US3481506A

US3481506A - Ashtray

Info

Publication number: US3481506A
Application number: US712240A
Authority: US
Inventors: James V Vevirit; Francis J Ihlenfeld; Valentin E Beil
Original assignee: McDonald Products Corp
Current assignee: McDonald Products Corp
Priority date: 1968-03-11
Filing date: 1968-03-11
Publication date: 1969-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 1986-12-02

Description

2, 1969 J, v. VEVIRIT ET AL 3,481,506

ASH'I'RAY Filed March 11, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS JAMES V. VEVIR FRANCIS J. IHLE LD VALENTIN E. BEIL BY CALSM ATTQRNEYS Dec. 2, 1969 J. v. VEVIRIT ET Al. 3,481,506

ASHTRAY Filed March 11, 1968 2 sheets-sheet 2 58 511 II I, l/ij Y 1/ f 28 Ill 72 s2 INVENTORS JAMES v. VEVIRI T FRANCIS 'J. IHLENFIELD VALENTIN E. BEIL BY V 82% ATTORNEYS United States Patent O US. Cl. 220-20.5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An actuating arm for the closure plates of a smokers accessory is mounted for rocking movement on the cover and is provided with a laterally projecting lower end which underlies and protects the pivot connection of the closure plates. An intermediate portion of the arm carries a C-shaped link connected to the closure plates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Smokers accessories in the form of ashtrays provided with removable cover members having a discharge opening normally closed by plate means and having associated actuating mechanism for selectively swinging the plate means aside effectively to open and close the discharge opening require by their very nature the provision of pivotal mounting means, actuating links and the like which are subject to becoming loaded with debris and sluggish in action due to the fact that they are located within the confines of the receptacle. Furthermore, such mechanisms frequently take complex form and involve a substantial number of separate moving parts. Obviously, complexity of the mechanism involves not only the inordinate cost of manufacture thereof but also necessitates costly assembly procedures and, as well, increases the number of areas which are propense to loading with debris.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to overcome the above mentioned difficulties by the provision of mounting mechanism and actuating means in association with a smokers accessory generally as described wherein the number of component parts is maintained at a practical minimum, thus to lower production and assembly costs.

The invention is further directed to an arrangement wherein the mounting and actuating components are well protected against the entry of foreign material which would otherwise tend to deteriorate their effectiveness of operation.

Essentially, the present invention concerns the combination, with a cover member for a smokers accessory, of an actuating arm mounted for rocking movement on the cover member and having an upper end portion for manual actuation thereof, an intermediate portion from which connection to the closure plate assembly is made and an offset lower end portion which simultaneously forms a protective member for the connecting parts and underlies and protects the pivotal connection of the closure plate assembly. Ancillary to this objective, the actuating arm is so mounted that, when operated, its offset lower end portion is moved in such fashion as tends to sweep away any debris which might have been accumulated in the region of the pivotal connection for the closure plate assembly.

A further object of the invention resides in a combination generally as aforesaid wherein the offset lower end portion of the actuating arm effectively operates to retain the actuating arm in operative position and association with respect to the cover member.

3,481,506 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the upper portion of an ash receptacle having a cover member according to the present invention operatively associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section illustrating the cover assembly removed from the ash receptacle;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2 and showing the closure plate assembly in closed position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the closure plate assembly in open position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the closure plate mounting assembly and illustrating the interconnection between the operating means and the closure plate assembly and showing the position of parts when the closure plate is actuated to open position;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the guide and mounting means for the closure plate assembly, the closure plate assembly, the actuating means and associated portion of the cover as well as the operative connecting means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference to FIG. 1 will illustrate the environmental use of the present invention wherein it will be seen that a conventional ash receptacle 10 is provided with a cover assembly indicated generally by the reference character 12, which cover assembly is adapted for ready removal from the receptacle 10 so as to empty the contents for cleaning purposes as will be well understood. The receptacle 10 itself is of entirely conventional nature and may take any desired form whatever.

Externally, the cover assembly 12 is of more or less conventional appearance, having a depending marginal skirt 14 which is adapted closely to embrace the open mouth of the receptacle 10 and position the cover assembly operatively in association therewith. The cover assembly includes a frusto-conical section defining a downwardly and inwardly sloping wall 16 presenting the discharge opening 18 leading into the interior of the receptacle 10 and a marginal lip or edge portion 20, which itself may be slightly sloped as shown, joins the upper edge of the wall 16 to the aforementioned skirt 14. A crossbar 22 serving as a support for cigarettes or the like may be provided in the form shown, it may take other and different forms or may be entirely omitted, if desired. In any event, the rest 22 forms no part of the present invention.

The discharge opening 18 normally is closed by a closure plate assembly indicated generally by the reference character 24 and associated with this closure plate assembly is an actuating means indicated generally by the reference character 26 which, incidental to its manual actuation, operates to swing the closure plate assembly 24 to open position allowing direct access to the interior of the receptacle 10. The mechanism described hereinabove at least insofar as generalities are concerned constitutes an old and well known assembly for smokers accessories of the type described.

