Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CIGARETTES AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE
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The present invention relates to cigarettes. More
particularly, the present invention relates to
cigarettes which are adjustable to provide a wide range
of air dilution values
Various mechanisms have been disclosed in
heretofore issued patents which provide for adjustment
of the air dilution value of a filter cigarette, but
these mechanisms are not without certain disadvantages.
While many complicated mechanisms have been disclosed,
the simpler mechanisms generally involve making one or
more openings through a substantially air impermeable
filter plug wrap and the overlying, substantially air
impermeable, tipping paper and one or more corresponding
openings in a sleeve which is placed over the tipping
paper and which is then either rotated or moved axially
to select the degree to which the two sets of openings
are in registry. In another embodiment found in the
art, the filter is not glued to the tipping paper and
thus may by moved axially within the cylinder formed by
the tipping paper. Openings are made in the filter
plug wrap and corresponding openings are made in the
tipping paper. The air dilution value is adjusted by
axially mowing the filter plug within the tipping paper
to adjust the degree to which the two sets of openings
are in registry.
Among the problems associated with such mechanisms
are that the sleeve or filter plug may be removed from
the cigarette by the smoker and not readily replaced,
and that when dilution is desired, thus requiring some
degree of registry between the two sets of openings,
this registry may be inadvertently destroyed by a
slight axial movement of the sleeve or plug.
Accordingly, the dilution, once set by the smoker, is
not ensured of any degree of consistency. Yet another
problem associated with a number of -these prior devices
is that they have not been readily adaptable to a high
rate of production on cigarette making machinery of
conventional design.
According to a first aspect of the invention there
is provided a smoking article comprising a column of
combustible smoking material, and a mouth end region
open to permit the passage of air and smoke,
characterized in that the mouth end region is
circumscribed by substantially air impermeable wrapping
having an opening therein, and an outer substantially
air impermeable tipping paper having an opening
therein, means being provided for rotating one opening
relative to the other so that the openings may be in
varying degrees of registry to admit varying amounts of
air to thy mouth end region to dilute the smoke therein
and means being provided for retaining the tipping
paper against axial movement.
There is further provided a method of making such
a smoking article, which is characterized in that it
comprises waking two parallel rows of closely spaced
perforations in tipping paper to define first, second
and third bands axially aligning a tobacco rod and a
filter plug in abutting relationship, applying an
adhesive to the first and third bands on the same side
of the tipping paper, wrapping the adhesive coated side
of the tipping paper around the tobacco rod and filter
plug, forming an opening through the second band and
the underlying wrapping, and then breaking the
perforations so that the second band is freely
rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the filter
plug and retained against axial movement.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention
there is provided a smoking article comprising a column
of combustible smoking material and a mouth end region
open to permit the passage of air and smoke,
I 3
characterized in that the mouth end region has a perish-
oral area thereof adapted for the passage of air there-
through, and is circumscribed by a substantially air
impermeable sheet material comprising a first band fixed
to the mouth end of the smoking article and a second band
movable relative to the said peripheral area to admit
varying amounts of air to the mouth end region to dilute
the smoke therein.
In one preferred embodiment, the assembly comprises
tipping paper and a wrapped cylindrical filter plug. The
tipping paper is divided into three bands, the first of
which circumscribes a portion of one end of the filter and
the adjoining end of the tobacco rod and is attached both
to the rod and to the filter plug adjacent the rod end.
The middle band contains the opening in the tipping paper
and the opening in the plug wrap is positioned beneath this
band so that the openings may, through rotation of the
middle band, be moved into registry. The third band is
attached to the filter plug adjacent the mouth end thereof.
Of the three bands, only the middle band is not attached to
the filter plug or the tobacco rod and thus may be rotated
about the filter plug, but is secured against axial move-
mint by the fixed first and third bands.
In a second preferred embodiment, the assembly
comprises tipping paper, an inner contiguous wrapping and a
wrapped cylindrical filter plug. The tipping paper is
continuous and the inner layer is divided into three bands.
The first band is located at the tobacco rod end of the
filter plug and is fixed to the plug wrap. This band
contains an opening in registry with an opening in the plug
wrap. The second or middle band is not fixed to the plug
wrap but is attached to the tipping paper. The third band
is located adjacent the ...
