US2952263A - Cooling unit for a tobacco pipe - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 13, 1960 A. F. TERENZI COOLING UNIT FOR A TOBACCO PIPE Filed March 6, 1958 INVENTOR. Alfred E Tare/12 flTTOE/VEYS United States Patent The present invention relates to tobacco pipes and more particularly to the maintaining of the tobacco burning and the adjacent portion of the pipe cool during smoking to increase the enjoyment of smoking.

A conventional pipe consists of a bowl having a stem extending therefrom with a passageway in the stem communicating with the interior'of the bowl at the bottom thereof. Tobacco is put into the bowl, ignited and burnt from the top downwardly. Normally, when smoking, the heat from the burning tobacco increases the tem perature of the unburnt portion of the tobacco in the bowl to a point at which the tars, gums and other materials in the tobacco will be driven from the unburnt tobacco to form a sticky sludge on the interior of the bowl. This tobacco sludge has a particularly unpleasant flavor when it is drawn through the stern and after a number of smokes a sufiicient amount is accumulated in the bowl which renders the pipe unpleasant to smoke.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling unit for maintaining the tobacco containing portion of the pipe cool during smoking to prevent the formation of the tobacco sludge.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a unit of the above type which is capable of being easily attached to and removed from a pipe.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a unit of the above type which does not hinder the pleas ure and enjoyment derived from a pipe.

In carrying out the instant invention to attain the above ob ects, the cooling unit of the present invention pro- Vides for containing a coolant in heat exchanging relation with the pipe bowl to maintain the pipe bowl cool. To this end the unit consists of a flexible and resilient hollow member which is adapted to encircle the major portion of the pipe bowl and a portion of the extending stem. This member has a chamber which is larger than the part of the pipe enclosed by it and within the chamber there is contained a coolant, such as water, for absorbing the heat from the pipe bowl and thus maintaining the pipe bowl at a relatively low temperature. In addition the hollow member is provided with an aperture in which a plug is positioned to provide for the introduction and the exit of the coolant.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a pipe with the cooling unit attached thereon with the unit shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view partially in section of the unit taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cooling unit, removed from the pipe.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. l a pipe generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 having the cooling unit 11 of the present invention mounted thereon with a liquid coolant such as water 12 contained within the pnit and in contact with the enclosed portion of the pipe. The pipe 10 has a mouthpiece 13 connected to a stem 14 which is integral with a tobacco containing-burning hollow bowl 15 in the well;- known manner. A conduit 16 extends from the mouthpiece and through the stem for communication with the bottom interior of the bowl 15 to permit the sucking of smoke from the bowl to the mouthpiece. Filtering de- "vices, if desired, may be positioned in the mouthpiece.

Referring to the figures, the cooling unit of the present invention comprises a hollow substantially spherical member 17 formed with three apertures, a bowl encircling aperture 18, a stem encircling aperture 19 and a coolant filling aperture 20. Fitted into the aperture 20 is a plug 21 for closing the aperture to prevent the escape of the coolant.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the cooling unit 11 is attached to the pipe 10 so that a substantial portion of the bowl 15 and a short length of the stem 14 is enclosed within a chamber 22. of the member 17. The member 17 is formed of material which is flexible and resilient and also liquid containing such as rubber or rubber-like material. To position the unit 11 on the pipe, the pipe mouthpiece 13 is first placed through the aperture 18 and then passed through the aperture 19 and then it is pushed and relatively twisted through the aperture 19 until it assumes the position shown. The aperture 18 is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the part of the bowl which it rings and hence the bowl deforms that portion of the member 17 adjacent the aperture 18 to cause a sufiiciently liquid-tight engagement between the pipe and the member. This is also true with regard to the stem 14 and the stern encircling aperture 19.

It will be appreciated that the liquid pressure within the chamber 20 is so small as to be substantially nonexistent and hence a careful seal between the member 17 and the pipe need not be eifectuated. It will be appreciated that though the member 17, by being formed of resilient material, enables sufficient sealing between the pipe and the member to be created merely by slight de-' formation of the member.

In use, with a coolant such as water contained in the chamber '22 and tobacco being burnt in the bowl 15, the liquid 12 contacts the exterior of the pipe bowl to maintain the temperature of the bowl relatively low which prevents the bowl from attaining a temperature which would normally drive the tars and other substances out of the unburnt portion of the tobacco to create the heretofore referred to tobacco sludge. Accordingly, using the present invention, the tobacco burns with an even ash with the maintaining of the unburnt portion of the tobacco at a temperature which prevents separation of the tars, etc. therefrom. Thus a pipe may be smoked many times more than heretofore possible before acquiring, if at all, the strong taste due to the tobacco sludge. If it is desired to remove the liquid 12 from the hollow member 17, the plug 21 is removed and the hollow member 17 squeezed to drive the liquid out. Though, of course, if the aperture 19 were sufficiently large the liquid would drain out of its own weight rather than requiring it to be forced out.

It will be appreciated that while there has been disclosed a cooling unit for a pipe with the pipe having a stem extending perpendicularly from the bowl portion, the cooling unit is capable of being utilized on pipes in which the stem extends at a difierent angle from the bowl. Accordingly for a type of pipe shown, the axis of the aperture 18 is at right angles to the axis of the aperture 19. Moreover, for convenience, the plug 21 is located opposite the aperture 18 at the bottom portion of the unit. Though, of course, it may be located at a different position if desired. Naturally if the pipe stem and bowl were at a different angle, the angle between the apertures 18 and 19 will also be diiferent. Moreover it is contemplated to make the member 17 of suf- I t t 1 3 ficiently resilient material that it can be deformed to fit pipes with different angles between the stem and bowl.

The hollow member 17 is shown as being spherical though other shapes may be used if desired provided there is a chamber having the requisite volume to enclose both the tobacco burning portion of the pipe and the quantity of liquid necessary to keep the temperature of the pipe bowl low.

It will thus be appreciated that there has been disclosed a cooling unit for a pipe which eifectively encloses the tobacco burning portion of a pipe to maintain it at a low temperature and hence prevent the formation of tobacco sludge.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claim and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

In combination with a tobacco pipe having a tobacco burning bowl and a stem having a smoke passage therein extending therefrom, a flexible and resilient cooling unit surrounding the bowl and the adjacent portion of the stem and liquid containing a coolant for maintaining the bowl and the smoke in the stem passage adjacent said bowl cool when burning tobacco therein, said unit comprising a hollow member having a chamber sufliciently large to enclose a major portion of the pipe bowl, said member having three apertures formed therein, one of said apertures adapted to ring an upper portion of the pipe bowl, another of said apertures adapted to ring a portion of the stem, and a plug for the third aperture, said cooling device being adapted to be filled with a liquid coolant through the third aperture, said unit being deformable so that the bowl may be slipped through the one aperture and the stem and mouthpiece may he slipped through said another and said one aperture to remove the said unit from the pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 980,551 Noble Ian. 3, 1911 1,142,998 Turner June 15, 1915 1,244,510 Barnby Oct. 23, 1917 1,817,257 Kimberling' Aug. 4, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,456 Great Britain 1867 413,661 Great Britain July 18, 1934 728,885 France Apr. 18, 1932

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