US1935840A - Tobacco receptacle - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 21, 1933. .L .1. FITZGERALD 1,935,840

TOBACCO RECEPTACLE med Nov. 5. 1931 l :LS

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A TTORNE Y Patented Nov. 21, 1933 Y y UNiTEo l STATES PATENT orricE TOBACCO RECEPTACLE Application November 5,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in receptacles of the pocket type for smoking tobacco.

Such receptacles are usually in the form of a substantially oblong tin box of a size to conveniently fit in the users pocket and havingk a hinged cover, the tobacco being packed in a wrapper within the box. l

In using such tobacco boxes the smoker opens the hinged top and either unfolds or tears off the top of the wrapper so that the tobacco can be loosened and poured into a pipe or cigarette paper when the box is tilted suiciently. The hinged cover usually fits around the top of the box but the closure is not air tight and the tobacco dries when carried in the pocket in such boxes or when kept on store shelves, whereas it is most desirable for an enjoyable smoke to have the tobacco moist.

Receptacles of the above type are also sometimes made telescopically collapsible in two sections so that as the tobacco is used the sections can be telescoped to reduce the size of the receptacle in proportion to the amount of tobacco therein so that the top surface of the tobacco is disposed at or near the top of the receptacle. My invention is applicable whether the receptacle be made telescopically collapsible or in one piece.

An important object of my invention is to provide in connection with receptacles of the above type, a compartment into which moistened ele.

ments can be inserted to keep the tobacco moist and/or impart a flavoring thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom for receptacles of the above type having a compartment with openings to permit moisture from a humidifying or flavoring element inthe compartment to pass into the tobacco within the receptacle to maintain the tobacco in a moistened condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom for tobacco receptacles of the above type having a dispensing opening therethrough, and a closure movable over and away from said opening, whereby the user may dispense tobacco from the receptacle directly into his pipe or a cigarette paper without opening the hinged cover on the top of the receptacle.

It is an important purpose of the invention to accomplish the foregoing and other objects of the invention, which will be hereinafter referred to, without altering or changing the existing structure and style of pocket tins. In fact, the invention may be practiced in connection with existing pocket tins without especially constructing apparatus for forming and uniting the main parts of the tin, thus improving them without 1931. Serial No. 573,254

noticeably increasing the cost of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional View through a pocket tin embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryk perspective View of the bottom of the lower portion of the receptacle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical central sectional view of a pocket tin showing another feature of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower portion of the receptacle shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, theV numeral 6 designates the walls of a substantially oblong pocket tin having adjacent its upper end a bead '7. The cover 8 is hinged at 9, in well known manner, to the body of the receptacle, and has a depending flange 10, which terminates at the top of the bead 7, when the receptacle is closed. The lower end of the body 6, is flanged as at 11, and the outer edge of the bottom 12 is bent around the portion 11 as at 13 in known manner to secure the bottom to the receptacle by a tight seam. The bottom has a depending flange 14 in contact with the lower portion of the body 6 so that the bottom proper is disposed above the bead 13.

The structure just described is typical of most pocket tins, and, as hereinbefore mentioned, the tobacco is packed in a wrapper which fits within the receptacle between the bottom 12 and the top. Unless the wrapper is made of material which will prevent the escapement of moisture and is very tightly sealed to provide an air tight closure, the tobacco therein will soon lose its moisture content, especially when kept in dry places. Even if the wrapper is tightly sealed and the tobacco is purchased in moist condition, when the wrapper is opened the tobacco is exposed to atmosphere conditions and/or body temperature when carried in the pocket so that it soon becomes dry and will not rollwell in a cigarette nor pack well in the bowl of a pipe.

VI have found that by providing a closure which will fit around the bead 13 at the bottom of the can, a compartment 15 can readily be provided in the lower end of the can, and when the bottom l2 which forms the top of this compartment is perforated as at 16, the wrapper can be readily pierced to expose the tobacco contained therein to the atmospheric condition prevailing in the compartment 15 so that by inserting in the compartment l5 a moistened element such as a piece of absorbent material of any kind saturated with water, or even a piece of fresh apple peel which imparts not only moisture but an excellent flavor, the tobacco can be kept moist until used up. It is preferable to have the bottom closure for the compartment 15 movable, so that the humidifying element contained in the compartment can be readily remoistened or renewed.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the closure 17 can readily be formed from a sheet of metal fashioned to conform to the size and shape of the bead 13, and provided with flanges 18 at both sides and at one end of the slide to engage the sides of the bead 13, and thus slidably mount the closure on the bottom of the can. The end 19 of the closure is not provided with a, flange but frictionally engages rthe bottom surface of the bead 13 at one end of the can, while the flange 18 at the other end of the closure con-v stitutes a stop, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, where the closure is disposed completely over the bead to close the compartment 15.