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mouth end of the filter plug and is fixed to the plug
wrap. An opening in the tipping paper is located above
the first band. Since the first and third bands are
fixed only to the plug wrap and the middle band is
rimed only to the tipping paper, the filter plug my be
rotated about its longitudinal axis within the cylinder
formed by the tipping paper and is retained against
axial movement. The openings are positioned such that
rotation of the filter plug will rotate the opening in
the first band into registry with the opening in the
tipping paper. It is preferred to have the mouth end of
the filter plug extend a slight distance beyond the
tipping paper so that it may be readily manipulated by
the smoker to rotate the openings relative to each
other to select the desired degree of dilution
In a third preferred embodiment, which is an
unfiltered cigarette, the assembly comprises at least
two layers of a wrapping such as tipping paper. The
outer wrapping is preferably tipping paper and is
constructed as described in connection with the
description of the outer wrapping of the first
preferred embodiment. The innermost wrappings are
either attached to or from the wrapping for the tobacco
rod and have an opening positioned beneath the middle
band of -the outermost wrapping such that the opening
therein can be rotated into registry with the opening
through the inner wrappings. Preferably, there is a
single inner wrapping which comprises the cigarette
paper of the tobacco rod and the outer wrapping is
tipping paper which is wrapped around the tobacco rod
adjacent the ugh end.
In a fourth preferred embodiment, the assembly
comprises a tobacco rod, an integral axially aligned
substantially cylindrical wrapped filter plug at the
mouth end of the tobacco rod, and tipping paper
surrounding the filter pug. The plug wrap it divided
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into a mouth-end band, a central band, and a rod-end
band having an opening there through. The first and
third bands are attached to the filter. The tipping
paper circumscribes the filter plug and extends from
the mouth end of the filter plug to a position on the
tobacco rod adjacent to the rod end of the filter plug.
The tipping paper is divided into first and second
bands, the first band extending from the mouth end to a
position adjacent the tobacco rod overlying the third
band of the plug wrap. The second band of the tipping
paper abuts the first band of the tipping paper and
overlaps and attaches the rod end of the filter to the
abutting end of the tobacco rod. The first band of the
tipping paper has an opening which is positioned in
registry with an opening in the third band of the plug
wrap. The first band of the tipping paper is attached
to the plug wrap only at the central band for rotation
therewith about the longitudinal axis of the filter,
whereby the opening in the tipping paper is rotated
into varying agrees of registry with the opening in
the underlying plug wrap to permit varying amounts of
air to combine with the smoke, thereby varying the air
dilution value of the cigarette. The air dilution
value is the ratio of the volume of air to the volume
of smoke exiting the mouth end of the filter and is
expressed as a percentage.
In another preferred aspect of the invention, the
assembly comprises a tobacco rod, an integral, axially
aligned wrapped filter plug and two circumscribing
layers of tipping paper. The filter is wrapped in an
air permeable plug wrap. The tobacco rod and filter
plug are joined together by a first circumscribing
layer of air permeable tipping paper which extends from
the mouth end of the filter plug to a position on the
tobacco rod adjacent the rod end of the filter plug.
The second layer of tipping paper it air impermeable,
circumscribes the first layer of tipping paper, and
extends from the mouth end of the filter to the rod end
of the first layer of tipping paper. The second layer
has a circumferential extending row of closely spaced
perforations intermediate its two ends. The mouth end
portion of the second layer is attached to the
underlying first layer of tipping paper. The rod end
portion of the second layer is freed by rotating this
portion about the axis of the cigarette to break the
perforations, thus forming a sleeve which can move
axially between the mouth end portion of the second
layer and positions along the tobacco rod. The mouth
end portion of the second layer prevents the sleeve
from being removed from the mouth end of the cigarette.
