US2348442A - Cigarette and match dispenser - Google Patents

Description

w. H. BANCK CIGARETTE AND MATCH DISPENSER Filed Dec. 8, 1941 qttomeg May 9, 1944.

I m 7 Z Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2;348,442 CIGARETTE AND MATCH DISPENSER "William H.1Ba'nck, Washington, D. 0. Application :December 8, 1941, Serial No. 422,155 1 Claim. (01. 312-180) My presentinvention relates to an improved cigarette and match dispenser which, while herein referred to, for'convenience of illustration and description, forthe purpose-of dispensing cigarettes and matches, is also well-adapted for dispensing cigars and matches orfor dispensing otherslenderarticles that are required for joint use.

The present invention is a continuation irrpart of my co-pending application Serial Number 339,- 787, matured into Patent No. 2265;336 issued Dec. '9, 1941.

In carrying out my invention Iemploy a device of this character that is especially designed for individual use by a smoker, and from which a cigarette first may be readily extracted after which the required 'matc'halso maybe extracted for lighting the previously extracted cigarette. A normally closed feed-hopper is employed'in which a plentiful supply of cigarettes may be preserved in proper condition, and a normally closed match-containeror drawer is also employed in which-a supply of'matches may also be safely stored, either in package form, or in loose bulk as desired. In'the physical embodiment of my invention I provide *a-olevice that is compactly arranged and simple in construction; which may be manufactured at comparatively low cost of production; and which is simple and convenient in manipulation for the performance of its functions.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts involving particularly a box having a front wall opening and having therein a 'slidecarrier'ad'apted to reciprocate through the opening. The carrier is provided with-a dispensing trough'in which a cigarette is presented to the operator when the drawer or carrier is withdrawn. A pivotally suspended inclined partition is'atta'ched within the box and forms a feed hopperabove the slide carrier. Means are provided on'the' carrier and the partition whereby the cigarette immediately abovethe cigarette in the-carrier'trough is prevented from dropping by gravity until the carrier is returned.

The invention further includes other features in combination that form the unitary structure of the device and which'will hereinafter be more specifically set forth. In the accompanying drawing 1 have illustrated onecomplete'exa'mple of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to one mode-I have thus fardevise'd for the practical application (if "the "principles tr ent purposes and other my invention, but it will be understood that various alterations andchanges are contemplated and may be made in these exemplifying structures within the scope of the claim, without departing from the principles of my invention.

'In the drawing:

Figure l isa perspective view of the combined cigarette and match dispenser involving my in vention.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical view in section showing the match drawer and the cigarette carrier in closed position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the match drawer.

Figure 41s a perspective view of the cigarette dispenser or slide carrier'and the trough.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pivotally suspended inclined partition that forms the movable bottom of the feed hopper, and co-acts with the slide carrier to control the feed of the cigarettes from the hopperto the trough of the carrier.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view showing the initial dispensing movement of the cigarette carrier, with the feed-chute closed to prevent feeding movement of the cigarettes.

In carrying out my invention I preferably em ploy hardened plastic material of suitable cornposition-in the'manufacture of parts and the box or casing I is here shown as of rectangular shape, but it will be understood that the shape and size of the box or casing may be varied to suit differsuitable material may be employed in the construction of the parts of the device.

The open top of the box is closed -by a slide lid 2, .having afiange 3 which fits into a recess 4 in the front wall of the box. Inorder to frictionall-y hold the slide lid inplace I preferably use oblique beads 5 at the opposite sides of the lid which fit in complementary grooves 6 in the opposite side walls of the .box. The use of these oblique slide beads and groovesprovides a structure that holds the lid in place when it is closed.

InFigure lit will .be seen that recesses-:1 are provided in the exterior faces of the box toifacilitate grasping the flange 3when opening or -closing the lid. These recesses 1 are also shown at the bottom of the box and will be later described.

'In the top of the lid I providean ashtray 8 and at the four corners of the tray I provide cigarette holders 9, and in Figure-2 it will be seen thatza humidifier I0 is mounted in the bottom faceaof the tray. This humidifier maybe made of .moist blottingpaper or any other suitable material that is mounted in the under face of the sliding lid in order that the interior of the box may be maintained in a humid condition conducive to the reservation of the cigarettes.

Between the front and rear walls of the box I provide an inclined partition I I which at its rear upper end is provided with trunnions l2 by means of which the partition is suspended in recesses 13 in the opposite side walls of the box. These recesses l3 are located at the lower ends of vertical grooves M in the interior faces of thebox,

and by means of these grooves the partition may be slid down into position so that its front end declines toward and terminates a short distance from, the front wall of the box. 1 v 7 On top of the upper face of this partition I provide a ledge M that extends the full'width of the partition, and below the'lower edge of the partition I provide. a pair of spaced guide lugs l5 which together with the front wall of the box form afeed-chute'as best seen in Figure 2. In Figure 2 it will be seen that a column of cigarettes is nested in the chute and the cigarettes are free to slide through the chute. In order to feed a single cigarette from the dispensing device the lowermost cigarette is discharged, but the second cigarette from the bottom is clampedagainst the front wall of the box to retain the cigarettes in the feed-hopper while one cigarette is being dispensed.

For this purpose I provide a pair of cams l6 that project below the lower end of the partition and are located just behind the guide lugs l5.