It is within the scope of the invention to-vary the depth of the compartment 15 by varying the lengths of the portions 14 and should the receptacle be made without theusual beaded joint 13 to provide on the bottom of the can means or elements to receive the flanges 18 of the closure 17.

With the type of receptacle shown in Fig. 1 when the top yis opened and tobacco dumped therefrom, it is quite usual that more than is desired for a pipe load or the making of a cigarette falls from the can when it is tilted, Yand I have found that when my invention is applied to receptacles of this type, a portion of the bottompreferably approximately corresponding to the size of the usual pipe bowl opening can be cut out so that when the closure 17 is movedback from said cutout portion the user can 'dispense tobacco by simply holding the can over the pipe bowl until the proper amount of tobacco has been dispensed. This is accomplished under the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 wherein the lbottom 12 is secured by the anged bead 13 to the receptacle 6. The bottom 12' has an opening 20 at one end preferably of the size above mentioned andthe opening is provided by removing a portion of the bottom and preferably at the same time bending up a flange 21 across the compartment in the bottom of the can. The flange 21 forms one end of the compartment 15 which compartment correspondsto the compartment l5 and is provided with the perforations 16'. It will be apparent that the flange 21 is a part of that portion of the bottom which is cut away to provide the opening 20 and is preferably of a length substantially corresponding to the depth of the compartment 15', so that as will be apparent from Figs. 4 and 5, the humidifying or flavoring material or element placed in Vcompartment 15 will'not move over and obstruct the opening 20 when the closure 17 is moved to expose the opening 20. I prefer to leave a portionl 22 of the bottom along the side wall of the receptacle around lthe opening 20.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that in manufacturing a pocket tin or tobacco receptacle embodying my invention, that the manuywrapper at these points.

tened and the wrapper perforated so that it would come into the smokers hands in that condition. On -the other hand, the manufacturer could simply provide the package with the tobacco therein and leave it to the smoker to meisten the humidifying insert or to place therein some flavoring element.

The same is true with respect to the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, only that the manufacturer of the receptacle would stamp out the bottom plate 12 with the perforations 16 and the opening 20. In connection with this package the user could break or cut out that portion of the wrapper which covers the opening 20 and perforate the wrapper through the openings 16' unless the manufacturer has already perforated the In using the package the smoker will loosen the tobacco at the opening 20, hold the can in one hand and his pipe in the other hand beneath the opening 2O and shake the tobacco directly into the bowl. It would notl be necessary to break the Wrapper at the top of the receptacle. It will also be noticed that the closure 17 can be moved freely to cover and uncover the opening 20 or to give access to the compartment -15 without displacing the humidifying or flavoring element contained in the compartment.

' It would be preferable to have the perforations 16 of such a size that the tobacco would not readily sift therethrough. The size and number of the perforations is optional. l

I claim: f

l. A pocket tobacco receptacle of the character described having a bottom secured between the walls of the receptacle above the lower ends of said walls, a dispensingl opening in said bottom adjacent one side of the receptacle, a member depending from said bottom at one side of said lopening between oposite walls of the receptacle,

vsaid member being of Vsubstantially the same length as the distance between the bottom and the lower end of the receptacle, and a closure mounted at said end of the receptacle and providing a compartment between said member, bottom and walls of the receptacle, said closure being movable to cover and uncover said dispensing opening. f i 2. Apocket tobacco receptacle having a hinged cover and a bottom secured to the walls of the receptacle by a crimped bead, said bottom being disposed within the walls and above the lower ends thereof, a dispensing opening in one end of the bottom, a flange depending from the bottom on one side of the opening,and a closure having a marginal flange slidably engaging said crimped bead and providing a compartment below the bottom at one side of said dispensing opening.

JAMES J. FITZGERALD

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