The cigarettes of the present invention may be
manufactured employing conventional equipment with only
minor modifications and a method of manufacturing such
cigarettes forms another aspect of the present
invention. The invention will be further described, by
way of example, with reference to the drawings, in
which:
Fig. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective
view of the elements of a cigarette according to a
first embodiment of the present invention taken from
the mouth end;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled
cigarette of Fig. 1 taken from the mouth end;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cigarette
of Figs. 1 and 2 taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 4 is a length of laser perforated tipping
paper;
Fig. is a view in elevation of the drag break-
down unit for use in the manufacture of the cigarettes
of the present invention and showing a rotatable sleeve
cigarette of the present invention;
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Fig. 6 is an end view taken on line 6-6 of
Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of one end of the
drag breakdown unit of Fig. 5;
Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of a laser system
for use in making the openings in the tipping paper and
inner wrappings of the cigarettes of the present
invention;
Fig. 9 is a partial elevation Al view of an
apparatus for use in making perforations in the tipping
paper and inner wrappings of the cigarettes of the
present invention;
Fig. 10 shows an alternate embodiment of the
apparatus of Fig. 9 for use in making a plurality of
openings in the tipping paper and inner wrappings of
the cigarettes of the present invention;
Fig. 11 shows yet another embodiment of the
apparatus of Fig. 9 for use in making the openings in
the tipping paper and inner wrappings of the cigarettes
of the present invention;
Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the
line 12-12 of Fig. 2 showing the relationship between
the opening in the notable sleeve portion of the
tipping paper and the opening in the plug wrap.
Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view of the
mechanical perforation apparatus of Fig. 9 taken on the
line 13-13 of Fig. 9;
Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective
view of the elements of a cigarette according to a
3Q second embodiment of the present invention taken from
the litter end;
Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the assembled
cigarette of Fig. 14 taxes from the filter end
Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the
cigarette of Figs. 14 and 15 taken along the line 16-16 ,
of Fig. 15;
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Fig. 17 is an end view of the drag breakdown unit
of Fig. 5, as shown in Fig 6, but showing a rotatable
filter plug cigarette of the present invention;
Fig. 18 is a perspective view of an assembled,
unfiltered cigarette according to a third embodiment of
the present invention taken from the mouth end and
showing indicia printed on the tipping paper;
Fig. 19 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective
view, taken from the mouth end, of the wrapped filter
plug and the tobacco rod of a cigarette according to a
fourth embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 20 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective
view, taken from the mouth end, of the elements of the
cigarette of Fig. l;
Fig 21 is a perspective view, taken from the
mouth end, of the assembled cigarette of Fig. 20;
Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the
cigarette of Fig. 3 taken along the line 22-22 of
Fig. 21;
Fig. 23 is an enlarged partially fragmentary
perspective view, taken from the mouth end, of a filter
cigarette according to another aspect of the present
invention;
Fig. 24 is an enlarged perspective view, taken
from the mouth end, of the assembled cigarette of
Fig. 23; and
Fig 25 is a perspective view, also taken from
the mouth end! of a filter cigarette of Figs. 23 and 24
showing the axially movable band detached from the
mouth end band.
In two preferred embodiments, the cigarette of the
present invention is provided either with an axially
retained rotatable sleeve or an axially retained
rotatable filter plug with adjustable occludable
openings for inter-mixing air with the some The
degree of dilution is controlled by the size of the
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openings, that is, the degree to which the two sets of
openings are in registry.
The method of the present invention is such that
the cigarette may be readily produced on conventional
cigarette making equipment and the tipping apparatus
with a minimum of modification. Forming and cutting
the cigarette rod and forming and cutting the filter
plug, when included, to length are done conventionally.
Also, bringing the filter plug into axial alignment
with the cigarette rod and the over wrapping with
tipping paper are accomplished in the same manner as in
conventional cigarettes
Furthermore, additional simplicity in
manufacturing it made possible in the present invention
by simultaneously forming the openings in the tipping
paper and the inner wrappings. This is accomplished,
in one manner, simply by slitting or perforating the
tipping paper and underlying wrapping on each cigarette
as it passes through the conventional cigarette making
machinery at or near a rolling shoe station.
A means for permitting the smoker to select the
specific smoke to air dilution ration desired may be
provided through indicia (72 and 73 in Fig. 18, for
example) which are printed on the tipping paper during
the passage of the cigarette through the tipping
apparatus. Such indicia are made readily visible and
are designed to show the degree of registry of the
openings.
One preferred embodiment of the present invention
is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and comprises a tobacco
rod 1 which is aligned with and joined to a
conventional, substantially cylindrical filter plug 8,
which may be cellulose acetate filter or the like. The
filter plug is wrapped by a substantially air
impermeable plug wrap 7 which has openings 9 therein.
