US3402724A - Apparatus for withdrawal from tobacco habit - Google Patents

Description

Sept 24, 1968 l.. L. BLOUNT ETAL 3,402,724

APPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM TOBACCO HABIT Filed Oct. 2l, 1965 ci/f [ESTERLLou/vr [Eo/MRD l. T11/@MAS INVENTORS rraklvfy United States Patent O 3,402,724 APPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM TOBACCO HABIT Lester L. Blount, 15012 Midway Place, Midway City, Calif. 92655, and Leonard L. Thomas, 11452 .lola Ave., Garden Grove, Calif. 92640 Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 499,266 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-198) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosed herein is a smoking device (cigarette o-r cigar holder or pipe stem) embodying a receptacle for drawing smoke from a body of burning tobacco at one end thereof; a mouth-piece at its opposite end; an intermediate tubular barrel; an air inlet ring between the opposed ends of the barrel and receptacle; and core means including a body of plug form mounted in the barrel and having an axial smoke speed-up passage, and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced prongs projecting through the air inlet ring and into the receptacle and supporting the ring and the receptacle from the barrel, and including a barrier hcad axially opposed and adjacent to the downstream end of the smoke speed-up passage, for collecting tar from smoke drawn through the passage.

This invention relates to the treatment of the tobacco smoking habit by smokers who desire to discontinue the habit. The general object of the invention is to provide means whereby a smoker, in a series of successive stages of continued smoking, can gradually withdraw from the habit-sustaining influence of the smoke being inhaled from a cigarette, cigar or pipe. A corrollary object is to provide a kit consisting of a cigarette or cigar holder or pipe stem and a series of replacement parts for sequentially adjusting the device for successively increased percentage of removal of tars from the smoke. We have found that a smoker can endure the gradual reduction in the tar-content of the smoke being inhaled by him, provided that the adjustment is spread over a period of several weeks, and we have also discovered that by thus gradually adjusting the tar content to successively lower percentages, the overpowering desire for continued smoking, which normally sustains the habit, is eventually dissipated, and finally the smoker can quit his smoking without any resulting feeling of discomfort or uneasiness or desire for continued smoking.

With the foregoing in view, the invention provides apparatus for use by a smoker wherein:

1) In successive stages, the smoke being inhaled is diluted by small quantities of air in a successively increasing ratio of air to smoke;

(2) In the successive stages, an increasing percentage of tar is removed from the smoke being inhaled;

(3) A smoking implement is provided, having means for admitting a small quantity of air into the smoke stream being drawn through the implement;

(4) A succession of air-admission parts are provided, for successive replacement installation in the smoking implement;

(5) The replacement parts and the remainder of the smoking implement are so constructed and correlated that replacement can be easily and quickly effected.

These and other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specifications and appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a cigarette holder embodying the invention in one form;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; showing a first-stage air-admission collar;

Patented Sept. 24, 1968 ice FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in the same plane as FIG. 2, showing a subsequent-stage air-admission collar replacing the one shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a later-stage replacement air-admission collar;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a final-stage air-admission collar;

FIG. 6 is an axial sectional View of a modified form of the smoking implement;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the implement of FIG. 6 taken on the line 7-7 thereof;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary axial sectional view of a modified portion of the implement of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the implement shown in FIG. 8, taken on the line 9 9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. l0 is a fragmentary axial sectional View of a variation of the modified portion shown in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 1l is a fragmentary axial sectional view of another variation of the modified portion shown in FIG. 8.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5 of the drawing, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, a holder for a cigarette A, comprising a barrel B substantially enclosing and supporting a core C, a receptacle sleeve D releasa-bly supported on the forward end of core C, and a control collar E encircling said forward end of core C and interposed snugly between the forward end of barrel B and the rear end of holder sleeve D.

Barrel B comprises a cylindrical body 15 and a stem 16 having a draft aperture 17 at one end. Body 15 has a counterbore 18 terminating at an annular shoulder 19, from which a reduced diameter smoke passage extends rearwardly through stem 16.

Core C has a body 21 of plug form with a cylindrical periphery fitted snugly but removably in barrel bore 18, an integral annular radial flange 22 abutting the forward end of barrel body 15 to position the core C within the barrel, a quartered segmental forward end portion constituting four prongs 23 extending into and releasably supporting the holder sleeve D, and a tail 24 extending rearwardly to shoulder 19 and terminating in a conical end 25. Tail 25 is radially spaced from the wall of counterbore 18, defining an annular cylindrical tar-collection chamber 26 terminating at shoulder 19, which is spaced from tail end 25 so as to define an annular passage between chamber 26 and the smoke passage in stern 16.