For dispensing a single cigarette I provide a carrier which comprises an open frame I! and a front trough N3, the latter extending transversely of the carrier and located just behind a front plate IQ of the carrier. This carrier has guide edges that are adapted to slide in grooves 2! in the side walls of the box and in Figure 1 it will be seen that the plate l9 may be grasped at its ends by a thumb and finger for the purpose of reciprocating this carrier. As seen in Figure 2 the trough l8'of the carrier is located directly below and forms the bottom of, the feed-chute from the hopper formed in the box above the partition H, and the guide lugs l5 guide the lowermost cigarette into the trough.

As best seen in Figure 4 the carrier is provided with two parallel slide faces 22 which at their forward ends terminate in cam faces 23 and these cam faces 23 terminate in sockets 24. As seen in Figure 2 the lower ends of the cams l6 fit in these sockets when the carrier is in closed position, and it will be apparent that when the carrier is moved to dispensing position the coaction of the two cam-faces 23 with the two cams IE will result in swinging upwardly or tilting upwardly for a slight distance, the front free edge of the partition II, and the lower faces of the cams l6 ride overthe slide faces 22 of the carrier.

In addition to the cigarette dispensing device, I provide a match dispensing device comprising a slide drawer 24' having guide beads 25 which fit in complementary grooves 26 in the side walls of the box..

The front plate 21 of the match box fits into a recess or opening 28 at the rear end of the box, and this match drawer is alined with the carrier so that the two parts may be relatively reciprocated, one to dispense matches, and the other to dispense cigarettes. The match drawer and the open" frame 11 of the cigarette carrier are loosely coupled together by means of a cross bar 29 at the rear of the match box and which projects upwardly into the open frame.

With the lid 2 removed, the hopper is filled with cigarettes C, and by gravity feed the cigarettes roll down the inclined bottom of the hopper, the lowermost one taking the position in the trough l8 as in Figure 2, with a short column standing vertically above the cigarette in the trough. The cigarette shown in the trough in Figure 2, of course, is the one to be dispensed and this action i accomplished by grasping the ends of the front plate l9 and pulling or sliding the carrier to the right in Figures 1 and 2. The initial motion of this dispensing movement causes 23 with the result that the partition ll forming thebottom of the feed hopper is swung on its trunnions l2 in the recesses l3 and the guide lugs I5 at the free lower end of the partition are pressed against the bottom cigarette remaining in the feed chute, as indicated in the detail Figure 6. In this manner the feed of cigarettes is cut off at the bottom of the chute and the feed remains cut off as long as the cams iii are held elevated out of their sockets 24. As the carrier is pulled out of the box-front the cams I6 are supported by and ride along on top of the surfaces 22 of the carrier. When the carrier has been withdrawn sufiiciently to permit the thumb and finger to grasp the ends of the dispensed cigarette, the latter is removed from the trough l8 and the carrier is pushed back into the box, its movement being guided by the lateral edges 20 of the hollow frame sliding in the grooves 2| in the interior opposite faces of the box. As indicated in Figure 2 the outward movement of the carrier is limited by contact'of the cross bar ll of the carrier with the abutment 29 on the back wall of the matchdrawer 24'. As the carrier with its empty trough is pushed back into the box the cams l6 ride on the faces or surfaces 22, then down over the cam faces 23, and finally the cams drop by gravity into the sockets 24, and thus as the partition H swings on its trunnions l2 the guide lugs l5 that have been pressing on the bottom cigarette of the chute are withdrawn therefrom and this cigarette is permitted to fall into the trough Ill. The remaining cigarettes in the hopper gradually move toward the chute and a supply of cigarettes is thus maintained in the feed chute in the positions indicated in Figure 2. The swinging or tilting [movement of the partition II due to the co-action of the cams l6 and the cam faces 23, although comparatively slight, is sufficient to agitate the bulk of cigarettes in the hopper and the ledge I4 assists in this agitation, so that an ample supply of cigarettes is maintained in the column in the feed chute, and jamming of the cigarettes is prevented.

After a cigarette has been dispensed the carrier may be either pushed back, as described, or it maybe pulled back into the box by the act of withdrawing the match drawer 24 from the rear endof the :box ;.in the latter action, the abutment 29 in contact with the rear cross bar I1 pulls the carrier into the box while the drawer 24 is being pulled out of the opening 28 in the rear end of the box.

As indicated in Figure 1 the plate 21 of the match drawer may be grasped by a thumb and finger, and the match box may then be withdrawn .to permit access to the interior of the drawer. The match drawer is guided by its beads or tongues 25 sliding in thegrooves 26 in the opposite walls of the box, and its outward movement is limited by contact of the abutment 29 on its rear wall with the cross bar I! of the carrier.

Thus it will be seen that the carrier or ci arette dispenser and the match drawer are loosely coupled together so that they may be relatively reciprocated. Should the match drawer, through inadvertence be left open, the opening movement of the cigarette carrier will pull the drawer back into the box, and the same action will occur 7 in the event the cigarette trough is left open der to adapt the device for use with different slender articles of this type, without departing from the principles of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a cigarette dispenser including a box having a front wall opening, the combination with a slide carrier reciprocable through said opening and having a dispensing trough, of a pivotally suspended inclined partition forming the bottom of an interior feed hopper above the slide carrier,

said carrier having spaced longitudinally extending slide faces, a pair of sockets and cam faces below the plane of the slide faces, a pair of spaced cams depending from the partition for co-action with said sockets and faces, a pair of spaced guide lugs also depending from the partition and spaced from the front wall, and a ledge extending across the lower edge of the partition and forming an upper wall of the feed-chute.

WILLIAM H. BANCK.

Images