The filter plug 8 is joined to the tobacco rod 1 by
I
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tipping paper 2 which comprises a first band 5, a
second band 4, and a third band 3. The second band 4
contains openings 6 which are aligned with the openings
9 in the plug wrap. Band 3 and band 5 are attached to
the plug wrap and band 4 is freely rotatable about the
longitudinal axis of the filter plug, As band 4 is
rotated, the openings 6 are brought into varying
degrees of registry with the openings 9 in the
underlying plug wrap. Thus the amount of air entering
the filter, which it is mixed with the smoke produced
by the burning tobacco 10, can be selected by adjusting
the degree to which the openings 6 and 9 are in
registry. Band 4 is retained against axial movement by
bands 3 and 5 and this, in conjunction with the
frictional resistance to rotation, insures that the
degree of dilution, once selected, is maintained.
This rotatable sleeve embodiment may be readily
manufactured employing conventional equipment. As
shown in Fig 4, a length of tipping paper is divided
into banks 11, 12 and 13 by the two parallel rows of
closely spaced perforations 14 and 15. These
perforations may be made by any conventional means such
as laser perforation, electrostatic perforation, or
mechanical perforation using points or knives. It is
preferred to employ a laser perforation device in order
to maze the perforations extremely small and minimize
the possibility of even a slight axial slip in the
assembled cigarette. In practice, the tipping paper is
fed through a perforating zone where it is exposed to
at least a pair of laser light beams focused laterally
of the width of the traveling tipping paper so as to
define the desired width of the rotatable sleeve. The
power settings and focusing of the laser and the rate
of feed of the tipping paper are selected so as to all
but part the paper along the "break away" lines shown
in Fig. 4. The attachment which remain is selected to
retain only enough strength to hold the bands together
during assembly. Preferably, a latex system is
employed to make about 100 perforations per inch in the
paper.
The perforated tipping paper is applied to the
cigarette in a conventional cigarette making machine in
which a filter is positioned between two tobacco rods,
as in Fig. 8. The modification required in order
to make the embodiments of the present invention using
this conventional equipment is minor in that the
adhesive applicator is adapted to provide a ribbon or
the like of adhesive which, with reference to Fig. 8,
is provided only along strips 3, 5, lo, and 21. This
tipping paper is wrapped around the two cigarette rods
and intermediate filter, then the openings are made in
the tipping paper and the underlying plug wrap using
conventional equipment and then the tipping paper and
filter are severed through the center of the filter to
form two jilter cigarettes.
Preferably, as shown in Fig. 8, a laser
perforation system is employed which uses a laser 23 to
generate a laser beam that is passed through an initial
focusing lens 24, then divided by beam splitter 25 with
one half of the beam passing through lens 27 and being
focused on the tipping paper to form opening 6 while
the second half of the beam is reflected by mirror 26
through lens 28 which focuses the second beam onto the
tipping paper to Norm opening 22. The laser beam is
focused to traverse the rotating cigarette and is set
to remain on for a time period sufficient to make a
slit of a desired length through the tipping paper and
the underlying plug wrap. Slits one millimeter wide
are preferred. If it is desired to establish 2 line of
perforations instead of slits, the laser beam may be
pulsed a given number of times to provide a line of
separate holes.
12 -
Once the openings are formed, the filter is
severed at line 29 to form two cigarettes. The
cigarettes may then be passed to a drag breakdown
device, such as is shown in Figs. S and 6, which
employs rotating conveyor belts or rollers 16 and 17
and a skid plate 18. As shown in Fig. 6, an assembled
cigarette is passed between rollers 16 and 17 and is
aligned such that the middle band 4 of the tipping
paper contacts a skid plate 18 which breaks the
perforations in the tipping paper and frees band 4 for
rotation about the longitudinal axis of the filter
plug. The Yates of rotation of conveyors 16 and 17
may be adjusted such that a preselected degree of
rotation of band 4 occurs during breakage of the
perforations and so that the cigarettes exiting the
breakdown device are set at a uniform diluting value.
Another view of this breakdown device is shown in
Fig. 7-
The openings in the tipping paper and the
underlying plug wrap may also be made by mechanical means as shown in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 13. As shown in
Fig. 9, cigarettes 37 are passed between rotating drums
35 and 36 which feed the cigarettes beneath a fixed
plate 30 and into contact with a rotating perforation
device comprising rotating wheels 31 and 33, which, as
shown in greater detail in Fig. 13, are rotatable
mounted on shaft 48, and have pin-like projections 32
and 34 which penetrate the tipping paper and plug wrap
and also penetrate a short distance within the filter.
