Abstract: Cut filler compositions, cigarettes, methods for making cigarettes and methods for smoking cigarettes which involve the use of manganese oxide mixtures that include nanoparticle manganese oxide and other nanoparticle additive(s) capable of converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and/or converting nitric oxide to nitrogen. The compositions, articles and methods of the invention can be used to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide and/or nitric oxide present in mainstream smoke reaching the smoker and/or given off in secondhand smoke. The manganese oxide can be co-precipitated with the additive(s), or mechanically mixed with the additive(s) to form the manganese oxide mixture. The manganese oxide may have a lower light-off temperature than the additive, such that during smoking of the cigarette, the heat generated from the oxidation of carbon monoxide by manganese oxide is capable of activating the additive. The additive may include iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles.

Abstract: The distributor of a cigarette rod making machine employs a zig-zag sifter which receives a mixture of tobacco ribs and shreds from a reservoir by way of a duct or an elevator conveyor. The shreds leave the uppermost stage of the sifter and are conveyed, by a Coanda separator, into an upright gathering duct which discharges shreds for delivery onto the concave surface(s) of one or more guides serving to direct one or more streams of shreds against the underside(s) of one or more foraminous belt conveyors which advance the stream(s) past one or more trimming devices serving to remove the surplus and to thus convert each stream into a rod-like filler which is ready to be draped into a web of cigarette paper. The removed surplus is returned into the reservoir or directly into the zig-zag sifter.

Abstract: The components of cigarette smoke, known until now, do not explain the overwhelming hazardous effects of smoking; this invention describes the isolation, identification and procedures for determination of the structure, properties and assay of a relatively stable major harmful oxidant (cs-oxidant) present in the cigarette smoke, the content of which is about 190±10 &mgr;g per cigarette; the cs-oxidant alone almost quantitatively accounts for the oxidative damage of proteins produced by the aqueous extract of whole cigarette smoke, it is also responsible for the oxidative damage of DNA; since the cs-oxidant is relatively stable, it further explains the deleterious effects of the side stream smoke and passive smoking; a number of chemical compounds/agents including vitamin C have been found to prevent the cs-oxidant induced protein oxidation in vitro.

Abstract: A cigarette filter includes a multiple section filter which reduces the level of predetermined smoke constituents. The filter includes a fibrous filter plug section, a selective adsorbent section, and a general adsorbent section co-axially aligned in tandem. The selective adsorbent section includes a selective absorbent material which is a phenol-formaldehyde resin matrix surface-functionalized with mainly primary and secondary amine functional groups which removes specific smoke constituents from the tobacco smoke. The general adsorbent section is a material capable of adsorbing a range of chemical compounds without a high degree of specificity.

Abstract: A process for reducing the permeability of a paper wrapper used in the construction of a smoking article is disclosed. The paper wrapper is treated with a film-forming composition that forms treated discrete areas on the wrapper. The treated discrete areas have a permeability within a predetermined range sufficient to reduce the ignition proclivity properties of a smoking article made with the wrapper. In accordance with the present invention, the film-forming composition contains a film-forming material. The film-forming material has a relatively low viscosity. In this manner, the film-forming composition can have a relatively high solids content and still be applied to the wrapper using conventional techniques, such as by using a gravure printer.

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.

Abstract: Fibers are produced from an acetone solution of cellulose acetate by pulling or extruding such material through a spinneret in a dry spinning process. A vacuum is applied to the thus formed fibers after a certain degree of drying. A dried outer skin is formed, and the vacuum causes the solvent inside the skin to explode or pop and exit the fiber along micro-porous paths thereby producing high surface area fibers with micro-porous cavities and internal void volume. Such micro-cavities are particularly useful for retaining solid and/or liquid reagents in a cigarette filter for selective filtration of various smoke components.

Abstract: A portable extinguishing ash container with pivoting lid is provided. The ash container features a flame-resistant fabric pouch which accommodates a metal container. The pouch is filled with a noncombustible granular material such as sand or pebbles for enveloping an outer surface of the ash container. A hinged circular, transparent lid allows the smoker to close the apparatus securely during transportation and to keep discarded butts and ashes inside. A small release button on the front causes the lid to open automatically when the button is pressed. Being transparent, the lid allows for various pictures, photographs, logos, or word phrases to be placed thereunder to provide for a visually appealing appearance. A pivoting cigarette platform is provided to permit resting support of a cigarette. A leather strap is included to facilitate transportability.

Abstract: A molded plastic repository for spent smoking materials having separate base and column pieces with connecting portions which are connected for use by a connector which engages the connecting portions. The base and column are molded as a single piece then severed in a plane so as to provide similar connecting portions in relation to the severing plane. The method of fabricating and assembly provides a savings in storing and shipping the repository.

Abstract: An inclined trough assembly (10) or gob scoop (20, 40) for conveying, by gravity, formable gobs of glass at an elevated temperature to a section of a glass container forming machine of the I.S. type. The trough assembly has a trough member (12) configured, in cross-section, generally corresponding to that of an upwardly facing V and a manifold (14) at least partly underlying the trough member and having a configuration, in cross-section, generally corresponding to that of an upwardly facing U. The trough member is inserted into the manifold partly to the bottom thereof, and the manifold has a compressed air inlet (14a) for receiving compressed or fan air to flow along the manifold in cooling contact with the trough member.

