US3811452A

US3811452A - Convertible ash tray-bank

Info

Publication number: US3811452A
Application number: US00189581A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Wells
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-11-09
Filing date: 1971-10-15
Publication date: 1974-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1991-05-21

Abstract

An ash tray having a base and a cover, the cover adapted to be fastened to the base to form a closed container adapted for saving coins. The cover can be mounted to the base by several different methods. In each method, the cover has a raised position which allows the base to be used as an ash tray. Smoke from an article in the ash tray will rise to the underside of the cover and cause changes in the appearance of the cover. The changes in the appearance of the cover indicate to the owner of the ash tray the quantity of smoking that he engages in.

Description

1 1 CONVERTIBLE ASH TRAY-BANK [76] Inventor: James E. Wells, 193 Woodworth Ave., Yonkers, NY. 10701 22 Filed: Oct. 15,1971

211 Appl. No.: 189,581

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 87,849, Nov. 9,

1970, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl 131/170 A, 131/238, 131/242, 46/2, 220/42 D, 220/60 R [51] Int. Cl. A24f 19/10 [58] Field of Search 131/170 A, 235 R, 238, 131/242; 220/42 D, 42 E, 42 F, 60 R; 46/2 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,651,177 11/1927 Bowyer.. 131/238 3,355,061 11/1967 Ritter.... 220/60 R 2,718,980 9/1955 Strom 220/60 R 2,644,467 7/1953 Breidert ..-13l/238 2,279,026 -4/1942 Tomsic 131/235 R D151,557 10/1948 Raine et al. 131/235 R UX 2,937,793 5/1960 Cornelius 220/60 R X 2,180,997 11/1939 Rubilino 220/42 F X [451 May 21, 1974 2,695,645 11/19 54 Tupper 220/42 E x D157,884 3/1950 McNair.. 131/242 UX 1,931,015 10/1933 Wronski 131/242 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 456,073 1l/l936 Great Britain 131/242 1,212,981 10/1959 France 131/242 1,040,518 10/1953 France 131/242 962,982 7/1964 Great Britain 131/242 451,539 8/1936 Great Britain 131/242 Primary Examiner-Joseph S. Reich Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edward R. Weingram [57] ABSTRACT An ash tray having a base and a cover, the cover adapted to be fastened to the base to' form a closed container adapted for saving coins. The cover can be mounted to the base by several different methods. In each method, the cover has a raised position which allows the base to be used as an ash tray. Smoke from an article in the ash tray will rise to theunderside of the cover and cause changes in the appearance of the. cover. The changes in the appearance of the cover in-, dicate to the owner of the ash tray the quantity of smoking that he engages in.

12 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAYZI m4 sum 1 or 2 FIG.4

JAM ES E. WE LLS INVENTOR.

FIG.7

wild/ IATENTEDMM 2 1 i974 SHEET 2 BF 2 FIG.|O

JAMES E.WELLS INVENTOR.

CONVERTIBLE ASH TRAY-BANK CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation in part of applicadoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates to ash trays in general and, particularly, to ash trays used as aids for discouraging the practice of cigarette smoking.

2. Description of the Prior Art Many different ash trays have been produced to indicate to tobacco smokers the disadvantages and the dangers of continued smoking, especially of smoking cigarettes. One notable ash tray has a complete, transparent model of lungs mounted on the ash tray with a flow path for smoke from the ash tray through one of the lungs, to cause discoloration of one lung, while allowing the other lung to remain clear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides additional incentive to the person trying to stop smoking by indicating the amount of money he can save by not smoking. This is done by providing an ash tray which converts quickly and simply into a coin bank, so that the smoker can convert the ash tray into a coin bank for a period of time and place the money that he would normally use for purchasing smoking implements in the bank.