Core body 21 has an axial conduit 30 terminating at its rear end in a restricted smoke speed-up passage 31 which communicates with the center of a diametral crossbore 32 the ends of which communicate with tar-collection chamber 26. The forward end of conduit 30 communicates with the space within and between the four segmental fingers 23. Fingers 23 are tapered to define a conical bell-mouth 34 communicating substantially fulldiameter with the rear end of a cigarette A inserted into holder sleeve D, so as to direct smoke into conduit 30.

Restricted passage 31 is in a range embracing about .028 inch in diameter. Cross bore 32 may be of the same or somewhat larger diameter, providing (in its two portions branching in opposite directions from restricted passage 31) it has an aggregate fiow area at least twice that of passage 31. Passage 31 thus acts as restricted throat to accelerate the flow rate of the smoke to high speed such that tars are precipitated against the wall of cross bore 32 as the flow rate drops therein. Precipitated tars will drip into chamber 26 and will collect there.

Precipitation of tar is increased by cooling the smoke as it enters the conduit 30, and is controlled by varying the cooling effect. This is accomplished by use of the series of control collars E, E1, E2, E3 and E4 shown in FIGS. respectively. Collar E1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) has a single air inlet port 40 extending radially therethrough and arranged to communicate with conduit 30 through one of the slots 33. Collar E2 (FIG. 3) is provided with two inlet ports 40, positioned (e.g., 90 apart) to communicate respectively with two of the slots 33. Conduits E3 and E4 (FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively) are provided with three and four inlet ports respectively, positioned to cornmunicate with three and four slots 33 respectively, all as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 respectively.

In using the holder, the smoker starts with a first control collar which provides no cooling effect, and the smoke passes through the holder at a relatively high temperature. The smoking experience derived from the use of the holder in the closed condition provided by this collar, is comparable to that of conventional smoking.

After using the holder for a few days, the smoker removes holder sleeve D and the first collar from support fingers 23, and upon reassembly, he substitutes collar E1 for the rst collar. Collar E1 admits a small quantity of air through its port 40 and through the registering slot 33 into conduit 30, thus slightly cooling the smoke entering restricted passage 31. A somewhat greater percentage of tar is precipitated from such cooler smoke, and the smoke entering the smokers lungs produces a correspondingly milder sensation. A stage of smoking under this adjusted condition is continued for a period of from three days to a week, until the smoking sensation being derived from this stage is completely satisfying. Then the smoker removes the collar E1 and substitutes collar E2. Twice as much air is then admitted and the cooling effect is correspondingly increased. Tar removal is again increased, and additional mildness is imparted to the smoke. Again the smoker uses the holder under the adjusted conditions for a period of from several days to a week, until all craving for the more sharply sensational smoking of former stages has disappeared. The smoker then again adjusts the holder for use of the three-port collar E3, uses the holder as thus adjusted, for a period of time such as to again develop a satisfied reaction to the sensation of further mildness derived during this period. He then goes on to use the holder with the final control collar E4, which causes the holder to deliver smoke which is substantially bland. After a further period of use of the holder as thus adjusted, he may be physiologically conditioned for quitting the smoking habit with as little effort as was involved in adjusting the holder from one control collar to the next in the series.

In order that the tar removal may be controlled while maintaining a satisfactory concentration of smoke without excessive dilution by the admitted air, the ratio between the air inlet port diameter and the diameter of restricted passage 31 must be substantially a 2:3 ratio. For example, where the diameter of passage 31 is .028 as stated previously, the diameter of each air inlet port 40 is .018, the ratio being approximately .643. This establishes the ratio of cooling air to smoke in the mixture passing through the restricted passage 31 in the use of the holder with the collar E1 installed therein. The ratio of admitted air to smoke passing through the passage in the subsequent -use of the holder with the lsucceeding collars E2. E3, E4 is increased successively as each successive collar is used, but each succeeding ratio bears a relationship to the initial ratio (in the use of collar E1) which is such that in the final stage, using collar E4, the smoker still derives the sensation of smoking although with such a nearly complete absence of tars that the habit-sustaining element of the smoke is in that stage so attenuated that its control over the smoker is eliminated.

