Improvements in Devices for Cleaning Tobacco Pipes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1896--Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Cleaning Tobacco Pipes.
We IRA BURR STURGIS, Real Estate Agent and JOHN EBEN YOUNG, Civil
Engineer both of 54 Front Street Portland Oregon United States of America do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning tobacco pipes,
and its novelty will be fully understood from the following description and claims.
when taken in connection with the annexed drawing in which:
Figure 1, is a longitudinal sectional view of a tobacco pipe with the cleaner in
position therein.
Figure 2, is an elevation of the cleaner, removed.
Figure 3, is an enlarged section taken on line a, a, of Figure 1.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, are elevations of modified forms of cleaners.
Figure 7, is a section taken in the plane indicated by the line y, y, of Figure 6.
Figure 8, is an elevation showing a device for use in conjunction with the device
shown in Figure 5, and also designed for cleaning the bowls of pipes of sediment,
and a finger piece which may be applied to the devices shown in Figures 1 to 7,
when desired.
Figure 9, is a plan view of the blank from which finger piece is formed.
Referring by letter to the drawing and more particularly to Figures 1, 2, and 3,
thereof A, indicates an ordinary tobacco pipe having a straight stem B, and
C, indicates our improved cleaner. This cleaner is preferably made from a piece
of resilient wire, and it is provided at one end with an eye a, designed to be
threaded with raw cotton or other cleaning material, and is bent at its opposite end
to form a finger grasp b, and is slitted longitudinally for an intermediate portion of
its length as indicated by c, so as to form the cutting or scraping portions d, better
illustrated in Figures 2, and 3, of the drawing. The said cutting or scraping
portions d, spread or move apart in the manner illustrated in Figure 3, when the
cleaner is turned in the bore or passage of the pipe stem and it will therefore be
seen that the edges formed by their flat and curved sides will cut or scrape all the
nicotine and other sediment from the wall of said bore or passage.
In using the implement or device to clean the stem of a pipe, it is gradually
introduced into the bore or passage and turned so as to enable the cutting or
scraping portions d, to remove the nicotine and other sediment from the wall of
the bore or passage throughout the length thereof. The device is then removed
from the pipe stem, and after the eye a, has been threaded with a sufficient
quantity of raw cotton or other cleaning material, it is again introduced into the
stem and worked to and fro so as to thoroughly clear the passage or bore.
This
operation is repeated until the stem is not only clear but dry, the eye a, being
threaded with clean cotton before each introduction if necessary.
In Figure 4, of the drawing we have illustrated a modified form of device C¹,
which in common with that shown in Figures 1, to 3, has on eye a, at one end
designed to be threaded with raw cotton or other cleaning material and a finger
grasp b, at its opposite end. This device C³, however is formed from a piece of flat
metal and instead of its cutting or scraping portions d, being formed by a slit, they
are formed by twisting it, preferably throughout its length, in the manner
illustrated.

page_text: In Figure 5, a construction of device C, is shown which has an eye a, at one
end and a finger grasp b, at its opposite end like those of the devices shown in
Figures 1 to 4. This device C2, however differs from the devices C, C¹, in that it
is formed of a piece of light wire bent upon itself and is sufficiently light and
flexible to admit of it being passed through a curvilinear pipe stem to clean the
bore or passage of the same."
The said device C, has small abrading portions d', which are formed by twisting
it as shown, and it is therefore enabled to more quickly clean the bore or passage
of a stem.
The device C, shown in Figures 6, and 7, which has an eye a, at one end and a
finger grasp b, at its opposite end, is adapted to clean a pipe stem, but is more
especially designed for cleaning the smoke passage of a cigar or cigarette holder.
Said device is made by bending two or more pieces of narrow flat metal upon
themselves and twisting them adjacent to the opposite ends of the device. The
middle portions of the wires however are not twisted, and as they bow out as
shown and are more or less resilient, they will form efficient cutting or scraping
portions d³.
It will be seen that each of the several forms of cleaning devices described,
while very efficient, is very cheap and simple and may be produced at slight cost.
It will also be seen that the several devices form an efficient "smokers cleaning
outfit" by which either straight or curved stemmed pipes and cigar and cigarette
holders may be cleaned, and that they may all be packed in a narrow case
convenient to carry in the pocket.
In Figure 8, is shown a device C, having a hook a', at one end. This device is
designed and adapted to clean pipe bowls of collected sediment and it is also
designed to be hooked in the eye a, of the device shown in Figure 5, after the
same is passed through a pipe stem, so as to enable the operator to draw said eye
up to the top of the pipe bowl. In this position the hooked end of device C, is
inserted through the eye a, of device C, and cotton or a piece of yarn is then
placed on the hooked end of device C, and is drawn through the eye of device C,
after which the hooked end of device C, is disengaged from the cotton or yarn.
When this has been done, the device C, with the cotton or yarn may be drawn
back through the pipe stem to thoroughly cleanse the same.
In Figures 8, and 9, is also shown a finger piece T, which is designed for use on
any one of the several devices shown. This finger piece T, is formed from a
blank of sheet metal such as shown in Figure 9, and is designed to be clasped upon
the devices as shown in Figure 8, and may be provided with advertising matter or
any suitable inscription.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
1. As an improved article of manufacture a tobacco pipe cleaner having an eye a,
at one end, and a finger piece or grasp at its opposite end and also having abrading
portions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. A tobacco pipe cleaner having a hook at one end, and a finger piece or grasp
at its opposite end, substantially as specified.
3. A tobacco pipe cleaner comprising a device adapted to be inserted in a pipe,
and a finger piece or grasp formed from sheet metal and clasped upon the device
at one end thereof, substantially as specified.
4. As an improved article of manufacture, the herein described pipe cleaner
formed from a piece of resilient wire of circular form in cross-section so as to
facilitate its introduction into the stem and having the longitudinal slot e, at an
intermediate point in its length and also having the longitudinal cutting or scraping
portions d, formed by the slot c, and having the contiguous flat sides; the said
cutting or scraping portions d, being adapted to spread or move apart when the
cleaner is turned in the bore or passage of a pipe stem so as to enable, the edges

page_text: formed by the flat sides of said portions to scrape the sediment off the wall of the
bore of the pipe stem, all substantially as specified.
5. As an improved article of manufacture, the herein described pipe-cleaner,.
formed from a piece of resilient wire of circular form in cross-section, so as to
facilitate its introduction into the stem, and having the longitudinal slot c, at an
intermediate point in its length and also having the longitudinal cutting or scraping
portions d, formed by the slot e, and having the contiguous flat sides; the said
cutting or scraping portions d. being adapted to spread or move apart when the
cleaner is turned in the bore or passage of pipe stem, so as to enable the edges to
scrape the sediment off the wall of the bore of the pipe stem, all substantially as.
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 17th day of February 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents..