Patents Assigned to Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
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Patent number: 5305893Abstract: A conveyor system for moving small particles of material from one location to another includes a flow diverter to divert the flow leaving a first conveyor to a second or third conveyor wherein one of the second or third conveyors is a reject conveyor to remove that material which includes foreign objects therein. The flow diverter is operated in response to a foreign object detection device which is operable in response to material moving along the first conveyor wherein the information obtained from the foreign material detecting device is received in a computer, wherein the computer actuates a piston operated air cylinder to move a perforated sheet member from one location to another so that the flow of material from the first conveyor or any part of the material leaving the first conveyor may be diverted to a reject conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1991Date of Patent: April 26, 1994Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: Cliff E. Hereford
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Patent number: 5284164Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for improving the quality of products produced in a cigarette manufacturing process. Selected machine operating parameters for at least one machine are monitored, as well as the product being produced. Samples of the product being produced are automatically obtained and tested for quality parameters. Machine operators are notified when to manually test samples of the product for quality parameters. The machine operators can request a test of a quality parameter. The actual test measurements of the quality parameters for either the automatically obtained samples or the manually tested samples are compared against expected values and alarms are presented and the testing is resequenced when the measured quality parameters fail to meet the expected values. Also, employee solution procedures are presented to aid in problem resolution. The time periods and downtime reason when each machine is inoperative is recorded.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 1991Date of Patent: February 8, 1994Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventors: Evelyn M. Andrews, Gregory J. Bricker, Ernest E. Collins, John N. Jewell, Dennis L. Sinksen, Darrel R. Stephens, Charles H. Wysowski
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Patent number: 5259404Abstract: Low sidestream cigarettes having cigarette rods comprising paper wrappers including compounds of a type which effect a sidestream reduction of at least 30% when used on rods not exceeding 20 mm in circumference.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1992Date of Patent: November 9, 1993Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventors: Paul D. Case, John A. Luke
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Patent number: 5232100Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting and eliminating cigarettes having loose filter tips whereby the tobacco rod end of a filter cigarette is held in place and a pre-set separating force is exerted on the filter to see if the filter is secured properly to the tobacco rod; and, if not, the filter and tobacco rod are rejected. A rotatable, splitable drum assembly is provided with a first and second vacuum source and the rotatable, splitable drum assembly is splitable into first and second segments. The drum is provided with longitudinally extending grooves therein which continually extend onto the first and second segments. Each groove is sized to receive a filter tip cigarette therein and each groove is also in vacuum communication with the first and second vacuum source. The first segment of the drum is coupled with the tobacco rod end of a filter tip cigarette by the first vacuum and the second segment of the drum is coupled with the filter of the filter tip cigarette by the second vacuum.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 1992Date of Patent: August 3, 1993Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: Robert T. Lewis
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Patent number: 5176795Abstract: A paper sheet or paperboard, such as boxboard, cardboard and the like has one surface coated with a surfactant to prevent, or at least retard the penetration of moisture through the thickness of the paperboard to the other surface thereof. A method of making a paper sheet or paperboard which has an improved resistance to or retards the penetration of moisture through the thickness of the paperboard comprises the sequential steps of applying a thin coating of a surfactant to one surface of the paperboard, and immediately drying the coated surfactant on the paperboard.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 1991Date of Patent: January 5, 1993Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: F. Kelley St. Charles
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Patent number: 5141004Abstract: The smoking section of the smoking article is comprised of a cylindrical combustible tube having a flavoring material therein, a combustible fuel element circumscribing the combustible tube and a wrapping material circumscribing the fuel element. A disc having a centrally disposed opening therethrough in flow-through communication with the flavoring material and the mouthpiece section is disposed to separate the smoking section from the mouth piece section. The disc receives a flow through connecting tube through the centrally disposed opening and sealing means is provided at the connection of the disc to the flow-through connecting tube to prevent the flow of fluids therethrough excepting those from the flavoring material contained in the cylindrical, combustible tube.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 1991Date of Patent: August 25, 1992Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: Harry S. Porenski
