Pipe

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6260554
  • Patent Number
    6,260,554
  • Date Filed
    Monday, August 4, 1997
    27 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 17, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A self-extinguishing pipe is described for use with tobacco or other smoking material. The pipe is made in two parts, a body and an endpiece, and holds a filter internally. The endpiece includes a reservoir for the tobacco or other smoking material at one end which has an adjustable base for changing the depth of the reservoir. The two-part construction and adjustable base facilitate cleaning of the pipe, replacement of the filter, and removal of ash without needing additional tools. The depth of the reservoir is adjusted by rotating an inner component of the endpiece in relation to a surrounding cowl. Various bores through the body of the pipe and the components of the endpiece communicate with each other so as to form an air passage from the smoking material to the mouth end of the pipe, thereby allowing smoke to be drawn into the user's mouth.
Description




FIELD




This invention relates to an apparatus used in smoking and, more particularly, to an improved, self-extinguishing pipe.




BACKGROUND




It is known to make smoking systems which use pipes to hold the tobacco for smoking instead of rolling a cigarette or buying ready-made cigarettes. It is also known to make the pipe so that it extinguishes itself after each puff. The SmokeLess Cigarette used in the Dugout Smoking System is an example of such a pipe and its related smoking system. Another example of a pipe for use with smoking material and its related system are described in Crow U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,658.




Such self-extinguishing pipes, however, have various drawbacks and shortcomings which ultimately reduce the user's comfort or enjoyment. For example, such extinguishing pipes generally accommodate only short, less effective filters, which at times results in a raw, bitter or otherwise harsh taste when smoke is inhaled.




Another drawback is that self-extinguishing pipes generally have filters located at the portions of the pipe inserted into the user's mouth. As such, the filter frequently comes in contact with the user's mouth or tongue, which causes discomfort to the user, especially when the filter is made of a gauzy material. When such a filter is used, it may become saturated with saliva or other foreign matter at the end closest to the user's mouth, further diminishing enjoyment of the smoking experience.




As still another disadvantage to such pipes, the filters are difficult to install in the pipes. The filters, generally formed of a resiliently compressible material, must be compressed by the user and stuffed through the mouthpiece of the pipe into position. This operation is time-consuming and may even require tweezers to assist in insertion of the filter, making the filters inconvenient to use.




An additional disadvantage is that if the filter is not carefully inserted, it may become cut, damaged, or otherwise lose its integrity from abrading against the mouthpiece of the pipe. The effectiveness of such filters, when damaged, is reduced.




Further drawbacks of current self-extinguishing pipes relate to the difficulty and discomfort in removing filters from the pipes. To remove a used filter, the user must resort to reaming out the filter by inserting a pipe cleaner through the pipe and pushing the filter out. The user generally must also grasp the filter at the end which was in contact with the user's mouth and has been soiled during the smoking process. The user is thus confronted with an unpleasant and inconvenient operation whenever a used filter needs to be removed from a pipe of the current art. Tar from the filter is sometimes inadvertently deposited on the mouthpiece because the filter passes through the mouthpiece during its removal. This, again, results in inconvenience or unpleasantness to the user.




Various additional disadvantages of current pipes relate to the structure of the self-extinguishing pipe apart from the filters used therein. Self-extinguishing pipes are often a single piece. Such a single-piece design makes ashes and any spent tobacco difficult to remove after use. The ashes and other spent material must be reamed out with a pipe cleaner, which, again, is both a time-consuming and messy process.




Current self-extinguishing pipes are disadvantageously constructed of a heat-conducting material, generally a metal. Although such a material resists melting, it makes the pipe far heavier than a traditional cigarette. Thus, users accustomed to holding cigarettes in the mouth or fingers find the heavier pipes clumsy to manipulate and thus distracting enough to interfere with enjoyment of smoking.




In addition, heat from the smoking material is often conducted down the length of the pipe to where the user is holding the pipe, or even as far as the user's mouth. Such heat potentially results, again, in a sharp diminution in smoking pleasure.




