Philip Morris Inc.

Philip Morris Management Corp.

William H Stevens

Billy J Keen, Jr

Seetharama C Deevi

Patrick H Hayes

Bernard C LaRoy

Donald E Miser

Peter J Lipowicz

Charles T Higgins

Susan E Wrenn

Grier S Fleischhauer

Michael L Watkins

Mary Ellen Counts

Willie G Houck, Jr

Alfred L Collins

Howard W Vogt, Jr

Renzer R Ritt, Sr

Constance H Nichols

Mantharam Subbiah

Mohammad R Hajalogol

George B Reid

Kenneth E Rudolph, Jr

Edmond J Cadieux, Jr

Everett C Grollimund

J Lee Gregory

Robert Eugene Marcum

Keith Richard Koenig

Jonathan Warren

An improved mandrel for use on a dual bobbin spindle apparatus, the mandrel being an expandable contractible cylindrical sleeve having a plurality of expansion members and at least one interstitial resilient member separating the expansion members, providing positive engagement of a plurality of reels or bobbins containing wound webs of flexible material.

Dual bobbin mandrel

This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for reliably inserting a tab or other marker into a bobbin of material which is undergoing a converting or other processing step. A spindle having a retention device such as a vacuum or magnetic zone which holds the tab or marker with an adhesive side facing outwardly is described. In operation, the spindle is moved into engagement with the surface of the web and the tab or marker is applied precisely and with considerable force. Reduction in unplaced tabs, paper jams, and tearing may be accomplished by the reduction of user error.

Marker inserting device for web converting apparatus

A method and apparatus for reducing, capturing and disposing of the waste start up web of paper in high-speed manufacturing procedures which involve a converting step, e.g. laser perforation or the like. Specifically, the converting apparatus and the web speed are carefully and precisely controlled by a programmable logic controller to result in a rapid production of converted web with a minimum of waste. The apparatus and method are tuned by sampling the waste and web for conversion quality, and using that information to adjust the converting apparatus and bias that adjustment for maximum reduction in waste.

Flexible web converter waste removal apparatus and control

A smoking system is provided in which a replaceable cigarette containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of electrical heater elements contained within a lighter to evolve tobacco flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. The cigarette and lighter are adapted to provide air flow patterns through the smoking system such that air flows transversely into the cigarette. Such patterns improve aerosol and flavor delivery to the smoker and reduce the condensation of residual heater-region vapor/aerosol in the smoking system.

Electrical heater of an electrical smoking system

Method of manufacturing an electrical heater

A sharpening and cleaning apparatus for sharpening scalloped-edged blades in a carton slitting machine includes at least two rotating cylindrical hones mounted on a pneumatically controlled actuator, and a pair of blade cleaning brushes mounted on a separate actuator. A sharpening operation is initiated by a machine operator as needed to maintain blade sharpness, and is performed automatically by the apparatus controls. The hone actuator positions the rotating hones in contact with opposing sides of a cutting edge of the slitting blade as the blade moves past the hones at reduced speed. A first hone is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of the blade and a second hone is rotated in the same direction of the blade. During sharpening, the hones execute several reciprocating axial movements to stroke the blade. Prior to the operation of the hones the actuator positions the brushes in contact with the blade and causes the brushes to rotate to remove debris from the blade.

Method and apparatus for sharpening and cleaning scalloped-edged blades

Electrical smoking system for delivering flavors and method for making

A smoking article wrapper comprising a base web material having a first burn rate and one or more regions having a second burn rate is provided. The regions having a second burn rate are comprised of a composite layer structure of: said base web material, a layer is particulate material, and an adhesive layer which adheres to said base web material and to said layer of particular material. The particulate material is subsequently applied to the adhesive layer. An apparatus and method for applying the particulate material onto the base web is also provided.

Smoking article wrapper and method for making same

Apparatus and a method for laminating patches to a base web accurately, and as efficiently as possible, are provided. Two webs are fed at speeds which are related as the ratio of the width of each patch to the separation distance between patches, the patch web moving more slowly. Patches are cut from the patch web and transferred to the other web while being accelerated to the higher speed.

Apparatus and method for laminating patches of a first web material onto

An apparatus and method for automatically stripping sheet material from a bobbin, measuring characteristics of the material and labelling the bobbin. The apparatus includes a delaminator pick-up device for securing a lamination layer of the material and picking-up the secured portion from the bobbin. A threading device threads the secured portion and contiguous portions of the material through a measurement device. The threaded material is engaged by an engaging device and passed through the measurement device. The measurement device measures characteristics of the material.

Apparatus and method for carrying out measurements on a bobbin of sheet

Growing community of inventors

Midlothian, VA, United States of America

William H Stevens