Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a hinged lid side by side vertically hinged cigarette pack having a first bundle and a second bundle of cigarettes is described. The machinery includes a first machine to form a first foil wrapped bundle surrounded by a first inner frame, a second machine for forming a second foil wrapped bundle surrounded by a second inner frame and a third machine for combining the first and second foil wrapped bundle into a single hinged lid side by side vertically hinged pack.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 8, 2004
Date of Patent:
September 13, 2005
Assignee:
British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
Inventors:
Andrew Jonathan Bray, Steven Holford, Alan Douglas Tearle
Abstract: This invention relates to a smoking article pack. The pack and the inner frame used in combination therewith provide a substantially increased internal surface area for the printing of graphics and/or indicia in order to provide information to the consumer whilst not substantially increasing the surface area of the blank required to make the body of the pack.
Type:
Application
Filed:
March 11, 2003
Publication date:
May 19, 2005
Applicant:
British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
Inventors:
Andrew Bray, Adrian Stewart-Cox, Alan Tearle, Steven Holford
Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous method for pressure-conditioning material for food and/or semi-luxury consumables, wherein said material (12) is introduced through an entrance (4) into a hyperbarically pressurized conditioning chamber (2), where it is treated with a conditioning agent, and extracted again from said conditioning chamber (2) at an exit (8), wherein the material (12) is conveyed continuously from said entrance (4) to said exit (8) in a conditioning chamber (2) inclined obliquely upwards, by means of a mixing conveyor, in particular a conveying screw (3).
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 13, 2004
Publication date:
May 12, 2005
Applicant:
British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
Inventors:
Uwe Ehling, Gerald Schmekel, Frank Pluckhahn, Hans-Werner Fuchs, Matthias Link
Abstract: The invention relates to process gas conditioning for tobacco dryers. In particular, it relates to a device for conditioning dryer which includes a vaporization unit with a chamber for introducing and vaporizing water to be added to the process gas, wherein the vaporization unit is arranged before the tobacco dryer and before the tobacco is introduced into the process gas. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vaporization unit for introducing water vapor into the flow of process gas in a tobacco dryer which includes a through-flow tank in which water introduced via a number of spray jets is completely vaporized, in contact with the process gas, and to a method for conditioning process gas for a tobacco dryer, in particular a flow dryer, wherein vapor is added to the process gas by introducing and vaporizing water, the water in the flow of process gas being vaporized in an vaporization unit before the tobacco dryer and before the tobacco is introduced into the process gas.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 10, 2002
Date of Patent:
April 19, 2005
Assignee:
British American Tobacco (Germany GmbH)
Inventors:
Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss, Dietmar Franke
Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for marking cigarette packets, comprising a transport device for conveying at least one cigarette packet to a marking station for marking cigarette packets, and the following features: the transport device grasps a batch of adjacent, aligned cigarette packets and moves them to the marking station, where the transport device releases the batch; and the released cigarette packets are marked on at least one exposed area.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 15, 2003
Date of Patent:
February 22, 2005
Assignee:
British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
Inventors:
Andreas Dittrich, Hans-Werner Fuchs, Bernd Rabenstein
Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprising a Laval nozzle, in which the speed of sound is attained in the narrowest cross section.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 3, 2002
Date of Patent:
December 28, 2004
Assignee:
British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
Inventors:
Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
Abstract: A rigid of smoking articles is made to have improved shelf life and to be resealable. A barrier material is sealed around the rigid pack. The rigid pack has a potential or actual access aperture extending from a top face into a major face. The barrier material has a line of severance or weakening defining a flap, which is in register with the potential or actual access aperture. Over the flap is a layer which overlaps it on each severable side with a portion having permanently-tacky adhesive. A non-adhered pull tab is preferably provided on the layer. To open the pack the user lifts the flap and if necessary the access aperture. After removal of a smoking article the gap in the barrier layer is reclosed and released by the repositioning of the adhesive layer, carrying with it the flap of barrier material. A machine for assembling the pack is also disclosed.
Abstract: The invention relates to a method for conditioning comminuted tobacco material by heating and moistening with water vapor, wherein the comminuted tobacco material free-falls down through a chamber operating in a continuous process and is treated during free-fall with water vapor via nozzles; a hyperbaric pressure is maintained in said chamber.
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 11, 2004
Publication date:
October 21, 2004
Applicant:
British American Tobacco (Germany)
Inventors:
Uwe Werner Ehling, Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for conditioning comminuted tobacco material by heating and moistening with water vapor, wherein the comminuted tobacco material free-falls down through a chamber operating in a continuous process and is treated during free-fall with water vapor via nozzles; a hyperbaric pressure is maintained in said chamber.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 2, 2001
Date of Patent:
August 24, 2004
Assignee:
British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
Inventors:
Uwe Werner Ehling, Frank Plückhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
Abstract: The invention relates to a do-it-yourself cigarette maker and its component assemblies, such as, a conveying device for cigarettes or tubes fitted with a lifting device, a device for shaping a tobacco rod fitted with a plucking roller, a tobacco rod conveyor fitted with a spring tappet, and a tube-aligning device with a narrowable slit for introducing the tube.
Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for marking cigarette packets, comprising a transport device for conveying at least one cigarette packet to a marking station for marking cigarette packets, and the following features: the transport device grasps a batch of adjacent, aligned cigarette packets and moves them to the marking station, where the transport device releases the batch; and the released cigarette packets are marked on at least one exposed area.
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 15, 2003
Publication date:
April 29, 2004
Applicant:
British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
Inventors:
Andreas Dittrich, Hans-Werner Fuchs, Bernd Rabenstein
Abstract: A method of incorporating fibriform smoke-modifying material in smoking material rod, wherein fibriform smoke-modifying material is fed longitudinally thereof to a rod making machine (1). The longitudinal feed path in the machine is in a travel direction of the smoking material deposition run of the suction band (3) of the machine. The fibriform material (13) is either constrained by guide means (15) in the machine to follow a feed path spaced from the run (31) of the suction band against the suction force towards the run or the feed path of the fibriform smoke-modifying material is caused to ascend toward the deposition run under the influence of the suction force towards the run, until at a predetermined distance along the deposition run the fibriform material becomes supported and is subsequently maintained at a predetermined distance from the run by particulate smoking material (20) deposited on the run. Thereafter further smoking material (20′) is deposited on the deposition run.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 8, 2001
Date of Patent:
March 9, 2004
Assignee:
British American Tobacco (Investments) LTD
Abstract: A method of packaging smoking articles, such as cigarettes, includes applying a volatile flavourant to the surface of a pack or an insert for the pack immediately prior to the pack being assembled about a smoking article bundle. The volatile flavourant can migrate within the fully assembled pack from the surface to which it was applied to the smoking articles.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 17, 2001
Date of Patent:
December 9, 2003
Assignee:
British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
Abstract: This invention relates to the provision in a cigarette filter element of a capsule containing a deodorizer. The capsule is resistant to the handling endured before and during smoking, yet ruptures to release or expose the deodorizer upon extinguishing of the smoked cigarette. The deodorizer may comprise neutralizing or masking agents, or mixtures of both.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 22, 1994
Date of Patent:
October 14, 2003
Assignee:
British-American Tobacco Company Limited
Inventors:
Kevin Gerard MacAdam, Rosemary Elizabeth O'Reilly, Nigel David Warren