One of the salient features of the present invention may be determined in its broadest sense by reference to FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the actuating assembly 26 will be seen to include an offset lower end portion 28 which underlies the pivotal mounting for the closure plate assembly 24 and thus protects the same in a fashion hereinafter more particularly described against the impingement thereagainst of debris which may accumulate within the receptacle 10 with which the cover assembly 12 is associated. Not only does the arrangement according to this invention provide the protective relation just mentioned, but also the rocking movement of the actuating means 26 as it is manually depressed to open the closure plate assembly effects a sweeping motion of this offset portion 28 tending to clear away any debris and positively displace it in a direction away from the pivotal mounting for the closure plate assembly. This action may be appreciated more readily by reference to FIG. wherein the reference character 30 indicates the pin which pivotally mounts the closure plate assembly and wherein the full line position of the offset portion 28 illustrates the position thereof when the closure plate assembly is open whereas the dashed lines illustrate the offset portion 28 in its normal position when the closure plate assembly is closed. From a study of these two positions of the offset portion 28, it will be obvious that debris will be swept away from the region of the pivot 30 incidental to actuation of the closure plate assembly.

The offset portion 28 serves a further purpose and function, that of cooperating with the cover member effectively to retain the actuating means 26 in proper position with respect to the cover member without requiring complex or involved mechanism for mounting the actuating means 26. In order better to appreciate this aspect of the invention, reference is had to FIG. 7 wherein it is seen that the actuating means 26 includes a laterally projecting, generally horizontal upper end portion 32 which may be provided, as shown in FIG. 2, with a suitable finger tab member 34 secured thereto through the opening 36 provided in the portion 32. The actuating means 26 includes a generally vertical intermediate portion 38 which is of substantially uniform width up to the region where it joins the upper portion 32 whereat the stop shoulder portions 40 are provided at either side. The edge 20 of the cover 12 is provided with a slot 42 coextensive in length with the width of the intermediate portion 38 so that the stop shoulders 40 bear against the upper surface of the portion 20 at either end of the slot 42, thus to establish a simple and yet highly effective rocking connection between the actuating means 26 and the cover proper. The slot 42 is provided with an offset portion 44 to clear the tongue 46 of the actuating means 26 hereinafter more particularly described. The actuating means, then, in effect merely rests upon the edge 20 of the cover but the offset lower end 28 thereof in any operative position thereof as can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 5 underlies some portion of the mechanism thus to limit the extent to which the actuating means may be withdrawn so that once the parts are assembled, the offset portion 28 also serves to retain the actuating means against unauthorized withdrawal or removal thereof.

The tongue 46 is preferably struck outwardly from the main body of the intermediate portion 38 adjacent its juncture with the offset portion 28. The tongue serves to connect the actuating means to the link 48 through which actuation of the closure plate assembly is effected. The closure plate assembly, as shown in FIG. 7, comprises a pair of

plates

50 and 52 adapted to meet along their

inner edges

54 and 56 diametrically of the discharge opening 18 and normally close the same against ingress of ashes and debris into the receptacle 10. The two

plates

50 and 52 are provided with apertured

ears

58 and 60, the latter of which is stepped as shown to allow the ears to be stacked while positioning the main body portions of the

plates

50 and 52 in a common plane. The

apertures

62 and 64 of the plates register and receive the previously mentioned pivot pin 30 therethrough while the ear 60 rests upon the surface of the mounting ring assembly 66 surrounding its corresponding aperture 68 through which the pivot pin 30 also projects. The pivot pin 30 may simply be a rivet or it may take any desired form.

The

mounting plates

50 and 52 includes

secondary ear portions

70 and 72 having

apertures

74 and 76 therein with which the hook end portions 78 and 80 of the link 48 are engaged. The link 48 may simply take the form of a generally C-shaped length of wire having the bent hook end portions 78 and 80 and which may be provided centrally with a straight stirrup portion 82 adapted to engage behind the tongue 46 for loose pivotal engagement therewith substantially as is shown in FIG. 5.

The mounting ring assembly 66 includes the mounting ring portion 84 and a plurality of

upstanding finger portions

86, 88 and 90 which are inclined outwardly at their upper ends to present the

feet

92, 94 and 96 wherein apertures 98 are provided to receive suitable fasteners 100 (see particularly FIG. 3) whereby the

feet

92, 94 and 96 are firmly secured in bearing engagement against the under surface of the inclined wall portion 16 of the cover.

An additional feature of the invention resides in the fact that pivot aperture 68 of the mounting link assembly 66 is formed adjacent the finger 90 so that the finger 90 serves also as an attaching point for the

return springs

102 and 104 shown in FIG. 7. For this purpose, the finger 90 is provided with the staggered

openings

106 and 108 and the intermediate portion 38 of the actuating arm is provided with oppositely staggered

openings

110 and 112. When assembled, the opposite ends of the return spring 102 are projected through the

apertures

106 and 110 and are bent over whereas the return spring 104 is associated with the

apertures

108 and 112. This criss-cross arrangement of the springs serves to allow the return springs to be received in a very compact space.