Thus, there is a need for a self-extinguishing pipe which is easily cleaned, safe, and comfortable. There is also a need for the pipe to be convenient to operate, namely by having the ashes and filter easily removable.




SUMMARY




Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved self-extinguishing pipe for use with smoking materials, which pipe can be simple and convenient to operate.




Another object is to provide a pipe constructed in such a manner as to allow it to be easily cleaned, safe, and comfortable for the user.




According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are obtained by a smoking system which includes a pipe separable into a body and an endpiece removably secured to one of the ends of the body. The endpiece has portions which define the reservoir for smoking materials. Components of the endpiece and the body can be manipulated to vary the volume of the reservoir so that it can alternately be filled with smoking materials or emptied of ashes and spent smoking material. According to another aspect of the invention, a chamber is located within the pipe and a filter is removably received within the chamber. One end of the filter abuts an interior surface of the chamber to hold the filter away from the mouth of the user. The other end of the filter protrudes from the chamber through an opening in the body, which enables the filter to be manually grasped for removal from the chamber.




In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the reservoir includes a base which is longitudinally displaceable toward or away from the edge of the reservoir so as to vary the reservoir depth. The base of the reservoir is connected to an internal component of the endpiece, and the internal component is surrounded by a cowl. The longitudinal displacement of the internal component in relation to the cowl causes the base of the reservoir to be longitudinally displaced.











The above mentioned and other features of this invention will be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a smoking system according to the invention;





FIG. 2

is a longitudinal cross-section of the pipe of

FIG. 1

taken along line


2





2


;





FIG. 3

is a cut-away side view of the pipe of

FIGS. 1 and 2

;





FIG. 4

is an end view of the pipe of

FIGS. 1-3

taken from the mouthpiece end;





FIG. 5

is an end view of the pipe of

FIGS. 1-4

taken from the reservoir end;





FIG. 6

is a perspective view showing the pipe of

FIGS. 1-5

disassembled;





FIG. 7

is an enlarged, exploded cut-away side view of the smoking material reservoir of the pipe of

FIGS. 1-6

; and





FIG. 8

is an exploded perspective view of the pipe of FIGS.


1


-


7


.











DESCRIPTION




A smoking system


18


according to the invention is shown in FIG.


1


and includes a container


21


and a pipe


20


which can be inserted into or stored in the container


21


. The pipe


20


, in general terms, comprises two components: an elongated, generally cylindrical body


22


and an endpiece


24


attached to one of the ends of the body


22


. The endpiece


24


includes portions which define a reservoir or bowl


37


for smoking material


62


.




The container


21


in this embodiment is sized to be easily transported by the user, such as in a pocket or purse, and includes a base


23


and generally elongated sidewalls


25


. Container


21


includes a compartment


31


for storing the smoking material


62


, such as tobacco, and a compartment


33


sized to removably receive the pipe


20


therein. The compartments


31


,


33


are accessible from the top of the container


21


and are covered by covering portions


35




a


&


35




b


, respectively.




To load the pipe


20


with the smoking material


62


, the reservoir


37


of the pipe may be plunged into the compartment


31


containing a supply of the smoking material


62


. When the user applies downward pressure on the pipe


20


and a clock-wise twisting motion, the smoking material


62


is packed into the reservoir


37


as shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

. The pipe


20


can then be smoked by inserting mouth end


27


of the body


22


into user's mouth


19


and drawing air through passages in the pipe


20


as described subsequently.




Referring to

FIGS. 2-6

, the body


22


has a passage


39


which extends longitudinally through the body


22


and communicates with an opening


29


located at the mouth end


27


of the body


22


. The other end of the passage


39


communicates with a second opening


41


at opposite end


43


of the body


22


(FIG.


6


). The passage


39


thus permits air to circulate between the opposite ends


27


,


43


of the body


22


.




The passage


39


includes an interior wall


47


(

FIGS. 2 and 3

) which defines a chamber


28


within the body


22


. The chamber


28


, in this particular embodiment is also a segment of the passage


39


, but alternate locations of the chamber


28


are suitable so long as the chamber


28


communicates with both of the ends


27


,


43


of the body


22


. The chamber


28


extends through the body


22


a sufficient distance to receive substantially a filter


26


.




