved or arcuate, being approximately semicircular on its inner face, which face is designated 99 and when the two bodies 94 are mounted upon their respective pivot pins and are in closed relation the ends of the jaws will come into close relation one with the other to form a substantially circular opening of a size to receive a cigarette such as that shown in broken lines in FIG. 8.

Each of the bodies 93 has a lower portion of the face 96 undercut as indicated at as and projecting downwardly from each body 94 substantially in line with the pivot pin opening @7 is a lug Mil.

As shown in FIG. 9 when the finger members are mounted upon their respective pivot pins the lugs ltltl will project downwardly approximately to the top edges of the adjacent openings 33 and they will be in spaced relation with the adjacent side edge walls to receive the upper end of a lever member about to be described.

Disposed within the casing to extend longitudinally thereof are two levers which are of duplicate form and each of which is designated 101. Each of these lever members ltll is in the form of a long bar E02 having a thickness approximating the depth of the casing between the walls 83 and 84 and having a length to extend from the bottom wall 37 of the casing upon which they rest, to a point above the upper ends of the openings 88. Each of the bars is of relatively narrow width so that when they are disposed within the casing as shown in FIG. 9, with the outer sides ltiil against the inner surface of the side edge walls, the inner sides or faces N4 of the bars will be approximately in line with the center of the adjacent lug ltltl and of the pivot pin lying thereabove. The bars 162 forming the two levers are preferably of rectangular cross section with the inner and outer surfaces and sides parallel.

Each of the bars has its bottom outer corner rounded of]? slightly as indicated at res, which rounded corner lies in the juncture of the bottom wall 87 and a side edge wall 85 or 86. At its top end each of the lever bars terminates in the oblique face 1%, the high side of which oblique face intersects the short longitudinal face 167 of a notch form d in the inner face lit-t of the bar at its top end. Each notch MS has a lug 2% engaged thereon as shown and the lug bears against the longitudinally extending face m7 of the notch.

Disposed within the casing and resting upon the bottom wall 87 is an elongate spring member which is generally designated 169 and which functions to normally urge the finger members toward closed position and also to urge the levers fill outwardly. This spring member MP9 is formed in one piece from a suitable length of flat spring metal and comprises the bottom portion lltl with which are joined the two long side arms The middle or bottom portion lid of the spring rests upon the bottom wall 87 and is of a length to keep the lower ends of the bars 1&2, which forces the levers 191, in position against the walls 85 and 86. In other words, the lower ends of the bars are thus confined between the lower ends of the arms ill of the spring and the adjacent side edge walls. As will be seen upon reference to FiG. 9, the thickness of each of the lugs is slightly greater than the depth of the notch in which it is located so that the lug projects slightly beyond the inner face 104 of the lever which engages it. The arms ill of the spring are of suificient length to extend to a point in close proximity with the undersides of the bodies 9-3 and to overlap and lie against the adjacent lugs res.

The spring arms 111 are biased to move apart or separate and thus it will be seen that they will constantly press against the lugs 1th) of the finger members so as to rock the finger members into jaw closing position and also to rock the upper ends of the levers outwardly so that normally when the jaw 98 of the grasping members or fin er members are in closed relation the levers will lie in parallel relation and a substantial portion of each lever will be exposed in the adjacent opening 3 of the casing.

By compressing the levers fill, as by squeezing the grasper device in the hands, the upper ends of the lever will be forced inwardly as shown in FIG. 10, so as to rock the finger elements $3 on their pivots to open or separate the jaws. The undercut faces 9a of the bodies 594- will be swung towards one another and may be brought into engagement to limit the swinging of the finger members and where the arms ill of the spring are of suflicient length they may also come together as shown in this figure.

in the first described embodiment of the invention the grasper unit and the lighter unit are shown pivotally joined together by a piano hinge which is so located with respect to the adjacent ends of the two units that the units may be folded into side-by-side relation. While any suitable type of binge may be used for joining the units and 76 of the second embodiment, there are here shown pivot ears formed integral with the bottom wall 87 of the casing 82 and designated 112, located so as to receive between them the hinge lugs 81 carried by the bottom end of the lighter casing. Thus the overlapping lugs 31 and 112 may be joined together by suitable coupling screws 113, which, in order to permit pivotal movement of one unit relative to another, may be threaded only in the ami st 2? portions thereof extending through the lugs and left unthreaded in the portion extending through the lugs 112. Also, in order that the screws may be kept in the desired tightened condition, a suitable loci; washer may be applied to the inner end of the screw between the adjacent lug S1 and a nut member 115 threaded onto the screw.

