Cigar cutter

May 21, 1940.

2,201,771

A. HAGELAUER

CIGAR CUTTER

Filed May 15, 1939

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Patented May 21, 1940

2,201,771

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,201,771 CIGAR CUTTER Alfred Hagelauer, Chicago, Ill. Application May 15, 1939, Serial No. 273,695 8 Claims. (Cl. 131—251)

The present invention relates generally to cigar cutters. More particularly the invention relates to that type of cigar cutter which is adapted to be carried in the user’s pocket and as the main 5 parts thereof comprises (1) an elongated body member having a longitudinal slideway therein and aligned holes at the sides of the slideway whereby the tip of a cigar may be brought into intersecting relation with the slideway, and (2) 10 an elongated blade or cutter member which is slidably mounted in the slideway and embodies a handle equipped extension at one end thereof and an angularly disposed cutting edge at its other end and is adapted when slid in one direc15 tion by manipulation of the handle to uncover the holes for insertion therein of the tip of the cigar to be cut and when slid or shifted in the opposite direction to have its cutting edge pass by or traverse the holes and sever the tip from 20 the remainder of the cigar.

One object of the invention is to provide a cigar cutter of this type which embodies means at one side of the body member thereof whereby it may be removably connected to a match book 25 of the type that consists of an elongated strip of cardboard or like material with one end thereof bent or folded inwards to form a short flap and its other end bent or folded inwards to form a long flap, and a comb of matches with the base 30 portions thereof stapled or otherwise secured to the short flap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cigar cutter of the last mentioned character in which the means for removably connecting it 35 to a match book consists of a wire bail which is adapted in connecting the cutter to the book to be slid over the long flap of the cardboard strip of the book and then slid along the intermediate portion of the strip into its operative position ad₄₀ jacent to the bend or fold for the short flap, and is pivotally connected to the body member of the cutter so that the latter together with the blade member may be swung into lapped relation with the short flap when the cutter is not in use.

₄₅ A further object of the invention is to provide a cigar cutter of the type and character under consideration in which the body member is formed of sheet metal and is provided with an integral flap which when the cutter is in lapped 50 relation with the short flap of the cardboard strip of the match book it is adapted to have the distal or free end of the long flap of the strip inserted between it and the body member in order, to secure the long flap in its closed position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cigar cutter which is generally of new and improved design and may be manufactured at a low and reasonable cost.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present 5 cigar cutter will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the con- 10 elusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views: 15

Figure 1 is a perspective showing a cigar cutter embodying the invention in connected relation with a match book and swung away from the short flap of the cardboard strip of the book so that it is positioned in readiness for use; 20

Figure 2 is a perspective of the cutter;

Figure 3 is a perspective showing the cutter in connected relation with the match book and swung into lapped relation with the short flap of the cardboard strip of the book; 25

Figure 4 is a transverse section of the cutter, illustrating in detail the manner in which the wire bail serves pivotally and releasably to connect the cutter to the book;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the cut- 30 ter showing the design and construction of the body and blade members; and

Figure 6 is an end view of the cutter showing the cutter in lapped relation with the short flap of the cardboard strip of the book and the man- 35 ner in which the integral flap of the body member serves with the body member to hold the long flap of the book in its closed position.

The cutter which is shown in the drawing constitutes the preferred embodiment of the in- ₄₀vention. It is adapted to be used in connection with a match book B and serves to cut off the tips of cigars. The match book B is of conventional design and consists of an elongated strip b of cardboard or like thin flexible material and 45 a comb i;¹ of matches. One end of the strip b is bent or folded upwardly and inwardly to form a short flap b² and the other end of the strip is similarly bent to form a long flap b³. The base portions of the matches constituting the comb 50 b¹ are secured by a staple b⁴ against the inner face of the short flap b². This staple is located adjacent to the bend or fold for the short flap and extends not only through such flap but also through the contiguous portion of the interme- 55

3,201,771 diate part of the cardboard strip b. The long flap b³ serves as a cover or closure for the book and is adapted when in its closed position to overlie the free head equipped ends of the matches. As its main parts the cutter comprises an elongated body member 7, an elongated blade member 8, a bail 9, and a flap 10. The body member is substantially as long as the match book B is wide and is preferably in the form of a sheet metal stamping. It consists of an outer side 11 and an inner side (2, and is removably connected to the match book B by the bail 9, as hereinafter described. The two sides I i and 12 are connected together at one side of the body mem15 ber by way of a full length bend 13 of U-shaped cross-section, and are spaced apart by this bend so that they form between them a longitudinal slideway 14. In their central portions the sides 11 and i 2 are provided with aligned or register20 ing holes 15. The latter are of the same diameter and permit the tip of a cigar to be cut to be brought into intersecting relation with the slideway 14. The blade member 8 is formed of steel or other suitable material and fits in the slideway 25 14 so that it is slidable longitudinally or lengthwise of the latter. The outer end of the blade member embodies an extension which projects beyond one end of the body member and is bent at right angles to form a handle 16 whereby the 30 blade member may be gripped by the fingers and slid back and forth in the slideway 14. The inner end of the blade member embodies an angularly disposed cutting edge 17 and is adapted when the blade member is slid outwards by mass nipulation of the handle 16 to uncover the holes for insertion therein of the tip of the cigar to be cut. When the blade member is slid inwards, the cutting edge 17 passes by or traverses the holes 15 and severs the tip from the remainder 40 of the cigar. The handle 16 serves to limit inward sliding movement of the blade member and an upstruck protuberance 18 on the inner end of the blade member operates as a stop for limiting outward movement of the blade member. The 45 protuberance 18 is centrally disposed between the side edges of the blade member and travels in a groove 19 in the inner face of the outer side 11 of the body member when the blade member is slid outwards in connection with use of the cut50 ter. The groove 19 is formed by striking upwards the central portion of the outer side 11 and its outer end terminates inwardly of the adjacent end edge of the side 11 and forms a stop 20 for the protuberance 18. When the protuberance 55 strikes this stop in connection with outward pull or shift of the blade member, further outward shift of such member is precluded. The bend 13 whereby the sides 11 and i 2 are connected together is of such character that the sides are 60 urged towards one another into flrm frictional engagement with the blade member and as a result, the blade member is snugly held within the slideway and can only be shifted back or forth by the application of a slight amount of force.