The chamber


28


and the openi ng


41


connecte d to the chamber


28


have sufficient cross-sectional area so that the filter


26


can be removably inserted into the chamber


28


through the opening


41


as best seen in FIG.


6


. The chamber


28


includes an interior, transverse surface


89


located between the chamber


28


and the opening


29


at the end


27


of the body


22


. The transverse surface


89


extends sufficiently into the passage


39


to cause the filter


26


to remain longitudinally spaced from the opening


29


. In this way, the filter


26


is kept from contact with the user's mouth


19


at the mouth end


27


.




Referring to

FIG. 6

, the endpiece


24


and the body


22


are connected to each other in such a manner that they can be manually separated. When the endpiece


24


and the body


22


are separated, an end of the filter


26


protrudes from the chamber


28


through the opening


41


allowing the user easily to grasp the filter


26


by the protruding end. The endpiece


24


includes a cavity


49


which is sized to accommodate the protruding end of the filter


26


when the endpiece


24


is attached to the body


22


.




As shown in

FIGS. 2

,


3


, and


8


, the ca vity


49


in the endpiece


24


communicates with a passage


51


which extends from the cavity


49


longitudinally through the endpiece


24


to communicate with the reservoir


37


. As best shown in

FIG. 8

, the endpiece


24


, the filter


26


, and the body


22


share a common longitudinal axis. In this way, an air passage extends longitudinally through the pipe


20


from the reservoir


37


through the filter


26


and to the opening


29


at the mouth end


27


of the body


22


. In use, smoke from the ignited smoking material


62


may be drawn through the resulting air passage and out the opening


29


and into the user's mouth


19


.




Further features of the endpiece


24


will now be described with particular reference to

FIGS. 2

,


3


,


5


,


7


and


8


. The endpiece


24


includes a cowl or outer sheath


30


and an inner component


53


received within the cowl


30


. The inner component


53


is formed from two sub-components, a coupler


32


and a plunger


34


, although the internal component


53


may also be a single integral piece. The inner component


53


is mounted within the cowl


30


so as to be displaceable in relation to the cowl


30


in the longitudinal direction.




By virtue of this longitudinally displaceable mounting of the inner component


53


, portions of the inner component


53


and the cowl


30


cooperate with portions of the body


22


to create means for varying the volume of the reservoir


37


as described below. The cowl


30


includes an inner surface which forms side


55


of the reservoir


37


at end


83


of the cowl


30


. The end


83


includes a beveled edge


87


to facilitate loading the smoking material


62


within the side


55


of the reservoir


37


. The side


55


extends from the end


83


of the reservoir


37


to a threaded segment


59


inside the cowl


30


. End


81


is located opposite the end


83


and includes an inner wall extending within the cowl


30


to the threaded segment


59


.




As best shown in

FIG. 7

, within the cowl


30


is a raised portion


57


in which threads have been machined. The threads extend longitudinally along the inner surface of the cowl


30


, thereby creating a threaded segment


59


. The coupler


32


is thereby longitudinally received within the cowl


30


. The coupler


32


has external coupler threads


61


corresponding to and engaged in the threaded segment


59


of the cowl


30


. The coupler threads


61


extend longitudinally from end


63


to a seat or undercut


67


of the coupler


32


.




A medial portion


42


of the coupler


32


is connected to the end


63


. The medial portion


42


has a larger cross-sectional dimension than the end


63


and thereby creates the seat or undercut


67


at the boundary between the end


63


and the medial portion


42


.




End


65


of the coupler


32


extends from the medial portion


42


and is located opposite the end


63


of the coupler


32


. The end


65


has internal coupler threads


82


extending from edge


69


toward the medial portion


42


.




