Patents by Inventor Stephen Thomas Matthews

Stephen Thomas Matthews 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: 9486010
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided for forming a rod for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements. A continuous supply of a filter material is formed into a continuous filter rod by a rod-forming unit. An object insertion unit is configured to insert a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects into the continuous filter rod. A rod-dividing unit is configured to subdivide the continuous filter rod, at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, into a plurality of filter rod portions such that each filter rod portion includes at least one first object and at least one second object disposed therein, with the first objects being different from the second objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
    Inventors: Vernon Brent Barnes, Robert William Benford, Timothy Frederick Thomas, Stephen Thomas Matthews, John Larkin Nelson, Travis Eugene Howard
  • Patent number: 9247770
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided for forming a rod for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements. A continuous supply of a filter material is formed into a continuous filter rod by a rod-forming unit. An object insertion unit is configured to insert a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects into the continuous filter rod. A rod-dividing unit is configured to subdivide the continuous filter rod, at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, into a plurality of filter rod portions such that each filter rod portion includes at least one first object and at least one second object disposed therein, with the first objects being different from the second objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
    Inventors: Vernon Brent Barnes, Robert William Benford, Timothy Frederick Thomas, Stephen Thomas Matthews, John Larkin Nelson, Travis Eugene Howard
  • Publication number: 20140045665
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided for forming a rod for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements. A continuous supply of a filter material is formed into a continuous filter rod by a rod-forming unit. An object insertion unit is configured to insert a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects into the continuous filter rod. A rod-dividing unit is configured to subdivide the continuous filter rod, at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, into a plurality of filter rod portions such that each filter rod portion includes at least one first object and at least one second object disposed therein, with the first objects being different from the second objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Vernon Brent Barnes, Robert William Benford, Timothy Frederick Thomas, Stephen Thomas Matthews, John Larkin Nelson, Travis Eugene Howard
  • Patent number: 8574141
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided for forming a rod for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements. A continuous supply of a filter material is formed into a continuous filter rod by a rod-forming unit. An object insertion unit is configured to insert a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects into the continuous filter rod. A rod-dividing unit is configured to subdivide the continuous filter rod, at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, into a plurality of filter rod portions such that each filter rod portion includes at least one first object and at least one second object disposed therein, with the first objects being different from the second objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Vernon Brent Barnes, Robert William Benford, Timothy Frederick Thomas, Stephen Thomas Matthews, John Larkin Nelson, Travis Eugene Howard
  • Publication number: 20120298120
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided for forming a rod for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements. A continuous supply of a filter material is formed into a continuous filter rod by a rod-forming unit. An object insertion unit is configured to insert a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects into the continuous filter rod. A rod-dividing unit is configured to subdivide the continuous filter rod, at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, into a plurality of filter rod portions such that each filter rod portion includes at least one first object and at least one second object disposed therein, with the first objects being different from the second objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Vernon Brent Barnes, Robert William Benford, Timothy Frederick Thomas, Stephen Thomas Matthews, John Larkin Nelson, Travis Eugene Howard
  • Publication number: 20120302416
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided for forming a rod for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements. A continuous supply of a filter material is formed into a continuous filter rod by a rod-forming unit. An object insertion unit is configured to insert a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects into the continuous filter rod. A rod-dividing unit is configured to subdivide the continuous filter rod, at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, into a plurality of filter rod portions such that each filter rod portion includes at least one first object and at least one second object disposed therein, with the first objects being different from the second objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Vernon Brent Barnes, Robert William Benford, Timothy Frederick Thomas, Stephen Thomas Matthews, John Larkin Nelson, Travis Eugene Howard
  • Patent number: 8262550
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided for forming a rod for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements. A continuous supply of a filter material is formed into a continuous filter rod by a rod-forming unit. An object insertion unit is configured to insert a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects into the continuous filter rod. A rod-dividing unit is configured to subdivide the continuous filter rod, at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, into a plurality of filter rod portions such that each filter rod portion includes at least one first object and at least one second object disposed therein, with the first objects being different from the second objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Vernon Brent Barnes, Robert William Benford, Timothy Frederick Thomas, Stephen Thomas Matthews, John Larkin Nelson, Travis Eugene Howard
  • Publication number: 20120066959
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method are provided for protecting a tobacco storage facility used to contain tobacco material. The tobacco storage facility includes a tobacco enclosure defining at least one enclosure opening for providing access to the tobacco enclosure. A door assembly is operably engaged with the tobacco enclosure about the at least one enclosure opening. The door assembly includes a screen arrangement having a mesh sized to limit tobacco pests from passing therethrough. The door assembly is configured such that the screen arrangement is capable of moving between a closed position covering the tobacco enclosure and an open position allowing access to the tobacco enclosure. A method of monitoring pests in a tobacco enclosure is provided. The interior of the tobacco enclosure is monitored for pests using a monitoring system. At least a portion of the interior is fumigated if the number of detected pests meets or otherwise exceeds a predetermined pest threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Stephen Thomas Matthews, Tim Lee Flinchum, Vernon Benno Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20100236561
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided for forming a rod for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements. A continuous supply of a filter material is formed into a continuous filter rod by a rod-forming unit. An object insertion unit is configured to insert a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects into the continuous filter rod. A rod-dividing unit is configured to subdivide the continuous filter rod, at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, into a plurality of filter rod portions such that each filter rod portion includes at least one first object and at least one second object disposed therein, with the first objects being different from the second objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Vernon Brent Barnes, Robert William Benford, Timothy Frederick Thomas, Stephen Thomas Matthews, John Larkin Nelson, Travis Eugene Howard