US2109547A - Coin operated vending machine for cleaning tobacco pipes - Google Patents

Description

L. A. MOLL March 1, 1938.

COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE FQR CLEANING TOBACCO PIPES Filed June 18, 1932 4 I'll/II,

. INVENTORY 4 lzom E; Mon. Wig ALfi ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1, 1938 PATENT OFFICE COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE FOR CLEANING TOBACCO PIPES Lloyd A. Moll, Allentown, Pa., assignor of-one- 'half'fl) Meyer Stettner, Allentown, Pa.

Application June 18, 1932, Serial No. 618,001

' Claims. (01. 131-13) My invention relates to improvements in coin operated vendingmachines for cleaning tobacco pipes of the deposit which ordinarily collects in r the stem and bowlof a pipe after the same has 5 been in use for any length 01' time.

Many machines have been devised to remove the deposit of nicotine, saliva and other objec tionable substances from the interior of tobacco pipes, and the more common practice is to 'force a -jet of alcohol through the stem and bowl of the pipe. This, in a way, removes some of the deposit but it has been found that a thorough cleaning is not accomplished by means of the alcohol alone. Other machines have been used in the attempt to rid' tobacco pipes of thin deposit and these machines have beenof the pneumatic type which were designed to force air through the bowl and'stem' to blow out the nicetine and other substances, but air, even when under compression, will not vremove the hard crust which adheres to a pipe'as a result of long and hard usage. A still further type ,of cleaning apparatus has been contemplated and this consists in a purely mechanical cleaner, using ream- 1-35 ers and other rotary drills to attack the walls of the pipe encrusted by deposits. The last type has beenfound eflicient enough as regards the removal of the deposit, but in the hands of the amateur itis more often thecase that the cleaningvhas been done all too well and the walls of the'bowl and stem retreat from the attack of the reamer with deep scars which ruin the pipe for further use. a

With the foregoing clearly in mind, it is the purpose of my invention to provide a cleaning device tor tobacco pipes especially designed for use on the counters oi cigar stores and other shops where tobacco products are oifered for sale, which device is coin operated and adapted in a 40 'single operation to force a cleaning fluid through the pipe from stem to bowl with compressed air as a carrier for the fluid so that the latter will find its way into every crack and opening which may be availed of to loosen' the deposits. Alter 4 the fluid hasbeen entirely passed through the pipe, continued blasts of compressed air will follow the fluid to remove the already loosened substances and to evaporate any ofthe fluid which may have been absorbed by the walls of the bowl and stem. a

In a machine oi. the character'deseribed in the foregoing it is essential that'it be designed to ac-' nozzle; and

view of still another in an; interchangeable nozzle which may have various forms or shapes for its tips to be inserted into either a small round opening in the tip of the mouthpiece, a large opening formed in another model, or a long oval another mouthpiece.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a receptacle located directly beneath the inverted bowl' 0! the pipe being cleaned to receive the fluid after having been blown through the pipe. a

It is also intended that pipe accommodating nipples, such as herein contemplated. be independently vended. These may be madeoi several suitable materials, and such as are intended either for a single use or such as are intended for repeated uses. 4

I have accomplished these objects by means of a machine which embodies in its structure an air line, a receptacle for the cleaning fluid and a slot used .in still conduit leading into the air line, means for supporting the pipe at its mouthpiece and for intro ducing the fluidand air into andthrou'gh the pipe, and a coin controlled device operatively as sociated with valves controlling the flowof fluid and air, whereby the fluid is first carried through the pipe on a blast of air and thereafter collected in a receptacle while the air continues to through the pipe.

One embodiment of my invention is described in .the following specification, set forth in theappended claims; and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan elevational view improved cleaning device;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the same with the front panel removed;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the device showing the coin operated attachment;

Figures 4 and iAare substantially transverse sectional views through the fluid and air conduit taken on lines 4-4 and 4A4A, respectively,

otmy

, of Figure 2;

.Figure 5 is a substantially longitudinal sectional view of one form of nozzle with a pipe in PRICE Figure 6 is a similar view of another form of v Figure '7 is 'a sectional modificationof a nozzle.

Referring to the drawing, M denotes abox-like container which houses all of the mechanism of the device and which in the upper portion contains a tank or reservoir ll adapted to receive the supply of cleaning fluid to be used to clean the pipes. A cam shaft 12 is journaled in bearings l3 disposed longitudinally of the box -l and at one end projects through the end wall to receive a. coin wheel I. The coin wheel I4 is provided with four equally spaced radial slots I5 to re ceive a coin l6 which is fed thereto through an inclined coin chute H. The chute I1 is disposed at about an angle of 30 from the perpendicular line of the center of the shaft l2 so that the coin will drop of its own weight towards one of the slots IS in the wheel l4. Loose on the shaft l2, adjacent the wheel I4, is the hub l8 of a lever IS, the hub l8 being provided with a radial slot 20 adapted to register with a slot l5 of the wheel l4 so that as the coin enters the slot I5 it will project into the slot 20 and cause the wheel I to revolve approximately 90 with the hub l8 and lever l9. At this point the coin will roll. out of the slots l5 and 20 and the handle or lever may be returned to its initial upright position by means of a spring 2|. A removable housing 22 is carried by the end wall of the box III to enclose the coin operating mechanism, as illustratively exemplified in Figure 3.

The cam shaft l2 carries two cams 23 and 26, the latter beingprovided with four high points and gradual risers leading thereto in,,the direction of rotation of the shaft. The other cam 23 is provided with four long dwells and four short high points, the latter being disposed or arranged slightly in advance of the high points of the cam 25;.