The passage


51


which extends longitudinally through the coupler


32


includes internal aperture threads


71


extending longitudinally through the end


63


. The plunger


34


has a head


77


and a stem


75


extending from the head


77


. External threads


73


extend along the stem


75


of the plunger


34


and correspond to the internal aperture threads


71


in the coupler


32


. The head


77


has an outer surface


79


, an inner surface


100


opposite the outer surface


79


, and a cross-sectional dimension sufficiently small to allow the head


77


to be longitudinally received within the cowl


30


.




A passage


50


extends from the outer surface


79


of the head


77


longitudinally through the plunger


34


to the end of the stem


75


, creating an air passage through the plunger


34


. The passage


50


includes a bored segment


54


extending inwardly from the outer surface


79


and having a hexagonal cross-section. The hexagonal cross-section allows the plunger


34


to be tightly threadably secured by means of an allen wrench or other tool having a corresponding hexagonal cross-section.




The assembled endpiece


24


is formed by inserting the coupler end


63


through the end


81


of the cowl


30


and engaging the threads


61


in the threaded segment


59


. The plunger


34


is received through the cowl


30


from the end


83


opposite the end


81


. The threads


73


on the stem


75


of the plunger


34


engage the internal aperture threads


71


of the coupler


32


to form the inner component


53


. The end


63


is sufficiently engaged through the threaded segment


59


so that the plunger


34


is fully received by the internal aperture threads


71


.




When the endpiece


24


is thus assembled, the outer surface


79


of the plunger


34


serves as the base of the reservoir


37


. When the inner component


53


is rotated to advance the external coupler threads


61


in relation to the threaded segment


59


, the outer surface


79


moves toward the edge


87


of the reservoir


37


. In this way, the effective volume of the reservoir


37


is varied as the depth of the reservoir changes as a result of advancing or retracting the outer surface


79


.




The advance of the inner component


53


toward the reservoir edge


87


is limited, as shown in

FIG. 3

, when the seat


67


of the coupler


32


abuts the raised portion


57


of the threaded segment


59


of the cowl


30


. The position of the threaded segment


59


and the length of the coupler end


63


are such that the outer surface


79


of the plunger


34


is substantially co-extensive with the edge


87


of the reservoir when the seat


67


abuts the raised portion


57


. In this way, when the inner component


53


has been fully advanced toward the edge


87


, the base of the reservoir


37


is substantially even with the edge


87


, thereby making the effective volume of the reservoir almost zero.




The longitudinal displacement of the inner component


53


away from the edge


87


of the reservoir is limited, as shown in

FIG. 2

, by contact between the inner surface


100


of the head


77


and the raised portion


57


. When the inner component


53


has been retracted to this limit position, the base of the reservoir


37


is farthest from the edge


87


, thereby giving the reservoir


37


its greatest depth.




The body


22


has external body threads


52


extending at the end


43


of the body


22


from the opening


41


and terminating in a flange


85


. The external threads


52


cooperate with the internal coupler threads


82


in the coupler end


65


. The end


43


of the body


22


thus is removably attachable to the endpiece


24


. When the end


43


of the body


22


has been fully received in the coupler end


65


, the flange


85


around the opening


41


abuts the edge


69


of the coupler


32


, thereby seating the body


22


against the endpiece


24


.




The threads associated with the cowl


30


, the coupler


32


, the plunger


34


, and the body


22


, have been selected to have either left-hand or right-hand orientation. The various thread orientations cooperate to bring about certain desirable features in the operation and use of the pipe


20


, as will now be described. The external coupler threads


61


of the coupler


32


and the threaded segment


59


of the cowl


30


have a left-hand orientation. The following threads have a right-hand orientation: the body threads


52


, the internal coupler threads


82


, the internal aperture threads


71


located at the end


63


of the coupler


32


, and the corresponding external threads


73


disposed on the stem


75


of the plunger


34


.




According to the above described arrangement of threads, the inner component


53


is displaced longitudinally from its position shown in

FIG. 2

toward the edge


87


of the reservoir


37


by rotating the body


22


relative to the cowl


30


in a counter-clockwise direction indicated by the arrow A. This operation shortens the reservoir depth and can thus be used to push spent tobacco or ashes out of the reservoir


37


. The volume of the reservoir


37


decreases until it reaches its minimum volume as shown in FIG.


