Abstract: There may be situations in which a ship at sea is lost and GPS is not available due to jamming, and neither a position fix nor GPS is available, or the heading and attitude sensors are degraded. A system and method allow estimating a ship's heading and pitch using radar range measurements, multiple antennas and satellite ephemeris data.

Abstract: A method of preparing a whitened tobacco material is provided, the method including the steps of (i) extracting a tobacco material with an aqueous solution to give a tobacco pulp and a tobacco extract; (ii) treating the tobacco pulp with at least one of a caustic reagent and an oxidizing agent for a time and at a temperature sufficient to lighten the color of the tobacco pulp to give a whitened tobacco pulp; (iii) clarifying the tobacco extract to remove higher molecular weight components; and (iv) combining the whitened tobacco pulp with a clarified tobacco extract to form a whitened tobacco material. The whitened tobacco material can be isolated and incorporated into a smokeless tobacco product. The invention also provides a smokeless tobacco product incorporating a whitened tobacco material. The smokeless tobacco product may be a snus-type formulation contained within a sealed pouch.

Abstract: The invention provides a tobacco product including a flavorful tobacco composition in the form of an extract of a fire-cured tobacco material. Exemplary tobacco products include smoking articles, smokeless tobacco compositions, and aerosol-generating devices that do not burn tobacco. The invention also provides a process for preparing a smokeless tobacco composition, the method including: mixing a fire-cured tobacco material having a first benzo[a]pyrene concentration with water to produce an aqueous slurry; maintaining the slurry for a time and at a temperature sufficient to form a fire-cured tobacco extract, the aqueous fire-cured tobacco extract exhibiting a second benzo[a]pyrene concentration lower than the first benzo[a]pyrene concentration; separating the aqueous fire-cured tobacco extract from a residual pulp material, and mixing the aqueous fire-cured tobacco extract with a tobacco or non-tobacco plant material to form a smokeless tobacco composition.

Abstract: A smokeless tobacco product is configured for insertion into the mouth of a user and incorporates materials from Nicotiana species (e.g., tobacco-derived materials) and plant materials from non-Nicotiana species (e.g., non-tobacco plant materials). The tobacco material can have the form of processed tobacco material (e.g., granulated, reconstituted, heat treated, or otherwise processed tobacco laminae and/or stem), tobacco extract (e.g., an extract of water soluble tobacco components obtained by extracting tobacco with water), or a combination thereof. The non-tobacco material can have the form of vegetable pulp (e.g., sugar beet pulp), pulp obtained after removal of water soluble components as a result of water extraction treatment, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for preparing a tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobacco composition, including: providing a moist tobacco material; heating the moist tobacco to a temperature of at least about 85° C. for a time sufficient to pasteurize the tobacco material while maintaining the moisture content at a relatively constant level; adding an amount of a base and water to the moist tobacco material sufficient to raise the pH of the slurry to at least about 8.7 and raise the moisture content to at least about 40% by weight, thereby forming a pH-adjusted moist tobacco material; and continuing to heat the pH-adjusted moist tobacco material to a temperature of at least about 55° C. for a time sufficient for the pH of the moist tobacco material to drop to less than about 8.5 while maintaining the moisture content at a relatively constant level.

Abstract: A method of expanding tobacco involves introducing a steam flow and a tobacco material into a duct having an inlet and an outlet and defining an arcuate flow path. The tobacco is entrained in the steam flow and conveyed along the arcuate flow path and toward the outlet. The presence of the steam results in volumetric expansion of the tobacco as the steam and entrained tobacco travel along the flow path. The steam and entrained tobacco are then collected and separated. As such, an expanded tobacco is provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for preparing a tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobacco composition, including: providing a moist tobacco material; heating the moist tobacco to a temperature of at least about 85° C. for a time sufficient to pasteurize the tobacco material while maintaining the moisture content at a relatively constant level; adding an amount of a base and water to the moist tobacco material sufficient to raise the pH of the slurry to at least about 8.7 and raise the moisture content to at least about 40% by weight, thereby forming a pH-adjusted moist tobacco material; and continuing to heat the pH-adjusted moist tobacco material to a temperature of at least about 55° C. for a time sufficient for the pH of the moist tobacco material to drop to less than about 8.5 while maintaining the moisture content at a relatively constant level.

