IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGAR BOXES OR CABINETS
Year: 1884

page_text: I Lieutenant Colonel JAMES FRANCIS HICKIE of the Junior United Service
Club London and of Slevoir, Roscrea Ireland, do hereby declare: the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGAR BOXES OR CABINETS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists essentially of a cigar box or cabinet so constructed and
arranged as to prevent fraudulent tampering with the contents thereof after it has
been charged with cigars of any given brand whilst at the same time permitting
the self delivery of the cigars from the said box or cabinet as they may be required
for use without affording access to the interior thereof.
The said box or cabinet is made so as to be securely closed and if desired sealed
or otherwise protected by a Trade Mark or other label constituting a guarantee of
the quality of the cigars which it contains, consequently the re-filling or the
replenishing of the same when wholly or partially emptied with other cigars of an
inferior quality cannot be effected without detection, by reason of the destruction
of the protective seal or trade mark or other label.
According to one mode of. carrying out my said invention I provide a box or
cabinet of wood metal or other suitable material fitted with a view to replenishing
when required with a hinged or other lid or cover capable of being securely fastened
by a lock and key or otherwise in conjunction or not with a protective seal or label.
In the interior of this box or cabinet I form one two or more vertically disposed
compartments separated by upright fixed partitions which extend from the top to
the bottom of the cigar holding portion of the box. The bottom of each of these
vertical compartments (which are by preference of a width and length sufficient
only to contain a vertical row of cigars placed horizontally one above another) is
closed by a hollow rotating cylinder having a longitudinal opening on one side of
sufficient size to admit of the passage of a single cigar at a time into the interior of
the said cylinder when turned with its open side upwards. When in its reversed
position namely with the open side downwards the lowest cigar of the vertical row
in the corresponding compartment rests upon the convex side or surface of the said
cylinder thereby supporting the cigars above it. The outer or front ends of the
several cylinders project through the front of the box or cabinet and are provided
each with a suitable key-hole or with a projecting part or knob for for facilitating
the turning of the cylinders either by a special key or by the finger and thumb of
the operator. In the normal condition of the Cabinet the several cylinders have by

page_text: preference their open sides downwards and when a cigar is required to be extracted
it is simply necessary to turn the cylinder whereupon the lowest cigar of the series
in the corresponding compartment will drop inside the hollow of the said cylinder
and on completing the revolution of the cylinder the cigar will drop therefrom into
a chamber below from which it is projected and delivered through the open front
mouth thereof by the action upon the inner end of the cigar of a striker or pusher
worked by a helical or other spring. The striker is withdrawn or cocked ready for
action by a cylindrical grooved cam on the rear end of the cylinder and engaging
with the said striker the rotation of the cylinder forcing back the striker and
compressing its actuating spring. By the time the cigar has been allowed to drop
into the bottom chamber the cylinder will have been so far rotated as to release the
striker which then discharges or delivers the cigar. A ratchet and detent arrange-
ment or other well known appliance is adapted to each cylinder to prevent it from
being turned in the wrong direction and where found requisite a guard worked
from the cylinder itself may be employed to support the pile of cigars above when
the bottom one is entering the cylinder. Should it be found desirable to count or
check the number of cigars delivered any suitable or well known counting apparatus
may be combined with and worked from the axes of the cylinders. Side or front
panels of glass may also be let into the box to enable the number of cigars therein
to be inspected from the outside.
It will be obvious that the discharge or delivery of the cigars, one by one, from
the safety Box or Cabinet without permitting access to the interior of the same
may be accomplished by other mechanical combinations or arrangements for effecting
the same object, for example reciprocating or other moving slides having openings
therein for the cigar to pass through may be used in lieu of revolving cylinders:
Moreover the cigars may be discharged laterally or sideways in lieu of lenthwise or
endwise and the rows or series of cigars may be disposed horizontally in lieu of
vertically. Also that cylinders having a revolving or a circular reciprocating
movement and provided on the circumference with chambers or recesses at con-
venient intervals into which the cigars drop or are pushed singly may be used for
effecting the delivery without affording access to the interior of the improved box
or Cabinet.

