US3834401A

US3834401A - Novelty smoker{3 s pipe

Info

Publication number: US3834401A
Application number: US00328131A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Wilson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-01-30
Filing date: 1973-01-30
Publication date: 1974-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-10

Abstract

A novelty smoker''s pipe in the form of a fanciful animal characterized by a substantially spherical body member comprising the torso and head of the animal, a pipe bowl projecting from the head end of the body member and constituting the nose or snout of the animal, a compoundly curved tube extending outwardly of the opposite end of the body and constituting the tail of the animal, and hook members extending downwardly of the underside of the body member and constituting the legs of the animal. In a preferred form of the invention, the body member is comprised of a hollow coconut shell, longitudinally divided to provide two shell halves secured together at the bottom by a hinge to permit opening thereof for use as a receptacle. A length of flexible tubing within the coconut shell and communicating between the pipe bowl and the tubular tail provides for the drawing of smoke from lighted tobacco in the pipe bowl through the outer end of the tail-piece in smoking.

Description

United States Patent [191 Wilson NOVELTY SMOKERS PIPE [76] Inventor: Mark L. Wilson, 18102 NE. 25th FL, Miami, Fla. 33160 22 Filed: Jan.30, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 328,131

5/1952 Wilkinson 131/178 UX FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 191,545 6/1957 Netherlands 131/186 [451 Sept. 10, 1974 Primary Examiner.loseph S. Reich Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ernest H. Schmidt [5 7] ABSTRACT A novelty smokers pipe in the form of a fanciful animal characterized by a substantially spherical body member comprising the torso and head of the animal, a pipe bowl projecting from the head end of the body member and constituting the nose or snout of the animal, a compoundly curved tube extending outwardly of the opposite end of the body and constituting the tail of the animal, and hook members extending downwardly of the underside of the body member and constituting the legs of the animal. In a preferred form of the invention, the body member is comprised of a hollow coconut shell, longitudinally divided to provide two shell halves secured together at the bottom by a hinge to permit opening thereof for use as a receptacle. A length of flexible tubing within the coconut shell and communicating between the pipe bowl and the tubular tail provides for the drawing of smoke from lighted tobacco in the pipe bowl through the outer end of the tail-piece in smoking.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures NOVELTY SMOKERS PIPE This invention relates to smokers pipes and is directed particularly to a table pipe of the type including a receptacle for the storage of pipe smokers paraphernalia and which has the general appearance and shape characterizing a fanciful animal having a compact body, four short legs, a long snout and a long tail.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novelty smokers pipe of the above nature wherein the body of the pipe is representative of the torso and head of the fanciful animal simulated, the pipe or bowl simulating the snout, and wherein the tail-piece serves as the mouthpiece for the smoker.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a novelty smokers pipe of the character above described wherein the pipe body is comprised of a hollowed-out coconut shell, a pair of depressions at one end which are so disposed as to represent the eyes of the fanciful animal and a third depression which is disposed directly below and between the eye depressions to serve as the zone of through opening for pipe stem means communicating with the bowl, the bowl being representative of the nose or snout of thefanciful animal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novelty smokers pipe as described above wherein the coconut shell comprising the body of the fanciful animal is laterally divided along a substantially vertical plane to provide front and back coconut shell halves swingably held together by a connecting hinge at the undersides thereof to permit relative opening for the use of the interior of the shell as a receptacle.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novelty smokers pipe of the above nature including a flexible tube communicating between the pipe bowl and tail-piece within the body to provide for drawing smoke by the smoker at the mouthpiece directly from the pipe bowl.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novelty smokers pipe of the character described including arcuate hook members simulating front and back legs attached to the undersides, respectively, of the front and back shell halves.

Still another object is to provide a novelty smokers pipe of the above nature which can be readily manufactured of inexpensive and readily available parts, which will be simple in construction, durable in use and attractive in appearance.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views: 1

FIG. I is a side elevational view of a novelty smokers pipe embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view as in FIG. 1-, with the body portion shown partially open and in vertical crosssection to illustrate constructional details;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the body portion of the novelty pipe, portions of the pipe bowl, stem and tail-piece being broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the body portion, portions of the pipe bowl, stem and tail-piece being broken away.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, reference numeral l designates, generally, a novelty smokers pipe embodying the invention, the same comprising a spherical body member 11, which is preferably constituted by a hollowed-out coconut shell and which is sawed or otherwise divided into front and

back shell halves

12 and 13 hinged together at the underside of the shell by a hinge 14. As is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, one leaf 15 of the hinge 14 is secured to the front shell half 12 as by machine screws 16, and the other hinge leaf 17 is secured to the back shell half 13 as by machine screws 18.