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Patent number: 5129356Abstract: An applicator for applying multiple lines of a fluid to a substrate includes a manifold having a plurality of fluid flow passages with a like plurality of spaced apart fluid outlets and at least one fluid inlet. Fluid spray nozzles are attached to the manifold in fluid flow communication with the fluid outlets of the manifold. The manifold further includes a swivel mounting for allowing the manifold to pivot about an axis parallel to the spray axes of the spray nozzles.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1991Date of Patent: July 14, 1992Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventors: Bruce A. Bandy, James W. Sullivan, Philip C. Willis
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Patent number: 5107865Abstract: Low sidestream cigarettes comprise cigarette rods not exceeding 20 mm in circumference. The cigarette rods comprise paper wrappers of a type which effect a sidestream reduction of at least 30% when used on rods of conventional dimensions.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 1990Date of Patent: April 28, 1992Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventors: Paul D. Case, John A. Luke
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Patent number: 5101840Abstract: A dye coating for a cigarette wrapper paper and a cigarette utilizing said wrapper wherein the dye comprises a solvent system, cocoa powder as the pigment, a dispersant to disperse the pigment, and a binder to bond the pigment to the paper when the dye is dry.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 1990Date of Patent: April 7, 1992Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: Tilford F. Riehl, Jr.
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Patent number: 5094253Abstract: A dye for coloring cigarette paper a brown color which includes caramel as the brown coloring agent, a plasticizer to prevent the paper from becoming brittle, and water. The dye can further include carmine as a red coloring agent to change the shade and hue of the brown color of the caramel. The dye can further include a burn additive to promote the burning of the dyed paper if needed.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 1990Date of Patent: March 10, 1992Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventors: Frank K. St. Charles, John H. Lauterbach, Li-Chung Chao, Jiunn-Yann Tang, Baran B. Chakraborty, Andrew McMurtrie
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Patent number: 5090426Abstract: A smoking article comprising a cylinder of a first fuel, and a sleeve of a second fuel concentrically surrounding and longitudinally coextensive with the cylinder. A filter plug is coaxially located at one end of the sleeve and a seal is located at the interface of the filter and sleeve. In another embodiment, a tube is coaxially located at one end of the sleeve to define a chamber, and a filter is coaxially located at one end of the tube.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 1989Date of Patent: February 25, 1992Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventors: Jiunn-Yann Tang, Li-Chung Chao
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Patent number: 5083577Abstract: An apparatus for metering a measured amount of tobacco to, for example, a cigarette making machine to provide a uniform feed of tobacco to the cigarette making machine thereby reducing variations of the tobacco in the cigarettes made by the cigarette making machine. The apparatus includes a first conveyor for receiving a supply of tobacco, a second conveyor located downstream of the first conveyor for receiving tobacco from the first conveyor. A vacuum device is associated with the second conveyor for retaining a selected metered amount of tobacco on the second conveyor. An excess tobacco receiving device is located adjacent the second conveyor for receiving excess tobacco removed from the second conveyor. A metered tobacco removing device is also located adjacent the vacuum device downstream from the excess tobacco receiving device for removing the selected metered amount of tobacco from the second conveyor for use in, for example, a cigarette making machine.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 1990Date of Patent: January 28, 1992Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: Edward T. Cullen
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Patent number: 5080115Abstract: A simulated smoking article comprising a non-combustible hollow cylindrical body, a filter rod coaxially located at one end of the hollow cylindrical body and a combustible fuel element at the other end of the hollow cylindrical body. A hollow thermal conducting member is located between the fuel element and adjacent end of the cylindrical body. A porous substrate cylinder, which is impregnated with an aerosol generating material, is located within the cylindrical rod between the fuel element and the filter rod. A flow accelerating means is located next to the porous substrate cylinder facing the filter rod. Upstream of the porous substrate cylinder is as gas inlet chamber and downstream toward the filter rod is a gas/aerosol mixing chamber. A conventional cigarette wrapping paper circumscribes the smoking article.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1990Date of Patent: January 14, 1992Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: Leroi K. Templeton
