Abstract: A semi-automatic cigarette-making machine of the tobacco-injecting type including a housing with an aperture and a compacting chamber in communication with the aperture for receiving loose tobacco, a compacting member mounted for manual reciprocal up and down motion from an initial position adjacent the top of the compacting chamber toward the bottom of the compacting chamber in response to the rotation of a pair of opposed gears, and an injection spoon mounted for automatic powered reciprocal lateral movement from a rest position within the compacting chamber across the compacting chamber to transport rod-like compacted tobacco shapes past the ejection side of the compacting chamber and into a hollow cigarette tube.

Abstract: A dead plate arrangement for a glass forming machine is characterized by a housing (33) which is bordered on the upper side by a dead plate (1) which is divided into fields (16, 16?, 16?) intended for putting hollow glass articles to be cooled thereon, wherein to each field, a dynamic pressure chamber (3) is allocated which is connected to a supply air chamber (4) via a valve (9), and wherein the supply air chamber (4) is connected to a cooling air supply via a valve (5). The valves (5, 9) are continuously controllable between an opening position and a closed position so that the pressure can be set for each of the dynamic pressure chambers (3), and therefore the cooling capacity of each of the fields (16, 16?, 16?) can be set individually depending on the properties of the hollow glass article to be cooled.

Abstract: A sag-bending glass mold for creating a partial parabolic-curved glass sheet is disclosed. The glass mold comprises a glass-support surface having a cross-sectional profile of varying height. The cross-sectional profile has a first portion with profile of a non-parabolic, linear-square root composite shape. A method for forming a partial parabolic glass sheet is also disclosed. The method comprises positioning a planar glass sheet on a sag-bending mold having a linear-square root composite shape and deforming the glass sheet to follow the linear-square root composite shape of the sag-bending mold.

Abstract: A furnace for melting batch materials, including, upstream in the direction of flow of the molten materials, a zone for introducing solid batch materials, and including a submerged burner and an overhead surface burner providing a flame that touches the surface of the glass at the point where the bubble from the submerged burner emerges. This association of an overhead, especially roof-mounted, burner and a submerged burner reduces the quantity of batch stones that may be sent toward the downstream end of the furnace.

Abstract: Delivery apparatus include an electrical circuit configured to heat a linear conduit and an elbow conduit. A first electrode can be mounted to an upstream portion of the linear conduit, a second electrode can be mounted downstream of the upstream portion, and a third electrode can be mounted to a curved segment of the elbow conduit within a footprint extension of a first passage of the linear conduit. In further examples, a delivery apparatus includes an electrical circuit with a first electrode mounted to an upstream portion of a linear conduit, a second electrode mounted to a downstream portion of the linear conduit, and a third electrode mounted to an elbow conduit. In still further examples, methods of heating molten glass include application of an electrical current such that neither a current flux through a linear conduit nor a current flux through an elbow conduit exceeds 8 amps/mm2.

Abstract: A cigarette assembly machine that accepts loose tobacco and cigarette blanks that include a filter and an empty tobacco holding portion and produces cigarettes. The machine includes a tobacco plug forming mechanism, adapted to accept loose tobacco and form it into a plug of tobacco in the shape of the tobacco holding portion; a cigarette blank accepting and holding mechanism, adapted to hold the cigarette blank, so that the empty tobacco holding portion is facing the tobacco plug forming mechanism; a shaft aligned to the accepting and holding mechanism; and a two-stroke shaft moving assembly, adapted to move the shaft through a first stroke, which pushes the tobacco plug into the tobacco holding portion to create a cigarette, and through a second stroke that moves the cigarette out of the cigarette blank accepting and holding mechanism.

Abstract: A mold for making a fused silica crucible includes a cylindrical can having an interior bore. A graphite insert is received in the bore and has an upper surface adapted to form the lower surface of the crucible while the interior bore of the can forms the side wall of the crucible. Silica grain is deposited in the mold while it rotates. Bores formed in the can above the insert and in the insert draw air through the silica during fusion.

Abstract: A glass-cell vial is provided which can examine specimen without causing any hindrance even when as minimum as possible specimen is used, and prevents mixture of foreign substances from causing examination errors. A vial is provided which comprises function of cell capable of optical examination, and the inner surface of bottom of the vial is formed to be a round-state convex part upwardly and the outer surface of the bottom is formed to be in convex state. When a small amount of liquid specimen is introduced into this cell vial, a part which can be a light irradiation part for optical examination can be positioned between the meniscus part of the liquid specimen and the upper end of the inner bottom. Consequently, it becomes possible to examine light quantity variation even though the specimen is in small amount.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for guiding flexible glass ribbons (13) without mechanically contacting the central portion (4) of the ribbon are provided in which two curved sections are formed in the ribbon which stiffen the ribbon so that lateral forces can be applied to the ribbon without causing it to buckle. The curvatures of the curved sections are along the direction of motion (15) of the ribbon and can be produced using curved air-bars (12,14) and/or pairs of cylindrical rollers (5a,5b,16a,16b). The lateral forces can be applied by pairs of guide rollers (7a,7b,9a,9b) which can be mounted on spring-loaded pivot arms (6,19,29) and can have a complaint outer coating or sleeve (35). The guiding system can be used in the winding of the glass ribbon onto a cylindrical core (11).