Abstract: This invention provides a kind of cigarette substitute which is called Ginkgo Biloba L. leaves cigarette. It not only has the function of refreshing, but also is good to people's health. It avoids the harm which is brought to human bodies by the poisonous substances in tobacco. Because Ginkgo biloba L. leaves contain a large amount of flavenoids and Ginkgolide which are good to human bodies, and these pharmaceutical active ingredients are easy to volatilize and can be absorbed into lung, then good effects will be done. The smoke of this kind of cigarette is soft and dense, and it can prevent and cure hypertension, heart disease, arteriosclerosis and senile dementia disease. This kind of cigarette can be produced by ordinary technology.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for coating of a fibrous web. According to the method a coating color with pigments is applied to the surface of the web and dried in order to form a coated web. The invention comprises using a coating color which contains pigments having a steep particle size distribution, a maximum of 35% of the pigment particles being smaller than 0.5 &mgr;m. The coating color is spread on the surface of the web with a coating speed of at least 1450 m/min, preferably over 1600 m/min. The coating pigment having a steep particle size distribution gives rise to a coating color which solidifies at much lower dry substance than conventional coating colors. In this way coating can be controlled at high speed without runnability and quality problems.

Abstract: Tobacco flavorants loaded into semi-open micro cavities of shaped fibers add flavor to tobacco smoke during the smoking process. The shaped fibers are end-capped shaped multi-lobals that form semi-open cavities between the lobals to effectively entrain solid and liquid flavorant materials. The flavorant material may be in solid particulate forms, such as menthol solids and menthol impregnated carbon or silica gels, and may also be in liquid form such as menthol in dissolved or melt forms.

Abstract: A process for reducing lignin and nitrogenous content in tobacco lamina and tobacco fiber material, including whole leaf, stems, scraps, fines and lamina, as well as burley leaf and stem, in an extraction with a solution containing hydrogen peroxide and an alkali metal hydroxide. The treated tobacco may then be further processed for use in cigarettes and other smoking articles.

Abstract: A tobacco preparation process having reduced contents of nicotine and tar, wherein dried platycodi radix (broad bellflower), ginseng radix (Panax ginseng) and peach kernel (persicae semen) into tabacco leaves are crushed and cut into a specified piece. Dried playhcodi radix (broad bellflower), ginseng radix (Panax ginseng) and peach kernel (presicae semen) are crushed, Eum-yang-kwak (dried leaves of epimedii herbal tea (Epimedium koreanum)) are cut into the same size as that of the cutted tobacco leaves and mixture of platycodi radix (a broad bellflower), ginseng radix (Panax ginseng) and peach kernel (persicae semen), Eum-yang-kwak (dried leaves of epimedii herbal tea (Epimedium koreanum)) and tobacco leaves at the same proportion.

Abstract: The outfeed unit of a cigarette maker establishes a feed path along which at least one cigarette rod is caused to advance in a predetermined direction from the outfeed end of a beam, on which the rod is formed, toward a cutter device by which the rod is divided into sticks constituting single cigarettes; the unit is equipped with a cut-off device located in close proximity to the outfeed of the forming beam, by which the rod is severed and diverted from the feed path, and, at a given point downstream of the cut-off device, with pinch rollers by which a portion of the rod separated through the action of the cut-off device is removed from a final stretch of the feed path between the cut-off device and the cutter device.

Abstract: An inhaler for dispensing volatile ingredients including a one piece tube pinch closed and sealed at the ends. The tube may include reservoirs formed therein and noncircular cross sections. A volatile or volatiles such as nicotine and/or flavoring and/or medication are loaded in the tube with or without other ingredients and the ends closed. Absorbent material may be used to retain more volatiles within the tube or better wick the volatile vapors when air is drawn through the tube. A cutter including a body, a blade slidable in a longitudinal path within the body and a slot access receiving the pinch closed and sealed ends of the tube allow the ends of the tube to be cut off. Drawing air through the tube transfers vapors of the volatile or volatile including other ingredients from the interior of the tube to the user.

Abstract: A method of safely using cigarettes, utilizing the steps of obtaining a plurality of cigarettes and a safety container, placing a maximum number of the cigarettes to safely smoke per day into the safety container, distributing a maximum number of cigarettes to safely smoke per day and smoking only up to the maximum number of cigarettes to safely smoke during the day. The safety container provides instructions on how to estimate a maximum safe number of cigarettes to smoke based on the amount of nicotine in the cigarettes, the size of the cigarettes and the quality of filter used with the cigarettes. There is also a second embodiment of the method, which involves providing cigarettes that already come in a safety container with safety instructions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to cigarettes containing gold or silver particles and manufacturing methods of cigarette filters. The tobacco leaves, added with ion particles of gold, are prepared through blending them with peach leaves or bellflower leaves, which contains tartaric acid and malic acid as major components; the cigarette pouches comprise 20% of peach leaves or bellflower leaves and the gold or silver particles prepared in 0.005˜0.015 micron m of their size; and the filters are prepared by soaking them in a liquid mixture of pulverized peach leaves, bellflower leaves, and charcoals in more than 800 meshes. Therefore, in smoking, the cigarettes and their filters in this invention produce beneficial effects such as detoxification, blood-refining, and cell-cleaning with their major components such as gold particles, tartaric acid, and malic acid being absorbed into one's lung.

Abstract: A molding die has a shell having a penetration hole, a lower pattern installed in the lower opening of the shell, and an upper pattern slidably disposed from the upper opening of the shell. The shell includes an outer shell and an inner shell disposed inside of the outer shell. The inner shell is includes plural split shells. The inner shell can be separated from the outer shell. The inner shell, lower pattern, and upper pattern form a cavity. As a result, if the molded product sticks to the inner circumference of the shell, the molded product can be easily taken out of the molding die by disassembling the shell. Further, a molded product having an excellent dimensional precision can be manufactured.