R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Other

Altria Client Services LLC

Gregory Alan Holmes

Clifford R Marritt

John Larkin Nelson

Carl Gregory Miller

Philip Andrew Deal

Francis R Oakley

David Wayne Tatum

At least one example embodiment discloses a conditioning system including a first roller, a second roller, a first drive system configured to rotate the first roller in a first rotational direction and rotate the second roller in a second rotational direction and a second drive system configured to move the first roller and the second roller in opposing linear directions, the first drive system and the second drive system being configured to cooperatively control the first roller and the second roller to process a substance.

Conditioning system

An additive material is applied to a substrate, such as a paper web used as a wrapping material for cigarette manufacture. A predetermined pattern of additive material is applied to the outer surface of the wrapping material of a formed cigarette, and most preferably of a formed filtered cigarette. In particular, an application system for applying additive material of a controlled type, in a controlled manner and in a controlled location on the wrapping material of a formed two-up filtered cigarette rod is located within a tipping machine. During controlled rotation of each such formed rod (e.g., due to cooperation of a transfer drum and a laser cam), additive material is applied to the outer surface of a desired location of the wrapping material of each such rod.

Equipment and methods for manufacturing cigarettes

Cigarettes are manufactured using modified automated cigarette making apparatus. Those cigarettes possess smokable rods having paper wrapping materials having additive materials applied thereto as patterns. The additive material can be applied as a coating formulation in an off-line manner to a continuous paper sheet web that is later used for cigarette manufacture. The additive material can be applied as a coating formulation in an on-line manner to continuous paper web moving through an operating cigarette making machine. The coating formulation is applied to the paper web using roll applicator techniques, ink jet printing techniques or electrostatic precipitation techniques. Liquid coating formulation are curable, and are virtually absent of solvent or liquid carrier. Radiation, such as ultraviolet or electron beam radiation, is used to solidify and fix polymerizable liquid components of the coating formulation that have been applied to the paper web. Heating and subsequent cooling of the coating formulation used to fix solid components of the coating formulation that have been applied to the paper web. Registration techniques are used to ensure proper positioning of the additive material on the smokable rods so manufactured, and to ensure proper quality of those cigarettes.

Materials and methods for manufacturing cigarettes

An apparatus for receiving and transporting cigarette rejects in a cigarette manufacturing process comprises a receptacle having a receiving opening and an insertion opening for receiving rejects, a conduit having a first end and a second end and communicating with the insertion opening, and means for providing a fluid flow in the conduit for transporting the rejects. A method of collecting and transporting cigarette rejects in a cigarette manufacturing process comprises directing the rejects into a fluid stream whereby such rejects may be transported transporting the rejects in the fluid stream to a predetermined location in the cigarette manufacturing process, and separating the rejects from the fluid stream.

Method and apparatus for collecting and transporting cigarettes and cigarette rejects

An amusement apparatus simulating the game of football is provided. The apparatus includes a simulated playing field, a deck of cards bearing instructions for offensive football plays of designated types, a toy football made of soft material such as foam rubber, and a receiving figure. The receiving figure is formed of a flat vertical member, a base to which the flat upright member is attached and a receiving receptacle attached to the forward side of the vertical member. The receiving receptacle is of a size sufficiently large to receive the football and has enclosed side bottom and forward sidewalls and an open top.

Football game

A method and an apparatus for reclaiming tobacco from cigarettes is disclosed. The apparatus and method include a cigarette pack opener and a method of opening cigarette packs wherein the packs are conveyed by an endless conveyor along a path of travel having an arcuate portion and a linear portion. The packs are inputted to the conveyor at the arcuate portion where a pair of circular cutting knives are arranged to cut off the end panels of the pack. The packs are then conveyed to the linear portion of the path where pusher/squeeze bars are urged against the side panels of the pack to deform the pack and cause the cigarettes to fall from the pack by gravity into a collector. The empty pack is conveyed to another arcuate portion of the path where it is discarded.

Method of and apparatus for reclaiming tobacco from cigarette packages

An apparatus and method of delivering smokable material to a cigarette maker with reduced degradation of the smokable material. A vertical reservoir tube is provided directly overhead of a plurality of rotatable and longitudinally vibratable rollers having interdigitating pins attached thereto. The rollers serve to meter and open the smokable material. The opened smokable material then falls as a shower from the rotating rollers to a convergent channel formed by two walls oriented at different angles to the horizontal. Air flow channels are provided which feed air along each wall, thereby providing an essentially laminar stream of air downwardly along the walls. An arrangement of multiple hoppers is also provided which permit blending of different types of smokable material prior to forming the smokable material into a braid and feeding the braid to the cigarette maker garniture.

Method of and apparatus for delivering tobacco to a cigarette maker

An apparatus for making smokable rods having smokable material contained in first and second wrapping materials, the first wrapping circumscribing the smokable material and the second wrapping material circumscribing and overwrapping the first wrapping material is provided. The apparatus includes a garniture means including a movable belt which travels along a predetermined path; a first bobbin for supplying a first wrapping material onto the movable belt of the garniture so as to travel along the path of the movable belt; and a second bobbin for supplying a second wrapping material onto the first wrapping material on the movable belt so as to travel along the path of the movable belt. The second bobbin supplies the second wrapping material using a turner assembly including a movable base; a first bar for receiving the second wrapping material from the second bobbin and for changing the path of the second wrapping material along a path substantially perpendicular to the path of the movable belt; and a second bar for receiving the second wrapping material from the first bar and for changing the path of the second wrapping material to a direction substantially parallel to the first wrapping material so as to place the second wrapping material onto the first while on the movable belt.

Apparatus for making cigarettes

An apparatus and method for making cigarettes and reclaiming tobacco from rejected cigarettes and rejected cigarette packs are disclosed. A system and method is disclosed for making and packing cigarettes in which tobacco is recovered from individual rejected cigarettes and rejected cigarette packs and then recycled to the maker for inclusion in new cigarettes. Included in the system and method is an apparatus and method for removing cigarettes from cigarette packs to facilitate individual cigarette recovery and tobacco reclamation, in which individual packs of cigarettes are conveyed to an opener stage which removes both end panels of a cigarette pack, and then to an extraction stage which increases the cross-sectional area of the pack, thereby loosening the packed cigarette matrix, applies a nonintrusive removal force, removing the cigarettes from the pack and separating the empty pack from the removed cigarettes. The cigarettes are transported to further processing which may include repacking of intact and otherwise acceptable individual cigarettes or, alternatively, separation of the tobacco from the filter and paper of the cigarettes. Optionally, the filters and the end panel at the filter end of the pack may be cut off, thereby eliminating the likelihood of filter material contamination of the tobacco, such as charcoal contamination. Two embodiments of the opener stage apparatus are disclosed, namely, apparatus for the simultaneous cutting off of pack end panels or the staggered serial cutting off of pack end panels. Four embodiments of the extraction stage are disclosed which, include apparatus for: extraction by gravity forces; extraction by centrifugal forces (two embodiments); and extraction by an air jet. It is also contemplated that in certain circumstances, the cigarette matrix in the pack can be altered sufficiently to assist in removal so that only one end panel of the pack need be cut off.

Growing community of inventors

Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America

Gregory Alan Holmes