Abstract: A lower electrode dressing tool for a projection welding machine is disclosed. The present invention includes a rotary dresser that refurbishes a projection welding lower electrode. The dresser utilizes the lower electrode's locating pin that stabilizes the dresser as its rotating cutting elements reshape and resurface the lower electrode. This allows for smoother and more accurate performance of the dresser.

Abstract: A lower electrode dressing tool for projection welding machine is disclosed. The dresser includes a rotating cutting mechanism that includes multiple cutting elements. The rotating cutting mechanism has an opening and locating pin in the interior of the mechanism that seats and stabilizes a lower electrode of a projection welding machine against the dresser. While the dresser is in motion, the multiple cutting elements ride against and dress the flat upper surface of the lower electrode.

Abstract: A vehicle moisture barrier comprises a formed barrier film and one or more bend flaps. The bend flaps may be bent along a bend axis formed by a deformation created at a junction line between the bend flap and the barrier film. The distal or free end of the bend flap contacts a trim panel to provide a stiffening force proximate to a raised rib extending from the opposite side of the barrier to promote sealing of the raised rib when a drawn form opposite to the raised rib is not provided to promote such sealing.

Abstract: A method of expanding tobacco involves introducing a steam flow and a tobacco material into a duct having an inlet and an outlet and defining an arcuate flow path. The tobacco is entrained in the steam flow and conveyed along the arcuate flow path and toward the outlet. The presence of the steam results in volumetric expansion of the tobacco as the steam and entrained tobacco travel along the flow path. The steam and entrained tobacco are then collected and separated. As such, an expanded tobacco is provided.

Abstract: A real-time cast sheet weight monitoring and control system in which the weight of a cast base sheet of wet laid tobacco slurry as well as the weight of a composite tobacco cast sheet formed by applying dry granular tobacco to the wet laid cast sheet prior to drying is disclosed in which two beta gauge sheet weight sensing devices are used to provide input signals to a controller which alternately uses those signals to monitor and control the weight of the cast base sheet by means of controlling the servo drive motors of a casting blade in a head box which is casting the wet laid sheet onto a stainless steel belt and which also uses those same signals to control the variable speed drive of a top loader for controlling the amount of dry granular tobacco which is uniformally applied to the wet laid cast base sheet prior to the drying of the composite tobacco cast sheet material formed thereby.

Abstract: A dry nutritional meal replacement composition based on the formulation comprising inter alia a protein blend comprising protein concentrate in an amount of about 4.0-86.0% by weight; a blend comprising a cellulose gel and carboxymethyl cellulose gum in an amount of about 2.3-93.0% by weight; a vitamin blend in an amount of about 0.1-12.0% by weight; a mineral blend in an amount of about 0.1-19.0% by weight; a natural or artificial sweetener in an amount of about 0.1-80.0% by weight; dietary fibers other than the cellulose blend in an amount of up to about 66% by weight; and an effective amount of a flavoring agent, alone, or in combination with a coloring agent. The composition, when mixed with an ingestable liquid, such as milk, and shaken at low shear forms a shake, and when mixed at high shear forms a mousse. When ingested, the mixed composition elicits satiety and can be used as a total meal replacement without adverse gastrointestinal disturbances.

Abstract: An accurate and constantly updated attitude instrument is provided for aiaft. The pitch and roll angles are calculated from two sets of velocity measurements, one set being derived from signals received from orbiting navigational satellites and the other set from on-board equipment which determines the aircraft's axial velocities. The on-board equipment may be a Doppler ground-speed sensor or an inertial system using accelerometers, the outputs of which are integrated to derive the axial velocities.

Abstract: An accurate and constantly updated heading reference is provided for movee vehicles, particularly aircraft. The heading is calculated from four velocity measurements, two of which are obtained from signals received from orbiting satellites, and two from on-board equipment which determines the vehicle's along-track and cross-track velocities. The on-board equipment may be a Doppler ground-speed sensor or an inertial velocity sensor using accelerometers, the outputs of which are integrated.