Accordingly, the present invention sets forth a simple device which converts from an ash tray into a coin bank with a minimum of difficulty. The base of the ash tray is adapted to hold cigarettes and ashes from other smoking devices, in the standard manner. The cover of the ash tray acts as a hood over the base so that smoke from smoldering tobacco articles resting in the ash tray base will rise to the underside of the cover. The cover includes a depiction ofa pair oflungs, with smoke pathways through one of the lungs, so that the lung will discolor from smoke which reaches the cover. The cover is adapted to mate with and be fixed to the base mem- .ber to form a closed bank container. The cover is mounted'on the base in such a manner that it will stay positioned in an upward position when the device is used as an ash tray and can be lowered for connection to the base. The cover and base may be connected by hinge means or by mounting the cover on a stub member, rising from the base. Coins can be inserted through the stub or through holes in the top of the cover.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ash tray which can convert into a savings bank for coins and the like, which can easily be converted from one form to anotherf Another object of the present invention is to provide an ash tray which can convert into a savings bank for coins and the like which can aso be used to give a visual indication to the smoker of the extent of damage pro duced by smokingtobacco products.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ash tray which can convert into a savings bank for coins and the like which is of simple construction and relatively inexpensive to make.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an ash tray which can convert into a savings bank for coins and the like which can effectively function as an ash tray without any detriment or limitation on its use because of its convertibility to a coin bank.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ash tray which can convert into a savings bank for coins and the like which will be converted back to an ash tray again, should the owner ever desire to do so after the device has been converted to a bank.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an ash tray-bank, built in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of FIG. 1, partially in section.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross section, taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the base section of the ash-tray bank shown in FIG. 1, showing the slot for holdingcigarettes.

FIG. 5 is a top view of FIG. 2, partially broken away.

FIG. 6 is another form of the ash tray-bank shown in FIGS. [-5, partially broken away and in section, having a cover, a mounting construction, and locking means therefor.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view, partially broken away, showing a modified mounting structure of the cover of the ash tray-bank shown in FIGS. l-6. v

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of an ash tray-bank built in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the ash tray-bank shown in FIG. 8, with the cover in raised position.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of yet anotherembodiment of an ash tray-bank built in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, showing the cover in the raised position.

FIG. 11 is a top viewof the ash tray-bank shown in FIG. 10, with the cover in the closed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. I shows a convertible ash tray-bank, generally indicated at 10, having a base 12 and support means in the form of a central mounting post 14, with a cover 16 positioned on the mounting post in the upper position. As shown in the phantom lines of FIG. 1, cover 16 has a lower position in which it coacts with the base to form a closed container.

Referring to FIG. 2, the base is generally circular in shape, having side walls 20 and a flat bottom surface The central stub support member- 14 extends upward from the bottom of the ashtray and has a hollow center section 28, shown in FIG. 3. The hollow section of the stub curves near the base of the stub 30 to form a chute, so that an object dropped in the top of the stub will fall the length of the stub into the chute section and eventually enter trough area 24 of the ash tray.

The cover, shown in the upper position on stub 14 in FIG. 2, includes an annular lip 32 and an annular shoulder 34, which respectively are adapted to coact with the top surface 36 of side wall of base I2 and the an nular groove 38 in top surface 36, to form a closed container when the cover is in the lower position. The top of cover 16 is formed from a slanted circular section 40 which connects with flange 32 directly, or by way of a hollow' raised cylindrical section 42. The slanted circular section includes two raised members, a lower member 44 and an upper member 46. The upper member 46 consists of an inverted concave wall 48 which coacts with the top of circular section 40 to form a hollow smoke chamber 50. A plurality of smoke passages 52'through circular section 40 communicates the inside of smoke chamber 50 to the underside of the cover.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cover 16 is mounted upon central stub support means 14 by positioning means in lar bottom surface-74 adapted to mate with top surface 60 of sidewall 20 to form a closed container. Higher and lower raised

members

76 and 78 respectively are formed from convexities in uppersurface 70. Although upper surface 70 is shown as being slanted in somewhat the same manner as upper surface 40 in FIG. 2, it need not be so. The demonstrative effect of having one lungshaped raised member discolor in comparison to another relatively non-discolored lung-shaped object could be obtained by merely making the entire top out of a transparent or translucent material and then opaquing one of the raised members. The opaqued member will remain fairly constant in appearance, while the transparent raised member will discolor.

FIG. 7 shows another means for positioning and locking cover 16 with relation to base 12. Two O-rings or other locking means, 80 and 82 respectively, are positioned along the stub 84 on the upper and lower sides of the cover mounting hub 58. The cover can be moved the form of a standard screw thread device. Stub 14 has an external thread 54 which engages an internal thread 56 in the hub section 58 of the cover. By rotating the cover, the entire cover can be raised or lowered with relation to the ash tray base. 7

As seen in FIG. 5, the raised

members

44 and 46 on top of cover 16 are shaped somewhat in the form of human lungs. The upper portion of the stub 14 is closed except for a slit 60 which is adapted to receive coins when the ash tray'is converted to abank.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the invention having simplified construction. For purposes of clarity and brevity, similar items which have been previously identified in earlier figures will be similarly identified'in FIGS. 6 and 7.

