Altria Client Services LLC

Capital One Services, LLC

Philip Morris Inc.

Robert N Smith

Andrew Nathan Carroll

William J Burke

Shannon Maxwell Black

Yan Helen Sun

David Kelly Wurmfeld

Steve Faletti

Janak Dadhaniya

Lisa Whitsitt

Jason Andrew Macko

Timothy Scott Sherwood

David Phillips

Christopher Joseph Dinovi

Marc Rose

Celina Liao

Georgios D Karles

Ali A Rostami

Robert Kikkert

Tyrone W Murray

Christopher Joseph DiNovi

Robert L Kikkert

Marc W Rose

A cigarette wrapper includes transversely extending banded regions applied by a printing technique, such as gravure printing. The banded regions may be applied in a one or more application of a printing composition that may be an aqueous starch solution also containing an anti-wrinkling agent such as propylene glycol, and calcium carbonate. The pattern of banded regions may be bands or stripes and the like along and/or around the tobacco rod. The banded regions may be solid or contain any number of cross-web and/or longitudinal discontinuities. The pattern may be configured so that when a smoking article is placed on a substrate, at least two longitudinal locations along the length of the tobacco rod have film-forming compound located only on sides of the smoking article not in contact with the substrate.

Alternating patterns in cigarette wrapper, smoking article and method

A user can submit a request to a server associated with an ATM. The request can be submitted from a device (or portable device) of the user. The server can evaluate the request and designate which ATM or ATMs are best suited to process the request. This determination can be based on availability of resources on the ATM. Subsequently, the server can transmit a communication to the device of the user and the designated ATM. The communication can cause both the device and the ATM to emit a sound or display a visual cue to guide the user to approach the designated ATM. The device and the ATM can emit various patterns of sound to better guide the user to approach the designated ATM.

Synced audio signals between a device and ATM

A system and method are disclosed in which a symbol associated with an ATM of a plurality of ATMs is made available to a customer in response to a request for access to the ATM. The symbol identifies the ATM to the user in locations having multiple ATMs, thus avoiding confusion for the user. The symbol may be used for any of the possible transactions between the user and the ATM, such as balance inquiries, deposits, transfers, and cash withdrawals.

Symbols to indicate which ATM to use

A wrapper of a smoking article comprising a base web and banded regions comprising a leading edge, a trailing edge and a plurality of add-on material-free openings between said leading edge and said trailing edge. The add-on material-free openings establish a predetermined, nominal opened-area within said banded regions to control diffusivity. The add-on material can be applied by a gravure roller comprising a surface region with cells, cell-free areas and a chevron shape.

Banded cigarette wrapper with opened-area bands

An apparatus for enrobing a product portion can include at least one polymer spray head adapted to create at least one flow of polymeric fibers to produce at least one polymer enrobing zone and a conveyor system adapted to move at least one product portion from at least one position below at least one polymer enrobing zone and to at least one position above at least one polymer enrobing zone to drop each product portion through one or more polymer enrobing zones a plurality times at different orientations to enrobe each product portion with polymeric fibers.

Product portion enrobing machines and methods

A melt-blown fabric for pouching smokeless tobacco or a smokeless tobacco substitute can include melt-blown polymer fibers. The fabric can have a basis weight of less than 30 gsm and a tensile strength of at least 4 mJ in at least one predetermined direction. Method of making the fabric can include melt-blowing a polymeric material against a support surface and bonding the fibers or arranging them in a predetermined orientation. Pouched smokeless tobacco or tobacco substitute products including the fabrics provided herein can provide desirable flavor and tactile experience.

Methods and machines for pouching smokeless tobacco and tobacco substitute products

Methods for encasing bodies including smokeless tobacco or a tobacco substitute with a polymeric casing can include coating a compressed body with microfibers, applying tubular casings to compressed bodies, printing netting and webs on compressed bodies, injection molding around compressed bodies, applying a webbing to compressed bodies, placing compressed bodies into a skin forming bath, and including thermoplastic polymers in a compressed body.

Polymer encased smokeless tobacco products

A process for making patterned cigarette wrapper includes the steps of: preparing a printing solution including the steps of: mixing at least water and a starch to form a starch mixture, heating the starch mixture to a temperature of at least about 180&#xb0; F. preferably for at least about 30 minutes to release amylopectin and amylose, adding propylene glycol to the starch mixture, and mixing the starch mixture and propylene glycol to form a printing solution, wherein the solution is maintained and applied at elevated temperature (120&#xb0; F. to 150&#xb0; F.). The process also includes providing a base web of wrapper and applying the printing solution to the wrapper in a predetermined pattern.

Process of preparing printing solution and making patterned cigarette wrapper

Computer implemented systems and methods are provided for an automatic teller machine. In some embodiments, an automatic teller machine may comprise a display, a physical barrier configured to intersect a line of sight from a location adjacent the automatic teller machine to the display, one or more memory devices storing instructions, and one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to determine that a user is operating the automatic teller machine. The one or more processors may be further configured to alter a degree of opacity of the physical barrier, based on the determining.

Systems and methods for providing automatic teller machine security

A wrapper for a smoking article has a base web and a plurality of elements each having at least a pair of patch areas where diffusivity is in the range of 0 to about 0.2 cm/sec. Patches of adjacent elements are circumferentially offset from one another along the axis of a smoking article. The add-on material can be applied by gravure printing in a single pass in a chevron pattern such that an apex of the element is co-linear with substantially symmetrically spaced points on a trailing, outer edge of an adjacent element. Testing elements may be simultaneously printed with the add-on material to monitor diffusivity and/or presence of add-on material.

Cigarette wrapper with novel pattern

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for using transparent surfaces at an automated teller machine. In one implementation, a method of visualizing a deposit at an automated teller machine includes receiving a command to deposit at least one depository element; determining an amount associated with the command; displaying, on a transparent surface of the automated teller machine configured to allow a user of the automated teller machine to view the at least one depository element, a visual representation of the determined amount; and receiving, concurrent with or after displaying, a verification of the amount.

Systems and methods for using transparent surfaces in an automated teller machine

A method of enrobing a product portion in polymer strands includes mounting at least one product portion on a holding device and passing the at least one product portion through a polymer enrobing zone. The polymer enrobing zone can include a flow of polymeric fibers produced by a polymer spray head. The polymer fibers can wraparound the at least one product portion to produce an enrobed product portion. The holding device can hold the at least one product portion by passing at least partially through the body of the product portion. At least a portion of the holding device is removed from the enrobed product portion. In some cases, the at least one product portion includes smokeless tobacco.

Product portion enrobing process and apparatus, and resulting products

A melt-blown fabric for pouching smokeless tobacco or a smokeless tobacco substitute can include melt-blown polymer fibers. The fabric can have a basis weight of less than 30 gsm and a tensile strength of at least 4mJ in at least one predetermined direction. Method of making the fabric can include melt-blowing a polymeric material against a support surface and bonding the fibers or arranging them in a predetermined orientation. Pouched smokeless tobacco or tobacco substitute products including the fabrics provided herein can provide desirable flavor and tactile experience.

Growing community of inventors

Richmond, VA, United States of America

Robert N Smith