The underside of the body member 11 is provided with support means which simulate legs of a fanciful animal. To this end, cast metal double clothes hook members 19 and 20 are secured, respectively, to the front and back shell halves as by bolts 21, 22, respectively. Said leg simulating clothes hook members 19, 20 are affixed so that their ends face each other, as is best illustrated in FIG. 1.

Means is provided for releasably securing the front and

back shell halves

12 and 13 in mutually closed disposition. To this end, a key lock 23 is provided, said lock comprising a keeper portion 24 affixed to the front shell half 12 at the top thereof as by machine screws 26, and a latch portion 25 secured to the back shell half 13 for cooperative engagement with said keeper portion as by machine screws 27.

As is best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the divided coconut shell body 11 is so oriented in the manufacture of the novelty pipe that two

depressions

28, 29, in the front shell half 12 are substantially the same level to simulate the eyes of the fanciful animal characterized by the novelty pipe. As so disposed, the third, remaining depression 30 is utilized as a zone of weak wall section which can readily be drilled, for the press tit therein from the inside, of a pipe stem retainer member 31 having a reduced-diameter, outwardly extending stem-piece 32 adapted to receive in press-fitted removable relation thereon a smoking pipe bowl 33 of ordinary construction. The inner end 34 of the pipe stern retainer member 31 is of reduced diameter to receive, press fitted thereon, a length of flexible tubing 35, such as of clear vinyl plastic.

A rigid tail-piece 36, preferably of bent metal tubing, extends at one end through a central opening at the rear of the back shell half 13, being secured thereat as by a metal fitting 37 comprising a threaded sleeve portion 38 extending through said opening from the inside and retained in place as by a nut member 39 at the outside. The fitting 37 is of the type comprising an interior cinch ring within its central opening 40 operative, upon securing the fitting in place, to fix the tail-piece 36 with respect to the back shell half 13 of the body 11. As best illustrated in FIG. 1, the tail-piece 36, as it extends outwardly of the back shell half 13 is bent upwardly and outwardly in a compound curve simulating the tail of a fanciful animal, the body and head of which is represented by the shell halves l2 and 13, the nose or snout of which is represented by the pipe bowl 33, and the legs of which are represented by the hook members 19 and 20. The outer end of the tail-piece 36 is fitted with an annular mouthpiece 41.

In use, pipe tobacco will be placed in the pipe bowl 33 in the usual fashion and lit by drawing the smoke through the mouthpiece 41. When the novelty pipe 10 is placed upon an ordinary table the mouthpiece 41 will be disposed at a height convenient for use in smoking by a person sitting in a chair at the table, so that it will ordinarily not be necessary to lift the pipe while smokmg.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, unlatching of the lock 23 permits relative swinging opening of the body shell halves l2 and 13 at the top with respect to the pivotal connection at the bottom afforded by the hinge 14. The flexible tubing 35 within the shell halves and communicating between the pipe stern retainer member 31 and the tail-piece 36 is of such length and flexibility as to permit wide opening of the shell halves for free access to the interior of the pipe body 11. The pipe body 11 thus can serve as a receptacle for the storage, for example, of pipe tobacco, matches, pipe cleaners, extra pipe bowls and the like pipe smokers paraphernalia.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one form'in which my invention can conveniently be embodied in practice it is to be understood that this form is given by way of example only and not in a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A smokers pipe comprising, in combination, a

substantially spherical, hollow body member, a pipe bowl member removably fixed to one end of said body member, a tubular smoke-conducting member affixed at one end with respect to and extending outwardly of the other end of said body member, a flexible conduit within said body member and communicating between said pipe bowl member and said tubular smoke conducting member to permit the drawing of smoke from said pipe bowl member through the other end of said smoke conducting member, said hollow body member being substantially vertically divided into front and back shell half members, and means for pivotally connecting underside portions of said front and back shell members for relatively open swinging thereof for access to the interior of said body member for use as a receptacle.

2. A smokers pipe as defined in claim 1, including lock means for releasably securing said half shell members in relatively closed disposition.

3. A smokers pipe as defined in claim 2, including support means affixed to the underside of said body member for standing said body member on a flat surface.

Claims

1. A smoker''s pipe comprising, in combination, a substantially spherical, hollow body member, a pipe bowl member removably fixed to one end of said body member, a tubular smoke-conducting member affixed at one end with respect to and extending outwardly of the other end of said body member, a flexible conduit within said body member and communicating between said pipe bowl member and said tubular smoke conducting member to permit the drawing of smoke from said pipe bowl member through the other end of said smoke conducting member, said hollow body member being substantially vertically divided into front and back shell half members, and means for pivotally connecting underside portions of said front and back shell members for relatively open swinging thereof for access to the interior of said body member for use as a receptacle.

2. A smoker''s pipe as defined in claim 1, including lock means for releasably securing said half shell members in relatively closed disposition.

3. A smoker''s pipe as defined in claim 2, including support means affixed to the underside of said body member for standing said body member on a flat surface.