Abstract: An improved cigarette and method of manufacture utilizes a specialized paper incorporating a narrow air tube portion along one of its longitudinal edges, and an elongated, generally rod-shaped rolling bar inserted into and through the air tube, used to roll up and capture tobacco spread over the paper's surface. The specialized cigarette paper incorporates a strip of small filter "flaps" into the construction of the air tube. The resultant cigarette emplaces the tobacco within a single, continuously spiraling envelope of cigarette paper about the central, longitudinal air-tube axis, with the filter flaps extending radially inward to filter the cigarette smoke.

Abstract: A flavor delivery article provides volatilized flavor by heating a flavor carrying substrate, but not burning any material. A heat source which includes a metal oxide (e.g., calcium oxide), an anhydrous metal sulfate (e.g., magnesium sulfate), an inorganic salt and a sugar, generates heat upon contact of water therewith. The heat produced by the heat source heats flavor in a heat exchange relationship therewith. Flavors volatilize and are drawn into the mouth of the user of the article. Typical heat sources heat the flavor to a temperature within 70.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. for 4 to 8 minutes.

Abstract: A compact easily transported container is utilized to freshen cigarettes once a package thereof has been opened and subjected to deterioration by exposure to air. An open package of cigarettes is positioned in the lowermost portion of a split container whereupon a top portion is secured thereto in a sealed interfitting relationship. A securably closable mouthpiece is opened whereupon an individual smoking a cigarette merely directs a volume of exhaled breath directly into the container and secures a hinged lid thereto to seal the container. The thusly injected exhaled breath assists in maintaining cigarette freshness and limiting deterioration of remaining cigarettes in the package.

Abstract: A ventilated smoker's mouthpiece, e.g. for a cigarette, in which the degree of ventilation is readily adjustable. The mouthpiece includes a ventilating outer sleeve around a buccal end core member and an adjacent upstream core member longitudinally aligned therewith. The buccal end core member bus, extending upstream from its exposed end, a portion which is movable longitudinally relative to the remainder thereof to move the adjacent upstream core member longitudinally relative to the sleeve to vary the extent of ventilation permitted through the outer sleeve. Thus, the outer sleeve may have one or more ventilating orifices, with longitudinal movement of the adjacent upstream core member under the action of the movable portion of the buccal end core member, bringing the upstream core member at least partially into or out of blocking registration with the ventilation orifice or orifices, or altering the extent of such blocking registration, with the amount of ventilation permitted varying accordingly.

Abstract: A smoke catcher device which catches essentially 100% of secondary smoke products such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes. The device comprises a housing having an interior space. The smoke product is installed in the housing such that the burning end of the product is in the interior space and the lip end is on the ouside of the housing. The housing also comprises a smoke intake opening and an exhaust port. The secondary smoke is exhausted through an appropriate filter system or to a smoke dump place. In use a smoker sucks smoke through the lip end of the smoke product and exhales the smoke into the smoke intake opening.

Abstract: A smoking device having a fuel column circumscribed by a wrapper has a passage with an impermeable wall extending concentrically therethrough and a filter rod at one end of the fuel column in flow communication only with the passage. The passage is filled with a material including an aerosol releasing material. The filter is formed with a pocket coaxial with the tube and the pocket is filled with highly flavorful tobacco.

Abstract: A cigarette filter rod comprising a filter element of fibrous material, the fibres of which extend longitudinally between a first end which is for attachment to a tobacco rod and a second end, and which surrounds a longitudinally extending tube member, one end of which is closed and is located at the first end of the filter element and the open end of which extends to the second end of the element, the wall of the tube being provided with one or more radially extending apertures adjacent to its closed end to promote radial flow through the fibres of the filter element adjacent the aperture or apertures and being dimensioned so that they remain open to allow flow communication through the wall of the tube throughout the period that a cigarette provided with the rod is smoked.

Abstract: A machine which simultaneously produces several rods of fibrous material has discrete conveyors which are closely adjacent each other and transport the streams from stream building stations to discrete surplus removing apparatus each of which employs a pair of coplanar trimming discs. The trimming discs of discrete surplus removing apparatus are disposed in different planes which are inclined relative to each other and can be inclined relative to or parallel with the planes of the respective conveyors. The orientation of the planes of the trimming discs ensures that the removal of surplus is not impeded by neighboring apparatus and/or by the channels for the streams of fibrous material.

Abstract: A cigarette having a generally cylindrical tobacco rod having a tobacco filler of ground tobacco. The tobacco rod has a circumference within the range of 10 mm to 19 mm. The tobacco rod is circumscribed by a combustible paper.

Abstract: A smoking article including a cylindrical, open ended sleeve with a capsule concentrically located within the sleeve and cooperating with the sleeve to define an annular air flow passage therebetween. The capsule includes chemical reactants which exothermally react when mixed together. A porous substrate including an aerosol generating substance is located in the sleeve downstream of the capsule and annular air flow passage so that air flowing from the annular passage flows through the porous substrate. A filter is located at one end of the sleeve adjacent to and downstream of the porous substrate.

Abstract: Tobacco material having a reduced protein content is provided by first extracting water soluble components from tobacco. The extracted residue then is subjected to enzyme treatment using an enzyme which can decompose water insoluble protein molecules to smaller sized water soluble molecular components. The enzyme treated extracted tobacco material then is isolated. The extracted tobacco components then can be reapplied to the protein reduced tobacco material. The tobacco material so processed is use as smokable material for cigarette manufacture.