In the first described embodiment the hinge connection between the corresponding bottom edges of the two units is such that the two units may be dispo:ed in any one of three re ated positions. Thus tie units may be disposed in end-to-end or bottom to-bottom relation as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to facilitate grasping the combination device either to effect the opening and closing of the jaw members or when reversed so that the cover of the lighter is uppermost instead of the jaw members, to permit the ready use of the lighter. Secondly, the lighter unit may be disposed in right angular relation with the grasper unit as it is shown in dotted lines in PEG. 1, or the lighter unit and the grasper unit may be folded into sideby-side parallel. relation. By employing the thumb nut d2 which is threaded on the hinge pintle 4-3, the knuckle members of the hinge may be compressed or squeezed together so as to secure the two units in any one of the selected related positions. When the relative positions of the units are to be changed obviously a slight loosening of the nut will permit this, whereupon the nut may again be tightened to keep the units in the newly disposed relationship.

in the second illustrated embodiment where the type of hinge illustrated is slightly diilerent, the two units may be disposed in either of two related positions, one being in end-to-end relationship and the other in right angular relationship.

in both embodiments the disposition of the lighter unit in right angular relation to the grasper unit permits the employment of the lighter unit as a supporting base to hold the grasper unit in upright position on a supporting surface so that the grasper unit may be employed for supporting a lighted cigarette.

In the use of the combination device in both of its embodiments, when a smoker desires to extract a cigarette from a package without touching the cigarette with his fingers, the opened-out device as illustrated in FIG. 1 or MS. 8 will be rasped in such a way as to facilitate the pressing of the levers 47 or fill inwardly to elfect the opening or separation of the cooperating jaws 53 or 98. The end of the cigarette is then positioned between the separated jaws and the compression upon the levers relaxed to permit the jaws to close and grasp the cigarette whereby the cigarette may be withdrawn from the package, being held by one end as shown in FIG. 2 so that the opposite end of the cigarette can be placed in the smokers mouth. Compression or squeezing together of the levers will then, of course, open the jaws and release the cigarette and the device may then be inverted to place the lighter uppermost in a position where it can be used to light the cigarette.

After the cigarette has been extracted from the package in the manner described and placed in the mouth and lighted, the lighter can be swung to a right angular relationship with the grasper or to the position in which the lighter is shown in broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 8, so that when the smoker desires to remove the cigarette from the mouth and lay it aside, he can grasp the cigarette across the diameter thereof as shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 8, and then lay the lighter fiat on a supporting surface so that the cigarette grasping device will maintain upright position and the cigarette will be prevented from becoming soiled or contaminated by any substance which may be on the underlying support. Also, as will become readily apparent, this manner of placing the cigarette when it is not being smoked will avoid the possibility of the cigarette burning down and scorching any underlying supporting surface, as quite frequently occurs when a lighted cigarette is placed on the edge of a table or other article of furniture.

it will be apparent, of course, that in the second embodiment where a different type of hinge connection is provided between the two units, the pivotally connected lugs 81 and I! will be held sufficiently tightly together to maintain the necessary friction to prevent lcose pivotal action between the two units so that the use of the lighter unit may be readily effected as a cigarette support in the manner described.

I claim:

1. A smokers accessory comprising an elongate flat casing having wide face walls, narrow side walls and transverse end walls, one of said end walls having two spaced openings and each of said narrow side walls having a longitudinal slot, a pair of elongate flat levers positioned in opposed spaced relation in and longitudinally of the casing, each lever having an outer longitudinal edge portion projecting through a longitudinal slot, means pivotally supporting each lever at the end thereof remote from said one end wall for in-and-out swinging movement, a pair of elongate finger members each pivotally supported within the casing adjacent to an opening in said one end wall for swinging on an axis directed transversely of the wide face walls, each finger member having an outer jaw end extending through the adjacent opening, said jaw ends being adapted to grasp a body such as a cigarette upon oscillation of said finger members, a coupling between an inner end portion of each finger member and the adjacent lever whereby upon inward swinging of the levers said finger members will be swung to separate said jaws, and spring means connected with the levers and urging outward swinging thereof.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said operative couplings each comprises a slotted tail piece forming an extending part of a finger and a pin carried by the associated lever and slidably engaged in the tail piece slot.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a substantially V-shaped piece of spring metal interposed between and attached to the opposed edges of the levers.

4. A smokers accessory comprising a fiat casing having opposite wide face walls, narrow lateral walls connecting the same and an end wall, each of said narrow lateral walls having a longitudinal opening therein, a pair of elongate levers in spaced relation in and extending longitudinally of said casing, said levers having remotely related portions extending partially beyond said wall openings, said levers each being supported at an end thereof adjacent to said end wall for rocking movement whereby the opposite ends of the levers may be moved toward and away from one another, a pair of finger members each positioned in the casing at the opposite end of a lever, each finger member having a jaw pontion extending longitudinally out of the casing, pivot means supporting said finger members for movement of said jaw portions toward and away from each other, means forming a loose coupling between the said opposite end of each lever and a finger member, and a spring means between said levers and biased to urge said opposite ends of the levers apart and simultaneously eifect swinging of said finger members to move the said jaw portions thereof together.