page_text: I Lieutenant Colonel JAMES FRANCIS HICKIE of the Junior United Service Club
London and of Slevoir, Roscrea Ireland do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGAR BOXES OR CABINETS" and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in cigar boxes or cabinets constructed and
arranged with a view to prevent fraudulent tampering with the contents thereof
after the same has been charged with cigars of any given braud the said improved
cigar box or cabinet also effecting the self-delivery of the cigars therefrom as they
are required for use without affording access to the interior thereof.
I attain these objects by the box and mechanism contained therein illustrated in
the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved cigar box or cabinet complete taken
along the line 1-2 in figures 2 and 4.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken pårtly along the line 3-4 and partly along
the line 5-6 in figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the lower part only of the cabinet also taken
along the line 1-2 in figures 2 and 4 but showing the mechanism in a different
position.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the Cabinet showing a portion thereof in
transverse vertical taken along the line 7-8 in figures 1, 2 and 3 and looking from
the front of the cabinet, and,
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section of the Cabinet taken along the line 9-10
in figures 1 and 2 and looking from the back thereof.
Figure 6 are detail views of the front end of the delivery device or cylinder
hereinafter inore fully referred to.
A is the body of the cigar box or cabinet composed of wood metal or other
suitable material and of any design or shape according to taste.
It may be
supported if desired on feet or legs (not shown in the Drawings) of any ornamental
design and is provided with a lid or cover B on the top which is capable of being
locked or otherwise securely closed and when closed and filled with cigars is for
greater security against fraud sealed or otherwise protected by a Trade Mark or
other Label constituting a guarantee of the quality or brand of the cigars which it
contains. Consequently the refilling or the replenishing of the same by the addition
of other cigars of an inferior quality to the brand with which it was originally
supplied cannot be effect without detection by reason of the destruction of the
seal or label involved in the opening of the Cabinet whilst the delivery or discharging
mechanism is so arranged as effectually to prevent the introduction of a cigar
otherwise than through the open top of the cabinet. C is a transverse vertical
partition separating the cigar holding portion of the Cabinet from the chamber
containing the mechanism which effects the delivery of the cigars as required for
use and which serves to check the fraudulent introduction of a cigar in to the
cabinet back through the delivery aperture as hereinafter explained said mechanism.
being enclosed in a separate compartment D of any suitable shape according to the
general form or design of the Cabinet. In my drawings for the sake of greater
simplicity I have merely shown a plain rectangular box with a compartment D in
the rear portion for enclosing the mechanism. The main portion of the cabinet is
subdivided by the partitions E, E, into any number of narrow vertical compart-
ments a, a, a, a³, a', (five being shown in my drawings) each compartment
:

page_text: "
extending from top to bottom of the cigar holding portion or magazine of the box
or cabinet. These vertical compartments are each of a width sufficient only to
contain a single vertical row of cigars placed horizontally therein and lying one
above another as shown by the dotted lines in figures 1 and 4. They are left open
or fully exposed for charging or refilling when the lid or cover B is opened for that
purpose but are each closed at the Bottom by a hollow rotating cylinder b, b¹, 62,
b3, b. An opening c, c¹, c², c³, c, (shown more clearly in figure 4) is made longi-
tudinally in the side of each cylinder of a width and length sufficient to admit of
the entrance sideways of a single cigar at a time into the interior of the hollow
cylinder when turned with its open side upwards (as shown by the cylinder b² in
figure 4). When in the reversed position namely with the open side downwards
as shown by the cylinder b the lowest cigar of the vertical row in the corresponding
compartment a rests upon the upper or closed convex side which thus supports the
entire vertical row of cigars in the corresponding compartment a above. The front
end of each of the several cylinders is supported by and is free to rotate in a
suitable bearing, or opening formed in the lower part of the front of the Cabinet
and the rear end is supported by and free to rotate in a corresponding bearing
formed in the rear transverse vertical partition C. The outer or front ends of the
several cylinders are flush with or may project 'more or less through the front of
the box or cabinet and are provided at that end with means for facilitating the
turning of each cylinder separately as required such for example as a keyhole d
(figure 4) for the reception of a key of any suitable form or a convenient knob e
fixed to the cylinder and turned by the finger and thumb of the operator (see
figures 1, 2 and 3) or a small lever handle f (see figure 6) the position of the handle
serving also to indicate the position of the opening in the side of the corresponding
cylinder. The normal position of the cylinder is 'shown at b (figure 4) namely with
the opening c downwards: but on turning the cylinder half round or into the position
shown at namely with the opening c upwards the lowest cigar of the vertical
row above will drop into the hollow of the said cylinder and, on completing the
revolution the said cigar will drop out of the cylinder into the receiving chamber g,
g¹, g, g³, g, below from which it is delivered or discharged longitudinally through
an open mouth in the front of the Cabinet by the action of a spring striker or
propeller k, k', k², k³, k, working through the inner end of the corresponding
chamber gas hereinafter described. On the rear end of each cylinder there is
formed either in one piece therewith 'or in a separate piece screwed or otherwise
secured to the rear journal and in the axial line thereof a cylindrical scroll cam h
h¹, h², h³, h*, round the surface of which is formed a spiral groove making one turn
round the cam as shown clearly 'in figures, 1, 2, and 3 each end of the spiral groove
opening into or communicating with a short straight groove i made-parallel to tho
axis of the cam and cylinder as shown with reference to the cam 2 in figure 2.
