Patent GB-1057650-A (GB)
Title: Cigarette dispenser
IPC: A24F15/10
Filed: 1964-12-14
Abstract: 1,057,650. Cigarette dispensers. R.A.W. NAUJOKS. Dec. 14, 1964 [Dec. 20, 1963], No. 50897/64. Heading B8P. [Also in Divisions F3-F4] A cigarette dispenser comprises a housing 1 (Fig. 1, not shown), having a cigarette storage chamber (3), a dispensing drawer slidably mounted beneath the chamber for receiving unlighted cigarettes, releasable means 24, Fig. 3, locking the drawer beneath the chamber, a cigarette lighter 11 near one end of the drawer, manually controlled means 22 for engaging and shifting along a cigarette on the drawer to a position adjacent the lighter, a timer 18 for releasing the locking means at a predetermined time so that the drawer moves from the chamber to allow the lighted cigarette to be removed and means for moving the drawer. When a projection 14 on a push-bar 15 is moved along a slot in the front panel of the chamber against the restraining force of a spring 23, the end of the push-bar operates a switch 19 supplying a current to the igniting coil 11 and also winds the timing mechanism 18 which temporarily locks the push-bar in position. A second push-bar 21, connected to the first by a spring 20, moves with the first pushbar 15 and a tongue 22 attached to one of its ends pulls a cigarette 8 in the trough 7 towards the igniting coil 11. A buffer 13 prevents the cigarette actually touching the coil. After a short time interval during which the cigarette is ignited, the timing mechanism 18 releases the push-bar 15 which springs back to its initial position accompanied by the second push-bar 21 on which a stop 25 is fixed. The momentum of the push-bar 21 results in the stop 25 pushing the locking lever 24 out of position, thereby releasing the drawer 6. Two bent leaf springs (47, 47a, Fig. 7, not shown), shaped to allow only one cigarette at a time to enter the trough, press down on ball-bearings (48, 48a) rolling in sloping slots at the back of the drawer 6 and cam the drawer with the ignited cigarette out of the box. Four ball-bearings (43, 43a &c.) enable the drawer to slide smoothly. A finger hole 9 enables the lighted cigarette to be easily removed from the trough 7. The drawer 6 is then manually pushed back to its initial position, whereupon the trough 7 receives another cigarette, levers 6a in the drawer assisting the feed. Additional features include ribs 4 in the housing 1 which align the cigarettes prior to their placement in the trough and a flue 12 which may be removably mounted. Modifications include a transparent shield on the front of the drawer for viewing the position of the cigarette, a lamp in the housing (1) for illuminating the drawer opening and perforations in the base of the housing to allow tobacco remnants to fall out. In another embodiment, Figs. 4, 5 (not shown), the housing (1) is mounted in a U-shaped frame (28) which may also form the lid. A lug (30) on a catch (29) which is fixed to the base of the dispenser engages in a hole (31) in the frame, thereby locking the dispenser in the frame. A threepin plug on the back of the dispenser engages a socket (33) mounted on the frame and an arc-shaped hole in the frame enables the dispenser to swing out of the frame, thereby breaking the electrical connection to the igniting coil and timing mechanism. A clamping plate (39) is fixed to the back of the frame and by hinging this plate to a mounting plate (34) the dispenser may be mounted at any suitable angle.