5. A smokers accessory comprising in combination, a pair of elongate fiat units of approximately the same width and thickness and each having a top end and a bottom end, a hinge coupling between said bottom ends of the units for relative pivotation of the units about an axis extending across the width thereof, one of said units comprising a lighter, the other unit constituting a grasping means for an elongate body such as a cigarette, the said other unit comprising a hollow casing, a pair of grasping members pivotally supported within the casing adjacent to the top end thereof and having opposed grasping pontions projecting from said top end movable lever members within the casing operativeiy coupled with said grasping members in such a manner that when the levers are moved in one direction rocking movement of said grasping members and separation of the said portions thereof will be eitected, means whereby manual pressure may be applied to the lever members to move the latter in said one direction, and spring means between the lever members and operative to effect movement of the lever members in the opposite direction and to reversely rock said grasping members.

6, A smokers accessory comprising an elongate casing embodying a longitudinal body wall having a top end and having a bottom end wall, the body wall having opposite elongate openings therein, a pair of elongate spaced members in the casing each being exposed for a substantial longitudinal portion thereof through an opening whereby manual pressure may be applied to the members, means supporting said lever members at the bottom ends thereof whereby the top ends of the members may be moved toward one another upon application of said manual pressure thereto, a pair of finger members at the top end of the casing each positioned above the top end of a lever member, pivot means supporting said finger members for "turning about parallel axes, said finger members having opposing cooperating grasping jaws projecting from the top end of the casing, a lug carried by each of said finger members and disposed between the top ends of the lever members and each engaged by one lever member, and spring means between the lever members operatively engaging the lugs and biased to urge swinging of the finger members in a direction to efiect separatory movement of the top ends of the lever members and swinging of the finger members in a direction to close the jaws.

7. The invention according to claim 6, wherein said casing is flat and the body wall includes opposite wide side. portions and relatively narrow lateral portions and said opposite elongate openings are in the lateral portions and extend into said wide portions whereby portions of the sides of each lever member are exposed together with remotely related portions of the two lever members.

8. A smokers accessory comprising an elongate flat casing having opposite wide face walls, relatively narrow lateral walls and a bottom wall, each of said lateral Walls having a long opening therein and each opening extending into a face wall, a pair of elongate lever members disposed longitudinally in spaced relation in the casing and rockably supported at their bottom ends for swinging their top ends toward and away from one another, said lever members each having a substantial portion thereof lying in an opening whereby manual pressure may be applied to the lever members, a pair of flat finger members positioned in the top end of the casing, each adjacent to the top end of a lever member, each finger member having a curved jaw extending upwardly from the top end of the casing and having a lug projecting downwardly into the casing, each lug engaging the inner side of an adjacent lever member, and a spring member between said lever members and having free end leg portions each engaging the inner side of a lug and biased to turn the finger members in a direction to close the jaws and to move the top ends of the lever members apart.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,482,654 McGillicuddy Feb. 5, 1924 1,641,517 Yessaian Sept. 6, 1927 1,692,652 Habbart Nov. 20, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,044 Great Britain 1889 498,634 Italy Sept. 30, 1954

Claims (1)

1. 5. A SMOKER''S ACCESSORY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF ELONGATE FLAT UNITS OF APPROXIMATELY THE SAME WIDTH AND THICKNESS AND EACH HAVING A TOP END AND A BOTTOM END, A HINGE COUPLING BETWEEN SAID BOTTOM ENDS OF THE UNITS FOR RELATIVE PIVOTATION OF THE UNITS ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING ACROSS THE WIDTH THEREOF, ONE OF SAID UNITS COMPRISING A LIGHTER, THE OTHER UNIT CONSITUTING A GRASPING MEANS FOR AN ELONGATE BODY SUCH AS A CIGARETTE, THE SAID OTHER UNIT COMPRISING A HOLLOW CASING, A PAIR OF GRASPING MEMBERS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED WITHIN THE CASING ADJACENT TO THE TOP END THEREOF AND HAVING OPPOSED GRASPING PORTIONS PROJECTING FROM SAID TOP END MOVABLE LEVER MEMBERS WITHIN THE CASING OPERATIVELY COUPLED WITH SAID GRASPING MEMBERS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT WHEN THE LEVERS ARE MOVED IN ONE DIRECTION ROCKING MOVEMENT OF SAID GRASPING MEMBERS AND SEPARATION OF THE SAID PORTIONS THEREOF WILL BE EFFECTED, MEANS WHEREBY MANUAL PRESSURE MAY BE APPLIED TO THE LEVER MEMBERS TO MOVE THE LATTER IN SAID ONE DIRECTION, AND SPRING MEANS BETWEEN THE LEVER MEMBERS AND OPERATIVE TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF THE LEVER MEMBERS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND TO REVERSELY ROCK SAID GRASPING MEMBERS.

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