More importantly, however, the criss-cross arrangement of the springs allows the very simple rocking engagement of the actuating arm with the cover rim to be made effectively. With regard to this, it will be noted that whereas the return spring 104 which is associated with the

apertures

108 and 112 will, under tension, effect a component of force tending to lift the actuating arm 26, the other return spring 102 associated with the

apertures

106 and 110 will exert a component of force tending to urge the actuating arm 26 downwardly.

Apertures

106 and 110 are spaced further apart than

apertures

108 and 112, whereby spring 102 is under greater tension than spring 104. As a result, there is a net downward force component acting on the actuating arm 26, as well as cumulative net components which urge the

plates

50 and 52 closed. Thus, the net downward force will lightly engage the shoulders 40 against the rim 20 at the opposite ends of the slot 42. The weight of the actuating arm itself of course aids in this engagement. In any event, a very simple arrangement ensues which entirely dispenses with the necessity for any pivotal connection for mounting the actuating arm to allow its rocking motion.

While

springs

102 and 104 are shown unequal in length in FIG. 7, that is not necessarily the case and the reverse could be true. In any event, the springs produce a net downward force component as described.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A cover assembly for a smokers accessory comprising, in combination, a cover member having a discharge opening, a closure plate assembly for normally closing said discharge opening, and actuating means for controlling said closure plate assembly, said closure plate assembly including a pivot pin disposed beneath said cover member adjacent said discharge opening, and said actuating means including a generally vertical portion projecting through said cover member and a lower end portion projecting laterally from the lower end of said vertical portion, and link means connected to said vertical portion of said actuating means and said closure plate assembly, said lower end portion underlying said pivot pin and said link means and protecting the pivot pin and the immediately. surrounding area from the ingress of foreign material thereto.

2. A cover assembly for a smokers accessory comprising, in combination, a cover member having a discharge opening, a closure plate assembly for normally closing said discharge opening, and actuating means for controlling said closure plate assembly, said closure plate assembly including a pivot pin disposed below the level of said discharge opening, and said actuating means including a lower end portion underlying said pivot pin and protecting the pivot pin and the immediately surrounding area from the ingress of foreign material thereto, wherein said actuatng means comprises an arm having a generally vertical portion projecting through said cover member and resting thereon for rocking movement with respect to the cover member, said lower end portion projecting laterally from the lower end of said generally vertical portion whereby rocking motion imparted to said arm causes said lower end portion to sweep away from the region of said pivot pin.

3. The cover assembly as defined in claim 2 including a link member connected to said generally vertical portion, said closure plate assembly including a pair of closure plates pivotally carried by said pivot pin, said link member being of C-shaped configuration having its opposite ends connected to said closure plates.

4. A cover assembly for a smokers accessory comprising, in combination:

a cover member having a rim and a downwardly and inwardly sloping wall portion presenting a discharge opening,

a mounting ring assembly secured to and depending from said wall portion and including a mounting ring spaced below and in registry with said discharge opening,

a closure plate assembly pivotally mounted on said mounting ring for opening and closing said discharge opening,

an actuating arm mounted for rocking movement on said rim and depending therefrom to one side of said wall portion, said actuating arm having a lower end portion extending laterally beneath said mounting ring and the pivotal connection thereof to said closure plate assembly,

and link means connected to said actuating arm above said lower end portion and extending therefrom into connection with said closure plate assembly.

5. The cover assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said mounting ring is provided with a plurality of upstanding fingers connected to the under surface of said sloping wall portion, one of said fingers being disposed in spaced opposed relation to said actuating arm and the pivotal connection between said mounting ring and said closure plate assembly being adjacent said one finger,

and return spring means connecting said one finger to said actuating arm.

6. The cover assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said rim is provided with a slot receiving said actuating arm and said actuating arm is provided with shoulders engaging said rim at the opposite ends of said slot to efiect the rocking interconnection therebetween.

7. The cover assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said rim is provided with a slot receiving said actuating arm and said actuating arm is provided with shoulders engaging said rim at the opposite ends of said slot to effect the rocking interconnection therebetween.

8. The cover assembly as defined in claim 7 including return spring means acting on said arm normally to urge said closure plate assembly into closing position, said return spring means also urging said actuating arm downwardly to lightly engage said shoulders against said arm.

9. The cover assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein said mounting ring is provided with an upstanding finger connected to said cover member and disposed in spaced relation to said actuating arm, said return spring means comprising a pair of coil springs each connected to said actuating arm and to said finger, s-aid springs being arranged in a generally criss-cross arrangement.

10. The cover assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said return spring means comprises a coil spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,999,140 4/1935 McDonald 131-242 X 2,004,537 6/1935 Parkinson 220-205 X 2,102,565 12/1937 Booth 220-205 2,531,503 11/1950 Dick 220-36 X GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.