As shown in Fig. 10, a device equivalent in
function to that shown in Fig. 9 is disclosed which
employs a fixed plate 38, a rotating drum 41, and sets
of teeth-like projections 39 and 40 which are employed
to perforate the tipping paper and plug wrap of
cigarettes 42. Yet another such device is disclosed in,
Fig. 11 which also employs a fixed plate 43 and a
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-- 13 --
rotating drum 46 and has knife-like projections 44 and
45 which make slits through the tipping paper and plug
wrap of cigarettes 47.
Very thin blades or finely pointed elements are
used so that the vents are made to appear virtually
invisible to the naked eye when observed by the smoker.
One millimeter wide slits are preferred.
The dilution value of the cigarette of the present
may be readily adjusted as shown in Fig. 12 which is a
partial cross-sectional view taken through the openings
in the tipping paper and the plug wrap. As shown,
opening 6 in the tipping paper 2 may be rotated into
varying degrees of registry with opening 9 in the plug
wrap 7 to permit varying amounts of air to enter
through the two openings and into the filter material 8.
Rotation of band 4 in Fig. 2 will move opening 6
relative to opening 9 thus varying the degree of
registry and the amount of dilution. The tipping paper
2 and the plug wrap 7 are in close contact thus
JO providing a frictional resistance to rotation which
ensures that the degree of registry, once selected,
will be maintained.
A second preferred embodiment of the present
invention is shown in Figs. 14, 15 and 16 and again
comprises a tobacco rod 49 which is axially aligned
with and joined to a filter 58 by tipping paper 50~
The filter 58 is wrapped with a plug wrap 57 which has
openings 59 therein. As shown in this particular
embodiment, the plug wrap is wrapped with a tipping-
like paper 56 comprising three bands 52, 53 and 54 and
having openings 55 therein. This twice wrapped filter
58 is then joined to the tobacco rod 49 by tipping
paper 50 having an opening 51 therein. In this
particular embodiment, the filter extends beyond the
tipping paper 50 to provide a stub which may be
manipulated by the smoker to adjust the degree of
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dilution. The intermediate layer 56 is preferably the
same paper as layer 50 in order to present a uniform
appearance to the smoker.
If desired, paper 56 may be eliminated and the
plug wrap 57 may comprise three abutting bands
corresponding to 52, 53 and 54 in Fig. 14. The
following description will be understood to include
this embodiment in which the intermediate wrapping is
eliminated.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 16~ the paper 56
is attached to the plug wrap 57 such that openings 55
and 59 are in registry. Band 53 is freely rotatable
about the longitudinal axis of the plug member while
bands 52 and 54 are attached to the plug member. The
filter plug with its wrapping 56 is then joined to the
tobacco rod 49 by tipping paper 50 by attaching band 53
to the inner surface of the tipping paper. Openings 51
are positioned above the underlying openings 55 and 59
such that as the filter 58 is rotated! the openings 55
and 59 are brought into varying degrees of registry
with the openings 51 thus selecting the amount of air
which can enter the filter and combine with the smoke
for the burning tobacco 60 to produce a specific air
dilution value. Since band 53 is attached to the inner
surface of the tipping paper and since bands 52 and 54
are attached to the plug wrap, the filter plus is
freely rotatable within the cylinder formed by the
tipping paper and yet is retained against axial
movement. This, in conjunction with the frictional
interaction of the paper 56 with the tipping paper 50,
ensures that once a particular dilution value is
selected it will be maintained.
The cigarettes of this rotatable plus embodiment
are manufactured substantially as set for above for the
rotatable sleeve embodiment. When an intermediate
tipping paper layer is desired to be added, it is
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perforated, preferably using a laser system as set for
above, and is then attached to the plug wrap,
preferably with glue. Conventional equipment is again
employed and modified such that the yule applicator
will apply glue only to the plug wrap side of bands 52
and 54. A glue applicator is also modified such that
the glue is applied to the plug side of the tipping
paper 50 only on those portions which will contact the
tobacco rod 49 and the sleeve 53. Otherwise, the
manufacture of this second embodiment is substantially
the same as the first.
It is preferred to make the openings through the
outer tipping paper, the inner tipping paper or other
such intermediate wrapping, and the plug wrap at the
same time using the laser perforation system as shown
in Fig. 8 although one of the mechanical systems shown
in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 may also be employed The
assembled cigarettes are then passed through a drag
breakdown device as described with reference to Fits.
