Tabletop Automatic Cigarette-Making Machine Safety System

Abstract

An automatic cigarette-making machine including a housing with an aperture and a compacting chamber in communication with the aperture for receiving loose tobacco for compacting, fitted with a safety mechanism in the form of a protective door that initiates automatic operation of the cigarette-making machine when the door is moved into position to block access to the compacting chamber during the operation of the machine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic cigarette-making machine safety system comprising:
 a housing including an access opening and a compacting chamber within the housing and in communication with the access opening for receiving loose tobacco;   a compacting member mounted for reciprocal up and down motion from an initial position adjacent the top of the compacting chamber toward the bottom of the compacting chamber to compact loose tobacco in the compacting chamber into a rod-like shape;   an electrically powered motor for moving the compacting member up and down within the compacting chamber;   a switch for powering the motor to operate the cigarette-making machine; and   a protective door for blocking access to the compacting chamber through the access opening and initiating operation of the motor.   
     
     
         2 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 1  in which the protective door is pivotally attached to the housing so that it can be rotated toward and away from the access opening. 
     
     
         3 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 2  in which the switch for powering the motor is an electrical switch with an accessible pushbutton and the protective door includes a bottom surface portion for pressing the pushbutton of the switch to initiate the operation of the cigarette-making machine when the door is closed over the access opening. 
     
     
         4 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 3  in which the pushbutton is recessed and the protective door includes a downwardly directed pin on its bottom surface to engage the pushbutton to initiate the operation of the cigarette-making machine when the door is closed over the access opening. 
     
     
         5 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 1  in which the protective door is curved. 
     
     
         6 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 2  in which the protective door is configured to extend across the compacting chamber access opening and rest upon the surface above the compacting chamber access opening when the door is in a fully closed position. 
     
     
         7 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 1  in which the protective door includes an upstanding handle for grasping to rotate the door. 
     
     
         8 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 1  in which the protective door includes a portion that is curved to extend into the access opening when the door is closed over the access opening. 
     
     
         9 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 1  in which the protective door includes downwardly directed pins adjacent its top edge to block access to the compacting chamber opening when the door is closed over the access opening. 
     
     
         10 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 1  in which the protective door includes a downwardly directed barrier wall adjacent its top edge to block access to the compacting chamber opening when the door is closed over the access opening. 
     
     
         11 . An automatic cigarette-making machine safety system comprising:
 a housing including an access opening and a compacting chamber within the housing and in communication with the access opening for receiving loose tobacco;   a compacting member mounted for reciprocal up and down motion from an initial position adjacent the top of the compacting chamber toward the bottom of the compacting chamber to compact loose tobacco in the compacting chamber into a rod-like shape;   an electrically powered motor for moving the compacting member up and down within the compacting chamber;   a pushbutton switch for powering the motor to initiate the operation of the cigarette-making machine;   a protective door rotatably attached to the housing so that it can be rotated toward and away from the access opening to block access to the compacting chamber through the access opening before operation of the motor is initiated; and   a downwardly directed member on the bottom surface to engage the pushbutton to initiate the operation of the cigarette-making machine when the door is closed over the access opening.   
     
     
         12 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 11  in which the protective door includes a portion that is curved to extend into the access opening when the door is closed over the access opening. 
     
     
         13 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 11  in which the door is configured to extend across the compacting chamber access opening to rest upon the surface above the compacting chamber access opening when the door is in a fully closed position. 
     
     
         14 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 11  in which the door includes an upstanding handle for grasping to rotate the door. 
     
     
         15 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 11  in which the door includes downwardly directed pins adjacent its top edge to block access to the compacting chamber opening when the door is closed over the access opening. 
     
     
         16 . The cigarette-making machine safety system of  claim 11  in which the protective door includes a downwardly directed barrier wall adjacent its top edge to block access to the compacting chamber opening when the door is closed over the access opening. 
     
     
         17 . A method of making a cigarette with a cigarette-making machine including a housing having an aperture, a compacting chamber in communication with the aperture for receiving loose tobacco, a compacting member mounted for reciprocal up and down motion to compact loose tobacco in the compacting chamber into a rod-like shape, a nipple for receiving a hollow cigarette tube disposed outside the compacting chamber, an injection spoon mounted for reciprocal lateral movement across the compacting chamber to transport the rod-like compacted tobacco shape into a hollow cigarette tube, an electrically powered motor, and a switch for initiating operation of the motor and protective door mounted for rotation into position across the access opening to block access to the opening and activate the switch comprising:
 rotating the protective door away from the access opening;   placing loose tobacco in the compacting chamber;   placing a hollow paper cigarette tube on the hollow nipple;   rotating the protective door into position opposite the access opening to block access to the compacting chamber while depressing the switch and activating the electric motor to compact the tobacco into a rod-like compacted tobacco shape, and to transport the rod-like compacted tobacco shape into the hollow paper cigarette tube; and   removing the finished filled cigarette tube.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  in which the protective door includes a downwardly directed barrier door that further blocks access to the compacting chamber when the door is rotated into position opposite the access opening.