Carl Evans Greene

US Patent:

20040118420, Jun 24, 2004

Filed:

Dec 20, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/326539

Inventors:

Vernon Barnes - Advance NC, US
Carl Greene - Winston-Salem NC, US
Lloyd Hancock - Walnut Cove NC, US
John Nelson - Lewisville NC, US

International Classification:

A24C005/32

US Classification:

131/280000

Abstract:

Cigarettes are manufactured using modified automated cigarette making apparatus. Those cigarettes possess smokable rods having paper wrapping materials having additive materials applied thereto as patterns. The additive materials, which can have the forms of liquid or paste formulations, are applied to a continuous paper web on the cigarette making apparatus. The formulation is applied to the paper web using application apparatus possessing rollers, and one of those rollers has a series of pockets in its roll face to receive additive formulation from a reservoir and to define the pattern of the formulation on the paper. A modified figure rail assembly and garniture entrance cone provide air flow toward the paper web being advanced through the garniture region of the cigarette making apparatus. Downwardly directed air exiting a plurality of air outlets in the finger rail create a zone of air turbulence the advancing paper web to maintains the paper web a distance away from the upper surface so that the additive material is retained on the paper web. Air exiting slots in the upper or top face of the garniture entrance cone also assist in maintaining the paper web away from the finger rail assembly. A radiant dryer is used to dry the additive material that has been applied to the paper web. The radiant dryer is located on one component of a two component assembly that is used to manufacture cigarettes. A first component of the two component assembly provides a source of paper web, applies additive material to that web in a pattern and dries the paper web; while a second component receives the paper web, supplies tobacco filler and manufactures a cigarette rod from the paper web and tobacco filler. Spectrometric techniques are used to ensure proper registration of the additive material on the cigarette rods so manufactured, and to ensure proper quality of those cigarettes.

US Patent:

20040237978, Dec 2, 2004

Filed:

May 16, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/439935

Inventors:

Vernon Barnes - Advance NC, US
Lloyd Hancock - Walnut Cove NC, US
Carl Greene - Winston-Salem NC, US
Sydney Seymour - Clemmons NC, US
Balager Ademe - Winston-Salem NC, US
John Nelson - Lewisville NC, US

International Classification:

A24C001/42
A24C005/38

US Classification:

131/284000

Abstract:

Cigarettes are manufactured using modified automated cigarette making apparatus. Those cigarettes possess smokable rods having paper wrapping materials having additive materials applied thereto as patterns. The additive material can be applied as a coating formulation in an off-line manner to a continuous paper sheet web that is later used for cigarette manufacture. The additive material can be applied as a coating formulation in an on-line manner to continuous paper web moving through an operating cigarette making machine. The coating formulation is applied to the paper web using roll applicator techniques, ink jet printing techniques or electrostatic precipitation techniques. Liquid coating formulation are curable, and are virtually absent of solvent or liquid carrier. Radiation, such as ultraviolet or electron beam radiation, is used to solidify and fix polymerizable liquid components of the coating formulation that have been applied to the paper web. Heating and subsequent cooling of the coating formulation used to fix solid components of the coating formulation that have been applied to the paper web. Registration techniques are used to ensure proper positioning of the additive material on the smokable rods so manufactured, and to ensure proper quality of those cigarettes.