Abstract: Two or more robotic arms having end effectors rigidly attached to an object to be moved are disclosed. A hybrid position/force control system is provided for driving each of the robotic arms. The object to be moved is represented as having a total mass that consists of the actual mass of the object to be moved plus the mass of the moveable arms that are rigidly attached to the moveable object. The arms are driven in a positive way by the hybrid control system to assure that each arm shares in the position/force applied to the object. The burden of actuation is shared by each arm in a non-conflicting way as the arm independently control the position of, and force upon, a designated point on the object.

Abstract: A device for torsion-proof connection of a number of elements (11, 12) in direct or indirect rolling contact with each other, which together make a robot arm or the like, whereby the elements are held together and actuated by force transmitting actuators, for example cords. The object of the present invention is to provide a device with which the individual elements of a robot arm can be torsionally locked so that it can bear significant torsional forces without detoriating the rolling characteristics of the elements. This object has been achieved by the fact that the elements (11, 12; 15) pairwise, with their rolling surfaces (13) turned towards each other, being connected with each other through a torsion member (14) which is flexible and/or joined in the rolling direction of the elements (11, 12) and which has a great stiffness across the rolling direction.

Abstract: A backhoe arrangement is disclosed wherein a single dipper arm is adapted for operably, removably engaging a mounting bracket of a tractor mounted, cantilevered type of skip-loader boom arm assembly. The tractor provides support for the cantilevered load by reason that the boom arms are pivoted from a rear end of the tractor while the attached single-arm backhoe is operably deployed to the front of the tractor. The described embodiment provides for significantly reduced weight and complexity, thereby enabling the tractor to be driven during excavating operations. The dipper arm may be swung to positions nearly at right angles to the direction of travel of the tractor.

Abstract: The present invention provides for precision micropositioning of a robotic structure. The micropositioning system includes a number of angular encoders indicating the angular orientations of various robotic elements with respect to one another and optical devices measuring the actual deflection of load bearing arm portions of the robotic structure. A separate optical device may be attached to each load bearing arm of the robotic structure. The optical device includes a target to be disposed at one end of the load bearing arms and an optical detecting system to be disposed at opposing ends of the load bearing arms. The target includes a plurality of light sources generally disposed in a plane and at least one light source disposed outside the plane. The optical detecting system includes first and second linear detector arrays adjacently disposed with longitudinal axes perpendicularly oriented. Each array senses target motion along a single line parallel to its longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A robotic manipulator for supporting a tool or workpiece, the manipulator including at least one rotary linear actuator adapted to be supported by a base and providing for controlled movement of a manipulator link with two degrees of freedom. The robotic manipulator includes a link assembly having one end spherically joined to a movable member for supporting the movable member, the movable member being adapted to support a tool or workpiece. The link assembly is articulated, and the opposite end of the link assembly is supported by a rotary linear actuator for linear movement in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the opposite end of the link assembly and for rotational movement about the axis defined by that linear movement.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a vacuum channel (15), and two parallel endless belts (3), which extend on opposite sides of said vacuum channel. The working courses (3a) of said belts have forward surfaces which extend substantially in a common plane (6). The belts (3) are synchronously driven in the same direction. The vacuum channel is provided on the forward side of an elongate carrier (1) and communicates through at least one suction port (21) with a vacuum source. The working course (3a) of each of said belts (3) is in contact on the rear with backing rollers (14).

Abstract: The device comprises a flat element (9), mounted on a pivot (12) substantially lying in the plane of symmetry of the conveyor belts, and having a stroke that runs from a first lateral sorting position of the carried objects (8), to a second symmetrical position with respect to the pivot, and moreover a set of chutes (7) with convergent axis, placed symmetrically and below on both sides with respect to this pivot, to convey the objects being transported to their respective containers (3), situated below said chutes, said stroke being controlled by a suitable actuator.

Abstract: A motor driven device for transferring workpieces between two stations possesses a holding device for the workpieces arranged on the lower end of a lever linkage. This linkage comprises an operating lever, which at its top end articulates with a crank lever, which pivots about a stationary crank lever axis. The center part of the operating lever articulates with the free end of a guide lever which at its other end pivots about a stationary guide lever axis under the crank lever axis. During transfer motion the linkage runs through a center position, in which the guide lever, the upper lever arm of the operating lever and the upwardly directed crank lever are on a straight line. At one stationary lever axis there is a driven shaft which is keyed to the lever thereat.

Abstract: Arm device adapted to move and position a first basic part (6) relatively to a second basic part (4), comprising at least three arms (1,2,3,7) capable of being extended and shortened in a controlled manner, said arms being free to pivot in attachments (5) on the second basic part, while one attachment on the first basic part is rigid, and one of said arms is torisonally rigid. A third basic part (15) is connected to the first basic part through a joint (16), and at least one auxiliary arm (12,13) is at one end connected to one of the arms (7) through a joint, while the other end of the auxiliary arm is connected to the third basic part (15), and the lengths of the auxilary arm can be varied. Thereby is achieved that the arm device has a large number of degrees of freedom with respect to movement of the third basic part, which holds a tool or a tool holder. Moreover, the tool or the tool holder may be journalled for rotation relatively to the third basic part ( 15).