Abstract: A smoking article is provided in which a replaceable tobacco flavor unit containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of permanent reusable heaters to evolve flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. Each heater heats only a portion of the available tobacco flavor material so that a plurality of individual puffs of tobacco flavor substance can be delivered sequentially to the smoker. The replaceable tobacco flavor unit can also include a filter to reduce the effect of residual aerosol which settles or condenses on the permanent portions of the article and which can result in undesirable flavor generation when reheated. A method and apparatus for manufacturing the replaceable tobacco flavor unit is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for applying an adhesive solution to the coal end of a cigarette by means of a precisely controlled liquid jet spray to bond shreds of tobacco in the cigarette end and to thereby reduce the amount of tobacco which falls out of the cigarette when shaken. Electronic controls are employed to synchronize the formation and charging of a series of droplets which are deflected in prescribed paths to contact the coal end of the cigarette in a predetermined pattern. Circuits are provided to adjust the timing and phase of the charging mechanism to compensate for variations in the speed at which the cigarette is conveyed to a target area and for variations in the timing of droplet formation.

Abstract: A smoking article is provided in which a replaceable tobacco flavor unit containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of permanent reusable heaters to evolve flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. Each heater heats only a portion of the available tobacco flavor material so that a plurality of individual puffs of tobacco flavor substance can be delivered sequentially to the smoker. The replaceable tobacco flavor unit can also include a filter to reduce the effect of residual aerosol which settles or condenses on the permanent portions of the article and which can result in off-tastes when reheated. A method and apparatus for manufacturing the replaceable tobacco flavor unit is also provided.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling energy flow into a heating load array of a smoking article are provided. In response to a pressure drop in the mouthpiece of the smoking article, a selected load in the heating load array is switchably connected to a power supply. Energy delivered to the load is measured and the load is disconnected when a predetermined amount of energy has been delivered.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for applying an adhesive or flavoring solution to the coal end of a cigarette by means of a precisely controlled liquid jet spray to bond shreds of tobacco in the cigarette end and to thereby reduce the amount of tobacco which falls out of the cigarette when shaken. Electronic controls are employed to synchronize the formation and charging of a series of droplets which are deflected in prescribed paths to contact the coal end of the cigarette in a predetermined pattern. Circuits are provided to adjust the timing and phase of the charging mechanism to compensate for variations in the speed at which the cigarette is conveyed to a target area and for variations in the timing of droplet formation.

Abstract: A flexible automatic test facility for measuring physical parameters of smoking articles and components of smoking articles, e.g., filter portions. The test facility includes a microprocessor based controller device, apparatus for severing the filter portion from the article, a plurality of instruments for performing the desired measurements and a computer-controlled robot for gripping and maneuvering one cigarette at a time to one or more of the instruments or severing apparatus to measure one or more physical characteristics of each article or its components in accordance with software instructions. A hopper feeder device containing a plurality of sample sets in separate bins in an indexing mechanism may be provided for extended unattended operation. Each sample set is provided with a code and a database including the nominal physical characteristics of the samples in the set and the test sequence for the cigarettes in the sample set.