US2747101A - Smoke dissipating ash tray - Google Patents

Description

y 2, 1956 J. H. HAMMOND, JR 2,747,101

SMOKE DISSIPATING ASH TRAY Filed Feb. 2, 1955 INVENTOR. Jom HAYS HAMMOND JR Fig. 1

United States Patent SMOKE DISSIPATING ASH TRAY John Hays Hammond, J12, Gloucester, Mass. Application February 2, 1953, Serial No. 334,594-

6 Claims. (Cl. 250-48) This invention relates to ash trays and more particularly to an ash tray assembly having-smoke dissipating and sterilizing means associated therewith.-

The invention provides novel and improved means for circulatingair and smoke from an ash tray along the path of ultraviolet rays for dissipating the smoke and'sterilizing the air and then returning the air to the room.

The invention also consists in certain-new and original features of construction and'combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The nature'of the'invention, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization, may be better understood by referring to the following'description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sideelevation, partly insection, of an ash tray with an aircirculatingdevice constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a partial vertical section, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 with the covers in open position.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

In the following description parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be generic in their application to similar parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a cylindrical casing 11 is mounted on acircular base 12. At the bottom of the casing 11 are a plurality ofair discharge openings 13. Hinged to the top of the casing 11 and forming a. continuation thereof is acylindrical housing 14 at the top of which is mounted anannular plate 15 provided with a plurality ofopenings 16. Carried by thehousing 14 is afan 17 which is driven by amotor 18 mounted on acircular plate 19 secured to thehousing 14. A plurality ofholes 20 are provided in thecircular plate 19 Axially mounted in the center of the casing 11 islamp 21 such as a lamp capable of producing ultra-violet rays within the germicidal band. At the bottom thislamp 21 fits into asocket 22 mounted on a circular block ofinsulation 23 which in turn is mounted on acircular plate 24 which is secured to the casing 11. At the top thelamp 21 is held by asocket 25 which is hinged to anarm 26 which in turn is hinged to the casing 11. Mounted coaxially around thelamp 21 is aspiral vane 23 made of metal or other suitable material. Both ends of the spiral vane are open so that air may flow down the helical passages around thelamp 21 in the range of influence of the germicidal rays.

Mounted on theplate 19 is anannular ring 31 into which fits anash receptacle 32. Also mounted on theplate 19 are twobrackets 33 and 34. Pivotally mounted on thebrackets 33 and 34 are two spherically shapedcovers 35 and 36 which are provided withmeshing gear segments 47 and 48; The'cover 35 is providedwithahandle 37. Secured to thecovers 35 and 36 arepins 38 and 39 between which is mounted atension spring 41 to hold'the covers in closed or open positions. Mounted on thebracket 33 is a block ofinsulation 42 to which are attached twocontacts 43 and 44. Secured to thecovers 35 and 36 aremembers 45 and 4-6 made of'in'sulating material which are adopted to engage thecontacts 43 and 44 to close the same when the covers are in open positions as shown in Fig. 4.

Thecontact 43 is connected'by a'conductor 51 to.terminal 52 offan motor 18theother terminal 53 of which is connected by aconductor 54 to one wire of anelectric cord 55 the other wire of which is connected by a conductor 56' to thecontact 44. Theconductor 51 is connected bybranch conductor 57 and theconductor 54 is connected bybranch conductor 53 to the standard electrical equipment (not shown) associated with thelamp 21. The free end ofcord 55 is connected to theusual plug 59.

Theplate 24 is provided with a large port 61 covered by a hingedvalve 62 held in the closed position by alighttension spring 63. Engaging thevalve 62 is one end of an L shaped latch.64, which is pivoted to a bracket 65 mounted on thebase 12, and is held in latching position by atension spring 66. Mounted on theplate 24 is abellows 67 which-is normally held in contracted position by a spring68. The-interior of this bellows is connected by a largeport '71and'a small bleed'port 72' to thelight chamber 69; Thelarge port 71 is covered by aflap valve 73 of'leather or other suitable material.