In FIG. 6, a central stub 62, rising from the. bottom 22 of the ash tray, is slightly tapered, with

circumferential grooves

64 and 66 machined in the stub to provide a locking means. The mounting hub 58 of the cover is adapted to be slid down on stub 62 until it comes into contact with the upper groove 66, where it will remain in the upper position while the device is used-as an ash tray. When the device is to be converted to a bank, the

- cover is forced downward on stub 62 until it comes to lower groove 64, which will be located so that the cover is now locked in the closed position.

It should be pointed out that the function of

grooves

64 and 66 could be fulfilled bymerely roughening the tapered walls of central stub 62, as for example, by

deeply scoring the walls of the central stub. The roughened walls would provide enough resistance to the movement of central hub 58 to hold cover 16 in the upper position and secure cover IG- against base 12 in the lower position.

As seen in FIG. 6, both base 12 and cover 16 are of simplified construction. The side walls 20 of base 12 are fairly thin, and there are'no annular mating grooves in the top surface 68 of the side walls.

Cover 16 is a simple continuous structure. It has a central mounting hub 58, an upper surface 70 connected to a cylindrical rim section 72 having an annudownward or upward with relation to base 12 by merely moving the locking means or'O-rings to the desired position.

OPERATION OF THE EMBODIMENTS SHOWN IN FIGS. 1-7

Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, when the device is used as an ashtray, the cover 16 is kept in the uppermost position. When lit cigarettes, for example, are placed in grooves 26 in the side walls 20 of the ash tray 12, the smoke rising from the ends of the cigarettes will be entrapped by thecover and will tend to rise-towards the smoke chamber 50 through passages 52 which communicate the chamber with the underside of the cover. The smoke'enteringsmoke chamber 50 will tend to discolor the walls 46 of the chamber. The walls of smoke chamber 50, or the entire cover 16, can be made of a transparent or translucent material, so that the discoloration in the walls of chamber 50 will indicate to the smoker the material-which accumulates as a result of habitual smoking. I

To lower the canopy into the bank position, any of the simple methods previously described can be used; namely, the cover can be rotated if the threaded engagement means, shown in FIG. 2, is used, or merely forced downward if the wedge-type means shown in FIG. 6 is used, or the locking means shown in FIG. 7 can be lowered. Once the cover is in the lower position with shoulder 34 extending into the annular groove 36 in the wall 20 of the base 12, a closed container is effectively formed. The only access to the container is through the slit 60 in the top of the stub. Coins can be placed into the bank by merely dropping them down the center of the stub. If desired, an additional coin slit or a coin removal section can be formed in the top of the cover.

ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION FIGS. 8 through 12 show additional embodiments of the invention in which the cover member of the ash tray-bank is pivotally connected to the base member rather than being mounted on a stub member;

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an embodiment of the ash traybank generally indicated as which is circular in cross section, having a base member 92 with a flat bottom surface 94 and a raised cylindrical wall 96, and having a cover or lid member 98 which is connected to the base member by positioning means in the form of a hinge 100. The cover has a projecting annular shoulder 102 which is adapted to engage with a mating annular groove 104 in the top surface of the side wall 96 of the base. Cigarette grooves 106 are formed in the side wall of the base to rest cigarettes in the base when it is used as an ash tray. The lid is fastened to the base in the closed position by means of a small latch 108 extending from the lid which engages the pin 110 extending from the wall of the base. As in the previous construction, shown in FlGS. 1 through 5, two protruding

members

112 and 114 are formed on the lid..Protruding member 114 is hollow and communicates with smoke passages 116 which extend from the underside 118 of cover 98 into a smoke chamber (not shown) in protruding member 114, so that smoke rising from the ash tray base 92 will enter into the smoke chamber.

A slot 120 is formed in the lid between the two protruding surfaces so that coins can be passed into the container which is formed when the lid is closed and fastened with the base. It should be noted that hinge 100 not only pivotally fastens cover 98 to base 92, but also may be resiliently biased to maintain the cover in the raised position when the cover is not locked.

