IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TOBACCO PIPE STEMS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Davis, of 267, Oxford Street, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF TOBACCO PIPE STEMS."
Sealed the 10th October 1856, and dated the 11th April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
April 1856.
I, ROBERT DAVIS, of 267, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF TOBACCO PIPE STEMS, to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of tobacco pipe stems
relates to the stems of meerschaum & other similar pipes, & consists in so
constructing & fitting a lining tube of clay or other suitable material that it
can be readily replaced by another, & that it will at the same time be pressed
close up towards one end, whereby any passage of the smoke on the outside of
the lining tube will be prevented, and the smoke constrained to pass up the
centre of the lining tube. I find clay well adapted for these inner tubes,
which I make of suitable length for the tube stems to which they are to be
adapted; I make them drop readily in or out of the stems when required to
be introduced or withdrawn; but in order that the pressure shall be exerted

page_text: to push the inner tube against the end of the mouth-piece, I place a spiral
spring around, or otherwise, to exert its force against the clay lining, which
spring, when the stem is screwed together, is compressed, & exerts the constant
pressure required for the purpose before described. A shoulder or enlarge-
ment is formed on the inner lining or tube, on which the pressure of the
spring is exerted; by this means, when the pipe stem becomes foul, by merely
unscrewing the stem at the proper place, the old inside tube can be dropped
out & a new one placed in the stem. A piece of leather or some soft
material should be opposed to the pressure of the inside tube to render the
contact smoke and air tight.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
DAVIS, of 267, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Davis, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Davis, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Davis,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC-
TION OF TOBACCO PIPE STEMS, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Robert Davis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Davis, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,

page_text: reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of tobacco pipe stems,
relates to the stems of meerschaum and other similar pipes, and consists in so
constructing and fitting a lining tube, of clay or other similar material, that it
can be readily replaced by another, and that it will at the same time be
pressed close up towards one end, whereby any passage of the smoke on the
outside of the lining tube will be prevented, and the smoke constrained to
pass up the centre of the lining tube. I find clay well adapted for these
inner tubes, which I make of suitable length for the pipe stems to which they
are to be adapted; I make them to drop readily in or out of the stems when
required to be introduced or withdrawn; but in order that the pressure shall
be exerted to push the inner tube against the end of the mouth-piece, I place a
spiral spring around it, or otherwise, to exert its force against the clay lining,
which spring, when the stem is screwed together is compressed, and exerts the
constant pressure required, for the purpose before described. A shoulder or
enlargement is formed on the inner lining or tube, on which the pressure of
the spring is exerted; by this means, when the pipe stem becomes foul, by
merely unscrewing the stem at the proper place, the old inside tube can be
dropped out and a new one placed in the stem. A piece of cork or some soft
material should be opposed to the pressure at the ends of the inside tube to
reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of tobacco pipe stems,
relates to the stems of meerschaum and other similar pipes, and consists in so
constructing and fitting a lining tube, of clay or other similar material, that it
can be readily replaced by another, and that it will at the same time be
pressed close up towards one end, whereby any passage of the smoke on the
outside of the lining tube will be prevented, and the smoke constrained to
pass up the centre of the lining tube. I find clay well adapted for these
inner tubes, which I make of suitable length for the pipe stems to which they
are to be adapted; I make them to drop readily in or out of the stems when
required to be introduced or withdrawn; but in order that the pressure shall
be exerted to push the inner tube against the end of the mouth-piece, I place a
spiral spring around it, or otherwise, to exert its force against the clay lining,
which spring, when the stem is screwed together is compressed, and exerts the
constant pressure required, for the purpose before described. A shoulder or
enlargement is formed on the inner lining or tube, on which the pressure of
the spring is exerted; by this means, when the pipe stem becomes foul, by
merely unscrewing the stem at the proper place, the old inside tube can be
dropped out and a new one placed in the stem. A piece of cork or some soft
material should be opposed to the pressure at the ends of the inside tube to
render the contact smoke and air tight.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents an external view of a tobacco pipe having a stem con-
structed according to my Invention, which, however, as regards external
appearance, is or may be the same as any other; Fig. 2 represents a longi-
tudinal section of the same, while Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent the
parts in detail.
The bowl a and lower part of the stem 6 are fitted together in the ordinary
way; on the piece 6 I form a screw c, and fit thereto a short tube d, separately
represented at Figure 5. The length of this part and of the internal fittings
will of course depend on the length of stem required. The part fitted to the
bowl is covered with cork as usual, and is bored out internally to receive
the pipe-clay tube lining e, which I prepare and burn like an ordinary pipe
stem. This tube is represented in section at Fig. 7, and externally at Fig. 8.
In the bottom of the cavity in 6 I place a washer of cork f, against which the
clay tube rests. The clay tube having been inserted into 6, (when the piece d
is removed) as shewn at Figures 4 and 5, the piece d is then screwed in posi-