The bail 9 is preferably formed of wire. It is substantially continuous and comprises an inner side piece 21, an outer side piece 22, and a pair of U-shaped end pieces 23. The latter serve to connect together the inner and outer side pieces 70 and hold the latter in laterally spaced relation.

The inner side piece 21 fits rotatably in a tubular extension 24 at one side of the body member 7 and as a result the body member and bail are permitted to swing or pivot one relatively to the 75 other. The extension 24 is formed as an integral part of the outer side 11 of the body member and is disposed along the side margin of the side If that is opposite or remote from the bend 13. The bail is adapted to have the free or distal end of the long flap b³ of the match book B inserted 5 into it and then to be slid along the long flap to the bend of the latter. After being slid to such bend, the bail is adapted to be slid around such bend and then along the intermediate portion of the strip b to the bend or fold for the 10 short flap b². When the bail is in such position the body member of the cutter is located adjacent to the short flap b² and is adapted to be swung either into lapped relation with the short flap, as shown in Figure 3, or away from the short 15 flap into what may be termed its operative position. The central portion of the outer side piece 22 of the bail is offset, as shown in Figure 2, so that it extends around and accommodates the staple b⁴ for securing the comb b¹ of matches to 20 the short flap b². The end pieces 23 of the bail are so bent or angled that when the outer side piece 22 fits flatly between the base portion of the matches constituting the comb and the contiguous or adjoining portion of the intermediate 25 part of the strip b the inner side piece 2 ί of the bail is laterally offset with respect to the outer side piece and the tubular extension 24 is substantially coplanar with the short flap b². As a result of this, the body member when swung in- 30 wards into lapped relation with the short flap b², fits flatly against the latter, as shown in Figure 6. When the matches of the book B have all been used and it is desired to remove the cutter from the book, it is only necessary to open the 35 long flap b³ and then slide the bail 9 out of engagement with the cardboard strip b.

The flap 10 overlies the inner side 12 of the body member 7 of the cutter. It is joined to and forms a part of the tubular extension 24 with the result that it is free to swing to and from the inner side 12 to a limited extent. When the body member of the cutter is in lapped relation with the short flap b² of the match book B it is adapted to have the free or distal end of the long 4 5 flap b³ inserted between it and the inner side 12, as shown in Figure 6. The outer side margin. of the flap 10 projects beyond the bend 13 so as to facilitate insertion of the long flap b³between the flap and the inner side 12 when it r() is desired to secure the long flap in place. The ° flap 10 constitutes means for securing the long flap b³ in its closed position when the body member 7 of the cutter is not in use and is in lapped relation with the short flap b² of the match book ₅₅B. At one of its ends the flap ! 0 is provided with an integral ear 25. This ear extends inwardly at right angles and serves as a guide for the free end of the long flap b³ when such end is inserted between the flap !0 and the inner side 12 of the 60 body member. It also serves as a stop whereby when the free end of the long flap b³ is between the flap 10 and the inner side ί 2 such end is held against lateral displacement. The central portion of the flap 10 is provided with a hole 26 and ⁸⁵this registers with the holes 15 in the sides 11 and 12 of the body member 7 of the cutter and permits the tip of the cigar to be cut to pass readily across the slideway 14. The sides 11 and 12 and the flap are preferably formed from a single ⁷piece of sheet metal and the latter is bent or shaped to form the bend 13 and the extension 24. The extension is preferably formed by crimping and serves to hold the inner side piece 21 of 75

2,201,771 the bail 9 against sidewise displacement with respect to the body member of the cutter.

Assuming that the bail 9 is in its proper connected position with the match book B, the op5 eration of the cutter is as follows: When it is desired to cut the tip of the cigar so as to render the cigar usable for smoking, the long flap b³of the book is swung out of its closed position and the body 7 of the cutter is then swung away 10 from the short flap b². After this step or operation the blade member 8 is slid outwards by gripping the handle 16 and pulling the latter away from the body member 7. Thereafter the tip of the cigar is inserted through the holes 15 and )5 26 in order to bring it into intersecting relation with the slideway 14. As soon as the tip of the cigar is in such relation the blade member 8 is slid inwards so as to cause the cutting edge 17 to sever the tip from the remainder of the cigar. 20 If the user of the cutter desires to smoke the cigar after cutting off the tip he may light the cigar by using one of the matches constituting the comb b¹. After this the cutter is swung into lapped relation with the short flap b² of the 25 book B and the long flap b³ is swung into its closed position and manipulated so as to bring the free end thereof between the flap 10 and the inner side 12 of the body member. After all of the matches have been used, the cutter is removed 30 from the book B, as hereinafter described.

The herein described cutter effectively and efficiently fulfills its intended purpose and may be manufactured at a low and reasonable cost because of the simplicity of its design. It may 35 be applied to and removed from a match book with facility and serves when not in use to secure the long flap of the book in its closed position.

The invention is not to be understood as re40 stricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.