5, 6 and 7, but alignment of the cigarettes within the
device is altered as shown in Fig. 17 such that the
protruding end of the filter plug contacts the drag
plate thereby breaking the perforations in the inner
layer of tipping paper, thus permitting the filter plug
US to freely rotate within the outer cylinder of tipping
paper while being axially retained therein.
A third preferred embodiment of the present
invention is shown in Fig. 18 and comprises a tobacco
rod 64 comprising a column of tobacco 68 circumscribed
by a substantially air impermeable wrapping 65, which
is preferably cigarette paper, which is circumscribed
adjacent the mouth end by an outer cylindrical layer 70
of substantially air impermeable tipping paper
extending from the mouth end to a point between the
mouth end and the middle of the tobacco column. The
tobacco rod is open at both the coal. end and the mouth
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- 16 -
end to permit the passage of air and smoke. The
outermost layer comprises three bands, 66, 67 and 68
which are formed and positioned as described in
connection with the first preferred embodiment. There
is an opening through -the inner layer 65, and an
opening 71 in band 67 positioned so that it can be
rotated into varying degrees of registry with the
opening in the inner layer by rotating band 67. This
embodiment may be made according to the method
described for making the first preferred embodiment
with the step of inserting a double length filter plug
between two tobacco rods being omitted.
A fourth preferred embodiment of the present
invention, shown in Figs. 19, 20, 21 and 22, comprises
a tobacco rod 101 which comprises a substantially
cylindrical charge of tobacco 102 wrapped in cigarette
paper 103 that is aligned with and joined to a
conventional, substantially cylindrical, filter plug
104, which may be a cellulose acetate filter or the
like. The filter plus is wrapped by a substantially
air impermeable plug wrap 105 which comprises a mouth-
end band 106, a central band 107, and a rod-end band
108, defined by circumferential extending parallel
rows 109 and 110 of spaced perforations. The filter
plug 104 is joined to the tobacco rod 101 by tipping
paper 111. The rod-end band 108 has an opening 116
therein. Mouth-end band 106 and rod-end band 108 are
attached to the filter; central 107 is freely rotatable
about the longitudinal axis of the cigarette.
Tipping paper 111 is divided into a first band 112
and a second band 113 by a circumferential extending
row of closely spaced perforations 114. The inner
surface of the first band 112 is attached to the outer
surface of central band 107, preferably by a ribbon of
adhesive material 117, for rotation with central band
107 about the longitudinal axis of the cigarette when
I
the rows of perforations 109, 110 and 114 are broken.
The inner surface of the second band 113 is attached to
the outer surfaces of tobacco rod 101 and the rod-end
band, preferably by 3 ribbon of adhesive material 118.
An opening 115 is farmed in the first band 112 at a
position which overlies the rod-end band 108.
As the first band 112 is rotated by the smoker,
the rows of perforations 109, 110 and 114 are broken
and the opening 115 is rotated into varying degrees of
registry with the opening 116 in the underlying plug
wrap. Thus the amount of air entering the filter,
where it is mixed with the smoke produced by the
burning tobacco 102, can be selected by adjusting the
degree to which the openings 115 and 116 are in
15 registry Central band 1~7 and thus the first band 112
are retained against axial movement by bands 106 and
108 and this, in conjunction with the frictional
resistance to rotation, ensures that the degree of
dilution, once selected, is maintained.
The method of the present invention is such that
the cigarette may be readily produced on conventional
cigarette making equipment and tipping apparatus with a
minimum of modification, as described earlier. Forming
and cutting the cigarette rod and forming and cutting
the filter plug to length are done conventionally.
Also, bringing the filter plug into axial alignment
with the cigarette rod and over wrapping with tipping
paper are accomplished in the same manner as in
conventional cigarettes.
Furthermore, additional simplicity in
manufacturing is made possible in the present invention
by simultaneously forming the openings in the tipping
paper and inner wrappings, This is accomplished, in
one manner, simply by slitting or perforating the
tipping paper and underlying wrappings on each
cigarette as it passes through the conventional
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- 18 -
cigarette making machinery at or near a rolling shoe
station. A means for permitting the smoker to select
the specific smoke to air dilution ratio desired may
be provided through indicia which are printed in the
tipping paper during the passage of the cigarette
through the tipping apparatus. Such indicia are made
readily visible and are designed to show the degree of
registry of the openings.
