Patents by Inventor Christopher R. Bale

Christopher R. Bale has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4969476
    Abstract: An elongate smoking article for releasing an aerosol into the mouth of a smoker comprises, a fuel rod having a light-up end adapted to be lit by a smoker; a tube extending from the fuel rod to a mouth end of the article thereby defining a condensation chamber between the fuel rod and the mouth end of the article; ventilation means to permit the passage of ventilating air from the light-up end of the fuel rod to the condensation chamber, and a porous ceramic cylindrical element impregnated with an aerosol precursor surrounding the fuel rod and in intimate contact with at least a portion thereof. A permeable fire-proof sheath surrounds the ceramic element, the sheath being adapted to provide physical integrity of the whole assembly, to allow the inward diffusion of air to maintain and propagate combustion of the fuel rod and to allow outward diffusion of combustion products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Christopher R. Bale, Beresford R. Gill, Brian C. Chard, Stephen J. Garrett
  • Patent number: 4848374
    Abstract: A smoking device for releasing an aerosol into the mouth of a smoker comprises in combination, a chamber into which a mixture of air and a liquid aerosol precursor is introduced, a heat source surrounding the chamber, a first duct providing communication between the chamber and a smoker's mouth, whereby the contents of the chamber may be drawn into the smoker's mouth, a container for the aerosol precursor, a second duct means leading from the aerosol precursor container into the chamber whereby aerosol precursor may pass from said container into the chamber, and a third duct means providing communication between ambient air and the chamber whereby ambient air may be drawn into the chamber by the smoker, the arrangement being such that in operation liquid aerosol precursor entering the chamber is converted into a condensation aerosol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Inventors: Brian C. Chard, Christopher R. Bale, Beresford R. Gill, David Herron, Stephen J. Garrett
  • Patent number: 4832056
    Abstract: A hand operated device for applying cigarette paper to a preformed tobacco rod comprises a forming roller arranged to rotate the rod about its longitudinal axis, a mechanical applicator for applying a pregummed sheet of cigarette paper to the rod as the rod is rotated about its axis, wherein the forming roller is provided along its length with a pair of circumferential helical grooves of opposite chirality, there being further provided a manually operable spigot device adapted to cooperate with the grooves and constrained to travel linearly parallel to the axis of the roller whereby manual movement of the spigot in either linear direction rotates the roller in a constant angular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Raymond A. Bryant, Beresford R. Gill, Stephen J. Garrett, Christopher R. Bale
  • Patent number: 4832057
    Abstract: An apparatus for making a smokeable cigarette from a preformed inherently unsmokeable rod of tobacco and a separate sheet of cigarette paper provided with a strip of contact adhesive comprises an open-ended smooth bore resilient tube provided with a longitudinal slit defined by a pair of lips one of which is radially further spaced from the axis of the tube than is the other lip and is tangential to the circumference of the tube. In operation, the rod is inserted axially into the tube, the paper is then inserted into the slit and the rod rotated so as to wind the paper onto the rod. The user squeezes the tube so as to control the friction between the rod and the sheet. The sheet finally adheres to itself by means of the strip of adhesive. The invention also includes a booklet of cigarette papers which are mounted on the backing card by strips of contact adhesive. On removing a sheet from the card the strip of adhesive remains attached to the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco, Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher R. Bale, Raymond A. Bryant, Stephen J. Garrett, Beresford R. Gill, Trevor C. Jennings
  • Patent number: 4777967
    Abstract: An apparatus for making cigarettes from preformed rods of tobacco and precut sheets of cigarette paper comprises a rotatable fluted drum, a hopper for feeding the preformed rods to flutes in the drum, means for presenting to each rod when each flute reaches a predetermined position a precut sheet of cigarette paper that is provided along an edge with a strip of adhesive, and means for rolling the rod in the flute so that the cigarette paper is thereby wrapped round the rod and adheres to itself by means of the adhesive to form a cigarette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Christopher R. Bale, Raymond A. Bryant, Stephen J. Garrett, Beresford R. Gill
  • Patent number: 4696311
    Abstract: In a machine for making cigarette rods containing two types of tobacco there is provided a dual hopper (1200) for containing the two types of tobacco separately and a conveyor (1206) to transport the tobaccos side by side to a chute (1203) and then to a carding area (1214). The levels of the tobaccos in the carding area are monitored and if one is too high then an appropriate flap (306,308) in the chute is opened and that type of tobacco is diverted and recycled to the hopper (1200) until the level of that tobacco in the carding area has returned to an acceptable level, whereupon said flap is closed and that type of tobacco is able to re-enter the carding area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: Imperial Group Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Brian C. Chard, John D. Hooper, Christopher R. Bale
  • Patent number: 4620553
    Abstract: A filter for a smoking article employing a resilient valve assembly in the path of the smoke. The valve assembly being movable in a first position in which the flow ventilating air is permitted and a second position in which the flow of air is prevented. The valve assembly being resiliently biased towards the first position and being displaceable towards the second position when a particular pressure differential is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1986
    Assignee: Imperial Group Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Christopher R. Bale, Beresford R. Gill
  • Patent number: 4142535
    Abstract: A smoking product comprising tobacco including as a film-forming or binding agent a pectin having a degree of methylation between 30% and 75% and an inherent viscosity between 2 and 6.5 deciliters per gram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1979
    Assignee: Imperial Group Limited
    Inventors: Paul R. Perkins, Christopher R. Bale