page_text: tion; previous to screwing on d, I drop a washer of cork g into d, as seen in
the section; this washer cannot pass out at the top, the screw passage to
receive the mouth-piece being smaller than the washer. When the mouth-
piece (which by preference I make of amber) is" screwed into position, the
lower end of it comes against the cork washer and compresses it, as also the
washer f at the opposite end of tube e, thereby preventing the possibility of
smoke passing around the outside of tube e, or otherwise than through that
tube as required for smoking. By this means the internal fittings are rendered
air and smoke tight, except by the regular passage through the stem.
In
order that a constant pressure may be exerted against the end of the mouth-
piece, even though the washers ƒ and g are too thin to render a tight fit at
both ends of the clay tube, I place a small spiral spring i around the clay tube,
and form on that tube a projection at p. The spring is placed between the
projection and the end of 6. In screwing on the piece d the spring i is
compressed, and therefore it has a constant tendency to extend and to force the
clay tube up against the washer next the end of the mouth-piece, and will
always maintain an air and smoke tight contact, even although the pressure on
the washer should be inconsiderable, or even none at all. When the tube e
becomes foul from use, it is simply necessary to unscrew. the piece d and
remove the tube e and introduce a fresh one, and then to screw the piece d
again in position: I would observe that the introduction of a clay lining
simply of itself would be insufficient to remedy the inconvenience, if care is
not taken to prevent the passage of the smoke outside the tube e, which,
however, will be prevented if constructed as herein-before described. By this
means the interior of the external parts of the stem are kept from contact
with the smoke, and therefore cannot become foul and disagreeable, as is the
case in the ordinary stems of meerschaum pipes.
Fig. 9 represents a section of a pipe stem, representing a modification of
construction according to my Invention. In this example the arrangements.
are the same, except that the clay tube e is inserted in a tube s of zinc or
other suitable metal, separately represented at Fig. 10. In this case a cork
washer t is placed within the lower end of the metal tube s, which is con-
tracted, so as to keep the washer t and tube e from dropping through; a
washer g is also inserted below the tube s and in the same position as before.
The projection p on the tube e is dispensed with, and instead, a projection u is
formed on the metal tube s, against which the spring acts, which is placed
outside the metal tube, as shown in Figures. 9 and 10; the washer g is in this
case inserted within the tube s, and is withdrawn when it is desired to remove
Lic clay tube e. The spring as before forces the tubes s and e up towards

page_text: the mouth-piece, and the interposition of washer g between tube e and mouth-
piece renders the contact smoke-tight. If thought desirable, the position
of the spring and direction of its pressure may be reversed.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which it
may be performed, I would have it understood that I do not claim exclusively
as my Invention the mere introduction of linings of clay or other material in
the stems of tobacco pipes; but that what I do claim as my Invention, and
desire to be protected by the in part herein-before recited Letters Patent, is,
the introduction of clay or other lining tubes into the stems of tobacco pipes,
and preventing the passage of smoke on the exterior of such linings or other-
wise than through the proper passage, for the purpose and as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Davis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
58, Chancery Lane, London.
ROBT DAVIES. (L.B.)