Abstract: A smoking article can comprise a rod of smokeable material and a first sheet material comprising at least one diluent. The diluent is present in an amount effective to dilute emissions from the rod of smokeable material during combustion.

Abstract: An upright cleaning appliance having a handle for maneuvering the appliance across a floor. The handle is secured on a reclining upright body of the appliance for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the upright body. The handle includes a forward-extending handgrip portion which terminates in an abutment flange for preventing the handgrip portion from slipping out through the bottom of a user's grip.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a rate of charge/discharge, C rate, or state of charge, SOC, of a battery having unknown characteristics comprises a circuit for applying at least a two-pulse current load to said battery. A change in voltage, ?V, resulting from the application of the second or a subsequent pulse is used to determine the C rate of the battery as a function of ?V. An Open Circuit Voltage, OCV, of the battery a time interval after the completion of the application of the second or subsequent pulse is used to determine the SOC of the battery as a function of OCV.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaning head includes a housing having an agitator in the form of a brush bar rotatably arranged in a chamber having an air inlet and an air outlet and also includes an air turbine for driving the brush bar is provided. The air turbine has its own air inlet for admitting clean air to drive the turbine. A restricting member is arranged in the outlet of the chamber so as to restrict the cross-section of the outlet when the head is pressed against a surface to be cleaned and to restrict the flow of air from the brush bar chamber. The restricting member is designed to distribute incoming air between the main inlet and the turbine inlet in a satisfactory ratio. Thus, more air flows through the turbine, enabling it to drive the brush bar at high rotational speed.

Abstract: A drying apparatus includes an outer case, a portion of the outer case defining a cavity, an outlet disposed at a lower end of the cavity and a liquid dispersion unit, the liquid dispersion unit comprising a collector downstream of the outlet, a liquid evaporation unit in communication with the collector and an airflow generator for exhausting evaporated liquid from the collector to the exterior of the outer case. The liquid evaporation unit includes a high frequency agitator, such as a piezo-electric device. The piezo-electric device, when in use, agitates the surface of the water, and the water can be evaporated at a low energy cost. The waste liquid is therefore removed from the drying apparatus more hygienically and economically than known prior art arrangements.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a rate of charge/discharge, C rate, or state of charge, SOC, of a battery having unknown characteristics comprises a circuit for applying at least a two-pulse current load to said battery. A change in voltage, ?V, resulting from the application of the second or a subsequent pulse is used to determine the C rate of the battery as a function of ?V. An Open Circuit Voltage, OCV, of the battery a time interval after the completion of the application of the second or subsequent pulse is used to determine the SOC of the battery as a function of OCV.

Abstract: Cigarette filter rod employs as filtration material moisture disintegrative paper. The moisture disintegration index of the paper does not exceed 20.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the downstream handling of water soluble polysaccharide-containing extruded tobacco smoke filtration material. During conveying of the extrudate from the extruder die of an extruder to a cutter, the extrudate is heated, shaped, and cooled to provide tobacco smoke filtration material of desired dimensions and physical characteristics.

Abstract: An extruded filtration material which is degradable and comprises either a plastics material or an inorganic material having a melting point above the operating temperature, a polysaccharide expansion medium, a binder and water. These ingredients are fed to an extruder and subjected to an extrusion process which involves a pressure reduction, upon extrusion from the exit die, of up to about 70 bars so that swelling of the extrudate occurs to give a cellular structure. When exposed to the natural weather conditions, tobacco smoke filter elements comprising such material degrade without leaving a fused amalgamation of plastics or inorganic material.