3


.




If the body


22


continues to be rotated relative to the endpiece


24


in the counter-clockwise direction indicated by the arrow A, further longitudinal advancement of the plunger


34


is prevented by contact between the seat


67


and the raised portion


57


. Instead, continued counter-clockwise rotation of the body


22


relative to the endpiece


24


causes the body


22


to disengage from the internal coupler threads


82


of the endpiece


24


. With continued counter-clockwise rotation relative to the endpiece


24


, the body


22


separates from the endpiece


24


as shown in FIG.


6


. Separation of the body


22


and the endpiece


24


allows the user to insert or replace the filter


26


into the chamber


28


.




When the user desires to reassemble the separated components


22


and


24


, the external body threads


52


are engaged in the cooperating internal threads


82


, and the body


22


is rotated relative to the endpiece


24


in a clockwise direction indicated by the arrow B. (

FIG. 3

) Continued clockwise rotation of the body


22


relative to the endpiece


24


in the direction indicated by the arrow B will cause the flange


85


of the body


22


to contact the edge


69


of the endpiece


24


, thereby securely attaching the body


22


to the endpiece


24


as shown in FIG.


3


.




After the flange


85


has seated against the edge


69


, continued clockwise rotation of the body


22


relative to the cowl


30


will cause the inner component


53


to rotate in relation to the cowl


30


. Because the external coupler threads


61


are left-handed, the clockwise rotation will longitudinally displace the inner component away from the edge


87


of the reservoir. Continued clockwise rotation relative to the cowl


30


in the direction of arrow B eventually extends the reservoir


37


to its full depth as shown in FIG.


2


. When the reservoir


37


is at its full depth, the inner surface


100


of the head


77


contacts the raised portions


57


to limit further retraction of the base of the reservoir. The pipe


20


can be plunged into the tobacco compartment


31


(FIG.


1


), as discussed previously, to load the fully extended reservoir


37


with the smoking material


62


.




If the user continues to rotate the body


22


relative to the endpiece


24


in the clockwise direction of the arrow B after the reservoir has been extended to its full depth, the pipe


20


will remain intact and ready for use. In fact, the arrangement of threads detailed above prevents accidental disassembly of the endpiece


24


into its component parts. In particular, the plunger


34


seated against the raised portion


57


will not be disengaged from the coupler


32


by rotation in the clockwise direction because the cooperating threads


71


,


73


are right-handed.




The various threaded engagement and disengagement of the body


22


, the inner component


53


, and the cowl


30


described above combine to make operation of the pipe


20


by the user simple and convenient. From beginning to end, a user may employ the smoking system


18


as follows: The pipe


20


would be removed from the compartment


33


(FIG.


1


). Assuming the inner component


53


is positioned as shown in

FIG. 3

, the user would rotate the body


22


relative to the endpiece


24


in a counter-clockwise direction to separate the body


22


and the endpiece


24


if the user wanted to insert or replace the filter


26


into the pipe


20


. To reclose the pipe, the user would reattach the body


22


and the endpiece


24


by rotating the body


22


relative to the endpiece


24


in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow B, thereby engaging the cooperating threads


52


,


82


. Once the flange


85


of the body


22


is seated against the edge


69


, the user simply continues to rotate the body


22


relative to the cowl


30


in the clockwise direction of the arrow B, thereby retracting the inner component


53


from the reservoir edge


87


until the reservoir


37


has been extended to its full depth shown in FIG.


2


.




The pipe


20


is plunged into the compartment


31


, where the beveled edge


87


cuts into the smoking material


62


stored in the compartment


31


. Downward pressure, combined with a clockwise twisting action, accomplishes the loading of the smoking material


62


into the reservoir


37


without causing the pipe


20


to become disassembled during the course of loading it with tobacco.




After the pipe is lit up and the tobacco consumed, the user simply rotates the body


22


relative to the cowl


30


in the counter-clockwise direction indicated by the arrow A, thereby advancing the plunger


34


toward the reservoir edge


87


to expel spent smoking material and ashes. After the expulsion of spent material from the reservoir, the pipe


20


again is in the position shown in FIG.