k, k¹, k³, k³, kª, are the propellers or strikers for discharging each cigar from its
respective chambers g, g¹, g², g³, g, so soon as it has been dropped therein from the
corresponding cylinder above. Each striker consists of a sliding piece moving
longitudinally in the direction of the centre line of the corresponding receiving
chamber and supported and guided by a pin sliding freely inside a corresponding
longitudinal bore in the centre of each cylindrical scroll cam and further guided
and maintained in proper position laterally by the striker pink (shown in its
different positions by dotted lines in figure 2) which pin works freely through an
opening in the rear closed end of the corresponding receiving chamber g. A pro-
jection m on each striker engages with the spiral groove of the scroll cam (see
-figures 1 and 3) so that when the latter is rotated in the proper direction shown by the
arrows in Figure 5 the spiral portion of the cam groove forces back the striker against
a helical or other spring n into the position shown in figure 3 that is to say cocked
and ready for action. By the time the revolution of the cam is nearly completed
the said projection m 'will be on the point of entering the straight portion of the
cain groove and being released by entering the groove i on the completion of the
revolution of the can will be suddenly and forcibly propelled forward by the helical

page_text: spring n into the position shown in figure 1 thereby propelling or discharging the
cigar (which has already been dropped into the chamber g) through the open mouth
of the said chamber. The cigars when placed in their compartments a, a¹, a²,
as, at, are by preference disposed with their small or twisted ends to the front so
that when they are dropped singly into the receiving chambers g, g³, g³, g³, g*, from
the hollow cylinders their larger ends will be presented to the action of the
propellers or strikers and their small ends to the exit mouth of the said chamber
(as shown clearly in figure 3) thus facilitating their free discharge and avoiding all
chance of injury to the cigar.
In order to prevent any possibility of fraud by the introduction of a cigar back
through the receiving chamber g and cylinder b I employ a self-acting guard arm
or check apparatus which I shall now proceed to describe. o is a rocking spindle
turning in bearings p and formed with a crank or arm o̟ the whole being sunk into
a groove or recess in the side E of each compartment so as to lie flush therewith
when not in action. The said rocking spindle is further provided or formed at its
rear end with a short lever arm r acted upon so as to be raised at each revolution
of the cylinder by a projection or pin s on the cam h or on the face of a ratchet
wheelt fixed to the said cam a detent u engaging with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel preventing the cylinder being rotated in the reverse direction to that shown
by the arrows. The projection or pin & by acting on the short lever arm ŕ causes
the same to be raised and the rocking spindle o to rock in its bearings whereby the
crank or arm q of the check apparatus is caused to move outwards from the side
of the vertical compartiment and to enter the hollow cylinder just as the opening
in the side of the said cylinder is brought opposite to the end of the said arm as
shown in the cylinder b¹ (figure 4) the arm or crank q returning again under the
action of a spring on the lever r to its original position flush with the side of
the compartment just before the opening in the cylinder has passed it. The
projection or pin 8 should be so situate in relation to the opening in the cylinder
as to be timed to operate in the manner above set forth and a portion of the
projection may be made concentric in order that the cranked part 9 of the guard
or check arm may if found requisite be caused to pause or dwell for a short time
after it has entered into the interior of the cylinder and before leaving it. So long
as the apparatus is used legitimately it is obvious that the crank q will when the
cylinder and cam are rotated in the direction of the arrow enter the empty space
in the cylinder through the lateral opening c and recede again under the action of
the spring once for each revolution, but in the event of a cigar having been
fraudulently inserted into the cylinder from the receiving chamber g its presence
will obstruct the inward movement of the crank q thereby preventing the lifting
of the lever arm and checking the further rotation of the cylinder in the direction