FIGS. and 11 show another'embodiment of the ash tray-bank container generally indicated at 130 in which the cover or lid member 132 is pivotally connected to the base member 134 by means of pins 136 extending throughpassages in the side walls 138 of the cover and side walls 140 of the base 134. The lid of the container is held in the raised position by the wedging action between the undersurface I42 oflid 132 and the top surface 144 of the rear wall 146 of the container. Upper and lower protruding

members

148 and 150 are shaped to simulate the appearance of human lungs. The upper protruding member is hollow and has a smoke chamber 152 formed within it. Smoke passages I54 communicate underside 142 of lid [32 with smoke chamber 152 and an additional passage 156 is formed through the upper surface of the smoke chamber to allow smoke from within the smoke chamber to vent to atmosphere.

Lid 132 is fastened to the base member by means of a deformable latch member 158 on front wall 159 of the lid which engages with the recess 160 on the front wall 162 of the base member. The base has cigarette grooves 164 in the top surface of the front and side walls to rest cigarettes or other smoking articles. A slot 166 in the top of the cover enables coins to be dropped into the closed space when the lid is closed to convert the ash tray to a bank. 1

It should be pointed out in this embodiment that front and

side walls

159 and 138 respectively of the lid tend to direct smoke rising from base member 134 through smoke passages 154 into smoke chamber 152 formed in upper protruding member 148. Therefore, most of the smoke rising from the ash tray base will be passed through the smoke chamber to cause discoloration of that member.

It will be understood that various changes in the details. materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principles and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended-claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like, comprising:

a base adapted to receive tobacco ashes and the like comprising: a bottom surface; a side wall disposed about said bottom surface to form a receptacle for tobacco ashes; and means to rest cigarettes formed in said side walls;

positioning means connected to the base;

cover means connected to said positioning means movable to a raised and a lowered position with respect to said base;

said cover means in said raised position coacting with said base member to allow access to said cigarette resting means on said base and adapted to obstruct upward smoke flow rising from said base;

said cover means in said lowered position coacting with said base to prevent access to said cigarette resting means to form a closed container for coins and the like;

access means in one of said cover means and said positioning means to allow access for coins and the like to said closed container; formed when said cover means is in said lower position;

support means for said cover extending upward from said bottom surface of said base; and

wherein said access means comprise chute means in said support means having a rectangular crosssectional configuration and adapted -to allow the passage of coins through said support "means into said receptacle means in said base means.

2. The device convertible froma tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 1 wherein said positioning means includes:

an externally threaded section on said supportmeans; and an internally threaded passage in said cover means adapted to coact with said externally threaded section on said support means to allow said cover means to be raised and lowered on said support means to position said cover with respect to said base means. 3. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 1 wherein said positioning means includes:

passage means in said cover means adapted to allo said cover means 'to move along said support means; and locking means on said support means adapted to prevent movement of said cover means on said support means and thereby fix the location of said cover means with respect to said base means. 4. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 3 wherein said locking means comprise resilient means disposed on said support means and extending from said support means beyond said passage means in said cover means to prevent movement of said cover along said support means.

5. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 4 wherein said resilient means include O-rings disposed on said support means on either side of said cover means.

6. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to I a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 3

wherein said locking means includes groove means on said support means adapted to coact with said passage means in said cover means to hold said cover means in contact with said groove means to position said cover with respect to said base means.

7. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 1, further comprising:

shoulder means extending from said cover means; seating means in said side walls of said base adapted to receive said shoulder means to form an intimate contact between said cover means and said base means. 8. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 1

wherein:

said cover means includes a top surface and a bottom surface; and said cover means includes smoke chamber means comprising: means providing a walled chamber disposed in said cover means; and v smoke passage'means in said cover means extending through said bottom surface of said cover means to communicate said bottom surface of said cover means with said smoke chamber so that smoke rising from said base means to the bottom surface of said cover means will enter said smoke chamber. 9. A device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like, comprising:

a base adapted to receive tobacco ashes and the like,

comprising: a bottom surface; a side wall disposed about said bottom surface to form a receptacle for tobacco ashes; and b means to rest cigarettes formed in said side walls;

positioning means connected to the base;

said cover means in said raised position coacting with said base member to allow access, to said cigarette resting means on said base and adapted to obstruct upward smoke'flow rising from said base;

said cover means in said lowered position coacting with said base to prevent access to said cigarette resting means to form a closed container for coins and the like; access means in one of said cover means and said positioning means to allow access for coins and the like to said closed container formed when said cover means is in said lower position; and

wherein the positioning means comprise hinge means.

10. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 9 wherein the positioning means include pin means to pivotally connect the cover means to the base.

11. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 10 wherein:

the cover means includes opposing wall sections;

the base includes opposing wall sections; and

the pin means extend from the opposing wall sections of one of the cover and the base into passages in the other of the cover and the base 12. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No.

9 wherein: I

said cover means includes a top surface and a bottom surface; and said cover means includes smoke chamber means comprising:

a walled chamber disposed on the top side of said cover means; and

smoke passage means in said cover 'means extending from said bottom surface of said cover means to said top surface of said cover means to communicate saidbottom surface of said cover means with said smoke chamber so that smoke rising from said base means to the bottom surface of said cover means will enter said smoke chamber.

Claims

1. A device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like, comprising: a base adapted to receive tobacco ashes and the like comprising: a bottom surface; a side wall disposed about said bottom surface to form a receptacle for tobacco ashes; and means to rest cigarettes formed in said side walls; positioning means connected to the base; cover means connected to said positioning means movable to a raised and a lowered position with respect to said base; said cover means in said raised position coacting with said base member to allow access to said cigarette resting means on said base and adapted to obstruct upward smoke flow rising from said base; said cover means in said lowered position coacting with said base to prevent access to said cigarette resting means to form a closed container for coins and the like; access means in one of said cover means and said positioning means to allow access for coins and the like to said closed container formed when said cover means is in said lower position; support means for said cover extending upward from said bottom surface of said base; and wherein said access means comprise chute means in said support means having a rectangular cross-sectional configuration and adapted to allow the passage of coins through said support means into said receptacle means in said base means.

2. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 1 wherein said positioning means includes: an externally threaded section on said support means; and an internally threaded passage in said cover means adapted to coact with said externally threaded section on said support means to allow said cover means to be raised and lowered on said support means to position said cover with respect to said base means.

3. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 1 wherein said positioning means includes: passage means in said cover means adapted to allow said cover means to move along said support means; and locking means on said support means adapted to prevent movement of said cover means on said support means and thereby fix the location of said cover means with respEct to said base means.

4. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 3 wherein said locking means comprise resilient means disposed on said support means and extending from said support means beyond said passage means in said cover means to prevent movement of said cover along said support means.

6. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 3 wherein said locking means includes groove means on said support means adapted to coact with said passage means in said cover means to hold said cover means in contact with said groove means to position said cover with respect to said base means.

7. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 1, further comprising: shoulder means extending from said cover means; seating means in said side walls of said base adapted to receive said shoulder means to form an intimate contact between said cover means and said base means.

8. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 1 wherein: said cover means includes a top surface and a bottom surface; and said cover means includes smoke chamber means comprising: means providing a walled chamber disposed in said cover means; and smoke passage means in said cover means extending through said bottom surface of said cover means to communicate said bottom surface of said cover means with said smoke chamber so that smoke rising from said base means to the bottom surface of said cover means will enter said smoke chamber.

9. A device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like, comprising: a base adapted to receive tobacco ashes and the like, comprising: a bottom surface; a side wall disposed about said bottom surface to form a receptacle for tobacco ashes; and means to rest cigarettes formed in said side walls; positioning means connected to the base; cover means connected to said positioning means movable to a raised and a lowered position with respect to said base; said cover means in said raised position coacting with said base member to allow access to said cigarette resting means on said base and adapted to obstruct upward smoke flow rising from said base; said cover means in said lowered position coacting with said base to prevent access to said cigarette resting means to form a closed container for coins and the like; access means in one of said cover means and said positioning means to allow access for coins and the like to said closed container formed when said cover means is in said lower position; and wherein the positioning means comprise hinge means.

11. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 10 wherein: the cover means includes opposing wall sections; the base includes opposing wall sections; and the pin means extend from the opposing wall sections of one of the cover and the base into passages in the other of the cover and the base.

12. The device convertible from a tobacco ash tray to a bank for coins and the like claimed in claim No. 9 wherein: said cover means includes a top surface and a bottom surface; and said cover means includes smoke chamber means comprising: a walled chamber disposed on the top side of said cover means; and smoke passage means in said cover means extending from said bottom surface of said cover means to said top surface of said cover means to communicate said bottom surface of said cover means with said smoke chamber so that smoke rising from said base means to the bottom surface of said cover means will enter said smoke chamber.