3


.




At this point, the user has two options which are simple to execute because of the features of this invention. If the user wishes to replace the filter


26


, he merely continues the counter-clockwise rotation relative to the cowl


30


used to expel the ashes in order now to separate the body


22


and the endpiece


24


and thereby expose the spent filter


26


as shown in FIG.


6


. If, instead, the user wishes to have another smoke without changing the filter


26


, he rotates the body


22


relative to the cowl


30


in the clockwise direction of the arrow B to re-extend the reservoir


37


to its full depth so that the reservoir is ready to receive fresh tobacco.




Although pipes incorporating the principals of this invention can be built in various sizes, the dimensions of a preferred embodiment are about 3.25″ in length when the pipe is extended to its full depth, 0.34″ in diameter at the mouth end, and 0.41″ in diameter at the tobacco-receiving end. When the body and endpiece are separated, the body


22


has a length of 2.25″ and the endpiece, a length of 0.85″, not including any protrusion from the endpiece by the coupler


32


.




The interior chamber


28


of the body has a length of about 2.05″. Such a length allows a standard, charcoal pipe filter, such as those made by Dr. Grabow, Sparta Industries, Sparta, N.C., to be received in the chamber


28


with an end slightly protruding to facilitate the interchange of filters.




The body


22


is preferably made of a lightweight, heat-resistant, and thermally insulating material, such as Lexan plastic. The endpiece


24


is preferably formed of a machinable metal, such as aluminum. Use of aluminum is also advantageous because it is relatively lightweight and has relatively low heat conductivity. The decreased weight from using Lexan plastic and aluminum results in the pipe


20


having a shape and weight more nearly like a conventional cigarette. In this way, the user can hold the pipe


20


in his or her fingers or mouth in the same manner as a conventional cigarette, which increases its attractiveness to those who are accustomed to smoking in social situations.




In addition to the advantages apparent from the foregoing description, the pipe


20


according to the present invention has numerous other advantageous features. Construction of the body


22


from heat-resistant material results in a pipe


20


which not only does not melt, but also does not conduct undesirable heat through the body


22


to where the user may be holding the pipe or inserting it into his or her mouth.




The pipe according to the present invention also has the advantage of holding the filter within the pipe so that it does not touch the user's tongue, making for a cleaner, more pleasant smoke. The pipe


20


also can accommodate a longer, more effective filter within the chamber


28


.




As to another advantage, the multi-piece form allows ashes and spent smoking material to be expelled from the pipe without requiring additional tools. This makes the pipe much less messy to deal with.




Alternative embodiments of the present invention may replace the threaded segment


59


of the cowl


30


and the cooperating threads


61


of the coupler


32


with another means, such as a friction fitting, for longitudinally displacing the inner component


53


in relation to the cowl


30


. For example, the threaded segment


59


may instead comprise a sleeve formed of rubber or polymeric material and the cooperating threads


61


may be replaced by a smooth surface which frictionally engages the sleeve.




Similarly, the cooperating threads


52


,


82


between the body


22


and the coupler


32


can be replaced with alternative means for making the body


22


removably securable to the endpiece


24


, such as by replacing the threads


52


with a configuration, such as a flange to engage the end


65


of the coupler


32


in a snugfit manner.




As still another alternative, although the body


22


includes integral portions to be inserted in the user's mouth at the mouthend


27


, separate mouthpiece portions could be provided, which portions are removable from the body


22


.




While the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention; therefore, the appended claims are to be construed to cover equivalent structures.



Claims
  • 1. A pipe for use with smoking materials, the pipe comprising:an elongated body having a longitudinal axis and opposite ends, the ends having openings therein, the body having an interior wall defining a passage extending through the body and communicating with the openings at the ends; an endpiece removably secured to one of the ends of the body, the endpiece having portions defining a reservoir for smoking materials, the reservoir in communication with the passage in the body when the endpiece is secured to the body; the reservoir comprising a base and a side extending from the base and terminating in an edge and having a depth measurable from the edge of the reservoir; and means for varying the volume of the reservoir between a maximum volume and a minimum volume by rotating the body relative to the endpiece about the longitudinal axis, whereby the means for varving the volume advances the base toward the edge to decrease the depth of the reservoir when the body is rotated relative to the endpiece in a first direction and retracts the base away from the edge to increase the depth of the reservoir when the body is rotated relative to the endpiece in a second direction.
  • 2. The pipe of claim 1 wherein the interior wall defines a chamber within the body, and wherein the pipe includes a filter removably received in the chamber.
  • 3. The pipe of claim 2 wherein the chamber communicates with one of the openings of the body, the filter is received in the chamber through one of the openings of the body, and the filter has an end protruding from the one opening to enable the filter to be manually grasped for removal from the chamber.
  • 4. The pipe of claim 3 wherein the endpiece includes a cavity into which the protruding end of the filter is received when the endpiece is secured to the body.
  • 5. The pipe of claim 1 wherein the advancing and retracting means comprise an internal component and a cowl surrounding the internal component, the internal component and the cowl having a common longitudinal axis, the internal component having an outer surface comprising the base of the reservoir, and the cowl having inner surfaces comprising the side of the reservoir, and wherein the internal component is receivable within the cowl and displaceable longitudinally in relation to the inner surfaces of the cowl to advance and retract the base of the reservoir.
  • 6. The pipe of claim 5 wherein the cowl and the internal component are operatively connected to each other by screw threads extending along the longitudinal axis, the upper surface of the plunger being displaceable longitudinally by rotating the internal component relative to the cowl about the longitudinal axis.
  • 7. The pipe of claim 5, wherein the internal component comprises a coupler having first and second ends, with the second end having a greater cross section than the first end to form a seat between the second end and the first end;the cowl is cylindrical and has an interior wall defining a longitudinal bore therein, the interior wall of the bore having a raised portion protruding inward from the interior wall of the bore to narrow the bore to engage the seat of the coupler while allowing passage of the first end of the coupler, the coupler being displaceably received within the cowl; and the internal component further comprises a plunger having a stem and a head, the head having a first surface comprising the base for the reservoir and a second surface having a diameter sufficiently large to engage the raised portion of the cowl, the stem of the plunger adapted to be attached to the first end of the coupler such that the longitudinal distance between the head of the plunger and the first end of the coupler is adjustable.
  • 8. The pipe of claim 7, wherein the raised portion includes a threaded segment and the first end of the coupler has external coupler threads corresponding to and engaged in the threaded segment of the raised portion, whereby the base is longitudinally displaced by rotating the coupler and the cowl in relation to each other.
  • 9. The pipe of claim 8, wherein the first end of the coupler has a longitudinal aperture having internal aperture threads, wherein the stem of the plunger has screw threads corresponding to the internal and wherein the external coupler threads of the coupler have a first orientation and the internal aperture threads have a second orientation opposite the first orientation so that when the coupler has been rotated to the point where the head of the plunger contacts the raised portion, further rotation of the coupler does not disengage the plunger from the coupler.
  • 10. The pipe of claim 9, wherein the second end of the coupler includes internal coupler threads and terminates in an edge, andwherein one of the openings of the body includes external body threads corresponding to the internal coupler threads, the second end of the coupler being threadably engageable in the one opening of the body, the one opening having flange portions which abut the edge of the second end when the second end has been fully engaged in the one opening.
  • 11. The pipe of claim 10, wherein the external coupler threads and the threaded segment are left-handed threads and the internal aperture threads and the internal coupler threads are right-handed threads. communication with the passage in the body when the endpiece is secured to the body; andmeans for varying the volume of the reservoir between a maximum volume and a minimum volume; and means for varying the maximum volume.