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Patent number: 5074412Abstract: A box for smoking articles having closures at both the top and bottom of the box. The box is provided with a divider substantially midway of the box dividing the box into two compartments. The divider is transversely disposed between front, back, and side panels of the box. Smoking articles are disposed on opposite sides of the divider. Cigarettes contained in the box would be about one-half the length of the box, each cigarette in one compartment of the box being in axial alignment with a cigarette in the other compartment, wherein one-half of the smoking articles are removable through the top closure and the other half are removable through the bottom closure.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 1990Date of Patent: December 24, 1991Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: Marie B. White
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Patent number: 5062434Abstract: A cigarette wrapping paper includes a plurality of rows of perforations extending across the width of the paper wherein the rows of perforations are spaced at preselected distances along the entire length of the paper.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 1989Date of Patent: November 5, 1991Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventors: Paul L. Aulbach, Dorothy M. Frank, David S. Roth
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Patent number: 5060667Abstract: A smoking article includes a combustible fuel element circumscribed by a heat transfer tube with a flavor source material circumscribing the heat transfer tube. At the ignition or upstream end of the smoking article, an impervious annular flange is provided. The flange includes an opening therein substantially the same diameter and configuration as the inside diameter of the heat transfer tube and the outside diameter is substantially the same as that of the smoking article. The flavor source material is in flow communication with the downstream or the mouth end of the smoking article so that upon ignition of the combustible fuel element, smoke that is generated from the fuel element is prevented by the annular flange from coming into contact with the varporizing flavor being released by the flavor source material when the smoker draws on the smoking article. Only the vaporizing materials from the flavor source material is received by the smoker.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 1990Date of Patent: October 29, 1991Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: David G. Strubel
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Patent number: 5054259Abstract: An apparatus for properly positioning a spacer panel relative to a container of items and a package blank which will be subsequently folded around the item container and spacer panel to form a package enclosing the item container and spacer panel. The positioning apparatus includes a plate for receiving and supporting the package blank, spacer panel, and item container in a stacked relationship with the spacer panel disposed between the package blank and item container, and a spacer panel contact blade which is movable back and forth over the plate top to contact just the panel spacer and moving the panel spacer between the package blank and item container to a predetermined location still between the package blank and item container such that when the package blank is subsequently folded to form the package, the panel spacer will be properly positioned therein.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 1990Date of Patent: October 8, 1991Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventors: James E. Miller, Byron L. Lowe, Everett N. Finn, Kenneth M. Milliner
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Patent number: 5042653Abstract: A tamper proof package including tamper detecting means on the top and bottom closures indicate if the package has been opened.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 1990Date of Patent: August 27, 1991Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: Jacob L. Ems
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Patent number: 5038997Abstract: A paper sheet of paperboard, such as boxboard, cardboard and the like has one surface coated with a surfactant to prevent, or at least retard the penetration of moisture through the thickness of the paperboard to the other surface thereof. A method of making a paper sheet or paperboard which has an improved resistance to or retards the penetration of moisture through the thickness of the paperboard comprises the sequential steps of applying a thin coating of a surfactant to one surface of the paperboard, and immediately drying the coated surfactant on the paperboard.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 1990Date of Patent: August 13, 1991Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventor: F. Kelley St. Charles
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Patent number: 5038804Abstract: A smoking device having a cylindrical fuel rod circumscribed by an air impermeable wrapper. The fuel rod consists of a homogeneous mixture of a non-tobacco fuel, a non-combustible tobacco, an aerosol generating material and a heat sink material.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1989Date of Patent: August 13, 1991Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco CorporationInventors: Li-Chung Chao, Jiunn-Yann Tang