It is important that the cooling air is admitted to the smoke stream before the latter is accelerated in the passage 31, whereby precipitation of tar will occur as it is discharged from the restricted passage 31 as a high speed jet into cross bore 32. The cooling effect of the admitted air will bring the smoke to a temperature, when discharged from the passage 31, such that tar is condensed and will be precipated as the velocity of the air stream drops subsequent to leaving passage 31.

While the relationship between air inlets and passage 31 is important, the specific design and arrangement of the passage and the surface on which the tar is deposited, may be varied without departing from the principles of the invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the passage 31' may discharge its jet against a flat circular forward end surface of a barrier head 45,*,the end surface being in closely-spaced, axially-opposed relation to a fiat rear end surface of a core C1 so as to define therewith a thin disc-shaped passage 46 extending radially in all directions from the rear end of the passage 31. Passage 46 has an axial spacing from core C1 of about 1/32". Head 45, instead of being an integral part of the core, is a separate part having a tail 47 which is longitudinally grooved to provide a series of circumferentially spaced smoke passages 48 (FIG. 7) connecting the tar collection chamber 26 to the passage within a stem 49. Barrel B1 comprises a plain cylindrical sleeve 50 in Iwhich is snugly fitted the forward end of stem 49, which in turn snugly receives the tail 47 so as to support the head 4S. Other parts in FIG. 6 are the same as in FIG. 1 as indicated by the use of corresponding numerals. i

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a variation of the structure shown in FIG. 6 wherein the forward end of head 45 is provided with a diametral V-groove in opposed relation to passage 31', the remainder of the apparatus being the same as in FIG. 6. Substantially the same structure is shown in FIG. l0, the only difference being in the groove 56 (in lieu of groove 55) which is of rectangular instead of V section.

FIG. 11 discloses another modified form of the invention, wherein the core C2, instea'd of being cup-shaped, comprises a collar 60 into which is projected a cylindrical tip 61. The forward end of tip V61 is bevelled at 62, and is disposed just to the rear of the plane of control collars E, etc. An annular cylindrical passage 63 is defined between the lateral wall of tip 61 and the internal wall of collar 60, the spacing between these Walls being about .0035". A flat annular space 64 is defined between axially-opposed end faces of collar 60 and of head 45, the latter end face being an annular radial shoulder 65. The remainder of the apparatus of FIG. 11 is the same as in FIG. 6, as indicated by the same numerals. Space 64 has an axial depth in the range of 3&2" to Smoke Striking the bevelled forward end face 62 of tip 61 is deflected radially against the internal wall of collar 60, causing some tar precipitation. It then passes through the thin annular passage 63 and impinges against shoulder 65, where additional tar is precipitated, draining into collection chamber 26.

We claim:

1. In a kit for use by a smoker for withdrawal from the smoking habit, a tubular draft device including at one end a receptacle through which smoke may be drawn from a body of burning tobacco; a barrel having a mouthpiece stem at the other end of the device; a core mounted in said barrel and having at one end means projecting into said receptacle and releasably supporting the same, said core embodying tar-removal means; and a plurality of control collars replaceably insertable between said receptacle and said barrel, said collars having radial air inlet orifices for the admission of cooling air into the smoke stream travelling from said receptacle into said tar-removal means, for condensing the tarin the smoke screen, the orifices in each successive control collar being greater in number than in the previous collar, whereby to effect successive increase of tar condensation with the use of each successive collar, said releasable receptaclesupporting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially-spaced fingers defining between them slots with which said orifices are registered when the collars are installed. A

2. A withdrawal kit as defined in clairn 1, wherein said 2,944,554 7/ 1960 Marguleas 131-198 core has a radial liange interposed between the installed 2,951,486 9/ 1960 Walters 131-198 collar and the adjacent end of said barrel. 2,954,772 10/ 1960 Lebert 131-201 X 3. A withdrawal kit as dened in claim 2, wherein said 2,967,528 1/ 1961 Kelter 131-198 fingers extend through the installed control collar and 5 3,116,741 1/ 1964 Speck 131-198 X are fitted snugly therewithin to support the collar in con- 3,265,074 8/ 1966 Davis 131-198 centric and peripherally ilush relation to the receptacle 3,289,678 12/1966 Fassbender 131-198 and baffel FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited 1,027,901 2/ 1953 France.

1() UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,240,083 7/ 1960 France.

1,908,878 5/ 1933 Abrams 131--201 JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner. 2,024,865 12/1935 McArdle 131--198

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