Leading downwardly from the bottom of the reservoir H is a pipe 25 and spring closing valve 26 which is provided with a stem 2! arranged in the path of the high points of the cam 23, so that as each high point passes the valve the same will open and allow a certain quantity of the fluid to escape from the reservoir. Below the valve 26 a pipe 28 leads to the stem of a T fitting 29, the

cross head thereof being connected at one end to a pipe conduit 30 and spring closing valve 3i. The conduit 30 beyond the valve 3| is connected to an air line 32 which receives a supply of compressed air from a source, not shown. The stem 33 of the valve 3| is disposed in the path of the high points of the cam 24 so that for each quarter turn of the latter the valve will open and remain open for substantially the entire 90 through which the cam turns and in accordance with the contour of the risers the cam will cause the opening in the valve to increase until the,full movement has been completed, thus a small amount of air will first pass through the conduit 30 to Join the fluid which has been allowed to escape into the T fitting from the advance opening of the valve 25.

The other end of the cross piece of the T fitting 29 is connected to a pipe 34 which leads through the end wall of the box lll opposite that,

carrying the coin mechanism to receive a rubber nipple 35. The nipple 35 is a tubular device adapted at its free end to be forced over the tip of the mouthpiece of the pipe to support the latter in position to be cleaned. Arranged inside the nipple 35 is a nozzle 36 which isa metal tube having a tip shaped-to flt into theopening of the tip of the mouthpiece. In Figure 5 the opening is a small round oriflce and the end of the nozzle 36 is reduced accordingly. Figure 6 shows a larger opening leading into the mouthpiece and the nipple which may be interchanged for any other form, is also larger to fit such mouthpiece. Figure '7 shows a mouthpiece with along narrow slit and in this case the nipple is flattened to be into a receptacle 38 disposed along the bottom of the box, as shown in Figure 2.

In operation, the pipe to be cleaned is inserted tip end first into the nipple 35 to bring the nozzle 36 into the opening in the end of the mouthpiece.

The bowl in inverted position is placed over the funnel 31 and the cleaning operation started by placing a coin in the chute l1 and allowing it to drop into the slots l5 and 20. The lever I9 is then pulled downwardly until stopped by the end of the slot 22a in the housing 22. The short high point of the cam 23, as it passes, opens the valve 26 long enough to allow some of the liquid cleaner from the reservoir to-collect in the T-fltting 29. The valve 26 is then released and it closes after which the cam 24 slowly opens its valve to permit air to pass into the 'T-fitting 29 and carry the liquid through the pipe 34, nipple 35 an'dinto the pipe. As the volume of air increases the liquid has loosened the deposit in the pipe and carries it through the stem and bowl into the funnel 31 and receptacle 36. While the high point" of the cam 24 is held against the stem of the valve in the downward position of the lever, the full force of air will be directed into and through the pipe to remove all deposit loosened by the liquid and to evaporate any portion of the latter which may have been absorbed by the walls of the stem and bowl. When the operation has been completed the lever is released and returns to its initial upright position, bringing the coin slot of its hub into register with the next slot in the wheel it.

Having nowdescribed my invention in detail,

what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pipe cleaning machine, in combination, a housing and a reservoir therein for supplying cleaning fluid, a conduit from said reservoir, a spring closed valve arranged in said conduit, an air conduit for supplying compressed air in communication with said fluid conduit, a spring closed valve arranged in the air conduit, a conduit from the air and fluid conduits leading outside the housing, an injector for the end of the last conduit to receive the mouthpiece of a tobacco pipe for the passage of the fluid and air therethrough, a pair of cams for operating the liquid and air valves to first open and then allow the liquid valve to close and thereafter to hold the air valve open, and means operated from the exterior of the housing to rotate the cams.

2. A pipe cleaning machine, in combination, a housing and a reservoir therein for supplying cleaning fluid, a conduit from said reservoir, 9. spring closed valve arranged in said conduit, an air conduit for supplying compressed air communicating with said fluid conduit, a spring closed valve arranged in the air conduit, a conduit from the fluid and air conduits leading outside the housing, a nipple on the end of the last conduit to connect a tobacco pipe to said last. conduit, a shaft journaled in said housing and projecting outside at one end thereof, two cams turning with the shaft and in operative contact with said valves to first open the fluid valve and then allow it to close and thereafter hold the air valve open, and coin controlled means operating said shaft.

3; A pipe cleaning machine, as claimed in claim 2, in which each cam is provided with iour.equally spaced high points, the high points" ,conduit and the fluid valve closed before the air valve is opened.

4. As an article of manufacture, a. pipe cleaning nipple comprising a tubular flexible member housing a metal nozzle, the free end of which fits into the slot in the tip of the mouthpiece of a smoking pipe, with said flexible member engaging over said mouthpiece for retaining said nozzle in said slot.

5. A pipe cleaning machine, in combination,

a housing and a reservoir therein for supplying cleaning fluid,v a conduit from said reservoir, a spring-closed valve arranged in said conduit, an air conduit tor-supplying compressed air communicating with said fluid conduit, a springclosed valve arranged in'the air conduit, a conduit from the fluid and airconduits leading outside the housing, a nipple on the end of the last conduit adapted to be connected to a tobacco pipe, a shaft journaied in said housing and projecting outside at one end thereof, .two cams turning with the shaft and in operative contact with said valves to first open the fluid valve and then allow it to close and thereafter hold the air valve open, and means for rotating the shaft.

LLOYD A. Morin.

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