  • 12. The pipe of claim 9, wherein the internal coupler threads are oriented opposite the first orientation of the external coupler threads, so that when the coupler has been rotated to the point where the seat of the medial portion contacts the raised portion, further rotation of the body relative to the endpiece disengages the body threads from the internal coupler threads, thereby separating the edge from the flange to separate the body from the endpiece.
  • 13. The pipe of claim 1 wherein the body includes portions formed of material which does not conduct heat.
  • 14. The pipe of claim 1 wherein the material is plastic.
  • 15. The pipe of claim 1 further comprising means for separating the body from the endpiece by continued rotation of the body relative to the endpiece after the minimum volume has been reached.
  • 16. The pipe of claim 1 further comprising means for varying the maximum volume.
  • 17. A smoking system for use with smoking materials, the smoking system comprising a pipe and a container for the pipe:the pipe having an elongated body having a longitudinal axis and opposite ends, the ends having openings therein, the body having an interior wall defining a passage extending through the body and communicating with the openings at the ends; an endpiece removably secured to one of the ends of the body, the endpiece having portions defining a reservoir for smoking materials, the reservoir in communication with the passage in the body when the endpiece is secured to the body; the reservoir comprising a base and a side extending from the base and terminating in an edge and having a depth measurable from the edge of the reservoir; means for varying the volume of the reservoir to receive or to expel the smoking materials by rotating the body relative to the endpiece about the longitudinal axis, wherebv the means for varying the volume advances the base toward the edge to decrease the depth of the reservoir when the body is rotated relative to the endpiece in a first direction and retracts the base away from the edge to increase the depth of the reservoir when the bodv is rotated relative to the endpiece in a second direction; and the container having a first compartment for smoking materials and a second compartment sized to removably receive the pipe therein, the container having portions to cover the compartments.
  • 18. The smoking system of claim 17, comprising a filter sized to be removably received in the passage.
  • 19. A pipe for use with smoking materials, the pipe comprising:an elongated body having opposite ends, the ends having openings therein, the body having an interior wall defining a passage extending through the body and communicating with the openings at the ends; an endpiece removably secured to one of the ends of the body, the endpiece having portions defining a reservoir for smoking materials, the reservoir being in communication with the passage in the body when the endpiece is secured to the body; and means for varying the volume of the reservoir between a maximum volume and a minimum volume; and means for varying the maximum volume.
  • 20. The pipe of claim 19 wherein the means for varying the volume of the reservoir comprises an internal component and a cowl surrounding the internal component, the internal component and the cowl having a common longitudinal axis, the internal component having an outer surface comprising the base of the reservoir, and the cowl having inner surfaces comprising the side of the reservoir, and wherein the internal component is receivable within the cowl and displaceable longitudinally in relation to the inner surfaces of the cowl to advance and retract the base of the reservoir.
  • 21. The pipe of claim 20 wherein the internal component comprises a coupler having first and second ends, with the second end having a greater cross section than the first end to form a seat between the second end and the first end;the cowl is cylindrical and has an interior wall defining a longitudinal bore therein, the interior wall of the bore having a raised portion protruding inward from the interior wall of the bore to narrow the bore to engage the seat of the coupler while allowing passage of the first end of the coupler, the coupler being displaceably received within the cowl; and the internal component further comprises a plunger having a stem and a head, the head having a first surface comprising the base for the reservoir and a second surface having a diameter sufficiently large to engage the raised portion of the cowl, the stem of the plunger adapted to be attached to the first end of the coupler such that the longitudinal distance between the head of the plunger and the first end of the coupler is adjustable.
  • 22. The pipe of claim 21 wherein the first end of the coupler has a longitudinal aperture having internal aperture threads, wherein the stem of the plunger has screw threads corresponding to the internal aperture threads, the stem adapted to be threadably secured to the first end of the coupler.
Parent Case Info

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/460,041, filed Jun. 2, 1995, now abandoned.

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34308 Leslie Feb 1862
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Entry
River City Manufacturing Brochure “The System”, about 1984.
Photographs of Think Wood Products, about 1989.
K.L. Manufacturing Brochure, about 1989.
C and C Enterprises Brochure “New Stuff”, about 1991.
J & L (aka Wooden Novelties) Photographs of Products, about 1993.
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Continuations (1)
Number Date Country
Parent 08/460041 Jun 1995 US
Child 08/906240 US