required and as the cylinder cannot be turned in the reverse direction owing to
the ratchet wheel t and detent u the fact that the apparatus has been tampered
with will be at once detected by the state of the mechanism. If desired panels of
glass as shown at w (figures 1 and 4) may be let into the front or sides and top of
the box or cabinet to enable the cigars in the vertical compartments a, a¹, a³, a³, a',
to be inspected from the outside and any well known counter may obviously be
worked from the cylinders if desired so as to indicate on a dial the number of
cigars delivered but this forms no part of my present invention. x is a separate
removeable lid or cover which may or may not be employed for closing in the
compartment D containing the main portion of the mechanism, when the lid B of
the cabinet is open and for affording a ready means of access to the works for
inspection or repairs for which purpose also the back of the box may if desired be
made removeable as shown by the dotted lines in figure 1 it being maintained in
position by pins or dowells for example at the bottom and by a button or other
simple fastening y at the top. Should it be required to remove a cylinder, first
remove the back of the box then withdraw the striker k and unscrew the corre-
sponding scroll cam with its ratchet wheel from the end of its cylinder when the
latter will be free to be withdrawn from the front of the box. The upright

page_text: partitions E may also if desired be made to slide out as well as the upper part of
the transverse partition C for the facility of affording free access to the rocking
spindle o of the guard or other check apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A locked or sealed self delivering detector cigar box or cabinet provided
with internal mechanism such as herein before described worked from the outside
which mechanism whilst delivering or discharging the cigars singly from the box
as required for use prevents the introduction of fresh cigars therein without
detection as specified.
2. The combination in a detector cigar box or cabinet for preventing the
fraudulent use thereof of the following instrumentalities namely: a box or case
having one or more narrow compartments to receive separate rows of cigars and
adapted to be locked or sealeda rotatable hollow slotted cylindrical delivering
device situate at the end of each of said compartments: a receptacle to receive
the cigar as it escapes from said delivery device: a device substantially as described
actuated or controlled by the delivering device to eject the cigar from the said
receptacle, and a guard or check arm also operated or controlled by the said
delivering device to prevent the insertion of a cigar into the cabinet or case
through such delivering device as set forth.
3. The combination with a detector cigar box or cabinet of the delivering device
consisting of a hollow rotating cylinder situate in and wholly or partially closing
one end of a corresponding narrow compartment and baving an opening in one
side for the outward passage of a cigar said cylinder being provided with a handle
or key hole for turning the same from the outside of the said compartment and
with a ratchet wheel and detent for preventing it being turned in the wrong
direction as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination in a cigar box or cabinet substantially as described of the
aforesaid delivering cylinder and an expelling or discharging device consisting of a
striker adapted to be withdrawn by a cam on the delivering device and a spring
to impel the striker forward when it has reached its extreme withdrawn position
on the cam as set forth.
5. The combination in a cigar box or cabinet of the delivery cylinder sub-
stantially as described and a guard or check device consisting of a rocking spindle
carrying a crank arm operated by a cam projection rotating with the said delivery
cylinder said arm being caused to enter and leave the cylinder laterally once at
each revolution thereof as and for the purpose specified.
6. The combination in a cigar-box or cabinet of the narrow compartment a,
slotted rotating delivery cylinder band rocking guard or check arm q actuated
from the said cylinder as and for the purpose specified.
7. The combination in a cigar box or cabinet of the narrow compartment a
slotted rotary delivery cylinder b, guard or check arm q receiving chamber g-and
spring actuated striker or expeller k-working through the inner end of said
chamber as and for the purpose specified..
Dhon 1001.