Abstract: A method for producing a porous fireproof material suitable for glass production, comprising introducing one or more reducing substances for adjusting an oxygen sink in the pore volume of the fireproof material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of combustion in a furnace provided with a burner comprising an inlet for oxidizer comprising between 10% and 30% of oxygen and an inlet for fuel terminating in the furnace outside the oxidizer inlet and at a distance therefrom of between 0.3 and 4 times the equivalent diameter of the oxidizer inlet, said oxidizer entering the furnace at a speed of between 10 and 60 m/s. This method permits a significant reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions and is suitable for glass furnaces in particular.

Abstract: A meltable smokeless tobacco composition configured for insertion into the mouth of a user is provided. The smokeless tobacco composition includes a tobacco material and a lipid having a melting point of about 36° C. to about 45° C. An associated process is also provided. The process includes melting a lipid having a melting point of about 36° C. to about 45° C. to form a molten lipid composition, mixing a tobacco material with the molten lipid composition to form a molten smokeless tobacco composition, and cooling the molten smokeless tobacco composition to form a solidified smokeless tobacco composition.

Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source and an insulation layer and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment including a substrate, which may include tobacco pellets and aerosol-forming material disposed in a substrate cavity between the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment and includes a foil strip laminated thereon; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the mouth-end segment using tipping material.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing strengthened glass containers, and more particularly the construction and operation of a cooling shroud in an apparatus for thermally strengthening glass containers in a glass container manufacturing line at a location intermediate the hot end and the cold end. Glass containers formed at an I. S. machine are conveyed through a special tempering Lehr that heats them uniformly to a high temperature that is short of temperatures at which they may become deformed. Subsequently, the glass containers are rapidly thermally strengthened in a cooling station in which the outer and inner surfaces including all areas of the glass containers are simultaneously cooled to a temperature below the Strain Point of the glass used in the glass containers, with the cooling shrouds being used to cool the outer surfaces of the glass containers.

Abstract: Methods are provided for controlling the formation of defects in sheet glass produced by a fusion process which employs a zirconia melting unit. The methods comprise controlling the temperature profile of the glass as it passes through the finer, finer to stir chamber connecting tube, and stir chamber to minimize both the amount of zirconia which diffuses into the glass and the amount of secondary zirconia based defects which comes out of solution in the stir chamber.

Abstract: The invention provides a smokeless tobacco product comprising a tobacco extract. In some embodiments, the smokeless tobacco product is translucent. The invention further provides methods for making and using the smokeless tobacco product. In certain embodiments, the smokeless tobacco product comprises isomalt, maltitol syrup, and a translucent tobacco extract prepared by ultrafiltration.

Abstract: A forming device and a method of manufacture of a fillet of plastic for aircraft assemblies. The fillet has a pre-determined profile for filling a cavity of a structural element. The fillet is formed using a former of a forming device. The method includes applying at least one blank of a base material of plastic between at least two opposed press beds of the former and at least one of the press beds including an elongated groove. At least one press bed is towards another press bed, until the press beds are in position for completed compression of the fillet. Each groove for forming of the fillet generates a fillet in correspondence with the pre-determined profile. The press beds are separated from each other for releasing the formed fillet. The formed fillet is removed from the former. The formed fillet is applied in the cavity.

Abstract: When melting a glass layer 3 by irradiating a region to be fused R therealong with a laser beam L1, the region to be fused R is irradiated therealong with the laser beam L1 having a first heat input, so as to melt the glass layer 3, the heat input is switched when the melting ratio of the glass layer 3 in a direction substantially orthogonal to a moving direction of the laser beam L1 exceeds a predetermined level, and the region to be fused R is irradiated therealong with the laser beam L1 having a second heat input smaller than the first heat input, so as to fix the glass layer 3 to a glass member 4. This inhibits the glass layer 3 from falling into an excessive heat input state and thus deters the glass layer 3 from crystallizing during burning. The glass member 4 is fused to a glass member 5 through the glass layer 3 thus deterred from crystallizing, so as to yield a glass fusing structure 1.

Abstract: A method is provided of refurbishing a quartz glass component which has been contaminated and eroded due to continuous use in a plasma process apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing. In the method, a surface deposit on the quartz glass component is removed by an appropriate cleaning method which is determined depending on the contamination status, and presence or absence of residual deposit on the cleaned component is carefully inspected through irradiating with light of a predetermined wavelength to cause fluorescence effect. Then the eroded portion of the quartz glass component is restored to the original state by flame treatment and precision machining. As a result, the refurbishment method can increase the mechanical strength of the quartz glass component, enhance the productivity and yield ratio through efficient use of the remaining materials of the quartz glass.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing flat glass rich in lead oxide, comprising the continuous floating, in a float plant with a neutral gaseous atmosphere, of a glass comprising at least 30% lead oxide by weight on a bath of molten metal having a higher density than that of the glass. The invention allows flat glass rich in lead, useful for protection against X-rays, to be produced.