Operation In the operation of the form of the invention shown in the accompanying figures, when it is desired to use the ash tray thecover 35 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1, by means of thehandle 37, which by means of themeshing gear segments 47 and 48 causes a corresponding clockwise rotation of thecover 36 into the position shown in Fig. 4. When the covers 35 and 36 move into the positions shown in Fig. 4, themembers 45 and 46 will cause thecontacts 43 and 44 to engage, thus closing a circuit thru thefan motor 18 and thelamp 21, thus causing thefan 17 to rotate and thelamp 21 to light.

This will cause air and any smoke from theash tray 32 to be drawn through the series ofholes 16 in theplate 15 and the series ofholes 20 in theplate 19 and downwardly along a helical path around the lamp 2.1 where the action of the ultraviolet rays will cause the smoke to be dissipated and the air sterilized. As thefan 17 pushes the air downward a pressure will be built up at the lower end of thelight chamber 69. As this pressure builds up, it will cause air to gradually seep through thebleed port 72 into the interior ofbellows 67 which in turn will gradually expand against the action ofspring 68. When thebellows 67 is neariy fully expanded, it will engage the L-shaped latch 64 causing it to rotate in a counterclockwise direction against the action ofspring 66 until it releases thevalve 62 which will then open under the action of the air pressure in thechamber 69, allowing this air to escape into the lower chamber and out thru theopenings 13 into the room. As the air pressure is relieved in thechamber 69, theflap valve 73 will open allowing the air to exhaust from thebellows 67 which will be deflated under the action ofsprings 68. At the same time, thevalve 62 will be returned to its closed position byspring 63 and the L-shaped latch 64 will return to latching position under action of spring 65.

The entire mechanism will now be in its initial position and the above action will be repeated. In this way,

Patented May 22,. 1-956 air and smoke will be drawn into the helical space around thelamp 21 where it will be acted on by the ultra-violet rays for a definite time, dependent on the size of thebleed port 72, until the smoke has been dissipated and the air sterilized, then it will be discharged back into the room. This action will be repeated as long as thecovers 35, 36, remain open. When these covers are closed, however, and returned to the position in Fig. l the electrical circuit thru thecontacts 43 and 44 will be broken and thefan motor 18 andfan 17 will stop and thelamp 21 will be extinguished. When it is desired to change thelamp 21 thehousing 14 is opened and themember 25 is lifted, thelamp 21 removed and a new lamp inserted in its place.

Although only a few of the various forms in which this invention may be embodied have been shown herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction but may be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a cylindrical casing, a lamp of the type producing ultra-violet rays in the germicidal band mounted axially of said casing, helical vanes disposed around said lamp to form helical air passages within said casing, a bottom closure plate for said casing having an air discharge port, valve means closing said port, means responsive to a predetermined air pressure within said casing to open said valve means and allow said air to discharge, and blower means drawing air from outside of said casing and forcing said air along said helical air passages, whereby said air is exposed to the action of said ultraviolet rays for a period of time required to build up said predetermined pressure.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which said blower means comprises a fan and a motor connected to drive said fan, and switch means connected to energize said lamp and said motor simultaneously.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 including a movable cover for said casing, and means actuated by said cover when in open position to close said switch.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 including an ash tray disposed in said casing whereby air is drawn from said ash tray into said casing by said blower means.

5. The invention set forth inclaim 4 including a movable cover for said ash tray, and switch means actuated by said cover and connected to control the energization of said blower means and said lamp.

6. In a device of the character described, a cylindrical casing, a lamp of the type producing ultra-violet rays in the germicidal band mounted axially of said casing, helical vanes disposed around said lamp to form helical air passages within said casing, a bottom closure plate for said casing having an air discharge port, valve means closing said port, means responsive to a predetermined air pressure within said casing to open said valve means and allow said air to discharge, and blower means drawing air from outside of said casing and forcing said air along said helical air passages, whereby said air is ex posed to the action of said ultraviolet rays for a period of time required to build up said predetermined pressure, said pressure responsive means comprising a latch for said valve means and a bellows responsive to said air pressure connected to release said latch when said pressure reaches the predetermined value.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,249,982 Markel Dec. 11, 1917 1,600,522 Strehlke Sept. 21, 1926 2,141,923 McMahan Dec. 27, 1938 2,248,618 Fischer July 8, 1941 2,644,467 Breidert July 7, 1953

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