As shown in Figs. 23, 24 and 25, according to
another aspect of the invention a cigarette comprises
a tobacco rod 201 which is axially aligned with and
joined in end-to-end abutting relation to a
conventional, substantially cylindrical filter plug
202, which may be a cellulose acetate filter or the
like. The filter plug is wrapped in an air permeable
plug wrap 2030 The wrapped filter plug is joined to
the tobacco rod 201 by a circumscribing first layer of
tipping paper 204 which extends from the mouth end of
the filter plug to a position on the tobacco rod
adjacent the rod end of the filter plug. Tipping paper
204 is air permeable and is attached, preferably by a
circumferential extending band of adhesive on its
inner surface, to the outer surfaces of the tobacco rod
and the filter plug wrap with the band centered on
either side of their line of abutment 205.
A second layer of tipping paper 206 circumscribes
the first layer of tipping paper and extends from the
mouth end ox the filter substantially to the rod end of
the filter. This second layer is divided into a mouth
end sleeve 207 and a rod end sleeve 208 by a
circumferential extending row of closely speed
perforations 210. The mouth end sleeve 207 is attached
to the tipping paper 204 adjacent the mouth end,
preferably by a band of adhesive 209 on its inner
surface. The rod end sleeve 208 is not attached to the
underlying layer of tipping paper 204.
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-- 19 --
The second layer of tipping paper 206 is
substantially air impermeable and the rod end sleeve
208 is detachable along the line of perforations 210.
In its attached form, the cigarette has a set air
dilution value which, if the smoker prefers, can be
varied by rotating the foal end sleeve 208 to detach it
from the mouth end sleeve 207 and then axially moving
sleeve 208 towards the coal end of the tobacco rod,
thereby exposing the underlying air permeable tipping
paper 204. This axial movement permits varying degrees
of air to enter the filter, thereby diluting the smoke
and changing the air dilution value of the cigarette.
This axially slid able sleeve 20~ is retained against
removal from the mouth end of the cigarette by the
attached mouth end sleeve 207.
In an alternative embodiment, the plug wrap and
the first layer of tipping paper may also be
substantially air impermeable and may contain a
plurality of openings there through which are exposed
when the sleeve 208 is detached and moved axially
towards the coal end of the cigarette.
The filter cigarette of the present invention may
be readily produced on conventional cigarette making
equipment and apparatus with a minimum of
modifications. Forming and cutting the cigarette rod
and the filter plug to length are done conventionally.
Also, bringing the filter plus into axial alignment
with the cigarette rod and the over wrapping with the
first layer of tipping paper is accomplished in the
same manner as in conventional cigarettes except that
the adhesive applicator is adapted to provide only a
band of adhesive on the portion of the first layer of
tipping paper which overlaps and joins the plug wrap to
the tobacco rod. The same machine for applying the
first layer of tipping paper with the glue applicator
adapted to provide a band of glue corresponding to the
I
- 20 -
mouth end sleeve portion of the second layer of tipping
paper.
The row of perforations in the second layer of
tipping paper may be made, preferably prior to
application, by any conventional means such as laser
perforation, electrostatic perforation, or mechanical
perforation using points or knives. It is preferred to
employ a laser perforation device in order to make the
perforations extremely small. In practice, the tipping
paper is fed through a perforating zone where it is
exposed to a laser light beam focused laterally of the
width of the traveling tipping paper so as to define
the desired width of the detachable sleeve portion of
the second layer of tipping paper The power settings
and focusing of the laser beam and the rate of feed of
the tipping paper are selected so as to all but part
the paper along the "break away" line 210 shown in
Figs. 23 and 24. The attachment which remains is
selected to retain enough strength to hold the sleeves
together during assembly but permits the detachable
sleeve to be readily detached by the smoker without
tearing the tipping paper other than between the
perforations Preferably, a laser system is employed
to make about 40 perforations per centimeter (about 100
perforations per inch in the paper along the line 210.
Various modifications to the foregoing embodiments
are possible for example, the first preferred
embodiment could be modified by omitting the filter
plug thus resulting in an integral mouthpiece; the
second preferred embodiment could be constructed with
the first and third bands glued or otherwise fixed to
the tipping paper and the second band attacked or fixed
to the plug wrap; and, in the second preferred
embodiment, the opening in the inner wrap could be made
in the second band instead of or as well as in the
L3~13
- Al -
first with corresponding openings being made in the
outer layer of tipping paper.
, . , .
