Abstract: A comfortable way to daily remove inter-dental plaque would encourage dental hygiene and could improve health worldwide. The flossing by hand’ method is the most effect but its adoption is limited by the dexterity of the user especially among young and old people. Many efforts have been made to make flossing easier by extending floss from a device held outside the mouth, but most designs use a fixed, stretched, length of floss at the tooth. The method of use for these devices is dictated by the physical form of the device needed to mount the fixed stretched length of floss. But the goal of flossing devices is to emulate the ‘by hand’ method. This invention starts with the ‘by hand’ method and designs this device 1 to perform it. The “Loose Floss Method of Inter-dental Plaque Removal’ is strictly based on the ‘by hand’ method of flossing and provides a device 1 design exclusively to perform that method. closely without putting one's hands inside their mouth.

Abstract: Filter elements made up of least two axially aligned plugs are advanced in succession by a feed unit along a first path and in a first direction, with the plugs oriented along a second direction transverse to the first direction, toward a garniture section extending along a second horizontal path and in a third direction, on which they are formed into at least one continuous rod which is then divided up by a rotary cutter into single composite filters. A transfer unit linking the feed unit and the garniture section comprises a conveyor, rotatable about a first axis parallel to the second direction, equipped with carriers each presenting at least one slot designed to admit one filter element; the single carriers are pivotable independently relative to the conveyor about a second axis parallel to the first axis, and about a third axis transverse to the first axis, alternating between positions in which the slot extends parallel with the second direction and with the third direction.

Abstract: A tip paper predrying apparatus attached to a filter attachment includes an infrared lamp unit (16) located in the middle of a transfer path for a tip paper (P). After paste is applied to one surface of the tip paper in a paste applicator section (2), the pasted surface of the tip paper is irradiated with infrared rays from the infrared lamp unit before the tip paper is cut into individual tip paper pieces in a cutter section (4), whereby the tip paper is predried without any special contact with a heat source.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting and forming tubular members useful for positioning heat sources inside a smoking article is disclosed. The tubular members are carried by a plurality of fluted drums from one operation to the next. The tubular members are cut to the desired size by a plurality of rotating circular knives. The ends of the tubular members are then formed by one or more dies that are caused to move into contact with the ends of the tubular members.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for applying foamed material to tobacco, and for drying and setting the foamed material, particularly in connection with the making of cigarettes. The foamed material may be added to the tobacco, for example, in the paper guide section of a cigarette maker, at the garniture mouth or through the short tongue or through both, or at the chimney. Drying and setting can occur in the chimney, on the vacuum belt, or in the garniture, after the material has been applied to the tobacco filler, Drying can be accomplished, for example, by using heated air or microwave radiation. Addition of material to tobacco filler, during the cigarette making process in the form of foam, results in a cigarette in which the material added is more uniformly distributed.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in cooling heated filter rods particularly in the manufacture of cigarette filters is in the form a conduit through which the heated filter rod material is passed axially while being subjected to a flow of coolant gas. The conduit is provided with axially spaced rings of gas admission ports through which the coolant gas enters the conduit and adjacent rings of gas discharge ports through which the gas leaves the conduit. The ports in adjacent rings are slightly off-set circumferentially to provide uniform gas distribution through the filter rod material and the respective rings of admission ports are each provided with an admission ring manifold. The manifolds are connected in axial groups to respective headers so that independent sources of coolant gas can be provided to the respective groups whereby the cooling effect can be controlled lengthwise of the conduit.

Abstract: One side of a running web of wrapping material of the tobacco processing industry is provided with adhesive by a nozzle which discharges a stream of minute droplets of liquid adhesive. The droplets are charged by a first electrode immediately after they issue from the orifice of the nozzle and the droplets of the stream are thereupon deflected relative to the running web by a pair of deflecting electrodes whose operation is controlled by an adjustable circuit so as to ensure that the application of adhesive can take place in accordance with variations of one or more parameters including the speed of the running web and/or the permeability of wrappers which are obtained from the adhesive-coated web.

Abstract: For manufacturing rod for cigarette use, rod filler and paper wrapper web are fed continuously to a rod-forming machine in which wrapper web is wrapped about said filler to provide rod and the wrapper is longitudinally lap seamed by bringing heated sealing means into contact with the outer of overlapping web portions intended to provide the seam, one at least of said portions comprising at least 50% by weight of thermoplastic fibers or filaments. The rod filler and paper wrapping web, comprising at least 50% by weight of thermoplastic fibers or filaments, may be fed to the rod-forming device with the margins of the web overlapping and the heated sealing means brought into contact with one of the overlapping margins. The machine may be a cigarette-making machine or a filter-rod making machine.

Abstract: A device for applying filters to cigarettes by means of adhesive connection bands of a type comprising a peripherally grooved conveyor roller which transfers to a position, referred to as rolling position, units comprising two axially aligned cigarettes with the interposition of a filter section. At the rolling position an element, referred to as counter-rolling element, defines in combination with said conveyor roller a passage at which said bands are rolled up about the units. By means of a cutting device cooperating with said conveyor roller, the bands are provided by a paper web fed from a reel.After receiving adhesive on one face by a gluing device and before reaching the conveyor roller, said web skirts the surface of a heated rotating roller which causes the partial evaporation of the solvent in the adhesive.

Abstract: Filter-tipped cigarettes, cigars and similar smoking products which employ self-supporting non-wrapped fibrous filters are disclosed wherein the tobacco-containing portions are attached to the fibrous filters by tipping paper that is coated in a specified manner with a hot-melt adhesive.

Abstract: One side of the web which is subdivided into uniting bands in a filter tipping machine is coated with a water-containing adhesive. A certain percentage of water is expelled from the adhesive prior to application of uniting bands to groups of coaxial plain cigarettes and filter plugs by a heating device whose heating action upon the adhesive on the web and/or uniting bands is regulatable in dependency on the speed of transport of the adhesive-coated web and/or uniting bands toward the location of attachment of uniting bands to the respective groups.

Abstract: The applicator roll is provided with two recesses to apply uniform layers of glue to a travelling stream of tipping paper. In addition, the applicator roll has a series of spaced apart grooves in each recess so as to apply additional stripes of glue onto the tipping paper near the edges. The additional stripes of glue provide for a more secure bonding of the tipping paper to the tobacco column of the filter cigarette construction.

Abstract: The sensory effect of cigarette smoke is improved by using a disc (24) to shape the flow of smoke (32) leaving smoking article (10) into a divergent pattern, thus increasing the perceived flavor of the cigarette. The effect is most useful with cigarettes having relatively low delivery of particulate matter.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for forming cigarette filters, including a drum for receiving and holding a plurality of filters and a heated probe which can be moved into contact with the filters to form the filters into a desired configuration.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming cigarette filters, including a means for receiving and holding a plurality of filters and a heated probe which can be moved into contact with the filters to form the filters into a desired configuration.